Lately...

I love Summer.  I do.  It's relaxed and crazy, all at the same time.  We're settling in to our non-routine pretty nicely.  Except when we're not.  And so goes life.

• Jake, #3 son, baby of the boys, turned seven this week.  We started out his day with Strawberry shakes and cupcakes for breakfast.  His big brothers had a Little League game the night of his birthday, so in order to try to make it special for him I gave him ten bucks for the concession stand.  Nachos, suckers, Snickers, Gatorade, sugary strips of some sort of candy, you name it and he bought and ate it.  I still can't believe he didn't get sick.  We call that a birthday success.  
• I've been sewing and crafting again lately.  It's been beautiful outside, and I should really be out enjoying it...but when the urge to create strikes, I think one should just go with it.  
• I came to a conclusion this week: When I have PMS, there are certain people that I just should.not.speak.with.  Ya know what I mean?  Like...I can handle them three weeks out of the month and then *BAM*  PMS week happens and my brain switches to zero-tolerance.  
• Noah (11) has $60 to his name.  According to him he is a "60 dollionaire"  
• Lucy has been waking up in the morning with a dry diaper.  It probably means she's ready to be potty-trained.  If only I were ready to potty train her.  
• I started back to running again after a two week hiatus.  If only running and I could get past our love-hate relationship that we've had going on since...well, forever.  
• I went to a home party thing last week, where they sell designer denim. I bought a pair of capris that have bling on the butt.  I kid you not.  I tried to find the least blingy ones, but there is still some bling.  They're comfy and I like them, but the bling is still not me.  I picked some of it off.  Don't tell.  
• This post would be better with pictures...if only I had them uploaded them.
• Right now, my 11 year old has asked me THREE times if I'm sure it's Friday and not Saturday.  I'M SURE.  Sheesh.
• Four years ago today, our tiny town flooded.  But today, it's better than ev-ah.  I have pictures to prove it.  And when I upload them, I'll show ya. ;)
• I miss blogging regularly.  I could blame the four kids, puppy, husband, house, ministry for sucking up all my time...but really, there's time to squeeze out yet...I just need to DO IT.  
• I'm off to upload some pictures so that my next post is less boring.  I'm kidding...it will still be boring but at least their will be visuals to assist it.
• Happy FRIDAY!  Even though my child still doesn't believe me that it's Friday....*insert eye roll*

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The List

I'm not kidding when I tell you that I often sit down to blog, and then just "check a few other sights first" and get completely distracted by other peoples decorating-crafting-fashion-genius and by the end of it I can't even remember what I sat down to write about in the first place.


ADD.


We are in full summer break mode here in the parsonage.  It's magical.  Well, most of it is magical.  The bickering and complaining and such is...not magical. 


Several weeks ago the family and I made a Summer Bucket List, which I copied from another blogger.  I think I copied it from Meg at Whatever, because generally I want to copy everything about her.  But don't tell her, because I may have not even ever left a comment on her blog and then that makes me seem all stalkerish.  


So the family and I made a Summer Bucket List.

What seems to happen to us, is at the end of every summer we start to remember fifty thing that "we were going to do" but forgot about.  And I'm a procrastinator, which means I always think there's {plenty} of time to get around to doing whatever we need to do...and there's not.


The kids flipped over the list.  They love it.  We're going to cross stuff off as we go.  (It' hanging on the wall in the old kitchen, in case you were wondering. :)


Do you do this sort of thing to?  Has it worked for you?  Please say YES!

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Remodel Pics Part II

More remodel pictures.  Finally.  If you missed pictures from the upstairs, you can click here.  I think we can all agree that photography is not my gift, so you'll just have to bear with me through the photo tour.

I took a bunch of pictures from different angles, just to try to give you a better idea of where you're at and what you're seeing.  It ends up making it more confusing...that's not unusual for me.

Let' start as you walk through the main door to the new part which is actually at the back of the house...

(Out that long window is a view of the side of the church, about 6 feet away :)

I did finally buy some barstools for the island, after much deliberation.  It ends up that the ones I really want are both expensive and impractical for four kids.  So I ended up buying the cheapest, most practical ones I could find...at a Farm and Fleet store, none-the-less.    They are currently waiting for me to paint them something fun so they can be less boring.  More pictures on those later.

This is the other side of the island.  I wanted all drawers because they are so easy to access and load full of stuff.  I love them.

There is a handy drawer for all the kids stuff...

And plenty of room for tons of flatwear, which makes it much easier when unloading the dishwasher!

Here's some random for ya...it's the cupboard under the stove-top and it houses all the pots and pans.  The shelves slide out, and I adore them.

And the garbage/recycling bins hidden away in a cupboard = dreamy.

The pantry cupboard.  

This is the view looking into the old kitchen.  The old kitchen is waiting to get torn out.  The wood-laminate flooring will be carried into the old kitchen, once it is gutted and leveled out.   We aren't quite sure what we will make that room into, but I picture big comfy chair for reading...and bookshelves. :)

The chalkboard wall is a family favorite.  So fun.  Behind the chalkboard wall is the 1/2 bathroom.  And then the mudroom/laundry.

More random views, because I got carried away.  I bought the curtains at Target and just hemmed them so that when I let them down, they only go to the bottom of the window (instead of the floor)  They are super easy to tie and untie.

I ended up making the laundry room and window above the sink curtain from fabric that I ordered form fabric.com.  Super simple and super crooked means good. enough.

Having more wall space to be organized has been SO NICE.  I've been trying out various organizational methods.  It appears the main flaw in each of them is me.

This area has sort of become Lucy's.  It works for now.

