Making it

Making it through the first week with a puppy is an accomplishment.  I feel like I've run a marathon; if I can do this- I can do anything!  It's easy to see why so many puppies are given up to shelters; they're TOUGH WORK!  Their cuteness is really a great disguise for all that goes into making them an obedient part of your family.

We've learned some things this week-

1) Puppies love to sleep on your lap.
2) Puppies love to chew on anything and everything.
3) Puppies are curious, even more so than cats at times.
4) Puppies don't sleep through the night.
5) Puppies whine when they want something.
6) Puppies need to be taken out frequently to eliminate.
7) Kids will complain about how frequently said puppy needs to go out.
8) Puppies love feeding time.
9) Puppies never learn the first time.
10) Puppies require repetition for learning.
11) Puppies are unconditional in their love for you.

Each day is an improvement over the last; she's learning and growing and playful.
We love that she is a part of our family.

                                                       Where's Ester in this photo below?

Adventures with Ester (part 1)

I'm exhausted.
I'm out of sorts.
I'm wondering what I can get done while she's sleeping.
I'm wondering how long she'll sleep.

On the other hand, she loves to burrow in the crook of my arm, and settle in like it's the perfect place for her.  When she whined in the middle of the night, I got on the floor with my pillow and she nestled on my arm and went fast to sleep.

Oh to be needed again.

Then came shower time this morning.  Thinking that locking her in the bathroom with me was a good idea, I proceeded to hop into our walk in shower.  Ester watched, and enjoyed the spray coming out on the floor.  Not satisfied with that, she waltzed right into the shower with me as if it was the most natural thing in the world. God love her.  As cute as it was, pack leader mentality kicked in, and I spent the next ten minutes training her to stay out.

All kinds of fun.

And it's only day two.

Tomorrow, you're only a day away!

Tomorrow our lives are all going to change.  For the better.

Except for the cats.  They're about to have a really long vacation in the cat lair, if I can predict anything.

E-dog will arrive around 11:30 and I also predict I'll be a bit like a first time mom.  How do I hold her? Can I feed her this way? How often should she go out?  Is it ok if she....and on and on it goes.

Puppy parenting isn't for the faint of heart.
And puppy parenting a future Seeing Eye dog is only for the very brave, I'm discovering.
Today I finished reading the 100+ page manual that tells me all the things we need to do or not do in the next year.  My head just exploded a little- alright-, a lot.  If she were our dog, we could blow it on the training and live with the consequences.  She's not our dog, and therein lies the difference.  The foundation is expecting us to do certain things that will manifest in her being ready to move on to phase two of her training.  Can you feel the pressure I'm under?

It's like that age old question: "How do you eat an elephant?"  "One bite at a time".  There's comfort in this truth.  I'm overwhelmed by this manual that tells me all the things I must strive towards in the next year with her.  Of course it's good to have goals but when you try to take them on all at once, it's bound to weigh you down.  So for now, I will pray my way through this (as I should) and learn to take it one day at a time.  For this here planner, it's going to be a tough lesson to learn- to take each moment, each hour and each day slowly.

I will fail, I know this.  There will be many times that she won't make it outside in time, and it will be my fault.  She will find some crumb of food that she's not to have, and it will be my fault.  She will chew on a piece of furniture when I've turned my back, and I'll be to blame.

But she will succeed too, and those moments will surpass all the failures, the trials and the stress.

I can't wait to begin this adventure tomorrow.

She's coming soon!

There's just something about a puppy for Christmas that melts my heart.
As in the real mushy, almost in tears, melt my heart.  That new puppy smell, the big belly, all of it combined to be one ginormous package of LOVE.  I feel like a kid.

"She" is the 7 week old black lab that's been bred to be a Seeing Eye dog.  A working dog, in no uncertain terms.  A dog that will be the eyes for a blind person.  A dog that will be freedom for one that is saddled with a disability.  A dog that will be accepting of this person because they only know to love, not judge.

"She" will be ours to love, train and socialize for the next year or so, until which time she heads off to the next phase of her training.  We're all in this, humans AND cats- although the felines have no idea what's about to hit them.  Can't say I'm envious.

Dogs are unique pets in that they give unconditional love.  Cats could care less if you're around, as long as you give them food and a nice place to rest, they're good with life.  But dogs demand our attention, our love and our patience.  A puppy demands even more.

