Input requested....

Well, its another snowy morning and I'm loving it!! Two days ago we were told there was an update for our delivery date but as of this morning it is still no earlier than 25 Feb. Yes, it may even be 1 March before our household goods are delivered. So in the meantime I am requesting your assistance...

See the kitchen is a bit bland for our tastes. I mean you all have seen my red kitchen in Alaska so having a beige kitchen is, well, kinda vanilla but without all the yumminess. And as we all know I am all about the yumminess.



The kitchen is seperated from the "dining" room by two walls the depth of the kitchen cabinets. I love the color of the laminent floor but am trying to tweak cabinets themselves. Once our stuff gets here I do have large glass jars, mixing bowls, and white serving platters which will be placed above the cabinets. We just changed out the hardware (outlet covers to be changed soon) but are stumped on the cabinets, walls and island.


Any ideas? Please give me any that you can come up with!! Maybe a Tuscan paint treatment? Glazing the cabinets? Pinstriping the cabinets? Thin insets w/ chalkboard paint on doors? We are looking to keep it pretty inexpensive but I do have a couple of gift cards which can be applied towards this project. OH what about a window treatment? I absolutely LOVE all the cabinets and countertop! Speaking of countertops... Does anyone have any experience using a stain or glaze on a countertop? Otherwise I guess we will be buying some bleach to help combat the stains. It's pretty amazing how quickly a beige countertop can get stained when you use it a lot! Ha ha, so maybe that's an understatement. Aren't patterned countertops great for hiding a multitude of sins?! Well, before I overwhelm anyone I guess I ought to be signing off as the boys are raiding the refrigerator and cabinets as I speak!

I look forward to hearing all and any input you can give! As time progresses I will be posting more pictures as the rooms are completed. In the meantime, thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Foto Friday: Growing

(The full view)

One day this majestic creature will grow up to be this! I just love it!




Plus our growing storm! It's not much but I love it just the same... Be sure to head on over to Rebecca's to see all the other Foto Friday posts.. Next week's challenge is: LOVING!

Indiana

Well, my dear friends I have returned! We arrived in Indiana Sunday, closed on the house on Monday and promptly moved in. Chris called TMO (travel management office) and quickly discovered that A.) our households goods are in route, B.) they will be here by the 25th of February (at the latest, we were assured) and C.) his car (which was shipped one week after the household goods) arrived in St. Louis on February 1st and is ready for pick-up. He'll probably fly down sometime next week. Now if I will only have patience! We are looking for new mattresses for the boys later today so that they don't have to sleep on the floor any longer. The next course of action will be to find a bedframe for Ian and then assemble the bunkbed for Sean and Evan.

List of things to be done in the next 3 weeks before the furniture arrives.
1. Determine paint color of kitchen.
2. Determine paint color of dining room.
3. Determine paint color of living room.
4. Determine paint color... Do you see a pattern here?
5. Make curtains for boys' bedrooms.
6. Start cooking dinner again... (I think that is the #1 priority)
7. Gradually replenish "pantry" with healthy, wholesome ingredients.
8. Start painting.
9. Install new light in kitchen and laundry hall.
10. Make mental list of what all will be included in HUGE/GIGANTIC yard/garage sale. (we are seriously cutting down the furniture/decorations/clutter)
11. Plan out and make quilt for Ian (or break-down and buy the one he really likes using reward points from paid off credit card)
12. Crochet more wash cloths.
13. Buy new phone with answering machine as ours died... Thank the Lord for cell phones right now!
14. Make ravioli to store in the freezer.
15. Start planning a 16th birthday celebration!

I am including some pictures of our drive plus the view out the dining room doors! It is truly glorious! I love watching the sheep, cows, and llamas! The boys think it is pretty funny but I can hardly wait to meet the neighbors. OH, I didn't tell you all... Talk about an answer to prayer! The farm behind us is ORGANIC! They actually have signs posted saying it is a chemical free zone! How awesome is that!! NO nitrates or nitrites in the water, no chemical smells or overspray in the backyard. Their field borders our small acreage on two sides so it was a very pleasant surprise! Like I said a true blessing from the Lord!

Views from the first three days of our trip...
One of the many singing bridges we crossed!

A sunspire... there was a matching one to the left but I never could get them both in the same frame)

A wild buffalo herd on the shoulder of the road.

Isn't the buffalo calf so cute and fuzzy? Look at those tiny horn buds! By the way it was about -25 below when we came upon them. All we had to do was roll down the window to snap pictures. It was so incredible as they just kept about their business!

More pictures to come at a later date...

What day is it...

Okay, I have to admit I am so confused right now. Is it Thursday? Where did this week go? Tomorrow can't be Friday, can it? Is it possible that we will be locking the doors and driving away in a week?

Oh and lest I forget I have some before and after picture of the living room cleaning project. They don't look as bad in the photos as they appeared to our eyes but any who...

