The House that keeps on Giving.....

The house that keeps on giving....giving me nothing but projects......My summer is starting out crazy....The first week of summer was spent with my wonderful sister and her family coming to visit....Our house was surrounded by lots of family for a week.

 This week has been spent doing the one thing we SHOULD NOT be doing.....Looking at a house closer to the boys school.......We were just driving around the other day and saw this neighborhood and there it was....The house we always wanted....Two story (my youngest used to think stairs meant wealth, so he LOVES stairs), Victorian home with a POOL!!! And the best part, empty and desperate for a family to move in and love on it........

As of today, we have submitted an offer on this house.  It has to be presented to the bank by a realtor only.  They say it could take any where from 60-90 days.  Good news:  we need all that time to finish our current house.  Bad news:  we don't get to enjoy that pool this summer......

This will be a journal of our progress on our current house and move on to the next house......

Day One:  (today) June 11:  We ( ALL four of us) cleaned out the office, swept the floor, and had to clean it with a chemical wash while someone vacuumed up the water....Hard work.....Then we put a stain on it....We, at this point, ended up being Jim and me.....Somewhere we lost the boys.......

Another project I'm working on is packing cabinets for storage.  That way I can stage my cabinets (where people will be looking)......

Finally, I purchased a table at a garage sale awhile back and finished the table but never did the chairs.  So, I am currently sanding, cleaning, and painting two of the four chairs......

Tonight, Jim and I are going to end the weekend going on a date.....We have committed to spend more time as a couple.....I can't wait to go eat with him.  We are going to Julian's.....Yum Yum.......

Measure Up....

It's amazing how you think you are okay with the outcome of something, in fact, you don't even want it, only to find out it really hurts to hear the answer is NO.....

It all comes down to "measuring up".....that is my number one enemy....I battle with this more than with anything else in the world. 

I am hurt and sad today.  I feel like I am right back where I was a few months ago.  I thought the path I was on was the way I wanted to go.  But throughout my whole journey, I prayed that if this was NOT His will, shut the door.  Today, HE shut the door.  Now, I'm left wondering what door I'm supposed to open......

Tomorrow I am going to be okay, in fact, I'm going to be good.  I have a great family that support me, NO MATTER WHAT, and a husband I love and adore more than anything.....

As much as this stings me today, I KNOW I'm walking the way God wants me to.  I have to continue to rely on HIM to show me the next steps. 

We are Family...I Got All My Sister's With Me...

Every morning I like to have my first cup of coffee out on the patio...The earlier, the better.....It truly gets me as close to God as anything else. The birds are singing, the squirrels are getting ready to attack my flower beds..My sweet boys are sleeping and NOT up.....aww, it truly doesn't get any better than that....

Recently my sister and her family were here. I like to work my butt off to get the house ready (meaning I cram everything in closets, mop my floors, and clean my carpets in hopes that they don't think we are hoarding ten-thousand dogs with that smell)...So that when they get here, we can enjoy our time on the patio....

I'm sitting here on my patio today, in silence, looking at all the empty chairs that just a few days ago had lots of family in them. This place was filled with people, laughter, stories, and food, because in our family......Where there is family, there is food.....We planned things, reminisced about the past, talked about what the future holds, and just spent time together.

My dear, sweet Aunt recently past away, and I was reminded of how short our time on this earth really is. So, my sisters and I got together and planned a "sister trip"......We are going to the place where we went as children with my Dad and Mom....I can't wait to see the places we went with my Mom. I miss her terribly....Everyday I get together with my family I think how much she would LOVE to be here with us.

God had TRULY BLESSED me with a great family. A family where no matter the age, we ALL enjoy being around each other.

Now comes the daunting task of moving all the chairs back into their places. This house will soon be on the market and we pack up ALL the wonderful memories and pictures and move to our next chapter in life......One thing is for sure....there will be more family time like this one.......

 Life is short, and life is precious....Make the most of the time you have with family and friends.....I never want to look back and WISH I had spent time with either.....I want to look back and hurt (like I am today) because I miss them so much...............

