Bathroom Update and Famous Ancestors

Well, I'm sure everyone thinks we're MIA, but we really aren't, we've just been slaving away at our bathroom, among other things. Unfortunately, it is not finished yet, but there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. The pictures just show a couple of things, and we've made a lot of progress since they've been taken. We now have all the framing in and the plumbing and electrical is almost all done- drywall is in the near future, and after that painting and installing everything! We definitey couldn't have done it this quickly without my dad- Rob can only work on it after work and on Saturdays, so we've had to forego a lot of social events. We also lost a bit of time because Rob's sister got married this past weekend, but more on that in a minute...

The drain holes for the toilet and shower

Our new linen closet- now accessible from the hallway, not the bathroom!

Now for wedding news... Rob's oldest sister Alexis got married to Paul Matthews on our three year anniversary Saturday. They looked incredibly happy, and are now honeymooning in Cancun. It was fun, but a lot of work- it was in Pawleys Island, South Carolina so it was a 4 hour car ride to get there (luckily Max had no issues whatsoever) and Rob and I decorated, did the music, Max was the ring bearer (Rob carried him down the aisle) and I was the photographer. Things felt like they went a million miles an hour, but everything worked out great, and now its over and we can start thinking about our vacations! (More on that later)

Max enjoying the yummy food

Alexis and Paul Matthews

And now, on a completely different note... my mom does lots of family history, and she does a lot of work on ancestry.com. Well, she was showing me all the features on it and you can look up famous relatives! So, here are a few of my famous ancestors/relatives.

On my mom's side:
Edward Winslow (Mayflower Passenger)- 9th great grand uncle
Louisa May Alcott- 4th cousin 5 times removed
Emily Dickinson- 4th cousin 5 times removed
Pearl S. Buck- 4th cousin 6 times removed
Millard Fillmore (13th President)- 9th cousin 6 times removed
Butch Cassidy (American Outlaw)- 5th cousin 4 times removed
Booker T. Washington- 5th cousin 5 times removed
Lillian Gish (silent film actress)- 6th cousin 3 times removed
Laura Ingles Wilder- 6th cousin 3 times removed
Agatha Christie- 7th cousin 2 times removed
Frank Lloyd Wright- 6th cousin 4 times removed
Vina Fay Wright (Ann Darrow in original King Kong)- 7th cousin 2 times removed
EE Cummings- 6th cousin 4 times removed
JP Morgan- 6th cousin 4 times removed
John Locke- 2nd cousin 13 times removed
Spencer Tracy- 8th cousin 2 times removed
George Walker Bush (our current president)- 7th cousin 3 times removed
Orville Wright- 7th cousin 3 times removed
Katherine Hepburn- 8th cousin 2 times removed
Lucille Ball- 9th cousin 1 time removed
Ernest Shakleton (explored Antartica)- 10th cousin 4 times removed
Alfred (Lord) Tennyson- 7th cousin 5 times removed

On my dad's side:
Clement Moore (wrote The Night Before Christmas)-9th cousin 7 times removed
James "Wild Bill" Hickock (American Outlaw)- 4th cousin 7 times removed
Geoffrey Chaucer- 17th great grandfather
Marlon Brando- 6th cousin 4 times removed
Joan Crawford- 7th cousin 2 times removed
Mary Cassatt- 6th cousin 4 times removed
Nathaniel Hawthorne- 5th cousin 7 times removed
John Hancock- 4th cousin 9 times removed
Ralph Waldo Emerson- 5th cousin 7 times removed
William Randolph Hearst- 9th cousin
Laura Welch Bush (our current first lady)- 9th cousin 1 time removed
Robert Frost- 8th cousin 3 times removed
Amelia Earhart- 8th cousin 3 times removed
T.S. Eliot8th cousin 3 times removed
Gerald Ford- 9th cousin 2 times removed
Georgia O'Keefe- 9th cousin 2 times removed

So, there's a few- granted, there are only a couple I'm actually related to by blood- the rest are by marriage. But it's fun to see how connected everyone really is, and pathetic as it is, I have a little bit more motivation to do family history since none of Rob's side is done and I want to see all his famous realtives! So there, now there really is another reason to do your family history.

Happy Birthday to Paige!

Today is my sister Paige's 19th birthday, so in honor of that I put together the following images for her. Christian Bale is one of her favorite actors (who can blame her?) so I thought she would get a kick out of these... I hope you do too!

