family – Prairie and Lake

I have had a set of bookcases in every home that we have lived in…..and I always wanted built in’s. Anything to make me think of a library. I am in love with the smell and feel of books. My mom was a librarian and I have very fond memories of going with her to set up the library before school started. If I was lucky I would be able to finish my task early and go sit in the stacks and read. I can still feel the book shelves at my back as I sat on the floor and read books in the YA section. I still have a Kindle but it always comes back to that physical connection you have when you come across the perfect book.

Think of me as Belle. All I want is a giant room full of good things to read. In reality I have a wall to work with.

Step 1: Measure out said wall and determine how big I can go.

Step 2: I purchased some Ikea Billy shelving for this project. as you can see in the pic below, work at it late into the evening.

Step 3: Live with the shelves for awhile….promising myself that I will buy that trim the next time I am in town so that I can finish my project. even though I drive to town for work every single weekday…….that manages to not get done for months.

Step 4: Dig out all my books and records from storage and fill my new shelving to capacity. Try to make room for cute tchotchkes but fail miserably and realize that I have too much stuff. Shrug it off and buy more books!

Step 5: Finally, the majority of the trim is up but in true to us fashion we are sitting at 95% done. 2 more pieces are still waiting to be installed at the top of the unit. It will be months before this happens. LOL!!

Step 6: Use bookcases for my backdrop for all kid photos. Time capsule of the kids and what we were listening to at the time.

And Success. What about you??? Library lover? Book lover??

I am going back to the beginning, in time long, long ago and far, far away. When Dave and I met, I was some months out of a relationship that really broke me down. I used to imagine myself like a broken piece of pottery. Horrible image, true but horrible. Through a series of happy and sad accidents a friend of mine called me and invited me on a day rafting trip with him and his friends. The only reason that I met Dave was because his Grandma had passed away and he was in town after the funeral. he is NEVER in town I was invited on the rafting trip on the whim of a high school friend. I asked a girlfriend of mine to come along and the next morning we met at Dave’s house. I turned a corner in the house and there before me was a bearded vision of awesomeness. I thought he was cute straight off and was pumped to spend the day with him. Fast forward to the end of the day and we parted ways without exchanging phone numbers. What?!

**All pics are uploads from physical copies, so please forgive the quality. Yes – that is how old I am. hahahahaha

but seriously…..look how young we are!

I forgot something at Dave’s….no seriously, I did. The next evening I went over to pick up my stuff and we talked and talked. We were dating by the next weekend, moved in together by the next month. It was one of those times where you just look at your partner and know that they are it for you.

Dave always tells people that I chose him because he can fix pretty much anything. no joke, we have yet to come across something he hasn’t been able to fix. He is crazy smart and incredibly handy. Best of all – Dave makes me laugh, he reminds me to have fun, he encourages me to talk. Talking, the bane of my existence. I dislike talking about things that matter, isn’t that quite the conundrum?

Dave and I bicker and we fight but its all worth it. We have so much fun together. Dave’s introduction into my life has really filled it to the brim with great memories.

haha – now this is true for Dave and I sometimes

This just happens to be a pretty close rendition of what our relationship looks like for me.

and this is Dave’s

SO fast forward to us marrying and having 2 kiddos. Our first is Jules Marie

Jules was a ridiculously easy baby. She slept all the time and rarely cried. She also had no hair until she was about 2……I am pretty sure she is making up for that now.

Look at those eyes.

Jules is a series of opposites that makes her one of a kind: caring/careless, shy/outgoing, sensitive/thick-skinned, serious/lighthearted………but she is always my Gorgeous (inside and out) Jules

Our second is Jane Dagny

Oh Janey, we waited 3 years for you and just when we thought we would be a family of 3….you surprised us. I am so happy that we are a family of 4.

Janey was not an easy baby. She was a challenge from the start (I’ll spare you the details and just give you the basics). No naps, cried all the time and from 3 to 7 every day she scream/cried. Rough. She grew out of the fussy but she acquired a nickname that has stuck ever since. THE. JANE.

look at that face Janey is our sensitive kid – it doesn’t take much to discipline….a firm no will send her into tears.

Jane has grown up to be such a joy. She loves to give mom and dad hugs and kisses. Janey loves her animals and any other fluffy animal that crosses her path.

Well that’s the human portion of our family. 😂 can’t wait to share our Prairie and Lake stuff and alll the animals.

Category: family

A Library Wall

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