Altic Quiver

Signs Of The Apocalypse

2012-02-11T17:53:00.000-06:00

I have been on a bit of a craft kick like everyone else who is on Pinterest.

This is my most recent project. Not only witty and fun, but completely free. Yep, free.

I had everything on hand so it just took a bit of time and creativity.

We have deemed the downstairs living room the kids' space. So I thought it would be fun to put some decor they would get a kick out of.

I started out with a 1x12 board scrap that is a foot long. Gary R. routed the edges for me. I squirted some black flat craft paint on it and used a dry brush to cover the whole surface.

Then I got on Pages (our word processor) and printed out some lettering in the size and font I wanted. Sorry, I forgot to take pics of this process. I laid the paper print out on the board where I wanted it and simply traced over the lettering with a ball point pin pressing hard. It left an outline of the lettering in the wood.

I used some cream paint we had on hand and one of the kids' paint brushes and painted somewhat in the lines. If the Zombie Apocalypse was actually upon us I doubt the person making the sign would pay much attention to details. Just sayin.

I cleaned out the craft brush by rubbing it across the sign here and there to fill the negative space. Once it dried, Tanner took a sanding block to it.

I took a large drill bit and drilled two holes in the back so we could hang it. I simply measured and placed two med sized holes on the back.

They decided they wanted it over their TV. Pretty cute, and it matches my decor. Win Win. Sorry about the quality of the pic. Phone camera strikes again.

Never Say Never #2

2012-02-11T12:14:00.001-06:00

If you and I have chatted much you know that I guard my sleep. We have never been a "kids in the bed" kind of family.

Since I was young, I have always been extra cranky if I don't get 9+ hours. Maybe it's my hypothyroidism or just a personality flaw, either way I need sleep or things just don't run smoothly.

We have had 5 children all of which moved into their rooms as soon as they slept through the night. I let them cry it out sooner than most (and cried with them, I'm not impervious to their cuteness) and have insisted they sleep in their beds as toddlers or they were disciplined.

Last weekend we went to the men's retreat so I could cook and I took the kids with me. The kids and I plus Kelby, all slept on the women's side so as not to disturb the men.

All the boys picked a dorm room for themselves so Sis and I picked a smaller room just for us. They had worship right below us so it was hard to get her to sleep much before 11.

I have an app on my phone that plays a fan sound and I sleep with my ear buds in every night (that's another blog entry all it's own). I could easily drift off to sleep with the ear buds blocking out the noises but was nervous crashing out with Anneliese still awake.

So...I pulled her into bed with me and gave her an ear bud. She laid next to me grinning and touching my face for about 30 minutes. Then, as I've trained her, she said, "I need my bed momma." She crawled up over my head and crawled into the bunk I had prepared for her.

I have to admit I was a little sad she didn't want to cuddle with me.

Blessed

2012-02-08T14:21:00.001-06:00

Allow me to start this journey we're about to go on with a little back story.

My mother came to visit the other day. We went to a couple stores and I started to tell her how I apologize for our existence. It's ridiculous and I simply must stop, we have just as much right to be where ever as the next guy. If the kids are being unruly (which they are old enough, really isn't an issue anymore) then sure an apology is understandable, but if we are simply just being, why must I apologize?

For example, while in Wal-mart I was shopping and perusing the paper goods trying to find our paper plates a lady apparently needed desperately to walk between me and the wall of products. She hastily made her way passed my family and I apologized for being in her way.

A few moments later we were looking for cheese and again someone else, also needing cheese, was put out by the sheer real estate we take up. I moved aside, apologized, allowed her to get her cheese and then continued my search.

Apologizing for the space my family inhabits has become so regular that I have caught myself apologizing to inanimate objects. I see something out of the corner of my eye, assume we must be in the way some how, and apologize without looking up.

Fast forward to today. The kids and I headed out to Target to get a few things. We wandered through the store and due to them marking their bulk goods on clearance, our cart was full. The large packages of paper towels and toilet paper were struggling to stay in the cart.

The lady behind me in line refused to make eye contact with me and stood with her hand on her hip and her back to us. I noticed, but didn't really care or feel we were why at first.

Brennan took Anneliese to the bathroom while we were checking and he apparently flushed the toilet without asking the Princess. She freaked out and was wailing as he brought her to me. I just picked her up and continued.

We wandered out to the car and the pesky paper towels fell off the cart. We were in the walk way between the two sets of doors so I had to stop and pick them up. Obviously we filled up the space for all of 5 seconds.

The woman that had been behind us in line says to me with a big smile on her face, "You should plan your Target trips when they're in school!"

She looked at my crew like they were a cancer or a freak show and chuckled awkwardly. I just said, "we homeschool, this is everyday." To which she replied in shock and horror, "WOW, REALLY?? I admire you."

No she doesn't. She does not admire me. She thinks I'm nuts. She thinks children are a burden. She thought I was nuts for having 5 in the first place let alone keeping them with me all the time.

Psalm 127

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to [a] those he loves. 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

I sleep great and my quiver is full Praise the Lord.

To our critics that say stupid stuff and probably think worse than we'll ever know: Your fancy car and expensive jeans will not hug you back when you're 80. Talk to older generations. Ask them what their biggest regrets are. I promise it won't be, I wish I worked more, had less children, and lived a more selfish life.

These children of mine are a gift. They are a treasure that I prayed for, begged for, and promised my God that I would do my very best by them. They are kind, smart, extremely funny, and because of our hard work and dedication they will be a blessing to others.

Now follow this link and read what every mom of a large family wants you to know. It's super funny and so very true.

Never Say Never

2012-02-06T17:46:00.001-06:00

I have decided to start a new blog series entitled "Never Say Never."

As I age and grow I am finding myself on a regular basis saying, "You know how I used to say I would NEVER (fill in the blank), well..." I have decided to start blogging my "nevers."

This blog is specifically going to address the task of making your own laundry detergent.

First and fore most, I would like to apologize to my sweet Alisa. I dismissed her years ago when she raved about the cost effectiveness of making your own laundry detergent.

In my defense (Jared always tells the kids the best apology is one that stands on it's own with no qualifiers...sorry Alisa :)), I have been having babies on a pretty constant schedule for 11 years and adding a task, any task, made my head explode. Now that things have settled down I have begun to review my stand on making laundry detergent.

Pinterest making it not only popular, but almost an initiation to the cool cyber club has ~~everything~~ nothing to do with it.

First of all there's the issue with smells. I'm smell sensitive. I want my laundry to smell like fresh laundry. Not like...nothing. The biggest complaint I've heard about making your own soap is that it has no scent. So I purchased some essential oils from Amazon. My scent of choice is Clean Cotton. I was hoping it would smell like the Yankee Candle, it does not but it is a very clean fresh smell.

The biggest kicker for me was cost. I figured out that I spend around $.50/load with the Gain laundry detergent and fabric softener. After doing the math on the homemade laundry I was sold. As a family of 7 we average 3 loads a day. The homemade soap is less than 1 cent per load.

I can't stress this enough, that was not a typo.

LESS THAN ONE CENT A LOAD

That my friends is a savings of $1.49 a day for this household. In the link I'm about to share she also suggests using vinegar as your fabric softener. It does not change the smell of your laundry at all and it does work. I was super impressed and it's great for your machine and your clothes. Not to mention the debate over the safety of fabric softeners (read here).

So, I said I would NEVER make my own soap. That was ridiculous!

What was ridiculous was not looking into how incredibly simple it was let alone cost effective. The second biggest issue I hear is whether it works or not. In my experience so far it works better to remove yellowing and smells from our clothes. I am super impressed.

So there you have it. If you want to be ~~cool, loved, liked, allowed into the elite Pinterest group~~ frugal and smell clean you simply must click:

HERE

2012-02-05T15:02:00.000-06:00

Fri and Saturday were the Men's Retreat up at Mission Lake and my spouse asked that I cook again.

It was good and the food was well received but I'm exhausted!

Paired with Superbowl and I'm ready to order take out for the next week. No more baking/cooking for this momma.

I made:

18 loaves of wheat bread for French Toast Saturday morning.

45 homemade rolls/buns

20 lbs pulled pork

10 lbs potato salad

75 chocolate chip cookies

45 cinnamon rolls plus icing

1 large breakfast casserole consisting of 2 dozen eggs, 4lbs of sausage, a loaf of bread, and 8 cups of cheddar cheese.

22 men (5 little Altic men, mine plus Kelby, and 2 Altic girls) consumed almost every ounce of food. There was some French toast and pulled pork but not much.

Jared and I really enjoy serving and ministering together. I pray that the men that attended were blessed by a night/morning off to focus on their roles as fathers, husbands, and leaders.

We are so thankful for all of you and your willingness to serve and teach.

Words With Walls

2012-01-28T09:14:00.004-06:00

To all my cyber friends I have a confession to make.

In person, I am a bit...well I like to...I have a hard time not...um, I'm a chatterbox. There, that feels better. I bruise the ears of those I come in contact with.

I have learned through much introspection and thought that some of my incessant talking comes from insecurity. That I am working on, the rest of it is just me. I'm a communicator. I love to chit and chat from sun up to sun down.

As I am ~~playing~~ working decorating our home and settling in, my need to communicate is coming out in my decor. I want to put words everywhere!

This for the Laundry room:

This for the kitchen but bigger and vertical:

For the living room downstairs, the kids are really into the game Plants vs Zombies. Even Anneliese talks about zombies. I know, it's weird but they would LOVE IT

Danger Zombies RUN

For the downstairs bathroom

I already have the sign in the kitchen that says, All Because Two People Fell In Love.

Then there's the initials downstairs:

So apparently I'm just as chatty in my decor as I am in person. So my question is this, would this be overboard? Would you start seizing from over stimulation during a walk through? There's a sign above our couch that says: The best place to be is together. We have a mirror in the entry way with the word, family gracing the center. I'm out of control!

Be honest, be brutal, because Pinterest is becoming dangerous. I have ideas bursting out of me and I can't wait to dig into all the projects. Wait until you see the party favors I'm making for Anneliese's birthday! SO CUTE.

I can't help myself.

ABC's Of Decorating

2012-01-26T16:21:00.004-06:00

While wandering around Hobby Lobby with Katie R. I found the cutest letters glued onto metal to hang on your wall.

Since they were 1/2 price I grabbed one for each of us in the family thinking I would do something with them somewhere in the new house.

I had thought about putting J+S=BTEGA above the couch but then I realize each little plaque required two nails! That's a whole lot of nail holes I couldn't commit to.

Then I thought I would put them downstairs since I have neglected that space but I needed to paint before hanging anything. So I got up early and put a fresh coat of paint in the room. I considered attaching them to a large piece of wood but then realized it would weigh close to a hundred pounds.

After much thought I came up with the idea of hanging them from curtain rods on the large wall downstairs.

"Huh?!" you say.

I went to Wal-Mart and for $2.97 each I picked up three dark petite curtain rods. They are all the same I just extended the middle one out a touch. Please forgive the pics, even though I have a nice camera I love to use my phone. It's just so much quicker!

I bought some ribbon that was the texture and width I wanted and cut 7 strips all the same length.
Then I laced a ribbon through the back of each of the plaques.

I tied a cute little bow at the top and made sure they hung about the same distance between the rods. Rinse and repeat twice or until all your letters are up :)

It turned out exactly like I'd hoped/planned! It's a nice big display on a big wall. Due to the petite rods it only sticks out from the wall about 1.5" which is important since this is a walkway.

I also really like this idea for combined families. Since this is all first initials it includes everyone vs excluding one or more with last name initials.

Total cost: $30

Babies, Princesses, Sweat, and Carpet

2012-01-25T13:53:00.000-06:00

-I headed out Sunday afternoon to go meet little Titus Solomon. My friend Wendy had her baby and being military, they don't have anyone close so I took some food and stayed for a bit. My intention was to help my notoriously messy friend with housework. By God's design (I'm sure), her new husband is quite the neat freak so I just got to sit and enjoy my friend and her new bundle.

-The song, Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman has been around for several years. When it was first released Jared and I both thought it was a bit much (I believe the term "emotional glurge" was used by my spouse). I would like to note, we had not had Anneliese yet (nor had the Chapman's lost their little girl at that point). Now that Anneliese is more than obsessed with Cinderella and goes about the house singing, "Cineredda, Cineredda, DO THE DISHES DO DA WAUNDRY, poor Cindarelly," my take on the song has changed a bit. Anneliese has her new "pincess" dress and has worn it daily with only brief breaks to wash it and her. We have been making her wear actual PJ's to bed but as soon as she wakes she begs to put it on. Yesterday while driving home from Wendy's, the glurge came on the radio and immediately reduced me to a bawling pile of goo. Not just weepy, we're talking full on ugly cry. Ok, I get it now...

-I've been doing some personal training in the house. I was a bit nervous to see how it would work with the kids and Sophie, but I think it's working out pretty well. Better than I thought it would honestly. So if you hear of anyone (females only please) wanting to get in shape and have some accountability with some sore muscles please send them my way. It will be even easier as the weather warms up and we can do more outside.

-It is my dream to someday replace the carpet in the house. It's builder's grade and it has some pet issues from before we moved in. Due to the ridiculous cost of such a venture, I believe I will settle on having Brooke's ChemDry come out and do the upstairs (they already thoroughly attacked the downstairs when we moved in). They do a great job and guarantee their work. It is amazing how much better things look and smell once they're done. I highly recommend them, tell them I sent you :)

Crock Pot Lasagna???

2012-01-20T09:31:00.001-06:00

While tootling around on Pinterest I saw a recipe for crock pot lasagna. I decided to give it a try and it's on warm (per creators directions if you leave it for the day, meat is already fully cooked) as I type.

