Signs Of The Apocalypse

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

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

ABC's Of Decorating

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

As Your Will Unfolds In My Life

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.

Movin' On Up

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. 

I Found My Twin

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.

Pre-Occupied

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

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.

Today's Lesson

Tanner and I made bagels as part of school today! What a fun experiment and they are SO good!! Tanner has taken a liking to blueberry bagels and I have always heard they are a bit difficult to make. I googled it and we decided to try it out. It wasn't hard at all we had a great time.

Tanner scooping out 8 cups of flour.

We had a cheering section

Tanner loved kneading the dough. 

Look at those precious paws :)

Bagels go together like most breads, it's the boiling that's the main difference.  Boil 1 minute, flip boil 1 more minute.

Once they're boiled they go into the oven for 20 minutes.

We made ours brown sugar and cinnamon and topped them with buttery cinnamon and sugar.  SO GOOD!

Enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Things Running Through My Mind

-Since when are wood stained cabinets "out dated?" I subscribe to a lot of different home decor, remodeling blogs and the theme as of late is white painted cabinets. I want to shout "NO!" Partially because our first 9 years of marriage were in trailers. Out dated trailers with almost black cabinetry with handles in the center of the door. I had to paint kitchens in two different trailers to update it. When we remodeled our home (7 years ago, where does the time go?!!) I was so excited when Gale R. started sanding our antique cabinetry to find beautiful wood underneath. To me: wood=house, white=trailer. This may be one update that I'll just have to watch from the sidelines.

-We just finished up week 2 of homeschool. I have really appreciated the writings over at The Homeschool Apologist.  The writers have given me a sense of belonging.  I love being with people and sharing experiences, but for some reason I tend to isolate myself in certain areas.  I didn't realize how much I needed them until I found them.  They featured our very own Mrs. Jane D.  One of the bloggers (two different people contribute to the blog) has challenged "real" homeschoolers to stand up in this hilarious article.  I'm working on an idea for an article about a day in the life of the Altic Homeschool.  If you are interested in reading my ramblings about our schooling and my journey just type "school" or "homeschool" or "home school" in the search box.  I've been bad about tagging my articles with schooling and homeschooling so the tags on the sidebar aren't as helpful as they could be :)

-I ran my legs off this morning.  Today was a 3 hour run and I went with the comfy shoes over supportive shoes.  NOT SMART.  I got up at 5am and met Ashley B.  She ran the first 2 hours with me.  She was awful gracious when I kept whining about how bad my knees hurt.  By then end of the first hour I was in bad shape.  I had blisters forming on my left foot and my knees where insane!  My thought was: 3 hours, wear comfortable shoes.  The problem is my comfy shoes are completely worn out.  I dropped Ashley off at my house at hour 2 and ran into the house to get my Vibrams.  The combination of Ash finishing and my knees hurting I broke down.  I was bawling and telling Jared how defeated I felt as I rushed to change shoes.  I headed right back out the door and hobbled through my remaining hour.  The "comfy" shoes are going in the trash.  I ran 16.5 miles and I'm so glad it's over  :)

-Thursday I get to go to Joplin to visit my friend Wendy one last time before she moves to GA.  She asked if I would come and help her clean and organize to get ready for moving and to make room for her new hubby.  I was promised first dibs on closet overflow so I'm pretty excited.  I'm going to leave super early Thurs and then be home Fri afternoon.  I'm starting to feel a bit spoiled.

-I'm still plugging away at my studies.  The test is the 17th and I would appreciate prayer that my time studying would be effective.  It's really really really really hard to find any time to sit and focus with the kids.  Anneliese is my biggest issue, she's also the cutest :)  I'm trying to spend at least a hour a day reviewing and focusing on the hardest concepts.  Wednesday morning I have a "meeting" with the Director at the Y.  The position I want is still available.    They can't interview me until I'm certified but this is a chance to see what my responsibilities will be and what they will expect of me.  I'm excited and nervous.

