Ode to my hero

So, I was checking out da family blog today and found myself looking at this photo for quite a while. Isn't it a great pic!? I'm not saying that the subjects in the image are the impressive piece although Amber does indeed look like an absolute angel; I'm just amazed at the quality of the image, especially the timing of the shot. The funny thing is that this wasn't taken by the professional photographer we hired for the wedding. In fact, none of the many wedding day photos we have all over our house (and blog) came from the gal we hired. They all came from my pops. We hired a photographer in hopes that by so doing, my dad would be able to enjoy the event without having to worry about photography but in the end, he was true to his nature and somehow still captured some of the most endearing images in my possession.

My father truly is an amazing man and I'm not going to even come close to committing even a fraction of his talent to word but I wanted to take a moment to at least try. It is not my right to describe on this blog what this man went through as a child but I will say that I'm willing to bet that he endured more than most if not all the people you know. Instead of becoming a victim of his upbringing, this man instead decided to become the best he could be. When all his friends were drafted into the Vietnam war, he decided to VOLUNTEER because he felt it was the honorable thing to do. Thank God that his asthma prevented him from going because most of those friends that went perished in the conflict. He graduated college then started as a school teacher (English). Not long after, he moved on to being the editor of a local newspaper in Green River Wyoming where he won numerous photographic and editorial awards (did he study photography or journalism in college?). When social influences in Green River started going south, he decided to move his family to a better place and took on the editor position for the main newspaper in Cody, Wyoming where he won additional awards for his talents.

I remember when he was editor of the Cody Enterprise, our family had more money than ever before. In fact, one year, we had TWO Christmas trees, one upstairs and one in the basement. BOTH trees had oodles of presents beneath them and I remember being overwhelmed. Well, unbeknownst to us, there were political/corporate slime balls encroaching on the Cody Enterprise and my father, as an honorable and honest man, decided to step away from that venture in spite of the monetary success he was having.

Instead of going back to teaching or finding something related to the newspaper world (most people would stick with what they knew), he decided to start his own printing business. I'm not 100% clear on all the details but I think it started with one small printing press and a couple employees. He grew that business to satellite branches in Montana and neighboring towns in Wyoming. How did this man with no official training in printing start and grow a business from two employees and one tiny shop to numerous employees and several large facilities? The main store grew so much that my pops was able to bring in a revolutionary new technology in the form of a multi-million dollar press. This beast was so advanced that the city had to actually upgrade the power lines/transformers on the block to facilitate its needs.

Once again, the natural man stepped in and long story short, chased my father out of town, all to bring in a national printing chain that could produce 10 times the volume at a fraction of the quality. And so, this man that put in countless 16 hour days, sacrificed his health, precious time with family or personal pursuits, and gave his all to the community, was betrayed by his peers for the love of the all mighty dollar. What does he do? He sacrifices once again and agrees to move down to Pleasant Grove so that my mother can be closer to her grandkids. This was not an easy move folks - sure we're Mormon, but my father and I are Democrats and not your cookie-cutter-typical-utah-mormons. However, he knew how happy it would make my mother to be near her grandkids so he picked up the pieces of what he had and transplanted himself and my mother to Happy Valley.

At this point pops is in his 50s and there isn't a whole lot of demand for newspaper editors, English teachers, or traditional print-shop experts in the valley. So, does he retire? No, he puts on his hat at 8:00AM EVERY morning and gainfully seeks employment. It's not an easy task because as we all know, 50ish year old men are worthless in the job force because they don't fit the preferred employee specs (heavy sarcasm) so it takes him a while to find a new home but eventually he finds a role as an Interaction Designer (Human Factors) for one of the Valley's largest organizations. Human what you say? Yeah, no official training there but my pops has mad skills and literally can do anything.

So I've focused mostly on his professional achievements but I have to publically say that he is my hero in every regard. This man who came from a hellish childhood showed NOTHING but compassion and gentleness to us kids. He could fix almost anything on a car, quote Poe, Frost, or any number of Greek philosophers, tie a diamond hitch to secure paniards on a horse, build a barn (that I later burned down), write songs that bring you to tears, build and maintain a complex computer network, grow the biggest potatoes you've ever seen in the garden, heal the sick with the power of his faith, forgive the most heinous grievances, shoe a horse, write moving anti-gambling speeches for governmental lobbyists, photograph perfect shots of cowboys turned upside down by raging bulls, wrastle with a couple 20 year old boyz and still kick their butts, fall to tears when reading about world atrocities, come to the aid of a son that couldn't help himself, endure betrayal from everyone around him yet still get up each morning and march forward, and on, and on, and on...

