Non-Conventional Bed Frame

My son’s loft bed would have taken up a huge amount of space in the new bedroom.  So, sadly, moving that in wasn’t really an option. 

But since he wanted to move in right away, I decided to try something on a whim.

My husband left two very large book cases in the room that wouldn’t fit in his new office space.  One was exactly the size of a twin mattress.  See where I’m going?  Lol!

We put that shelf on it’s back and flopped the mattress on top.  Then we slid it up against the larger bookshelf.  Instant bed and headboard!

I was concerned at first that the shelves of the “frame” might not stay upright.  I still think I need to put a couple tiny screws in the side of each shelf to keep them from shifting or collapsing to the bottom.  But with two days of flouncing and sleeping without any mishaps, I’m thinking this is a great temporary bed. 

And a bonus?  He has lots of dust-free storage under his bed!  That is, if he doesn’t mind lifting his mattress to get to it!  Lol!  Good thing he’s young and strong!

Oh, the things we mom’s will do…

Come See!! The First Bedroom Is Now Complete!

Whew!  I really pushed yesterday.  But I’m so glad I did!  As you can see, we picked two shades of grey as our color scheme.  If you are just stopping by today, and don’t know what the room looked like before, scroll down—or click here.

The crown molding looks SO much better in the dark grey.  The painted-brown-look from before detracted from the room, in my opinion.

We don’t have a desk yet.  But for now, we placed two low bookshelves in a T-shape to conserve space.  Then we topped it with a scrap piece of plywood which I painted to match the molding.  Not bad!

The chair was made by my dad’s pop-pop.  So as old-fashioned as it is, it’s still a keeper.  I’m thinking of letting my son paint it pewter to go with his room, though.  What do you think?  One part of me hates to put paint on such an antique.  But the other part realizes it is a functional chair that I think my son would appreciate more.

The fan blades were walnut grain and “old” looking.  So I took it apart and painted them dark grey to match the molding.  Now instead of being an eyesore, the fan is one of my favorite parts of the room!  I think it makes the room brighter, too. 

Oh, and the bed?  It isn’t really a bed.  We don’t have a frame.  But since I forgot to take pictures, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see how we managed! 

We still need an armoire since there is no closet in this room. 

And there are still two bedrooms to re-do!  Onward and upward!  Isn’t that what they say?  Lol!  My other sons are hoping their rooms turn out as well!

Today Is Painting Day!!!

We’re making progress on our project!  We have the office all cleaned out.  The holes are filled.  And it’s ready to paint!  It has gone from this…

To This…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night (yes, Easter Sunday night), my oldest son and I made a trip to Walmart to pick out colors.  The store was practically empty. 

Which worked in our favor.  :)  

With so few customers in the store, the woman working in the painting department not only mixed our paint.  She helped us pick out an accent color from the 1/2 price shelf and then took us to the curtain department to show us a set of curtains she thought would go perfectly!  How cool was that?  She was SO helpful to us!

I should have asked if she wanted to come over today to help us paint!  Lol!  I’m sure we would have had an awesome time.  :)

I’m excited to be at this point.  Not that I enjoy painting all that much.  But I’ve caught the vision!  Lol!

So today is painting day!  Yeah!

Come back tomorrow and see pictures of it all done!  (There’s nothing better for (my) motivation than knowing that there are a bunch of friends waiting to see the end result!!)

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

What A Few Spring Storms Can Do: Some Before and After Pictures Of Our Pond

Remember our pond project?  I say “our” pond very loosely.  It’s not really ours at all.  Situated just feet from our property line, it borders what used to be our backyard bog. 

My husband helped to excavate the pond and re-grade the surrounding land to drain into it.  So our neighbor is happy to let us enjoy it.  :) 

For all of you who are new, here is a quick walk through the project.  Below, you can see the piles of dirt begin to mount.

Here, my husband (in the loader, left) and my neighbor (in the backhoe) are working to get it deep enough, and to get the sides sloped just the way they wanted them.  They managed to get it more than 14 feet deep in the middle. 

Several other neighbors and family members helped as well.  They planted grass seed, blew in straw, and arranged a few stumps in the bottom for the fish to gather around. 

