Weekly Ramblings with Aches and Breaks

While love is definitely in the air around here. . .it has taken much prep work to keep ourselves on top of Valentines and projects all the kids have due tomorrow amidst some aches and breaks.

To top that off we have a little Nessa Bessa that has croup. . . AGAIN!
Oh yeah. . .and grandma goes in for surgery in about half hour due to three breaks in her tibia and fibula right above her ankle.  Yep.  Not good.  Not good at all. . .

Yet all I can think is that God gifted me a wonderful weekend away to reflect on my role as a mom and wife. . .and I come back to this chaotic frenzy of REAL LIFE that could possibly take my focus off who He is for me and the wonderful mercies and blessings He gives me every day.  But instead, thanks largely in part to my being filled at the MomHeart Conference, I recognize the only way to get through the rough patches is to literally be solid and FOCUSED in the Word.  There's really no other way.  Apart from Him all the rest is impossible. What a gift!!  It's as if He knew I was coming home to crazy and He better equipped me to handle it.  I've still been able to pour into my kiddos.  I've still been cozying up with them to read.  I've stopped to snuggle on the couch when Janessa needs me to pause.  I still was able to get to the store to help a sick friend out...it is ALL through Him.

The verse I've been memorizing the last two weeks is:
"the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."--John 1:5
 No matter what has been thrown at us or what is to come, God is our light.  He is ALL we need.

The newest one I'm working on is, "because He was full of grace and truth from Him we all received one gift after another."--John 1:16

What lessons/gifts have I been learning from the deaths we experienced in January?  From my prayers about my work situation?  From the bad thing that just happened to my mom?  From a child who is sick. . .again?  From projects that have to be completed and turned in amidst the chaos?  That it's all going to turn out okay.  God's got this and He has me in the palm of His hand carrying me through.  Jonathan's life verse plays on repeat, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. . . " --Philipians 4:13

Leaning on these truths today as I nurse a sick little, make cookies and brownies for parties, organize a silent auction thing at the school, all the while leaning into Him and His promises.

            

At the end of the day my BRAVE might look very differently than yours.  But it's brave nonetheless.  Believe you can be brave today and He will make it happen. 

September 21, 2012

This week I am happy to say that we are entering into the weekend with a kitchen remodel complete!  All that is left is the painting of baseboards and finding two new trash cans, but all is well in my little world that is thankfully less chaotic and more clean.

The kitchen consisted of new flooring and backsplash.  The dining area received a furniture face lift and a creamy color splashed on to the walls.  I love it.  It just makes the space feel more open and airy which is hard to do in a small area such as this.

Being home, cleaning up, and organizing chaos led me to be in the mood for some Fall decorating.  I am so happy to be home this year, to be pouring acts of service and love into my entire family, that dolling the place up a little was all fun and no work!

I remember this feeling fondly--nine years ago after our upstairs addition was complete, I had no need to step foot outside my home.  I was so happy in the space we created and so relieved that the chaos of renovating was finished that I desired to live fully in our new space and create family memories and routines and fellowship that was meaningful.  I feel the same way now.

The bathroom isn't done yet, but baby steps are being made.  I'm hoping it will be painted this weekend since the space isn't too big, but I don't really want to do it, because I got my fill painting the dining room last week!  But it has to be done and I want to be here, so I will work with eager hands as the Proverbs 31 woman would do...
"She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks."

Our Proverbs 31 study this summer seeped in to the very being of who I am, who I desire to be.  Being home with my family more this year is my opportunity to bless them and to let go of some of my needless desires for a perfect, organized space void of clutter and chaos.  This is the stage we are in and as much as it is our duty to teach the kids responsibility and discipline, it was His love, in light of His law .  This particular line struck me as I realized that sometimes I miss the heart of an issue because I am too focused on the end result, the rule that was broken, the trait that is underdeveloped.  I am a work in progress.  It is a work in progress. As are they.

I find it much easier to see my growth in my marriage over the years.  My husband doesn't have the same tendencies that the kids do, grating upon my nerves with whining or complaining, or seeming ungrateful some times.  He has become more and more my partner in parenting, the one I choose to hang around with simply because he is my best friend.  I choose him.  The kids. . .oh, I see so much of my ugliness sometimes in them.  I think that is why I react because I think I can teach them into obedience and becoming the good person God intends them to be.  But they are exactly who God intends them to be--as am I.  In all the parts I work on and want to change, I am still me and I am loved by an almighty God.  How blessed am I?

How blessed are all of us?  This year in particular as I have been given this gift of time with my precious babies--God knew it was just what I needed.  As hard as it is, as broken as I sometimes feel, as much as I want the best for these children of mine--none of it is easy. Being unselfish with my time and energy does not come naturally for me, I wish I could say it did.  God called me home as much to pour wisdom and love and change into me as it is to pour it into my kids.  I am the one who has a lot of growing and changing and becoming still to do.  And with His help, it is all possible.