-We have a Craftsman riding lawnmower for sale if anyone is interested.  It's 4 years old and I have the original paperwork etc.  It has a new battery and a 42" mower deck.  

Random Thoughts

-Today is the 4 year anniversary of my Dad's passing.  Jared and I were in casual conversation talking about all the people we know who's birthday is today.  Jared was telling a story and mentioned it was the 22nd and a wave washed over me.  I am so thankful for the time that has passed.  That first night I just kept saying, "I want it to be a year from now."  I knew that in time, the horrible physical pain of loss would lessen.  I think about him often.  I was thinking about him on my run this morning actually.  Thankfully, now I can remember him and love him without being overwhelmed by the sting of death.  Praise God for His healing.

-I am starting chapter 7 today in my studies.  The first available testing date is Aug 28th.  It is my goal to be prepared by then.  At the rate I'm going it shouldn't be too much of an issue.  I want to re-read the first 3 chapters once I've completed the book.  They were the most overwhelming and I can't imagine it will hurt to go over them again.

-While swimming the other day Graham said to me, "I would NOT be happy if your drown-ded."  That is good to know :)

-VBS is this week and it's going great!  Chris has done an exceptional job and provided a VBS like we haven't had before.  It's sports themed and the kids are all having a wonderful time.  My boys count down the hours until time to go.  What a blessing!  Good job Chris!!!!  You hit this one out of the park :)

-Thanks to David and Erin T.  we have a dehumidifier!!!  I can't even begin to express how happy this makes me.  Our basement was being overcome by mold.  We had a small rug down there that I had to drag out and put in the dump due to the mold growing on it.  Erin mentioned to me that it works, it just takes a full day before you'll see water in the basin.  Well, unless you're overachievers like we are.  There was a good two inches of water in the basin after just 1 hour.  We hooked up a hose and now it trickles constantly into the sump pump.

    -Our house smells better overall
    -The basement is dry (mold be gone!)
    -The sore throat that had been plaguing us for weeks is gone.

Thank you David and Erin!!!  We are so appreciative!

Contentment Is A Verb

I am feeling overwhelmed by my space.

We have a lot of living beings in a modest amount of square footage.  When trying to describe my mind's current state all I can do is cover my head with my arms.  I feel piled upon. 

My mother is on her way over to hang out.  Since my van has found it's way back to our sweet Jason for repair, we are stranded.  I know she's already left her house and is on her way so I can tell you of my plans for her :)

The boys have already stripped their beds and brought their linens down for wash.  I plan to seriously purge the upstairs today.  We cleaned it really well a few days ago but it needs sorting.  There is stuff in every nook and cranny.

Jared and I love our home.  It's beautiful and so much more than we ever thought we'd have.  I need to organize, clean and maintain what we have to feel comfortable in my own space.

Once this rain passes the outside will get a once over as well.  I want to put up the porch decor that I found.  Our mower needs some repair since it mows at such a severe angle it's scalping the yard (any ideas?) and the yard looks worse after we mow it.  The driveway has better grass than the front yard and it needs a good grass killer.

In the end we are ridiculously blessed and are so thankful for the house/things God has granted.

Now I need to get to work!

Awesome Finds

Jared and I went two a few garage sales yesterday and mom, the kids, and I went to more today. I had a great weekend of awesome home decor finds!

We are still on the look out for a bike helmet for Tanner (adult size), and Elijah (size 8+), and a dehumidifier for our basement. If anyone comes across those let me know!

Do you want to see what I found? I figured :)

First I found this black wood carving. It still has a price tag on the back for $19.99 and I purchased it for $2.

Today mom and I drove forever out into the country West of Leavenworth and found several finds including this iron gate for $4, and the candle sticks were at another sale for $3. Thank you Mom for helping organize and decorate the tops of the cabinets. I LOVE them and they look so much better!

