Team Impact comes home

For those reading who attended the Team Impact event at our church this weekend, here's a few photos of my own little Team Impact members showing their stuff.




Philip obviously didn't miss a thing of the real event as the reenactment was close to it. After "smashing" through the "wood planks", he blew up a "hot water bottle" (i.e. a hair brush which he threw across the room signifying the explosion) and tore apart "phone books" (i.e. slung a stack of story books left and right). I then asked him if he wanted to talk about anything as the men of Team Impact presented the Gospel message at their show. He said, "I work really hard at being strong. And Jesus loves everybody." Good synopsis. Later that afternoon when Matthew asked Philip about playing Team Impact and how he smashed up everything, Philip said, "Well, obviously they didn't really smash because I was using my toys." Quite the factual little guy.

And here's a photo of him with another bit of truth... I think this makes it official!

Welcome to our New Home!!

I want to say this is our new home, but legally we won't own it officially until our closing on September 29 (Lord-willing if everything goes through). It's twice the square footage of our current house but I'm a little nervous about how quickly it will begin to look cluttered once that moving day comes. The secret I've found through this process of selling our first house is something we've all heard, "A place for everything and everything in its place." That's what I hope to accomplish in the first few months of living in the spaces you see below. Again, thank you Jesus!! (Click on pictures to see larger.)


Here's the driveway, front walk and house!


This should be a great play area for two little bodies.


And here are two lookout posts for the same little bodies.


Dining roon is inside the front door to your right.


Nice breakfast area.


Yeah, the counters are NOT white!!


The barstools will be fun to have. Oh no, something else for Braewyn to hurt herself on!


I can't wait to use the fireplace once it gets cool this fall.


We've already had to discipline the kids about not throwing things down the stairs so I hope I won't have to repeat myself too much. All bedrooms are upstairs and laundry room too.


This room makes me so excited. A huge playroom and great school room if we continue to homeschool past this year.


And here's the backyard Matthew was praying for. Our lot is 0.8 acre so lots of room to run, have a garden and a dog!

A Review of "The Ministry of Motherhood"

I actually finished reading the book about a month ago but with everything going on, I've put off writing the review. Thank you Brooke for staying after me. I hope it is beneficial for others too.

This book really is wonderful in helping any mom who is seeking to live according to God's will for her life to realize how she can help her children live more fully for God. The author Sally Clarkson set the book up in five parts with each beginning with the letters of the word "GIFTS". "We used the word GIFTS as an acronym to help us remember the spiritual priorities in our children's training" (pg. 14).

GRACE... of time together, of encouraging words, of forgiveness in action

"Words matter! They have the power mysteriously to enter our hearts and minds and lift us beyond the present moment into the presence of God Himself. How important it is, then, that we mothers, shepherds of our children's lives and hearts, choose our words to them carefully. We must deliberately aim our words at their hearts in such a way as to give our children hope, faith, strength, and also to point them toward the redeeming love of Christ" (pg. 44).

INSPIRATION... a sense of purpose, a sense of God's powerful presence, a new kind of love

"Giving our children the gift of inspiration -- helping them understand their spiritual purpose, which is to glorify God and to make Him known -- is one of the most crucial tasks of Christian parenting" (pg. 66).
"Bus as we all grew together, I came to understand the importance of pointing out to them the abundant evidence of God's power and glory and presence that surrounds us. This act of directing their eyes and ears beyond the mundane to the wonders of God's work is one of the most important ways I can give my children the gift of inspiration" (pg. 81-82).
"Walking with God without the moment-by-moment awareness of our companionship with a divine being becomes just a hard, taxing obligation. A child who does not have the opportunity to marvel at the bigness of God, the wonders of His creation, and the reality of His supernatural work will tend to measure the questions about "who God is" according to his or her finite, limited perspective" (pg. 85).

