Let's eat, shall we?

They (whoever that is) say that the kitchen is the heartbeat of the home. A place where memories are created along side the creation of meals.

Well? ...this is the corner of my kitchen where I'm constantly telling the girls "Please give me a little space." as I throw together last minute preparations for said 'creation of meals'.



They like to be in on the action. Tasting, stirring, asking question after question. Right there underfoot next to me, as I repeatedly remind them that they will get stepped on if they insist on not moving out of the way.

What that says about my home's heartbeat, I don't know. ...Okay, maybe I'd prefer not to know. ;)

One day, I'll so be that woman who does bulk cooking. where I spend one Saturday with my girls putting together enough meals to last us an entire month. Maybe after this next baby makes her appearance, I'll introduce my culinary self to her.

But either way, it's on my Things to Do before I'm 50 List. heh heh

For now, I'm all about simple, fast, and inexpensive...oh, and usually last-minute. But no worries, with you being here, I've made something special.

Courtesy of Papa Johns. *tease*

One of the things that people comment about our kitchen is the massive amount of cabinet space we have...as they reach up to our 9-ft ceilings.

And yes, they are in obvious need of some refinishing. But that's so not priority.

Someone once asked me, right after we moved in, if we were going to paint them white. Nope. Though I like that look for some kitchens, it's not the look I'd go for.

It's either refinish their oak behinds and "distress" them. Or paint them black. Ever seen a kitchen make-over with black cabinets? Soo classy.

But I digress...

Were you here and I needed to get some of the cutesy, serving platters out (since God knows serving pizza is all about presentation *hee hee*), I'd be jumping up on top of the counter...so as to reach those very tall shelves.

Yes, I balance on the countertops even while pregnant. I'm part acrobat.

Well. except for that one time....

This is where I would tell you a story about how the cabinet latch once got caught on my pants. ripping straight through my sweatpants and latching onto my underwear, while I sort of hung there. like a fish on a hook. completely cracking up.

I would tell you, but I want to maintain some semblance of pride. ;)

Remember I said I'm all about the little details? This little corner is full of them for me.

• A magazine cut out that say If He can create a plan for the entire universe, imagine what he can do for your finances." I've written about it here before.
  
  
• A picture of Jet and me the night we got engaged.
  
  
• Handprints when Charis and Selah were little.
  
  
• A drink caddie of sorts, filled with hot teas, hot cocoa packets, and such. The girls feel really special when I pull it out for us to have a special Tea Time.
  
  
• And this magazine cut out that I saw years ago and kept...

It just spoke to me.

Especially since I know I'm an emotional eater, where far too often, I'm feeding my body when it's my spirit that's actually hungry.

Along that vein of thought: Last week I took sugar out of my diet. for many reasons that I'll most likely talk about sometime later.

But one thing that's definitely come out of this "little change" is the ability to plainly see how I mindlessly eat sugar to curb boredom or stress or...whatever other reason presents itself as convenient. Talk about eye-opening.

It's amazing depressing the places sugar hides. *groan* I feel I've been relegated to eat apples and cardboard. But moving on, before I talk myself into a craving I'm not allowing myself to have.



That blank white space at the bottom of the picture? There used to be a multiplication poster nailed up there. until Lani learned that persistence could tear it down.

Years ago I probably wouldn't have considered putting up "decor" like that. But since then, I've totally changed my perspective about what makes my house feel homey. which now includes bright, colorful things to make the KIDS feel at home.

With things like this pegboard, hanging in my kitchen for the sheer purpose of having a place to post kid's stuff to do...


Along with a basket of coupons that I so intend to use, but normally throw away when I realize *opps* the expiration date has run out. Yet again. (one day, Kristy, I'll be like you!)

And that gift bag? Yeah, it normally doesn't sit there. It was a gift of TUMS from a friend. :) It's become Raegan's my candy of choice when pregnant.

And then there's this...

my daily reminder of what I'm accomplishing. whether I acknowledge it or not. :(

Meaning, my girls are always watching me. Sometimes, like today, I can see them out of the corner of my eye, trying out the exact same facial expression or body language I'm currently expressing. *yikes*

So I know that they're always learning from ME, in arenas such as how to love. internally trying to model that which I play out before them.