"I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin (with lyrics)

My sweet Aunt Barbar has been battling cancer for over a year now. We have been sad to hear this news....We considered every added day with her a gift. I had the fortunate opportunity this past July to sit with my sisters and all my Aunts and visit for a long time. Coincidence or God's planning.....

Last night, at the hospice center, all the family had left for the evening. The only people there with Aunt Barbara were my Dad, Katie (my step-mom), and God. Coincidence or God's planning....

My sweet Dad watched my Mom labor in breathing those last few days of her life. He watched my Mom leave this world and enter Heaven. My Step-mom, Katie, watched her spouse, Billy, labor in breathing those last few days of his life. She too, watched him leave this world and enter Heaven. Coincidence or God's planning.....

Chris Tomlin wrote a song, "I Will Rise" that gives us a picture of what Aunt Barbara's last few moments must have been like:
"And I will rise, when HE calls my name.
No more sorry, no more pain.
I will rise on eagles wings. Before my God fall on my
knees, and rise. I will rise."

This song is based on Matthew 11:28, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdended and I will give you rest."

Aunt Barbara, who was weary from a long hard fought battle with cancer, went to see Jesus last night. She now has rest. No more sorrow, no more pain.

I am deeply saddened today. I will miss her terribly at every family reunion, birthday party, swim party, any family gathering. I will miss her wit, humor, and her beautiful smile.

I need not say, "Rest in Peace, Barbara Nell", I believe you are in the loving hands of our Father with my sweet Mother, Billy, and many other family and friends having the "perfect family reunion"....oh I long to see the day when we all get together..what a day of rejoicing that will be!

My prayers are for Barbara's sweet sisters, brother, husband, child, daughter-in-law, and countless other family members that God will give us the comfort only HE can give......

Promise of Grace, not roses

Ever heard the song, Rose Garden?
   I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.  Along with the sunshine, there's got    to be a little rain sometimes.

Recently, I have watched close friends grieve over the lose of a Mother of small children who took her life.  Amazing enough I am hearing statements like this.  "How could she do that to her kids?" "Did they not see the warning signs?"  "Could she possibly go to Heaven?"  Here is an example of someone who was walking in the "little rain sometimes", however, hers was a flood that wouldn't end.  How many times have I been so over-whelmed with financial matters, problems with kids, school, schedules, friends, family.  The lists go on and on....This brings me back to a friend of mine a few years ago that did the same thing.  She was a lovely woman with kids.  I just remember feeling so sad, empty, mad.  I was no different than the friends of this woman.  However, I realized I didn't know what was going on in my friends life behind closed doors.  She had been battling depression and the medicine wasn't working properly.  What I had to do was step back from the hurt of her being gone and realize there is something more to this.  Personally, I have never been on the "suicidal" road before, however, I have past by the exit sign and slowed down.  You are personally at your lowest.  That is when the devil becomes your best friend.  You even get so far gone you think it IS better for my kids, because what I have to offer them is THIS?  The missing piece of the puzzle is Jesus Christ.  He NEVER wants this for you.  Do I believe this woman and my friend are in Heaven because they attempted to "play" God.  Yes, I do.  Their sin is NO different than our sin.  The sin of stepping out of the path God chose for you.  HOW many times have I been guilty of that.  When we are no longer in alignment with God, everything gets out of whack.  Then we have to go to a Chiropractor to get it all lined up again.  God is our chiropractor.  He lines us up and sends us back on the path HE intended for us to go. 

I was listening to my IPOD this morning and Softly and Tenderly by Selah came on.  I grew up on this hymn.   But today, I heard it as it was fresh and new......
          Come home, come home, ye who are weary come home......
I believe my friend and this young mom are home.  Weary no more.  God has cured them of their sickness.  The hard part, is the ones left behind.  I do know, NOTHING good will come out of trying to put her down for what she did.  It's done.  The best gift you can give this mother's family is PRAYER.  God is the ONLY comfort in a time like this.  Don't believe it, just watch a Christian family that just lost a loved one.  I have experienced this first hand.  People don't understand how you function when you just lost your Mom.  God provides GRACE and COMFORT to those who need it and ask for it. 

