One Step Closer to the Bedroom Makeover

The smell of new wallboard is a beautiful thing.

As you can tell, we don't finish these projects very quickly. I always remind myself that I am going to have a perfect, completed home in heaven some day. Until then, we will plug away on the weekends that are free of other responsibilities
.
The pink flowered wallpaper with the little cowboys behind it is NOT coming off the wall easily.(this is what we found when we took down the little closet) But Abby is a trooper. She is willing to stick with the job when everyone else is whining.

Show and Tell Friday

It's Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's blog. (even though I am posting on Saturday) This week I am showing my favorite picture/ painting. It is called "The Breaking of the Dawn." It is very serene painting of a farmer coming through the gate to feed the sheep on a snowy morning. It hangs in various locations in my home.

But here's the catch- the painting isn't mine. I check it out of my library every winter, keep it for 3 months, and take it back. If your library decorates its walls with various pieces of artwork, there is a good chance you can take any of them home for a specified number of months.
I have thought about buying this print a number of times but I can't find a frame and mat that I like better than this one from the library. It is fun to search around antique stores and ebay for a similar copy.

What's Been Happening?

Lets see.......
~Doctor's appointments (more than I care for our family to have)
~The Christmas/New Years/Valentine family letter finally went out!
~School
~Dutch Blitz. This is not a game to be played late in the evening. Parents lose very badly after 8:30 pm.
~Evenings reading (more on that later)
~Yesterday we tried to see how much we could possibly cram into one day. Two girls went downhill skiing for the first time. The other two girls went ice skating and then to gym and swim. Then we all met for dinner at my in-laws house because my brother-in-law came for a visit.
~We exchanged Christmas gifts with my brother-in-law. I believe Christmas is NOW officially over.
~I am once again trying to read through the Bible in a year. Somehow, I always get hung up in April. I have started again with new zeal and as an extra bonus, a friend checks up on me once a week to make sure I'm staying on goal.

P.S. Have you ever played Spidar Solitare on the computer? Set a timer. It can be addictive on a cold, winter's evening.

So Many Books, So Little TIme

Short days, long nights, bitter cold- winter in New York! The upside is that these conditions add up for great winter reading. So much so, I've forgotten to blog! Here are some titles on my nightstand:

Financial Peace Revisited

I ordered this book from the library about a year ago. I had forgotten about it when it came in last week. This was quite timely considering it is the new year and we do hereby resolve to make some changes before we sink into the pit of fuel despondency. What a great book! I think I am going to have my older girls read it. Some of the chapters I could have written myself, but being reminded of these principles again keep me on track. Well, I'm now a Dave Ramsey fan.

Passionate Housewives- Desperate for God

I wasn't sure if I wanted to start this book. I love the authors. I had the pleasure of meeting Stacey McDonald two years ago and enjoyed time and conversations with her. I very much appreciate the work of Jeannie Chancey and her website Ladies Against Feminism. However, I was not wanting to read a book this month that made me feel..... well, inferior. (I'm in serious need of sunshine and some Vitamin D!) This book was far from discouraging. It made me want to "gird up my loins" and continue to "fight the good fight."

Growing in Wisdom and Faith by Elizabeth George

We are using this study on the book of James in our mother/daughter Bible study. Is it really possible to be praise God through our trials.

Our Free Ride is Over

It's official. Hubby and I used the last of our gift cards last night. Tom won tickets at work for the symphony orchestra and we used the a gift certificate for a local Greek restaurant. So, that was it. We will now have to actually pay money for any date nights.

They say that 1/3 of the gift cards purchased will not be redeemed. Not so in our house. Ours gift cards were redeemed by the middle of January! Christmas is officially over.

Something New for Dinner

I finally made this recipe. It seems to be a favorite among big families and teenagers. We loved it.
Cheeseburger Soup

½ lb. Lean ground beef
4 C. diced potatoes
¾ C. chopped onion
¼ C. flour
¾ C. shredded carrots
8 ox. American cheese, cubed (2 C.)
¾ C. diced celery
1 ½ C. milk
1 tsp. Basil
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp. Dried parsley flakes
¼ to ½ tsp. Pepper
4 T. margarine, divided
¼ C. sour cream
3 C. chicken broth
In a 3-quart saucepan brown beef; drain and set aside. In same saucepan, sauté onion, carrots, celery basil and parsley in 1-tablespoon margarine until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining margarine. Add flour; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly, add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend sour cream into mixture.

Show and Tell Friday

It's Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's blog.

This week I have worked on a display of pictures in the stairway. I have never decorated this area of our home, so it was time. I got the picture/plaque for Christmas. I says, "All Because Two People Fell in Love." Then I placed family photos under it. Now I know why people put family pictures up the stairway or in the hallway. It is a joy to pass by these memories as I trudge up and down the stairs with laundry or the vacuum cleaner!

Hallelujah! It's a January Thaw!

The snowman disrobed.The snow fort walls caved in. 65 degree weather in New York. We're grilling out tonight!

We Were Just Going to Paint the Wall......

....but when we took down a piece of paneling, there was some nasty black glue that would not come down unless the wall came down. So......And while we're at it, we should go ahead and take down the closet too.....

...and look what was behind the paneling in the closet- pink flowered wallpaper covering up cowboys and horses. How sweet!!!!! Wrong. That's out of here too.
So far we have not found any hidden boxes full of cash or GE stocks. We'll let you know if we discover any treasure. If so, this house will be up for sale!

Would You Call This An Obsession?

We love tote bags and use them a lot! We have all 3 sizes from Land's End. The large ones are for overnight stays, homeschool conferences, book sales, co-op lessons and days at the lake. I own the middle-sized tote and Abby and I both have the smallest one. Abby uses her small tote a lot but it is just a little too small for me. My coupons fit in it just fine but it is too small for my Bible and notebook to take to church. I wanted something in between. So we made the switch to LLBean to buy the small tote with long handles. Four of them came in the mail today. They are just the right size for church items!

Yep, I think we're obsessed.

Happy New Year!!!

We had a nice evening with people at church on New Years Eve, with a meal, sharing time, dessert and games. Carissa and Abigail played piano pieces which we refer to as their winter recital. There was a fun group game of Pictionary and then a ROUSING game of Dutch Blitz. Due to being so wound up from Dutch Blitz, Tom and I actually stayed up until midnight!

New Years Day was truly beautiful. We had one of those snows with big flakes that stick to the trees. But the roads were clear and the family was able to get to Panera Bread and enjoy soup and sandwiches thanks to a gift card from a friend. Oh, and a trip to Michaels gave us an opportunity to pick up $1 scrapbooking clearance items. (Have I mentioned that the scrapbooking obsession continues?)

Later that evening after the family spent time in God's Word and in prayer, I was reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." This is the verse I will claim for the new year.