Update on the House

Hey there....it's been a while since I've mentioned the house remodel. We are mostly done painting, the kitchen has been installed (minus appliances), and the tile is being laid as we speak. (or as I write!) The countertop company was out today to make a template and hopefully in two weeks the countertop will be in the kitchen. Here are some pictures....

Girls room. We will probably be adding white beadboard to the bottom half of the wall. 

Double closets for the girls! :)

Landon's room

Landon's bathroom.

Living room. The flooring is tile that looks like hardwood.

The color is mahogany. The glare here makes it kind of hard to see, but it matches pretty close to the doors and windows.

Kitchen! Love my farmhouse sink!

Cooktop goes here.

Pantry and micro/oven combo

Overlooking into living room

Fridge

So this is what we have. Because the tile was being laid in front of our master bedroom/bath, I don't have pictures of that yet. The end room, which will be my laundry is the holding room for everything else, so that will be the last room we do. But it's coming together. We are doing tile in the kitchen, living, dining, hall and the kids bathrooms. Our doors will hopefully be coming in next week. I am hoping to be able to move by the end of the month, but that will depend on my husband. They will start harvesting in earnest here before too long and he will be less available. All in due time. But it actually feels as though we might get to actually LIVE in the space.

The night I fell....

This past weekend we saw cooler temps during the day and evening. Saturday night we decided to have our first campfire of the fall season.....

Daddy and his boy

Larissa continuing the tradition of telling stories

Alaina & Charlotte with their buddy, Clark

love watching a fire at night

He's mesmerized by the flames

Alaina's turn

This November will be ten years. Time has just flown by!

Singing for us

Mmmmm! Marshmallows and the girl without her front teeth!

We love fall!

Our roasters

Love this boy like crazy...and sometimes he drives me crazy!

Landon started to get tired so I put him to bed. Anne was sleeping in the crib in his room, so I picked her up after I put him down. I wanted to feed her one last time before I went to bed and wanted her up for a little bit. I got her bundled up to go outside. I walked outside and down the sidewalk. There was no moon and the night sky was cloudy (do you see where this is going?). I missed the step at the end of the walk. Yup. I totally biffed it. I fell down, twisted my right ankle bad, banged my left knee up, but somehow, through the grace of God, kept baby Anne Noelle up so she didn't hit her head or get hurt. She did cry but I think the whole fall scared her.
I lay there for a second, wondering what just happened. Then I had to call for help because I was afraid to walk with Anne. Luckily the girls came running over and helped me up and our friend, Clark, took the baby for me. I hobbled over to the fire and sat down. My ankle hurt but didn't feel too bad. I got some pictures of Anne at the fire....

All in all, she wasn't that impressed! I think the flames kind of overstimulated her. She was ready to go in after a few minutes. Nate carried her in for me, still in disbelief at how I missed the end step. It's only been there for the last five years! :) He was in the house getting a cup of coffee when I had my mishap and missed the whole thing.
After I got Anne down the bed, took a shower and sat down, I noticed my ankle starting to swell and throb in pain. I could move my toes and could rotate my ankle, so I was thinking it was probably just a bad sprain.
So that's where I am today. I am still hobbling a little. My ankle is still swollen some, and the skin is starting to bruise. I have been trying to keep it up (haha...like with five kids and homeschooling that happens) and I have been rubbing arnica on it. I never realized how often people step on my feet until I got hurt. I am hoping it will be better soon, because we could be painting  next week. Yes, I said PAINTING!!!! Can you tell I am excited? It's finally feeling "for real". We might actually be moving into this thing! I have not forgotten about my "project restoration", it was just slow going. But the drywall guy should finish this week. I already have my paint! :)
And this is totally for my mom....here are the colors. The lighting is probably not the best, but it's the best I could do...

Martha Stewart China Green Marble, this will be in our south room, which is my laundry/office/TV room. There will be expose brick on the other three walls.

MS Cayenne: hallway and girls bathroom

MS Buckwheat Flour: this is kitchen/dining/living

MS Arrowroot & MS Salt Glaze: darker color is our bedroom, lighter color our bathroom

MS Thistle Blue: Landon's room

MS Plum Pudding: girls room

After much going back and forth we decided to go with white trim and doors. We are wood people, but honestly, we didn't want to do the extra work of staining and polying. Especially because mistakes are much more noticeable.  Our ceiling color is Behr's Antique White. All my colors are from Home Depot. Martha Stewart has this awesome symbol system, where you pick a color you like and then find colors with the same symbol and those colors go together! That was one thing I always struggled with; picking colors that go together. This made is SO much easier.
Hopefully I will have actual rooms to show soon!

