Turning the Old Into New...or Old

I have been in need of a project.  Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of my sweet baby but I needed something to do that had nothing to do with baby talk, diapers, or spit up.  My husband acquired an old china cabinet from his Great Aunt Carol. 

It was a simple cabinet that did the job but it needed a makeover...I needed it, it needed me, perfect!
I scoured the Internet for ways to give this cabinet a new look and I decided to make it look older and give it the distressed look.  Thankfully a long weekend was coming up and my husband owed me for a golf game that required him to be away from home for several hours so off to Lowes I went!
First I sanded the entire thing.  I was a little disappointed to find out it wasn't completely made of real wood.  Well I guess technically it was, but not the type that I could use liquid sandpaper.  That would have saved a lot of time but I really needed a good arm workout so I did it the old fashioned way.
On went the primer. 

Now let me just let you know that if you are going to do a project like this then you can skip the primer if you are working with a good wood piece and use the liquid sandpaper.  It will wash the wood out a bit doing a similar job that the primer would and you get to skip a step!
While the primer was drying I spray painted the inside.  I decided to go with a dark green. 

Word to the wise, if you spray paint anything always use a mask, particularly if you are spraying the inside of a cabinet because it will all come back at you.  Oh an wear protective eye wear as well.  I am in need of new sunglasses so I just wore my old ones!  Because this cabinet has glass I used painters tape and some plastic from my drop cloth to cover it so I would not be scraping paint off glass for weeks.
After the primer dried (which takes forever because it is sticky and a pain to work with), I added my first coat of paint.  I was a little worried because the color I chose seemed so bright but I figured I would make it work somehow.  I put on one more coat and the let that dry overnight.
The next day I got out the sandpaper and roughed up the edges and a few other random spots.  The sandpaper I used was made to strip paint, anything finer would have taken forever.

I also chose to use an antiquing glaze in some of the grooves.  If you are painting a piece a bright color DO NOT try to antique the whole thing.  It will look awful and dirty.  I tried it on the sides of the piece and wound up using a third coat because it looked terrible!  Stick to the the grooves for a bright piece!

Once it was all done I used a light wax to give it that finished look.
Here it is!  I am so proud of this project!  I have my eye on a few other smaller things in my house that I think need a new look as well!

Here are the links to two of my favorite websites with tutorials on giving furniture new looks
http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/2011/08/tutorial-how-to-achieve-potterybarn.html

http://movitabeaucoup.com/2010/07/19/how-to-antique-and-distress-furniture-with-paint/
This one is a great one on using an antiquing glaze.
http://thespeckleddog.blogspot.com/2011/01/glazed-but-not-confused-glazing-101.html

Christmas Part 2 and New Years

During our little vacation we took a little trip to the Wichita Mountains.  Now, I have to use the term "mountains" loosely.  These are mountains to a Texan, but as I soon learned after moving out of the state, most people consider them only hills!  Anyway, there is a little restaurant near a wildlife reserve that serves huge longhorn burgers!  It is one of those hole-in-the-wall type places that has great food.

We decided to take John for his first longhorn burger!
Here is my dad and step-mom showing off one of the big burgers they have.

Ryker wasn't sure what to think about this skull!

Afterwards we drove around to see if we could spot a few buffalo or longhorn roaming around.  We certainly found some.  Although I was strongly opposed to it, my dad and John had to take Ryker out of the car to get a few pictures.  I wish there was one of me yelling at them to get my baby back in the car!

One night we took a stroll through The Fantasy of Lights, a Wichita Falls Christmas tradition.

In the 70's these Christmas light displays were donated to the university and every few years new displays are added making it one of the largest Christmas displays of its kind.

Of course the night we chose to go was one of the coldest nights we were there, so we walked though very quickly!
Have you ever gone back to a place that was so cool when you were a kid, then as an adult you saw it wasn't as you had remembered?  This was a prime example.  Some of these displays were from the 1920's and were weird and very random!  We still had fun enjoying the lights!

New Year's Eve is my step-dad's birthday and we celebrated with a nice dinner and then John and I went to bed at 11pm!  My how times have changed!  Ryker had fun sitting on his first saddle!

We flew back home two days later.  It was hard to say goodbye. 

Living far from family is difficult, but having a baby makes it so much harder.  I am not sure when we will be able to visit Texas again, but I hope it is sooner rather than later!

Christmas...Playing Catch Up

I am a little behind on posting the happenings of the Franklin clan, so here is the rundown of our holidays!
We took Ryker to Texas and he got to experience his first plane ride. 

It wasn't horrible.  The flight was not very long so he did well for the most part.  We had a rough time on the way back, but I think he had had enough traveling for a while!
The day after we arrived, we went to my nephew's 4th birthday party. 

He is a Christmas Eve baby so his parents like to make sure his birthday is special.  At the party Ryker got to meet lots of family, and he finally got to meet my dad!

My Grandma was also there so we had to take a picture of four generations!