I love the idea that all this love and effort we're going to invest in her will be of some greater good for another person.  Animals have this amazing capacity to change people's lives, and we want to be a part of that for someone else.  My kids need to understand that it's not about us.  Teaching them to love and serve others is easier said than done.  For the next year we'll be living out the verse "And above all things have fervent love for one another" (1 Peter 4:8) and it will take much prayer as we endeavor to love this person we don't even know, as we raise their future seeing eye dog.

And yes, it will be tough, very tough to give her up at the end of our time with her.  It's amazing that almost every person I've spoken to about this, comments on that ONE fact.  "It would be so hard to give it back" they say.  As if this should keep us from serving in the first place?   What would my children learn if every lesson in life was an easy one?   My children  need to understand that we give because we have been given much.  It's that simple.

Christmas time is the perfect time to remember that principle.  How paws-itively timely!

Revisiting Adventureland

"We also glory in tribulations, KNOWING that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."  (Romans 5:3-4)

I love this verse.  What I love about it, is the declaration that we already have "insider information" to what we will attain when we go through trials.  Doesn't that bring you comfort?  To know that when a trial comes, even if you don't know the particular outcome of your situation, you KNOW that if you are a child of God, that he will give you perseverance, and that perseverance will turn into character, and that character hope.  Sit on that for a moment.  When was the last time you realized that your God will supply you with all the perseverance you could need to endure the trial you're facing?  Have you ever met a person going through a difficult time that would turn down perseverance?  Yet so often we ignore this truth- that if we give God the glory to do his work in us while we're facing difficulty, we will receive the blessing of perseverance.  Oh God, that that might NEVER be me!

While I in no means would choose to go through another hurricane/freak storm, I am so thankful for the opportunity to be sanctified.  My patience is thin some days, I take for granted the luxuries I have, and I rely too heavily on myself.  Nine days without power can test anyone's patience.  In the big scheme of things, no lights, no TV, no oven/stove/dishwasher/laundry is really nothing.  People get by on much less, all the time in this world.  My own ability doesn't get me very far in these instances- I can't command the power to come back, and I can't turn water into wine.  However, there is one who can, and it's only by His grace we endured.

I find it rather ironic that He can take something away, and in return be given much more.  No power for all that time and yet, we were blessed in so many ways:

-Prayers from family and friends all over.
-A chance to escape to my folks who welcomed us last minute.
-Neighbors checking in on one another and taking care of each other.
-Finding gas easily in Connecticut, and bringing it back for those in need.
-Finding a generator when it appeared we wouldn't.
-Reconnecting as a family.
-Watching our children take on helpful attitudes.
-Seeing God answer prayer.
-Not feeling deprived or upset, just relishing the abundance of what we DO have.
-Realizing AGAIN, that it's NOT ABOUT THE STUFF, but about the people.

No trial is too small to bring to mind this scripture, next time you're facing one.  You can KNOW this- your trial produces perseverance, then character, then hope.

Be blessed-

Hanging out

We just finished an extended visit with Nelson's family down in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I love that place.  Nothing but relaxation, and fun on the beach.  Throw in lots of family time too, and it made for a fabulous week.

Nelson's sister lives in Africa with her family, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to those on the islands of Lake Victoria.  Our visits with them are precious, as we only get to see them every three to five years.  Even though the cousins are a variety of ages, they didn't let that hinder their ability to hang out together.

Last night, we were able to share our home with them, and sit for a spell while having a nice meal.  The kids of course, zip lined, and in between everyone (almost everyone) weeded a large patch of our backyard- how awesome is that?  "Many hands make light work"!

I'm so grateful for the two independent visits, each unique and fun in their own way.  Our home has been made sweeter with the visit of family.

Paper plates

There have been some pretty amazing inventions over the years.  Some have made things possible for the first time, and others have made life easier.

I'm here to thank the person who invented the paper plate.  That's right.  The good old don't-have-to-wash-it-just-throw-it-in-the-trash invention.  BRILLIANT.

Especially when my two month old dishwasher decided to go kaputz.  Normally I don't mind hand washing dishes  TOO much, but another week's worth?  Forget it.  Madge and her palmolive can become BFF with someone else.

Did I just date myself?