Jared and the kids ~~won't~~ can't do ricotta or cottage cheese so the one other time I ever made lasagna I made it with Velveeta and mozzarella like Anita makes it. It's actually quite yummy and resembles the enchiladas I make in my opinion but with noodles vs tortillas.

Can you put lasagna in a crock pot and have it turn out decent? Well, I will let you know!

Check out her recipe HERE

Bonjour Mon Ami

2012-01-19T20:39:00.000-06:00

It's That Time Again

2012-01-19T16:51:00.000-06:00

I have been asked to speak at the Woman's retreat again this year on February 17, 18.

I went through a very similar time of upheaval last year preparing.

God has decided to work me over, air out my closets, and grow me in ways I didn't realize I needed.

I have been reading a lot lately. Some good, some bad, some life changing. Regardless of what I consume intellectually He is using it for His glory. There seems to be a common thread and I'm excited that it falls perfectly in line with this years' theme (not surprisingly).

When reading through So Long Insecurities by Beth Moore she reminds us that God has granted us strength and dignity and given us security about our future.

Proverbs 31:25

New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.

I can't think of a better way to show a woman love! To grant us security and strength. God has given us dignity and no one can take that from us.

What great love He has lavished on us! That we should be called children of God. I ask that you would be in prayer for those of us teaching and preparing for the retreat as well as for the hearts of the women who will be attending.

I truly believe we all need to be reminded what awesome powerful God we serve that has only our best in the forefront of His mind.

Jeremiah 29:11
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Better Together

2012-01-14T15:07:00.000-06:00

Jared and I wanted to allow Dustin and Alanna to have a romantic weekend so we offered to take the kiddos for Friday night and Saturday night.

Jared went and picked up the cousins Friday night around 5.

We made homemade pizzas for dinner and it was a huge hit. There were a couple impatient kiddos asking for things as I was working on it but for the most part it went off surprisingly well for 9 kids!

My favorite part of the evening was prayer time. We went through out normal routine and added in the cousins oldest to youngest. Kelby thanked God for all Christians being able to go to heaven and live with Him eventually. So sweet, oh and he also thanked God for Auntie's bread and pizza. A boy after my heart :)

You can tell what they typically say night to night because our kids each say "thank you for everyone else" after mentioning a few people by name. Dustin's kids thanked God for "all my friends and family."

We had Anneliese, Kennedy, and Clara all in Anneliese's room. Other than a slight discipline issue with Anneliese, they all went to bed easily.

Graham and Elijah slept in their room per usual.

Brennan, Tanner, and Kelby all crashed in Brennan and Tanner's room.

Cora made up a nice bed on the couch downstairs.

The younger 5 were in bed by 9, and the older 4 stayed up until 10. I was so impressed with how quiet they were and we didn't hear a peep out of anyone until 7:30. Success!!

I had great plans for homemade waffles for breakfast but they all requested cereal. The waffles made a great lunch and the kids ate a ton. How much you ask? They ate this entire recipe:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup baking powder
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
6 eggs
4-1/2 cups warm milk
1 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

It may seem like a lot to house 9 kids, but they are really very good and the house is quiet. I feel so blessed by our new home. We have had no issue making a wonderful cousin weekend full of games, giggling, and snuggles.

Now to bathe them all and get them to church by 8...

Power Of Spray Paint

2012-01-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

All of the fixtures in our house are a shiny modern brushed nickel. They are super sharp but just not my style. I looked into replacing the ceiling fans in our master bed, living, and family rooms. Just for two fans we were looking around $300 total. That seems ridiculous since they function perfectly and the house is only 5 years old so they're relatively new.

My sweet father in law agreed to come over and help me take them down so I could paint them. Yep, paint them.

Here is what they looked like before (ceiling fixtures are difficult to get good pics of shockingly).

Silver with blond blades

We took them down and took them apart. Fortunately the blades are cherry on the alternate side so we didn't have to replace them. I used a $5 can of hammered black spray paint.

Richard propped it on a board and pole

It didn't take long at all to paint the fans and they dried super quick. Putting them back up really only took about 10 minutes each.

And here's the after!! I am so pleased with the difference and they match perfectly!!!

Not only pretty, but perfectly functional

We also took down one of the dome lights in the living room and gave it a quick coat

Much better! Slowly but surely I'll paint each fixture. It's just so much cheaper and you don't have to sacrifice your preference just because your ~~cheap~~ frugal.

Easy Artwork

2012-01-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

I used the same scrap booking tablet that I purchased for my bedroom.

I picked the ones that matched best

I picked up these two pictures at Goodwill for $4.99 each. They had dog artwork :) I thought the frames were super nice and they even had matting under the images in case you wanted to use them. I'm sure they were pricey new.

I took them apart so I could paint the frames white.

I used the dog pictures as guides to cut the best sections out of the scrap booking paper.

Once they were dry I cleaned the glass and put them back together.

They turned out perfectly! Anneliese and I love them :)

It's So Green It's Money

2012-01-12T12:53:00.003-06:00

Please accept my apology for the title. I couldn't help myself.

I finished up Anneliese's room and I'm in love! It turned out just as I'd hoped.

First of all I would like to admit I'm cheap. Yep, bonafide cheapskate. I have only purchased super cheap paint in the past and thought if you did otherwise you must have money to burn.

I have changed my ways! The miss tint that I purchased for Anneliese's room was Glidden primer + paint in one. It retails for $34/gallon at Wal-Mart. I actually hesitated to pay $15 per gallon for the miss tints (see...cheap!), but I'm so glad I did! Not only was it the EXACT color I'd hoped for, it covered the entire room (not a super small room, plus it has really high ceilings) plus the bathroom with just 1 gallon and 1 coat! No joke! I was insanely impressed with how easily it covered. Obviously I would have had to use two gallons of the cheap stuff and a whole lot more time. I have a new favorite that I will actually shell out the cash for. I was super impressed.

bye bye baby blue

Kitchen chandelier turned princess posh

Artwork by Mommy, remember Altic house=pants optional

The Girl's Room

2012-01-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

Now that we're settled it's time to make this house our home! I have been really enjoying making small changes here and there.

Yesterday I changed out the kitchen cabinet pulls from a modern brushed nickle to an old world antiqued bronze. So pretty! I had a couple light fixtures I had picked up off Craigslist over the last several months and those went up almost immediately. Tomorrow Richard and I are going to take down the silver fans in the master bed and living room and give them an old world make over with a can of spray paint. I'll post a blog with the pics later.

Today I plan to take on Anneliese's room. It's blue and blue just won't do! I went to Wal-Mart this morning to pick up an iHome radio from a Craigslister for the workout room. I decided to run in and to my delight they had 2 gallons of apple green in the miss tints! SCORE. Everything she owns is pink so I thought a fresh green wall would be a nice compliment to all the pink. I can't wait to see it done and finally put up her curtains. There is also a chandelier in her future. I found a cheap black iron kitchen chandelier on craigslist for $10 that will get a shiny coat of white paint and some pretty pink beads before it goes up.

Anyone else just love home projects? I live for this stuff! Stay tuned for pics of the madness :)

Dog Sitting

2012-01-07T16:51:00.001-06:00

We are keeping the Robins little doxie for a couple days and Anneliese is smitten. Btw, pants are optional in our home apparently :)

So Long Insecurity

2012-01-07T09:16:00.002-06:00

Psalm 116

¹ I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
² Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

I try to be transparent. It is my goal to be authentic and show you myself warts and all. In the last several months I have been lonely. I felt disconnected and tired. Relationships are hard. Relating is difficult when we are all so very different.

After spending some time one afternoon with Dana M, she explained that her daughter had come home from school expressing the same thoughts and feelings. She wanted a friend, a bestie, someone to hang out with. Dana explained that if she asked God He would provide this for her because He cares for her.

Dana and I talked about how no matter our age, we all desire the same. We want someone to relate to, someone who gets "it". I know that this is something all of us women long for. We are at the core, relational souls. We need communion.

Amy C and I have been searching for a study, a group curriculum that would speak to the women of our church and unify them.

She and I started reading a book called, So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore. This book is a game changer. We are all lead by our insecurities. They plague our relationships and imprison us. Through reading this book my eyes have been opened to the humanity of the women around me. They are not competition or a measuring stick and their talents and qualities do not have any impact on who I am and my value in Christ just as my talents and qualities do not detract in anyway their value in Christ.

I cried out months ago for companionship, for communion, for someone who gets it. God has heard my cry and opened my eyes to the beautiful Godly women around me. My heart is full of love and affection for the ladies God has put in my life. I am saddened that I have let my insecurities keep me from diving into the blessings of your friendships.

A Year In Review

2012-01-02T13:26:00.000-06:00

What a year 2011 was!

Just shows to go ya! (that was purposeful) You think you know what you have in store for your life and then without notice it all gets turned on its head!

May 16th (I remember the date because it was my Dad' bday) we embarked on a 7 month process that would excite us, scare us, grow us, exhaust us, and eventually bless our socks off.

We decided to take on a massive project of adding onto our house at Russell to make it a better fit for our growing family (7 people +1 bath= headache). After some wise counsel, we decided instead to put our house on the market and purchase a house that better fit us.

Instantly, we had an interested party so the wait began. Waiting for the bank, waiting for the new house to be ready, waiting for the buyer to be ready. Slowly but surely all the doors shut except selling the house. It sold quickly and we were left stunned and worried.

God had a plan and we decided to just trust and wait.

We ended up in a different house that was a better fit for us both financially and space wise. While the other house was amazing, it needed updating and had a lot of formal space (entry, formal dining) that we wouldn't really utilize. Our new home is a perfect for our family. We use every square inch and having more bathrooms has been an amazing blessing.

We ended up in a beautiful home, in an awesome neighborhood where the kids have already made connections. We see now that we needed the first house to encourage us away from Russell (a home we created and loved) in order to be blessed with this home. It has been a blessing both space wise, and financially.

It was a long journey, but now that its all over we are so thankful.

Home Sweet Home

Old Picture Tutorial

2011-12-31T18:56:00.000-06:00

I started out with two smaller pictures and one large picture. They were a set with thick oak frames. To start I had to remove the paper backing from the framework. I used a butter knife to bend back the staples that held on the backing and I removed the picture.

I purchased a bottle of Modge Podge, a foam brush, and a book of scrap booking paper.

Tanner and I pulled all the sheets that had the colors I wanted and tore them into roughly 3"x4" pieces and began coating the old images with Modge Podge and sticking the torn pieces randomly.

Once we had the pieces glued down with the Modge Podge we put a thin coat over the top to seal it and make sure everything was secure.

Here's the larger image completely covered

Here are the smaller ones covered and dried. Tanner took special care of the one on the bottom. He wanted it to be the one with the "S" on it so he added lots of butterflies for his mom.

I didn't get pics spray painting the frames, but it's super simple. Remove the glass and the image, hang it on a clothes hanger or lay it on paper and have at it making sure to cover evenly in multiple thin layers to avoid drips. Here they are put back together but before the final touch.

Jess T. owns a Cricut so I asked her to come over to help me make a couple letters. We cut a 7" J, a 7" S, and a 13" A in black vinyl.

We had our letter within minutes and I adhered them to the glass, hung the pics up on the wall and VIOLA!

without flash

with flash

I really like how putting the vinyl lettering on the glass (vs under the glass, onto the picture) creates a shadow and a decorative effect all it's own. That's an Alisa tip from her Uppercase Living days :)

Total cost was less than $20 for supplies and the pictures were free! Pretty good deal and it's exactly what I was wanting. Add to it that Tanner made my "S" picture and it's something I will always cherish.

Old Picture Project

2011-12-31T17:21:00.000-06:00

If you'll remember I gave you a bit of a teaser about a project I've been working on.

In the lobby of the church someone brought in a set of Home Interior pictures and put "free" on them. You don't have to tell me twice. I let them sit for 2 days to give someone else a shot but when they didn't disappear, I loaded them up.

Here are the before pics: The small ones are 5x7 and the larger one is...much larger (sorry I didn't measure it)

This is the After:

Total cost of supplies, $20. I'll post the tutorial in a separate post.

Losing It's Allure

2011-12-29T19:54:00.000-06:00

Jared asked his mom to watch the kids today so he could take me to my favorite restaurant (insert ahhhs here).

I didn't eat this morning because I wasn't really hungry. I had a cup of coffee and by 11 I was feeling nibbly but I wanted to save my hunger for Jose's. Hey, what girl wouldn't? I debated what to get feeling free to chose what ever I wanted, knowing I would only eat until I was full.

I picked the pollo magnifico because its, well, magnifico. I got the lunch special and nibbled on a few chips while waiting for my plate.

The plate arrived and it was glorious.

I ate the little mound of sweet mush. I don't know what it is but I love it so I ate Jared's too. Then I started in on the cheesy chickeny goodness. Pushing aside the rice and beans, I slowly ate one of the mounds o' goodness. It was tasty, it filled me and I asked for a to go box.

There weren't fireworks. No one sang a song in honor of this plate of indulgence. In fact, it was just food. I was kinda surprised at my lack of emotion. Could it be that removing the taboo or restriction from myself has removed the temptation? There was no feeling of getting away with something. I wasn't sneaking or cheating or taking a day off from my diet. I was just sitting at lunch with my husband eating nummy food.

I boxed up the remaining pollo and had it for dinner with a small bowl of enchilada soup. Its the end of the day and I'm satisfied, done eating for the day and all I've consumed is one order (sans rice and beans) of pollo magnifico and a small bowl of soup.

I'm not saying I'm cured, that food will never be an issue again. I am saying that I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and I am thankful for the healing God provides. There is so much in my life He has brought healing to and I am realizing I thought this would just be my issue from now until glory. I am thankful to see that doesn't have to be the case.