Dear God give me grace because that thought can be IS overwhelming to me.

Especially on those days where I am feeling less than loving. (like when my inner cravings are screaming and my body is detoxing itself from sugar...it's amazing what small things in life can set our emotions off, isn't it?)

But wanna know something about me that effects my emotions in the positive realm? :) When Jet attacks yet another project off the House List.

Maybe one of my love languages is acts of service? I've been meaning to read that book for years now to "figure us all out". ;)

House Project #2871. This particular corner used to have a door in it.

It was an obnoxious little corner. Having three outside doors in a span of a few feet. Doors that leaked cold air in the wintertime no less.

So this fall he tore the kitchen door out and walled it in.

Ah. Gorgeous.

The cabinet is on loan from my parents while they add an addition onto their home. At which point, Jet will replace it with a cabinet/pantry he was planning on building for my birthday (last month).

I LOVE having a cabinet there! Because it suddenly gives me a place to put my food!! A pretty place, no less!! I'll show you the obnoxious place the food used to be...tomorrow. ;)

The one Jet will build me will be taller and a bit wider...but I have to say I'm thinking I'll keep the color. If I'm talented enough to be able to duplicate this "primitive antique" look.

...
This is the corner that used to house a rather large desk. But when we got the new dining room table, we moved Nana's antique table (sans the leaf) into here for a breakfast nook of sorts.


And yes, I am totally aware that one of the frames on the wall is empty. I'm still trying to figure out what to do there, but hated having a blank wall staring at me every day.

Maybe I'll just buy a large canvas and let the girls paint me some crazy picture.

Those little plates on the wall (on the left)? I JUST put them up a couple of weeks ago. They've been in the attic for YEARS.

But being that I bought them while in Romania (two weeks after Jet and I had met and were trying to figure out our relationship status), we both felt it was fitting to have them finally hanging up on display.

being that we finally figured out the ol' relationship status and all. :D

And this is what that little corner looked like last month, when I had a Women's Party. All the women were spread throughout the house (and I only got about 3 pictures) but man, I loved it!



This weekend, I'm having another party. My first official CHOCtoberfest. And yes, I planned it before making the decision to remove sugar from my diet.

Oh the irony.

But please stop by...I'll have a houseful of women and enough chocolate desserts to choke a zoo. Sounds divine.

There are no words.

OB Appointment? Check.

Blind nurse armed with needles? Check. *grrrr*

Midwife, whom I've never met, commenting about the amount of weight I've gained, followed by a "Well, I don't know. We really don't WANT you to diet right now..." ? Double check.


Call me crazy, but when I go to see a midwife I somehow picture a sweet woman sympathizing with my plight. empathizing with my emotions. and congratulating me on the amount of weight I've been able to put on.

Apparently I need to rethink my expectations. Because this conversation was today's Reality:

Her: Well, tell me what you ate today. (as of 4pm)
Me: 1/2 piece of toast and grapes. 1 can of tuna with mustard. soup and half of a hotdog with no bread. water and milk.

I actually worried that she would tell me that I hadn't eaten enough. because I knew I hadn't. It was a busy day!

Her response? "Well, that seems fairly reasonable. But I didn't hear any vegetables..."

I've gone round and round this scenario, trying to find someway to make it comical writing material. But honestly, at this point...I'm just not there. Almost, but not quite. ;)

To be 29 weeks pregnant is a mindgame in and of itself. I think every woman who's ever been pregnant...along with her husband...can attest to this.

The fact that I'm putting on weight at such a rapid rate is already enough to make me stand in front of my closet and cry. questioning whether I'll ever be back to normal again.

*These pictures aren't the best, but I needed (for my own sake) to document today's pregnancy look. As well as FINALLY take pregnancy pictures*

The fact that I'm 154 lbs. and still growing is enough to make me want to curl into the fetal position. in my comfy cozy sweats that don't grab my growing booty belly.


But then I remember...I AM growing a baby. I am in my third trimester. I am still wearing regular clothes (size 9/10 pants because I prefer the way they look over some maternity).