If pops reads this he is going to be terribly uncomfortable because his greatest characteristic is the humility he maintains in spite of his skills, talents, and accomplishments. So many others with half the skills and talents become arrogant but not my dad. Pops, you ARE my hero and I love you so very much.

Perfect- How do we implement???? :)

Had to post this forward...pretty good idea to me...
Subject: The Birk Economic Recovery Plan
Hi Pals,
I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.
To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citi zens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free.
So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.
A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college - it'll be there
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car - create jobs
Inves t in t he market - capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed
by one of our candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG - liquidate it.
Sell off its parts.
Let American General go back to being American General.
Sell off the real estate.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion
We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,
Birk

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

Worst Weekend Yet

Jonathan and I are both sick.
The weekend was the worst weekend. You know when one of the parental folk is sick the other can pick up the slack? Well when both are ill, its a lesser of two evils who takes the cake and runs with it. The house was destroyed by 3 six year olds on Saturday and while I normally clean that day, I decided to do it on Sunday instead. Sunday arrived and Jonathan and I were even worse. We both survived but barely. The house is still standing but I dont believe Ive ever seen it in its current state. Tristan was up at 1:30am for a diaper change which was unusual, and he was fussy....I finally got him down an hour later for him to be up again - this time for good at 4:08am. I am close to loosing my marbles and have to take a day trip to LA tomorrow to interview some folks. Fun fun.

Also I am never returning to Walmart again. More on that another time.

The Invitation.....

Honey, You will get this I think- LOL....I found this poem entitled : The Invitation
by Oriah Mountain Dreamer: Its a beautiful thought/poem/ and something that is worth believing...as such I had to post, and include one of my fav wedding photos:

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer

********Message from Oriah Mountain Dreamer


In the spring of 1994 I went to a party-an ordinary party-and I made an effort, a real effort, to be sociable. I asked and answered the usual questions: What do you do for a living? How do you know the host? Where did you study? Where do you live? And I came home with the familiar hollow feeling of having gone through the motions. So, I sat down and did what I often do to sort out what is going on--I wrote.

Using the format of a writing exercise that had been given to me by poet David Whyte I wrote about the party conversations--what really did not interest me and what I really did want to know about others, about myself.

I went to the centre of the ache for something more between myself and the world and the prose-poem, “The Invitation”, poured onto the page.

A week later I included the piece in a newsletter I was sending to eight hundred students who had, over the previous ten years, come to workshops I had facilitated on spirituality, sexuality and creativity. I sent it exactly as it had been written that night. I didn't think much about it. I'd shared many pieces of writing with folks on my mailing list over the years, often hearing back from those who felt a particular piece spoke to them.

But this time, something different happened. People started copying and sharing “The Invitation” and I began hearing from hundreds of people I didn't know. A woman wrote from New Zealand where the piece had been read at a large spiritual gathering. A man in the States wrote of reading the piece at the funeral of a dear friend who had died of AIDS. Individuals as far away as Romania, Iceland, Greenland and South Africa wrote that someone had sent them“The Invitation” on e-mail, handed it out at a wedding or read it aloud at workshop or conference. The piece seemed to have a life of its own.

It was Joe Durepos, a literary agent in Chicago who had contacted me to ask permission for the piece to be used in Jean Houston's book, “A Passion for the Possible”, who suggested that I consider writing a book based on “The Invitation.” I started writing and Joe sold the first few chapters to Harper San Francisco.

The prose-poem had touched others with a voice that cut through to what really matters. I didn't want the book to be a watered-down version of the original piece or a heady analysis of its heart-felt sense of urgency. I wanted the book to be as raw and as real as the prose-poem, to offer the receptive reader a chance to actually go to the places mapped out by “The Invitation” To fulfill this promise I had to go to those places myself.

I went to a cabin owned by some friends and started writing, using each segment of the original piece as a doorway into deeper places-the longing, the joy, the sorrow, the fear- reflecting with ruthless honesty on the meaning and struggles of a human life. I wrote what I need to remember, what I need to hear again and again: that life is full of beauty and pain; that the world will break your heart and heal it, over and over, if you let it, and that letting it do both is the only way to live fully; that we are not alone but deeply connected to that which create, and sustains all life.

Aided by Harper San Francisco editor Karen Levine I distilled the stories down to their essence and offered meditations at the conclusion of each chapter, meditations that had helped me walk through the doorways “The Invitation” had opened.

Life is hard. And life is wonderful. “The Invitation” is about finding what we need-the inspiration, the intimacy, the courage and the commitment to live fully, every day.