FAITH... in a living God, in God's Living Word, in the Spirit's power

"The best way we can give the critical gift of faith to our children, in other words, is to exercise faith in our own lives -- to accept the difficulties of life and choose to trust God in the midst of them. This means we will choose to be thankful, choose to be joyful, choose to be mature and strong, and try to be an example for our children. It also means we will talk to our children about why we're choosing to respond in this way and share with them what God's Word says about faith" (pg. 113).
"Trusting Him will become a natural, first response of children if they are raised from earliest childhood to pray to God and to walk with Him each day of their lives" (pg. 115).
"And then, as I looked back over the past two weeks ... I found myself pondering how important the Bible had been to getting through each moment. It had taken me through the times of challenge, stress, illness, work, and grief. It had guided my thoughts and words and equipped me for the tasks I was facing. Through His Word, God had given me all I needed to live productively through the challenging circumstances He brought my way. He will do that for my children, too, which is why the Bible must be at the center of all we do as parents. One of the central ways we give our children the gift of faith is to base everything we do on the Word of God" (pg. 124-125).
"I must do what I can to stay connected to Jesus at all costs. Only when He lives through me will I have the patience, love, faith, strength, perspective, and understand I need to raise godly, faithful children. Spiritual fruit in the lives of our children even depends--up to a point--on my staying connected to the Lord" (pg. 131).
"If I trust God to care for me, I must trust Him to do the same for my children" as in when they are growing up and not physically near us (pg. 132).

TRAINING... children to think, children to pray effectively, children for tribulation

"To me, it's a comforting reminder that any kind of training takes time, patience, and endurance. If Jesus Himself had trouble getting through to His disciples--even with miracles!--we human parents shouldn't be surprised when the process of training our children hits some difficulties" (pg. 145).
In response to talking with her young daughter about having bad dreams, Clarkson writes, "By helping her develop a habit of thinking biblically about her own little-girl fears, I could reduce her stress in the present. In the process, I could also prepare her to think clearly and wisely as an adult, when she would encounter much more daunting challenges" (pg. 152).
"Jesus spent most of His time as recorded in the Gospels teaching His disciples how to think. As we give our children the gift of a trained mind, we give them the ability to resist temptation when we are not with them, to overcome fear when Satan whispers lies in their minds, to rely on the Holy Spirit when they need wisdom. The mind is a muscle that must be exercised and correctly trained, but a well-trained mind makes it so much easier for the heart to follow Christ in faith. When it comes to protecting and preparing our children for all that will happen in their lives, the gift of a disciplined mind is one that truly keeps on giving" (pg. 154).

SERVICE... with a willing heart, with hardworking hands, in God's strength

"Giving our children the gift of service is not really a matter of teaching them what to do. It's more a matter of helping them look at other people through Jesus' eyes and respond as He did. It really is that simple--though it's often not easy" (pg. 181).
"Training our children to put their energies and talents to work in the area of ministry is so important. We must not just tell our children that people should share their faith and then do nothing; we must show them a life in which we are sharing our own faith" (pg. 190).
"I don't have any desire to make my children feel guilty for what they are naturally--sinful and immature. But I do want to lead them away from their natural sinful tendencies, to show then how to use self-control and discipline their character, how to walk with God and let Him develop in them a heart of compassion" (pg. 190-191).
"In the end, the measure of my success as a mother will not be how well I have taught my kids or cared for them but whether I have been faithful in helping them respond to God's call on their lives. Seeing my children develop a heart for God's service and begin to find their own place of ministry in the world is a reachable goal for me as a mother, because God designed me to fulfill this purpose. This is the true ministry of motherhood--to usher my children into the living presence of God, to nurture in them a heart for Jesus and the Great Commission He has called each of us to fulfill" (pg. 208-209).

These were just some of the passages which stuck out to me. This is a well-written book. Clarkson also includes many stories of conversations she's had with her children about how she helped them think through their decisions and situations they have encountered. With my kids only 4 and 2 years old, I found this book invaluable as I ponder how I'll handle things as they grow older and enter the elementary and teenage years.

