Sunday, February 28, 2016

a day on the {frozen} lake.

yesterday was one of those days that was prettyyyyyyy neat from start to finish! I did have to make about a bajillion calls and pull out my best stuff in order to get things arranged the way I hoped - everyone else seemed to have other plans (Courts was gonna spend all day cleaning and mom and dad were already headed in another direction). BUT I got um'. I WORE UM' DOWN!!!!;)


and so we started by visiting our grandpa and having lunch with him:) Then we headed to Eau Pleine to walk around for a bit! I was glad I thought ahead and put rubber boots on - as well as the kids - because they were great for puddle jumping on the lake!:)

it was just one of those afternoons that felt so so relaxing. We walked around. The breeze actually felt warm at one point. Baby strapped to my chest. Kids running ahead of us. Snowball fights that didn't end with tears - these kids have it so easy these days (or dad's become a softie;) cause that's not how that shit would have ended in my day;). Beer in hand. Sun shining. It was just.so.nice:)

it was 50 degrees in WI yesterday. Today is down to 37 but Jacob's home all day and the kids are currently playing and coffee is going and so I'm hoping we have ourselves a real nice Sunday:)















21 days till Spring, friends:)


- casey

Friday, February 26, 2016

work/nap/date night.

week 4 of the Work Nights. Tonight we have kids. 9 total. Kids. 

why does it feel like we've been doing this for all of eternity? Did Court and Dave ever pick the kids up last time or...!??!;)

9PM - the agreed upon time to wrap-up Work/Nap/Date Night - is coming a little slower than last week;) We are down a few children...the older, most helpful ones!!! BUT totally worth it because Jacob and I already hope to use our next Work Night for a meeting of the minds at Buffalo Wild Wings;)






and a dinosaur movie to get us through the home-stretch. Boom.

a little video of our night, below:)





- casey

Thursday, February 25, 2016

supper prep island

Monday, February 8
coffee mornin at the island often turns into supper at the island. sometimes the entire mess isn't cleaned up from breakfast and supper prep spills over other messes. literally. milk has been spilled here more times than I can count!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

33rd Birthday Wishes.

so I want all the things. The end;)

i'll be 33 in 28 days. That's not really blowing my mind at all. 33 sounds like a total snooze-fest. Like telling someone you're 33 feels like such an annoying thing to have to do. 
Hi. I'm Casey and I'm the most boring age that there is to be.
I'm TOTALLY going to forget I'm 33 the entire time I'm 33 and then Jacob's going to blow my mind with that information when I turn 34, and he'll have to console me because I'll feel like I've lost an entire year of my life;)

again...the wanting of all the things...here's a quick Birthday Wish List. 
- just thought of something that Jacob can add to that 'list of things I'm good at' that he's supposed to be putting together for me...for real, I asked him to do that and I haven't heard back about it in at least a year;)...
Making Lists Of Material Things I Want Like A Total Asshole

don't get me wrong...I want there to be more trees and kindness and better health-care/insurance and a few more date days in the year with my husband and family vacations with the kids...

but in the meantime. A funny book and a candle. :)

book $6.99 . phone case $12.99 . candle $18

sharkT $25.60 . cute&psycho $34.90 . watch $189


Friday, February 19, 2016

work/nap/date night.

2 weeks ago we finallyyyyyy implemented one of those brilliant #coffeemornin ideas. One of those: we should do this and this and THIS and THISSSSSSS. And we're all jacked up on coffee and the world seems endless with possibilities!!!!!!!! 
YAY, we've got this! Let's DO IT. I'm going to do everything better! I'm gonna raise my kids sooooo hard and goooooddddd! And why don't we start a Whole30 and never use the TV/iPad as distractions for the kids and make those fucking leather/beaded/amazing bracelets and all natural/organic/essential oil mosquito repellent and cleaner and face stuff and lip balm and ALL THE DIY THINGSSSSSS!!!!
You're the best...NO, you'reeeee the best!!! 

and thennnnnn I go home and put the kids down for a nap and stare at a wall for 3.25 hours. 

for real.