Leaps Tall Buildings

2011-12-28T12:39:00.000-06:00

The other night I was snuggled deep in my bed fast asleep.

I was dreaming and it was one of those dreams where you come in mid scene. I knew something was wrong with Graham. Specifically, there was something severely wrong with his feet. Anneliese and I were there and were in danger and I was extremely worried about Graham's feet.

Jared appears and tells me to take Anneliese home where we will be safe.

I turn to Anneliese and tell her completely calm, "let's go. Don't worry, Daddy will take care of Grahammy. He's a super hero."

Then sure enough, Jared flies off into the air.

When I woke up I immediately thought, "I have to tell Jared."

How awesome is it that even in my sleep my subconscious thinks of Jared as our hero?

He may not leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he most definitely a hero to his family, minus the spandex of course.

Merry Christmas From the Altics

2011-12-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

The Light Meets the Dark

2011-12-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

After my blog yesterday about my epiphany, I went downstairs and jumped on the treadclimber for a cathartic workout.

I have been reading the book during my workouts, but since I finished the book I decided to just have some worship thru music and sweat. The first song that came on was Tenth Avenue North's, Healing Begins.

I have always loved that song and felt it especially poignant for other people. Yesterday, however, it spoke to me. Now that I've recognized the fact that I need to move beyond this brokenness (the food issue) and have recognized that I am trustworthy, I am capable, I am loved it's time to let the light come to where I'm broken within.

Let the healing begin!

Merry Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T09:26:00.000-06:00

**Remember the average? Running out of daylight here people**

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today we are headed up to Platte City for Jared's family celebration. I am so relieved to announce that we all are healthy just in the nick of time. We had sick kids Wednesday, Thursday, and a slight remnant on Friday. We knew we would be home free as long as no one new succumbed to the nastiness.

I typically post a picture of all our brood in front of our Christmas tree. Due to the plague it's been put off but I'll work on it before we leave for Grandma's house.

Due to Christmas being on Sunday this year, our little people will rise up early for service and as soon as Sunday School lets out we'll hurry home to a pot roast and presents. I have been so pleased that not one of them objected to opening after church. They didn't even seem phased by it.

I guess when it's what you do, its what you do, regardless of the circumstances.

Have a blessed day with friends and family!!

Figuring It Out, 35 Years Later

2011-12-23T14:22:00.000-06:00

Slowly but surely I am figuring out just who I am.

This may sound silly, but for the majority of my life time I have wished to be someone else. Someone thinner, someone richer, someone tan, someone shorter, someone taller, someone blond or brunette, someone from a nuclear family where mom and dad live happily ever after, someone quieter, someone more disciplined, someone...anyone but me.

Now that my life is likely 1/3 or more over it's time I start being content with me.

This may sound alien to some, but I believe we all go through phases of "finding oneself." This is not a new topic to me. I was pondering on this very thing just last January.

My new epiphany has so much more to do with who I am and what I want for this life.

First of all I am officially done with my obsession with food. It's a process but I am determined to live like a naturally narrow individual. I have been reading a book called Women, Food, and God. While there was a lot to take in and it was life changing, she's a heretic. She's not a Christian writer as I was lead to believe. She uses foul language and claims we are all God, but....She does speak some truths and I have come to recognize that when we are open God can speak to us through any medium. So my new way of living is to follow my natural full and hunger signals. I will eat only when I am hungry and I will stop when I'm satisfied. No more diets, no more restricting. My goal when I started this weight loss process was freedom. As I wrote a few days ago, I am still in bondage.

Well, no more! I will trust myself because it has been 10 years since I lost the weight. 10 years of adjusting my diet, my exercise, my way of life. I am an adult and I have proven over 10 years of maintenance that I can in fact, be trusted with brownies and not gain 100 lbs.

Happiness and contentment cannot be found at the scale. I've been there, super thin and still miserable. I've been super heavy and miserable. Now it's time to just be. I am confident that the Lord would really like me to spend my emotional energies elsewhere.

Oh, and I hate running long distances. Short runs I can tolerate, long runs I despise.

I do not like to sew either.

I do love to sleep in.

I love to spend the the day in my PJ's with my kids.

I really like to vacuum.

I'm madly in love with my husband and one of my very favorite things to do is sit with him on the couch and watch TV.

I'm obsessed with coffee.

I do not have to be a size 6 to have value as a human being.

I was designed to be a mom, a wife, a friend. There are times I think that these things aren't enough. That I need to, I must accomplish more. I must do more in order to earn the space I inhabit.

One thing I learned in that book is that I have "The Voice" that tells me daily that I'm really not worth anything. That nit picky, rude, unloving voice browbeating me into compliance. Well, she's been fired and from now on the only voice I'll listen to is that of a loving God, and a precious loving husband.

Bringing Up The Average

2011-12-23T11:47:00.000-06:00

My last few months of blogging has suffered. I used to blog every couple days and I really enjoyed the creative outlet. Over the last 3 months my average has been about 6 posts a month. That's pathetic!

It seems like everyone I know has been struggling to get on blogger and put some thoughts into words. I guess it's a good thing. It means we're spending more time in real life vs the cyber world.

I have been working on a couple different projects and have blogs in the works. One project is ideas for those outdated framed prints you have from Home Interiors. You know the ones, they are full of pinks, blues, and typically have lots of flowers.

They were super pricey in the 90's and have great frames. Problem is they're outdated. So whats a girl to do? As soon as I put the finishing touches on mine I'll show you step by step.

The kids are so excited about Christmas that they can't talk about it without grinning ear to ear. I love to see the excitement in their faces.

I have been putting together a rag quilt for my newest nephew Zayne. I'll give you a sneak peak but you'll have to wait until after he opens it to see the finished product. I've only made 2 quilts in my entire life. One for Zach and now one for Zayne. I sure love those boys.

I gave my little girl a framed image of her, Grandma NeNe and baby Zayne to put in her room. She LOVES it!

She put it on her dresser and goes in just to check and make sure it's still there.

Pics Galore

2011-12-22T21:14:00.002-06:00

Tanner turned 10! Double digits!!

He made cupcakes for his Sunday school class. It started out as,"let's make some green cupcakes.". But his creativity took over :)

My children are weird.

We had a Christmas party for the kids and we let them decorate their own cookies.

Tanner made a Jayhawk cookie and then wouldn't eat it.

This is Elijah's. Noticing a theme?

He wouldn't eat his either. I told you they were weird.

Anneliese in her favorite raincoat and her "happy shoes". Love that girl!!

Happy 10th Birthday Tanner Riley!!!

2011-12-18T16:30:00.000-06:00

When it all began. 9lb 3oz 24"!

Tanner and his Sydney

Always so silly

Love this

That's my sweet boy

So full of love.

God has great plans for that huge tender heart Tanner Riley! I can't wait to see what He does through you!!

Heaven In A Bowl

2011-12-13T18:22:00.002-06:00

I made this today and it is absolutely delicious!! And so incredibly easy. You simply must try it!!! Just click HERE and it will take you to the recipe.

Source: bubblecrumb.com via Shannon on Pinterest

And Here We Are Again...

2011-12-10T16:12:00.002-06:00

As many of you can probably relate, my life is cyclical. I always seem to end up back where I began.

I want things to be easy. I want to be fixed. I have been on this weight loss/management journey now for almost 10 years. I joined Weight Watchers when my sweet Tanner was just a couple weeks old. Next Sunday he turns 10.

I lost 86lbs and lost my mind all in one fail swoop.

I have really enjoyed reading over at Can You Stay For Dinner? She is a gifted writer and has been through a similar journey. I sat in front of my computer yesterday morning reading, sipping coffee, and crying. She put a lot of my thoughts and feelings of the last decade in eloquent written form.

After I lost my weight initially I lived in fear of gaining. I lived in a prison of my own making. There was no freedom in what I had accomplished.

Since my Dad passed priorities shifted. I've done a much better job of not being obsessed with the scale. I don't weigh multiple times a day, I don't even weigh daily anymore. All of this is good for my emotional and spiritual health.

But then today I stepped on the scale for the first time in weeks and I'm up 17 lbs from March. I immediately had all those emotions of fear wash over me. Is this a slippery slope? Will I be able to stop this gradual gain and get back to the healthy weight I prefer?

It seems so silly. It just doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, except this issue runs deeper than vanity. It's deeper than a pair of jeans. My weight is directly connected to how I am doing emotionally, spiritually and physically.

Every time something gets hard I search for a quick fix. I wish for an easy answer. Not just when it comes to weight, but finances, homeschooling, house work, organization, anything that takes work. I am reminded that we are naturally destructive. I don't want to do what comes natural. I need to be consistent and determined and diligent. All things that go against my nature.

So here I go again. I am jumping back on the healthy band wagon. I am determined to use the beautiful work out room my husband so generously provided. I am determined to keep better track of what I'm putting in my mouth. I am determined to do a better job.

Why? Because the only difference between someone who loses weight and keeps it off and someone who loses weight and gains it back is one simple thing.

The one who keeps it off refuses to stop trying.

Altic Updates

2011-12-07T21:25:00.000-06:00

-My mother in law mentioned I really should update my blog and she is so right! Yes Anita, I put it in writing that you are so right :)

-Tanner had a second opinion on his back yesterday for the scoliosis issue. After many many X-rays he was cleared. Tanner does not have scoliosis. He has some neck and hip issues but they are minor and easily corrected. Jared and I are greatly relieved and so thankful our little man is good to go!

-Anneliese is all about "Princesses." She is a princess, brides are princesses, anyone in a dress is a princess. Well, after today Tanner has nicknamed her Rapunzel. If you've seen the movie **spoiler alert** Rapunzel has long golden locks with magical healing powers. In the end her hair is cut and she loses her powers. Anneliese's hair was cut today by Graham. She now has a super short spunky do. I keep reminding myself how cute she is and not how long it took to grow those 3" that are now missing.

What's For Dinner

2011-11-28T14:42:00.000-06:00

I have a crock pot of goodness brewing in the kitchen. I CAN'T WAIT. Dinner may come early tonight for this hungry chick.

I threw together Gina's Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili. It smells amazing and I eat this stuff til I hurt. Its my favorite and it's incredible over her Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice. Here's the pics and the links to her website.

I LURVVVE IT!

Chicken Chili:

Cilantro Lime Rice (I use brown rice and it's just as nummy!):

Thank you Gina for making eating healthy taste SOOO good!!!

Brennan's Ipod Photography

2011-11-26T12:43:00.001-06:00

Brennan has an Ipod Touch that he received for his birthday from all our family. He asked for a new song on his playlist so I hooked up the ipod and all his pictures uploaded to my computer. Here's what he's been up to:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:47:00.000-06:00

I hope you all have a day full of gluttony planned! Wait...that came out wrong.

Enjoy your family, eat a reasonable breakfast, and enjoy a sensible lunch/dinner with your family!

I personally decided to start my day off with a chocolate protein shake. My mom just happened to leave a package of Starbucks instant coffees in my pantry. On a whim, I blended half a packet into my shake. HEAVEN! Not kidding, simply delicious!

Jared and I are thankful for our precious family.

Yesterday we found out that our Tanner has severe scoliosis. The little guy has been having a lot of back and neck pain over the last couple months. We kept thinking it was growing pains or possibly the need for a quality mattress (he currently sleeps on a futon). He woke up yesterday with a kink in his neck and was crying due to the pain. I took him into the chiropractor for the first time. She immediately was asking me all kinds of questions about our family history. I keep struggling with how in the world I could have missed this. His back looks like a "S". We are doing a whole lot of research and working towards treatment for him. Poor Tan man.

Jared has started the Christmas gift spreadsheet. He does it every year and the kids and I love it. The gifts start appearing and they are all numbered. No one but Dad knows which number belongs to which kid. Having such a large family I really appreciate all the thought and time he puts into this. He does the shopping, the gift wrapping, and then brings home the presents to put under the tree. So much easier than me trying to get things when the kids are with me 100% of the time.

Tonight our tree goes up. It's been a tradition for several years now. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is cleaned up we start pulling out decorations. It's so fun because after Christmas each year I buy new decorations at great discounts and then put them away. I love getting them out and using them for the first time. We all have extra excitement to decorate our new home.

There is so much to be thankful for. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

Duggars #20

2011-11-15T12:22:00.000-06:00

I have been stewing about this for a few days and wanted to write a blog defending Michelle's right to her choice. I'm beginning to hate that word, choice. Abortion activists beat us over the head with it proclaiming women must maintain the right to kill their children because it's their choice to do what they will with their bodies. Why aren't these same activists defending Michelle Duggar? Why doesn't she have the right to do what she wishes with her body? Does our society only shout out their support when the choice includes the death of a child? Needless to say this infuriates me!!