The sun and rain did the rest.  By May of last year, it had become a beautiful oasis, stocked with blue gills, bass and catfish.

However, the drought took the water level down dramatically.  As we headed into winter, we all hoped it was still deep enough for the fish to survive.

This spring, there has been no shortage of rain. 

With last night’s storms, the pond is now poised to overflow it’s banks!  If you look closely, you can see a goose along the back of the pond.  It’s amazing how quickly the level came up! 

It’s a slightly different perspective.  But you can get the idea.  Isn’t it amazing?

Family Movie Night This Weekend On Fox!

The latest in the Family Movie Night series is set to air on Saturday April 16th at 8/7c on Fox.  Although I haven’t had the chance to preview this movie, I have read good things about it.  :) 

The following is part of an email I received this week from a marketing director.

“Truth Be Told is lighthearted and entertaining, yet it is also a poignant story about the pitfalls of compromising your integrity to achieve your goals, no matter how honorable those goals may be.  It highlights how being honest may occasionally have consequences, but it’s what builds character and earns the trust of others.”

Values at play in the story include:

• Ambition & Personal Achievement
  The desire, motivation and determination to achieve goals in life.
• Personal Integrity
  Living the values, beliefs and principles you claim to hold. It involves having consistency in character, maintaining an internal sense of honesty and being truthful regarding your motivations and actions.
• Moral Courage
  Bravely doing the right thing even when you are faced with great temptation or seemingly impossible choices.
  

It sounds like it could be very good!  Spread the word and set your DVR!  :) I’m all in favor of supporting movies made with family values in mind!

Cherry Blossoms

From the kitchen table looking out, or from the road looking in, the cherry blossoms are beautiful, and I could sit and look at them all day!

Up close, they are even prettier. 

I hear-by invite you all to my porch for a cup of tea.  Or coffee. Or whatever you like.  :)  We can sit and chat and enjoy the blossoms.  I’ll provide the warm oatmeal cookies.  Just bring your jacket.  It’s chilly outside today!

They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive (as) the grain, and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. 

Hosea 14:17

Review: GoBible VOYAGER, A Digital Audio Bible

When I was in Bible college, I would have LOVED to have had this audio Bible!  One of the hardest assignments of any class was to read each book of the Bible 10 or even 20 times before the final exam.

For a slow reader, that was a daunting task.  It would have been wonderful to use my weekend commutes or my daily jogs to get in more reading time. 

You might think I live under a rock, but I didn’t know such a thing existed before representatives contacted me to look at their newly updated device, the GoBible. 

And I’ve been totally impressed with it!  It’s worlds better than the audio cassettes my husband purchased years ago.

Let me tell you what the Voyager GoBible has, or can do, and then I’ll tell you what I think.  It has:

• A complete, pre-loaded New International Version of the Bible narrated by Charles Taylor.
• Indexing at the verse level, allowing users to begin play, repeat, or bookmark any one of the Bible’s 31,000-plus verses.
• A story index of 230 Bible stories
• A topic index to search for scriptural insight on 30 different emotions or circumstances
• A Bible-in-a-Year Plan
• A Holiday/Event Index
• 36 personal bookmarks
• Carrying case, earphones, universal headset jack
• 3 gigabytes of storage for music or other downloads
• “Hear and See” capability with Bible text on screen to support the spoken word
• Rechargeable “AAA” battery, with USB and standard electrical cords.

What I Like:

I LOVE the convenience!  Being able to listen while working, walking, relaxing, or just about anything, is wonderful.  I find myself in the Word a whole lot more.

I love the indexing.  It’s easy to go directly to the passage you want.

Between the simple directions, and playing around with the buttons, it was easy to use.  (Digital things and I don’t always get along!)

The voice is natural and easy to listen to--not computerized. 

The size is just right for a pocket.  And the “lock button” feature keeps you from accidentally pushing a button.

I like that you can read the text on the screen if you want while you listen, and that it scrolls automatically.

The backlight is nice for reading along or navigating the menu at night.  You can set it to be “always on”, or to turn out automatically after so many seconds.

