Outside???

Well, for the last 6 years, we lived ON Pennsylvania, a major thoroughfare in NW OKC. We had endless pedestrian traffic in our yard and, of course, the famous bus stop outside our bedroom window.  Needless to say, we did NOT take the girls out in the front yard (or even the backyard for that matter), for fear of the kooks (is that a real word?) that could walk by at any moment.  James was content to let the neighbors believe we didn't even have kids.  :-)

Well, you know what we did today in our little suburbia??  Ate a picnic on the FRONT DRIVEWAY while James worked on the truck. We stood outside and TALKED to our neighbors, while the kids chalked up the driveway (and themselves) with the little neighbor girl.  We ENJOYED the incredible weather and just plain had FUN.  WHAT a difference.  Thank you, Lord, for the little things.  Looking forward to a fun summer! 

Becoming Martha Stewart...

or at least the Highlights Children's Magazine version.  I always feel guilty for not doing the cute crafts in Charis' monthly magazine, but I would like to state for the record, that I DO NOT DO CRAFTS.  It is not on my list of things at which I seek to excel.  Someday, I will bake bread, I will garden, I will sew something more than curtains.  But crafts?  The problem is that cute little smile and the "Please, Mommy?" And suddenly I'm headed to Target for paper plates, staying up late cutting strips out of wrapping paper and gathering scissors, tape, and ribbon -- the whole time wondering, "Who have I become??" 

Well, it was worth it. We had a blast.  Gwyn even got in on the fun -- usually, we only play Legos or Cooties -- lots of little pieces -- during her naptime because she's either eating them or spreading them all over the house.  Today, I was brave.  And she did great.

Charis had a fun time picking out what wrapping paper to put on next, and yes, I did most of the work.  But it turned out great!

She decided each of us needed our own (including Daddy), so we made 5 and then another for cousin Susanna. 

please ignore the fogged window -- trust me, I've tried to clean it,

 but apparently it's in between the panes -- can't wait to replace it!!

So, there you have our spring flower garden. I think I'm good for at least a couple of months...

Starting upstairs

Well, James is still measuring and drawing and planning, but it's time to get to work tearing out upstairs. 

Here's the kitchenette -- well, what used to be a kitchenette -- and no, I don't think I ever got a picture of it before! AHHHH!! I asked James to put it back in for a picture, but he wasn't amused. :-)  Trust me, it was fantastic. 

Then, it was on to the bathroom... 

That tub on the right? Used to be there on the left. He apparently did this on his own.  The only indication this was happening was the loud thunks as he (I later found out) rolled the tub across the floor. What a madman. 

I've included a pic of the vanity area (yes, littered with a baby tub and probably priceless vintage albums we found in the house -- I'll get around to Ebay someday...).  I'm assuming these sinks and cabinets are next on the destroy list.  But at least I've got a picture.

Poison Ivy strikes again...

Well, remember this??

Anybody see any poison ivy in the picture? Cause we sure didn't.  We didn't even consider the need to wear jeans. And the result?  Well, I won't post pictures, because it's near-nauseating, but James' legs became victim to the poison.  Gross, not to mention painful.  He ended up at the clinic a week later, got a steroid shot, and is currently taking a steroid pack and 2 antibiotics. Wow.  Poor guy. But boy, the fenceline looks really good where he was working!  :-)

Can you believe how much it has green-ed up in less than 2 weeks?! Crazy!

Spring has Sprung

Spring on Bellaire. Ahhh...  We're kind of excited about seeing what this place looks like!  We bought it in October, with most of the leaves gone from the trees, most of the green gone, no flowers blooming. We're curious to see what we've got growing -- in the backyard, especially.

While we can't deny it's time to get started inside, James couldn't resist spending Saturday out back.  What a beautiful day!  He worked on cleaning up the fenceline.  Can you believe the forest behind our fence? We LOVE it!  Doesn't it make you want to go exploring?? 

I am discovering the phenomenon of "play clothes."  For the first time, we're spending time outside every day. I am loving the blessing of having a safe place to play! But, good grief, that Oklahoma red mud is quite a foe. 

James and I really enjoyed our Easter Sunday.  Our morning services were great -- free of production, free of anything forced. Just genuine celebration of our Risen Savior. I felt like the people had gathered expectantly, excited to express corporately what they had been feeling privately -- I know that was my heart.  Thank you, Lord, for our church family! 

