if we build it the rain will come

I am all about grand ideas when our lives are already 50 shades of chaos. Obviously, it makes perfect sense that this would be the year I decide that Brooke needs an outdoor playhouse for her birthday. In my defense, I was shopping around for one that would only require some assembly since Luke has been working like it's going out of style. It's not by the way. 

I was super surprised when he announced {via text} that he could build one WAY better than any of the options I had presented. I wasn't about to argue because that was my thought all along. I had no idea where he was planning on getting a few extra hours in the day to accomplish this, but hey, daylight savings was around the corner so that would help. I mean, it's not like parents of young children sleep right? With the new plan in place, I started collecting all kinds of inspiration. And Luke started giving me the "reign it in" look. Basically, we will not be going with any kind of dutch door; however, the window boxes are a possibility. It's the little victories. Choose your battles, people. Start with the ones you know you won't win because then you'll win the battles that really counted anyway. 

See how cute some window boxes can be?

Since this will be a place for Austin to play as well, I don't want to make it too girly which is why I love the colors of this house.

Please note that this playhouse is located inside the kids' playroom. Because their parents are cooler than us. 

Everything was falling into place including the fact that the kids would be gone for part of their Spring Break which would allow Luke to get started on the construction. 

And then it started to rain. 

And just when the meteorologists told us it would quit...it rained a lot more. 

So obviously we should have been making plans to build an ark. 

Oh, and did I mention that Luke is about to be out of town for TEN days?! He is and he will be getting back the day BEFORE Brooke's actual birthday. Now you know why I have been in a state of panic for the last couple of days. Want to know something I don't do well? Use power tools that can cut a board in half. Cooking knives are where I draw the line because I enjoy using all 10 of my fingers. 

Luckily, today brought cloudy skies but no rain! Hallelujah. Let the building commence. 

We plan on putting a little garden behind her house that will hopefully live longer than a couple of weeks. Say a prayer because this girl comes from a family of people who like to kill plants. 

The older I get the more appreciation I have for my parents and the sacrifices they made to make sure we felt special. This is certainly not an ideal time for Luke to be taking on extra projects, but our little princess only turns 4 once. I'm so thankful for a husband and grandparents that are willing to make some of her dreams come true. 

because who doesn't love a good makeover story

Have you heard of the show Fixer Upper on HGTV? If you haven't then I'm very sorry that you've been living under a rock for the past few months. It takes place in Waco, Texas...

{via}

...home of the Dr. Pepper Museum, Baylor Bears, and McLane Stadium otherwise known as the House that RGIII Built. Waco has a special place in my heart because I attended Baylor during my freshman year in college and met some of the most wonderful people there. It's also where I realized that Luke and I were going to be more than just a summer adventure. Who knew?! So, despite the fact that I loved being a Bear, I said goodbye to Waco and transferred to Tulsa where Luke was going to school. 

Fast forward a few years, or several, and you'll find Luke and me parked on our couch on Tuesday nights watching our good friends Chip and Joanna transform a dated, ugly house into something worthy of a magazine cover. I have loved every single house they've remodeled. Seriously. Not an awful one in the bunch. But if I had to pick my favorite, this would be it.

They called this house The Dutch Door House because the front door was a beautiful, wide dutch door that just needed some TLC. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr...I have a dream...and that dream would be to own a house with a dutch door. All. Kinds. Of. Awesome. Anyway, about halfway through the show we find out that the couple is expecting their first baby. So obviously one of the rooms needs to be a nursery. I don't know this couple personally, but I have the highest respect for their ability to plan. They get a beautiful house and a nursery designed by Joanna Gaines. Genius.

The reveal is usually the point of the show where I turn to Luke and say, "We could be Chip and Joanna Gaines! We can remodel ugly houses and make them beautiful...TOGETHER!" His response is always less than ideal. Something about how our marriage wouldn't survive all my ideas that he couldn't make happen, and he likes being friends with me. I have no idea what he's talking about. I mean, we're raising children together how much harder could anything else be? 

I have always loved design and am constantly tweaking things around our house, which only increases Luke's love for me I'm sure. But there's something about seeing the potential in a place or thing that everyone else has discarded that thrills me to no end. More than anything, I think it gives me a glimpse into how God feels about me. He sees the possibilities and decides to invest His time and attention when everyone else would have just walked away. Since I'm pretty sure you won't see Luke and I on TV any time soon, you should watch our BFFs work their magic on HGTV. And just in case you missed a few shows while you were hiding under that rock, check out their website for more before and after pics.

Because who doesn't love a good makeover story?