The battery life seems great!  And I like that it’s rechargeable.

The story index is a wonderful idea!  It makes choosing a listening selection easy for everyone—especially children.

And finally, on that note, I love that my kids enjoy listening to it!

My oldest, 13, will sometimes snag it on his way to bed.  A few nights ago he said, “Mom, THIS is the kind of Bible I want.  I think I would really use it more than that new study Bible we were looking at.”

My youngest (who is six) sat listening the other night during soccer practice and then all the way home.  Periodically, he would (loudly) announce some new thing he had just learned. :) He started at the beginning and was on Genesis 22 by the time we got home! 

Things I Wish Were Different:

I wish it had a belt clip on the back.  I don’t always have pockets in which to put it.  Perhaps their “traveler” models do.

I wish it had a search feature that allowed you to enter your own search query.

The ear buds won’t stay in my ears.  (Probably just my ear shape.)  And there is no built-in speaker.  So you need headphones to listen.   I just borrowed a set from my kids.

I think it would be neat if the reading was dramatized.  When I started to compare it to others on the market, I found that some audio versions are (dramatized, that is).  It would make it even more enjoyable and appealing—especially to the kids!

The price listed on their website seems a bit much to me, at $99.95.  In spite of how useful I think it is, I’m afraid it might make it out of reach for some of the very people it could benefit most.  Like seniors on a fixed income.  So I looked around a little and did find it on CBD (Christian Book Distributers) for $89.99 with free shipping.

My Conclusion: 

We are really enjoying it!  In this age of digital media, adults and children alike will find it a convenient way to access Scripture.  I think it has a special appeal to Moms like me who would welcome the chance to listen while they work.

Side note:

I've shown the GoBible Voyager to lots of friends and they all REALLY like it.  Most, like me, didn’t know there was such a thing.  They like its convenience and portability.  Unfortunately, all of them have had the same surprised reaction to the price.  Maybe that just goes to show how sheltered we moms are!

One friend sited the many free or low cost cell phone Bible apps as the reason she wouldn’t buy one.  So I looked at the applications available on my network. 

My only thoughts on apps are that many of them request/require access to things that I think should be private on my cell phone, like, who I am calling and for how long.  (Why does an app need access to that, anyway??) For this reason, a dedicated listening device seems safer to me.

What’s your take on an audio Bible like the GoBible?  Would you buy one for yourself or as a gift for someone you know?  And because I can’t help asking, what do you think of the growing number of phone apps and their fine print?

I received a GoBible Voyager free of charge to review.  However, when I agree to do a review, I give my honest opinions, whether good or bad, no matter the offer.  Because I know you want the truth!  :) I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Way Different Than Last Spring!

Last Spring, my husband was spending large chunks of time overseas for work.  At home, I was juggling two separate soccer schedules and doing the lions share of driving on my own.  Yuck.  We made out fine.  However, I remember feeling mostly stressed, and my husband missed most of the soccer season.      

This year, the boys are playing on the same team, and my husband is able to travel with us to the games.  It’s amazing the difference those two things make!  I love having my husband come to the games.  And having them both on one team cuts down on the craziness of juggling game times.

This weekend, the boys played their first two games.  Saturday’s was 2 hours away. 

When we left home, it was mild and sunny.  When we got to the field, it was rainy and blustery.  That’s Indiana weather for you!

We scavenged every blanket and jacket we could from the car, and still froze!  Thankfully, we  had two umbrellas, which helped shield the wind.  The players were trading off sweatshirts as they were rotated in.

To spite the weather, they won the game by a score of 5-1!  It’s always great to start the season with a win.

I took a bunch of pictures during the second half when the rain stopped.  My oldest is on the far left above. 

My middle son (below) was delighted to have his picture taken.

Doesn’t he look delighted? :)

Yesterday’s game was much warmer and only an hour away.  The game started out looking like they were going to get slaughtered.  The score at half time was 3-0. 

However, they came back the second half with two goals of their own and made the last five minutes a nail-biter.  Several times they nearly tied it. 