Farewell Pictures

Saturday and Sunday were so fun. It has been a while since we have all been together as siblings and we took advantage of the time to prepare all the food, but also catch up. Saturday night we all went swimming and sat in the hot tub talking. Since we were all up at Moms, we slept over and got ready for the next day. Everything was great ( except for Tristans 4:30 am wake up call which he never did go back to sleep so I was really tired. ) The singing went off without a hitch thankfully( practice was hilarious however, and thanks Raegan for getting sick!! HAHA but seriously Raegan was the one really pushing for us to do it and she could barely talk let alone sing...) and Corys talk went well. After Church we all went back to the house for food, and here are some pictures of the day.

Group shot- minus dad as he was taking the photo...

2 of my 3 men...
Dad and Cory
The siblings- me, Jessica, Cory, Raegan( doesnt she look cute?! Pregnant with #5), Whitney
Some of the Bennee Clan( See Cameron? White shirt and Jeans? Well he was the hero of the day, saving a 2 yr old that had fallen into the pool. He jumped in fully clothed and got a round of applause!Dont ask how the baby fell and the mom didnt notice- I was inside at the time. Needless to say after that the pool cover went back on.)

Pretty Girls- Mom, Raegan and Whit

Missionary Man!

Just before church

Two munchkins. They were making "breakfast" for Jessie and looking cute in the aprons!

Here we are in the kitchen doing some food prep and Cory hangin with the sisters. What would it be like having 4 older sisters? I can only imagine.....

Such fun we had....

Good bonding time with all.

Corys Weekend- Sat

Okay so Josh (whitneys hubby) has started to do some races in GA and thought that it would be fun for him, mom and I to run in a 5k this weekend. So thats what we did. We got up on Saturday morning really early to register for the race and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Im certainly not in the best shape considering how often I run, but we all did pretty well. Im not sure the total # of participants in the race...I was #83 I think, but get this-----MOM was the first woman crossing the finish line in the WHOLE race. She is 55 years young. My mom ROCKS! She not only continues to kick my A$$ but from the looks of the race all the ladies. Shes my hero. Anyway the official standings were: MOM first overall. First in age. ME- 2nd in age group 31-49. Josh 3rd in Age group 31 and younger. So guys whens the next one???

Heres mom with her first place medal!
So cute- Grandpa and Tristan
Mom killin' it!

Me about to pass out after the race!

Heres Josh blowin everyone away!

Whit and Tristan hangin' out( Jonathan was the photog this weekend- and my great supporter! Thanks Honey!!!)

Heres another one of Tristan! Elijiah was with his Dad at his soccer game...

The start of the race!

Tristans 2nd Tooth

Came in on Saturday. My my....lets see sitting up by himself. Also is on all fours and rocking a bit but always falls on his face :) So we think crawling is just around the corner. Im hoping it will take a while because I know once he gets going I wont be able to leave him for a second!

Also this weekend my sisters both flew in and Corys farewell was on Sunday. Lots of details and pictures to follow.

Flashback Friday

GRR, so I decided to pick this theme up for a few weeks and I had a bunch of old photos uploaded to our computer and when posting them- the pictures are all upside down, OR turned to the side. Jonathan tried messing with the code, and resaving them - but alas. Nothing has worked. So until we can figure out whats going on with the picture upload...here a quote that a friend sent to me today.

There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won't anymore... and who always will.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Tristans first tooth

5 1/2 months old and he cut his first tooth. Getting Big!!~

More Kindergarten Stuff

Elijiah explained that it goes left to right( Jonathan,me, him, Tristan and his dad...He forgot his sisters he said.)

Kindergarten Work

Ive decided to take pictures and upload Elijiahs kindergarten work to showcase not only his incredible art, but so I dont have piles of papers being collected and no where to put them. I took a few snapshots and here you go!( Elijiah dont worry- Ill do this from time to time and I wont forget! )

Cute Girls!

As I was driving Elijiah to school today our route takes us right past East High School. Due to the student parking lot across the street, the students have pass over 13 East and needless to say its very busy. Because of traffic, students have to wait a long period of time to cross, and because of that, perhaps hundreds of students take the cross walk when possible. As we were at the stoplight waiting, and the kids were walking, Elijiah says
" Man shes cute!!"
"What???"
"Yeah mom shes pretty!"
"Which one?"
"The one with the blue back pack with darkish hair- see her?"
No I didnt- there were so many of them.
"wow Elijiah I didnt realize you noticed those things..."
"Yup I do!"
"MMMM so do you have any cute girls in your KINDERGARTEN class?"( please say yes, whats up with his older woman facination????)
"Nah"
"OH, well tell me then, who else do you think is cute? What about your sisters?"
"MMMMMM"
"what about mommy? do you think I am cute??"
"MMMMMMM"
"Okay then you dont think we are cute...can you think of anyone else?"
"Nope- just the girl with the blue backpack"

I wish I had seen the elusive girl with the blue back pack...maybe he can point her out tomorrow. I have a feeling my boy will have many many crushes in his future.

