Monday, June 28, 2010

the bathroom remodel take 2

Well I was wanting to pace myself with the demolition of the old bathroom this week. Today's agenda was get it all cleaned out, take off the mirror, take the border down and possibly rip up the linoleum.

I had remembrances from another set of linoleum (click here)

So the day started well, the top layer of the border came off quick. Next came the mirror. I didn't know what to do with it but thought I may keep it. Not after it slipped and shattered into a gazillion pieces. Extra clean up isn't fun. Then I worried about the kids getting cut. Argh!

  It's gone.

So around 4 cody came home and I seduced him into working with me :)

Because it's not to big an area, I quietly slipped out and on to other things :)

Well he'd summon me to take out things to the trash...

5pm
Some help showed up

Cody was going a little further than I'd plan on going today...oh well.

6pm


Oh you already took the toilet out too. You hungry? want to eat?

7pm

Ok you gonna leave anything for tomorrow?

Needless to say he was working hard and we are close- and the mess is adding up- dust everywhere!

The bathroom remodel take 1

This is the middle bathroom. Used be guests and by kids. About 4 months after we finished the kitchen remodel, a tile fell off one day when I was showering.


See it there? We waited until we were going to be gone a week to redo it. Also it's better to redo a bathroom in summer- since it's our only bath tub and we have a preschooler/non shower taker- we can bath her outside.

To be quite honest I didn't really care what we did. This project is nothing compared to redoing a kitchen. For several reasons....

1. it's smaller in area- less stuff to buy, less to take out, less people to pay because only so many ppl can fit in 30 sq ft.
2. There are other bathrooms in the house we can use.
3. It takes less time.

So here's another shot of the cabinet area..

And here's what we picked out last Friday night at Builder Bob's in Ardmore and Lowes.
You really can't tell anything...but it's here , ready to go when Ronnie Wright comes in next week.

This will be the travertine on the bath and the border and I'm leaning toward that lightest shade on the walls. The cabinet is dark wood, like our kitchen and the top is copper! We kinda went out on a limb there. Not sure if it's gonna be kid friendly.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

My sister & her notebooks

Aunt Debbie has created a blog. You can find it.here

Which, along with Cody's sermon today, inspired this idea.

I sit on a pew every Sunday. I didn't as a kid. My church isn't trendy and flashy. We don't meet in a remodeled strip mall or have fountains down the isles or outside huge windows behind the preacher. We got a projection system within the last 2 years. There are still hymnbooks behind the pews. We still take up an offering and praise God we still have potluck dinners.

Jesus,  I have discovered,  isn't really impressed with the building or the service. He peers into our hearts. And I just try to make mine available each Sunday to whatever he has to say.

Several years ago I married the preacher. I vowed to go where God led him. While I may be hours away from my beloved ocean and miles from a large grocery store this small town is home.

Back to the pew on which we sit....

It is a great privilege to sit beside my children each Sunday. I grew up going to children's church but I have seen the great value in worshiping along with my kids. They do not always see that as a privilege. So I pray.

God alone changes people's hearts. HE ALONE.

So here's an idea for creating learning during that lecture time. I think it could go for any age.

I bought a completely blank notebook the other night at a crafts store. I had no idea what I was gonna do with them but they were half off and surely I would eventually need them....

Cody happens to be preaching through the book of Exodus. And we may be there awhile. I thought we were done at passover but seems like some of the best stuff is after they left Egypt.


So my idea is that using Cady's drawing love (I'll encourage pictures of what's being said although a moshi monster may make he's way in) and my notes and I'm sure Silas will contribute...we'll all add to the notebook each week. The 3 points, the video's we watch, the people who need prayer, those who choose for the first time to follow Jesus, those baptised, the weather that day, special guests, activities...gum...what we were wearing....

The Exodus Book

I love my mother in law and one thing I will never forget about her is her notebook she always kept sermon notes in. It has been a awesome thing watching her love for God grow the last 15 years I've been in the family.

So in quoting my sis and dad, "You'll forget 80 % of what you hear so write it down"

And until Cody starts puting the sermons to music...I better start writing....



Saturday, June 26, 2010

Missional #1 - the friend version

On the big grand tour of the south east last week we stopped in Dothan, Alabama and visited yet another set of friends. These were family friends from when Cody and I were first married. They had this adorable little 3 year old who flipped, jumped and smiled her way into our hearts. We moved, they moved, that cute girl grew up.....thanks to facebook we keep in contact. Since we were so close we just had to visit. 


Bailee let us stay in her room. And it was so cool. 

Here are few pictures.






All original artwork. Color and Quotes. I loved it.

To say it has inspired is understatement. Cady and I spent some time in Hobby Lobby last night.

Well,  that smiling girl and this group of people....







Are traveling today to Guatemala. 

To peer into the hugeness of God and his love for all people not just America. 

