Before and After

So I had this beautiful Redwood table that I ruined by painting white... that's what my momma would say :) JK mom chill out! Anyways this table has been in our family I'm sure way before I was born. Mom and Dad were going to throw it and then gave it to me! So I thought since I have this beautiful chair love seat that Linds and Joe got us why not paint the table and benches to match!!! So I did :) It was about 30 dollars for the paint which is pricey, I got a five dollar rebate so not too bad and the table was free!

So here it is before...

The wind blew the table over and I just kind of left it!

Here is the after!!!!!!!!

I thought it would be cool with the love seat up to the table too!

Nothing extravagant just simple and I'm simple. Keep it Simple!

DIY

So I'm officially done with school! Which is really exciting because I get to stay home and be a mom finally :) I'm still taking 6 credits and nannying this summer to keep busy!

Anyways I've already done more with my house this summer then I did all semester since Thursday night. I have painted my picnic table from a Redwood to white... it's beautiful. I cleaned my house up and down! Cleaned my car and the garage! Sadly I have a little sick child. She came down with a pretty high fever this afternoon and just wants to snuggle up with her momma which I love! However, I hope my little love bug gets better soon because we have fun summer ahead of us!

So here is my latest DIY seriously 3.00 dollars. I bought these cute little jars at Walmart. They were 2.95. Then I took the chalk paint I already had from my chalk wall and painted these cute little boxes on them! 

So you take some painters tape and make a square on the Jar and if you get these from Walmart they have a little square already made so it's super easy!!! Then you paint two coats of paint in the square, let it dry and waaallla!!!!! You have these cute little jars!

So the story behind the jars! A couple weeks back our Pastor was talking about during one of the sermons a little boy about 8 years old was telling him about his jars he puts his money in. He has a savings jar, a spending jar, and a giving jar. I thought that would be great to start with Brinn in five years. I knew I'd forget so I thought I will make the jars and I will kind of start doing it for her and then when she is old enough we can teach her about the jars. So if you know me I'll admit it's not really a huge secret I'm not the best with money. However, my hubs is AWESOME and maybe a little to awesome sometimes!!! :) If it wasn't for his amazing saving habits we wouldn't have what we have today so I'm very thankful for that. So Jono and I really balance each other out because I remind him that it's very important but we need to focus on other things too not just money. When I want to buy an Ipad he reminds me hey no lets not spend 500 dollars on that thing you don't need :) SO we balance each other out! 

We've come so far in this year that we've been married almost a year in a week!!!!!!!!!!! It's been a rough year but overall we've learned so much about ourselves. I've learned about who I am and the importance of our finances and saving. I've set a budget for myself with my brother in law and I've stuck to it for about five months now. I've never been so proud to save the amount we are saving. Jon has been really proud of me and that's what really matters, knowing that we are both satisfied and we are making it work is the best feeling ever. Anyways enough blabbing I have some more DIY coming soon when I finish them! I have a very special one coming for my newest Niece Evelyn she is a sweet sweet girl here is a peak!!! We call her Evy!!!

Evelyn Sage Keil 

P.S. I love this picture because I think she looks like Brinn Brinn when she was little :) 

For Jono.

Jon's been very needy lately. Begging for blog post... hint to last nights post... he wasn't very flattered :) Jk. Anyways here was our Easter fun. Broken camera so these are from my phone... PS Keely since you left your phone on Saturday night and I can't get contact you please send me some pictures from Easter :)

Brinn and Mommy at Grandma Connie's on Easter Morning!

Miss Brinn on her tippy toes!

Where are all the eggs??? I see one!!!!

The serious Egg Finders... Aaron 

There aren't any eggs up there Brinn!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brinn kept saying 

She didn't waste time putting them in her bucket she just ran for more!

Aunt Bobbi and Cousin Sophie

The love hate relationship with Roman!

Tea Party with the girls

Jumping with Miss Molly!

We had a really good Easter!!! We got to talk to Jono on the phone in the morning. We got to hang out with all of our cousins Saturday night and Sunday morning. Then we went to Sage's for Sunday afternoon. I love being surrounded with family!!! So amazing!!!

Love you all

The Sage's

My Best Friiennnd

I'm sitting here watching yes... Kate and William the movie remake of how they met. I'm not going to lie I LOVE watching all the news about them. I'm secretly in love with them they are so cute. I was watching how they fell in love... almost identically to Jono and I.

We were best friends. We still are. He is my best friend... sounds so cliché but it's the truth. I knew I loved him so many years ago but we just pretended that we were just friends we've been down a rough road together and it makes it so much better. Nothing can come between the love we have not anyone, not anything, definitely not a deployment. I love every piece of Jono...

