Fun with the family!

Yesterday we had lots of fun in the sun...which is rare around here lately due to all the rain we've been getting! The family got together for a picnic...food, fun and pool time! It was lots of fun - as it always is getting together with them!!! Since the death of my Dad, it even means more to me than it used to...family is precious, and I value every minute with them.

It actually was quite hot outside, but it was nice and breezy under the tent in the shade. Edward is in the yellow t-shirt on the right.


Sweet-Pea playing with her 2 cousins from Wyoming.


My cousin from WY and Lionel, enjoying the pool.


Sweet-Pea in the pool...she's part fish! = )


Lionel, lost in a pile of tubes. I think there were 5 or 6 piled up.


Sweet-Pea


Farmer Sweet-Pea...headed out to plow the fields behind her. =)


Lionel, Sweet-Pea and their 2 cousins.


Just havin' a bit of fun with my macro...these flowers are gorgeous aren't they!?!


This pretty Monarch butterfly was perched on the bush just waiting for me to snap a photo.


Lionel, captured in a more serious pose...I love this photo of him.


Sweet-Pea playing a game with grace and beauty...all due to years of ballet lessons. =)


Well, now that we've had our day of rest and relaxation, it's time to WORK! We move in just 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! The house is packed except for a few last minute things. Cody heads for the doggie spa tomorrow morning, and then we wait patiently for the big huge truck to come and pick up our 'stuff' on Tuesday morning. We've already begun to say good-bye to our neighbors, and our list of to-do's is getting smaller. Yaay!!!

I probably won't be able to post for a few days now. Lord willing, the next time I'm on here, there will be photos of the move and news that we're settling in.

Only 1 more week!!!

Can we get through this next week without getting too excited? Probably not. One week from today we'll be moving out, handing over the keys to our old home and signing the papers on our new home! We can't wait!!

I haven't been able to sleep much these days, partly because our mattresses are on the floor due to us taking our bed apart, and partly because my mind keeps racing...thinking of what needs to happen before we move. It's not easy moving...I honestly don't know how people do this often. I know some families who have moved 10 or 11 times. No thank you, not me!! I want to move once more after this...out to Colorado, then I'm done moving!! If my family wants to move again after that, they can move without me! ha ha (OK, maybe not, but they can do all the packing!)

I'm more worried about how Cody will adjust to his new surroundings. He will be at the Doggie Spa for a few days (nah, he's not pampered), but when he gets home, it'll be at the new house, not the one he knows. He's never been there, so it will be quite the surprise. He must know SOMETHING is going on, our house never looked so awful...boxes all over, furniture taken apart, window coverings down, things off the walls. He probably just thinks we don't know how to decorate. Silly dog!



We're headed out shopping again today. We purchased our curtains the other day. I'm not saying what we got, I'll just post photos once we move and they're up. If you don't like them, I don't want to know...we spent WAY too much money on them and my husband won't be pleased. ha ha They are pretty though and I think they'll match the furniture beautifully. We'll see.

It's amazing all the little 'stuff' you need when buying a new home though. Curtains, curtain rods, shades, all new shelf paper, garbage cans (inside and out since ours aren't worth moving), light bulbs, shower curtains, groceries (since we can't really take most of the cold stuff with us), cleaning supplies etc. I'm not complaining though, I LOVE to shop. =) It's just amazing how much we need to get to make our house a home. Having to leave certain things behind that we know we'll need to buy again isn't easy to do....curtain rods, certain light fixtures, bathroom accessories etc. Things that are attached to the home that we can't take. The new owners will probably not even use what's here, but we still can't take 'em. Go figure.

Well, I need to go make my list...we're heading out soon! Have a great day.

Happy Father's Day

This is the first Father's Day without my Dad. It stinks, but knowing that he's been reunited with my Mom and especially with our heavenly Father, makes it easier to accept. I really miss him a lot and have been thinking about him lately more than ever. He was a special man who touched so many people in such a wonderful way!

Lionel, Sweet-Pea and PaPa


...And my dear husband...thanks for being such a wonderful daddy to our children. I love to see you interact with them...you know when to be a kid again, and when to be a father. You have such a fun playful side to you when you're around them which I love. Not many Dads know how to do that. Also, continue to be that strong shining example they need, to grow and mature into a Godly man and woman.