I am part of a homeschool group on Facebook and a mom posted this as her take and I felt she did a great job and I totally agree. Here is Anne Marie Cottle Reese's take on the topic. Thanks Anne! :

With all of this talk of the Duggars being pregnant again I have noticed a lot of (I assume because they imply) Christian people commenting on the different news stories that are on the internet and speaking of responsibility. I have heard this from other christian friends before talking about what stopped them from having more kids and I guess I don't get it. Why do people consider her/them irresponsible? I know that people say the high risk thing because of her age and health problem during the last pregnancy, but isn't it more responsible to trust and stay committed to the vow you made to God? Why would He set them up for failure? I guess it troubles me when I hear so many people suggesting that they need to control the amount of kids they have because they are being more responsible. I really wonder how many people go to God with which birth control option to use before using it. Now I am not saying that everyone needs to go and have a bunch of kids or that taking away the ability to have more children is wrong, I am just curious if people actually go to God and feel pressed by Him to take those steps because I know several people who took steps to remove the ability and have been regretful. Actually, the majority (if not all) of the christian women I know who have had this procedure have said they wish they could afford to reverse it and that startles me. For me, God said to trust Him with it and we use natural family planning and I am so glad He guided me, otherwise Julia would not be sleeping peacefully next to me :) I understand that we all have our reasons and especially our fears for making the decisions we make and then I consider people like the Duggars and people like Tim Tebow's mom who was told she needed to abort Tim because he wasn't alive and it might be dangerous for her health to continue the pregnancy. What would happen if we just said no to the world and totally surrendered to God's care? I consider Michelle Duggar and Tim Tebow's mom courageous for going against what the world says and sticking by what God has told them. I wonder how many of us let our fears get in the way of what amazing things God has for us. It is not necessarily 20 children for all of us or to abort or not, but sometimes it is as simple as not being afraid of standing up for Christ in public or giving up TV or certain music that distracts your heart. I have struggled with this for a long time because I have personally regressed due to fear. I used to be right up front basically ministering to anyone and everyone who would listen. I had no problem getting in front of a crowd and letting God have control of my tongue, but then fear started seeping in and I let it. I know how Peter felt when he was backed into that corner and denied Jesus. Inside he was terrified for his life on earth because that was the only thing he could see, but when reality struck he was devastated that he didn't boldly proclaim his Christ Jesus!! The reason I equate this and the Duggar's having a 20th baby is because it really is difficult to be an outsider in this world and totally trust that God knows what He is doing like they have done. They blindly said, "God, we leave it up to you." and God has taken wonderful care of them and blessed so many others through them. Even Peter who had been with Jesus minutes before denying him couldn't handle the pressure of being an outsider. The thing is, I know that all of us are brave and many of us struggle as we homeschool our children each and every day all the while the world tells us that our kids will be "messed up" from it. Even many christian people have looked at me like I was some kind of alien for homeschooling. I tried to quit, but God encouraged me and led me back to homeschooling every time. We all know what it is like to be in Michelle Duggar's shoes, but is there another area that God is pressing you about? For me, I have fought God and even told Him "no" when I should have been standing up for Him. I have even hid behind the homeschooling excuse to avoid other areas He would have me. He gave me certain gifts and I have a choice to either use them for Him or waste my time. We are teaching a new generation and they are watching as we say yes and no to God. Obviously, a lot is on my mind and heart and I am calling on my wonderful sisters in Christ to talk to me about these things. Maybe it was the sermon this morning or it was all the controversy surrounding the Duggars, but I have just been near tears thinking about how far from God so many people are that they don't even get the point of the Duggars having so many. I bet there are many times they wish they weren't considered a circus act and the horrible things weren't said about them, but it is not them choosing the amount of kids they are choosing to have complete faith in God's plan. I am genuinely curious about how others think and I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts and I want to thank you ahead of time for taking the time to read this :)

A Few Things I'm Thankful For

2011-11-12T12:03:00.002-06:00

Inglehoffer Sweet Hot Mustard. This stuff is what great lunches are made of. I LOVE IT. I like to have turkey sandwiches smothered in it, I even like to dip steak in it. They sell it at Wal-Mart and I buy it two at a time. It's cheap, it's delicious and I don't mind eating healthy when this is my condiment. It's the bomb diggity.

I have always been a fan of Pike's Place from Starbucks. I went in to get my bag o' beans and the clerk ~~demanded~~ suggested that I try the Thanksgiving blend. I am sold! It's delicious. I love coffee and I am typically a one maybe two cup a day person. I could drink this stuff all day. It beckons me.

Land O Lakes fat free half and half. I made the mistake of getting regular half and half and using it in my coffee. Never again will skim milk be enough for these taste buds. So what's a girl who wants to fit into her clothes to do? I thought I'd give it a try and I'm smitten. It's really yummy and creamy. Only 20 calories per serving, no fat, and still tastes better that skim milk. In fact I could drink it. It's num num num.

This glorious image is that of my pantry. You read that right. That is a pantry in my house. Why did the single woman who built this home decide that a 8x13 foot pantry was a necessity? The only reason I can come up with is God knew in just a couple years our family would be moving in and this would be amazing for a family with 5 kids (4 boys!). Our kitchen is on the smallish side. We were in such a hurry to find a house when I first walked in I thought the kitchen would be a deal breaker. It's beautiful, it's just not what I pictured for a family of 7. Then I wandered back into this and with my mouth agape said, "Uh, Jared! You have to see this!" We feel so incredibly blessed.

Jared and I have had our bed for 7 years now. We have both been struggling with back and neck issues. I struggled with the idea of replacing our mattresses. It's just so stinking expensive. After some research I decided to give one of these a try. I found a family on Craigslist that purchased one and ended up buying a new mattress instead so I got this new for $60! It's lovely. I haven't woken up with a sore back since we got it. It feels like my bed is hugging me. The kids all have found the "smooshy" bed and are begging for one of their own. I highly highly recommend. This particular one is sold at Sams.

Trying To Blog! I Think I Can I Think I Can...

2011-11-07T19:46:00.000-06:00

-While hanging out in Charming Charlies today I dumped half a Scooters coffee in my large leather Coach bag (said bag was purchased at an antique mall for $15). All of my belongings were swimming in a vat of Caramelicious. Soo, I did what every sane person would do. I threw my leather bag in the wash. Good news! It looks like new and it didn't ruin it.

-I need ideas for over the couch! I have two huge walls that are bare. I can't figure out what to put there. I have a mirror in the entry way (a partially shared wall to the left of the couch) so a large mirror is too much mirror. Any ideas? I thought about having the kids do some abstract "art" in black and white on canvas from Hobby Lobby. Ideas welcome!

-I baked my first large wedding cake this last week. It was 4 tiers and had two large sheet cakes that had to weigh 10 lbs each, not kidding.

Plus a Rock Chalk Jayhawk groom's cake. This one was my fav! Milk chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. YUMBA!

I'm not in love with my pics of the main cake since I took them with my camera phone and the lighting was awful...but I'll let you see it anyway :)

We are still plugging away at making 112th St home. I am super eager to put up Christmas decorations. We feel ridiculously blessed. We absolutely love where God has planted us.

We are so thankful to our church family. It is not lost on us that everything we have comes from your generosity. Sunday we were surprised by a gift and brunch for Pastor's appreciation. Cindy and I both received beautiful bouquets and we were so blessed by your love and appreciation for us all.

Thank You! You are loved!!

-The Altics

Bonus Room

2011-10-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

When we first looked through this house we were thrilled with just about every aspect. There's so much more space and the layout is awesome for a large family like ours. So much storage!

Downstairs there is a room with outside access. It has a concrete floor but sheet rocked walls and is vented for heat and ac. We just called it the bonus room and really had no idea what to do with it.

It was clear the previous owner kept her dogs in there and maybe used it as a planting room. I've heard she loved to garden. I was at a loss and it just held excess boxes until a couple days ago.

A few of my stylist friends said they would make it into a small salon. Since I'm not a licensed hair dresser that doesn't really make sense for me. So what do I do with this space? We talked about moving our laundry room down there, but we have a nice space upstairs. The best part about having the laundry upstairs is that I've kept up on it better than I ever have. It's convenient and right in my face. Kind of hard to ignore it and let it pile up.

We have too many people to just not use a room in our house. So I measured it to get a better idea of what could fit. It's 9x10 feet. Then it hit me!!

What does a licensed personal trainer need? A fitness room! Since it has access outside as well as inside I could easily train a client in there and they wouldn't even have to come through the house. I consulted with Ebony (my trainer friend from the Y) to get a list of must haves for a small workout room. Come to find out 9x10 feet is big enough to fit all the necessities.

I've been checking things out on Craigslist so I could find everything at a great price. The transformation has begun. I'll be in business soon and looking for clients! What an awesome way to bring in a little income and never have to leave the house.

I am sooo excited!

This Made Me Giggle!

2011-10-21T23:30:00.001-05:00

As The Holidays Approach at Break Neck Speeds

2011-10-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

Are you feeling it yet?

All of you fellow Not Naturally Narrow friends out there, are you feeling the pressure of the holiday binge?

I am! Due to the most stressful summer of my life, I have put on some poundage. I am currently 10-15lbs over my goal. That's nothing too major compared to my once 263lb self, but it's a slippery slope.

Typically over the winter months I carry a little extra weight anyway and I'm having some anxiety starting out above what I'm comfortable with.

I am going to start blogging some helpful recipes. For those of you who have been around a while they will seem familiar. Today I'm posting the 5 can bean soup (with a side of beano). This is a winter favorite of mine and it's super filling and healthy.

My goal is to lose my 10lbs before the holidays smack me in the face with pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of ranch dressing mix
1 can rotel
1 can pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can great white northern beans
1 can kidney beans
2 chicken breasts (optional)

Put all ingredients (dump entire can juice and all) in a small crockpot on low for 6/8 hours or high for 3/4 hours. Once the chicken is tender shred it up. You can trade out any bean you like. I often put a can of black beans rinsed and drained vs the pinto beans.

I love to eat this with low fat shredded cheese, fat free sour cream and salsa on top. YUMM!!!

Feeling The Love

2011-10-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how easy it is to get out of the habit of blogging!

We have a new plan for our homeschool. Due to having baby after baby I have always schooled in the afternoon vs first thing since the babies are napping. I found it easier to give the kids my attention if I wasn't preoccupied with a nursing infant or two year old.

Now that the tides are changing in our growing family, it's time to make a shift in our schooling as well. The last couple days the boys pulled their school work and started it as soon as they got up. Having school done and out of the way by noon is AMAZING!! We have the whole day to do everything or nothing! No stress to hurry back in time to put in a full day of school. Love this!

Yesterday I found a tiny silver can in my basement. It looks small and inconspicuous, but I was thrilled when I opened it. It's the wall color! YAY! This means I can touch up all the spots and postpone all the painting I thought had to be done asap. This brings my OCD side some peace. I already went all over the house painting here and there. Ahhh love this!

We have a master suite. Some of you may be thinking, so do we, and... Well let me tell you! We haven't had one and now that we do I'm not sure how we survived without it. I am able to shut my bedroom door, go into my bathroom, shower and dress without ever leaving the privacy of my room. No fingers under the door asking me if I'm done yet. Well, at least with my bedroom door shut I can't hear it from the bathroom. I actually get to be alone for whole 20 minutes. Looooove this!

My middle boys asked me for a Jayhawk room. I found some paint that resembled the beak and feet of a Jayhawk. It's school bus yellow when you cover an entire room. They may need sunglasses to sleep at night but Eli and Graham absolutely love it. It's bright and collegiate. Rock Love Chalk this Jayhawk KU.

Tonight is Wednesday night family night. I am making spaghetti and meatballs and grilled chicken Alfredo with toasted garlic bread. Brennan has been asking me to cook for weeks and now that we are getting settled, it's time. We have an amazing church family that we cherish. I can't wait to spend the evening with all of you. We loooove WCCC!

Getting Back to Normal

2011-10-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

-Thank you for all your encouragement. I'm getting into a new groove now that we aren't living out of boxes anymore and it's helping.

-We are starting a paint-a-thon. I'm about finished with my bedroom/bathroom. I have plans to pick up more paint today for the boys rooms (thanks to Anneliese for writing all over the walls making Graham and Eli's room top priority). If you're bored or just love to paint let me know. I would greatly appreciate company/help!

-I bought some organic half and half so the kids could make ice cream in our ice cream ball. I don't have any salt right now so I thought I'd dip into it for my morning coffee. French press + half and half= best coffee ever. Let's just say my skim milk and Splenda don't hold a candle!

-Our neighborhood, Whispering Ridge, is having their annual garage sales this weekend. Let me know if you need directions. It's 4 different areas that make up one big subdivision. Should be amazing!

-The boys have a new bestie. His name is Nolan and he's a great kid! My boys work hard to make sure their school work is complete so as soon as they hear that bus they start watching out the window for Nolan to make his way home. He won my heart when I heard him tell Eli, "Be nice to Graham, he's just a little guy."

-I'm eager to feel settled here and wander outside of my little snow globe and meet our new community. I've been so focused on everything and anything I haven't really talked with anyone. I really don't want to start off by encouraging the stereo type of homeschoolers being isolating and anti-social.

-Sweet Sheldon (my new nickname for him, I'm sure he doesn't mind) came over and wired my oven for me. He had to run 220 from the breaker box all the way to the other side of the house. He was here all day with sweat dripping off his nose. In the process he had to cut 6 holes in my wall/ceilings. Last night at church Graham stomped up to him and said,"Hey you, why did you cut holes in my house? You better never do it again!" Sheldon smiled and said, "Your mom told me to!" Graham, with all seriousness said, "Well, she's a bad influence." Instead of defending me Sheldon replied, "I've always thought that."

-October is Pastor Appreciation month. I would just like to say that this pastor's family feels loved, appreciated, and spoiled. Thank you for letting us serve in this wonderful family. You are all extremely loved.

Is Anyone Out There?

2011-10-09T14:09:00.000-05:00

I read once that come October and March teachers have a lull and go thru a bout of "is it over yet."

Knowing this has helped me in years past. Somehow knowing that I'm not the only one secretly wishing for the school free days of summer made it a little more tolerable and allowed me to muscle through.

This October however, I'm struggling.

I am an individual who desires community. I desire relationship, someone to relate to.

I feel isolated, different. Jared and I haven't ever been big into enrolling the kids in different sports. There's not a lot we do outside of church and being home largely do to the fact we're homebodies and stay pretty busy just keeping things afloat. The idea of adding extracurricular activities stresses me out at the sheer thought.

We aren't currently a part of a co-op largely due to the fact I'm not familiar with any in our area.

