During construction- not glamorous!

I will post before and after pictures later (when it's finally finished), but I thought I would show some DURING pictures right now....this is how we have been living for the past couple months.....

BaileyHusband putting up the scaffold that remained for 4 weeks! Great swingset for my boys, and really hard to relax and watch TV at night. But it's gone now!! Notice the ugly white fan and ALLLL the deerheads? (both, I'm happy to report are GONE from this room...well, most of the deerheads)

The remaining wood flooring that we have to jump over to get to the kitchen......

The SCARY opening to the stairs......

We took down the old banister and railing, and this is how it currently looks, hoping no children fall down the stairs and break their necks...so NOT up to code.....shhh.......the rest of this flooring is getting laid this weekend and hopefully the new railing will not be far behind. Although we still have yet to finalize an order for it!!!! 

This is the "holding station" for all things DECOR, in my bedroom! I hear BaileyHusband trip and get mad every night on his way to finding his side of the bed! This is probably the most stressful part because I like to keep our room in tip top shape....more like my sanctuary. I should probably do something about this soon.........

Our bedroom carpets need a professional to "tuck them in".

The boys helping daddy in our front room

What the front room currently looks like, unfinished , with  a bunch of furniture pushed in..... 

Adding the new trim....oh so pretty!

I FINALLY found a rug that I am in love with for the living room. This is from Pottery Barn. It is their Heathered Chenille Jute Rug 8x10 size. After looking in tons of catalogs, shops, and online stores...I knew this was THE ONE when I saw it on their showroom floor. Pottery Barn is having a sale on their rugs this month, and I got an even bigger discount by purchasing their floor model. BIG SCORE FOR ME!!!! It is in perfect condition and totally finished the space.

That is one thing off of my to-do list....

SOOO much more on that list....{sigh}

~Kim

April Happenings

Besides all the renovations around our home, and all the spring chores that need done around the farm...we do slip in some fun time. Here is a few pictures of what has been happening in our family life.....

Baby nephew Clint joined our family...so precious! He joins big sister (who is one year old) Izzy. Love having my snuggle time with both of them!!!

Gunnar's spring concert...looking so handsome! He is such a ham (wonder where he gets that from?) He sang and danced his heart out. I hope he keeps that part of him forever.....

Sierra's track meet....she ROCKS those hurdles! Track is probably my favorite sport to watch, and I usually hurt my vocal cords during them!

Getting some air! This is her first year doing the long jump and I am quite impressed!

Wyatt taking a breather...hot day in that catcher's gear!

Gunnar making that other team nervous...he got a BIG hit after this was taken!

Thee most gorgeous double rainbow appeared over our home.....and guess what?

The END OF THE RAINBOW was at IRISHMAN ACRES!!!! I always knew that we had the best golden view! It was spectacular to see it end right there in our field!

Wyatt working on a 4H craft project...this burlap pinboard will also be used at his sister's grad party we are throwing her. 

We have to document him making it for his project to prove to the judges that he made it himself! 

All this business is exhausting but the memories of it all are priceless! And I am there with my camera every step of the way!


~Kim

Chore time

I do love the morning chores....all the animals seem so happy to see you, the sun isn't too hot yet, and the daytime laziness hasn't begun...for the animals, not me :) I took these with my phone, so they aren't the best quality pics...but I couldn't resist!

Felipe showing off his new feathers

Dixie was being a little stand-offish this morning

Paco strutting his stuff for the ladies

Hershey following mama around (she thinks she helps)

I turned Ken, the bull, out to the pasture all by myself, and I lived to tell about it! 

I am busily working away at party planning, home cleaning and decorating (around the construction), and keeping up on the laundry of baseball and track uniforms....Spring is our busiest season, both on the farm and in PARENTHOOD. I can't wait  for the school year to be over so we can enjoy life more or to just take a breath! There are lots of spring concerts, track meets, baseball games, piano lessons, 4H meetings, and Youth Group meetings. And that is just for the kids calendar of events! I think we need to take a hint from these farm animals and just learn to be happy with breakfast and being lazy all day! (and strutting our stuff, like Paco and Felipe)

 Here is an update on our updates....just a sneak peak.....

The unstained trim and new wood floors of our hallway

I went window shopping and love the look of the middle two spindles

I am in process of making pillows, potting new plants, trying to find an area rug I like, and re-arranging our picture frames.....Can't wait to have a finished home!!!!!!!!!
~Kim

Iron Railing

I knew that once we started this reno that it would be a snowball!! And I knew in my head that we were getting new railing and banister for our stairs...but, ugh! I truly think this is going to be the most costly part of the whole room. I have been doing my research, like any good helper/wife would do. While BaileyHusband is slaving away...I was on the laptop showing him pictures of "my vision". Oh, and keeping my shop-vac working double time to keep the dust and debris from creeping into every other part of our home.