This is a super cool mirror attached to old barn wood. I love it and have no idea what to do with it. I have suggested my Sis-N-Law Sonya decorate in a similar theme in her guest bath. She has a sink fashioned out of an old barrel. It's super cool, maybe she needs this :)

When we redid the exterior of our house I wanted to add little decorative touches here and there but we ran out of budget. I've always wanted gingerbread trim on our wrap around porch and I picked up 6 of these for $5 total. They're perfect and probably even the right age for our house. They're all in great shape and after some paint will be a beautiful addition.

After the bikes were stolen Jared and I have been working towards illuminating our property and I found these beautiful solar lights at Sherrie J.'s garage sale. There's four and they're perfect! ($10 for the set of 4)

My sweet friend Jenny is expecting her first girl in a matter of about 7-8 weeks and she put out a request for a shelf with pegs. I found the shelf and please consider this the "before." It's about to get a full makeover of fresh white paint and alternating green and pink pegs.

I also found a super cool old metal milk jug to go outside the barn for $5. I plan a little paint possibly and not sure what else. Love it!

Like I said, lots of great bargains! I LOVE getting beautiful things for pennies, or ugly things dirt cheap and making them beautiful for pennies :)

This is still my favorite, I smoke bologna and ribs yesterday and they turned out amazing.

For Here? or To Go?

Two years ago a precious family in our church gifted us a new table and chairs. We were about to expand to a family of 7 and this set had 8 chairs. They wanted us to all be able to sit at the table together as a family *insert ahhhh here* It is solid oak, no veneer or particle board, and a beautiful set.

It's blond or light oak. When originally received it I planned to refinish it somehow to make it match better but once the kitchen redecorating was completed the light stain of the table and chairs actually fit. There's a lot of yellow hues in the design and with the new darker floors I felt comfortable leaving the table and chairs.

Now it's been two years of homeschooling, cards, and kids and the table top needs refinishing. After working on the Coker's Chairs I started thinking about it again.

This is my china hutch. It's a traditional medium oak stain.

This is the kitchen table with 4 (of 8) chairs and the w/o the 2 leaves.

My idea is to paint the base of the table, which consists of two pedestals and a decorative set of rungs in between, black. Then strip and refinish the table top and 2 leaves the same medium oak of the hutch.

In order to make the hutch match I'm planning to paint the upper crown molding, middle molding (where the top and bottom pieces meet) and possible the bottom trim also black.

Then painstakingly sand and paint each chair black to match.

Here's my question...My kitchen and dining space are decent sized but not huge. Will painting these pieces shrink my space due to how dark it will be? There is a lot of natural light due to the large windows in the dining room.

As you can imagine this will be a rather large undertaking and I want to make sure I'll be in LOVE with it before I undergo the process. This is the season to do such a project since a lot of it can be done outside. This table and chairs cost thousands when new. It's a quality set that shouldn't be tossed due to the stain color not being "in" anymore. But is black still "in" enough to warrant such a tedious task?

BTW I just found a company in KC that redoes dining sets and would charge a mere $500 to refinish the table and chairs...YIKES! That doesn't even take the hutch into consideration. See what a little elbow grease and time is worth people?!

I'm super curious what your thoughts are....

I've Been Featured!!! HAPPY DANCE

I have been featured over at Remodelaholics

I've been gone all day at World's of Fun and didn't see it until now! I'm so flattered and so stinking excited.