BEFORE



AFTER



As you can see we have hit upon the answer to clutter. Just have movers come in and haul it all away! ha ha... Oh, I guess there might be one flaw in that theory... It all has to be sorted and put away at some point and time. Which leads me to my next challenge! After everything is said and done we are moving into a house that has 1/3 less usable square footage than our current home. But that is okay. In fact it is better than okay, it is an answer to prayer. We had been praying for just the right house in Indiana and God worked it out. The first house we looked at ended up being the last house we looked at for the day (13 stops in all.) It was the only house that we both had a peace about. Now exactly a month later, we have been notified that once the paperwork is back from the title company (2 to 3 day turnaround) we can close. Wow, talk about fast! And even more so, someone we know asked Chris if they could come look at this house. Right now our prayer is that the house will sell quickly. I would hate to have it sit empty during the bitter cold months ahead.

And what happened to the Foto Friday snow challenge for this week? I must admit I have a few great pics but they are not snow shots per se. So I will now close with a few shots of the moon taken a week ago after getting home from dropping the boys off at school!




Don't we have an awesome GOD! Who else could create this kind of beauty? Surely no human hand!!

Monday, again?

Wow, where did the past week go? I thought I would post a few pictures of our Christmas. In all honest very few pictures were taken as I got caught up in enjoying the day with my family! We started our day out reading from the Bible and then the day was off to a roaring start. Okay is was more of a slow rumble. The boys pilfered through their stockings as I made french toast. After a leisurely breakfast and clean-up we opened presents! This year was Sean's year to wear the "santa" hat and pass out presents but I didn't get a single picture of him wearing the hat! In fact Evan went around all day with the thing on his head! Silly boys! A leisure day was spent by all playing games, nibbling on snacks, and just relaxing. Early in the evening we made our annual trek down to Clear for a delicious meal at the dining facility and Chris got to make his final Christmas post visits!!




Saturday started out quiet but then Evan was struck down w/ the flu mid afternoon! As odd as it may sound it was truly a blessing that it did not hit during the night. He spent part of the afternoon camped out in the bathroom and then spent the night sleeping in the laundry room (closest room to the only bathroom in the house!). Thankfully he was only sick for a couple of hours and then was able to rest all night. By Sunday afternoon you couldn't tell anything had been wrong!! This is how it was with the other two just a little over a week ago!

Things seem to be slowly picking up speed in the "moving" process. Chris still does not have his orders but the paperwork has now been signed and is moving through the channels. There is every possibility he will have them in hand before the week is over or by mid next week at the latest! I can't believe how quickly time is passing! Continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the move as well as for our travel plans. Driving well over 3000 miles in the middle of winter over snow covered roads can be a bit daunting especially since Chris will have to do the preponderance of the driving.

We'll keep you all posted with any more updates as they come our way! Until then I pray you have a very Merry Christmas and that the Lord will bless you in the coming year!

Monday, Monday, I love that day...

Hmm, I wasn't going to post this week but decided I needed a break from all the mayhem. So I presently sit here looking at the "juice" straining wondering if you can use juice in place of the water in homemade marshmallows. I'll let you know later what I decided.

Today was going to be a day devoted to "sewing" once I got the basic chores done but at 2:30 I'm still working on the basic chores. But it definitely wasn't a wasted "morning"! The boys played out in the blustery wind for a bit, cleaned their rooms, folded a little laundry and then we had a late lunch of pigs in a blanket. Together!! I can't remember the last time I had all three boys at the table for the "noon" meal. Okay I know it has been sometime in the past 6 months but still I really miss it! We ate pigs in a blanket which is pretty awesome since our eldest detests hot dogs but loves a good pig in the blanket. I really think it ought to be a cow in the blanket since we eat all beef hot dogs... Umm, what do you think? Any ideas out there? Anyone else have a view on this? For those that eat turkey franks, it would be a turkey in a blanket, right? Or did I miss the mark on this? Okay so now you can see how my mind has been operating lately!

We are working HARD on slowing down a bit and enjoying life with our boys. They won't be little for long. In fact only one is still somewhat little and he isn't all that little! It really hit me this past week when I realized we have one who will graduate in two years and then the middle boy is only two years behind him! Where did time go? I plan to take advantage of every opportunity I still have left with them at home. So what if it means that the laundry is piled up! So what if it means the jam doesn't get made when my 15 year old asks me to cut his hair because it is getting too long! There are precious few days left so I am going to take advantage of each and every one!! (remind me I said taht a month from now when we are frantically trying to pack and then clean the house days before we move!! ha ha)

3D paper ornament

While checking e-mails this morning I found this update from How About Orange. 3D paper ornaments! Talk about a great idea! Not only do you end up with an inexpensive attractive ornament but you are recyling as well. Go one over to How about Orange to get the instructions on making these great ornaments! (I won't post a picture until I find out if it is okay if I post her picture! or I'll just post one that I've made myself..)

But stop by and take at look at what she has! So far I've found lots of interesting ideas.. I haven't read all of her posts so I can't vouch for the content but so far I've found nothing vulgar or crass.