HANUKKAH!

We are crazy busy getting ready for The Nutcracker performances Dec. 17th and 18th .  Izzy will be a ginger bread chef, and Jacob will be a mouse in the army. Nate and I are again party parents and so ready for this year as costumes are ready (which I need to share with you here), and we know our dance.
After nutcracker we have Hanukkah the celebration of the miracle of lights back during the Maccabees war. Our family has chosen to celebrate this Biblical Feast instead of Christmas for several personal reasons but also for the reasons stated in this podcast I am linking to below. We are not offended if our friends or relatives celebrate or even wish us a merry Christmas. I just would like for  our friends and relatives to understand why we don't and make their own decisions based on the facts listed in this video that can be found in any history books and all over the web. We are excited to spend the time with our friends and family and see the wonder in the children's eyes as they learn more about the Bible.

Truth or Tradition?

I Pray this is informative and helpful and inspires you to dig more into your Bible and truly understand and question what your relationship with Christ is.

Crazy Busy

Well I did get more projects started over the summer but we have not completed them all so you will have to wait a bit longer for pictures. The kids are doing very well in their schooling and are getting ready for nutcracker again at ballet. I almost have Nate's vest completed and Jacob's vest is ready to be cut out. I have several quilts that I am working on as well as redecorating and organizing my nieces bedrooms.
At the moment I am sick.:( the kids gave me a virus that turned into tonsillitis probably due to all the stress lately. there have been several deaths in the family and then my father-in-law had to be taken to the ER. He was sooo close to a heart attack I am very glad we convinced him to go. YHWY has been working on,in, and through us all lately and we are going to be better off because of it all in the end.
Isaac is learning more and more signing pretty regularly and saying some words. the Therapists are happy with his progress and the Dr appointments are just checkups every 6 months now. It almost feels like we are getting our lives back and can plan things in advance.

Bathroom update

Well its one more thing off my to-do list. I finished the board and batten in the bathroom and even got it painted all in one day! So I am still waiting for the perfect shade of grey paint to scream "BUY ME" so I can paint the rest of the walls and a gorgeous piece of furniture that I can turn into a new vanity and tile the top with the Caribbean blue tiles I fished out of a dumpster in Dallas forever ago. Slowly and and steadily like the tortoise right? 

when it all comes together I will be sure to give you all the before and after pictures this is still a work in progress, but I just had to share it with you all because it makes me feel so good to actually be getting something done in that room

Master Bedroom update

Well I got sidetracked from finishing the trim in my room because the bed just seemed blank wiht the death of some of my favorite sheet sets I am left with white and tan sheet sand needed something other than a blank canvas in the middle of my room. 

unfortunately this is the only before picture I can find
its from 2008 before the headboard had been added to "finish" the bed

The sexy man on the bed was very pleased with himself since he had just finished converting this room ( our old living room) into a bedroom for us. There use to be a door where the headboard is and this room had a big opening into the dining room/kitchen area. He did an excellent job and I am so grateful for a room of our own.

Well the bed was a gift from His parents for our wedding and since I am always changing my design ideas the bed never really got its finishing touches. Originally I wanted a poster bed but soon realized that would not be practical with children. After 7 years I decided on a headboard shape and I later added a coat of black paint and distressed it and here is what it look like now.



I will soon be moving that big silver frame to the living room and the mirror on the other wall will get a redo too! I have a plan for the wall above the bed but will have to wait since I have to get some pictures printed and frame them and that takes money! So what do you guys think?

Itching! UGGGG!

 So we are stuck inside due to extreme heat and drought conditions and I am slowly finishing "My List" but keep looking at blogs and reading about everyone else s adventures is driving me crazy. I am Itching for fall weather and a trip to the thrift stores for more easy cheap projects.Well this lady is really inspiring me over at Secondhand or bare bottom I LOVE the yellows and reds together and her closet on her other blog  Five Days...5 ways is amazing and inspiring. I am on a roll filling the house with color and organizing so we are ready for our school year that starts the first of September. We are so excited and can't wait to be able to get outside and learn and play.

Pantry Reveal!

Ok so we all know I go overboard when I dust and end up rearranging furniture. Well I did it again! I went to make pizza dough last night and well I found bugs in my pantry UGGGG! I can't stand bugs in my house let alone where I store my food so I ripped everything out! Literally my hubby helped me rip out t the shelving and we re did them for more storage because the old ones we falling apart and well it just needed to be done. so here is what my my house looked like for 24 hours 

and here is our almost empty pantry
it has matching shelves on the opposite side of the  2x5 closet

Well my sweet hubby worked till midnight then called it quits till morning and by lunchtime I was putting things back in hurray! One more thing to check off my list. here are the after pictures.

you can't tell but he installed hooks to keep the broom and mop off the floor so maybe they won't fall over and hit me every time I go in there to get something.

THE LIST!

Ok so I have this list on my phone of things to get done around the house. Well I did get a few things marked off in the last two weeks but well as I was doing those projects I found new ones to add and well its bigger than ever and most of them I cannot do by myself let alone while kids are running around. So I am thinking I need to borrow a teenager for a weekend to watch the kids while Nate and I work on said projects, too bad he is building a storage shed so I can have my laundry room back!
SOOO in case you are wondering here is my list and in no particular order either.

1) Redo pantry shelves (they are falling off the walls)
2) Organize cabnets
3) Take down and repair and paint hallway shelf
4) Hang hallway shelf in entryway
5) Make piano bench cover
6) Finish painting bricks in kitchen
7) Finish putting tin on walls in boys room
8) Kitchen floors ( they are horrid linoleum and falling apart)
9) Batton Board in bathroom
10) Paint bathroom
11) Batton Board in entryway 
12) Finish hanging trim in bedroom
13) Finish Nate's desk
14) Organize and Clean Laundry room
15) Paint laundry room
16) Finish school work
17) Paint entry way
Not to mention all my stacks of unfinished sewing projects! So I think I have plenty to do this fall on top of schooling the kids M/W/F and Ballet on T/W.