Then I remember that this is my seventh pregnancy in a span of 8 years. that I got pregnant with this baby when Alana was only 5 months old. that I still had 15 pounds to lose at the time. and that, technically, I've only gained about 14 lbs thus far.

These are the sentiments that I cling to when the stupid part of my brain tells me that my body is all wrong.


But I've learned to tell it to shut up and move on. totally happy with what my body is doing. how it's growing a healthy baby. and graciously expanding to meet that need.

Until today when Midwife starts asking questions about my diet... and suggesting ways I could alter my choice of foods and possibly add in more exercise. (??????) All because I gained 9lbs since my last appointment (a month ago).

And at the end of our lovely little time together, she told me that I should come back 2 weeks from now instead of a month. I jokingly asked her if coming back in two weeks instead of four was because of the 'fat issue".

To which she said, in all seriousness and obviously NOT catching on that I was kidding, "No, it has nothing to do with the fat issue...You need to come back because of the pressure you're feeling."

Oh, okay. Well since you put it that way.

And my mom's oh-so-gracious response when I told her all of this: "This is where you say..." as she placed her hand on her rear and mouthed the remaining words.

Hmm. Okay Mom, Woman of God that you are, seems like sound advice to me. ;)

I know, I know...

I'm horrible at keeping you in suspense. and obviously a very lazy hostess. Don't let this keep you from really dropping by!

I do have an excuse. Really.

You see, I've been getting ready for my OB appointment this afternoon. And, let's just be honest and say, that requires an obscene amount of time.

After all, I'm trying (by myself!) to orchestrate getting me AND my small army of girls ready to walk out the door and face the world.



I know, I know. I've obviously been getting ready since...Friday. But...just look at what I have to work with..."world-ready" for this group of monkeys take time.

Especially when I know I'm getting ready for THE OB appointment. The one where you have to try not to throw up drink orange syrup. and then have a nurse descend upon you, needle-in-hand.

We all know how I feel about that check up. So admittedly, my feet are dragging.

So when I return, you can either expect me to be in a very good mood because I will never have to endure that again. OR in a very bad mood because

• the nurse obviously was blind lacked coordination when it comes to finding my vein. OR

• I failed the test and will have the do the TWO hour version of it. at which point I may very well just kick you out of my house.

Oh, the suspense. ;)

Moving right along...

Let's adjourn to the Family Room, shall we? (named that way for no other reason than because it's where the TV is located. *laughing*)

But before we step in, allow me to show you the way this room used to look a while back.

A little FYI:

• The plaid couch and rug are now in the front room.
• The maroon chair and side table have been giving away.
• The tiered basket shelf and wine-colored cork shelf thingy on the wall are in the laundry room.
• The white curtains are in the attic... unsure what to do with them at this point.
• And thanks be to God, the paint color (that did NOT fess up to its peachy side until painted on the wall!!) is now gone.

That last one, in and of itself, was enough to make me do a jig! Stand back...that can get rather scary.

But it's just that I had to wait four years to fix my painting faux paus, since other house projects took priority over redoing a wall we just did. It was a L.O.N.G. four years.

Truth be told, this room has been the bane of my Home Decorating Existence from Day One. It felt like no matter what I did, that odd fireplace, surrounded by wood paneled walls refused to be tamed into something appealing.

And trust me, I tried a little bit of everything...outside of spending additional money, that is.

Here's the OLD room from another perspective. (There are two doorways...one on either side of the entertainment center. This doorway leads to the kitchen....we have a circular first floor.)

Take note of the entertainment center. You'll soon see that it had a run in with some powertools. and lost.

Anyway. Enough of the old view... little by little, we're making headway on the New Look. Ta- Da!


Though there are still things we want to eventually do, this works just fine for me!
Especially when my oldest niece came to visit, not knowing we had done anything to the room, her first reaction when walking in was "Wow! It feels so cozy!"

Did her hear her?? "Cozy". Mmmm, my favorite word.

Here's another perspective:

Complete with princess attire strewn on the cushions, right next to my laptop where I usually blog (only with the ottoman pushed over to my socked feet!) :)

And yes, I so realize that we hung that beast of a picture frame up too high. But I haven't figured out how to best utilize that big ol' blank wall. (you know, without spending $$$).