I ask that you lift up this family in prayer.  There are several children involved in this.  And remember when you are trying to "rationalize" this, step back and remember, you probably don't know the whole story.  You weren't there in her last hours.  BUT, you can be there for the family.  And you can make sure you hug a friend today, you never know if that friend, mom, sister, brother, teacher, or principal is walking in sunshine or little rain......

Excuse me, I need to catch up with the Jones'

This post comes with a warning......It's not nice.  It in no way is a "self help" to better yourself.....It is strictly an.....anything you can do, I can do better.....

I am trying so hard to be a better wife, mom, cook, cleaner, organizer, ....just a better person all around.  I recently had lunch with some of my buddies and one of my girlfriends ask me what I did all day....My husband cooks, the house is never completely clean, I don't work outside the home.  I don't even do the lawn anymore.  So, I started asking myself, "what do I do all day?"  Well, I have seen the latest HGTV "how to  do anything" shows...So, if ever asked, I can remodel a barn house like Sarah Richardson or paint like Carter Can......To take that a bit further, I can spend money like Teresa on Housewives of New Jersey.  I might could even dance like......Kate Gosselin.....

So, I am trying to turn over a new leaf.  I cleaned the house, did the laundry, even set out let-overs for dinner.  My house smelled of fresh pine-sol.  (that is my secret ingredient to make it "smell" like you cleaned)......

There is a Mom at my son's school.  She is everything I am not.  EVERY TIME she comes to school she is well put together.  Make-up on, hair neatly in place, cute clothes, and moving at a pace that shows she is organized.  And then there is me.....yes, I have on makeup, from yesterday, I have on my P.J.'s, and turning in on two wheels with papers flying out and milk spilling all over the car, throwing my kids out the door and telling them, "Run and you won't be late."

This particular woman, we will call Mrs."Get-a-Life"....that's my name for everyone that seems to have it all together.....No, I'm not jealous.....well, maybe a little....okay, yes, I am very jealous..... hence the name calling......

Now, Mrs. Get-a-life has a child the same age as my son.  I have told my son to stay away from that kid, and if he EVER ask you over, you will not go.  And don't even think about asking him to our house.  Because it would take me a year to get my house cleaned......

The day was dark and gloomy....My son got in the car and said these words....Mom, I have been invited to his house for his birthday party....Lightening flashes and a big bolt of thunder sounded... After grounding my son for a year for not listening to me, I eased up (only because my husband said I was crazy for not letting him go) and he said yes.  The day of the party I saw Mrs. Get-a-life walking the campus all put together and asked her if we were still on for tonight....She said she had not been able to do a lot of planning because one of her kids had been sick the night before and they were up all night....At that very moment I realized just how evil I could be......I smiled, toxins were released in my body because I envisioned her house a total mess, kids running around the party asking her, "what's there to do, you didn't plan"..........

On the way to the party  we are in the car, I'm singing, dancing, and telling my son to be polite...After all, this woman is tired, the house is probably a little messy....which all he could say was, "you mean like our house?".....after grounding him AGAIN, I pulled up to her house.....I heard angels pronouncing our arrival....either that or the radio was on.....None the less, the talking stopped.  It was a beautiful home...Not a weed in the yard, cute flowers through out the yard, birds singing and flying around (if I'm a bird, I'm perching here too), and kids everywhere, laughing and playing and having a great time.  I walked in the garage and she opens the door and immediately apologies for the mess in the garage....THE MESS?  the mess was three bikes on the floor and a skateboard.  I acted like it was a big ordeal to walk around them....I got to get my digs in early because I knew what was about to hit me......"The house".....EVERYTHING in place.  It was beautiful.  She had framed artwork from all her kids that looked like they spent a million bucks on  them.  She had cute little sayings on the mirror for them to "better themselves"......and then she showed me her cute little office that was tucked away in a nook...I walked to my car a bit defeated. There is no way I can ever compete with Mrs. Get-a-life.  I drove home with my defeated attitude and pulled into the garage, opened my car door and hit the ladder, tripped over the gas can, and knocked over a can of paint....I'll show you mess!!!!!