And I love this picture of her and her backpack and dad with the bags! 



So pray for the Mephis Baptist Church and Bailee and Guatemala this week when God through his spirit reminds you, thanks. 

This summer I am privileged to be apart of many mission trips. I am taking my family on one next week. More later. I sent an encouragement package with Bailee on her trip. I wanted to give financially when we were there but her trip was well taken care of. God's provision for God's plan.


Another friend is in Equador right now taking pictures.

Michelle went with me to Nepal. You can find her here. She's a fantastic photographer.

Michelle is a minister's wife at Marlow Baptist. 

And their church has around 100 people going to the same place this summer. Working with the same pastor and people. It's straterory at it's best.

My friend Kenita from college went on a trip 2 weeks ago. This week we spent the afternoon catching up and she brought pictures. I served lunch...we had a great time.

And she didn't even pass out at the amount of filth on my floor!
I hadn't cleaned since the kids got out of school!

Equador is on the Equator. Now look at what she's wearing...

It was cool, it's in the mountains. So much of it reminded me of Nepal.


Kenita led the group of 16, mostly teens. They did music and drama.

I may have mentioned Caedmon's Call CD Share the Well. It highly inspired my love for India. 

On the same Cd they have several songs from Equador as well. 

One called the roses...

Found a video from the trip on you tube.

Anyway beautiful long stem roses are their thing...


And my gosh look at this baby. Sweetness.

I have more missional friends coming up in a few weeks, stay tuned....



Friday, June 25, 2010

Janice, my BBF

Among spending wonderful days with my lovely and young motherly sister, I got to see my childhood friend Becky and other ministers wives on my recent trip to Florida. 

And while that was incredibly special, there was another visit that was even more special. 

This bag came into my life...


The E is for Elle. 

And she is all about the charm.....

I took a lot of pictures and every time I'd tilt the camera or my body she'd turn with me.

Elle is short for Elisabeth. 
While it's not spelled the same as my middle name, I am choosing to believe her mother named her after me.

She looks so much like her mom- petite and smiley. 

I can't help but feel this incredible connection with her though I've never held her in my arms till last Thursday. She's like my niece. She's as bonded as my own precious Judah.

And my kids wasted no time getting to know her and baby her and pull her around...


Cady was quite motherly on this trip. She took to wanting Judah quickly. I think it's the age- that 8 year thing. Silas was 8 when Charis was born and she only 6, Silas took to it more back then.

And she really liked Elle.



Elle didn't come alone, she has a handsome older brother...Aiden. Who is a star wars and lego fan and hit it off with Silas immediately.

He was just getting over fear of the water and getting into boogie boarding...he will be 5 in Sept.


I love this shot...

It says so much about the daunting ocean. A young boy with a decision to make.

Silas has always wanted a brother. Cousin Paul is the closet thing we have. 


Fyi we were at beautiful St. Augustine, Florida.

Janice lives near Savannah, GA right now while her husband is serving in the army in Afghanistan.
His deployment has been really hard on them all. Pray for them. (like right now, I'm serious)
They sacrifice for our freedom. So we can live the lives we live. 

I can't tell you how awesome it was to sit with Jan on the beach with our 5 children. 
We have SO many memories at the beach. 
 Summer vacations, day trips, driving ourselves finally when I came back to visit, mission trips- 
meeting boys, parties with my brothers, walking on the pier, her grandfather, sun burns and fish in bathing suits

The last time we saw each other was at Myrtle Beach, SC.

The weekend I got married we were gonna go skinny dipping at the beach...except I got married 7 hours away from the beach so we went to clear creek lake. ha! We chickened out. Becky was there for that too.

The movie Beaches came out the year we met and we went to the movies to see it. Becky (who is all over this blog and whom you should know by now) was there, along with her sister and I think my sister. 

The parallels to our friendship and lives are crazy in that movie. I LOVED the music. We are watching it Sunday night together on WE channel. I will cry. Janice has always been family, we were that close-
8 years has gone by since we were together. There was peace in the reunion. Not really there were 5 kids involved - but it just felt right having her around again. 

Ok we shall proceed after I dry my eyes.

Need a laugh?

After the beach it was so nice to wash off in the pool, however that sand followed us all the way to Velma somehow.

Elle and Aiden were so much fun.

I wonder where they get it from ?


On the first day of fifth grade, Ms. Jones class at Vena Wilburn Elementary in Raleigh, NC ( or a galaxy far, far away...which ever you prefer) I walked in , saw a name on a desk close to mine and decided I was going to befriend that girl. We were inseparable for the next 5 1/2 years. 

Destiny took me away, we grew up, we began navigating the paths ahead of us. 
One step at a time. Neither life perfect. 

Janice, you are the best mom. 

I'll love ya to the day I die.