It's nice when you work really super duper hard to have it noticed. Thank you Cassity! Click on the link and check out my Barn Remodel! The best part is the whole make over cost us a whopping $200! That's amazing :)

One Last Bike Related Post...Maybe

-Homemade pizza dough is currently rising in my kitchen. I really can't wait to eat it :)
-Tomorrow is Matt and Natasha's 10 year wedding anniversary. I made them a Hershey cake for the celebration per request (try to ignore the Ajax, it was a bit of a camera hog). Happy Anniversary Guys! We love you!
-Brennan and Tanner are happy little men thanks to Matt and Natasha. The phone they gifted sold for enough to buy all three of the older boys bikes. Eli's top pick wasn't there so we're waiting for Wal-Mart to restock. To all would be thieves out there we now have these under lock and key so don't get any ideas. Tanner picked green, his favorite. He was presented with his bike yesterday and must have hugged me 20 times telling me how much he loves it. He even asked to call Natasha in order to tell her he loved her. He's such a tender heart.
Brennan picked an all graphite colored bike. Daddy and I agree that it's super cool. They really seemed to appreciate being able to pick them out themselves.
-I just have to take a bullet point and brag on the younger two. Their bikes weren't in stock and even though the older boys received their bikes regardless Graham and Eli didn't say a word. No, "where is mine, I want one" etc. They told the older boys their bikes are "wayy cool" and went on. I pulled Brennan's old 12" bike (probably 6 years old and was used when we got it) out of the garage, dusted off the cobwebs and Graham smiled huge and said, "I wuv it mom!" He thought it was his new bike and was just giddy. He's been peddling like mad ever since. I really love these kids.

-The kids and I left Sophie in the backyard and ran an errand. When we arrived home Sophie did what she does best and used her piercing beagle bay to announce we had arrived. I pulled Anneliese from the van and she waddled over to the fence, stuck her belly forward and yelled, "UP! Poe-Pee, UP!" Since the only thing she's communicated to us in her 14 months is Daddy I was shocked! It's official, her first sentence is telling Sophie to shut up. Nice...

New Day!

His mercies are new every morning and I refuse to wallow so here we go!

-My house is super clean! YAY, I have some basic picking up to do and then my chores for the day are done!

-The kids have had a couple weeks off school since the weather has been so nice. I decided to break up our summer a bit so they could enjoy the Spring and do school indoors during the heat of the summer. Since today is overcast I may pull out some books. Pray for me, they won't be thrilled...at all :)

-Anneliese is such a doll. She is so very different. She wandered out of my bedroom with my hot rollers. I'm pretty sure I've gone 10 years without them being messed with. Even the goofy stuff she gets into is typically girlie. She likes to carry around a bottle of fingernail polish and a comb, neither of which gets pointed at anyone as a gun or gets shoved across the floor with a "vrrroooommm." My favorite was Sunday morning. We are typically chaotic on Sundays. With the boys wandering aimlessly hooting and hollering Anneliese sat patiently on the landing in her dress. She had her hands on her lap and just sat until we were ready to go.

-Yesterday I put up Sis' window treatments. Please note she is 14 months old and I have had the rod and curtains since I was 8 months pregnant. Better late than never and they look awesome (they may need some pressing but other than that :)).
-Out of all the kids I think I'm most looking forward to Graham getting his "Jeep" bike from Wal-Mart. When we went shopping the other day he found this and it's all he's talked about. He asked me this morning how long until he gets his (insert lisp) "super cool orange bike with awesome wheels." The older boys are a priority right now due to how much they use theirs but I really can't wait to bring this home to my little Graham-ma-lama :)-I get to go to World's of Fun! I'm sooo excited. I haven't been since Jared and I took the youth group from Rushville some 12 years ago! Our church is sending a group and I'm going as a sponsor. Thank you Jared for saying, "I think that would be really cool for you to go!" Even though it means you have the babies for the day. You rock my face off :)

-Oh, and speaking of The Girl and how different she is. While the boys shopped for bikes she found this:She went straight to the Dora bike with the flowers on the seat. Notice where her feet are vs the pedals :)

Anti-Theft

I'm angry, mad, frustrated and slightly depressed.

Jared and I went shopping yesterday for bikes for the kids. We found lots of great stuff and the kids seemed really excited to be shopping.