After church, we got to spend time at the Brown Ranch :-) with fun cousins, sweet grandparents and precious aunts and uncles.  James got to sit and watch TV, I got to sit and chat with the women-folk, and the girls got to run themselves ragged with cousins -- the perfect day for all. And boy, did we sleep well!  Today has been a lazy day, complete with long naps for the girls!  YAY! :-)

Welcome Home, Momma

Well, I'm now a 30-year-old wife of a(n almost) policeman and a stay-at-home mom of three girls under three.  Now that's a description I couldn't have predicted.  But it's one that I am thrilled to claim!  We've been overwhelmed with the Lord's blessings over the last few weeks (and years for that matter).  He is ALWAYS good -- even when we are in the midst of turmoil, grief, struggle. But it is so good for my ever-faithless self to SEE that at work. Isn't He good to allow us to reap the blessings of knowing Him? He WILL glorify Himself in all things, and He could just demand obedience on our part.  But He gains glory and lets us enjoy it too. 

I've been told during this process that I'll get tired of being at home with my girls. That I'll need to get back to work. But let me tell you something -- I'll never forget the way I felt when I went to pick up my girls after my last night of work.  My sweet Mom had helped them make this sign for me. I bawled like a baby, suddenly aware that I was now going to get to do the only thing I've ever wanted to do. Once again, isn't God good??

And just in case I get bogged down by the day-to-day tasks of being at home -- it has already happened -- one look at this on the fridge and I melt again.  Overwhelmed with gratitude all over again. For the Lord's provision. For my hard-working husband who LOVES having me at home. For my precious girls who seem to enjoy being with me. :-)

And in my "spare-time" I do get to put my brain to work in other non-child-related ways, chiefly organizing -- my number one nerd-ly indulgence. This was my recent accomplishment:  organizing the hall medicine cabinet. James and I had both reached the point of going nuts when we tried to find a bottle of Advil (or realizing I had accumulated 3 bottles of Advil because I couldn't find the ones we already had).  SO, it's not fancy, it's not magazine-worthy, but hey, that's why I have my own blog -- so I can post pictures of my random organization -- is that an oxymoron?  And why is it that correct sentence structure flies out the window on a blog?  Run-ons, fragments.  It hurts the editor in me. But I press on...

Well, the girls are awake.  All 3 of them. Back to work. :-)

Catching up.

To all of my loyal followers out there who have been waiting with anticipation for the next post... here it is.  Something about a holiday and a birthday and a party and a baby.  Not to mention hundreds of pictures scattered over 2 computers.  Now, I'm back in order (for today), so here goes.

James replaced the metal pipe ("beam") in the garage on Christmas Eve.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my hunk of a husband lifted 2 massive beams into place BY HIMSELF while Charis and I blissfully watched Rudolph on the laptop.  Talk about impressed.  He's still frequently measuring to watch for any sag, but things look pretty good for now.  He's also been crawling in the ceilings, trying to figure out which way joists are running and who knows what else.

The house plans are daily changing.  We have come up with a kitchen plan that seems to work -- and we're able to "walk around" in it thanks to Ryan's fancy-schmancy computer program.  I did have a panic a couple of weeks ago and decided to start over with the kitchen in a completely different place. After I exhausted every possibility, my ever-patient husband was glad to get back to our original plan. :-)  I've spent lots of time online, looking at picture after picture of kitchens.  And I get a tad stressed when I consider that we haven't even begun to make decisions on the details -- colors, styles, hardware, lighting, appliances... I'd better stop.  James is working on the upstairs, trying to create a space that will handle (at least) 3 teenage girls someday.

One exciting addition to our "playroom" is a PIANO! Thanks to my grandparents and parents, we now have my mom's old piano. James and I are both so excited to have a fantastic stress-reliever so close!  We've enjoyed several evenings of music already. 

I'm struck daily with the magnitude of our project.  This is going to take some serious time, people.  BUT, I'm still excited, still dreaming, still impressed with my hubby.  Among other things, we've had many opportunites for problem-solving together, digging into the details of planning.  And while it can be stressful, it's always productive! 

James graduates the end of March, then it's to work we go. 

Until next time, whenever that may be...