All done! (with the windows....)

The guys finished installing our windows and french door yesterday! Half of our family came down with a stomach virus, so I didn't get over until today to see the finished product. They look so nice. Even from the outside the difference is noticeable! Makes me excited to get the rest of it done.

Here is a picture of what the original windows look like. These two we didn't replace yet because this is where our addition is going to be.

 Here is the new living room window

 We opted for windows with the shades inside of them since the sun is so bright out here. Plus, I probably won't hang curtains. Who wants to hide such pretty windows?

Here is a picture of the hayseed. The guys just need to put on the roof and it will be done.
Hope you all have a great weekend!

Projects galore

I thought I would give you a little update on what's been going on around here. We had ordered our windows and french door on Valentine's Day, so my hubby got busy on building his hay shed. Here are some pictures of the progress so far....

The first bay is up

 Here is another part of the second bay laying on the ground, waiting to be put up.

 This is two days later. They now have four bays up and are welding the purlins in between. They have one more bay to set up and the hay shed will be up, except for the sheeting for the roof and welding the rest of the purlins.

My man welding. For obvious reasons, I don't spend a lot of time down there watching them do their thing!

My husband and his dad, welding away.

 Makeshift scaffolding

The little guy watching how it's done

In other exciting news, we did get all the carpet tore out of most of the house, and all the kitchen cabinets are out. Landon's bathroom is now without a sink and vanity. We picked up a new pedestal sink and toilet at Lowes. We are just deciding on flooring for the bathrooms.

 It already feels like progress, even though we aren't even a fifth of the way done. On my birthday I got a lovely present......

The windows and door are in!!!!! And they will be installed this week! I am so excited! And they look amazing. So hopefully I will have some pictures of new windows later this week! That's what's going on around here!

What I am reading....and some thoughts

I have a list of books that I reread every year. During the colder, windy months of winter here in Arizona, I usually find the time to read through the whole Anne series. I find that my favorites are Anne of the Island, because she finally "sees" Gilbert, and Anne of Ingleside because of their houseful of kids. I enjoy reading about their escapades and the loving and gentle way Anne deals with a houseful. It actually gives me encouragement. In a fictiony sort of way. ( Is that a word? Apparently not because my spellchecker came on!) I have also read through One Thousand Gifts again. Actually I guess that was 2011. I read that book twice in one year. I will probably read it again. I have also read through some homeschooling books. I find I usually need the encouragement and push to get through the rest of the  year after Christmas. This year is no exception with now entering my third trimester and feeling tired all the time! :) I am almost through reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson, and there was a line or two that caught my attention. Thought I would share them:

"There is no law that can create God's spiritual fruit in our lives. It comes only from the Spirit of God in our hearts as we let Him live through us."

"Freedom comes not from depending upon someone else's wisdom, but from following the Spirit's leading into my own convictions that guide the decisions and allegiances of my heart. I walk by faith. I cannot let someone else walk by faith for me......I personally need to keep my mind renewed with this truth of God's Word so I don't subtly fall into the trap of thinking I need a formula to please God, or worse, begin to suggest that others do. Living by faith is not a life of formula, but a life of freedom. I want to be sure I'm living in that freedom and offering it to others."

I was struck by how often I look for a formula. A proven method to produce fruit, not only in myself, but in my children. I want a manual on how to raise my kids, how to be a wife, how to be a friend.....basically everything. I just want someone to tell me how to do everything so I can't fail and will produce good fruit. Only thing is, God doesn't work that way. He is a personal God. Not a one size fits all. What works for one mom may not work for me. I am living in a house with individuals.  I find this in homeschooling. I will ask a friend about a certain curriculum, about schedules, about balance, and there is nothing wrong with that. We can glean so much wisdom from our friends and family. But if what works for them doesn't work for us, we can't walk away feeling like failures. I need to be in the habit of first going to God and asking Him if this will work for my family. I am realizing how little I include Him in my plans. And in order for me or my children to produce the spiritual fruit I am praying for, I need to let Him in. Let Him guide and direct me. And if people disagree with my method, that's okay. My obedience needs to be to my Heavenly Father before anyone else.  So I want to start being more intentional. To ask and wait for the answer. Oh, the waiting is so hard. But so essential. Part of the process. The refining.