I love his sexy voice on the other line of the phone.
I love his touch and how he always holds me or touches me.
I love his random emails at 2 in the morning missing me!
I love when he sings...
I love how picky he is about EVERYTHING
I love him as a father
I love him as my husband
I love us on the couch watching a movie
I love talking to sleep each night
I love his eyes they seem to change everyday
I love his passions

Did I mention how much I love that he is a soldier!!!

I think emotionally holidays are hard for me... physically I can handle it. I just want to be with him, well obviously I can't :) So I just dream of the time we will get to spend together again soon.

Love you Jono... this one is for you :)

Happy Easter!

So I was sent this blog by someone and I'm thinking we are totally going to be bringing this little tradition to our family next year when the other piece to our family is home :) 


You start with 12 empty eggs and you number them one to twelve. 

1.  Matthew 26:26-27,39 (sacrament cup or small cracker or chex cereal)

2. Matthew 26: 48-49 (chocolate kiss)

3. Matthew 26: 14-15 (3 dimes) [This fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-14.]

4. Matthew 27:1-2 (knotted twine)

5. Matthew 27:15, 17, 21, 24-26 (chunk of hand soap)

6. Matthew 27:28-30  or Mark 15:16-17 (square of red or purple fabric)

7. Matthew 27:31-32 (small nail or toothpick cross)

8. Matthew 27:50-51, 54 (crushed rocks)

9. Matthew 27:57-60 (strip of white cloth)

10. Matthew 27:60, 62-66 (a small, flat stone)

11. Mark 16:1, 2-6 (bay leaf or other herb)

12. Matthew 28:5-6 (empty)

Fill them .

I think this is such a cute idea to get the true meaning of Easter :) so excited to do it next year!!!

VWM Train!

When I was little my brother and I were always caught at the mall on the train. Well we went to the mall yesterday and the train was there so we just couldn't pass it up! I was so worried Brinn would hate it and cry nope she got right in there with the big kids and LOVED IT! There was a little boy older than here probably like 3 years old sitting next to her screaming crying the whole time and of course our little girl was laughing at him... ya real nice  I know. 

Have a great weekend :) 

Love The Sage's

Portrait DIY

At my in laws they have of course 9 of these going down the stairs in the basement. I just love them I think it's so neat!!! So I thought instead of looking around for an artist to do it... why not me! Warning you this is not the best looking portrait you've ever seen but not to bad! 

Materials:

Scissors

Tape

Black Paper/Brown Paper

Ivory Paper

Picture Frame of your choice

Picture of your child

Computer 

Printer

Procedure:

So you will take a picture of your child from the side... portrait view. Then you will go to your computer print it off and cut it out. After you have done this all you do is trace it onto your black or brown paper, and cut it out! Once you do this you tape it to the ivory paper and put it in your frame and you're done!!!! So easy... 

Step 1 you print and cut out the picture!

Trace flipped so you don't see the pencil and then flip over once cut out.

Tape to Ivory paper and frame it you're done!

I made one in brown paper for my mom and used a frame that would match in her house! I used the black for mine because it's going in my bathroom with the SAGE sign Joey and Linds got us!!! 

So easy and if I can do it you can too!!! 

Cost: 

Paper 59 cents each 

Frame half off at Michaels 10 dollars each

So roughly 12 dollars!

Growing up.

My BIG girl is getting so big... It's getting sad. She has been Miss Independent since day 1 pretty much. She decided when she was going to come... and she now is deciding everything from when she wants to take a bath... to when she gets to come inside. She pretty much owns me... that's the truth sorry Jono. I try so hard but I just figure oh well next year when Jons home we'll get her. Not the best parenting choice but I don't have much to work with so that's what I'm going with :)

She is a great kid, she isn't really that bad. Which is nice when it comes to discipline. However, throwing the biggest fit every single time we have to come inside is getting embarrassing as the neighbors watch me chase her around our yard and carry her in kicking and screaming... at least she can't talk and say like "you're hurting me" or something crazy like that phew! Anyways I gave her a spoon last Friday just to see what she could do. I also gave her cereal... well lets just say she maybe got an eighth of the cereal in her belly. The rest was everywhere on the wall, floor, and all over her.

Today she is eating with a SPOON all by herself and she actually gets it on the spoon and gets it to her mouth. I'm so proud of her... but sad at the same time. I remember just a year ago she needed me so much and needed me to feed her and now she is so big. She is going to be driving a car before I know it. I just want to treasure every minute I get with the peanut!

Love you all

Find Peace

Lately I've been just a little uneasy. Uneasy with Jono heading back to war and starting that life again. It was great having him home Brinn and I have been so blessed with him. He is such an amazing man. I'm so thankful for him and his service to our country. However, when he is home, we get back into our routine and life is a little easier. I sleep better that is for sure. I'm not as scared and what not. So I'm just readjusting once again to single mommy and it's going good!