Years ago when Jared first approached me about homeschooling my sweet friend Jane D offered me a book entitled So You're Thinking about Homeschooling by Lisa Welchel. It's an entire book about how different homeschool looks to each family. How one schools is largely driven by the primary teacher's personality. I was encouraged to know there isn't necessarily a "wrong" way to school my kids.

I wasn't a traditional student. My teachers often told my mother that I didn't "fit inside the box." That was their way of saying I talked too much. My homeschool is also very non-traditional. We use a curriculum (Abeka) and we do school M-F. That's pretty normal, but we scatter about the house. Each kid has a file box with his school work. They work at their own pace and I just make sure they do all they're supposed to for the day and grade their work.

I'm rambling, what is the purpose of this blog?

Encouragement. I need it, desire it, long for it.

I need to know that just because I homeschool and you don't that we can still be friends.

I need you to know that I don't think you're wrong for public schooling and in months like these I contemplate it myself.

I need to know that there are other homeschool mothers out there that struggle like I am struggling.

Is there anyone out there?

Well Hello There!

2011-10-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Did you miss me? I would like to say I am blogging from our newly hooked up modem but truth is it's not working. Not sure what's wrong but the spouse will figure it out I'm sure.

Until then I am very thankful for one of our neighbors open wifi that my computer just barely picks up as long as its sitting in my bedroom bay window :)

Jared and I are plugging away at getting settled into our new place. I desperately want to paint every square inch but have been sworn to be paint free until every box is unpacked and put away. One mess at a time I guess :)

The house is only 5 years old but has builder's grade flat paint that is seriously marked up and we did some sheet rock repair so it's begging for some fresh color.

I just want to take a minute and reflect on the craziness that is my life! What a blessing God has granted. We found this house last Friday and were moved in with contracts signed by Wednesday. It's so much more than we ever thought possible. My cheeks hurt from smiling. I can't believe this is our home and we feel so blessed!

Thank you all for riding along on this bumpy ride. It was a rough one but the ending is so sweet!

As Your Will Unfolds In My Life

2011-09-27T09:05:00.000-05:00

Jared and I had it all figured out. We knew what we wanted and what we thought was best for the kids.

Then doors began to shut. No, slam, in our faces. We started this process back in May and day by day we were being told no, at the least not right now. So we waited and worked towards a goal we thought was God's will. If you'll remember waaay back to the beginning we were hesitant to say this was His will but it seemed like a sure thing.

Now that things have turned in a different direction we are re-examining what His will is for us.

In our ministry Jared has always said, "We need to be where the people are." Years ago we were looking for a church and anytime we'd come across an opening we would evaluate the community. We knew God was calling us to somewhere there was potential for growth. We needed to be where the people are.

The home we have been working towards was in the country. It seemed like the ideal setting for 4 curious boys to wander and explore. It sits on over an acre and the kids would be able to run and throw footballs etc. As Jared put it, "They would have Norman Rockwell memories."

When the game changed we started looking for a house that would allow immediate possession to avoid moving our family twice. I had been searching the market for months due to selling our home and to make sure we were getting the best deal on the new house.

There was a house that kept popping up in my searches. When we decided to look for a different house we made the call to go see this one. It's not at all what we had in mind for ourselves. It's in a subdivision. There are neighbors everywhere you turn. We went several times and took family and friends to see it.

The kids began to pray at night that we get "the house with the cool neighborhood." There are children everywhere. Within 20 minutes of being there the boys had met 3 children their ages and were running around playing Nerf war.

We called the realtor and the seller was very eager to sell and was extremely open to our situation. She accepted our offer and gave us immediate possession. As soon as our buyers are able to sign their closing papers we'll move in. Right now we're cleaning and touching up paint (Thank you Richard, Anita, and Jenny!).

We thought we knew what our kids needed. Seeing them in that environment shows God knew better. While rolling hills and peach trees would have been lovely, our little homeschooled kiddos would rather have friends, lots of friends with the coolest Nerf guns ever.

Hi There

2011-09-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

-Brennan's 11th birthday is Monday! Where has the time gone? He's so witty and smart. We are so blessed by our eldest. He has such a compassionate heart and just cherishes his littlest siblings. He'll be a great daddy.

-Our family is going through some spiritual growing pains. Jared wrote about it here. I am super curious to see how it all works out. The Lord is good regardless of circumstances and He cares for us.

-We may be living in Platte City for a time. We'll know more come first of the week. Right now we are examining all our options. Good news is, as a buyer, the options are almost endless. I know that people love weekends, but when time is of the essence, weekends really put a kink in things.

-I just want to take a bullet and thank you all. I know that I've had a one track mind since May. I appreciate so much those of you who have just loved me through it. I know that if I'm tired of talking about it you have to be tired of hearing about it. It has been a whirlwind of ups and downs. More downs than ups honestly, and I have really needed encouragement and support. As a stay at home, homeschooling mom my life is my nest and my nest has been in upheaval for months. It has in turn affected me emotionally and mentally. There's no break from the madness and world of boxes. It's times like these that an organized cubical in an office building somewhere sounds like a spa day compared to living out of boxes in my own house. Ultimately I know that it will end eventually, we will be settled again, it isn't a life threatening issue and my family is safe. I know those things in my rational mind, but for now my irrational self is in the driver's seat. Thank you for loving me anyway.

Encouragement

2011-09-22T23:27:00.001-05:00

But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:25, 28, 31, 35-37, 39 NLT)

Chaos

2011-09-06T09:54:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't been on here much.

Things are getting pretty crazy around the Altic house. We are making great progress but it is so chaotic!

Yesterday Teri P and family came over and loaded up a huge trailer with stuff from the garage. That was such a blessing. We are 70% done with the garage and the rest will move with us.

We had two different families come by to purchase furniture we don't want to move. They both wanted what they came for but couldn't take it with them just yet. So our dining room looks like a storage unit.

Today I am babysitting sweet Mason, one of the Craigslisters is picking up their furniture today, and I have a haircut this afternoon. Never a dull moment :)

I have been super diligent keeping the kitchen clean and the laundry caught up. For some reason it gives me some sense of organization and cleanliness if something is in order. I woke up this morning to all my dishes being done, thank you spousey.

At this rate we will be ready to move out by the 19th with no trouble. I am a packing organizing fool. We have an inspection on the Russell house tomorrow morning. We would greatly appreciate prayers that everything continues to come together and work out.

Movin' On Up

2011-09-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

Can I just say, it's weird preparing your "home" for someone else to live in it.

Regardless, it's fun to be working towards the move. Tuesday I dropped the contract off at the title company. We have an inspection scheduled for a week from yesterday.

The kids seem to really be enjoying packing. They are discovering things they forgot they had. We've spent a good 5 hours working upstairs yesterday. The spare room has been purged and the bed taken apart. We just need a couple able bodied individuals to carry out the big stuff and it's done! One room down....

We are wanting to get rid of our queen sized bed. I have bedding coming out my ears (two comforter sets, a 600 thread count sheet set, and a flannel sheet set) and a mattress and box spring and frame that have been in our spare room. If you're interested let me know. The sleigh bed has already been spoken for.

I have been looking online for tips on moving. One of you military wives really should consider writing a book on how to organize a move. I'm thinking you're probably the best at it!

Our closing date on this house is on or before the 19th. We are still working out the details on purchasing the new house. It's fair to say that we are stepping out on faith! God has brought us this far and we are confident He will see us through.

The Persistant Widow

2011-08-28T10:57:00.000-05:00

Luke 18

Parable of the Persistent Widow

¹ One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man^[a] returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

I can't even begin to tell you how many people have been praying for our housing situation. It surprises me honestly. It's not a dire situation. It's a "want" not a need. We have a great desire to move but no one is sick, no one is dying. But yet, you love us enough to pray even for a desire of our hearts.

Wednesday night at church Marsha R. approached me to tell me she had been praying fervently for me. I was so moved by her words. She said, "I have been praying for God's will of course, but I have been praying, pleading. Lord, grant her the desire of her heart."

This has been a real learning experience for us. A time of growth and maturity. The silver lining I didn't expect was, this has been such an encouraging process. If things had fallen in place quickly and easily, we would have missed out on all of your support and love in a time we really needed it.

Our buyers are a family that really cherishes our home. We believe the house on Russell is a gift from so many of you who helped us. It was hard for us to think it wouldn't be maintained. God sent us a young family that feels blessed by this house and that, in turn, is a blessing to us.

We will be moving in just two weeks! It's so exciting I'm back to not sleeping :)

We are so happy and can't help but think God finally said "yes" so you all would leave Him be :) Thank you for loving us so much that you took our desire and made it yours.

A Warm Heart

2011-08-26T09:12:00.000-05:00

-Brennan and Anneliese hold hands whenever we're in a public place.

-During prayers each of them thank God for each other. Even Anneliese prays a prayer of thanksgiving for each of her brothers by name. "Gwammy" usually gets mentioned more than once.

-During the moving process Tanner and Elijah have wept over moving from this house. The idea of not having all 4 boys in one room has been upsetting to them.

-I overheard Tanner telling Elijah, "Did you know Brennan hasn't always been my best brother?" Elijah, "No, who used to be?" Tanner, "You were once." HA! I couldn't help but giggle because Tanner meant it as the sincerest compliment.

-The boys seem thoroughly disgusted when Jared and I show each other affection. Anneliese however, loves it. If we hug on each other she joins the hug by wrapping her tiny body around our legs.

-We were talking about getting the house appraised, the costs etc. I mentioned the savings I had was for school books and all the boys, whom I didn't think were even paying attention to the conversation, said in unison, "Use it! Use the savings!"

They are growing so quickly. Other than the occasional bickering (currently Elijah and Tanner are the culprits) we are in such a fun stage with all the kids. They all sleep all night, they pick up after themselves, the are respectful and loving towards each other. They're older, yet I still have Anneliese who loves to be held and snuggled.

I am so thankful for all 5 of our precious blessings. God is so good!

When It Comes Down To It

2011-08-23T10:19:00.001-05:00

Why my staying home will actually save us money:

-I didn't get paid much...at all

-It cost $38 a month to have a membership at the Y for our family so the kids could utilize the child watch while I worked. I know that's dirt cheap as far as childcare is concerned, but when I'm only making a couple hundred a month, $38 takes a big chunk out of my take home pay.

-I worked most days M-F 5-7. Meaning the kids leave the house before dinner and get home around 7:30. Therefore, we often grabbed dinner on the ride home. When I only made (after taxes) less than $15 for my time at the Y and it cost $13 to get the basics on the dollar menu through the drive through, you do the math.

-Gas is over the $3.30/gallon mark. There would be a couple days a week I would go in both in the morning and in the evening.

-Due to being over extended and having Anneliese still napping, my time for grocery shopping is limited. We have been living off Wal-Mart groceries and I've been having a hard time getting to Leavenworth for Aldi. When we first started Aldi shopping it saved us over $200 a month.

-I love to make things from scratch and save us tons of money that we would be spending on processed foods. Over the last several months our diet has gone from primarily home made goods, to primarily processed goods. Today I made a batch of 6 loaves of whole wheat goodness :)

Friday was my last day, and yesterday was technically my first day that I didn't have to go in. Jared and I laid around all day watching the first season of House. We haven't had a true day off in as long as I can remember. It was such a blessing and a day of refreshing for us both.

I am so thankful.

Brennan Baptized!

2011-08-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our eldest went forward and his Daddy proudly baptized him. It may just be a picture but you can see the pride and joy in Jared's face. So precious.

We are so very proud of you Brennan Conner! Welcome to the family!

Change Of Many Colors

2011-08-20T08:33:00.000-05:00

-I am officially unemployed. I have to say that was a hard to decision due to our economy. Not very many people are quitting jobs voluntarily. However, this stay at home/homeschooling/planning a move momma of 5 needed one less thing. I will miss Ebony, but I won't miss never sitting down to dinner with my family.

-We've been dog sitting a 6 month old Doxie for the Robins family. She goes home today and I think Sophie will celebrate by having a party. Sophie is a passive dog and this tiny long bodied fuzz ball has been dominating her. I can't help but tell my dog, "Stand up for yourself! Get a backbone!" She just looks at me with that dead behind the eyes beagle stare. In a way I miss my Moe, but then again having two animals begging to go in and out, tracking in and out, smelling like dogs, etc. It's nice to dog sit, get my fill, and send her home :) I can only assume grand parenting will be similar. HA!

-Our moving time frame is coming to a close. Our contract on the Hubbard house ends Sept 15. We greatly appreciate prayers. There is a lot that has to fall into place over the next couple weeks to ensure we get to move. There is a lot of interest in the house from 2 different parties. But, as we all know, nothing is done until papers are signed.

-The kids are starting school a tad later than everyone else it seems. I have an opportunity to order their books and save $70 in shipping but I can't order them until Wednesday at an Abeka open house. I was thinking we would start having some "school time" with sitting down and reading and writing starting Monday. We'll start our curriculum as soon as it arrives. We'll have a 5th, 4th, 2nd, and Kindergartener!

-Brennan is getting baptized Sunday! We are so excited. The other day he just looked at me and asked, "Mom, why aren't I baptized?" Umm, I don't know. I told him it was up to him and we were waiting for him to decide. He said he just really felt like he should be. When he talks about it he gets a little weepy and insists his allergies are acting up :) He'll be 11 in a month. We always say he looks like me but is just like his dad. He's making a very rational decision but can't help but be a little sentimental about it. So sweet.

Sunday Sub

2011-08-18T10:38:00.000-05:00

The weekend after VBS I filled in for the 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School class.

We left one of the class rooms up for the families to see what the kids had enjoyed all week. Since we finished class a few minutes early I let the kids go over and try on the armor in the class room. Too fun!

Hiring A Professional

2011-08-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today we are planning to have a realtor list our house.