Cause you were the wind beneath my wings. :)







Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The House without Cody

My husband is gone for the week. I have many friends who find themselves in this situation a lot. For some their men are home at strange times or on the weekends, for some their men are deployed, and some are parenting alone long term. I not only love each of these friends but think they are the best . Making the best of hard times and situations.

Few set out to choose that path, it's just the way it is.  Most struggle financially, with loneliness, with decision making, with faith...

I am so inspired by the homes they've created. Some have opened heart and home to foster parenting, some drop everything when the working spouse returns- some are waiting for miracles. Changed lives. Only Jesus can change a person's heart. Try as we may, our best bet is to pray like crazy.

For us when dad's gone it looks like this. Everywhere.


These pictures are old, I am being lazy and not selective on my tasks this week. Cleaning and picture taking aren't on the list.

So the sink looks like this.

But we do a lot of this ...

Charis found the dress up stuff and demands I play music all day so she can twirl. 

Yes. Maam, Queenie Charis
We also watch our kind of movies. Dad kinda dominates the tv viewing.

And we eat this for dinner. Yes, we do. And cereal. Although today we had salads.
Bacon, lettuce and spinach and ranch and tomato (from my garden!) I'll post pictures of those soon.

But I have a hard time sleeping. So I often let the kids sleep with me :)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Beach Totes Worth Mentioning

The owner of this cool totebag turn beach blanket is my childhood best friend Janice. Janice Coble. I have few memories from 5th grade till 10th grade that do not involve her. We did everything together. A year ago we found each other again via facebook. And Thur. June 17th we saw each other after 8 years.

A much longer post will follow about Janice and me and beaches but check out this bag...


It unzips into this cool blanket. For use just about anywhere you'd need one.


Found them and some more here

Disney Hollywood Studios and Ways to Save at Disney :)

Ok are you sick of Florida pictures yet? I have already had 2 more activity/photo ops and am desperately wanting to finish the Florida posts to write about those.

Intermingled here are pictures of our day at Disney Hollywood Studios and a few wonderful tips if you find yourself braving the Florida heat at Disneyworld.

I will say this we overall liked this park much better. There were more shows and even though they were announcing on the pa system, drink water, go inside, it's scary hot out here....it wasn't near as bad as Magic Kingdom. Just my take.

During the waits for the shows to start we enjoyed sitting down a little. I brought snacks. Not coolers full of stuff, it's crowded and I have 3 kids I can barely keep up with, I don't need more stuff. It annoys other ppl there, believe me and they don't let you take that stuff in the shows. Keep it light.

Another good thing....I froze water bottles, there have been rumors about this being bad for you but listen it was very nice, I could've sold them and paid for our admission, and I don't think doing it once is going to effect my health forever. Ok we did it twice but I don't make a practice of it and my sister said it's urban legend.

What's up with urban legend btw? Is this the new hip word for old wives tale? And who were these old wives?

So after we chow down and cool off with half frozen water bottles we take pictures....


I love watching their little faces.

We had a few grumblers the first day at Disney so I set up a reward system- they each got $ 20 if they name called, acted like they didn't want to be there (oh yeah we had that) or in general brought the happiness level down they lost a dollar. If they were helpful or went out of their way to make a situation better they gained a dollar.

So we shopped a little more. My kids are normal kids and they want all there is to want. Like the balloons below. Cute, I admit. I'd love to have one. But we had a water park to go to later on and I didn't want one more thing to lug around. Us Americans and our stuff- it's a crazy love affair.

All the Europeans -nothing- just walking around. For some reason we are the only ones who are obsessed with stuff.

So we take pictures. Every time I  or Cady saw something we really wanted we took a picture. At the end of the day they could spend the money they'd earned on what ever thing they wanted the most. This worked well. We do this with the cell phone camera a lot too, esp around Christmas and Birthdays or when ever they want something, which is every time we go to the store.

Just fyi, I am big on multi use toys , things that require imagination - legos and dress up stuff/ props. And anything art or music or books.





This is the big thing at DHS, Mickey's hat. When ever we needed to meet up or know how to get somewhere you just look up. It's really big. The "rides" at DHS were based around movies or it was a show itself. We started off at Star Wars.

And I found these and  fell in love. Please someone get me one for Christmas. C3P0 was the cutest....





And just look at his lips!




If I did not loathe stuffed animals I would've spent money on these, they were so unique. Charis liked playing with them.










Well the guys went to see a car stunt show and we did the princess stuff....

Ariel was interesting. A real girl sang, they had clips from the movie and this thing...


It was massive, wiggling and gosh I identified with her. I think I gained 5 pounds.

Since this is my account, I am putting on Ms. Tea Pot too, I love that motherly character. Belle was my favorite show by far. In true Broadway style it brought back a lot of memories. I had played Belle in High School and did a mini musical with it during summer musical theater camp with students years ago. The costumes where enchanting and the sets were very creative.