We are so enjoying all the space.  And the break from construction. :)  There are a few projects left yet, like cement work for the outside steps, gutter stuff, tearing out of the old kitchen etc.  Eventually, the old part of the house will get new windows and siding as well.  It's a process.  And process is good because it creates a sense of thankfulness for completion.

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New to the Family...

We have a new immediate family member.  After much thought and flip-flopping back and forth we decided to take the plunge.  Into puppy-land.

We've had a dog.  I mean, who could forget this?  Or this?  Man we loved that dog.  It's been close to two years since we had to put Odie to sleep because of old age and failing health.  Odie was enjoying middle-age life when he came to live with us.  And we like middle-aged lazy dogs.  


 
They're the best.


So puppyhood seemed scary.  And impractical.  But sometimes scary and impractical conjure up the best parts of life.

Meet Nelson.  

He's a 15 week-old Red Dapple Dachshund.   And I hate to even type it out loud, but he is super, super good.  He's crate trained, which means at night and while we are away from home he's in the crate and hasn't had an accident yet.  During the day, we've been taking him outside all the time and he hasn't had an accident since the very first morning he was here.  (and that could be blamed on three boys who I will refrain from naming.)


He's gentle, and soft, and loves to snuggle...and give kisses.  

We found him online and he was fairly close to our area.  He was also half the price of most dachshund puppies.  Score.  And by the time we finally got around to make a decision on adopting him, his price had been reduced even more.  


It was meant to be.


Lucy is warming up to him.  She may have been a little intimidated since she's been the littlest and cutest in this household for the past two years.  It's hard to share.  We've reassured her she's still the cutest....except when she's throwing a fit, because then we totally hand that title right over to the puppy.


Welcome to the parsonage family little guy.  Don't make me regret you.  *wink*

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Holding On While Letting Go

Two.  

It's a little bizarre, realizing how fast two years can wiz by.  I'm realizing I deal differently with Lucy growing up, versus the three boys growing up.  At each of the boys birthdays, I get a little sentimental...a little sad that they are growing.  Which is dumb, I know, because the are meant to grow.  It is a gift to watch them grow, but in the growing is also a knowing that with each year that passes they become a little less mine, and a little closer to becoming someone else's.  

And that's a good thing.  A beautiful plan...that those little boys are growing (so very fast) and becoming young men...handsome young men, who will one day capture the heart of a girl.  And though that young girl won't replace me, she will take over that young mans heart, the heart that now belongs to his mama alone.  

I think that's what makes being a mama to boys so very special, so unique.  

With Lucy, it's different.  It seems easier for me to approach each stage with a simple joy.  With each new crazy thing she does, it's just fun to watch her.  

I love her two year old self...but I don't long for it to last.  I didn't feel weepy over how fast it's going.  Instead, I can just enjoy her...and even anticipate what's to come as she grows.  As a girl, I know that our relationship as mother and daughter will deepen so very much.  I mean, after all, I'm a pretty great grown-up-daughter friend!  I'm sure I'm way more fun than when I was two!  

Lord willing, Lucy will grow up into a beautiful young woman...and a handsome young man will capture her heart someday, just like her daddy did to mine.  And when I think about that, I smile.  Which is funny, because when I think about girls capturing my boys...It's more of a furrowing of the brow, that crosses my face.  


Anyways.  You see the difference.  


With Lucy, I don't have that sense of her "slipping" away from me as she grows.  (Poor Ben will have to deal with that one. ;)  And as I watch parents around me, who have children who are grown, I realize that parenting is always about enjoying the moment, and of holding on while letting go.

I am so thankful for these four amazing little people that God has created from Ben and I.  Please God, help us survive the teenage years that will approach far too soon...and please help Lucy not to have a sassy mouth like her mother.  Amen.

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Only a Day Away

Someone is going to be two tomorrow... 

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I Have a Favor to Ask...

Generally, I don't wildly advertise in internetland my exact location.  Instead, we call it tiny town...because darn it, that's just cute.  And vague.  Because there are axe murderers out there, after all.  But statistically, I'm more likely to be harmed by some weirdo that's already in my life, than by a stranger.  


And there are fruit trees on the line here people.  So I'm out of hiding...for fruit trees.  I'll explain later in this post, don't worry.


We moved to tiny town in 2005.  In 2008, you may recall that we had an EF5 tornado go through the edge of our town.  Two weeks after the tornado, we had a flood that covered most of the town that had not been devastated by the tornado.  You can read about it here.


During that time, I wrote this post.  And of the 800 some posts I've written, that is the most significant to me.  I remember the ache I felt for our town.  And I so clearly remember God speaking that truth to my heart.  And since then, it's a moment I go back to...when I need to remember how big my God is.  When I need to remember how He brings beautiful things from ashes.  


Tiny Town emerged from near ruin, and God is showing Himself here. I'll admit, the general observer from the outside may not catch it.  We don't impress by what we have...but by who we are.  And sure, there's plenty who have some great life struggles here...but where can you go that doesn't?  Manicured lawns, and fancy stores look great from the outside, but on the inside...it's all the same struggles.


Since 2008, many in our community have worked so hard to bring restoration and healing to a a town that needed it.  Right now, our tiny town is in the running to receive a fruit orchard.  But we need help.  We're tiny...and we need votes.


If you would be so kind, you can go to this website and register (it's fast and easy, I promise) and vote once every day.  


How fun is an orchard?!?  FUN.


So, you can go HERE and vote for New Hartford, IA.  That's right, New Hartford aka Tiny Town. (see I told you tiny town sounds cuter;)


You'll also get a coupon from Edy's, who is sponsoring the orchard.


THANK YOU!!!

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