Memorial Day Progress

 So this weekend I spent almost every non raining moment on this beast:

 Scraped, sanded, primed...twice....and then.....

Mwaaa...what am I about to do?!?   It was really hard to put on that first swipe!


And then I just went for it!   There were quite a few strange looks as people drove by...

I still need to paint the inside...thinking probably white...maybe...


Jim is cutting some wood  for me to put in where the glass should be.   I found some paintable wallpaper that looks like tin tiles on clearance at Home Depot for $6...soooo, I think that I'll paint that a metalic copper and then do some sort of aged patina.....


Next up is glazing, but I am really not sure what to do...go for a dark glaze....light....paint on a bit of coppery glazish stuff (or would that be too much copper with the whole wallpaper thing?)

I need some advice!   I don't want to mess up this poor angel's face!!!!!

The mirror that I got from the flea market the other weekend also went under the brush.   Still working it out...the paint that I got from Martha didn't look anything like the little tester bottle said it would..kind of bummed, but i'll make it work!  Sand and rough it up, slap on some glaze and we'll call it done!

Safe and Sound..

....and ruined for the ordinary!

Jim got back yesterday morning while we were at church.   Although he really wanted to stay for the special service the church in Hackleburg was having, the thought of getting home at 2 am and being to work by 7:30 won out...so he left the night before with an old friend and they drove through the night.


I have to say....it was the best day Ever!   His homecoming was way better than his send off (thank the Lord!)   The boys had no idea that Dad was coming home early---there was lots of screaming DAD!, lots of long hugs, and a bit of wrestling ;)


I'll post more about the trip when I get a chance.....once we see the After photos!   The team definitely worked their tails off last week and they made such a huge difference!


Thank You for the prayers!


Have a wonderful Memorial Day---remembering the sacrifice of so many so that we can have these freedoms that we so enjoy!   

Makings of a Trashy Dresser...

What plans do you all have for the weekend? A parade? Cookout? Nothing but laying out in the sun?

Well...I couldn't get the lawnmower started (seriously, sorry Jim...hahaha)....soooo..I decided now was the perfect time to get started on some of my painting projects around the house!

This was one of my grandma's hutches, which then became my dad's until he dropped it and broke the glass and some other little things...he was tossing it to the curb, so I ran over and grabbed it (actually..I gave Crystal first dibs, but she said she'd wait and see if she wanted it after I finished fixing it up......uh, yeah..no...nice try little seeester!)   Look at that poor pitiful old dog in the door...his boys are outside without him...

Aren't the corners beautiful?!? Seriously..my Dad was Going To Throw Her OUT!

Today will be spent sanding and smoothing everything out....then she'll get a couple coats of BIN primer.

I'm kind of torn on how to finish her off.....white with a dark glaze? A color..like a beachy blue or red? I'm going to use it as an armour in our bedroom, but I'm not really sure how I want to close up the doors...fabric? Wood? Mirror? Frosted glass?

Ahhh...too many choices?!?

Any Ideas?

Investments

I've been thinking a lot lately about what we invest ourselves in....our time, our devotion, our love...our money....  


So far in my journey through the Bible, I've read up to 1 Samuel. Joshua and Judges were hard chapters for me to bring to a conclusion.   Such sad chapters, but also so true today.   They lost focus.   Sure in Joshua, they were doing "the Lords work"....casting out the nations, building up their own...but they still lacked something.   Easily swayed by other gods, they forgot to build up the next generation everything that Moses had told them not to forget!   Then they'd come under hardships...cry out to God (after many many years), He'd save them...then within a matter of years, they'd be right back to doing what got them into the mess in the first place!!!!!


This all got me thinking, we are raising the next generation---the faith that I am instilling in my children today, will probably have some effect on their children and so on and so forth.   That's kind of scary when you think about it!!!  


Are these boys my at the top of my investment list?   What habits am I instilling--idols or a faith in God that moves mountains?   Will they look first to God when the going is good, not just when they're in trouble?   What is my faith modeling?


Then when I felt like all hope is lost the book of Ruth comes in and glimmers hope!   Here is Naomi, a woman who lived her life in such a way that Ruth, even though she was no longer bound to stay with her mother in law, begged to go wherever she went.   And through their hardships, they lived this life of honor that God in turn blessed...and through them, blessed us all!   Ruth, a foreigner, and Boaz, a descendant of Rahab (the prostitute that helped the spies), gave us the family line of David...which led to Jesus!  Imagine that!

As I'm starting 1 Samuel, this is really a pressing issue...when looking at Eli and Samuel, they started off so good, then in the end...their children disobeyed God to such horrid extents that they too fell away from God.


