Class Party!!!

I plan to crash a party today.  Want to join me?  Lol!

One of the papers I signed at the beginning of the school year was a volunteer sheet for class parties. 

I haven’t heard anything from anyone confirming my status as a room mom, or assigning me a task.  So I’m not sure if my paperwork made it through all the channels.  And today is the kindergarten fall party.

Hmmm.

When my older boys were in elementary school, my hands were full with a new little baby.  Who grew into a squirming unpredictable toddler.  And by the time I felt I could take him along and volunteer, the administration had made the rule that no preschool siblings could tag along with a room mom.  I can understand why.  None-the-less,  Bah-Hum-Bah.

The boys and I were pretty disappointed.

Now that they are in middle school, having mom show up at school isn’t on their top ten lists of things they want to happen.  Don’t ask me why.  It’s not like I haul a camera around snapping pictures or anything.  :)

So to make the long story short, I’m going to this party today.  The school has a current background check on file, and I’ve been waiting for the chance to get more involved for six years.  :)

In fact, I plan to attend everything I can with my last little boy—while he still wants me to—with or without an official badge of “Room Mom.”

Does that make me a class-party-crasher?  :)  And does anyone want to come with me??  Hee-Hee!  

He’s going to dress as a Scare Crow for their little parade.

This is a picture I took of him in our homemade costume two years ago.  Naturally, I’ll take my camera to get an updated photo. 

Wouldn’t you?    

Note:  Because of the storms that blew across the country, my visiting parents ended up staying an extra day.  They arrived home safely yesterday afternoon.  Your prayers for their safe trip were greatly appreciated!

Pictures!

I’m almost at the end of my blogging break.  But I thought I’d drop in with some pictures of what’s been happening in my little nook of Indiana.

First, we completed our second porch just before my parents arrived from Pennsylvania.  Here are some pictures of us scurrying around to wrap up the project!

It was absolutely beautiful weather to be working outside.  And the trees were beautiful, too.  :)

The boys all chipped in, holding, fetching, and hammering.  It really was an all-out family effort.  The little guy even got his own set of tools and tool belt--just his size.  Oh my goodness, he was cute!  All serious about his work!

We’re so glad we finished in time for Mom and Dad’s visit.  It was worth all the late nights hammering away.

Here’s a picture of the finished porch with deck, looking out into the trees.

Mom and Dad are sure enjoying it!  And so are we!

The favorite activity is, of course, checkers.  I took this picture looking out through the patio door. 

We say goodbye to my folks tomorrow morning.  They will be leaving in what is looking like some pretty stormy weather, according to the forecasters.  We need the rain.  But I wish they didn’t have to drive in it.  Keep them in your prayers!  They plan to break their trip into two days.

Then I’ll be back to find some sort of normal schedule again.  And hopping around to see what I’ve been missing with all of you!

Hugs!

Forgiveness

 

Last night, a hullabaloo broke out in the sunroom.  And this little guy ran crying to his room. 

My husband beat me to the scene of the crime, where my oldest son still fumed and spouted. 

I breathed a prayer for wisdom when I saw what was causing the ruckus.

A Lego vehicle requiring three books of instructions to complete, had rolled off a table and lay jumbled on the floor.

The little guy said it was an accident.  My oldest said he did it on purpose.  Either way, what was done was done.

Who do we console first??

I felt sympathy for my oldest, who had spent hours on the vehicle.   However, I felt compassion for my puffy-eyed little guy, who’s sensitive heart had just withered at the angry words of his brother. 

The hour that followed held several heart-to-heart conversations. 

Although we were sympathetic, my oldest needed to be held accountable for the crushing things he had said in anger. 

My little guy needed assurance that his big brother wouldn’t stay “mad” forever.  And that he wasn’t the terrible-no-good-rotten-little-brother he felt like he was.

Forgiveness can be a tough thing.  Because, whether you are forgiving your little brother, or forgiving yourself, you have to do it all the way to reap the benefit. 

Holding on to even a fringe of bitterness or guilt can derail the healing process. 

When God forgives us, it is completely, and forever.  And His love never wavers.

You are a forgiving God, Gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love…

Nehemiah 9:17

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12

Amen??

I talked with my little guy about making things right with his brother, and with God if he needed to.    

Then, in response to my little guy’s wish to feel assured of God’s forgiveness, I offered to lead him in prayer.  My middle son, who had joined us, asked to say it too.  Each one, in turn, asked Jesus to come into his heart, forgive him completely, and be his Lord and Savior.

Although both said similar prayers before, they each seemed unsure about what they had done. 

As all three of us said, “Amen,”  their smiles left little doubt that this time, they understood completely. 

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing.

My Bargain…Did You Guess?

I looked everywhere for a swing I could hang on my new little porch last week.  All with no luck.  The stores are done with outdoor furniture, I suppose. 

But I did find this!

Menards had one unfinished log swing left in a box upstairs in their clearance area!  It is too large to put on our porch.  So it will eventually find a permanent home back by the pond.  For now, it sits by our porch, waiting for a coat of stain. 