SO one of our 'real' ideas was to have a Work Night. Every Friday would be Work Night for the Smith's. First Friday: me and Jacob. Next Friday: Court and Dave. And so forth...until all of the things are done;)

and what you do with your Work Night...is your deal. Clean the fridge? I thought something smelled funky;) Nap? Good for you! Mow the lawn and go for a walk!? Excellent! Date Night and blow $400 of your tax returns!? I'm not judging!!!:) 

we started with: cleaning our basement.

this mess has been a mess since we moved in 3-1/2 years ago. Ew. We moved in and just brought everything to the basement and it really hasn't moved since. Which goes to show that we have WAY too much shit that we for sure don't need. Ew.

we're not entirely done. Obviously. I'm pretty sure you're going to have a semi-difficult time telling the difference between the Before and After's. BUT believe me...shit has been improved and Jacob's currently down there, as I type, continuing to work away at it!!! YAY:)

i'm hoping that each Friday, from here on out...we'll be uploading a post of what our Work Night looked like. So here we go:)

BEFORE

AFTER



BEFORE

AFTER
all those clothes will be gone soon. I'll be having a sale this Spring to try to get rid of what's left:) Or you can check out some things currently in my online store, Shopfairhaven: Facebook and Instagram


BEFORE

AFTER
like I said...it's 1107PM...coffee's brewing and he's still going strong:) I'm sure we can all relate, when you're in the thick of it, it's hard to stop and I have a feeling this kid will be working into the wee hours of the morning...that's just what he does. And believe me, I'll allow it;) SO check back for updated photos...I'll post what I have and try to get some more AFTER's up tomorrow morning!

jacob's little touches don't go unnoticed:) He hung coat-hooks for some of my most special dresses and jackets:)



and things that I really have no use for but have collected and can't part with:

whyyyyyyy???? Why ALL the boxes?!

baby carriage:)

huge, old lamps and mirrors and frames.

so there you have it! 2 Friday nights. A combined 10 hours of work!!! But believe me...that's not all that got done in that amount of time. Jacob always works exclusively on the 'project'/Basement and I usually clean the entire house as well. Rearrange some rooms. Organize some things. Nurse. Eat. Blog;)
This has really become something we look forward to and we have a growing list of 'projects' we'd like to tackle! And even just having the 2 older kiddos out of the house for a few hours has allowed us to have some great conversation and just catch-up...make plans...blah blah:)

maybe the more interesting blog post would be us wrangling 11 kids on Court and Dave's Work Night!?;)

Thursday, February 18, 2016

$2.70. coffee mornin make-over.



it's a lot bit scary how much this $2 tube of chunky lip pencil can make me feel so fannnncy!!!:) - found at the local Dollar Store!!:) For instance: I'm not wearing make-up, those eye bagssss:/, baby vomit on the shoulder...but this red lip almost makes me think that leaving the house in my 'condition' is acceptable. Causeeeeeee LOOK AT NOTHING BUT MY LIPS, worlddddddd!!!!;):):) 

anddddd there's my small/thin top lip. I thought that meant I could just never do red lips. BUT I think more than what size lips you have...it's more about NOT GIVING A SHIT. Just wear the red lips if you wanna wear the red lips;)

good grief...my eye bags are bigger than my upper lip!!!! LOL;)



so this morning, over coffee and panacakes - served up hot by, Courts...thanks, bitch;) - we put on red lips and dyed our hair blue, with Kool-aid:)





moral of this coffee mornin: if red lips and blue hair make you feel pretty. Good. Better than good. Fabulous:)


- casey

Monday, February 15, 2016

theo daisy: 22 months and rocky peyton: 3 months

oops. Theo's a wee bit closer to 23 months than 22...but here we are. Catching-up:)

i'm going to combine this one - did you catch that with the clever blog post title??;) - Theo and Rocky. Homer's old now. Old news. Old;) Theo and Rocky are still my little babies:)

homer helped Theo put her shoes on this morning. On the wrong feet, sure;) But I have a kid, old enough to 'help' my other kid...get ready!? Sorry Courts, just puked on your island a little bit;)


theo is 22 months. She's starting to pronounce her words a bit more. 

peace out, mama.

thank you, mama.

good grief. Nothing freaking cuter:)

she's still crazy in her own right. A lot less banging of the head against hardwood floors;) BUT still her fair share of 'fits'. She's holding her own now-a-days. Physically fighting night and day. Against other babies. Her older brother. I definitely feel like she could be a wrestler and after seeing the cutest little girl on Facebook, wrestling, I can now seeeeeee Theo doing that! Gosh, it's fun to imagine what they'll be doing in just a few short years!





and then there's ROCKY P!!!!:) Have I mentioned that 3 is fabulous!? And that's all thanks to Rocky Peyton:) He's the best little boy and gosh dang it, we're just so fucking lucky to have him:):)




oh and he mainly just chills and be's - that's a word?!!! - awesome. ANDDDD clicks his tongue and smiles and talksssssss and talksssssss and sleeps pretty well at night and rolls onto his side but not completely over. He's not an over-achiever like that...just my style;)

love these growing little babes so hard:)