I am going to a company that does custom railings today for a quote and will be taking my pictures and measurements with me. I HOPE they can do this within our budget and in a timely manner...otherwise my home will stay UNFINISHED and my kids will be falling down the stairs for the next few months. In hindsite we should have waiting on ripping down the old bannister until we had the new ones...but that wouldn't be the way we do things around here....we decorate as we go. But I will tell you that all the work that was done this weekend is so beautiful and my home is looking more and more like US every day.
I will show "Before and After" pics as soon as it is all finished...so stay tuned! :)
~Kim

25 Random Things about Me

1. I have long hair that I refuse to cut short. Don't know if I'm just hanging onto my youth, or that I just look chubby with short hair!
2. I once moved to NYC to become an actress :) Only lasted a handful of weeks before I became homesick.

3. Can't drive by my childhood home...makes me too sad!
4. I never made my bed until I got a place of my own, now it HAS to be made....
5. My kids think I have OCD because I like beds made :)

6. I tell them all the time that they will make their beds when they are adults too....
7. I love to sing and dance around the house while I clean.
8. I admit that I am good at a lot of things, but not GREAT at anything, and I am OK with that.
9. Do NOT feel comfortable in the kitchen...not confident with my cooking.

10. I am a DOT DOT DOTTER...I do this for everything...Facebook...texting....blogging...
11. Like to have my windows open.
12. Get a little depressed in winter..I AM A SUNSHINE GIRL!

13. I wear sundresses and flipflops all summer long.
14. If I could have a vacation home somewhere, it would be in Colorado.

15. I collect Heart Shaped Rocks.
16. Wish we owned thousands of acres and were full-time farmers!

17. But will never leave this home....too much blood, sweat, and tears into it...and finally almost done with it (after 13 years here)
18. Took voice and dance lessons for MANY years....lacked confidence to do anything with them.
19. Love the word "Nest"...must be a mommy thing.

20. Scared to grow old...worst yet, for my kids to grow up :(
21. My design style is a little schizophrenic..I am attracted to a mountain, cowboy, rugged look...and a clean, whitewashed, beachy farmhouse look. They sometimes compete for my affection...still trying to incorporate them both into my home.

22. I will talk to anyone and everyone..sometimes embarrasses my children!
23. Besides visiting my Rocky Mountains, I love to go on CRUISES.

24. COFFEE is a staple in my home.
25. After being married for almost half of my life, I am still TRULY MADLY DEEPLY head over heels crazy for my BaileyHusband....and think he is the hottest guy God ever created!

ok, one more...
26. Glad I have this blog to write down such random thoughts for my children to read someday :)

(all these images are from Pinterest, too lazy crazy busy to take my own today :)
~Kim

Then came Carly

Picture Perfect Carly Jo

 Carly was born on 3/18/08 and came to live at Irishman Acres a month later. We got to bottle feed her 2-3 times daily for the next several months...which made her so dependent on us and made us fall madly in love with her!

Bottle fed and so sweet

Wyatt and "his calf" that he named Carly

My favorite

At the State Fair!

THE most beautiful creature....

Since then, we have been like a nursery to many other bottle-fed calves...but no other calf has stole our hearts like Carly. People think I'm crazy, but she has such a sweet soul and is like a puppy. I swear she knows her name and loves to cuddle still just like when she was a "baby". She will wrap her neck around your leg as if she is giving you a hug and LOVES to be rubbed and scratched.

I have told BaileyHusband that he will HAVE TO dig a very large grave when her time has come...she has brought so much joy to this BaileyFamily and made me realize that I LOVE COWS!!!!  :) Especially ones named CARLY. 

~Kim

In the Beginning...

...there was just chickens...miniature ones.

bringing them to their new home...April 2008

B. B. 

Henry

B. B. and Henry have become kind of our miniature farm mascots. Their spurs have gotten quite large....they take on the role of "Boss" very well.  B.B. will even flog you if he feels threatened. But he is still cute as a bug. We keep 2 lady friends for both of them...but they share each other's friends and we have gotten a mix of chicks throughout the last few years.
Miniature chickens lay miniature eggs...which are just the same as large eggs, only smaller :) It takes about 2 minis to equal one large....

Here is our first "coupe" built by BaileyHusband for our new farm (circa 2008):

Yep, just a glorified BUNNY CAGE....(haha)

Now we have an awesome chicken coupe and dozens of chickens...but B.B. and Henry will always be our first lil roosters and will forever be this newly made farmgirl's favorites!

Tomorrow I plan on showing our other "firsts" around Irishman Acres! Have a great day!
~Kim