My issue is insecurity. I may have been naive in the past but I felt safe. Jared has meetings late into the evenings several times a month and I don't feel safe at home with the kids.

It's one thing to steal from my front yard. That's creepy. But they stole from under our awning, under an open window to my living room and they entered my property.

At first I was shocked and upset for the kids but now I'm angry. Whoever it was not only took my kids bikes;

-They took a piece of their innocence. The kids are concerned that things they love will be stolen, a concern they never had before.

-They took my security. As women we cling to security. We want to know we're safe, cared for, provided for. I really don't appreciate having an insecurity where once I felt secure.

-They took my time. I am searching craigslist and the internet for the best deals so that we can hopefully replace all the bikes. We went to two stores yesterday on Jared's day off and today Jared's heading to Leavenworth to check out a deal on a used bike. We have a call in to a guy in Lees Summit on a bike for Brennan.

-They took my money. Each of the items stolen were gifts from family. Now Jared and I are going to have to do our best to replace each item that was given to us originally.

I have thought several times, "ohh come on, it's really not that big of a deal. Probably some stupid prank." But then I remember what the officer said,"Make sure you lock up the garage because now they know what's in there. It's not uncommon for them to come back. Especially if they think you may have replaced the bikes."

Today I attacked my house. Cleaned from top to bottom. Shampooed carpets, cleaned windows, mopped floors. Apparently when I feel I can't control one thing I take full control over something else.

Ultimately the kids, Jared, and I are in God's hands and He is our protector and healer. This blog serves several purposes and one of those is venting. Thanks for indulging me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to all of you mom's and aunties (you know you love those babies like they were yours!)

We had church early today. My mom came and it was wonderful to worship with her especially today. My family all came over this afternoon and we celebrated mom, Erin and I. Since this is Erin's first mother's day I wanted to do something special for her. I called Jason and he said she loves cheesecake. Lucky for us both I have a super crafty friend who loves to post delicious recipes. I would love to share it with you since it turned out awesome!

Maple Pumpkin Cheese cake with Maple Pecan Sauce from Alisa (The Sweet Life)

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine and press firmly into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan.

Filling:

3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (150z) can pumpkin

3 eggs

1/4 cup Pure Maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

With a mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the pumpkin, eggs, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Gently pour into spring form pan on top of crust.

Bake 1 1/4 hours at 325 degrees or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. I used an 8" spring form pan so my cake took 1 hour and 45 minutes due to the extra thickness.

Maple pecan sauce:
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup Pure Maple syrup

Combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened; stirring occasionally.Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Cover and chill until served. Stir before serving.
You can also use a 9 x13 pan. Just press crust into bottom of pan and proceed as above. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until nearly set.
I just want to warn you. This is delicious and you can not find pumpkin in May. You're welcome for that :) If you are able to locate some pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain pumpkin) please share with the rest of the class. I have always wanted to try N.Y. style cheesecake and I really think for my first attempt this turned out fantastic!

I hope you enjoyed it Erin! Happy Mother's Day!!!

New Project

Jared and I have lived here 6.5 years now and have had a pedestal sink in our main bath for the duration.

The idea behind the sink was space. Our main bath is smallish and we thought having a low profile sink would be great. It's really not so much. We have no where to store anything. I have been spending a lot of time over at Remodelaholics and desperately want to do this project for our bath. All of my readers out there please keep an eye out for just such a dresser. If you find one call me immediately! I would like to keep the cost of the dresser around $50 or less. I'm not too concerned with the aesthetics (paint, stain etc) as long as it's functional I can fix the rest.

I am in love with this blog. It speaks right to the heart of me! I'm always looking to restore or repurpose things. It saves so much money and gives such a sense of accomplishment. Keep an eye out over there. There's going to be a particular barn makeover featured soon and I'm GIDDY!!

As always I'll keep you posted on my progress! I have begun to live with a camera in my hand. I feel the need to document everything for you.

Goofy? Maybe :)