Operation: Anniversery Suprise

Nathan and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversery earlier this month.  By celibrating I mean that Nathan went on a week long archery elk hunt in Idaho and Amber and I stayed home.  

I decided to enlist the help of some awesome family members and to suprise Nathan with a bedroom makeover.  

As a bit of background Nathan promised me when we were engaged that he was going to build me a log bed frame and headboard.  Nevertheless, eight years later our mattress was still on the floor, we choosing to focus our time and money on other adventures and home/vehicle improvements.

Disclaimer: those pintrest diy-ers lie when they say that it can all be done in one day.....

I decided to make a pallet wood headboard and to sand down and paint our dresser and nightstands.  We had exactly seven days to complete everything and get the room put back together before Nathan made it home.  I knew it would be a lot of work but I totally underestimated how much.

We started out by going to my brothers work and picking out several pallets that looked like they had nice boards to work with.  Pallets are great for projects because they are cheap (in this case free) but they are very labor and time intensive to get the boards to a workable state.

Free pallets!

After tearing the pallets apart I had to make sure there
were no nails remaining in any boards.

Each board was ran through the plainer six times to make
them all smooth and the same size.

While the men were running the power tools (plaining the boards) I got started on sanding down the nightstands and drawers with a 4inch orbital sander.  

Original color of the dressers and
nightstands

 In total it took me three FULL days to sand down the large dresser, two nightstands and 12 drawer fronts.  My arms and hands were tingling for about a week afterwards from all the vibrations.  Finally after watching me suffer, on the third day my dad pulled out the belt sander and made quick work of all the flat serfaces.

A 'Sam'wich, with 'cat'sup on top.

By the evening of the first day we had the boards ready and we were able to assemble the headboard.

One of the great things about working with pallet wood is that you get a variety of different woods to work with.  We had fun mixing and matching the boards as we put it all together.

A special thanks to everyone who
helped take care of Amber while
I worked.  We couldn't have done
it without you.

Finished Products

Before and After 

Picture overload

As you can probably guess raising our little Amber has kept us pretty busy for the last few months.  I am enjoying everyday with her.  Unfortunaly, for you, that means that I have even less time to spent updating this blog.  I have stolen a few minutes tonight to post several pictures from the last few month that have been inside our camera.  It is time to let them out for you all to enjoy.

Always a happy girl

Story time

She loves jumping in her little jumper.

Living up to her 'pre-birth' nickname of Spike.

Dad's birthday

Wearing Dad's hat

She knows she is cute.

Don't you just love the eyebrow?  She gets it from Great-Grandpa Grumpy

Our little bug

Easter bike rally with her cousins

Easter egg hunt with Aunt Jen

Strawberry Shortcake

Relaxing at Cabella's

Teaching her about fishing

Looking out the window

Sleeping beauty

Our little girl.

Great-Grandparents

Amber is a very very lucky little girl.  She still has four of her Great-grandparents living and has been able to spend time with each one of them on several occasions.

Amber with Great-Grandpa Hendrickson

Amber with Great-Grandma Hendrickson

Napping with Great-Grandma Parkinson

Playing with Great-Grandpa Parkinson

All of us together at once.

Happy Valentine's Day

Amber loved getting her first Valentines Day card from Papa and Nan H.

10 week old Update

Amber has grown and changed a lot over the last week or so.  Here are a few updates and pictures.

Amber has learned how to smile and grin in responce to us.

It is the cutest thing ever.

Amber loves her bath time.  However, she does not like to get out of the bath and get dressed.

Flying Fun.

Practicing standing up with Dad.

She was kind of grumpy when we took this video but it does show her standing a little bit.

Sleepy in her new Sunday dress.

Tummy Time

Amber always falls asleep during 'tummy time.'  Today I laid her on the couch while I sat and read next to her.  She started out with her feet against the pillow on the other end of the couch but wiggled her way to the middle as she slept.  Finally ending up with her face wedged in the middle of the couch.  I moved her back to where she started but not before taking a picture to share with you all.

This is how Amber prefers to spend her tummy time. (Sleeping)

Today's travels.

She wiggled all the way to the middle.

She started out at the end with her feet against the blue pillow.

Other tummy time adventures.

With Dad and the puppies.  

The boys are so gentle with her.  Since we brought Amber home Jasper is always in the same room she is in.  Even middle of the night diaper changes, Jasper is there laying on the nursery floor watching over her from afar.  Pip has become a new dog with Amber here.  He is the one to stick his nose in her swing or bassinet to see how she is doing and he hasn't left us any surprise 'presents' aka messes since he met her.  He knows he is the big brother now.

Her favorite, cuddles with Dad.