Seems like everything boils down to how we raise our kids, doesn't it?  Not something that I want to take lightly and definitely something that needs a lot more attention on my part!!!!!

Flying Higher

Yesterday we broke out the kites.....

...and then we BROKE the kites!

Super Bummer!


Not much happening today other than hiding out from the rain and these 50 degree temps....yes....50's!!!!!!  Gag!   Oh well, tomorrow I get to have supper with two awesome ladies and this momma is Stoked!!!   


The Lovely Lori posted some pics of the area where Jim's working.....Crossroads Community Church Construction Outreach Team....I can't wait to see what all they accomplish this week!  


LOVE YOU JIM!!!!  MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY---BUT WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU STEPPING UP LIKE THIS!!!!!  Did I mention that I LOVE YOU?!?!?  YEPPERS <3 U!!!!

Just Messin Around

I feel like the boys---got a new toy, now I've got to see what it can do!

These are just a couple of pics using an effect that I liked from picnik.   Doesn't work with every "amazing" picture that I take, but these were kind of interesting ;)

This was the morning of Jamie's birthday..they were all so serious...you know, fighting off the Kraken in Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is tough stuff man!

 I love my window on top of the tv.   I'm trying to be good about changing it up every so often.   I made this wreath from How Does She....word of warning, it takes a bazillion balloons...which aren't as cheap as I thought they'd be...but...it is cute!  I think we'll start this as a new tradition...a birthday wall!  (this will come down as soon as I figure out what to hang up there next!

 I don't know what it is about this one, but I LOVE it!!!  It's just so very Corey.   Makes me want to go find him and smoosh some kisses on that little face!

Raise Your Arm if You're Sure

 Jamie's birthday cake was quite the undertaking...as you can see....by the time I got to the lettering, I was tired and soooo over this cake!!!!!

 4 hours of sleep, a house full of family, and a camera that just didn't want to cooperate!   UGH!  Don't know why my pics were so blurry, the sun was shinning in the window weird but nothing worked to fix it....obviously it's just as easy to fix that "I'm 11 and don't want to smile" smirk.

 (looks like it's time to purge the school shelves too!!!)

 Waiting for the singing to be done..Awkward...stop looking at me people!  

Getting ready for it to all be over with one quick breath---until Dad steps in!

WAIT! Are You Sure that's what you want for your wish?....really seriously...is That what you want?

I wish that I had gotten a picture of Jamie's poor red face!  Priceless!   I love that Jim loves to embarrass the kids just as much as I do :)

(cure for the )Blues Brothers

Thank You all for letting me vent earlier :)


The boys are keeping me hoppin'...oh and the dog too...they let him out in our backyard and he came back in with a scratched nose and a tiny baby kitten!!!  Ugh!  Thankfully, we were able to locate the momma (crazy golden retriever!!!)


My sister and brother in law gave Jamie a birthday card that played this song:
(seriously, like 30 seconds will do...I won't feel bad if you don't listen to the whole thing!)

And no dance party is complete with out a scuffle where little brother turns into the Hulk and kicks both his brothers behinds at the same time...

Laughter is such good medicine!!!!   Except for Mr. Riley...it only fueled the rage!

Yeah, I'd say things are back to normal on the home front :)

What the Hail?!?

Yesterday...what can I say about yesterday....well...the title of this post pretty much sums it up!

We had Jamie's family birthday party right after church, Jim spent the whole day getting ready to leave on a mission trip to Alabama, and we had some terrible storms fly through--physically and spiritually.

Everything yesterday was just off..off focus (dang, it's hard getting used to this camera!)....off kilter...off in the head...just a mess!

Thankfully almost everyone had left the party by the time the storm hit. It hit hard and fast, like we were standing on the porch joking with the neighbor one second, the next we were running in side because it was hailing like crazy...Jim was trapped in the garage...the yard was full of these nuggets!

I wish that was the end of the excitement for the day....I wish that we could just have a do over....ironically Pastor Keith posted on facebook that words spoken cannont be retrieved even with the fastest horse....oh how I wish they could!!! (and hello..that he would have posted it about an hour sooner).

Jim left this morning with a team from church to help clean up efforts in Hackleburg AL. It's his first mission trip.....he was pretty nervous, the normal not knowing most of the people on the team, not knowing what to expect about everything....and just plain old attacks from the pits of Hell!

The whole day, the air just churned turmoil...brewing, turning, fueling. Petty, stupid fights. Fears caused ugly heads to rise. Time wasted being hurt instead of being held. And now it's too late. We patched things up, threw a tarp over the exposed areas of our hearts, kissed goodbye and off he went. (really we're ok..just didn't get the time that I wanted to spend loving instead of whatever the heck we went through last night!)