grace

Grace. What a powerful word. I love having grace extended toward me. To be the recipient of grace. Now to be the giver of grace....not so much. That doesn't always feel good. I don't always feel like it...my heart isn't in it, so why should I fake it?
This morning my darling girls decided it would be fun to wake up at 3 am. My girls. Not my boy, who at 18 months, I would have freely forgiven. Perhaps he was feeling pain from teething, maybe a bad dream, or maybe even a diaper that needed changing. No, my girls just thought it would be fun to have a party at 3 am.
Unfortunately, their father and I didn't get the memo about the party and we weren't very happy about it. I went over twice and could still hear them whispering and talking. They finally quieted down and then about half an hour later all three emerge to use the bathroom. Together. Yes, they start young. What is that about? To say my husband was irritated would be an understatement. He went over to the bathroom, opened the door, and gave the girls quite a fright! They were just getting ready to go back to their room, so opening the door and finding their irate father, wasn't something they were expecting. They go back to their room and proceed to keep talking!!!!! Nate had just laid back down and he jumped up and went over and let them have the "what for". He came back to bed and I just said that perhaps this is just preparing me for a nursing baby. Needless to say, it was almost 4:30 before the house was quiet and we fell back to sleep.
Waking up this morning, I just felt mad. I felt mad reading my daily Bible reading. I felt irritated as I read my blogs on google reader. I felt upset as I drank my morning coffee. I felt a headache coming on as the kids emerged from their rooms. And the crazy thing is, they came out already dressed, beds made, and pleasant. But this mama wasn't feeling very pleasant. I wasn't feeling very graceful. I just wanted to be angry for a while. I felt justified in my anger. I wanted to sit in it for a while. Why? I mean, seriously, who wants to stay there?
To make myself feel better I called my mom and told her what happened, wanting her pity, and then I confessed that I just wanted to stay mad about it. She laughed. It is really kind of funny when you think about it. I wanted to wallow in my self pity and self righteous attitude, because I felt I deserved to be angry.
All I can say, is THANK YOU JESUS He doesn't do that to me. I can be so selfish and immature, even in my thirties. Sometimes I feel it can get harder....this dying to yourself.  The only example our children have of God's grace is the grace extended to them from the adults in their lives. That is what they will associate God's grace with. What a responsibility. What a choice we have to make. Every day. Sometimes every moment. And I fail. A lot. But I am so thankful for Grace. And so, God has been laying on my heart the double standard I hold in mine. I want God's grace for when I screw up, but when my children make mistakes, whether childish innocence or intentional, I want them to know how it offended me for the rest of the day. I want to hang it over their heads.
Our transgressions are as far as the east is from the west. They are in the bottom of the ocean.  Please remove the plank from my eye...help me to be Your hands and feet. To show Your grace. Grace that makes us white as snow. 

Windows and Doors

Guess what? We FINALLY closed last Wednesday. So now begins the remodel on the house. Of course this will be done slowly, as we have the money, but tomorrow morning, my hubby will be ordering the windows and french door for the house. I am so excited! It will be about 21-24 days until they are finished and then they will need to be installed. We already have our block to build the addition, so hopefully once we get our hay shed built and finished planting, we can go to work on that. It's amazing to watch transformation. And it's not just limited to houses or things. People can be transformed as well. I am excited to document the changes in the house, as well as some personal lessons we learn along the way.  Pinterest has been my friend lately. It's a great place to save those pictures of inspiration found on the web. It's a great time waster as well. I am trying to be more diligent and watch the time I spend online.
Just wanted to fill you in on the house! Have a great week!

the house

For anyone wondering, what is going on with that remodel project....well let me tell you! We ran into some glitches with the irrigation wells, and therefore, all our money has been going into fixing that right now. Farming is our bread and butter and here in the desert, we need water! So that is our first priority. We are ready to order windows and exterior doors, and will hopefully do that soon. We also have the block to build the addition onto the house, it's just finding the time! Plus, the domestic well needs some attention as well, and so right now, there is no water at the house! Which isn't too handy for a pregnant lady, if you know what I mean!! :)

We have most of the popcorn ceiling scraped off, and it's a white powdery mess on the floor! We originally had hoped to be in the house before baby was born. The due date is May 16th, right smack dab in the middle of hay and oats. By the end of April my man will be so busy that the house will have to take a back seat. So at this point, it is looking like we won't be in before baby. However, I am still holding onto some hope that the impossible can happen! We have seen God step in and help us out in some pretty amazing ways lately, and so we are just trusting in Him.

Here's to hoping and praying that I have some improvement pictures to show in the coming weeks!!

Spring is coming.....

Winter time out here can kind of be a drag. We don't get snow to cover the ground, so all we see for the majority of winter is brown, brown, brown. And it gets windy about February and can sometimes last till Spring. But I know spring is coming. It's already been decided. Reading verses in the Bible about the desert mean more to me now because I actually live in the desert....in a dry and thirsty land. But, come about January, you see tiny changes, fields greening up, which means spring is coming.

 I love that verse about the darkest hour is just before the dawn. I think about that sometimes when I am watching the sun come up. It's the darkest just before the light starts piercing the darkness. Just before the miracle. Just before God acts.

 Here are our patches of green in the desert. It's amazing that even in the desert in winter time, there is life. The fields are starting to green up. There is hope!

Just thought I would send some encouragement to whoever might need it. Spring is coming. If you feel you are in your darkest hour, and all hope is gone, the Son is just about to rise!