And yet another perspective:

You can see the two paint colors we chose...the darker one is the accent wall.

And those black towers...yeah, they hold CDs. But being that Alana likes to take them all out, I had to turn them around. in attempts to make her forget the fun little breakable things she so loves to dismantle.

The tall chimney cabinet (a yardsale buy!) holds all our DVDs, keeping them out of reach from little hands. But Raegan just pulls the chair over and climbs on up. Should I applaud the intuitive genius? :/

(Note: There are things you can buy to attach furniture to the wall, so children can't pull them down on top of their heads. Every piece of furniture in our home is braced against the wall just in case that intuitive genius goes a little astray.)

And another perspective:

of my trusty treadmill and the sweet design my husband set up so I can do other things while mindlessly walking. I'm so spoiled. ;)

The treadmill is probably one of fifteen (?) total house items that we've bought from an actual retail store. Most of those items being frames from Costco. Really, it doesn't take spending loads of money to create a place you actually love being in.

It's all about patient pursuit of hidden treasures. found in the racks of Goodwill. Salvation Army. and yardsales.


Recognize those shelves? Yup. I hear the sound of a buzzsaw dismembering an entertainment center that was too big for this room anyway. I love the way that those tall shelves help to balance an otherwise obnoxious wall.

And lets pretend that you were here for more than 10 minutes (which I'd hope you would be), this is what the room would really look like.

Only possibly worse. :) What can I say? We like to play.


And this is where my little Lani would be perched.

Directly in front of the TV. either bopping to the music or messing up the TV screen, if the girls happened to be watching a DVD.

She's one of the reasons (or so I say) that I'm saving up money to buy Jet a flatscreen TV for Christmas. Yes, he knows. I kind of needed to ask him his thoughts before trying to stockpile money he knew I was attempting to make. ;)

Outside of the treadmill (which was my every-occasion-known-to-man-gift for yearsss) we never do big presents. But for some reason, not too long ago, I thought about how I'd love to get him a flat screen.

He NEVER gets anything for himself. Really.

So I've been selling unused possessions on Craigslist for the last month... to use for Christmas money. I'd obviously have to sell a LOT in order to be able to have extra money left over to use on such an extravagant gift for Jet.

But *shrug* we'll see. If nothing else, I'll have enough money to get him something else. ;)

Anyway...were you here, surrounded by the toy-covered family room floor...this is what my family would inevitably be doing...after I asked them to clear a path in the middle of the floor. Again.

No, it's not some new form of kickboxing or Chinese torture where crazy 2 year-old gets hung upside down. though I'm sure it's a tempting form of discipline.

They're actually playing The Nutcracker CD and dancing. ;) Our nightly ritual these days years. At least the dancing part.

But apparently Alana is ready to move on to the kitchen, fearlessly leading the way...

Mowgli-style (think Jungle Book).

She's "crawling" like that because, at the time of the picture (a week ago?), she wasn't walking, but SO wanted to put her feet to use. like the Big Girls.

Shall we follow her into the kitchen? I'm getting kind of hungry anyway. ;)

Sorry my time hanging with you in the Family Room has been a little chaotic. My two littlest are sick and my brain is wrapped up in snot-wiping and persuasively presenting naptime as a fun alternative to being to being with the older sisters.

Apparently, I need to work on my persuasive skills.

Making the rounds...

Sorry to have kept you in the entryway for so long. Hopefully your legs didn't cramp up from all that standing around and waiting. *wink*

SOOOO to continue, IF YOU WERE HERE...

We'd most likely walk directly into my...yet-to-be-named-room.

(How do YOU come up with which room is called the living room or the family room or den or...something else? I have no clue. So for now, by default of some sort, this room gets dubbed the "Front Room" or the School Room. *shrug*)



I don't think the lighting in this picture does justice to the cozy feel of this room. But oh well...I guess you'll have to come here to really get the full effect, huh? Hint, hint :)

Our Front Room, going clockwise from the left...

The School Desk:
Though we like to read together on the couch (we're all about comfy-cozy, remember?), I've found that having a designated place where they can spread out with their books and work is really good for them (and me).