Busy, Busy

The grass is always greener is something I'm relating to rather well these days. All my griping about keeping the house tidy during the months when we aniticipated showings is looking rather appealing. Well, not the griping but the absolute tidyness of the place. With the contract came a feeling of relaxation about the housework. I am still much more on top of things than I was before we listed the house and actually I could get it "virtual tour" ready in probably three hours or less. There's just a lot floating around in my head making me feel crazy with our home schooling starting next week, MOPS and BSF starting the following week, the desire to deep-clean the house in the next three weeks (I was brought up with the mindset of leaving a place better than you found it and since we bought this house brand new I at least want to make it as clean as I can), and the underlying excitement / nervous energy surrounding making an offer on a new house, waiting to see if it is accepted, having a home inspection done, and going to closing praying that everything will fall into place.

All that said, we're going for a second look tonight at our two favorite houses. Matthew and I are in agreement leaning toward one of the two houses, but I look forward to hearing what Rappy and my Dad have to say about the two properties. I'm looking forward to posting photos of the one we choose! Today at lunch Matthew said, "One month and four days until we move!" Yipee! That will be the true countdown if our closing does occur on September 28.

Booboo Braewyn

Our precious girl has had a week. On Tuesday, we visited the first house of our house hunting adventure (a full blog post coming tomorrow, but in short, we've visited 11 houses and are deciding between two we really like!). We were approaching the front door and poor Braewyn begins running down the drive and toward the front door. Mind you, there is a brick front step in front of the door. She trips and falls on her arms and hands about a foot out from that brick step. My heart lept but was so thankful when I realized her face had not hit the ground!!

Next incident was sorrowfully self-induced. On Wednesday we babysat a little friend from church. Braewyn, Philip and Laney were sitting happily on the couch watching Veggie Tales, and also happily sharing a bowl of popcorn. A few minutes later as I'm in the kitchen, Braewyn and Laney walk into the kitchen and Braewyn says, "Mommy, popcorn, nose." She's pointing to her nose. I notice an unpopped popcorn kernel in one nostril of Braewyn and Laney each. My heart started racing. What to do!! I ran to the bathroom for the tweezers, laid Braewyn across my knees and tried to withdraw the kernel. I couldn't get a grip on it. I ran to the kitchen with the girls following me.

I took out some toothpicks and turned to approach the girls. Braewyn suddenly has her finger in her nose trying to get the kernel but instead pushing it further in her nose. I turn to Laney who thankfully has not touched her nose. I am easily able to flick the kernel from her nostril and breathe a sigh of relief. But my poor Braewyn!! I tilted up her nose and could see the shiny edge of the kernel high in her nasal passage!! Call the pediatrician.

I took her in after lunch (yes, Braewyn ate lunch with popcorn still in her nose) as that was their first available appointment. I'm trying to remain calm so she wouldn't get scared, but I was really nervous as to what procedure would be used to remove an object from my daughter's nose. Praise God because it went so well. Braewyn willingly told Dr. Shelley, "Popcorn nose" and then laid pretty still as Dr. Shelley used a sort of scissors / needle nose plier to remove the kernel. Popcorn free!!

Well, things often come in threes and Braewyn's third "injury" came Thursday evening. Philip was run down from the week and a little cranky. He decided Braewyn needed to have a few of her things. Matthew and I were in the kitchen while the kids were in the living room. I didn't realize anything was happening as there is often squealing in the house. We found out that he threw her baby dolls and stroller at her before hitting her with something which made contact and produced a loud cry. Here she is with her shiner which came from Philip throwing none other than...

a small blue Gideon New Testament at her face!!!


(I'm realizing now the popcorn and bruised face were week before last and the fall at the house was this past Tuesday. It all runs together!)

Our Big Announcement...