I want a do over in the worst way. I didn't want that to be the way I sent my husband off to go spread the love of Christ. I feel like a jerk.

But, out of broken rubble God can grow up something spectacular.

Maybe that was the lesson God needed us to learn...even in destruction or hurt and despair, He will come through rising out of the ashes with an amazing new creation.

Please pray for Hackleburg and the team as they minister to them. Protection, Protection, Protection! Satan's snares to be thwarted, his firey arrows to be dowsed. God has been and will be working through them in mighty ways!!!   Pray for us here at home too..good golly, a whole week 24-7 with the boys...Lord Almighty, through you we can do all things!

And, I'll probably be posting a lot more often this week...so that Jim can see what the boys are doing and what not. So sorry if you get a little family overload :)

Eleven'll Be Heaven....Right?!?

Eleven....How can this BE?!?

About this time so many moons ago, we were thinking about going to the hospital (I had to shave my legs first...and paint my toenails...you know the priorities of someone in their 20's)

I never thought I could love someone so much until I met Jamie! (and then of course with each other boy!) I cried when we had to leave you at the hospital..and all night..I'm sure the nursery staff was sick of my by the time you actually came home (I called constantly, we were there first thing in the morning and left at night). We called you Unibaby (because I thought the iv on your head made you look like a unicorn...poor little unibaby!)

Look at how Young we were!!!!! Ha...amazing what 11 years and 3 boys will do to a person!

This is one of my favorite baby pictures.....today, it's like they're looking in a mirror...mini Jim in everyway!

Happy Birthday Jamie!!!

I pray that this year brings you many blessings, that you continue to grow and understand who you are in God's eyes, that your heart will stay soft and that I can take the time to just enjoy who you're becoming!!!!

We love you very much Jamie!

Mom
xoxo

Last Day

Today is Jamie's last day as a 10 year old....


I'm kind of sad, but I'll glean the good from it  and savor every moment ;)


He sleeps with our golden retriever Every Night...one growing boy and one big ol' dog in one itty bitty bed!   I don't know how one doesn't end up on the floor, but they never do! 

(Mmmmmoooommm.....what are you DOING?!?)

Happy Last Day of 10!!!   what?!?

Gotta Love that boy!

Happy

Yesterday the wind was a howlin'....but the sun was out and so were we ;)


I planted my flower lady flowers, divided up some old flowers...made a mess of Jim's perfect mulch...felt the burn last night for sure!  Why is it that Hostas are SO Stinking Hard to divide up?!?  They've probably been in that spot for 100 yrs and their roots were Thick!   All that hard work only to find out that it was supposed to frost last night...hopefully I didn't ruin them, but whatcha gonna do...stupid IL may weather!

My lilac bushes are finally starting to bloom so I took full advantage of their fragrant awesomeness!


I Love the smell of lilacs!   I'd have them everywhere..but poor Jim was sneezing up a storm when he came home this morning.   

(the top picture was taken with my canon...I really need to name her...and the bottom with my phone..I love my new camera!!!!)


A good wife would be sympathetic to his needs...


but....


I really like them...


they make me happy...


and if Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy ;)


(we'll see..if he's too miserable I'll toss them...or make him take some allergy meds!)

Catchin' Fleas

My little sister and I headed out to the Pec Thing today.... a more appropriate name would be the It's Stinking Freezin I Should Have Stayed In Bed Thing!


First stop (after the gross-o potty) was this tie dye guy....took a picture for you Joyce ;)



Here's another picture for Joyce....PINK PINK PINK! 


This really isn't an accurate color for the blue...it was lovely turquoise...and I loved it!  (in fact I bought one of those telephone pole glass thingamabobs....got no idea what I'll do with it, but it made me happy!)


Rebar Heaven!


My Grandma is trying to get rid of some old chairs with no luck---maybe this would help sell them!


I bought this mirro for $5...it's about 2.5 ft high by 18inches wide...a lot darker that the cruddy cloudy pic..but that wont matter once I paint it ;)


My sister and I went in on this for my mom's mother's day present (yes it's late....they were out of town)....super happy because her's got broken in a freak ping pong accident.....super happy until I got it home and in better light saw the huge crack glued on the spout....DOH!!!  Trying to think Christ like thoughts but I'm kind of miffed at the lady.......


We happened to notice that my favorite flower lady was having a plant sale...so this lessened my anger...a bit ;)   Karan, I love you and your flowers are awesome!!!!!!


Crystal  and my mom are having this put something crazy in your yard fued....a 25 cent flamingo sprinkler was perfect!


So far, no one's the wiser at the 'rents house!  hehehehe!


So, ya win some, ya lose some at the local flea.   We have lots of ideas on things to look for, but think it might be a better idea to actually go to an auction instead of paying flea market pricing ;)