Daddy and Lionel


Daddy and Sweet-Pea


This is an old photo, but it shows the 'silly' side of Daddy, don'cha think!?!


Another great 'Dad' is my father-in-law. (A.K.A. my father-in-love) He has always been there for us and is a great help in so many ways to us and to our children. My prayer for him is that he comes to know Christ in a personal way.

Grandpa and Lionel


Happy Father's Day!!!!
With love,

The Countdown Continues...

Packing has been part of our daily routine. Yesterday we completed Sweet-Pea's room. She now only has an empty dresser, an empty book shelf, the horse barn she likes to play with, and her mattress...which is on the floor. It's pretty empty around here these days!!

Here she is, helping to take her bed apart. She was a big help and actually thought it was exciting to pack up everything in her room.


She'll miss the ballet bar and mirror we put up, but it just means we'll have to be as creative in our new home.


Look what FINALLY got added to our 'For Sale' sign!!!! We have been waiting and waiting to see this sign hanging outside, but it never appeared. Today, Edward came home from work and said to me "Why didn't you call me to say it was up???" I said "What was up?" and then he pointed outside. I practically screamed with excitement. It's SO REAL now!!!!! God is good!



Of course, being the avid (yet amateur) photographer that I am, I had to take a gazillion photos of the sign in front of the house. This is one of my favorites...


Now that we'll be moving...we are thinking about what needs to be done at the new home. First order of business....a mailbox! Yup...gotta make room for those bills that will be pouring in once we move in!!!

Here's Lionel and Edward getting ready to put the pole in the ground.


Edward's Dad came over to help us. He's very good at this sort of thing, plus he loves doing it!


Checking to see if things are level. Perfection at it's best!


Done! Now it looks like someone lives there....well, almost!

Only 11 days!!!

Wildlife...too close for comfort!

Well, it's a good thing we're moving!!! Check out what just moved into our yard and under our shed....







Yup, they're adorable, but they're still SKUNKS!!!

They must have been born recently. We only noticed them 2 days ago. One was wandering around the back yard around the pool area. He seemed to be lost. All of a sudden, 4 more popped their heads out from under the shed and made noises as if to call the lost one home.

That was yesterday.

Today they started all coming out and walking around our yard!!!! It's a bit creepy. During the day it's not a problem to walk Cody (our dog) because we can see them (even though they're quite small), but at night...LOOK OUT! I just hope none of us get sprayed. Yuk!



Only 13 days until we move...let's hope the new owners find their 'neighbors' very friendly! What a welcoming committee they have, huh? =)

Opinions wanted...

We went over to the new house today. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to be there knowing it was going to be our home in just 16 days! Did you hear me? 16 days!!!!! Yahoo!!!! I'm sorry, I'm just a tiny bit really excited about it.

I'm not the best decorator in town, but I'm not the worst either...yet I would love your opinion on something. Here goes:

Here is a photo of our living room...


Here's a photo of what it will probably look like once we paint a darker shade of brown on the fireplace wall...


It's very pretty, but the windows on that wall aren't easy to work with. They are pretty tall, and yet they're at the shorter end of the room. The ceiling is 9' where the windows are, and it goes up to the top of the 2nd floor as it comes towards the front of the photo. (It's a saltbox style home, higher in the front, shorter in the back.) I need advice on what style curtains to put there. I could use just a valance, yet it would most likely look pretty sparse. I could use tiered swags on either side, but again, not sure how it would look. My thoughts were to just use tailored curtains on either side. I'm not a huge fan of plain 'ole curtains, but I think it would actually look pretty on these tall windows.

So, I had a bit of fun playing around on the computer with the living room photo tonight. Below are 2 photos I came up with. Believe me, I know the details aren't great, but I did it quickly, so I apologize for the not-very-professional photos...the Thomas Kinkade picture isn't at the right angle and the curtains are all funny, but it's just to get an idea of what it'll look like. We are going to hang our Thomas Kinkade picture over the fireplace and put candle wall sconces up, but they will be straight and of the proper scale. =)

Image #1:


Image #2:


This is what our sofas look like...they're a sage green.