A place that isn't used for anything outside of their creative learning time. This table has made its rounds throughout the house, but I LOOOVVEE it here because it's so much a part of our everyday living space, they use it non-stop. All. day. long.

Creating books. Writing letters to friends and family. drawing masterpieces.

Even when it's not School Time, they still gravitate to this spot...essentially doing school. only without me at the helm. ;)


There's just something about having an Official Learning Spot that I find motivating. Maybe it's just the way my brain works? But either way, my girls seemed to have inherited my DNA because it works really well for all of us.

And it doesn't hurt that it's in front of a trio of bay windows. I mean, we're talking natural light, plus the chance to daydream about nature every now and then. :)

Nothing like stimulating the imagination with a wall full of outdoor distraction inspiration.


(BTW, those "curtains" are just one long thing of fabric hung up on hooks of some kind, gotten from Wal-mart.)

Beside the table is where we keep a big ol' basket of MegaBloks. ALL of the girls play with those things for HOURS! And FYI, we got them at a great price last year during the pre-Christmas sales at Walmart.


One thing that I've decided in past years is that even though we have lots of children, we are NOT going to be a house over-run by toys.

The more toys my girls have, the less they enjoy them. So I've gotten rid of A LOT and they haven't missed them. (not to mention we rotate what we do have with bins from our attic)

The kind of toys that we add to our collection, from here on out, will be toys that stimulate imagination play for HOURS (for us, at this particular stage, means Barbie dolls and dress up).


Or things that encourage outdoor play. like the pool. or add-ons to our playground.

Or things that will serve some sort of educational purpose. Like a sewing machine or tools. which means I'd actually have to:

1. Pay big bucks for someone else to teach my children to USE fore-mentioned presents. Or
2. Actually learn to sew and "fix" myself.

Uh, anyone know a kid's sewing tutor with good hourly rates? *wry grin*


HOMEMADE SHELF:
I've been blessed with a man who, literally, can make or fix anything (opposites attract, right?).

He's built a house from ground up. He's the reason why we've been able to buy fixer upper houses... without hiring contractors. or going crazy.

Because he can do it all. and do it all WELL. And nope, I'm so not biased...I'm just gifted with the ability to state the obvious.


He made this little ditty of a shelf for me one afternoon because I was needing someplace to store all the girls' overflowing stuff.

Like the table, it's made its way throughout the house. Upstairs. Downstairs. and back again. Housing toys. books. and ...other items I can no longer remember.

But I'm thinking it's found its permanent home.


It houses a bin of crayons, telephone books, school reference books, all the girls' Bibles...

But what I really love is that it's where I now keep a large part of the girls' daily homeschool work. If we're working with something, that's where they'll find the books. Each school girl (even Raegan) has a cubby/shelf with her personal school books.

Those little cloth bins at the bottom are from Lowe's (maybe $10 each?)...and they hold the random little things we use for homeschooling. like a tub of clay or some craft things (that aren't harmful if Lani happened to pull them out), etc.

I have to say I've loved this corner since changing it two months ago. It just feels so practical, kid friendly, and colorful! ;) I'm loving being in a house that possesses those qualities. It just FEELS beautiful to me, you know?

THE BIG BOOKCASE:
All these things used to be spread through the house...sort of hidden away. But now it's all there for convenient, daily use. It has meant that I've had to box up Jet's and my books to store in the attic for the time being. But oh well...with writing a book right now, it's rare that I get to read one.

So now, it's filled to the brim with Homeschooling stuff. Coloring supplies. Baskets of flashcards. Board games. Children's books. and a bottom shelf of easily accessible baby toys in attempts to distract Lani from tearing into the books.

It works, most days.



The little sitting chair is one that I almost gave away. because children live here and it's white. Enough said.

Then I started adding color to the room...and gave away ANOTHER white chair from the same room. And suddenly its lack of color no longer bothered me. (which is nice since it an antique from my Papa...so I'd rather keep it if I can make it a practical part of our existence)

And above it is one of my favorite picture of my girls...which the glare from the camera keeps you from seeing. But you can go here to see the framed picture and here to see the photographer's site. She's awesome, period.



