Knock Down Drag Outs...Part 2

If you missed yesterday, you must catch up.

This is our second biggest fight that is hilariously stupid.

When we were in college, Jade was blessed with a hideous gold corduroy recliner from my parents.  It was hid.e.ous.

When we were married, I became a co-owner in said recliner.

We had it forever.

When I was pregnant with Everett, Big Lots, had a sweet micro-fiber recliner on sale so Mom & Dad gave it to me as my birthday present.  Note - my birthday is in June & I was due with Everett in August.

At this point Jade's gold recliner was so crappy that when you'd rock it'd get stuck side-ways and stop rocking so you'd have to jerk it to the left to get it rocking again.  I was rocking Aubrie at night to sleep very pregnant, hating this chair daily!  Plus, did I mention it was hid.e.ous?

So after over a week of having my new recliner, a couch, a fat chair, and all the kids' toys crammed in our tiny trailer living room, I got sick of it.  Jade had that dumb gold recliner in the middle of the room & hadn't moved it.  He didn't want to say goodbye.  Why, I still do not know, but he loved that old man recliner.

So one day, hormonal pregnant me freaked out.  I said and I quote, "When are you going to get this SOB (and I used the real words) out of this trailer?"

I think I flipped his anger switch with that one.  I went to the bathroom and then heard this clanging around.  I came back to the living room to find him dragging the SOB down the stairs, out the door, and through the yard.  Best part, as he is dragging it by the back, the leg rest pops up making it considerably harder to drag, and quite hilarious from my view in the house b/c you could tell it just really ticked him off.

He drug the SOB clear out back in our yard, which we had a big yard,

And he set the SOB on fire.  I'm not even joking - mega fire.  And it went up like a high school bonfire - 20 foot flames I crap you not!!

By the time he got in the house we were both laughing because it was hilariously stupid.  And he says, "Man did you see the fire that thing made!"

To this day I claim that if I drop a cuss word at all, Jade gets to moving & it's true he does.

Knock Down Drag Outs...

Jade & I hardly ever fight or argue.  Ask Maggie & Kylie since they live with us, it's true.

  After nearly 15 years together we have just figured each other out enough to know when to leave things alone.  But, when we do fight, they are rather hilarious stories after the fact so I thought I should share some of our low moments so you can laugh along.

One of our biggest fights...

I say fight, but really I was rather calm that day.  I was pregnant with Aubrie.  Our Dish Network had went out for like the 5th time at our trailer & we were sick of it.  I wanted to call Dish and insist they fix it for good.  Jade insisted he could fix it.  I kept saying, "You can't fix the satellite, you don't know what you are doing."  Which thoroughly ticked him off.  Then I swear he shouted, "Where is my compass?"

Oh yes I'm serious - his compass like the ones you use in high school math.  He was going to dial into the sky satellite with his math compass.  I thought it was ridiculous.  I told him , "You can't do that."  He responded, "You never think I can do anything and I really can."  I was like, "I know you can do a lot of things, but finding the satellite with a math compass is a bit out of your league."  Ha!  I really made him mad then so he yells, "F you!"  And he used the real word.  He dropped a full out F bomb on me over the math compass that I also couldn't find.

I made the shocked O face - you know the oh no you didn't, turned around and walked out.  *Please note I typically don't bow out of a fight, but what do you say back to that one? *  I went to town, got a blizzard, washed my car, and came home - fuming the entire time about how truly ridiculous he was.

I got home, and he apologized knowing the F bomb was a bit too much & also admitting that he couldn't fix the satellite with the math compass.  I think he was scared of me and my hormones, rightfully so.

Lesson learned, math compasses are not appropriate for a home repair on your satellite dish.

For this reason, I am certain I am always right - he agrees - ha - yeah right!

More to come tomorrow!

More Pool...

Oh yes my man can run a chain saw!

Here we build decks out of electric poles - resourceful & cheap we are!

OK I am caught - he stayed in his PJs all day long & wore gum boots on the wrong feet.  So what??!

Our crew leaders for the evening.