So, do you like either of them? Do you think the plaid is better? Plain is better? Neither? Got a different idea for me? I look forward to your responses...thanks for your .02 cents. Every opinion counts and I'm just not sure of what will look the best. Thanks!!!



P.S. The curtains will go down to the floor most likely...I just didn't do it that way in the photo...for whatever reason. =)

It's a done deal!!!

Well, today we got word that our home is 'officially' sold. All parties involved in making this purchase happen have gotten their mortgage approval letters, and are set to go! Now all we have left is to finish packing and have our closings. Yahoo!!

God is good...He not only has taught us so much through this process, He has clearly shown us why we had to wait on His timing. All along we kept questioning 'why'. Why would God allow the first sale not to go through? Why would God cause us to lose the home we originally wanted to purchase? Why is God making us wait? Why? Why? Why?

The answers are simple...something which my 'oh-so-little' brain couldn't figure out (or handle) months ago. When going through difficult times, it's always good to let go and let God lead. It's NOT easy, but it ALWAYS pays off. There is always a reason, and many times we don't know what that reason is, but in our case, we know!

If we had sold our home that first time around earlier on in February/March, these things wouldn't have happened:

• We wouldn't have be-friended the couple who are buying our home from us. We never would have known how sweet they are, and how excited they are to be moving into this house. We never would have been able to answer the many questions they wanted answers to...ones you generally don't get answered when buying a home. We wouldn't have been able to take some of the things in the house that we really wanted, yet should've been sold with the home...things they don't mind us taking.
  
• We wouldn't have purchased the house we were meant to have. What we are buying is actually so much better than the first home we had a deposit on. We didn't think there was a better home for us, but God knew better! The new home has more rooms than the first home. The new home is a 'green', energy efficient home which will save us a TON of money each month. The new home is further down the cul-de-sac than the first home which is safer for the kids. The new home has an alarm system, a bigger deck, a nicer yard and the inside is unbelievably nicer than the first!!! God totally knew what was better. The same month we listed our current home on the market was the same month they broke ground for the home we're buying. It's a God thing! We just needed to wait until it was completed. We didn't know that though, but God did.
• The most important thing we wouldn't have done, was start a relationship with one of our current neighbors. This neighbor has lived near us for 12 years, but we never ever talked. I began talking with her only days after the first sale of our home fell through and was able to share Christ with her right then and there. We have talked numerous times since then, and she is excited to learn more. I gave her a new Bible and a couple other items to help get her started. She has a long way to go, but she's definitely searching and had we been able to move, this relationship would have never happened. I am hopeful that we will continue this new found relationship once we move....we'll only be a 15 min. drive away. Please pray for her. She just went through a messy divorce. She was abused in her marriage and she is worried about the outcome of her teenage son. Praise the Lord for keeping us here long enough to befriend this sweet woman and share the love of Christ with her!!

So there you have it...3 great reasons why God had us wait. I do admit though, that since hearing it's a done deal on the phone this afternoon, we've all been doing the happy dance!!

We are moving in only 18 days!!
Is it time to panic yet? We've got lots of packing left to do!!

Here are a few more photos of our new home:

The foyer...






The family room. Anyone have ideas on how to dress these very tall windows?? We want privacy at night, but light during the day. I'm not a huge fan of 'drapes', so it's a challenge.


Closer view of the windows...


View of the kitchen from the family room...


The beautiful kitchen...appliances are in now, but we don't have photos of them yet.




The craftsmanship in this home is beautiful. There's lots of crown molding in the foyer and dining room, and in the kitchen all the doors have crown molding...it's very pretty. You can see a tiny part of it above the pantry on the left just beyond the cabinets.


Dining room...


View of school room from the dining room...


School room...a bit smaller than the one in our current home, but it's still a school room which we're privileged to have. Not all homeschoolers have a separate room to school in.




So, there you have it, our new home. We're very excited and feel so blessed to be moving here. This is a transition home for us though. We're hoping to move to Colorado sometime soon after Lionel graduates high school...in God's perfect time though!!!