Still, it was a great game, and my two played harder than I’ve ever seen them play.  Even the coaches commented on their personal games.

It’s wonderful to have such an encouraging coaching staff! And it’s really nice to be able to go to games as a family!

What did you do this weekend?

I Could Use Your Advice!

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Focus On The Family’s Adventures In Odyssey. 

Here’s my question:  Which CD or collection of CD’s would you start with if you are going to introduce them to a new listener?

I’m pretty sure my youngest son would enjoy listening to some of these episodes and I am looking at making a purchase.  But there are SO many choices out there, I don’t know where to start!

Any advice you could give me would be really appreciated!  Feel free to share your memories of these fun listening adventures, too.  There may be some readers who have never heard of them!

Spring Storms, Flowers, And A Faith That Stands

I love Spring!  With as much rain as we got yesterday, we ought to have a bumper crop of flowers!  They stood like islands in the yard, seemingly unaffected, as the storm water rose. 

I like to think that our children will weather the storms of life just as well.

School Update:

Thankfully, the boys’ first day back to school went without incident.  Police officers patrolled the halls throughout the day.  Unfortunately, there was yet another threat of violence after school to be investigated. 

It’s probably just a prank.  However it can’t be ignored.  School officials are pleading with parents to talk with their children about the seriousness of making threats.  Recess has been cancelled and crosswalks closed for the remainder of the year.  And attendance is understandably down.  No one feels quite safe.

Pray for our community, yes. 

But pray, too, for the youth of our country.  So many children and youth lack the parental guidance they desperately need. 

On the Friday of the shooting, kids with texting lit up the phones of the adults in their lives, looking for reassurance and a roll model on which to pattern their response.  There is a spiritual battle going on for their hearts and minds.  If we don’t tip the scales on the side of faith, who will?  If we don’t point them to God, which way will they go?  To whom will they turn?

God has opened a door in our little community to talk about the tough stuff.  Kid’s want to know what to think and who they can count on.  But it isn’t just here. 

Vivid reports of disasters and wars bombard our youth more than ever.  And they have questions and fears about what it means for them.  Whether you have children or not, you can influence the young people God has placed in your path. 

When an adult is too busy to listen, an opportunity is lost for all eternity.

But when he or she stops to listen, a lifeline is cast.  A bridge is built.  And a seed can be planted.  A seed that, with care, can grow the kind of faith that can weather any storm.

Winner Announced!

I can’t believe I almost forgot to post the winner of a copy of Rebecca St. James’ new CD!  Sorry guys!  With it being the boys’ first day back to school since the shooting, it totally slipped my mind until just a few minutes ago! 

But no more waiting!  Mari, you’re the lucky winner!  Congratulations!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!  Rebecca’s CD is due to be released tomorrow.  So for those of you who didn’t win, look for it in stores soon!  

Friday Funnies

It always feels good to laugh, and this is pretty funny.  For those of you who haven’t seen it on face book yet…

A WOMAN GOES BACK TO WORK AFTER THIRTY YEARS... THE VIDEO IS ONLY 4 SECONDS LONG, SO
WATCH CAREFULLY.
IF YOU'RE YOUNGER THAN 40 YEARS OLD YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150133277448633

(Thanks, Penny, for “liking” your friend’s link and giving me the best laugh I had all week!)

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of Rebecca St. James’ brand new CD!

School Shooting Update:  I know this doesn’t go with Friday Funnies, but some of you will want to know.  The boy who was shot at my sons’ middle school is now listed in fair condition, upgraded from critical—which is a huge praise!  He is awake, off the ventilator, and able to talk quietly.  Unfortunately, due to the severity of his injuries as well as the surgeries to repair them, he will not be allowed to eat or drink anything for four to six weeks.  He still has a long journey to recovery.

Further Prayer Request:  There has been another (shooting) threat to our high school and two middle schools for Monday 4-4-11.  This was to be the kids’ first day back since their classmate was shot on March 25th.  Police and school officials are meeting to discuss how to handle it.   Pray for wisdom for all involved, and that whoever made the threat would be discovered and apprehended.  The children really need to feel safe again.  And we need to know they will BE safe.