On the picture, I have this verse. Rather fitting for a house filled with young daughters, huh?

When my parents bought us the new dining room table a couple of months ago (for our Christmas present), we began to revamp the entire downstairs. This buffet was one of the pieces of furniture that had to be removed from the dining room...and I absolutely love it here.

complete with those highly expensive 12 x 12 scrapbook papers taped to the wall above it. :) Yes, I'm some kind of classy.

Because our home was built in the early 1900s, it lacks one key thing that forces me to be really creative in organizing our home...and brutal about purging the extras.

Closets.

We have a grand total of five small, weirdly shaped ones in our 2100 square foot house. So this piece of furniture, inherited from my generous Nana, is treasured for many reasons. One being that it offers space to beautifully store...

scrapbooking supplies, homeschooling supplies, construction paper, planners, pencils, pens, tape... all things that I need at my finger tip on a daily basis. but don't want at Alana or Raegan's finger tips.

Have I mentioned the generosity of my family?!?

I love small decorative details, yet I'm soo not one for "collectibles". In my opinion, they're a waste of money and just collect dust. But these particular pieces, to my family, hold so much meaning.

When Baby Girl is born, we'll get another bigger girl figurine to represent Raegan (and her personality).

Charis is the figurine holding the heart. The year we bought it for her, she had randomly told me that Jesus had given her to gift of love. If you know her, you'd know this sums her up to a T.

The girl loves people to no end. sometimes to the point where I'm half-tempted to tell her that she doesn't have to be that nice when people are that mean. Such the saint of a mom I am.

Selah is the girl holding the flowers. She is so thoughtful in always wanting to bless me...and always wants to be outside playing. Flowers convey both qualities.

And there you have it...in a quickie run-through... our front room, living room, school room ...area. :)

I've talked about this room before. How I sat around one morning and just stared at the walls...wanting so badly to do SOMETHING with it. And then the Lord said to fill it with color because that's when I feel the most alive.

Well, this is the most *Alive* this room has felt since we first moved in. I just wish you were here...to liven it up with your conversation.

I love meeting new people, or getting together with family that lives far away, or reuniting with friends I haven't seen in a while. Whichever category you are a part of...I know Jet and I would enjoy your company.

As we welcome you into our home.

ALERT: Jailbreak

We're breaking free today and heading out to spend the day with a friend and her littles.

Email excerpt for memory sake:

"You should have seen the girls when I told them what we were doing tomorrow...they jumped and danced and hugged each other. It was almost sad. Am I that much of a prison warden? keeping them housebound, under lock and key? Pitiful, I tell you.

Can't wait to see you as we attempt Prison Break tomorrow... I'll TRY to leave the coordinating orange jumpsuits at home.

Though, I do have to say it does help in the overall keeping track of them."

If you see us around town, proceed with caution. Apparently my girls haven't been out in a while. They may be slightly scary.

When I return, then I'll invite you to visit my Living Room/School room. Until then...

*Cue Prison Break-esk melo-dramatic music*

If you were here.

There's just something precious about going to a friend's house, you know? Cozying down for a few hours with your fuzzy-socked feet buried into the couch cushions, drinking something hot on a chilly Autumn day, and just chatting about life.

It even sounds inviting in print, doesn't it?

No matter how well you know someone, I don't think that you really get to know them into you step inside their world. walk through their door. and hang out in the very space that they've created for their family and friends.

For me, I'm all about making my house a home. It's one of my passions since it's my personal space. My domain being that, at this stage of life, it's where you'll find me a larggggge majority of the day.

between homeschooling, child rearing, and perfecting the art of hermitism. *grin*

I love putting my heart into the details...to reflect the personality of our family. All while not spending lots of money. My other passion.

So this week, I'm going to reveal a new side of me to the Internet: My home.

Got your fuzzy socks? Because me, I'm not a shoe kind of person. ...and your sweatpants? I am, after all, pregnant and rather prefer streetttcchhhy comfort over denim.

So let's get all cozy while I show you around my home. Because I just cleaned it for a party. And God knows, any other time it wouldn't look like this!! ;)

IF YOU WERE HERE...