Beyond blessed

Over a year ago, when we were home shopping, I stepped into this house and knew instantly it was THE ONE.  We women just have a knack.

I'd commented to Nelson at that time that we could have huge parties in this house and it will feel roomy.

Again, we women have a knack.

Yesterday, I opened up our home for a family reunion.  All 40 of us fit beautifully inside.  The only ones brave enough to endure the heat and humidity were the "younger" contingent.  They didn't care what the weather was, as long as they could use the zip line.

This is exactly what I had hoped for this home; that it would be a gathering place for family and friends.   For one brief afternoon, my home was filled with the laughter and voices of people I don't see often enough.  The opportunity to connect again was delightful, and reminded me of why we gather in the first place.

My extended family are dear people.  Many of them are pastors and pastor's wives.  They know how to love, and listen and they genuinely care for each other.  None of us are getting any younger, and so the need for these gatherings while the older set is still able, is very important.  It was apparent to me that my aunt in particular, relished the chance to see so many of us.  The hug goodbye lasted a bit longer and was a little bit tighter when I saw her off.  At the end of the day, that's when I know it was successful.

A year ago, I was blessed to find this house.  Yesterday, I was beyond blessed to have it full of family.

Overdue

My to-do list was a mile long today.  Which should have been the warning sign.  The sitter came and off I went to get a few things done alone.  Perfect.  Until.

I was ahead of schedule and looking forward to fitting in one more quick errand before heading home.  Until the car wouldn't start.  That's right, another "adventure".  You don't need all the details.  But you should know that the tow truck driver saved the day by figuring out the problem almost instantly.  GOD BLESS HIM.  He saved me hours of waiting in some car repair shop, fretting away my time.

While waiting the hour or so for him to arrive, I was able to enjoy the beautiful sunshine in the parking lot.  My tan is a little darker, my vitamin D levels are up and my spirit is lifted.  One of the things that I decided to do while waiting was fill my mind with the gratefulness I had in this circumstance.  I wasn't going to allow anything to dampen my spirit or stress me out.  It worked!  Here's what I came up with:

I am grateful right now for:
- being in a safe parking lot
- not being too far from home
- for friends that are willing to help out
- for Doctors that can reschedule easily
- for a beautiful day to enjoy while waiting
- for a cell phone that allows me to call whoever I need to at the time
- for groceries that were tucked in a cooler of ice on a hot day
- for a sitter that had my kids occupied at home
- for a sitter that was flexible
- for good auto insurance
- for knowing my God had it all under control even if I didn't!

Lesson learned.  It would have been easy to sit and stress out, but I allowed the goodness of my God to flood my heart and mind and He, in return blessed me.  I love this!

Even if I WAS overdue for another adventure, I was still able to be blessed through it.  God is good.

The Governor

Kids don't normally find interest in politics.  My two have, thanks to meeting the Governor of Maine.
My father has been involved in local politics for quite some time in Maine.  When the most recent Governor was elected a few years back, my Dad was asked to be on an advisory committee for him.
He thought it would be fun to try and schedule a meeting with Governor LePage so the kids and I could meet him.  It worked out.  I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, it was pretty incredible.  Even the kids walked away feeling that something special just happened.

We squeezed in visits to the Maine State Museum (a well kept secret) and the State House.  Both places were worth the stop, and impressive in their own right.

The best part?  Governor LePage gave us a token that we're to hand deliver to Governor Christie, on behalf of him.  I've made contact with Christie's office, and will follow up to make sure we see this "job" through.  Charlie is keen on the notion of meeting another Governor and potential Vice Presidential candidate.  Thanks Dad for the chance to do something unique!

Thing 30

Summer has arrived!  The freedom that comes with it is so refreshing.
Thing 30 is really one giant group of "things" I love about this place.
Let me count thy ways...

- fireflies in the yard, and learning how they like to crawl up, then fly away.
- our zip line and it's magnet for all kids on the block.
- no pool, which means the sprinklers must suffice- and boy do they ever.
- farmers markets, and the abundance of ripe, delicious produce.
- kids giggling and playing in our yard, running in and out for snacks.

It's officially been one year in New Jersey, and it's been a FAST year.  One year ago we took a great leap of faith in moving, and now looking back, we can see how abundantly blessed we've been.  This is really no surprise- we knew it would happen, but there's a certain sense of peace in knowing we're going to be just fine here.