September 8, 2012

To say this week has been crazy is a bit of an understatement.  To me, anytime the house is out of order due to projects--that equals pure chaos.  We decided to utilize our office space a little better by purchasing a custom made desk to fill the space.  For the longest, I have complained about our lack of bookshelves.  I love to read, and while I check out most of my books from the library, I usually purchase the ones I love.  My collection of Little Golden Books and classics are meaningful to me because I share those with the kids and now they have their perfect place.

The space is massive compared to what we had before; a hodgepodge of furniture with not a lot of work room.  This desk has afforded us the opportunity to hide the printer, file cabinet, and all my school books I use for lesson planning. I LOVE it!  If I had been thinking I would have taken a before shot, but I guess I didn't realize how much this desk and bookshelf space would spruce up the place!  We still have some cork board to put in two sections, and I want something with a little height next to our framed verse of the week, but I can't believe we waited so long to do this!

The chaos will continue this week  as we have our floor in the kitchen replaced and the backsplash put up.  All that means for me, is a new paint color and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I might get the blessing to paint the cupboards white.  I mean, now with all my painting experience with Annie Sloane chalk paint, why not?  The downstairs bathroom is also getting a complete over haul. It will be fun to see the transformation in the two most original rooms of this house! 

All this, makes the whole not moving thing easier to swallow.  It feels like a more financially prudent thing to do as we adjust to life with practically only one income and make plans to take a trip to New York this summer with the drama team at the high school where the kids were in a production last Christmas.  Life is good in the neighborhood.  Life is really good in this space.  Our home. 

August 30, 2012

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.--Matthew 6:19

It seems like forever that I have hated our bedroom furniture.  I know hate is a little extreme, but we bought it over ten years ago when it was the rage to have everything oak match: headboard and dressers.  It is heavy duty, quality furniture that cost a pretty penny.  There was no way I could justify paying for a new bedroom set.  Since our whole not moving decision, I have been in this constant effort to simplify and minimize.  Reading Almost Amish isn't helping either.  We have so much and can make do with so much less. 

The fact that I went to a friend's house on Friday for a Treasure swap, was yet again a reminder of our abundant blessings. There was even more great stuff to look through and choose from than the last time I went-- except during the prayer before we began I was moved by something she said about how blessed we are. As I looked around, although there was much, I decided to try to keep it to what we really needed.  Truth be told: we don't need a whole lot.

So, with that in mind, I decided to make use of what I had and give our bedroom furniture a little face lift.  After browsing this store yet again, I purchased what I needed, came home and got to work.  As fate would have it, the baby went down for her nap  easily and minutes into the beginning of my painting adventure, Ernie called to tell me he was on his way home. When he heard what I was up to, I heard a pause and maybe a sigh but he didn't complain.

When he came home, he picked up the kids from school, took them to the dentist and picked up dinner because he was loving the transformation taking place.  In a total of six hours, I redid two pieces, cleaned out all our drawers and painted and reupholstered (Ernie and his staple gun worked their magic) the chair.  Not bad for a day's work!!

The second piece:

While the paint may be a little pricey--missing all the steps of prep work was worth it to me.  I purchased a clear wax as well as a dark one, because I knew I wanted them a little antique-ish.  With three large windows with white shutters and crown molding, I didn't want a bright white, flat paint.  We are very happy with the results!

For the chair redo.  We just used what we had on hand fabric wise and it works well enough for now.  I would like to paint the desk and then paint the chair a color that pops, but I have to be realistic.  The bedspread won't last forever, so I need something very versatile.  Old white works. And as easy as it was, not every day is filled with the uninterrupted time with dad home with the kids.  And  my wrist, arms and legs may not be sore today from all the abuse work.
One last look.

Now I am going to be on the look out for a hope chest.  My mom had one and I would love one at the foot of our bed to hold some of my treasures--painting it may or may not be on the agenda as well. Yesterday was just one of those days that I was filled with extreme gratitude for our resources, our space, and our new furniture!!

November 15, 2011

Oh what a weekend we had! 

I can not remember the last time we were home together three days in a row with no outside commitments to tend to or nothing on the agenda except what we wanted to do.

That being said, it wasn't filled with relaxation--quite the opposite, in fact!

We shopped and finished up on the projects that have been lingering since late September when we had our floors put in.

Actually, I think we had some finishing touches since the last time we did a major re-haul years ago!

We moved some art from the living room to the bare walls of our bedroom.

I also framed out important dates picture that Mel from Larson Lingo made me.

The new rug warms up the floor and I love how it looks with the bedding!