I read a book this summer called 7. It's by Jen Hatmaker, and if you are looking for a good read, you should pick it up. There were times I laughed out loud because she is just so real....there is nothing put on with her. So I would be laughing one second and feeling seriously convicted the next. Anyway, the gist of the book is her going for seven months fasting different things. To give you an idea, the first month she fasted food. She only allowed herself to eat 7 foods for an entire month, not including water.  She wanted to get a small idea of how most of the world lives. Although most of the world might not even have 7 options to eat.  The next month she fasted clothing. She could  only wear 7 pieces of clothing, not including under clothing (grin). Each month there is something new that she fasts from. The last month was stress. The focus was on rest and prayer. One area she focused on was the Sabbath. They observed the Sabbath from Saturday evening until Sunday evening. I was challenged on this particular one because I can honestly say we don't observe the Sabbath. Saturday nights are usually a zoo, trying to get 5 kids bathed and in bed on time so they can wake up for church Sunday morning. The morning can be a little hectic as we try to get seven people ready for church and out the door on time because we travel an hour and fifteen just to get to church. Sunday isn't usually a day of rest 'round here.
So, three weeks ago I decided I was going to try something different. Saturday night is pizza night around here, so I made pizza, set the table with nicer dishes, let the girls drink out of wine glasses, and I made challah bread. We broke bread, read Psalm 19 and prayed together before eating.....

It's been a special time that the kids look forward to now on Saturday nights. But lest you be misled, it's not always a happy go lucky family time. Last weekend I was grumbling and yelling at fighting kids while making supper. I felt pretty hypocritical when it came time to read Scripture and pray. But thankfully, He's forgiving!
Just wanted to share a little of what we've been doing around here. Have a great week!

A Friday Flash....

"And the heavens shall declare the GLORY of the Lord...."

And the boy turns TWO!

Earlier this month, August 5th to be exact, our lone boy in the bunch turned the big TWO! Time is just a flyin' by! I did manage to get a few photos to memorialize the day....

Tools! He was so excited to have his own hammer and drill and measuring tape....instead of trying to sneak off with daddy's!

Lighting the candles.....

Getting too excited and blowing out the one before we were done singing!

Lets try again!

He did it! Be still my heart, how his smile melts me!

Landon is two. Already. What a bundle of fun he is! He is very hardheaded, literally and figuratively. He can do a pretty good headbutt. He can also be VERY stubborn. But, according to Dr. Dobson, that means he will be a leader in the future.....right?!?!?! He's very quick to help. I love the way he leans down or squats and watches everything you do so as soon as you turn your back, he can do it himself.  When Landon's in trouble he will come over and hug you and say "sorry." And when he asks you something, he usually ends it with "K?" 

We love you so much Landon Boy, and are so glad you are a part of our family!!!!

I can....

Alaina came in last night, so excited and proud of herself. She had finally gone across the monkey bars both ways without any help!

And she's off!

Holding strong!

Halfway done! So proud!

Almost there! At this point she breathlessly called out a prayer for God to help her across!

Phew! She made it!

" I can do ALL things through CHRIST who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

When it hurts...

I have been soaking up my little baby days. They will be gone too fast. And it hurts. I feel such a finality that this little baby, our Anne Noelle, will be our last.  It's bittersweet. I am looking forward to the days ahead, of watching our children grow....grow in stature, grow in maturity, grow in wisdom, grow their faith...make it their own. But a snuggly baby, that smell, that soft skin....will be missed. And so, I have been busy, being mom, wife, cook, teacher, organizer, bookkeeper.....and the list goes on. But I am trying to remember to live IN each moment, to be PRESENT in whatever I am doing. So that's a little of the reason why I haven't been writing much. If you have the choice between writing or snuggling this one.....I mean really, what would you choose? (grin)

I have also been reading some really good books....which once I have time to flesh out my thoughts on them, I will. But just so you know, I have recently read, Radical by David Platt and Seven by Jen Hatmaker. I also have the Irresistible Revolution up next and a book called the Seven Sacred Pauses. Book review coming in the future....maybe!

But for now, here is a Day Journal......

Outside my window...... are puffy white clouds over the mountains, warm breezes, and golden sunshine

I am thinking.... of how I will arrange our house, once it's ready, paint colors, lighting fixtures, and how overwhelming the whole process is!

I am thankful for......my family, healthy children, my husband, a God who is faithful even when I am not...

From the learning room..... praying over our new school year, and figuring out what we will learn, and when we will learn...what with a toddler who is forever getting into something, and a new little one..

From the kitchen.... finding a granola bar recipe to use the granola mix I got this morning

I am reading..... The Irresistible  Revolution and Seven Sacred Pauses and How to Make a Nature Journal

I am hoping..... to be obedient in all the Lord tells me, to encourage my kids to do the same, to love my husband and children more, and to follow hard after Jesus....

I am hearing..... the children playing, the air conditioner and peaceful music on Pandora...

Around the house.....I am slowly packing up for the move, whenever that is!

One of my favorite things....waking up in the morning and he hasn't left yet for work!

A few plans for the week....making cookies, washing the suburban, mowing the yard, making baked oatmeal for the morning, finish reading Little Women aloud, sweet sleep!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...