July Update

This month has been so full of activity for us I haven't had time to sit and really process any thoughts or post any pictures. So far we've celebrated our 8th anniversary, traveled to Farm Med for the 4th, had a dear friend and her baby visit from afar and begun a massive (for us) project of redoing all of the front yard landscaping. This weekend we're off to the mountains to enjoy some time away camping with our Sunday school class. When we finish up the landscaping and return from camping I hope to get caught up with posting some pictures at least for the benefit of those grandmas out there.

Someone Has to Win It

5 Minutes for Mom is giving away about $300 worth of gift certifcates for Horizon Organic dairy products. At the rate we go through milk and yogurt, this would be a wonderful prize to win! Click the first link for all the details on how to enter.

God Is In The Small Stuff, Too!

This run to the grocery store started like any other: rushing to get the kids to bed and then getting to the store as quickly as possible to pick up the essentials on my list. It is never a great feeling to arrive home from a trip to an empty fridge and need to go to the store, but such was the case. Anyway, as I was nearing the end of my list I headed toward the markdown section of the store just to see if there would be anything we could use. Only God could have orchestrated this bargain find! I stocked up because we did have the money in our account and this would not have to go on the credit card. The total for 1 box and 13 other packages of diapers came to $42.87 plus tax after coupons. These are things we really need now and will continue to need for many more months. God's provision sometimes catches me off guard.

And there was an even more important find tonight. It was the truth that God cares for us even down to our most basic needs like this and that I can always rest in His provision. I needed that reminder. Just last week I found a buy-one-get-one offer for packages of diapers and tried very hard to buy those diapers before the offer expired. I even went to the store three different times because they were out of stock and I was hoping they would restock soon. They never did restock and I came home from the final try a bit downhearted, feeling that even though I was trying to be resourceful my efforts were just not paying off. I was wondering why I even bother to try to save because it seems to be so much work and take time and energy away from other parts of my life. I was really striving to save, but I was not resting in God's provision for us. Does this mean I will give up my strategies to make the most of each dollar? Not entirely, but my perspective has changed. God will continue to provide for our needs and I will rest in that while doing what I can to be a good steward.

No Need To Explain

Lately I've been feeling a lot of need to justify myself, what I do, how I allocate resources, and what activities I am involved in. Mind you, this justification doesn't usually take place in actual conversation with others as much as in my own head. I was tipped off to this pattern I have when I was getting my hair cut at the cheap hair salon chain down the road last week. Although I didn't actually say anything to the stylist to this effect, I was building my defense in my head. I somehow felt judged as not good enough there because it has been more than a couple months since I've been in for a cut and I don't go for anything too trendy or fun. Just cut the hair, ma'am. It happened again last week when I questioned whether it was enough "just" to be a mom, wife and homemaker without adding anything to the family's financial bottom line. And again today when I stood at our front door and explained to the salesman lots of reasons why I didn't want to purchase the baseball ticket package he was selling.

Why do I always feel the need to explain or justify the life I am living? Is it just that I am overly insecure? Maybe. But it is more likely that I am not resting in the grace of Christ, that He alone makes me acceptable and worthy. He has already been my justification so I don't need to seek acceptance in the opinions of others or trying to fit in to a culture that in many ways has gone crazy. When I am resting in His grace alone, I am both confident and humbled. In this position, I can work out the life He has called me to without being distracted by feeling the need to explain myself to gain acceptance or validation. He is more than enough to make me acceptable. And in that fact, I find freedom.

Happy Birthday, Little Boy!

More than a week ago we celebrated Smiley's first birthday but I haven't had the time to post any pictures from that until now. The week following his birthday has been eventful to say the least. One of these events was him falling down a full flight of stairs in our home. We thank God for His protection over our little boy during that fall. He only suffered a scrape on the nose and was otherwise totally fine. In fact, within 15 minutes he was acting as if nothing had happened and was hamming it up with his siblings and full of laughs.

Smiley's birthday party was at a local park outside of the city with little friends and their mommies. On his actual birthday we enjoyed a quiet celebration at home. He was excited to touch his cake, but not eat it. He's still all about baby food and cheerios. We look forward to the day when he takes to table food.

Smiley has been such a great baby and his disposition is so sweet. He is charming, easy-going, fun, content, not to mention so cute! Of course I'm biased, but I'm supposed to be. We surely do love this little boy and can hardly recall life without him in our family.

Bed for a Princess

More than a year ago I found this bed for our little girl at a garage sale for $15. I bought it so quickly that I didn't notice the burn mark on one of the spindles. My intention was to paint it anyway for Sister's room so I wasn't too disappointed when I discovered that flaw once I got it home. So the bed has been sitting in the basement waiting for the day when I would magically know the right process for refinishing such a piece of furniture. That day never came, but I got tired of having that unfinished project hanging over my head so we headed to the local home improvement store and I picked up a quart of Zinsser 1-2-3 primer and a gallon of the cheapest white semi-gloss they had. I cleaned it and sanded it just a bit, then applied a coat of primer. It was then that I noticed the stamps on the back of the headboard that said "Solid Maple" and "Ethan Allen". I almost felt guilty for painting over a quality piece of furniture like this, but then realized I bought it with painting in mind and the burn mark needed attention in one form or another. Three coats of paint later and here is the finished product. I had been aiming for a bed with this look at a fraction of the price.

Now Sister is finally able to use the comforter I finished making for her more than a year ago, too.
Cost: under $35 for everything, with paint and primer to spare for other projects.
Seeing my girl's excitement in having a big-girl bed that isn't sitting on the floor: Priceless.

not-so-Extreme Makeover: Garage Edition

I'll start by saying that this turned out to be more of an "improvement" than a "makeover", but I'm still pleased with the results and have inspiration for some further improvements as the budget allows. Back in February I decided it was time to get the garage in order. I had hoped this little project would take less than a few weeks, but alas, I got sidetracked with other things. To hinder the cause, I was also saving household discards in the garage to give to a garage sale put on by a group of which I am a part. I came to a few realizations during this process. 1) Every home needs a place for things on their way in or out of the household. For us, this place is the garage and that is okay. 2) Done is better than waiting for the best timing to do a perfect and final job. I will have to revisit this project and once again, that's okay. 3) I'm a good starter, but not such a good finisher. I need to work on this for my own sake and for the sake of my family and my household. 4) Don't blog about a project you won't finish in a timely manner....see realization #3.


The total job could have been completed in a day, but because of the donations that needed to wait for the garage sale and recycling which needed to be dropped off, it took much longer. Basically I just put everything away and made specific places for our recycling to be stored as it accumulates so it doesn't get out of control. I also put up some hooks to hold the ladder on the wall and out of the way, swept it out and put down some new drip sheets under our vehicles.


Total time elapsed: way too long, actual work was about 3 hours
Total cost: $2 - for the ladder hooks.


Here are the after photos.
I'm glad that now everything is in relatively good order and we are not tripping over anything to get to the car. And, in keeping with the original goal, our garage is now doing a better job at welcoming us home. I can now cross this item off of my project list, at least for another year.