CONSTRUCTION ZONE...

Maybe we should have a construction zone party for our kids birthday party this year because that is ALL I see in our future as of right now!  Destruction...and construction has officially begun.   We are adding on to our house.  We are turning the guest bedroom and bathroom downstairs into our master suite with SUPER sweet walk in closets.  And on the other side of the house we will be adding on a KITCHEN that is NOT 10' x 10' like the one we have now.  I am by NO means a master chef, but part of the reason I don't try harder is because our kitchen SUCKS! (At least that is what I tell myself)

Here are some recent pictures of our disaster zone...

 These pictures are of our guest bathroom and bedroom wall, which will soon be the master suite :)

 They are placing the blocks for the crawl space and will SOON be putting up walls and floor!!

 The next picture is the other side of the house.  They haven't begun demolition on this side of the house.  But right now we are trying to salvage some of our plants.  They are going to have to RIP up our beautiful gardens so they are digging up some of the plants and we are HOPING and PRAYING that they live through the move!!!

 There are MASSIVE pieces of equipment ALL over our yard...It is CRAZINESS!!!

 Why go through all the trouble you ask??????

Just look at the picture below...

 This is what these plants look like come June!!!

They must be saved :) 

This is our craziness going on here!! Hope you are all having a wonderful start to Spring!

29 years ago...

...I was born with a best friend.

Only three minutes apart :)

I forever was blessed to have...

Someone to go to Vegas with...

Someone to meet FAMOUS people with...

Someone to celebrate with...

Someone to play professional sports with...

And someone to make #2 and #3 out of 4!!

I am the luckiest girl in the world to have 3 fantastic and wonderful sisters.  I am even LUCKIER to have a twin.  I get the honor of sharing my birthday with my best friend.  Someone who ALWAYS makes my family proud.

Thanks for being a wonderful sister and best friend.  Happy Birthday Adie.

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

I have been totally M.I.A. lately.  We have had so much on our plate.

We are getting ready to add on to our home.  A BIG renovation...adding rooms, tearing out old ones.  It's gonna be CRAZY.  So, we have had trips to the bank, meetings with builders, designing of cabinets, kitchens and bathrooms.  Scrolling through magazine after magazine...and my favorite Ipad app HOUZZ.  I am in LOVE with that app.

Here is an example of an inspiration kitchen:

traditional kitchen design by chicago general contractor Oakley Home Builders

If our kitchen looks HALF that awesome when we are finished we would be thrilled!!!

Everything begins on Monday.  I like to call it my birthday present.  My birthday is Tuesday, so all the excitement is going to be crazy.  REALLY crazy.

So, I will start with some before pictures and keep you updated the best that I can.  This weekend we are making a trip for a beautiful 5 year old's bday party...and to celebrate OURS too.  That's right I said ours, because I get to share my birthday EVERY year with my favorite person in the whole world, Adie.  I  LOVE being a twin.  I wish that I have twins...someday maybe!!!!!!!!

Blogpress

I am writing this blog for the first time using my iPad! I am using blogpress and I am so excited to blog on the go!!!!
Ella and I are watching Enchanted in my bed cuddling and this is PERFECTION!!!!! Why have I not done this sooner??

So this weekend has been very different than expected. It started with drinks at the bar with some of my favorite girls! A former SIU teammate was inducted into the Hall of Fame and we met her out for drinks after their dinner! SO. MUCH. FUN.
But then, it goes downhill. The snow totally ruined our plans to head to my parents for the weekend and to attend a very cute girl's 2nd birthday party. Ella had been talking about the party all week! And i had to rain on her parade this morning. Seriously devastated.
So we unpacked and went to the mens basketball game...another fail.
And now my throat hurts so bad that it hurts to swallow. Who is jealous???
Hopefully I will feel well enough for a good workout tomorrow!! And then i will enjoy watching the commercials during the Superbowl!!! YAY!

Happy weekend to all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Birthday...

My birthday is in JUST over a month and have already been stalking some things I may or may not want.  And totally came across this CUTENESS today.

 

I want my pantry to look like that! FOR REAL!!!!

Or these from The Stories of A to Z!! LOVE LOVE LOVE these too :) 

I am obsessed with these large jars!!! I am totally going to ask my ever so creative sisters and mother to search for some big jars like these for me :) Would be the perfect bday present...and my sis, Marta, has a vinyl cutter that would make my life SO easy!!

Just sayin'

I am in LOVE with these!!!

Pre School!!!

Ella had her first day of Pre School today! WOW! Pre School. I can't believe she is old enough to be in school! 

I feel like yesterday was our first visit at my mom and dad's house...

She just started sprinting around the house...

Falling asleep ANYWHERE...

 Welcoming a baby brother...

 Following her cousins EVERYWHERE...

 She has grown up so fast...

She is feisty...and fun...and SO outgoing!!!

She is 100% a daddy's girl :)

So it was very fitting that daddy go to take her to her first day of preschool!!

Ella posing with her backpack...she LITERALLY couldn't get out of the house fast enough!!

I was DYING hearing Jimmy talk about her first day, and how she was so excited to be there. She didn't mind that daddy left her there one bit.  When she got home she told me all about how she met new friends! Ella with other kids = HEAVEN!!! So proud of you Ella.  So glad you had a great FIRST day!

It's been a while...

It has been WAY too long, but we have been WAY too busy here at the Karayiannis household. Between shopping, and wrapping, and preparing for Christmas I abandoned my blog!!

Here is my Christmas wrap up...

We started off the festivities with making gingerbread houses with all the kiddos.

 

From left: Meade, Gracie, Sophie, Tyler, Mia and Ella

 

Working hard on the houses. Thanks to Adie, they had quite a spread of goodies to put on their houses.

 Ella's house almost completed!!!

Christmas Eve this year was spent at my mom and dad's house. Hubby and I rotate every year...we do one day with my family and one day with his. It only seems fair!!! 

Here are the Viefhaus sisters!

 From left: Maggie, Adie, Haley and Marta

Daddy and Tyler in their matching shirts...SO CUTE!!!

 A very rare FAMILY shot...Tyler was impossible and I am usually taking the pictures so these are rare!!!!

 

My dad enjoys putting headbands on our boys...torture of course :)

And we had a VERY white Christmas this year! So exciting to see this on Christmas morning!!

And since we had such beautiful snow we decided to take advantage and snag some stellar pictures for Maggie and Austin's engagement.  I only put a few on here, because I don't know which ones they will be using for their own projects...so I don't want to ruin any surprise.

The ones in the snow are down by my parents pond...my fingers were FRIGID while I snapped these pics...as were Maggie's toes.  And not to mention the CRAZY glare from the snow and sun...but they turned out GREAT!!!

And I truly have to thank the Momtog Blog and Drew B for selling your fantastic UNmanual. It really finally gave me a clue as to HOW to use my camera...and I have NEVER been happier.  I may NEVER use the automatic setting AGAIN!!!!!!!! Wow!!

The ones with the Sunset are from Marta's house...they turned out absolutely adorable...probably because Maggie and Austin are SO cute!!!!

 Can't wait to see what you two lovebirds do with all the pictures!!! So glad I was able to help!

I hope you all had as blessed and joyful of Holidays as we had...up next, preparing for our NEW YEAR'S EVE party!!!!!