My Favorite Things...

I love being a mom to Max and everyday he manages to thrill me in some way. These are just a few of my favorite things he does...

1. When he reaches for me when he wants me
2. How he rotates his ankles when he's content
3. The random roaming of his hand when he nurses
4. When he sings along to the vacuum
5. His range of voice- from soft and husky to loud and shrill
6. How he crosses his ankles when sitting in his carseat
7. His deep belly laugh
8. His chunky thighs
9. How he looks like a dancer in his doorway jumper
10. When he feeds himself cheerios
11. His "I give up" stance when he's on his stomach
12. When he splashes in the bath or the pool
13. His cute little bum
14. His hair
15. His dimples
16. How he cuddles when he's asleep
17. The way he plays with his tongue when he's teething
18. How much he loves his grandparents
19. His excited "dance"
20. His reaction when he sees his dad after an extended period of time

I could go on and on and on (thats how it seems to be when you're a parent) but these are just a few. Being a parent can be tough, but it is definitely worth it- and a ton of fun. And Max makes everything worth it.

22 on the 22nd

Today is my 22nd birthday! Twenty-two years ago my mom was nice enough to push me out and now I've done the same for Max. Life is kind of funny- even though I'm turning 22, I don't feel 22. I suppose I feel older than that in some ways, but in others I feel younger. It's almost like I haven't aged since I got married. Looking back, I can see the changes that have occured, but I don't FEEL any different. And the years have flown by. I still feel like Rob and I just got married- it's confusing thinking of when certain things, like vacations and stuff, happened. I guess from when I got married on until I die will feel like the same amount of time as my childhood. But anyway, enough deep thinking. In honor of my birthday here are a few of my baby pictures... and one of Rob. Now everyone can compare Max to us- let us know who you think he looks like!

Me the day I was blessed

Around 3 weeks

Me and my brother Hunter

Me and Hunter a few months later- I'm starting to catch up to him in size, and in another year or two people start to think we're twins

Me and my chubby face

My mom loves overalls

This is what Max looks like from the back

I look like a boy

About a year old

And here is Rob- this is my absolute favorite baby picture of him

Rub a Dub Dub

After 3 years in our house, we are finally refurbishing our bathroom. Since we got married and I moved in, the bathroom has been like a bad spot on piece of fruit- as an interior architecture student, it drives me nuts. Before Rob and I were married he lived there with his roommate Nayte and it never bothered them that much, so they didn't mess with it. It, however, failed to pass my approval. I love the rest of our house and so it made me sad to see the bathroom in such terrible shape. Rob inherited the house when he was a teenager but didn't need a residence, so the house was rented until 4 years ago when Rob left the military. Unfortunately, as is the case in a lot of rentals, it wasn't taken care of very well, and definitely wasn't loved and appreciated. As a result, it showed. The bathroom just showed it a little more than the rest of the house (the kitchen is next). But now I am fixing it.

Here is a before picture of the one and only bathroom in our house- it's teeny!

Notice the door hitting the toilet

And the sink falling off the wall

The lovely stained linoleum

The priceless fake tile wall covering

I do believe this is how the camel crickets get in

The rotting baseboards

And what it currently looks like after some demolition- the floor still needs to be ripped up and floor joists replaced and the ceiling need to be torn down.

Lucky for us, my parents have room to house us while our only bathroom is in this condition. And while things seem to be moving at a snail's pace, we are so excited to finally have a bathroom where we don't cringe whenever we walk in. And once its done, we won't have any reason not to have people over! (Although the kitchen isn't so great either, but at least it isn't GROSS like the bathroom was)

Green Power

Rob's green:


Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 80% Superman 75% Hulk 75% Spider-Man 70% The Flash 65% Catwoman 55% Robin 53% Batman 50% Supergirl 48% Iron Man 45% Wonder Woman 28%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

Rob's a Villan

Your results:
You are Apocalypse

Apocalypse 83% Dr. Doom 78% Magneto 76% The Joker 75% Mr. Freeze 71% Lex Luthor 68% Two-Face 61% Green Goblin 61% Riddler 58% Venom 55% Poison Ivy 54% Juggernaut 53% Dark Phoenix 51% Kingpin 51% Catwoman 44% Mystique 37%

You believe in survival of the fittest and you believe that you are the fittest.

Click here to take the "Which Super Villain am I?" quiz...