Fireplace Safety :O)

 I love my house. I love my 2 fireplaces. I don't love the sharp edges with 5 crazy kids. I started looking around for some protective padding for the edges of my fireplaces after my toddler hit his head and had to get 5 stitches. :O( Everything I found was more than I wanted to or could afford to spend. Then one day I thought, HEY! I bet I could use our pool noodles for padding and the idea blossomed from there. Here's how I did it:

My living room finished product:

 

                               
   
                    My family room fireplace before:

  

                

Items needed:

• pool noodles (I used the ones I already had, there are nicer ones out there than others. Mine are a little thicker than some I've seen.) I used 2 noodles per fireplace and they were approximately 4 feet in length.
• Velcro tape, I found this Scotch brand tape at Wal-Mart for $9.99ish for 6 feet of tape, which was enough for my 2 fireplaces.
• scissors, mine are utility type. You could use a box cutter too if that would be easier.

                                            

• cut approx. 1/4 of the noodle off. 

• cut the velcro tape into approx. 3-4 inch strips.

• peel the backing off the Velcro strips and stick them to the noodle. I stick the "pokier" side to the noodle so the "softer" side is on the fireplace, in case you take the noodles off for some reason, so it's not scratchy. Makes sense, right?? ;O)

• stick the other side of the Velcro strip onto the fireplace according to where you placed it on the noodle, might take some adjusting to get it right. Thankfully the tape is pretty forgiving.

• stick the noodle onto the Velcro on the fireplace edge. Voila! Padded fireplace edge! :O)

 I padded the sides of the fireplace edge too, as you can see below, Velcro all the way around. Just takes a little measuring/guesstimating. :O) 

 

 

Finished product:

After I did this on my living room fireplace I did the family room fireplace "fancier" by making the colors even. Not like the green and yellow on the other fireplace. I tweaked as I went along. You could use noodles of the same color, I just used what I had. :O) 

Yay for cheaper child safety!! Feel free to message me with any questions!! :O)

Beautiful baby girl needs help to get home

Such a beautiful little baby girl. I couldn't help but donate to her cause to help her get to her forever home!! Please help if you can!!


http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2011/09/opportunity-to-act.html

December 18th, 2009-Lauren's adoption day

Today was the day that my beautiful, wonderful, blessing of a daughter, Lauren, was adopted by her daddy.
For those of you who don't know...I'm not ashamed to say how this beautiful angel came into my life. I was 19 years old, living on my own, living the way I thought I wanted, and doing what I wanted. I found out I was pregnant. I was scared, overwhelmed, and dealing with about the biggest reality check I've ever known. I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that I wanted to be a mom and that the little being I was carrying would only make my life better...I had no idea how my life would change or the roller coaster being a mommy is but I am so glad that I kept her. There were people who thought it would be best for me to place her up for adoption. That is such a blessing in some peoples lives...but I knew it wasn't for me.

I was thinking about it the other day actually. I have thought over the last 12 and a half years...wondered if someone could have provided for her better, been a better mother to her, if she could've had better opportunities being in another family. She and I have had our challenges, but I wouldn't change a minute of it. She has blessed my life in ways I never imagined. I love her so much and I'm so glad she chose me to be her mom.

That being said, her biological father has never seen her or made any contact with her...it was a dream of mine and Jeremy's for him to adopt her when we got married...I only wish we could have done it earlier but maybe it's better we had time for him to truly become her daddy. He loves her (and Megan and Chase) like they have always been his and I'm so blessed to have the family that I do. Such a happy day, you can see it in their faces...long time coming, but worth the wait!!

Now on to the temple to have her sealed to us. THAT will be a truly beautiful day!!

Another photography session... :O)

Dallin 3 months

Chase's 8th birthday

Chase had an awesome birthday, family from both sides came to our house, Jeremy made an AWESOME cake, good food, great family, great times!! :O) Here's a few pics...

Chase's Baptism and Dallin's blessing - Nov. 2009

Wanted to share some pics from the awesome weekend in November that my big boy, Chase, was baptized and my little boy, Dallin, was blessed. It was a busy but wonderful weekend. :O)

Happy boy getting ready to be baptized...Daddy unfortunately couldn't be in the picture because he had to run to the church on a one hour break from work...barely made it and barely had enough time to baptize and bless Chase. So happy he could do it though!! :O)


Happy Father and Son, Jeremy IS smiling...he has bells palsy. :O(


Daddy and Dallin


Dallin in his blessing outfit Grandma Beckstead made. :O)

My attempt at photography...

Ha ha ha! So I wanted to get some not so candid photos of my kiddos...this was how it turned out. Not too bad...just need to make sure I check things before I click...like the background and stuff. I think they're cute anyways. :O) Let me know what you think...