Happy Summer!

Lions and tigers and bears- oh my!

Living in "the country" has proven exciting.  Not the kind of excitement people pay for like bungee jumping- but the kind that only comes with rural living.

Example #1- the zip line is in and working JUST fine.  In fact, we are now the "cool house" on the block.  170 feet of pure speed and thrill.  Can't do that in the city, people.

Example #2- the creek behind the neighbors house.  Charlie and the other boys on the block spend hours traipsing up and down the creek collecting minnows and crawfish.  Then they bring them home to show me.  Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of- only he's not so little anymore.  I love this kid.

Example #3- a bear (or two or three- who knows?).  Out on my morning jog last week I spotted one coming from the woods 50 feet in front of me and I frantically turned around and sped home as fast as FloJo.  SCARY.  A travel size air horn has been ordered.

We love our life here.  Some people live their whole lives without riding a zip line, catching critters and seeing a bear outside a cage.  I'm glad we've chosen this place, and I'm glad it's given us some excitement.

A long winter

Memorial weekend has zoomed by again.  Last year we had just put our offer on the house, and were able to enjoy a Memorial parade after seven years away in Canada- emotional to say the least.  This year?  We spent it back in Canada.  Irony, no?

We had some "legal" things to tend to.  I'm happy to announce we now have our Permanent Resident status in Canada.  The irony (again) is that we're not actually moving to Canada.  It did give us an excuse to see friends and visit for the first time since  moving last summer.  What a treat.

As we were hanging out on the block with our friends, who happen to have been neighbors  as well, one of them commented that it seemed " just like a really long winter since we've last seen you all!".  Most people don't come out from hiding until late May anyhow, so it wasn't far from the truth.  Other than a change or two to some backyards, and the kids having sprouted a few inches each, the block felt the same; which was comforting.  A good old Friday night hangout on the block did our souls some good.

Saturday we were able to worship at our previous church.  I'm ready to move back.  I'm weary of not being fed the Word in a way that is passionate, urgent and expository.  Once you've been fed a five star meal, it's hard to enjoy fast food.  It doesn't satisfy, and it just leaves you constantly hungry.  This is where I'm at today.  This is where God has us.  Thankfully, My God doesn't give us an urge for more, only to deny us.

Which leads me to Sunday.  Lunch at our pastor's house with his gracious and loving wife.  They took time out of their hectic Sunday to just relax and catch up for a bit.  What an encouragement to us as a couple.  They can see the ache in our hearts for something more, and were able to give us some wisdom in going about the next steps.  God will not disappoint, and we are excited to see how he leads us.

The entire weekend was a reminder of God's goodness in our lives.  Our children were able to play with their dearest friends, we were able to stay with good friends who are happy to open up their home to us.  Visits with people were planned and unplanned, and conversations about New Jersey were frequent.  Sure, our life has changed, but we are still touched by so many friends in Canada.  It's difficult, if nearly impossible, to leave that behind.

A chance to rejuvenate, and enjoy the perspective of a year gone by.  There's so much we miss in Ontario.  A weekend to soak it all up with dear friends couldn't have been a better way to spend it!

Bathroom finale

IT'S DONE.

The mirrors were installed this morning, and I have to say- I'm verklempt.
Honestly, I didn't expect them to make such a difference, but when you're used to a blank wall, it doesn't take much to impress.

There's merely a few minor details left, none of which keep us from releasing a heavy sigh of relief that this project is completed.

Back in January when this entire adventure began, I hoped for three things:
1) the project would be done on time
2) when finished it would be beautiful
3) the project would be fun

Let's see how it went-
On time?  Not so much.  Is any renovation?
Beautiful?  Look at the finished product why don't you:

Fun?  Not really sure how to answer that one. It's always fun in the beginning, with the excitement and potential.  Somewhere along the way that gets shoved under all the exhaustion and frustration of a seemingly endless endeavor.  Let's decide to call the result fun, rather than the process, shall we?

Enjoy your day!

Alllllmmooooosssstttt done

For the past week we've been using the new bathroom- hooray!
A few small details are left to be finished, one of which is key for a fully functioning bathroom- mirrors.  They're currently on order, and should be here within the next week or two.  Seeing as I've endured bigger and more problematic circumstances, I think I can manage.