Up next: hanging more pictures in the girls' room.  One step closer to being done. The bar is textured and painted: finished!  The pictures above the couch were my latest clearance finds--mismatched and meaningful-- arranged creatively by the two of us working side by side. Sigh. Such a fun time, especially since neither of us feels like we know anything about interior design. But I like it. Thinking to paint my Longaberger basket. . . anyone have any experience in that field? Also, I need mismatched and meaningful pictures and frames spray painted to adorn the mantle. I can't wait to start looking! This sign is my favorite addition of the WHOLE weekend!. It was supposed to be a ten year anniversary present for my husband. Sasha, aka Lemonade Makin Mama created it for me. She graciously offered to hold it for me until the anniversary approached in April, but I couldn't wait, which meant neither could he. . . so it is happily hanging on the wall as if it belonged there all along! Finishing touches...finished! 15.  Today I am thankful for finished projects. We are blessed!

October 4, 2011

Sometimes the messes on the outside. . .

are so much easier to clean up than the messes on our insides.

Wouldn't you agree?

October 2, 2011

So one of these days when my mind is back on straight I will post house pictures.

Maybe in a week since the rest of our downstairs flooring will be in.

Maybe by then our bedroom will be cleaned.

Then again, I can't make any promises.

With Blog Sugar still on the brain, I decided to add some touches throughout the house to remind me of the beauty of that day.

When Sugar Mama emailed, asking about some pieces for the girls' room we found,

I thought I'd share where we are to date.

The girls' room

Brand new nightstand, lamp, and sugar all prettied up in a frame.

A little more framed sugar with the ribbon holder I made a few years back. Piggy Bank decorated by cousin's girlfriend.

Love the colors of this but wasn't sure if it would scare the girls.  It doesn't. She stays.

Baby's bed with no boxspring.  I fear she will fall.

 

 

 

Framed sugar where we eat our meals.

Isn't she pretty here?  Goes perfectly in my bathroom because. . .well, just because.

I LOVE that I have pieces of Blog Sugar to remind me of that special day.

We still have a lot to do; things to hang; pictures to look through when Bianca returns from her Paris trip so we can choose which to print, frame, and incorporate into the landscape of their room.

I need to find vinyl letters to rub onto their headboards to set their beds apart and give it a little something extra.

For now, I will enjoy my reminders throughout the house how good my God is and be thankful that for now He has blessed me with these.

September 20, 2011

I LOVE getting mail!!

Even if I had to spend money to get it!!

Lemonade Makin Mama has my favorite little Etsy store.

I bought some items to incorporate into all the new little home improvements we've had done.

Meet my favorite new crate for our library books!!

Waiting on the special sign she is making to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary!!

I can't wait--but it's not until April and I'm not so good at waiting. . .I'll probably need to share it with my husband as soon as it arrives!!!

September 19, 2011

Gotta love this guy. . .

He had a lot of reconfiguring to do. . .

but he did it!!!

We have a sink again. . .and granite counter tops. . .

and a need for new floors in the living room and hall

due to a piece of dropped granite.

For now, I choose to appreciate the sink.

More on the mishaps later.

It was a long, dirty job. . .but as always,

He managed!

Maybe I can finally start cooking again!

Real food--how I have missed you!

September 16, 2011

Ready for some Do-It-Yourself fun?
My big girl and I needed some girl time and I came across this on the blogosphere. . .

All you need is nail polish, rubbing alcohol, clear top coat, and newspaper.

First, paint nails. I used soft pink.

Let dry.

Cut out nail size bits of newspaper to apply to nails.

Dip nail into rubbing alcohol. . .or any type of alcohol you might have in the cupboard

.

Apply newspaper to top of dipped nail and press gently.

Voila. . .paint clear top coat.

May need to remove ink from fingers with nail polish remover.

Fun, easy, different!!

September 15, 2011

Almost ready for the BIG reveal. . .
Well, big enough.
Lots of work still to be done--while workers put in granite yesterday and the baby napped--I created the above header.
I would love to say it was a snap, but that would be lying.
It totally took more time than I am willing to divulge but I'm happy with the outcome: )
Enough about blog projects, here is a

sneak peek of the house. . . 

September 10, 2011

Spending today cleaning this mess so the carpet can come out.

This is the last bit of carpet in the house and I can NOT wait for it to be gone!

Stairs and upstairs rooms were finished today.

Pictures will follow once the painters come in mid-week.

We splurged and did crown molding in both bedrooms.  I LOVE it!

Back to cleaning--I hate chaos in the house--when it comes to clean.

It's especially hard when I have no control of it.

We even slept on the couch last night since our bedroom furniture was all cloistered in the middle of the room.

We figure we should keep things this way until the painters come through.

Lots of deep breaths and prayers for patience.

 I know in the long run I'm going to love the outcome!!

September 8, 2011

Some festive fall decor. . .

Changed up our picture board--I need to see all those I'm thankful for daily.

Three of these with different cacti adorn the mantle--well, used to--

until my husband brought home a big TV. . .too big in my opinion.

Cacti or TV?

To him there is no question!

Storage and comfort all in one!

Stay tuned. . .

the wood floors upstairs are almost in!!!

WOOHOO!!!!!!