We had been hesitant simply because every time we would call or prepare to list it we would have a potential buyer. It really seemed like God was saying, "Hold on."

Now that it's halfway through August and we don't have a contract, this seems like the best move to ensure we're settled before winter.

We did get good news yesterday. We asked our realtor, David if there was anything that could slow down the process once we had a contract. He said to go ahead and have the house inspected for termites. The guy came yesterday and said we're clear and he'd offer a 1 year warranty/insurance to our new buyer for $75. He also said that our house is old enough we don't really have to worry about termites.

Uh what? Sure enough, after 50 years the cellulose (what the termites eat) in wood is gone and our house was built in the late 1880's. He said if this house were to ever get termites it would be in our trim, but the foundation and stud work is too old.

YAY for a house with a petrified frame :)

While I Wait

2011-08-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

Thank you Jamie R. This is my prayer until God's plan is revealed in all this:

Great Day Update

2011-08-13T08:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a really good day. A much needed bright spot.

We sold not two, but three of our Craigslist items including our china hutch. The dining room looks funny! Huge, but funny :). I needed $612 for the kids school books. I had a Aug. 15 deadline that I set for myself. If we didn't have the means to buy their Abeka books by then, I would enroll them in virtual school through the public school system. It's a super affordable way to still homeschool.

My biggest reason for not doing it sooner is consistency. Our boys have used Abeka since kindergarten and it's wise to stick to one curriculum to avoid gaps in their learning. Plus we love Abeka and I'm super familiar with it. I wasn't wanting to learn a new curriculum the first year I teach 4 kids.

So, just how much did God provide yesterday? We needed $612, and our total sales equaled $630.

We also showed the house to a sweet couple with one little boy and a baby on the way. Brennan loved their little guy. The kids wanted to know when he could come over and play again. Too cute!

They were super interested in a house down the street and I looked it up. It sold for $96 a square foot and we have our house priced at $76 a square foot (average for our area is $80/square foot). So hopefully they'll love it and see what a great deal it is and pounce!

Overall, it was a great boost and a huge stress reliever. I was worried we wouldn't sell the house in time to use equity to buy the kids' books. We drained our savings repairing the van and putting down earnest money on the new place. Now we have exactly what we need!

Just another reminder that God is rarely early but always on time!

Times of Refreshing

2011-08-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

What a blessing this rain and cooler temps have been!

The boys have been riding their bikes and the yard is getting green again.

Things are looking up. We have a showing today, YAY, and I'm praying that they are the one. It only takes one ;)

In the midst of a pity party a couple weeks ago that included crying and a bit of pouting, my glasses broke and fell right off my face. My response was mature and rational. I grabbed the broken frames and yelled, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" You may remember these are the same frames that lost an arm 5 days into owning them. Thankfully Mindy C. mentioned a few months back she had some extra frames if I was interested. I messaged her and she dropped them by the house. I took them into the Doc on Monday and they put my prescription in free of charge! They came in this morning and now I'm sporting cute frames with 2 attached arms!

I posted a double oven on Craigslist that I had purchased for the new house. We spent a chunk of our savings knowing what a great deal it was. The problem is, it doesn't fit. So now we have this beautiful oven sitting in our garage and our savings acct is still empty. Today I received a phone call from a nice older couple in St. Joe that are very interested in our oven and our recliner! They'll be here shortly after the showing.

Today has so much potential. I am excited and eager to see what the day brings.

Regardless of the outcome, I am thankful for this time. The last four months has been full of ups and downs in all areas of our lives. When I pray I thank Him for all of it. I know that this is a time of growth for us. I pray for our church family, I pray for those who love us, and I pray for those who don't. In some ways it's been a difficult summer, but He has a plan and I love the rain. The healing rain that comes only from Him.

House, House, House, House, House

2011-08-10T08:59:00.001-05:00

I haven't written in a couple days for one...big...reason...

All I write/think about is moving and selling our home.

I don't know if you're tired of hearing about it, but I'm definitely tired of thinking about it. We showed it 3 times last week and know for sure one is a "no." That wasn't a big surprise to me. They live in a super nice subdivision and weren't looking to move. They have always admired the house and it was, "if it ever goes up for sale," kinda of thing.

It's a weird place to be to try and sell something I have loved and worked so hard on. It's almost offensive that someone hasn't snatched it up.

I have had several (10+) stop me and ask if we would rent it out. When the boys and I cleared the lot next door, cars stopped and asked if we would be willing to rent. I would if we could qualify for both homes. Who doesn't need $3-$400 extra a month. We just don't have the resources.

So we wait. I don't pray that we move soon. I don't pray that the house sells. I really believe all this is God's plan for our lives. My prayer is that I be patient and content with God's timing.

I'll try and think of a different topic and be back soon :)

Who Is He That Gives Me Peace?

2011-08-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

Jesus Is My Superhero!

2011-08-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

This week is our VBS.

I have to take a blog and brag on Chris and everyone helping. It is going fantastic and the kids seem to be enjoying it more this year than ever.

The stage is amazing, the costumes and characters are so cool and fun.

I'm really proud of WCCC and this outreach. Just today a young boy was hanging out in the entry way and he said, "I told my mom that this church is really cool and I would like to come here. She said we could visit."

These summer programs may be the only Jesus these kids have all year. What a blessing that you guys have gone above and beyond to make it memorable.

Well done!!!!

Social Networking

2011-08-03T12:44:00.001-05:00

Is it possible to sell your house via Facebook?

We're about to find out. Jared and I had been seriously considering listing our house with a realtor (we still may due to the time crunch).

We called one realtor and talked with him for a bit. After doing the math and figuring out his fees minus closing costs, minus taxes etc...we are barely left with enough for our down payment. Let alone paying of the debt I have been dreaming about or updating anything in the new place.

Jared and I had a hard conversation about letting this house go asking ourselves the question, "Do we want the new house if we can't pay off debt or update anything at first." Keep in mind the rose colored counter tops :)

The answer is YES.

So now we need to do everything we can to sell. Including listing with a realtor that takes a $10k chunk right off the top.

I had already listed the house on a for sale by owner site. We had light traffic. In 24 hours we had 48 new views of the listing. Last night I posted the link on Facebook with an incentive. $500 to whoever refers our buyer, payable on closing with said buyer.

The link started showing up like crazy on everyone's news feed. My friend Carrie B. has a chatty group of friends and they immediately started talking via messages about the house. They posted it on their walls and before you know it hundreds of people that we don't even know are now looking at our link.

Within a hour our traffic picked up on our site and we had 112 new visitors to the page. By midnight last night it was 158. This morning, over 230!

We have a showing on Thursday!

We have decided to postpone listing it with a realtor until Monday. I'm headed to the store to purchase some signs for the yard and a door knob for the back door (you know, the one that sticks) and we are going to see what happens over the weekend.

Keep us in your prayers. This has been a stressful and draining experience but last night, for the first time in over a month, I started getting excited again! I couldn't sleep.

Affordable Piper Housing, House For Sale

2011-07-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Our house is back up for sale. Unfortunately our buyer's schedule isn't matching up with ours and we're putting the house back out there. We bought it 8 years ago and completely replaced everything. Nothing is original but the wall studs.

-Double paned windows that tilt in for easy cleaning (top and bottom)
-Zoned heating and cooling with new units
-all new electrical
-30 year Heritage roof for house and garage
-new siding
-new flooring throughout house. Dupont Stainmaster carpet, tile, and "hand planed" laminate flooring.
-4 large bedrooms
-office space
-dining room
-comes with 2 ovens, dishwasher (new last year), microwave, and side by side Fridge
-1.5 bath
-laundry room
-1950 square feet
-6ft neighbor friendly fence with 2 gates
-4.5 city lots or 3/4 acre
-Wrap around porch, large back deck, and back porch
-large 2 stall garage with utility stall and work shop
-across the street from Piper Elementary

Asking $149,950

12128 Russell Ave

Kansas City, Kansas

66109

Big Sale Thurs-Sat!!!

2011-07-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

The owners of the new house are having an Estate Sale starting Thursday and ending on Saturday. So if you want to go take a peak at our new house and purchase a few things to help empty the place, go for it!

The address is 12111 Hubbard KCK. Here are some pics I took of the house just to show you a glimpse of just how much stuff they are trying to clear out!

If you love antiques this is a great sale. Tons of awesome stuff! Be sure to wipe your feet before you go in :)

Turn East off 123rd onto Hubbard, 6th house on the right (South)

Balance

2011-07-23T11:23:00.000-05:00

I've been working at the Y for a year now. The kids go with me 90% of the time. The younger 3 play in child watch and the older two swim in the pool.

I go in Monday through Friday so the kids are there most days of the week. In the beginning it was new and exciting and the kids loved to go and even asked on my days off if we were going to the Y that day.

Unfortunately the newness has worn off. The other night we were there for a hour and a half. Brennan and Tanner were in the pool and apparently there was an older girl that was bullying Tanner. She was following him around and saying nasty things.

When we left Tanner was really quiet and Brennan began to explain. As an adult it seems obvious she thought Tanner was cute and wanted to be near him. In her adolescent awkwardness, she was obnoxious and rude and Tan just wanted to be away from her. She became more and more aggressive and was even swearing at him.

Over the last few months the kids have starting giving me grief when it's time to head into work. They don't want to go, they ask "how long" will they have to be there.

This is really hard for a couple reasons. The kids are sheltered somewhat due to being homeschooled. They have been exposed to a whole different world/culture through their time at the Y. It has sparked some good conversations and teachable moments that I think are important.

But...As Brennan explained this girl's comments (some were sexual in nature), Tanner sat quietly and cried looking out the window.

How do I balance protecting them and allowing life experience that will grow them?

Tanner finally spoke up and explained that he had tried to witness to this girl and her brother. He asked the brother, "Do you guys go to church?" The boy told him church was a waste of time because all they do is talk and talk. Tanner was shocked and said, "Have you ever been to Sunday School? Because it's awesome!"

They asked him why he was so nice. Even though the girl was being mean Tanner refused to be mean back and it didn't make sense to the siblings. He explained told them, "I'm a preacher's kid. It's my job to love people."

I told the boys that I understand that those kids say things that our boys aren't allowed to say. I told them that they are old enough to know not to repeat them and that just hearing the words isn't wrong. Reusing them is what will get them in trouble. I also explained that being a Christian in this world means loving mean people.

They will spend their lives loving people who don't deserve it and who may not even want it. It's difficult sometimes, but it's the only way we are going to be able to tell people Jesus loves them.

When they ask, "Why are you being nice to me," we can tell them,"Jesus loves you and so do I."

5 Years?!

2011-07-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Today is the 5 year anniversary of my Dad's passing. That is really hard for me to believe. He has been on my mind and heart a lot the last couple weeks. It's amazing how grief comes in waves.

I witnessed someone being surprised by their Dad. He lives states away and walked up behind her and she embraced him and exclaimed, "Daddy!" Tears poured without warning.

I miss you

While searching my photo album for pictures to post my computer kept offering pictures of Brennan thinking it was Dad. This is a pic from when Dad was about Brennan's age. I wish we had known the similarities while he was still alive. I think he would have liked the idea of a "mini me".

This week I have had an opportunity to minister to someone going through a tragic loss. In fact there have been several opportunities in the last couple years to really love on someone who was struggling with the "why" of it all.

As painful as this has been in my life and the life of my family, I am thankful that I can use my experience to comfort others. It feels as if all the grief and tears are not in vain.

How Do YOU Do It?

2011-07-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

One of the most common statements I hear is:

"I don't know how you do it with 5!"

Last week our family dispersed. Brennan and Tanner went to West Central Christian Service Camp, Anneliese and Graham went to my mom's and Jared, Eli, and I went to Mission Lake.

We hadn't even left the house and Elijah broke down and started bawling as Anneliese and Graham rode away in my mom's car. I encouraged him it would be fine and we would have some great time together and I promised to spoil him all week since he's the only one.

We headed out to QT with Eli riding shotgun and went to camp slushy in hand. Part way there he broke down again. "What am I supposed to do without my brothers?" he bawled.

I reassured him he would be fine and this was much needed one on one time...He rolled his eyes.

Once settled in at camp he walked out of the cafeteria and wandered towards the cabin head and shoulders down. Jared asked if he was crying so I went to check and sure enough, he was sobbing. He was just sure he would die without his siblings and no matter how much I loved on him, held his hand, showered him with candy, he would not be consoled.

We did what we had to. We called Aunt Alanna and asked for Kelby. She brought him up the next day and Eli counted down the hours driving me NUTS in the meantime. The quiet guarded Elijah became a chatty needy little man that wouldn't leave my side.

I thought all would be well and good once Kelby arrived. They were for the most part, but Elijah was not right until we were all home settled in with everyone under one roof.

So...mom's of less than 5, how do YOU do it? My kids entertain themselves! I have a built in play group every day. I'm never badgered because a child is lonely or bored. If they get bored with one sibling they move onto another.

I'm telling you if you can move past the hard years of multiples in diapers and dealing with baby after baby, it really is better when they're older. The kids are best friends (and worst enemies at times, I'll be honest) but they love each other, cherish each other, and best of all....entertain each other!

To Cut Or Not to Cut

2011-07-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

I have been asking your advice for quite some time due to my indecisiveness. Today was my appointment and I went in with great anticipation.

Before I left the house Jared gave me the nod to do as I please with my tresses. I was chatting with my friend last night and came to the realization that I treat my hair as a security blanket in a way. Weird but true.

It's been super long for about 9 years and when I'm thin (as I intend to stay) my face gets gaunt and the long hair seems to make it look longer and thinner. So...here we go!