Tristan and Bob

Tristan and Bob dont interact much...infact Bob is now only in the house at night. We just didnt want to risk Bob thinking he could jump in the crib whenever he wanted etc. We found him several times in the bassinet with Tristan when we werent looking - so yes he is now more of an outside cat. Often in the evenings when it cools down we hang out and Bob loves to be with us. He is naturally curious about the child who forced him out of his home, and likewise Tristan is equally enamoured.

See Tristan? Be nice....

Um no....we dont pull on Bobs ears! ( If you click on the picture - Jonathans expression is hilarious!)
Ah maybe this will work...Bob is trying so hard....
Bob has this funny trait...he will come right up to you lay down, and expect rubs...hes trying with Tristan, Tristan just doesnt know what to do.....
And off he goes.....
I think Tristan is a bit baffled at Bobs leaving....Hey where you going?
Look at those thighs!!! Arent they the cutest things? Everytime I see them I just want to kiss them.

Yes Jonathan insists on taking pictures at the most inopportune time....me just back from a run..not too pretty.

So true- so funny.

***Sorry had to reproduce this entry on my blog. Its from Amazingtrips.blogspot.com…see over there on my reads?? Because this is so true, and because she makes me laugh, and because I haven’t had much to post lately as Jonathan has the computer with our pictures on it…and …you get the idea. 

.....I also learned that when you're just starting out, if you put too much thought in to exercise, you're more likely to not do it.

That's right.

The more you think about taking a break for yourself, the more things will get in your way. For instance.

I'll fold a load of laundry first. Oh, now I should put that load of laundry away. But before I do, I'll just dash in and use the bathroom. OH LOOK. We're out of toilet paper. Saaaay. When's the last time this bathroom was cleaned? The floor is filthy. Are all the floors this filthy? Oh my goodness, they are. I'll just run the mop over them really quick. Did I pay the bills? Did I mail that thank you note? Did I remember to call the dentist? Oops. It's dinner time. Darn. I can't exercise after I eat. Double darn. Now it's dark.

I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow.

Shucks if my life isn't just so darn busy.

Contrast that with walking past the basket of unfolded clothes, by the bathroom that is in need of a new roll of toilet paper, across the dirty floors and directly in to your room where you put on a pair of shorts and exercise shoes, pick up a jump rope and flop around for the next 15 minutes.

Don't think about it.

Just do it.

When you take the break and are doing whatever it is that you do, try to clear your mind and keep the focus on you. For me at least, whenever I let thoughts surrounding work or my evergrowing to-do list seep in to my mind, the more likely I am to stop exercising, or cut my workout short, so I can go home and tackle a task that will be replaced by a new task as soon as I finish it.

Unless you are in prison with nothing else to do, or you are a workout fanatic, no time will ever be convenient. There will always be something else that you could be doing. But whatever you do, don't fool yourself in to thinking that you shouldn't be exercising because you don't have the time. Because when you take that time for yourself to workout - when it's just you doing something good for your body - the rewards are immense.

You will find yourself able to function so much better in every facet of your life...

Gratitude Log? Ill get to it...

Ive decided that our house selling( or not selling ) situation is causing some problems in the Bechtold Home. We( or I ) let Jonathan know that because our space is an issue that we needed to redo a few things and dip into some savings to buy a a new dresser for our bedroom. Thus we embarked on Elijiahs room which is now complete, and adding a new dresser to our room so I could take out my clothes from the 4th bedroom. I have cut out probably 60% of my wardrobe since moving to this house and I cant throw/donate/or give away anything else. Our bedroom is now a bit more cramped with the dresser we bought, and we had to negotiate switching sides of the bed, but it will work. I have boxed and stored everything non essential in the house but with that boxing and storing I now literally dont have space for one more thing. Every closet, storage area is filled to the max. I will have to re-think Tristans room when the time comes because at this point he doesnt have any toys, and if we get some, there wont be space to put them. All his current baby stuff( bouncer- swing, etc) wont have a final resting place in several months...as did I mention that LITERALLY there isnt an inch of space in our home? Yeah you got that the first time you say? Well my final rant is this---where will I put Tristans clothes? Toys? Books? Where will the extra side table go?( its currently sitting to the side of the TV and looks lame)I do have ideas that can work but all require lots of money( ie: the big entertainment center? Get rid of of for a wall mounted flat screen. The large love sac and couches? Sell for a compact sectional...see? I can make more room but more room costs more money.) Okay. (sigh) Im okay now. Also its hard to see homes that would normally be DREAM homes now within your price range, and knowing we are sitting on a house that is the same price of said Dream homes and that knowledge is annoying. I have now made a little rule for myself. Dont go onto the MLS, or Craigslist- it only makes me depressed.