Caroline brought out her daisy dukes for the deck party!

I couldn't not take this picture.

Ah - he caught me & threatened me not to blog his booty - I did it anyway!

Maggie's, brooding European model man, Kylie D.

Things are looking good!  The deck is almost done & we have a safety gate in place that latches on the opposite side!

We have a concrete patio with my babies in the steps - <3

The landscaping is looking better, but ignore the mess going on - I have some clean up work to do!

The patio is coming together, but again - lots of work to do & tools to put away!!

We still aren't done, but finally it's getting close!  I'll probably be done when it's time to close the pool for winter - that's how it always goes!

Pay It Forward - 1st Giveaway

Bring Shannon Home

Here is my first pay it forward necklace!  Please go donate to help bring Shannon home & win a chance at an IDSC for life necklace!

A Great Day!

Yesterday the kids, Abbie, & I headed north to Bloomington to meet my blogging friend Jen & Cameran.

It's brutally hot & humid in the mid-west right now so we hit up a children's museum.  This is Aubrie's FAVORITE activity! 

Enjoy some pictures from our day!  We had fun & it was wonderful to finally meet my new friends!

These pictures always crack me up!  Abbie did her entire body & oh my gosh her "twins" were ha-larious!  Yes we are that immature!

Aubrie wants to be a baby heart doctor - makes her mama proud!

if only he brushed this good at home! 

this kills me - ridiculous - absolutley ridiculous!

They LOVED this thing which is funny considering their Pa Stuart has a real combine in John Deere green that spends days doing this activity in real corn fields.  I think I have found a new babysitter come harvest!

Poor Ollie, this was hysterical.  A puppet wig is perfect for a babies head!

Ollie was VERY ready for a hard nap at this point in the day.  She doesn't think Children's museums are so fun!

Thank you for meeting us Jen!  Abbie & I adored Cameran & would gladly steal her in a heart beat if we could get away with it ;)

Dang You Commercials, Dang You!

I DVR everything I watch.  Literally everything.  I never watch commercials.  I never know what movies are coming out.  I also never watch the news so I'm behind there as well.

However, my kids, they watch live TV & with it, the commercials.  I am constantly being called into the room so I can see what my kids are DYING to have - they can't live without these items.

Here is a list of things they would like:

Slushy Magic

Fushigi

Right Size Smoothies (Aubrie thinks maybe she should lose weight so I would pick her up more - interesting)

Bake Pops

Happy Nappers

Along with these that I can find links to, they want a face painting kit, multiple types of water guns, and a thousand other toys they will never ever play with.

Commercials you are ridiculous - really really ridiculous.

Must See..

Need a tear jerker today?

Watch this!

Beautiful Ollie is at 1:22!

Thanks Patti for putting this together it's perfection in God's eyes!

Ollie Faith Designs

I haven't posted my work in awhile so here are some things I have been making.

I can pretty much stamp or create anything & my favorite is when I have some creative freedom from customers - then I can truly make the best version of what is in my mind.

I made this & she told me to make it "bad ass" & so I did.  I think it may be my favorite piece to date!  SRA are the initials of their family - I think it's fantastic!

This is my version of the IDSC for Life necklace made for myself.  It celebrates the beautiful life that children with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) bring to their families.  The heart celebrates her healthy new ticker!  Under the Ollie charm is her birthdate & it's topped off with her birthstone plus the yellow & blue stones for DS.  I kind of spoiled myself with this one! 

I made this for a good friend that is getting married soon.  I hope his bride loves it.  Hopefully she doesn't read my blog, but if she does - it's an early surprise!  Jade & I are pumped for their wedding! 

A sweet funky blanket for one of Aubrie's friends, Jaycee "JC".  I made one for her brother & she loved it so much she got one too! 

For a new little farmer, a great gift to welcome her into the world! 

Contact me at housethatjadebuilt@gmail.com for custom orders.

Pool Building Stage 2

OK so I totally took zero pictures of the real stage 2.  Putting up the pool and the liner while filling it with water was a beast of a job.  Thank the good lord for highly muscled men in my family because wow it was hard!  But...the pool is up.