Since I can't do my own hair without a mirror, I've asked Nelson to style it for me until the mirrors arrive. He's assured me he's as good as my stylist, if not better.  Pictures to follow.

Toodles!

One small step....

My clothes are FINALLY back in the closet; organized, hung properly, and waiting for me to get dressed tomorrow morning.

Over two months ago we relocated the entire contents of our master closet to wherever they would fit.  Some things went to the basement, some things went into the kids rooms.  Then when the basement "mishap" happened the other day, the stuff was moved once more.  Do you see now, why this is so exciting for me?

Tomorrow morning I can wake up, not shower in OUR bathroom (another SNAFU has postponed the completion) and get dressed from MY closet!  It's really the little things in life, isn't it???

Toodles-

It's been a while

We've been running short on adventures over here.  It's been a few months.

Our number came up last night.  In the middle of the night, to be exact.

When I awoke to visit the bathroom (recall we're sleeping in the basement guest room) at midnight, my feet hit water.  I'm pretty proud of myself for only uttering a clean "oh no!" when the situation clearly called for much worse.  Audrey was in my bed as Nelson was on a business trip (he frequently misses the fun). When I turned on the light to see how bad it was, she awoke.  Now two of us were concerned.

Boring you with all the details will only, well, bore you.

By the grace of God I was able to get someone to come out today.   Five hours of work, and the carpet is now removed and my guest room is a shell.  Many prayers were uttered.  It would have been very easy to lose it today.  All I kept repeating was "I count it pure joy, when encountering trials" ( James 1:2. )

Why do I count it joy?  In the big picture of this life, water in my basement is hardly something to lose sleep over.  In a few months it will be forgotten, and perhaps even laughed about.  My house is still habitable, my family is safe, and thank God, we have a place to lay our heads at night.  These aren't small things, but it's easy to let the stress of a situation cloud our vision so that we are blind to the good in the trial.  James, in verse 2, goes onto to say that our faith, when tested, produces perseverance.  Oh to be a woman of perseverance!  Yet we can't get there without the trials, and that's often overlooked.  From now on, when God allows me to be tested through a trial, I want to "count it all joy" so I can be "mature and complete, not needing anything" (James 1:4).

For right now, however, the one thing I DO need, is a really really good night of sleep.

Sweet dreams!

We have sinks and a counter!

It's been a long slow two weeks of no work in the bathroom.  I wish I could say it wasn't all my fault, but we vacationed  for 6 days so that's partly to blame.  (Vacation post to come soon).

Yesterday the call came that the counters were ready.  Of course they wanted to arrive between 2-5pm today- something I couldn't quite work out.  After some juggling and calling on a friend, I was able to ensure that someone was here in that time frame.  All my juggling was for naught.  They didn't arrive until nearly 6pm- on a FRIDAY.

Turns out it was well worth the wait.  I LOVE the look.  I feel like a bride all dressed up, waiting impatiently to walk down the aisle to her groom.....my excitement can't be contained, and yet, I have to wait longer.  Next week, hopefully, the tile will be completed, as will the plumbing and electrical.  The contractor appears more ready to get this finished than we are- if that's even possible.

Here it is so far:

Thing 29

The neighborhood is turning over.  This is a good thing.  We need more kids and families to come and join us here on this serene street.  In the last few weeks we've had two new additions to the block, both of which have 1st grade girls.  I could not have planned it any better myself.

Audrey is thrilled beyond belief and I KNOW it's going to be a great summer for her because of it.  It doesn't hurt when this mom gets a new mom friend out of the deal too!

The timing is certainly interesting in that, if we had all moved in about the same time, it might have been vastly different.  My kids were able to adjust to the neighborhood slowly, and get to know some of the people over the last few months.  Now, as they greet the new families, they can welcome them and show them the ropes of the street.  I love that.

Thing 29 that I love about our move, is that we're not the "new kids on the block" anymore!

Thing 28

                                                                      This is my son.

He just represented his school at the New Jersey Geography Bee.  Only 102 students were there to represent schools across the state in grades 4-8.  He was one of only six kids in grade five, the rest being older.