Becky W. at A Shear Thing Salon helped me realize why I was so hesitant. As a redhead, I receive compliments simply due to the color of my hair. She said, "You think, the more red I have the more compliments I'll receive."

I realized she's right. There are days when I feel down in the dumps and then someone will say something nice about my hair and it just lifts my spirits. She said, "You'll still receive those compliments especially if it's cut and looks healthy." Then she pulled my ends up over my shoulder and said with a smile, "These aren't pretty."

She hit the nail on the head. It's time. OFF WITH IT!

Here it is from the back:

That's about an 8" difference!

And here's from the front:

It's shorter in the back and angles down in the front. I'm super pleased with it!!! She did a great job and I didn't cry a single tear :)

Please follow THIS LINK and comment on my picture. There's a contest and I could win $50 in free product at A Shear Thing.

His Love is Strong

2011-07-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

Heavenly Father
You always amaze me
Let your kingdom come
In my world and in my life
You give me the food I need
To live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive
The people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
I look at the meadow
And stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl
On her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need

Chorus (3x):
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

The kingdom of the heavens
Is now advancing
Invade my heart
Invade this broken town
The kingdom of the heavens
Is buried treasure
Will you sell yourself
To buy the one you've found?

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me

(Chorus 3x)

Our God in heaven
Hallowed be
Thy name above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us wicked sinners
Lead us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons

Some Summer Fun

2011-07-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

Blurry but still super cute

Sis and Graham snuggled up swinging

Cute am I

Sis "schwimming"

We love the fish at Cabellas!

What a Week!

2011-07-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

We are all converging back home today. Eli, Kelby and I came home after dinner last night from camp to greet Anneliese and Graham. Brennan and Tanner come home today from West Central Christian Service camp and Jared will make his way home from Mission Lake.

It was a really good week at camp. Kelly Bowker led worship with his beautiful wife Megan. They did a great job and I loved the coffee house vibe they provide :)

While hanging out in the caf I over heard our mission speaker say, "Rock Creek Bible Church." So I asked him if he had attended there. Over the course of the next two days we chatted and found out we have an entire community of people in common. The most important connection is my younger brother Will. Over the years I have hear a lot about Will's minister friend Micah. Little did I know that was the very Micah sitting at the table across from me. He and his family work for FamilyLife mending broken relationships and bringing families back together and back to God.

This week was a welcome break from everything. A time to focus on God and spend time with Jared (and Katie H :)). What a blessing!

TEMPTATION!!!

My make shift gym

Bench for bench press, not too "shabby" :)

Sophie enjoying the cool concrete in Chapel

Brennan and Tanner at WCCSC

Graham and NeNe at Chucky Cheese

Anneliese and Zach racing!

Graham and Auntie

Graham and Anneliese were spoiled by Jason, Erin, and my mom. They went to Chucky Cheese and the Zoo! They had a great time and came home exhausted! I think Grandma was in need of a nap too :)

Now that we're home we're just trying to adapt to being back together. It didn't take long for the exhaustion to start affecting how they treat each other. Eli and Graham have been struggling all morning. Elijah may be rethinking his melt downs this week when all he wanted was his brothers.

Randomly Packed

2011-07-09T17:40:00.001-05:00

-Things are starting to look funny around here...

-I've realized I may have a problem. After packing all the fam for 5 days of camp, our dressers and closets are still full. I never realized I had a clothes hoarding issue when it came to the kids. I knew I did it for me, but not them! No wonder I never get caught up on laundry. They have way too many options!

-We are needing more boxes. If you can help, let me know! Thanks in advance.

-Jared and I received good news from the bank this last week. If all goes well our new mortgage will be a 1.1% lower interest rate than what we currently have. That's awesome and it means our house payment will stay very similar but we'll have 4 bathrooms! 4!! I'm a bit excited :)

-We were talking last night. Neither of us ever thought we would voluntarily move out of this house. We have been blessed to live here and are so thankful for all the wonderful memories shared here. We have had many people in and out of our home and had several babies here. God is good and we are so thankful.

"Lob"bing it off?

2011-07-05T14:18:00.001-05:00

My hair has been really long for a really long time. I'm thinking about switching it up. I've had long locks for about 10 years and while I love the long hair, I am getting closer to 40 and thought about giving myself a more "mature" look :)

I have a weird anxiety about cutting my hair and my appointment isn't until the 20th, but I'm super curious what you think.

My style of choice? The "Lob!" A long bob with a bit of a lift in the back. I have a super long giraffe neck (as my brother Jason used to say when we were younger:)) and I thought this would be a flattering cut.

Whenever I see pics of myself all I see is hair. Gwyneth Paltrow has a long neck like I do. I thought this was a flattering pic of her and similar to what I was thinking.

Here is a similar pic of Jen Aniston with a similar cut.

I won't ever go super short again I know that, but this seems like a fresh cut and a compromise. Plus if I hate it, all it will take is a little time and it'll be back to "normal." There isn't any crazy layers to grow out or awkward phases.

Be honest, what do you think?

Patriotic Glory

2011-07-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

Here's the girl in her patriotic glory :)

Sorry the first one is hazy. I took them super quick before church. It only took a little over a hour and I made her dress and a matching shirt for me all for $13!

Lady in Waiting

2011-06-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

I'm waiting.

I'm embarrassed to say, I'm waiting and I'm not waiting patiently.

Jared and I have a lot going on and nothing going on all at the same time.

We are waiting on the bank. Waiting for that "yes" you can move from our lender.

Waiting to pack,

Waiting to plan our future in our new home.

Waiting to see if this truly is God's will and if He will bring it to fruition.

Waiting...

He is working on me. Taking inventory of my spiritual life. The new home is no longer the only prize at the end of this journey. My thoughts and prayers are continually focused on His will for my life, my family's life.

I truly believe He has been waking me up early. The last two mornings I have been awake at 6:30a. I make a coffee and head out to the back porch and spend some time with Him. I've been reading A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers. The stories of Tamar and Rahab have brought me to tears.

This afternoon I started getting anxious watching my phone. Waiting for that call. One of my favorite songs came to mind. Wait on the Lord by Enter the Worship Circle. I've been listening to it this afternoon on repeat. Over and over this is my prayer:

Wait On The Lord lyrics by Enter The Worship Circle
Wait on the Lord, oh, my soul

Wait on the Lord, oh, my soul

Wait on the Lord, oh, my soul

Be strong and take heart

Be strong and wait upon the Lord
He is beautiful and good

He's the lover of all men

He has rescued us before

And he will rescue us again

He is faithful and true

He is living and just

Surely He will deliver us

Just Placed My Order

2011-06-27T09:44:00.001-05:00

I was blog browsing this morning when I stopped in over at Craftaholics Anonymous. She had a link to a super cute tutorial for a sack dress for the 4th. So I clicked over to Aesthetic Nest to see what I needed to make one for Anneliese.

How cute is this:

To make it small enough, you don't add the red ruffle along the bottom. Since Anneliese is only 2, her's will not need the ruffle.

I clicked on her link to purchase the fabric and that store was sold out. After a quick search I found it on eBay and purchased two panels for a total of $13!

My plan is to make one for her and possibly a matching shirt for me. We'll see. Regardless I always tend to buy two of most things in case something goes wrong.

I'll be sure to post a pic of the girl in her patriotic glory :0)

They Will Know Us By Our Love

2011-06-26T07:47:00.000-05:00

Day Camp

2011-06-25T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today was 1st and 2nd grade day camp up at Mission Lake Christian Camp.

We had the Dilley boys stayed over last night so they could go with Elijah. Other than terrible storms this morning, the day went great. The kids had so much fun!

Elijah playing Blind Ninja

Andrew getting ready to be blind folded

Hide and Seek! They played for 45 minutes!

Where's Cale? Anyone seen Cale?

Painting a Journal

The kids LOVED the craft, Thanks Cherie!

Jared teaching about the rich man entering heaven

Jared trying to fit through the tiny hands of a camper

My Fav prayer ever. So sweet! :)

Baby It's Cold Inside

2011-06-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

This is what it feels like in my van:

And I couldn't be more

My sweet boy comes home from camp today. We all miss him A LOT. His sister was crying out his name on the way home from work last night because she was just sure we left him at the Y.

I wasn't sure if you heard, but we are hoping to move come August. Want a sneak peak of the new digs?

There's the amazing wonderful attached garage to the left. Attached, YAY!

Grandma Anita stopped by late last night and brought the kids each a bag in their favorite color. Anneliese's may be a bit big for now :)

Random Acts Of Thought

2011-06-22T12:19:00.001-05:00

-My van's AC is getting repaired today! YAY! It's been a little over a year since it went out. Jason R. and Jason H. have been working diligently on it. The best part (sarcasm) is that the issue seems to be a error done in the factory. Jason R. said it's obvious someone over tightened the hoodie to the hadda (very technical terms here) causing both to crack. Regardless, my 5 little monkeys will no longer be sticking to each other in the back seats. Thank you guys!!!!

-We're just hanging out here on Russell and still hope to move come August. It's so hard to wait! I've been envisioning what we'll do with the kids' rooms. Brennan and Tanner will be sharing a room in the basement. I'm thinking navy blue on the bottom half of the wall, a white chair rail, and a crisp green on the top. With Brennan's fav color being blue, and Tanner's green I thought it would be an attractive way to have both colors.

-Anneliese is the hard one. Part of me wants hot pink and zebra print. Soft pink on the walls but super fun accessories, the other part wants a precious quilt and lots of white and pastels. Decisions decisions ;)
Do you have an opinion? Zebra print (she could grow into it) or super soft dainty pastels?

-Work is going great. I've been putting in lots of hours over the summer. At first I was so distracted by the house and moving I really didn't want to go. Quickly I realized, the more I work, the better position we're in financially and the more we can save for the move.

-What is with this amazing weather? I LOVE IT! Windows open enjoying a breeze as I type. Heaven! If only my children agreed. They are behaving as if it's some form of child abuse to make them stay out for more than 20 minutes. In my day, we played outside for hours because we wanted to. No one had to force me out of the house.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

We (the kids and I) are so blessed by our Daddy.

He's super fun! Takes us to World's of Fun even when it's 102 degrees :)

He loves Jesus and teaches us all he knows...

He had a great teacher

I guess we're double blessed :)

Thank you Jared and Richard for being the best Daddies we could ask for. We love you so very much and pray you have a blessed Father's Day.

Try and get some rest

You deserve it!

Whoo Hoo!

2011-06-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks for reading! President Bush gives you a THUMBS UP for reading all my ramblings :)

"If You Exercise Your Pup Daily...

2011-06-18T13:11:00.000-05:00

She will be much calmer."

I don't know how many of you are fans of the Dog Whisperer, but Jared and I often giggle how much of his advice applies to humans.

I have had so much pent up anxiety over our upcoming move that I have decided to work out more consistently to see if it helps.

I just finished a week of 30-40 minutes a day for 6 days. I'm sore head to toe, but I really am much calmer. I'm sleeping better (and needing less) too which is awesome. Tomorrow is my day off and then I start back on Monday.

There is definitely truth to the fact that working out releases endorphins into your system that make you feel better over all.

So if your stressed, depressed, or just not feeling so hot anymore. Try chatting with God about it while doing some cardio and you'll be amazed at the results.

I Found My Twin

2011-06-17T09:22:00.001-05:00

I have been milling over ideas about the new house with my sweet friend Alisa. While chatting about the kitchen I was telling her all my ideas. This home was built for a elegant Southern Bell. She's very put together, very feminine and her husband built her dream home for her with all that in the fore front of his mind. The kitchen has beautiful cherry cabinets with pink counter tops, floral wall paper, and beautiful antiques every where.

Let me show you a quick peak so you can see what I mean:

A look at the living room from the kitchen.

Isn't it beautiful? It's formal, feminine and when my mom went through she fell absolutely in love. She kept saying, "I would leave it just like it is Sis." My mom is a bit of a Southern Bell herself.

With 5 kids, 4 being boys, those precious antiques and the beautiful antique light fixtures etc would be at risk. I have been thinking and planning ways to frugally decorate and make it little kid friendly.

So I've been searching the blogosphere for ideas and I came across The Thrifty Decor Chick. I swear she and I were separated at birth. Today's blog (Are You a Piler Too?) made me giggle and feel like I'm not alone in this :)

She loves DIY and had a project that ended in this:

That was her back door, Click the "a project" link above for the details

Now, while I've never had this particular incident, I am known for taking on big things and getting ahead of myself and once or twice they have ended in shattered pieces.

Back to the kitchen, I had an idea of what I wanted to do. The trend these days is painting cabinetry and I'm just not a fan (sorry!). This house has beautiful cherry wood cabinetry that were custom built. There is cherry trim through out the house. It feels sinful to even consider painting it!

I had a picture in my head of what I wanted to do. Including building an island since there's so much space. I want darker counter tops with pops of black here and there. Imagine my awe when I pulled up The Thrifty Chick and saw my future kitchen on her blog! (click here for more pics and the original post)

Look! Cherry Cabinets!

The back splash in the new house is white tile so the bead board isn't necessary. I love the counter tops. Call me crazy, but I love that they're not granite. They look great and I can afford them. The island she has is very similar to the one we built in this house and we planned to build the same thing (sans oven) in the new place.

Everything she's done so far has been very in line with my taste and it's all Goodwill finds and garage sale finds. She's a woman after my own heart.

Beautiful but affordable. Two of my favorite words.

Happy Birthday Anita

2011-06-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

To my Mom in Love!

Happy Birthday, or Flag Day. Whichever you prefer :)

Anita and Anneliese March 09

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream...

2011-06-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

FOR ICE CREAM!

I have been eyeballing the ice cream balls. Haven't heard of them?

It may look like a hamster ball but it's so much more! It's so simple...