I asked myself the question...what would Sarah, Carter, or Teresa do....They would make a cute little office out of a nook....So, that is what I did...The next day, I grabbed my paint can that I had knocked over and painted my little nook....I went so far as to bring wallpaper back....I finished and had a sense of pride.  It was so clean and fresh looking. I even framed some of my kids artwork.  I went into the bathroom to write on the mirror and all I could see were  food particles, I even tried to connect the dots to make a picture...it looked like an elephant....no clever saying needed for that........

Now, moving on to bird feeders...attracts birds that will sing... Also looking for Cake Boss to build me a life size ice cream cake that looks like my son playing baseball  for his birthday....He wants to have a party NOW!! and invite Mrs.Get-a-life's son....My son told me at his friends house, (you know the one that his mother didn't have time to plan), his mother made fun little ice cream sandwiches with choc sprinkles on the sides...Oh, Mom they were so good, she is such a good cook......"Son, you can get those at Wal-Mart already made."  This is what got him grounded again, "I saw her in the kitchen (like that is so foreign to him, seeing a woman in the kitchen cooking) making them".....really, my son, really, you're GROUNDED AGAIN!!!!! 
My Little "Keeping up with the Joneses" Nook...

Side Note:  Mrs. Get-A-Life is beautiful both inside and out, friendly, vivacious, organized, great mom,  loving wife, and child of God....Who wouldn't want to be her.  I am privileged to just to be friends with her.  She is a person you strive to be more like. Perfect, no way, she would tell you that, just trying to live right in an imperfect world....

Summer is over....go get your shoes on....

Summer is officially over and school has officially begun.  We have to go back to schedules, homework, stress, and shoes.  Yes, that's right, shoes.  My boys from an early age, never wanted to wear shoes, so, as a very laid back Mom, I didn't make them.  After all, I don't wear them myself.  As the boys grew up, they continued this process of not wearing shoes.  Even to play outside.  They would play ball outside and run over sweet gum balls to grab the ball and throw it.  OUCH...They would ride their bikes and not wear shoes. 

One year my youngest, Ryan, was playing baseball on his Little League team. He was and is a gifted baseball player.  He can field any ball that comes his way.  He can hit hard.  But then it  comes time to run.  It's like time just stopped.  He runs...no wait, is he running?.....oh....yeah, he's running.....SLOWLY!!!!  So, after the game I gave him all the positive confirmation needed, and then asked, "Honey, are your shoes too small, because it looked like you were having trouble running fast?"  Remember, I would see him playing baseball out in the front yard and no problem with the running there.....He looked at me with those beautiful green/blue eyes and tooth missing, and said, "Do you think the coach would have a problem if I took my shoes off to run the bases?"......"Yes, Honey, I think the coach would have a problem with you taking your shoes off."  We still are working on the shoe issue.

I miss my sweet boys when they go back to school.  For some reason, this year wasn't as sad.  I have been helping out at their school and actually worked the day they started, so it was great being there to watch them walk the halls with their new friends. 

All in all, this year is off to a great start.  They are both happy with their teachers, friends, rules, and schedules......The only problem is ........SHOES.......

Oh life would be so grand if we could walk through life without our shoes.  To feel the coolness of the sand, the hardness of the rocks, and the softness of the carpet.  But we need protection from the ugly elements of nails, splinters, or gum.  This sounds like such a life lesson, however, today, it's not.....It is simply the pure joy of not being bound up with cloth and laces.......

Today, I must wash those wonderful shoes.  Because we forget to wear socks and they stink.  Oh well, one thing at a time. We'll tackle wearing socks another day.  Today, we are happy in our shoes............