Its been easy and hard. I think that it's life. Some how though when I lay my head down at night I know that as far away as he is, I will be with him again soon. I know that God's put us here for a reason. From every single thing I've dealt with in my life there is always a purpose. We have a purpose on this earth and it's just love and serve Jesus. I'm so thankful for his word and wisdom he has given us. 

Tonight I'm sitting here in somewhat fear... I hate tornadoes... storms... sleeping in this house. However, for 365 days I have to face that fear each and everyday. Last spring while facing that fear our home was hit by lighting. Ya I know not a big deal for most... but to be in my basement already in fear then the electricity to go completely out it was very scary for me. The next day realizing what happened and waking up to a complete mess, everything pretty much broken. It was hard. That was the day where I decided it was hard. This was hard, where do I even begin to start. Well through the Grace of God I did it. I made about a hundred insurance claims and we got everything fixed and in the end I was saying Thanks God you really taught me something there. Taught me a lot about Him and myself. 

So with that I guess I just think there is nothing I can do to protect my husband. There is no gun big enough to hurt the person that could potentially hurt him. However, we have a God and I believe in Him and in that way I feel I protect him. So when I lay my head on this pillow tonight I will not fill myself with anxiety or fear. I will give that all to God and let him rest in me. 

Philippians 4:4-7

I choose to Rejoice in the Lord always... it gets me through. 

Love you all 

Mine Forever...

I should be doing school work... but I'm not find this beautiful day and I'm sitting here thinking about Jono. I remember right after we had found out we would be welcoming a little baby into this world. We were driving... I believe to get our first real pregnancy test. This song was playing and tears were just streaming down my face because I knew... this was not only God's plan for us but it was our plan we wanted to spend forever together. 

I think we can all have insecurities in our life. For me, yes they come frequently especially with Jon gone. However, I know we are meant to be together. We love each other.. and I can't wait to spend forever with him. 

So today while writing another unit in the CTLT this song came on my ipod and I just smiled so big. I love my little family I've been blessed with. Just a little reminder of Jono.

Enjoy the BEAUTIFUL day :) 

A touch of Spring!

I call myself a seasonal decorator. Someone who changes their style about every other season. It's expensive too. I'm in the process of selling our furniture. Got the chair out the door now working on the couch. Jon and I got them before we moved into the house and they well... they just don't fit way too big for our precious little living room. 

So my house feels a little out of control right now because everything isn't in it's place, (I've totally turned into Jon but worse, my mom.) So to make myself feel better I dropped by Michael's while going to pick up some diapers and milk at target. Some tiny little changes and 75% off did a lot! 

A Touch of Spring...

This is our newest addition to the picture wall. Brinn Burger :) I love this picture no it's not your average picture I like it because it's Brinn she is so curious and always discovering something new and you can hardly ever get her to look at the camera anyways :) (her little hand on the left is sooo precious)

The mantle... I love having it but hate decorating it. However I'm pretty happy with this one I might paint the mirror white. I love white. We'll see.

It's SPRING FRESH FLOWERS... Walmart 10 dollars. (left over from Nikki's Shower)

I think every person that comes in my house laughs at these. Laugh they are my babies. I've been growing these little dollar bin babies for almost 2 months now. They LOVE me I feed them everyday. Brinn loves to watch!

I love this little vase. 1 dollar at Goodwill and I love yellow so I found these little flowers for 50 cents yeah I know awesome deal. 

My eggs. 

Happy Spring to you all. This is my favorite time of the year. I LOVE SPRING. It makes me so happy :) 

Love you all,

 The Sage's 

Sun Kissed Cheeks...

What a weekend :) We had a great weekend! We had our "favorite cousin" come on Friday night and hang out! We baked and baked all night... Alex came and visited us it was fun! So then we got up the next day and had Nikki's shower it was BEAUTIFUL perfect day for it also. 

I could seriously go on and on about Nikki. She is amazing. I was always worried Alex would marry some  psycho crazy girl that I didn't like. Well ha, if you know Nikki she is pretty freaking awesome. I love her, I'm blessed! 

Here are so fun times of our weekend :)

Cousins :) 

Brinn really didn't wear her tutu :) she had her little dress under! 

Happily Ever After I got here.

Spread the Love Strawberry Jam!

Fresh Flowers

There were like 30 million more gifts people are so giving! 

Total muffin top on me :( result of an RR my soon to be sister

MIL Nik MOM

yeah it was a little tight 

The Gerken Girls 

Rachel and Janet... my inspiration (she was a teacher for a very long time!)

My little Sun Kissed cheeks she wanted to be outside all day! 

Standing at the park looking at all the kids playing.

She was here for 35 minutes my arm hurt 

Our first SLIDE RIDE I captured it all :) 

She was really excited

Well we had a great day! So beautiful. This weather makes me so happy! Makes the days go by faster and they are easier with out that huge piece that is missing.