One end gets ice and a cup of ice cream salt. The other end gets a quart of half and half, 3/4 cup sugar, and a table spoon of vanilla. Then you shake it, roll it, toss it etc for 30 minutes.

I actually bid on one on Ebay the other day. $30 free shipping. That's a good deal! They're closer to $50 in the store. I just thought it would be a super fun toy/treat for 5 kiddos in the summer time!

This morning the kids and I went across the street to the old elementary building for a church's sale to raise funds for their youth group.

Guess what I found, in the box, brand new, never used....

Go ahead, guess. I'll give you a hint:

The sprinkles on the ice cream is that it had this adorable little sticker on it:

Yep, just fifty cents! I snatched it up immediately and headed to Wal-Mart on the way home.

It was a huge hit! We all had our fill and even Daddy took a few bites. We can't wait to try other flavors vs vanilla. They had so much fun rolling the ball around once they realized it was going to take 30 minutes and everyone would have their fair share of time rolling it ;)

It's fair to say that:

I spent $15 today and ended up with a trunk full of beautiful things for the new place. So excited!!

Goodwill Find

2011-06-09T15:35:00.002-05:00

This may not look like much in the picture.

Click on the image for a closer look

But if you look real close you'll notice 2 things...

1. Someone spent a whole lot of time on this. It's cross stitched. Every little detail was done by hand.

2. This little girl looks very familiar :)

Anneliese and I on Mother's Day

My mom actually found the picture and insisted I buy it. The longer I have it the more I love it. Stay tuned to see what creative ideas I have for it's framing. This will be an adorable addition to her "big girl" room in the new house.

This House Is Not My Home

2011-06-07T10:41:00.001-05:00

Anxiety, fear, trepidation, excitement, nervousness, impatience, did I mention fear?

My world has been turned upside down. Jared and I are embarking on a really big change in our lives. One we didn't see coming. For those of you who know me well know that I can be a bit...obsessive at times. It would be fair to say I have a "one track mind."

The idea of this move has had me in tears, unable to sleep, giddy, worried, and scared all at once. There is so much good that could come from it. We will be debt free other than our mortgage. The house is a better fit for our family and feels like an enormous blessing.

It's scary to want something really really bad. I have been praying that God would work on my heart. Refocus my mind and allow me to settle. I told Jared I really wanted to write about this simply because I feel He has answered my prayer in a real way.

He answered with perspective.

We are purchasing the home from an elderly widow who has been more than gracious, more than loving, more than kind. Two days ago I was thinking about her, about all she has ahead of her to prepare to move out of her family home. She has told us so many stories of their lives there. Plans she and her husband had. I began to see myself in her. Married for decades, lots of kids (8 in fact), and a life of grand memories. This could be me in a matter of years.

Then it hit me, it's all so temporary.

I remember being 15 like it was yesterday! How and when did I become 34, married for 15 years, and have 5 children of my own, and where did this gray hair come from?!

My first reaction to this epiphany was anxiety. My life is going too fast! My children are growing too fast!! My husband and I are aging too fast!! I don't want to be at the end. I want to freeze time. There are days when I wake up and I think, "There went another day! Where does the time go?"

But then the Lord stepped into my panicked heart and said, "It's a stepping stone." Life is a stepping stone to Him. Yes, its temporary. It does go quickly, Praise God! This world is broken, this world is painful, this world carries disappointment and fear. Only a foolish heart would want to hold onto this world and fear Heaven!

Revelation 21:4

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

The new house, the old house, none of it matters. All that matters is that I live my life bringing Him glory.

Thankfully my heart completely settled. I have peace. For the first time in 2 weeks, my mind has slowed down and I am so thankful for a loving God that has so much patience with me.

"This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you
If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore"

-Jim Reeves, This World is Not My Home

Great Bargain Finds!

2011-06-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Today I spent my morning at garage sales and then spent mid day at the Redway's auction. It was so much fun and since I sold my table and chairs yesterday, I had money to spend on things for the new house!

First of all, by far the best deal:

Sage, microfiber with scotch guard. Perfect shape! $110

The new house has two living spaces. The main living room and a small "family room" in the basement. We thought we'd put our couch of 7 years (used when we bought it) in the basement and hoped to find a couple newer pieces for the upstairs. This is a great start and perfect for my budget!

-I love to accent with red and thought this would be a perfect addition to my train station clock that fits between the kitchen and living room. I love it!

Antique, perfect color and only $10!

-Then the adorable little black chair that is from an old ice cream parlor. I'm thinking of placing this in the entry way with a small table. LOVE

Can you believe no one wanted this? $2

-I found a 12" square shadow box at a garage sale that is perfect for the kitchen

So cute and only $2!!

-I mentioned in our Anniversary Extravaganza that I loved the way our room was decorated at the Raphael. I would really like to work towards that in our new place. The colors were: butter yellow walls, white linens, black furniture, and lime & sage green accents. It was beautiful. This little lamp is my first step towards this oasis for a master bedroom

Not sure about the shade, but the lamp is perfect $10

-My favorite piece of all is the oil painting. This was done by a local artist and is signed. The first time I saw it I just loved it, so you can imagine my glee when I saw it in the auction! It's so pretty and fits perfectly into my style. Isn't it beautiful? And how neat are the metal rods for hanging. So unique. LOVE IT.

I picked up some great deals and didn't even spend 1/2 my table money. That's a great bargain day :)

Anniversary Extravaganza

2011-06-02T08:31:00.001-05:00

Jared and I left the house at about 11 yesterday and headed to the Plaza. Anita and Hannah have the kiddos and they seem to be doing great!

We wandered around the Plaza a bit but when we got the call from the hotel our room was ready, we headed over.

We're staying at The Raphael. Since our Anniversary fell during the week, we have a beautiful room for 1/2 the price. It's so beautiful I'm going to take some pics today and I'm seriously considering decorating our new bed and bath "in honor" of our stay. Jared and I have decided to make this a yearly date. It's so nice and so close to home.

Unfortunately, I've been struggling with a nasty cold. When we checked in yesterday I teased Jared that we are obviously getting older. We took a 2 hour nap. I was so thankful for the rest, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to make it the rest of the day.

Last night we used our gift certificates for New Theatre. The show was The Odd Couple. It was super cute and dinner was delish. As icky as I feel, I'm thankful it's a cold and not the flu. I have been able to enjoy the yummy food and the huge soaking tub clears my sinuses and soothes my aches and pains.

I slept great last night and now I'm enjoying coffee and watching the travel channel while Jared sleeps in. Jared promised me a quick stop by Lowes and Home Depot on the way home, my two favorite places.

We've had a wonderful, restful time. We feel so blessed.

15 And Counting

2011-05-31T09:23:00.001-05:00

June 1, 1996

Tomorrow is our 15th wedding anniversary. We met when we were 15 at Mission Lake Christian Camp and have been together ever since.

Senior Prom '95

I know we were young, but we were smitten from the beginning. Engaged at 18, married at 19. It's hard for me to imagine that for my kids, but it worked for us. We grew up together, matured together, and grew stronger as a couple as time passed.

I can't imagine my life without him. We have been through so much good and bad, and the Lord has blessed us beyond what either of us could have fathomed.

We waited 4.5 years for our first child. After losing our first pregnancy and multiple miscarriages after, we decided we would take as many as God would grant. Never did we imagine the family we now have.

Family Picture for Church Directory

While at OCC Jared and I prayed for a ministry. We prayed to be near family:

Our fam & Dustin's fam Omaha Zoo trip

Uncle Jason and baby Zach

We prayed to be "where the people are" to be in a city. We prayed for a biblical eldership, and a community with a NFL team. You know the important stuff :) We wanted a ministry where we could raise our family and invest in one community. A community that would let us love them and be loved in return.

Fishing with the Stude's, one of our kids' favorite memories

Then we received a phone call from WCCC. It was obvious our prayers had been answered. Jared and I are committed to our marriage, committed to our family, and committed to our ministry. Just look what God has done and it all started:

A gift from Jared on our anniversary 4 years ago

Do You Feel Left Out?

2011-05-28T21:19:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't been on here much lately!

There is a lot going on in the Altic household!

If all goes as planned, we have sold our house. We were informed today that the game is afoot. The buyer has been approved and we are just sitting back in awe of how it's all working out. We didn't actually put it up for sale. It sold via word of mouth. How cool is that?!

I took my mom to the new house today for a tour. During our walk through I was just overwhelmed and had to cry a bit. We're so excited and so happy. I realized that I was guarded before, not wanting to get too excited about the prospect of this move. Now that our house is spoken for, I was able to soak it all up and really imagine us living out in the country with the rolling hills and peach trees :)

I've been cautious about claiming "God's will" when it comes to this move. It's awesome how it's all come about. It is easy to praise Him, easy to thank Him. I believe He has had His hand in this move. However, even if everything falls through and we stay here on Russell. God is still good. We will honor Him here just as we will honor Him there.

We feel so blessed. Blessed to be a part of this church family, blessed to have our 5 children, blessed to celebrate 15 years of marriage Wednesday. I can write and write and write about all the things I'm thankful for.

God is good.

Hey Pops!

2011-05-23T07:37:00.000-05:00

My mom came to visit Saturday and we went to several garage sales.

Due to gas prices and busy schedules we haven't been yet this season. It was a lot of fun and we found some great finds.

Our favorite was a popcorn popper that is fashioned after a movie theater popcorn machine. We tried it out last night for the first time and we all loved it. It's so fun, its super cute, and the popcorn is delish!

Here's some pics:

It was brand new, never used. And it had the instructions!

As soon as it started popping Sis couldn't stop giggling.

It came with the little plastic popcorn tubs.

It worked great, tasted great, and best of all....it wasn't difficult to clean up.

Now for the price. Any guesses?

$.50 yep. 2 quarters. half a dollar. The amount you can't even buy a pop for these days.

What a deal! We are smitten! Too fun!

Happy Graduation Berks!

2011-05-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

Berkley H. graduated and we celebrated last night at the Haine's house.

It was a beautiful evening and the house was full of good food and good friends. Robin asked if I would make a cake representing Berkley's 3 years in Pennsylvania at North Pocono High.

And cupcakes to represent her year at Piper High.

I had planned to just drop off the food, love on the Haines family and head home due to a super full week. Three hours later we pulled into our drive. It was a wonderful party and we had a great time.

Thanks Bob and Robin!

A Catering We Must Go!

2011-05-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

Today began my first official catering job :)

A friend asked me to help out so she could have less stress with all her family in town. This morning I delivered warm cinnamon rolls at 8:30a. My poor kids were desperate for a taste :)

This evening I put together beef enchiladas, white chicken enchiladas, homemade salsa, and re-fried beans.

Tomorrow is the doozie :) One large cake along with 48 cupcakes, rolls, meatballs, and pinwheels.

I like being able to work from home and stay with the kids. Plus the house smells AMAZING!

Pre-Occupied

2011-05-18T11:05:00.006-05:00

I apologize for being gone for a few days! I missed you :)

We've been super busy and my mind has been somewhere else for a few days. It's hard to sit down and type when I can't focus.

***Ohhhhh, SHINEY*** :)

I'm fervently working on de-cluttering and Spring cleaning the house. Yesterday the boys and I mulched the wrap around garden. We used black mulch and it looks beautiful! The red and green bushes just pop against the black. LOVE IT!

Our Home for almost 8 years

We may have an opportunity to move to a different house within the Piper area. Jared and I have had no intention of ever moving. We feel very connected, content, and fond of this home. We had plans to add on to make life with our FAB 5 a little easier, but after getting counsel we decided that wouldn't be the best financial decision. We've "maxed out" the houses potential so to speak. The type of renovation we were planning was a major overhaul to the North side and we didn't realize just how much it would cost.

It would take a book to write out all the intricate details of how this came about, but it just slapped us upside the head. One day we're talking about building gardens in the back yard, concreting the drive way, and adding on. Literally the next day, we have opportunity for a house that would fit our family, allow us to pay down debt, and put us in a better financial situation. We are overwhelmed and super excited.

We would greatly appreciate prayers as we transition. There's a lot that has to happen between now and August (projected move in date) to make all this happen. If you know anyone that would love and care for our house on Russell please send them our way.

Recession/Inflation

2011-05-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

Jared came home the other night wanting to discuss ways to cut back on our food budget. With grocery prices increasing along with our boys appetites, it's time to take action.

As you can imagine, feeding a family of 7 when 5 of them are boys is a bit pricey. I like to make things from scratch and enjoy new recipes but, like most, I get into a rut. We buy a lot of processed foods from Aldi for the kids. Jared and I eat the old Weight Watcher's Core plan 90% of the time. The problem is we end up eating the same thing over and over.

I'm wanting to feed the kids a healthier menu all while having some sort of plan vs the "what's for dinner" debate.

I started doing some research online for meal planning websites. Christi suggested E-mealz. It's definitely top of my list. My only concern is how particular my spouse and eldest are. I really like that you can shop store specific and they have Aldi listed. The Aldi list feeds a family of 6 one homemade meal a day for a week at $72.50. That's impressive.

Another website I found was Families With A Purpose. This one requires more work but ultimately is free and I pick the recipes that go in our binder vs having recipes provided for me that my family may or may not eat. I would use AllRecipes and the weekly ads to pick my menu and grocery list.

Between my insistence on eating healthy and the added issue of feeding all 7 of us for all 3 meals 365 days a year, you can see why I feel the need for some help.

I have a few friends that post meal ideas once in a while on their blogs. I usually scan them but rarely try out the recipes. This is obviously a discipline and will take time to create a habit, but if I'm going to be a good steward of our money in this area, this is a must.

I would greatly appreciate any tips, books, or websites you've used or heard of. I'll keep you posted on my progress.