This is where my girls, dressed in princess attire, would inevitably accost welcome you. Right after my rather harmless overgrown doberman alerted the neighborhood of your arrival.


See that flowerbed on the right? Yeah...it JUST got weeded and mulched a few days before the party. With mulch that my husband bought me monthsss ago.

Just keeping it real as I share another random thing about me: I hate weeding and will procrastinate until the weeds threaten to eat my children actually reach their growth potential.

And were you here...we may sit on the front porch and talk, while my children climbed the scrawny "climbing tree". All while yelling to make sure you didn't miss a second of their athletic prowess.

We'd probably have to talk loudly...and fast. *grin*

Those chairs were a present from my mom, the one from whom I learned the art of yardsale and thrift store shopping. Admittedly, I'm not one for floral prints circa 1975. But eh, I love the seating arrangement. It just inspires me to enjoy our front yard.

And one day...in a galaxy far far away...I'll find my inner Martha Stewart and re-cushion it.


And this, my friend, would be the view we'd have of Scrawny Tree from which my monkeys would be swinging...

And I just know time spent with you would be awesome! I can hear us laughing, as we secretly eat our brownies while giving the children their snack of apples. heh heh

And as long as the obnoxiously loud train (a few houses away) happened to NOT make its presence known, we may stay outside enjoying this weather for a while.

But if it did happen to blow past, we'd walk in the front door, to this...


My little entry way.

Back in the day (1905), there was a wall where that couch on the left is. Designating this a formal entry. And all the doorways had actual doors on them. And all the white trim would be exposed oak.

But thankfully, life (and a couple of skilled craftsman) changes things. And hopefully in the near future this room will continue to morph into something a little bit better.

Because see that Wall of Trim on the right? It. drives. me. crazy. White and tan. White and tan. It's migraine-inducing in its chaos.

Don't ask me why we painted it like that...I guess I've just never bought a house that had this kind of character and I wasn't sure how to interact appropriately with it. *wry grin*

I'm still learning. But one day "soon", I'm thinking it will ALL be brown. I don't care if the trim is expensive or "classic". Personally, I'd like to tear it off, piece by annoying piece.

But since I wouldn't know what to do once the wall caved down from my unskilled demolition, I'm thinking I better just paint. ;)

(And this is why you love me, Jet...because I don't hastily do these things myself. instead, thoughtfully tack it on to the ever-expanding Honey Do list. Your life would be so carefree boring were it not for me. I know...you're welcome.)

And one day soon, that oak peg hanger in the corner will be hung up...most likely on that "beloved" trim-packed wall...for the girls to use for their coats and stuff.

But for now, there's no class in this entryway corner. Just a gang of monkeys to greet you.

Kind of fitting since another gang of monkeys greeted you outside, eh?

But these monkeys are the official guards of all things Little People, hidden nicely in the basket given to me by my very generous aunt.

(FYI: 95% of our household items have been hand-me-downs via my aunt, my parents, and my Nana's generosity...oh! and some great yardsale finds)

This stairwell is the catch-all for the things that are supposed to be upstairs but haven't yet made it. It's usually filled with a host of single shoes, lost from their mates. toys that belong in the girls' room. and other odds and ends that just get tossed there as we go through the house doing one of our "10 minute straighten up times".

(FYI. This is where I put on the timer...and the little girls run frantically around the house giddily putting all the stuff away as fast as they can. I have to wonder how long they'll find this little game of ours fun. *grin*)

If you were to walk upstairs, this is one of the pictures you'd see.

It was one of the first things Jet and I bought early in our marriage. I saw it in some Christian bookstore in his hometown and loved it.

"God made us a family. We need one another. We forgive one another. We play together. We worship together. Together we use God's Word. Together we grow in Christ.
God made us a family. Together we serve our God. Together we hope for heaven. These are our hopes and ideals. Help us to attain them, O God. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord."

*sigh* Doesn't that just make you want to have a family? create little people that you can do all those things with?

Yup, that's how we felt too. Totally influenced by a hallmark-esk print. Such pushovers, we were. ;) And now, 8 years later, here we are with our 5th on the way.