Ryker's first Christmas was great.  He got lots of toys and we were able to just relax and spend time with family.
He are some of my favorite pictures:
Meeting his cousin Titus (my cousin Liz's baby boy)

He hung out with his cousin Cade.

And more cousins...

My best friend Courtney stopped by with her son who is exactly one week younger than Ryker

Me with my dad and brothers

And spending some time with Grammy

More to come in part 2!

Three months!

Our sweet little boy is three months old as of this week!

I can't believe it.  It has gone by so quickly, yet at the same time it seems as if he has been with us for such a long time!
Here are a few recent pictures of our sweet little man.  I got a new app on my phone that I am quite obsessed with.  You can take regular photos and change the effects on them.  I am not artistic at all, so this makes me feel like I am.  Humor me!
Ryker is growing like a weed and is quite chunky!  He is nearly 15lbs (according to our scale at home) and has almost grown out of every item of clothing that is 3 months or younger!
He is getting really good at holding his head up during tummy time

And he is becoming quite the chatter box!  He laughs  sometimes, but only for John or when he is looking at himself in the mirror!
It has cooled off quite a bit here.  I had no idea it actually got cold in Arizona!  It probably only lasts about a month or two, but it is nice to pull out the sweaters and Ryker could wear his new hat from Aunt Doodie!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and he is enjoying all of the lights everywhere!

Speaking of Christmas, we went to a Christmas party at a friend's house and take a wild guess at who got roped into playing Santa!  I think he actually enjoyed himself!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.  We're looking forward to flying to Texas for Christmas and the New Year!

My Thankfulness Journey

Well "Thankful Thursday" only really lasted two weeks this month.  We have been traveling so much and it has been difficult to get to a computer, but I am still determined to write what I am thankful for each day of this month.  For the final day of November I am completing this series.
22. Facebook
OK, this sounds cheesy, but without it I would have a really hard time keeping up with my friends and family.  Sure I have people on my friends list that I probably wouldn't spend much time with in person but I am so grateful to be able to see what is going on in the lives of my close friends and family since I live so far from most of them
23. Extended family
I have a lot of cousins and I am thankful to be close to so many of them.  John is close to his extended family as well.  We were able to spend Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with John's family and we had a great time with so many family members!  I have to post this picture of my little man all dressed up on Thanksgiving. 

The cuteness is almost too much to take!
24. My car

I'm sorry I refer back to our time in Japan so much, but living overseas really makes you so thankful for some of the things we have in the US!  When we moved back to America we bought a new Honda Pilot.  I have never had a new car before and I am so grateful we were able to buy this one.  I absolutely LOVE it!!!
25. John having a job
After recent trips to large cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, I have become even more thankful that John has a job.  It seems as if you become more aware of how many people are homeless when you visit large cities.  There are so many people who are not as fortunate we are and have lost their jobs and homes.  His job isn't an easy one, but I don't think he is at risk of losing it any time soon!
26. Dates

It has been a while since John and I went on a date, but thanks to my cousin Cami for watching Ryker while we attended the Marine Corps ball, and John's parents for watching him while we were all in Vegas, my husband and I have had two evenings out by ourselves!  Dates are now much more meaningful since we do not have them often.  When Ryker gets a little older and we get to know more people around here, I hope to have nights out with my hubby more often!
27. Black Friday...or the lack thereof

I absolutely hate Black Friday.  There is nothing I could possibly want, or a bargain so great that I am willing to wake up at 2am and fight crowds for.  Thankfully stores are offering some great deals on their websites so I can shop from the comfort of my own home!  On the news this week, I saw stories of several people who were seriously injured during the Black Friday mayhem.  No thank you.
28. Healthcare
A great benefit of being a military family is not having to pay for healthcare.  After seeing the bill from the hospital when Ryker was born, I am so thankful we did not have to pay a cent!
29. Being an American
America can get a bad reputation sometimes, and of course there are so many problems our nation faces, but there is such pride we can have in being Americans.
I must share the blog address of a friend of mine.  She and her husband just welcomed their fourth child into their family...a little girl from China.  They will be on their way home soon with their sweet little girl.  Please pray for a smooth transition for all of the members of their family!
http://usmcfamilyoffive.blogspot.com/
30. Being blessed

I must say that I am flat out blessed.  Not lucky, not fortunate, but blessed.  I have to give thanks to God for all of the incredible blessings He has given me and my family.  Looking back at my life I have seen blessing after blessing and I know they are from God.
I hope all of you have taken the time to pause and reflect on all of this reasons you have to be thankful and I pray we remember them throughout the year!

Thankful Thursday...a little late

I am way behind on my weekly thankfulness journal!  We were traveling all week last week, so I didn't take the time to write anything down.  Thanksgiving is only a few days away, so I better get caught up!
Here we go!
15. I'm thankful I can stay at home with Ryker

I never thought I would be a stay at home mom.  I was on the path to being a career woman, and then I married a Marine!  We move every 3 years or so, making finding a job difficult.  I worked at our church in Okinawa dealing with all of the church finances, but when we moved to Arizona we decided that I would stay at home.  Besides, who would hire someone who was 7 months pregnant at that time?  If you would have asked me five years ago if I wanted to stay at home with my children I would have said no, but now I am so grateful that I have that opportunity.  I wouldn't have it any other way!
16. Ability to travel
John and I have always loved to travel, even if it was just for a short road trip.  We were not going to let having a baby stop us from continuing to travel (although it does slow us down quite a bit and we don't pack light!). 

