Before and After

When we purchased our house last summer we knew it would be a lot of work to make it into what we had envisioned for ourselves and our taste and to also restore it back to its old original likeness (the house was built in 1901 and is a typical old Victorian home.
Because we moved here under a huge amount of stress, had a 6 month old baby, and then shortly after that I got pregnant again, we did not do a good job of taking before and after pictures. But, I did take some nasty before pictures of our kitchen when it was gutted. I thought I would finally post some of them as several friends and some blog stalkers have requested them (sorry, I'm only 6 months late).
Jared and I love redoing a house and now since this is our 3rd to do, we feel like we are pretty darn good at it. We designed the kitchen ourselves and its my favorite room in the house....maybe because I spend some much dang time in there or maybe its because thats where everyone eventually gathers to talk and play.

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

Before

This is looking into the kitchen from the dining room. It was real hard to have to paint over such a beautiful mural of fruit in a basket with wine....I mean really? Where do people come up with this stuff?

After



I know, just two pictures, but I'll post more of the house later.

Demopolis Times | Wingfield on exhibit at BWWMH

I am so proud of my hubby for his photography and being asked to display his work in our local hospital. The exhibit will last for three months and a beautiful reception was given in his honor on Sunday. The exhibit expands down the front hallway of the hospital which stretches about 120 feet and he has hung 56 photos in all. Jared is very humbled by this whole experience as he has never thought of himself as a artist. The pictures are from the reception on Sunday and the article below is from the front page of todays paper. Click to read.
Demopolis Times | Wingfield on exhibit at BWWMH

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A Day at Cattle Ranch

What Happened to My Newborn Baby?

Kingston seems to be such a baby now and not such an infant. He holds his feet, sucks his toes, sleeps with a blanky, and has a great belly laugh. Where did my little newborn baby go? I have just Kingston this week as Alder is with grandparents all week. I am loving just spending time with my sweet Kingston and not to mention the hundreds of things I am getting done. And to think I used to think having just one was difficult. Ha! Its a walk in the park.

Fire Truck Fun Day

We live maybe two blocks from one of the fire stations here and I got this great idea to take boys down there one afternoon and have a little field trip. It was great. The firemen were so patient and gracious in showing us their trucks and letting Alder explore the cabin. He sat up there all by himself and fiddled with every knob and button. In fact, he was able to set off the siren and the lights at the same time. The fireman had to scramble up to the seat and turn it off for Alder. Alder thought himself quite clever.

Four Months Old

I love my Kingston so much that some days I think my heart is honestly going to burst. He is a true sweetie and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this precious gift.

Brothers

I rarely post anything other than pictures of my sweet boys, but I may start changing things up. For the last two fall/winter seasons I have been pregnant...yes, I know. So, I am on the hunt for clothes without out elastic in the waist and tops that aren't made with a lot of extra fabric in the front. The other day I was at Wal-Mart (as this is the ONLY store in this small town to shop in...yes, I know) and I got a little side tracked. I ended up over in the clothing department and found these shirts. They are $7. Yep..$7 dollars! I got four of them. They have these cute little tucks on the shoulders and are made out of organic cotton and bamboo. They are wonderful. I could have used an extra small (which I do not think they make) but the small(4-6) fits fine and will probably shrink up a bit if I wash them on hot the first go around. There is nothing real fancy about them, but I need basic tops for layering and lets face it....I stay at home with my children and I often find myself with God only knows what on my clothes. So, I thought I'd share my cute little find. Go out and getcha some.

Main Street Horses

Alder's First Haircut

When we were in Chattanooga last, Alder got his first haircut with the only person I would trust to cut his hair. Great Aunt Judy has known the Wingfield family for over 35 years. She is a dear person who has been Aunt Judy to all the Wingfield kids and know is Great Aunt Judy to all the grandkids. Her spirit is gentle and loving and she did a great job cutting Alder's hair. Alder did a lot better than I expected as long as he was holding his teddy bear and sitting in Mommy's lap. He still has tons of curls though and we love it long in the back.

Marker Mischief

Today I had left Alder to color the car garage that we had made out of an old wipe box while I went to go get Kingston. I knew the markers were in the box with the crayons, but I thought he had not noticed where I had gotten the crayons from. Well, silly me, I come around the corner with Kingston in my arms and Alder is standing there beaming with pride over his "masterpiece." All day he would look down on his arms and smile with joy over what he had done.

These are some videos taken over the summer. They are very "raw and uncut" but capture Alder really well. Enjoy!

Toga Boy

I could cuss I am so frustrated with our camera.
For the last two months it has not worked properly. It is hit or miss. I have missed out on a lot of Kingston and Alder pictures. If I was my sister-n-law who is great about taking pictures and documenting her children's childhood then I would have fixed it by now. But I am not.
Here is a recent picture of Alder in his "toga towel." He is really into walking around the house in a toga fashioned out of towels. I think he is getting in touch with his Greek heritage. Hehe. Alder has been very challenging these last few days and I think its 2 year molars coming in as well as his frustration over not talking yet. I am just as frustrated. The other day in one of not-so finer moments as mama I said to my mother-n-law, "I swear if he does not start talking soon I am going to sell on the side of the road." Not so fine....right? I am told it is completely normal for some children to not talk until they are two. I am not concerned, just tired of playing a guessing game when it comes to his needs.

Marla and Shane Pictures

We were treated by Yaya and Papa to a photo session when we all went to the beach in June by the talented Shane of Marla and Shane. Their work as photographers is amazing. The two of them are extremely gifted. Visit their website to see more of their work.
http://www.marlaandshane.com/


Happy Saturday! Hope the weekend is great for everyone.

Little Kingston

Happy Birthday Jared!

My wonderful and loving husband turned 28 yesterday. Jared is a great man who loves the Lord, loves us, makes wise and careful decisions for our family, and loves his sons tremendously. He is a hard worker who never complains...about anything. He tells me how great of a job I am doing as mother and wife on a daily basis and truly appreciates me. Jared holds the respect of so many in our community, in our church, at work, and at home.

We are so proud of you Jared! You mean the world to all of us. Thank you for all that you do for this family and so many others.

Love,
The Home Team




Yesterday we took Dada coffee and cards to his office for his birthday. He loved it.

The King

Our little Kingston is now 7 weeks. We are all in love with him. He is a joy with a gentle and laid back spirit. He is very alert, does not sleep as much as he should (or rather as much as I would like), smiles a lot, coos and goos at his big brother (and his Mama and Dada), and loves to go on long walks in the stroller. Kingston is a healthy boy who loves to nurse and weighed in today at 12.6 lbs. His eyes definitely look as though they will be blue, his skin is fair and ruddy, and his hair has an auburn color to it (of which he has tons). He already looks like he needs a hair cut. Its the funniest thing.

Happy 18 Months Big Boy!

Alder is already 18 months. I know everyone says it, but the time really has flown by. There have surely been days that were long and nights at the beginning that were even longer, but these last 18 months have been wonderful. Alder is a very excitable, funny, loud, intense, and loving child. He sees the world in black and white. He loves his new brother without any jealousy. Alder is Mommy's little helper already and gets great joy out of doing so. His favorite person in the world is Dada and their wrestling matches are a joy to watch. Alder is saying a few words and his late attempt in talking leaves him frustrated most of the time. He says Ally (our dog), teddy (his bear), "nope," and maybe car. No Mama or Dad yet. I am not worried he doesn't talk as I did not speak until I was 2. He weighed in today at 26 lbs. and the height I did not get b/c of the screaming newborn.

Happy 18 months little boy!