Our two hour drive down south was a very quiet one.  The nerves and anxiety were palpable, and the only thing I knew to do was to pray.  My prayer wasn't that he win the contest, but that he would do his best and be able to walk away with his head held high.  His tendency in times like this, is to degrade himself and lose his confidence.  I wasn't going to fall into the trap of feeding that frenzy, so I kept quiet.
For me, this was more about seeing how he does under pressure, and teaching him to enjoy the ride.  It's so easy to focus on the winning, and to see oneself as a failure if you don't win.  As a Christian, I want to teach my children to do their best, trust in God and leave the outcome up to Him.  Winning is just a bonus!  These kind of experiences in life are so rare, and if he merely concentrates on attaining the title of winner, he'll miss the joy of being in the midst of something incredible.  Soak it up I wanted to tell him.

How did he do?  Turns out he went to the tie breaker round, as he answered 8 out 8 correctly in the preliminary round.  In the tie breaker, he missed the second question.  He finished 16th overall in the state.  Knock me over with a feather.

All three of us stayed to watch the final round.  He was jumping in his seat frequently, as he knew the answer to nearly all of them.  This kid has the knowledge to make it up there, but not this year.  God is going to refine him and prepare him in HIS time.  On the day of the bee, he stated he wasn't going to do this next year as he didn't want "to give up a whole day to geography"  (the nerves were talking).  By the time we got through dinner that evening, he was already mentioning next year's bee.

Thing 28 I love is Geography Bees and how they allow a parent to see God at work in their child.

Moving along....

The tile guy made an appearance yesterday.  You know what that means- the end is actually in sight.  I mean, I can taste it, it's that close to finished.

Until today.

The tile shop received a call from me yesterday, to place an order for a few more sheets of accent tile.
At the end of today, the tile guy tells me he's going to need a few more of the floor tile so he can do the baseboards.
Seriously?  In an effort to be efficient, I also had him check on the rest of the tile to make sure I wouldn't have to call the shop a THIRD time.  If I can dial the store by memory, I'm done.  NOW.

Projects, I'm realizing, rarely go smoothly,  There's often a glitch or two that holds up one particular piece of the puzzle.  Not all of it is major, but when you just wish for the job to be over, seeing unfinished details can be like a dripping faucet.  I actually WANT to scrub the house and get it back to normal,  instead of living in chaos.  For three months we've lived with a laid back attitude about cleaning and putting things away.  That vacation is just about over kids.

Until next time, enjoy the photos from today's tiling session:

Thing 27

New York City is an amazing place.

Up until now we've only been able to discover it for a day at a time.  Blocking off an entire weekend to head in to NYC was something we'd been desiring for a while.  It would give us the opportunity to knock off several "must sees" without having to be constrained by train schedules or tired kids.

This weekend we finally accomplished that.  Charlie's 11th birthday provided the perfect backdrop, and we allowed him to choose the things he most wanted to see over three days.  The kids were troopers.  It's not easy walking in a big crowded city, going from place to place.  The parents didn't do so poorly either.

There were so many great moments throughout the weekend, and some not-so-great moments.  In order to keep this short and sweet, here are the highlights-

The great:

Visiting the Museum of Natural History ("Night at the Museum" takes place here.)
The Empire State Building, and seeing the panoramic view.
Seeing "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway (such a quintessential NYC experience.)
Uptown/Downtown bus tour, and taking it all in.
Watching a half marathon run through Times Square.
Laughing with our kids over funny things.
Having poignant chats with the kids.
Tim Horton's coffee each morning (oh how I miss Canada!) and running into a lady who lived in Oakville- talk about a SMALL world!

The not-so-great:

Watching a man hang from an intersection light in Times Square during rush hour.  UGH.
St. Patrick's Day and all the craziness it brings.
Our first plan to get into the city not being viable and having to go to plan B immediately.
Realizing it's time for the "talk" with our seven year old when at the museum she spots two turtles "playing leapfrog"....

Some photos to wrap up the post:

                                            "You give me gum-gum" from Night at the Museum

                                          Looking at the Hudson from our hotel room.  Cruise ship in the distance.

                                                          Kids and I in Times Square.

                                                   Enjoying the Empire State Building.

                                                         Ready for Phantom to start

                                                                     We're ready too!

                                           "No soup for you!"  Have to go back for a bowl sometime...