NOW- My gratitude log....for my complaining doesnt make me feel good so Ive got to start thinking happier right? :)

Our house- we have one. Its cozy. Elijiah loves it, loves his friends, ward, security. He worries about moving and wants to stay. So for now its nice to know that THIS home is really HOME for him.
My family. Enough said
OUR JOBS!
The new crispness in the air that signals the end of summer.
Running. I hate getting out the door, but its wonderful to be outside with 70 degree weather, clean air, and feeling like all my effort has paid off.
The scale. I just weighed myself...I dropped another 2 pounds. Yipee! One pound to go to pre-prego weight!
The pastry Im currently eating. Will I gain back the 2 pounds? Maybe--but its worth it.
My new book that came in the mail! SO excited to finish the series!
My siblings..we will all be together again in a few weeks.
Our new working faucet in the bathroom- THANK YOU HONEY!
My marriage. Hands down appreciate everything about it.

Tristan and Elijiah at Preschool

As I dropped Tristan off at Daycare today, I heard that Elijiahs preschool teacher had some cute photos of the boys. When it was show and tell each week Elijiah often opted to bring Tristan to his class for a while to visit with him and show him off. These are a couple pictures of Elijiah and his classmates, preschool graduation and photos of the boys together. It makes me so happy to see them together and how loving Elijiah is of Tristan.

Grandparents Day at Kindergarten

Space was limited so we had to choose one grandparent from each side. Grandma Noelle and Grandpa Roger were able to make it for Elijiahs event at school. They ate lunch got to see the classroom and hang with Elijiah which I know is a rare event. Elijiah got to show off his new school and while it was a quick visit I know he was happy both Roger and Mom were able to come...

Elijiah enjoyed showing Tristan off....

Fun things

3 things happened yesterday that made it a great day...first off was a lovely lunch with my friend Molly. She and I have known eachother for years and worked together several times. She is a ray of sunlight and always sees the cup half full rather than half empty. She exudes positive vibes even in the midst of craziness and has on more than one occassion kept me going during tough work or personal situations. She is a marvelous friend and one that I appreciate dearly.

The second thing was an email from my friend Jenna. Shes had a tough year personally with some heartbreaking situations, and shes doing a lot better. She gave me some great insight and advice that rang true and was inspiring. Not everyone will understand this phrase- but I will continue to "step left". Thank you Jenna...

The third was a great afternoon with my boys. I took Elijiah and Tristan to Sugar house park and while Elijiah rode his bike, I ran with Tristan in the jogging stroller. It was a beautiful day, weather perfect, and as I was running I was thinking how great it was to spend quality time with them.

It was a good day.

Labor Day indeed!

What a day! We decided to re-do Elijiahs room. Or at least make it more functional. Being in a small home makes you do crazy things for space. On saturday we bought ourselves a new dresser, and bed for Elijiah...so with the new bed came all the other things that I HAD to do...buy a bookshelf, a desk, rearrange his room to make it something he could grow with. ( With the idea that we shall live and die in this home - I figured we could be here a long time and we needed to make his room more functional) So on Monday during a terrible hail/rain storm I got all of us out the door and to IKEA for some shopping. Now shopping with a hubby who hates IKEA, and two kids is a challenge...but having Elijiah in the kids room we had just ONE hour to do it all. In hindsight, Im not sure the color scheme was the best( its blinding to my own eye- but Elijiah LOVES it) we were in and out of IKEA in record time.



Red Curtains...not bad so far...



but add the desk( which by itself is pretty cool....)is a little much I think....



Love the bookshelf(Elijiahs is a bit smaller than this but you get the idea)



And his new bed...(we bought him a double bed, not the single - this is the picture from Potterybarn) - we feel good about this purchase..its something guests can sleep on when they come over, but also the great deal we got on it. Downeast Home is the best place ever- all Potterybarn furniture for a great price. This costs about $650 or so in the catalog, but we got it for $150. Gotta love it. Still looking for a bedspread and then his room is done!