John had to work in San Diego last week, so we took advantage of the long holiday weekend before he had to be at work there and visited friends and family in Los Angeles and San Diego. 
Ryker also met John's great uncle Bill Ryker who is 92 years old!

17. The ocean

I miss seeing the beautiful water that surrounds the island of Okinawa, so I was excited to head to the other side of the Pacific!  There is something so majestic about the ocean.  You can't help but stop and stare at the beauty of the water.  John wanted to capture the moment Ryker put his feet in the ocean for the first time. 

Needless to say, he hated it!  It was cold, so I don't blame him!  I hope he loves the water.  We plan on taking him to swimming lessons as soon as possible so he is not afraid to get in!
18. Chick-Fil-A
If you don't like Chick-fil-A then we cannot be friends anymore.  I grew up with this one of a kind fast food restaurant and I am so glad they have expanded and have stores all over the US so the rest of America can taste the goodness! 

During Ryker's first trip, he got to meet the Chick-fil-A cow!  He is destined to love going here!
19. Laughter

Ryker laughed for the first time today!  He giggled twice when I was singing to him.  I'm not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing because I thought I had a good voice, but it was adorable nonetheless!
Laughter makes everything better.  How could you possibly be upset about how your day has gone when you hear laughter?  Could you imagine how dull and angry this world would be without it?
20. Marines
Ok, I know I already wrote that I was thankful for the military in a previous post, but the Marines are special.

Last week we attended the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  Every year, Marines all over the world celebrate the day (November 10, 1775) the Marine Corps was created.  Marines have such pride in who they are and what they do.  I am so proud to be a small part of it as a Marine wife!
21. Hair stylists
Alright, this sounds cheesy, but I am sure most of you ladies understand.  It is such a pain to find someone good to do you hair, and then in a few years one of you moves!  Finding a new hairdresser is worse than finding a new doctor!  Luckily I found a good one here and did the cliche new mom thing and cut my hair off! 

There is a lot less hair pulling in my house now!

Thankful Thursday

Week two of a month of remembering to be thankful for all that we have:
8: Weekends with John
John is currently an instructor at a weapons and tactics school.  When the school is in session the classes run for 7 weeks.  During those weeks he has to work Monday-Saturday.  When you have a baby a few days before the class starts, that adds to the chaos and stress!  The class ended last week, thank goodness, and I have my husband back for a short time!  We have only had one full weekend so far, but it was so nice to have John around and I know he was happy to have more time to spend with us!
9: SLEEP!

I knew that my sleep would forever change when I had children, but I had no clue what I was in for!  Last week, with the exception of a couple nights, Ryker started sleeping through the night!  Well, he is ranging from 5-7 hours in his longest stretch, but that is amazing compared to 2 hours at a time!  I feel like I can be a better mom when I have had just a little more sleep!
10: DVR
This is the first time we have had a DVR and are now hooked!  When we lived in Nevada, it was not an option with our cable service, most likely because we lived in the middle of nowhere!  Of course it was not offered when we moved to Japan, so we were excited to finally step into the modern world and experience having a DVR!  With crazy sleep schedules, we won't miss our favorite TV shows!  Hey, sometimes it is the little things you are really thankful for!
11: Living in America

Our time in Okinawa was, well...long.  Don't get me wrong, we experienced some amazing things while living there that would have never had an opportunity to experience had we not lived overseas, but we are happy to be back.  It is nice to be able to easily call family and have them call back without spending a small fortune.  It is especially nice not to have to travel 20+ hours to see our family and friends.
12: Time spent in Okinawa

As much as I complained about living there, I never thought that I would miss it when I left.  I really don't want to go back, but I believe John and I grew so much during our time there.  Although he was gone more than half of the time we lived there, our marriage grew stronger because we had to rely on each other.  We were also able to travel to some amazing places like Tokyo, Thailand, and we explored the beautiful island of Okinawa.

13: Friends
The lifestyle of a military family is one of constant change.  When you move far away, especially to the other side of the world, you find out who your real friends are.  I am so thankful for those amazing friends that have stuck by my side through the years.

I am also so grateful for the amazing friends I made in Okinawa.  There is something about that place that brings people together.  I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful women that I will never forget and will always have a special place in my heart.  This picture is so special to me.  It was taken at my baby shower in Okinawa and it is the only one I have of some of my favorite girls all together!

14: This little guy

My nephew, Cade. 
Isn't he adorable?
In the last week I have heard that twice he has told his mom and then his grandma that he wanted to see me and Ryker!  It melts my heart!  It is hard not seeing him grow up, but we are so excited that he will get to meet his newest cousin next month!

Only two more weeks to go until Thanksgiving!  What are you thankful for?