                                                                   The Flatiron building.

Picking paint

You know it's getting close to the end of a reno when the contractor asks "have you chosen your paint color yet?"  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel folks!

The drywall is in and the waiting game begins.  Tiling begins next week, after the painter does his thing.  My friend who is the bomb on all things interior design (she helped me pick the tile), came over yesterday to help me choose a paint color.  Today I'm off to buy those cute little cans of color for "testing" on the wall.  Apparently with all the natural light, and white cabinets and counter, she agrees that we can get away with a more vibrant color.  Can you see me doing a happy dance?  No dull colors here, something bright and happy for when we're getting ready in the morning.  Have to get going...but here are the latest photos of the space:

                                            Vaulted ceiling with skylights = LOVE

                                          This is what my bedroom looks like- sad sad state.

Let there be light!

Light is such a wonderful thing.  It brightens a house, a mood and one's spirit.  God knew we needed it, which is precisely why he created it.

The old bathroom was dark and dreary.  What a sad way to start the morning.

The new bathroom needed some POW, which is exactly why we added skylights.  Every morning the light will greet us, and every evening, the stars will shine their brightest as we let them into the bathroom.  How exciting is that?

Flexibility is something I'm learning more about this week.  The  electricians have been here and the "original" plans I had for what outlets went where, is not necessarily going to fly.  Hmmph.  My goal is to have things make sense, while keeping a cleaner look (plugged in appliances hidden).  The way an architect designs is not always the way a home owner lives- often there's a big jump between the two.  Add to the mix that the walls weren't as big as I thought, and we have a small problem.  Much is being shifted and changed according to what's doable.  Luckily the guys are understanding, and able to walk me through the logistics.  Nelson should approve....

In the meantime, here are the latest photos for your viewing pleasure:

                                             3 skylights- don't mind the dangling wires...

                                           Plumbing is in- always a good thing in a bathroom.

                                                     The shower has plumbing too!

A WOW moment

Have you ever had one of those moments where you're just in awe of your child, and your God?
On the way to school this morning, I had one of those.

Audrey had been trying to recite her memory verse, which is due today.  I'd asked her to tell me what it was and this led to us discussing the scripture.  She then piped up "Mom, I know what this is talking about because we learned the story it's built around".  Exactly.  For the next five minutes she talked about Moses and the parting of the Red Sea.  Charlie was quiet, not interjecting a thing, and I drove in peace, tears falling down my cheeks.  My 7 year old was telling a beautiful story of how God placed Moses in what looked liked an impossible situation (and I wish you could have heard her inflection in the telling), "mountains around him, the sea in front of him, and the Egyptians behind him", and yet, he tells Moses "raise your hand" and the sea parts.  The rest is history, as they say.  Those five minutes were momentous for me today for two reasons- one, my child is learning about God and His Word daily at school, and I love seeing the fruit of that decision we've made as parents.  Two, God used this particular story today to remind me that when faced with daunting circumstances, when it seems there's no end, if you trust Him, he will ALWAYS provide a way out.  Our finite minds can't comprehend the ways he can work- who would have expected Him to part a sea????  Part of Audrey's memory verse was this: "Do not be afraid, be STILL".  It caused me to think for a moment about why he tells us to be still when we're fearful.  Any thoughts?  Could it be that when we're afraid, our instincts tell us to DO?  We go about trying to fix the situation, or change it, hoping for a better outcome.  And here he clearly gives us the opposite instruction.  This is huge.  If we're doing, we aren't giving up control.  He's sovereign, and he's wanting us to trust Him, and the best way to do that is to be still.  Wow.

Be blessed today- and may you have a Wow moment today too!

Over the hump?

For now, it appears all the major hurdles have been jumped.  Nelson and I have compromised on many decisions (the essence of marriage) and the stress is beginning to dissipate slowly.  There's a few things left to purchase, but for now they can wait.

The surprises up until now, have been few.  Today, that changed.  Apparently our attic, where the AC unit is housed ( retrofitted a number of years ago), has some things wrong that "aren't to code" and could cause illness and damage if not fixed.  Better to find this out now and get it repaired than deal with the stress of what could happen if we don't.  The joys of an older home.