I'm telling you, be careful what you buy and put up on your wall. Crazy things happen when you hang up such mesmerizing sentiments.

And here's the rest of the stairwell...where all those little bitties that make up our family...sleep. To be explored at a later date.


Yup. Were you HERE and not sitting behind your computer, this is the space you'd walk into.

Though it's not my favorite part of the house, it's what welcomes soooo many people into our home. A home that I've prayed will actually bring healing to people as they hang out within its walls.

Someone actually did tell us (not knowing my prayer) that every time he comes here, he experiences emotional healing. *contented sigh* Isn't God good?!

Life may give us a small home or a large one. A home filled with things we like or things we just are having to make-do with. But it's no matter because unless we welcome people into our homes (and hearts)... life, without real relationships, isn't worth living.

And people really don't care what your house looks like. just the way they feel when they're there. the way their life unfolds as they share that time spent together.

As the plaque over the entry way door says:


AND (I have to add) where you have opportunity to touch other people's lives.

I so wish I got to meet all of you...had the opportunity to really welcome you into my home...to hear your story and get a peak at your heart.

But for now...this week... I invite you to get to know me in a slightly different way, allowing you to see the home where MY stories begin.

An adult's moment of Crazy= A child's Lifelong memory

"Will you carry these bowls outside for me?"



My daughters are at the stage where they want to help. They ask for chores. They crave opportunity to prove themselves capable.

So yes, they were definitely up for the challenge. and were really excited about it.

We were at my parents house, getting ready to eat lunch on the patio, taking advantage of the amazing fall weather. And Mom, wanting to include my oldest girls, had asked them to be the Official Table Setters.

*insert trumpets blowing in the heavens and little girls eyes lighting up*

They had been given a Big Girl Chore. Oh the glory.

But then. A couple minutes later as I walked by the patio door, I saw Selah standing there watching the door, her big hazel eyes filled with unspilled tears. Being on the verge of sobs, she silently held up the broken pieces of the heavy ceramic bowl. Waiting for my reaction.

I may have sighed. I think I said, "Oh Selah." But holding Alana, I couldn't comfort her like I wanted. But no matter...Mom got to her first, wrapping her arms around her, as Selah cried.

"It's no big deal. They're just plates. Okay? Things break all the time...they can be replaced. But if you had been hurt, that would make me sad..."

But my sweet, tender-hearted Selah wasn't buying it. She clung to Grandma, but still cried, so distraught over having shattered a dish. A dish that she had been entrusted to carry. but broke instead.

I stood there watching the precious interaction between my mom and daughter, so very thankful that Mom was choosing to honor Selah and not her nice pottery.

And then my sweet, crazy Mom spoke again, shocking the heck out of me...

In her attempts to really drive home the point to Selah's broken heart, she said, "Selah, it's only a dish. Do you want me to break one so you can see it's not a big deal?"

Selah immediately nodded her reply. :)

Mom just smiled and sort of laughed. walked to the table. picked up a bowl. and threw it hard against the concrete patio before I could even form two coherent thoughts in my head.

"See? It's not a big deal." Shattered pieces lay scattered...

I kept some of the broken pieces. as a reminder to me...and to Selah...that she is cherished more than a piece of pottery. that she is loved more than material wealth. and that our hope in this life is to keep her heart from being broken.

Even if we have to break a few prized possessions to prove it. Just like Grandma did today.

Maternity for Sale... for Kristen

Hey Kristen! How's it feel to have a whole blog post dedicated to you? ;)

Here are just the shirts that I'm selling...at least some of them. I do have some summer things, but figured that she wouldn't be interested in seeing those. Right?

And as a little FYI, my mirror was dirty/spotty. So the shirts aren't stained or dirty...it's just the reflection of the flash and the spottiness of the mirror. *grin*

This shirt does not have a pink part to it...I was just wearing a pink sports bra when I was trying on the shirts. It's short-sleeved, by the way...








This is a one-piece sweater-shirt...





All 9 of these for $30. If she just wants a few, I can give you individual prices. I'm selling most for $4. a few for $3.

I have a bunch of pants as well...and will take pics of those soon.
xo