It was only $59.00!  I don’t think that was a bad price, was it?  :)  We are enjoying it right where it is!

Though, of course, I like to sit upright when I swing, Lol!  Anyone want to join me for a cup of Pumpkin Spice Coffee?  I could so use a break with a friend!  What do you say, an afternoon coffee break around three?

This next week will probably find me just as hard-pressed as the last two weeks to get anything posted here. 

We have that soccer tournament this weekend, and then my parents arrive next week from Pennsylvania for a visit.  We only get to see them twice a year, so everyone is excited!

For the last few days, I’ve focused on readying the house. 

• My little guy’s room has been converted to a guest room.  (He’s happily camping out in our room.)
• I’ve installed a few safety items in the guest bath. 
• I made several batches of breakfast cakes and cookies to put in the freezer.
• I got out the fall decorations (as per my middle son’s demands) and peppered them around the house.
• And I’m presently working on removing some of our area rugs that pose tripping hazards.  That wouldn’t be a big deal. But in exasperation, I went and nailed them all down a while back (don’t laugh!).  The boys kept shifting them across the room during their wrestling matches. 

When I roll all those rugs up, the clean spots beneath them will no doubt make the rest of the carpet look filthy.  Sigh.  But I’m not planning on hauling the shampooer out.  There are too many other things on my list.

This evening, I’m dragging the boys along to the store to restock our pantry.  They will be thrilled, of course!!  (Not!)  But my boys do like to eat, and with all the building projects going on, I’ve just about used up all my reserves.  Plus, I doubt my parents would like to be served expired beans and stale crackers, Lol!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know why the posts are so sparse around here.  I’ll be back before you know it, clogging your readers with my rambling thoughts.

I’ll also be announcing several cool giveaways!  If you like inspirational family films, you’ll definitely want to check back in a week or so! 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!

Sweet Porch Progress!

This past weekend, my husband finished building the deck under our new little porch!  It looks really nice!

And we are already loving it!  Sitting right here, we can now watch the boys play soccer in the yard.  And the weather has been just perfect! This is one of the views.  :)

After the boys are in bed, we’ve been sneaking back out to sit for a spell.  I wish the warm fall nights could last forever!  Last night we listened to several barred owls calling back and forth to each other.  We also heard a pack of coyotes not far off in the woods. 

I really enjoy living out in the country.

Later this week, my boys have a soccer tournament.  They went undefeated during the season, and we very proud of how they all worked together.  It promises to be a fun soccer-filled weekend!

Then, next Wednesday, my parents are driving in from Pennsylvania for a visit.  The boys have off from school Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for fall break.  So it will be a fun time of visiting!  I suspect there will be checker tournaments and campfires, scrabble games and movie nights. 

After all the long hours and hard work we’ve been putting in on the porch projects, we’re excited to be able to just “hang out” next week. 

If I get time today, I want to take some pictures of the bargain I found at Menards!  I’m not telling you what it is, but I’ll give you a hint.  It’s made of wood and will be the perfect place in which to enjoy the fall leaves around the pond.  :)

Our New Roof…Before and After Pictures

Wednesday morning, a crew of 12 roofers descended on our house.  Plus several boss men. 

In a matter of minutes, we realized that replacing the fascia boards while they worked was going to be extremely hard.  We would never be able to keep up! 

Especially when, minutes after starting, my husband had an accident on the ladder!  One of the 16 foot boards, which he was removing from above the garage, pulled off unexpectedly.  It took him and the ladder down to the cement in a hurry. 

Besides his foot, arm and shoulder, he conked his head pretty good. 

It was NOT a good way to start the day!

In spite of my worries, and determined to keep going,  he went right back to work.

Ten minutes later, four friends in tool belts showed up to lend a hand.  Our neighbors are SO wonderful!  I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I was to see them!

Although my husband worked along with them for a few hours, by noon he had no choice but to sit down.  His foot was hurting a lot.   My nurse friend felt pretty sure it wasn’t broken, which is good.  Because there was no way I was going to convince him to leave while all this work was going on.

Thankfully, all the work we hoped to accomplish was finished by yesterday afternoon. 

Here are a few before and after pictures of the work.  I think the new roof and trim look nice!

Front: Before new trim and roof.

Front: After.

Back: Before porch and new roof.

Back: After.

Our porches aren’t finished.  But we’re thankful to be this far.

*  *  *

My husband returned to work this morning.  He is still limping around on that foot.  If it doesn’t start getting better soon, I’m going to have to drag him in get it checked out.  Pray for wisdom there.  He really hates to go to the doctor.  What man doesn’t??

Thank you all so much for your prayers!

And have a wonderful weekend!

Tomorrow Is The Big Day! Prayers Appreciated!!

Don’t you hate it when the scope of a job becomes a living growing thing?  And the cost seems to multiply right along with it?  We’re kind of in the thick of a situation like that now.

What began as a simple addition and roof project has been expanded.  While removing the fascia on the sunroom between the new porches, we discovered a problem. 