So here are the next steps, my birthday present, a concrete patio from my parents.  Dad is a co-owner in a concrete company - so that's a sweet deal!  Lastly, building the deck.  I am highly excited about the concrete pad & deck because right now sand keeps getting drug into the house and I loathe sand. 

Uncle Doug was rocking a giant straw hat.

Dad was rocking his bandana.

The pool looks beautiful & I still can't believe it was FREE.  Bless the man that gave it to us because the kids LOVE it!  We used to have a pool when I was growing up, and it was the best thing ever.  We swam all day & played constantly outside.

To say it was hot is an understatement.  Sweat was everywhere!

The kids supervised the men.

The concrete pad is done!  Please note Uncle Dougs new hat - a wet towel.  He kills me that man!

This afternoon they are hoping to build the deck so we have a real way in and out of the pool!  Then my job starts - landscaping & moving patio furniture from the walkout basement to the upstairs so we have a nice place to lounge!

Thank you Dad, Uncle Doug, Shane, Kylie, Jade, Zac, Abbie, Maggie, Mom, & Ruff for your help.  I means the world to us!

Next up, hopefully a beautiful finished back yard!

Heart Surgery After the Fact

Ollie's heart journey was a scary one.  I have always had faith in God, but Ollie's health tested my faith & made it grow stronger.  You think you have faith until you have a child with a major health issue, and then you realize just how much you need to grow that faith.  I can't even explain the process we have been through.

People often ask me how that experience was, and here it is six weeks post surgery...

I am now thankful for her heart story.  I never thought I'd say open heart surgery was a great experience, but it truly was one of the best, most beautiful experiences in my life.  It sounds so funny to say that, but it's true.

I learned to give it over to God, and for those of you that have done this you know how hard it REALLY is to do.  She was in his hands.  I handed my baby off broken, with a heart that she couldn't survive with.  Through big tears, I told her to be brave and that Jesus and the angels were holding her hands.  Jade & I were more afraid than she was.

A living angel fixed her.  I don't know how he did it so well, but I truly believe God works through that man.  Everytime he spoke to us I would just stare at his hands and think, those hands are truly miracles.  He returned Ollie to our family with a healthy heart!  In a matter of 4 hours it went from broken to beating beautifully!  It is one of the best sounds I have ever heard.

When we left Children's Hospital to head home, Jade said that was one of the worst weeks of his life.  I quickly said, no honey it was the best week of your life.  He then agreed.

You see, for as stressful as it was & for all the tears that led up to that day, it's behind us now and we get this beautiful baby.  No more fears, no more worries, just her huge charming personality.  Aubrie & Everett have a healthy sister that can now play with them.

I also believe I am at a better place because of what Ollie has gone through.  You see, I don't grieve at all about Down Syndrome anymore.  I don't think of what life would be without it or who she would be or how I would change things.  I don't worry about her future.  I think when you have a healthy child with Down Syndrome it's sometimes harder for families to move beyond the Down Syndrome.  I believe they feel broken for a longer period of a time. 

A child like Ollie, with a serious heart defect & Down Syndrome changes that view.  All I have cared about since her birth was her heart.  I didn't want to lose my baby.  Even though I had this strong faith in God, there was that nagging piece of truth in my brain that she could die.  I never spoke of it, but I felt it daily on my shoulders that we could potentially come home without her to a nursery and all her things, without our baby girl.  That snapped life into perspective so fast for me.  It was a good fear.  It was a fear I swallowed daily & prayed continuously over.

I am grateful for it.  I look around today and count my blessings constantly.  My house is messier than it's ever been, but it doesn't seem to matter like it used to.  I am much more patient with my kids.  I see the beauty in every day things.  I am a bit of a control freak, and anymore I am not so much.  I am relaxed & breath easier.  When we have a fun day, I truly reflect on it and think we have such a sweet life, we are so blessed, and I truly praise God daily.  I don't send him a list of needs and wants for myself, but I praise him for what he has given me because he is good & without him I know the mess of a person that I would be.