The guys were hard at work on moving the window.  Originally there were two windows in the space.  One is being removed, and the other relocated to the toilet closet.  We're adding three skylights, so that will add plenty of natural light to make up for a window loss.  The lead guy asked me this morning "are the skylights in a good spot for you?"  I couldn't resist....."and if they aren't?" I asked jokingly.  Luckily, he laughed.

Here's today's progress:

                                                 The black is where the windows used to be.

                                           Large window covered up, soon to be my sink area.

                                                   The toilet will sit just below the window.

                                                           Ahhhhh......vaulted ceiling!

Reno Day 3

Here's what the bathroom looks like as of today:

                                                   Closet door in the hall is closed up now.

                                          From the bedroom looking into the bathroom.

                                    Walk-in shower entry on left, toilet closet straight ahead.

                                  Standing where the toilet will be looking towards the bedroom.

                                           Future vaulted ceiling, where skylights will be added.

Remember one of my previous posts, in which I said I hoped this project would be "fun"?  It's not.
The only thing fun about it so far is there are people in my house daily, preventing me from talking to only myself.  Plus, the cats are amused that they have folks to annoy.

I'm learning, really I am.  If God is trying to grow me, I don't yet see what I've to become!  This project is stressful, frustrating and most often, mentally taxing.  My brain cells don't have much left come dinner time.  If the kids ever figure this out, I'm toast.

Nelson and I approach these things differently.  Neither of us is right or wrong.  It just teaches me to pray silently and unceasingly that I need a new appreciation for his perspective.  My marriage shall become stronger as a result, not weaker.  "Above all else, love one another fervently"  right?

Decisions are needing to be made quickly around here, and I am the last one to enjoy being rushed.  It would be fine and dandy if I could decide alone, but Nelson needs his say too, so the decision often must wait- not exactly a contractor's dream.  It could drive one to drink, I tell you.

In due time we'll be over the hump and this whole thing will be easy peasy.  Did I mention that the contractor thought I had ordered the cabinets, and I thought the same of him?  Oops.  Guess that's a delay coming down the pipes.  What was that about "6 weeks tops" from my endearing hubby????? Hmmm......

Day 1 Demo

It's so exciting to watch your plans become reality.  This bathroom has been on our list since we looked at the house back in May.  Finally, it's going to be something usable and beautiful.

The guys made great progress after one day.  I know this pace won't keep up, so I'm going to relish it while it lasts.  Nelson thinks it will be done in 6 weeks tops.  Seems I'm more the realist, saying it's likely to be about 8-12 weeks.  Things don't always go according to plan, and if the basement is any indication, projects gets stalled with one little snafu.  So I'm mentally preparing for a longer process.  We'll see who's right in the end.

Tomorrow I'm off to find a shower faucet.  The pressure is on (no pun intended) to find one we both like, and that fits the look of the shower we designed.  It wasn't high on my list until the contractor asked if I'd chosen one yet....um, no.  In between life and the normal errands and goings-on, I have to squeeze in bathroom "chores".  Such is life!

Here's how things look after day 1:

                                               Everything is out of the teeny tiny space now.

                                        The old closet door opening gets moved to the other side.

                                             Now the closet opens into the room instead.

                               The left opening will be scaled down and become the entrance to the bath.

So long, farewell....

Tomorrow is the big day!  Our ugly, small, inefficient master bath goes the way of the dumpster.  I CAN'T WAIT.  This room needs a bomb dropped in it.  Good riddens!

Here's the before shots which will allow you to understand WHY we're saying so long to this hideous space:

                                               This space will become part of the new bathroom.

                                 Excuse the messy closet, it's going to be getting a makeover too!

                          Honestly, there's not even enough space to change your mind in this SMALL space.

                                                   I'm soooo going to miss this puppy.  NOT.

                                   A HUGE closet in the hallway will become our new shower.

                                  It's about time this closet was included in the bathroom space.

There was a big learning curve with the basement bathroom.  It won't go unused in the master bath.  Now that I know what to expect I'm aiming to be on top of things.  While we're excited to begin this process, there's the down side of dust, dust and more dust,  as well as workmen coming and going all day long.  Our plan is to camp out in the guest digs until it's done, seeing as our bed will be covered in what else?  Dust.  We'll get to ensure the guest bath is par excellence this way too.

Wish us luck- I'm hopeful they'll be stories to relay here- of the good kind.