The original builders used pine boards instead of cedar.  And besides not weathering well, carpenter bees have made Swiss cheese out of them.  And it appears to be the same around the whole house.

Where there is gutter, the wood was never even treated beneath them. 

As much as we hate to, we really need to replace it all.  In a perfect world, we would have had plenty of time to do that before the roofers come tomorrow morning.

But it’s just not going to happen. 

For the past several weeks, my husband has had to put in extra long days at work to keep a highly visible job on schedule.  So, we’ve been working on the project by spot lights after he finally drags himself home.  Fun, right?  Lol!  Not really.

Last night, three friends worked with my husband (using spot lights) to tear off the hardest to reach boards and get them replaced.  Because of the height and the overhang, they had to lean over the roof to do the job.

I found it kind of stressful to watch.  But, they managed to stay safe and do a great job!  Again, we are SOOO very thankful for wonderful neighbors!

But there is still lots more to do, and the rest will have to be done while the roofers work. 

One way or another, my husband will see that the work gets done.  But it is going to be a super crazy busy next few days, and I would really really covet your prayers, especially for him.

Pray:

• For safety for all.
• That he’ll be able to locate the (still) needed cedar lumber and supplies tonight.  (We bought out every decent board our local Lowes had last week.)  And that we’ll get a decent price.  Obviously, this wasn’t in our budget.
• That the roofers will be willing to work around and with us.
• That my husband will be able to manage his project at work, as well as this project, without loosing his mind or his job.  :) 
• That we’ll not forget anything important, and that we’ll be able to rest in the fact that God is in control.  Even of the unexpected.

Thanks friends!

October’s Interesting Holidays ;)

I didn’t find September’s wacky list till I had missed a bunch of really good ones.  So let’s mark our calendars early this month!  Lol! 

Here are some fun ones.

October

3…Virus Appreciation Day  (Snort!  What do you think?  I’m glad I’m a day late for this one!!)

4…National Frappe Day. 

5…Do Something Nice Day. 

5…World Teacher's Day.  (Yay teachers!)

6…Come and Take it Day. 

6…Mad Hatter Day.

7…Bald and Free Day.  (Lol!  Alrighty,  who’s gonna shave their head??)

7…World Smile Day.   

9…Curious Events Day.  (Curious things happen all the time around here.  Like (all) the wheels disappearing off my canister vacuum.  What I want to know is when Mystery-Solved Day is.  When I finally find out who knocked them off, and where they hid them!)

9…Fire Prevention Day. 

9…Moldy Cheese Day.  (I’m probably prepared to celebrate that one today!)

10…National Angel Food Cake Day.  (My husband’s favorite cake!)

11…It's My Party Day.  (I’m serving Chocolate and Coffee with Pumpkin Spice Creamer.  You’re invited!!!!)

11…Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day.  (I’d love to see the look on my husband’s face if I tucked a teddy bear in his brief case.  :)  You with me?)

12…Cookbook Launch Day.  (I wonder what this one is all about?)

12…Old Farmer's Day. 

12…Moment of Frustration Day.  (Lol!!!  Story of my LIFE!!)

13…International Skeptics Day.  (But, would they be too skeptical to celebrate?)

14…Be Bald and Free Day.  What?  Two of these holidays?  I guess, if you went to the trouble of shaving your head for the first one, you might as well get two days to celebrate it!  Lol!)

14…National Dessert Day.   (Halleluiah!)

16…Bosses Day. 

16…Dictionary Day. 

17…Wear Something Gaudy Day.  (No wise cracks from my boys, now.)

18…No Beard Day.  (Confession:  I have never, EVER seen the face of my husband without a beard.  And I’ve known him almost 15 years.)

19…Evaluate Your Life Day. 

20…Brandied Fruit Day.  (As if I had brandy.)

21…Babbling Day.  (What??  Only one day a month?!)

21…Count Your Buttons Day.  (I’m guessing they don’t mean belly.)

21…National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day.  (Maybe I’ll just have coffee with the Pumpkin Spice Creamer.)

22…National Nut Day. 

23…Make a Difference Day-  fourth Saturday of the month, an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors.

23…National Mole Day.  (I can’t believe someone would make a holiday like this.  I say, blow them up!  Nasty, nasty critters!  We have giant moles which cause incredible destruction in our yard.)

24 …Mother-In-Law Day - fourth Sunday in October.

24…National Bologna Day.  

25…Punk for a Day Day.  (Does this mean I get to spike my hair??)

29…Hermit Day. 

30…National Candy Corn Day.  (You can have the candy corn.  I’m going for the chocolate!)

30…Mischief Night.  (I’m happy to say, I’ve not heard that term since I was in grade school.  Do kids still soap windows on mischief night?)

31…Carve a Pumpkin Day.

31…Halloween

31…Increase Your Psychic Powers Day.  (Um?)

 

There you have it, friends.  The unofficial list of October’s holidays.  I hope you can find a few reasons to celebrate this month!  Lol!  If any of you shave your heads, I want to see pictures!!!

You can find a complete list at Holiday Insight.

Have a wonderful Monday!!