Bless this Mess!

This week (probably more like all of last month too) has been one of those weeks where I feel like no matter what I do I can't seem to get caught up. Does anyone else ever feel that way?
My energy and motivation is MIA, perhaps due to little sleep. My little guy has been sick lately, so everything else has been put on the back burner. These last few days have been full of late late nights and lots of cuddling.

And I have to say I have enjoyed it so much. He is definitely a mama's boy when he is sick, but I hate that he has felt so bad. There is nothing worse than seeing your little ones sick and not be able to take it away right then and there.
Lately any kind of house work around here has been neglected and that's OKAY! It's fun to share lovely home photos, but I think it's important for people to know that real life happens and things get messy! Even for those of us who are OCD about housekeeping. Why not share that as well? Perhaps others can relate?
Right this second our kitchen is a cluttered up mess. The counter tops are filled with clutter and the sink is full of dishes. Oh and the bottom floating shelf is falling down. Not sure what the deal is with that, but it's on the to-do list. On the bright side I got a new range and a new dishwasher! Our old dishwasher stopped working months ago and my sweet dad surprised me with a new one as an early Christmas gift!

I'm amazed at how much these new appliances make my kitchen sparkle even among all the mess. The new range hood will be here later this month, and as for the fridge well, that upgrade will have to wait a while.
Laundry is piling up and right now it's all being thrown into one big pile. I really need a good laundry sorting system in here.

There is a huge pile of mail on our kitchen table waiting for my attention. That will just have to wait a little longer too.

Most of our time has been spent in the living room. It's the only place I can get him to sleep. Usually it's in the recliner on my lap, but he has also crashed on his pad in the floor some too.

For some reason when my kids are sick they refuse to sleep in their rooms. I'm sure I was that way too when I was little.
I started a new organizing project last week. My pantry! Here is a before shot.

The circles on the wall are the result of a stenciling project gone wrong that I did several years ago. I found this contact paper at T.J. Maxx that I'm planning to use on the wall instead.

The first step is to clean everything out and toss out anything that is old or doesn't belong. I think this is always the worst part of any organizing project.

I can now check that portion of the project off my list! Hopefully next week I will get around to finishing it up and sharing the after photos.
Last, but certainly not least, I want to share our Christmas card photo for this year!

Oh how I love these children. They bring so much joy and happiness to my life. I am so thankful God blessed me with them.
When my house is in the state it's in now, all I have to do is take one look at them and none of that matters!
That wraps up my totally random post for today! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We are celebrating my little guy's 2nd birthday this weekend! I'm looking forward to sharing his Tractor party with you guys next week! Hope he feels better in time!
Have a BLESSED day! Leah

Linking up here:
Savvy Southern Style * A Bowl Full of Lemons