It's now official so I can post it here... our house is under contract to be sold. Praise Jesus! Matthew and I met with Rappy today at noon to sign the contract which had already been signed by our soon-to-be buyer. If all goes well, we will close on September 28. At the moment, I feel homeless. We've signed away our house and do not have another yet. Not to worry because Rappy said with our credit level and amount we're putting down on the new house, once we find that said new house the transaction should be completed in 2-3 weeks. That brings us to the exciting part... house hunting. We're looking at one tomorrow at lunch and four on Thursday evening. We have 5 or 6 others that we'll get to next week. How fun!! It's one thing to see the photos on the internet, but entirely different to walk through them and actually see the place for yourself. I CANNOT WAIT.

The path so far has been amazing and I know God will make His plan just as clear when we come to picking a house. I have to give Him all of the credit as I was just not a tidy homemaker before getting our house ready to sell (you remember the photos, right?). Thankfully, He placed in my life my mom who is great at organizing and could really have her own design show on HGTV. Thanks Mom for getting the ball rolling with helping me stash a bunch of stuff that we didn't need sitting around. Next God brought our realtor Rappy who is a wealth of knowledge on selling homes and from whom I developed "The Rappy List" (all items are complete and then some!). Both with Mom's and Rappy's help, the sale of my house was completely still in God's hands and providence. I praise Him for seeing fit to bring us a buyer. His time is perfect!! Why did I ever doubt? Moving at the end of September means I can continue to prepare for our school year over the next two weeks, potty train Braewyn next week (I know she's ready if I would just focus some energy on it; i.e. twice yesterday when I changed her diaper, she asked if she could wear panties!! Let me know what you think. Is is dumb to train her if we're moving in a month?), and get three weeks of school behind us so that we're in a good routine. Yes, we will have to pack all our belongings in the mean time, but there's not that much here due to the overly crowded storage unit (at least that's what I'm telling myself!).

I'm sure the next six weeks will be stressful, but a little added adrenaline is good for the system now and then. I'll keep you posted.

Blog Update

Just thought it was time to update the look of my blog again. This seems to be a nice calming background. The photo at the top is of Philip and Braewyn pretending to be puppy dogs. They were taking naps!! Their creativity makes me laugh almost daily.

Here's a snipit of a conversation I had with Philip yesterday.

Me: How do you know God loves you?

Philip: Because He gives us our daily bread every day when we need it. When you tell me I've had enough non-nutritious snacks like sweet stuff then you tell me I can have my nutritious daily bread like apples. I like apples with peanut butter!!

Praising God No Matter What

Last night we had a showing for our house. Around 1:00pm yesterday, I got the call that a realtor would like to show our house between 7:00 and 8:00pm. Plenty of time to get the place ready albeit also go into obsessive compulsive mode wanting the place to be perfect. Praise be to God, it basically was! I wanted it to look at least as good as it does on the virtual tour so that the family would find it as they were expecting to.

Hopefully we'll hear something today either via the Centralized Showings website where the realtor who showed our house can leave a comment or by our own realtor giving us a call. Of course, I'm trying my best not to run around the house singing, "Let this be the day we get another offer!" Yes, that's what's going on in my head, but there are also other thoughts. My house is pretty much spotless and it's a WONDERFUL feeling. It is encouraging to know that I've come to a point where cleaning my house is something I now desire to do. If we hear today that the family thought our house was nice but not exactly what they were looking for, I'm still blessed by my hard work and WE can enjoy the loveliness of it ourselves. I thank my Lord for creating in me character through this process of hoping and waiting.

We'll see what comes today or in the weeks to come.

Change in Blog Links

Ellen is a friend who I met because our husbands went to high school together. She has decided to change over from having a family blog, "o my gracious!", to one more solely focused on her in-home business of handmade purses and bags. Now you'll see "handmade recess" on my side bar. I look forward to reading her posts about her sweet family and how she strives to serve the Lord. How she gets to making all the handmade items on top of that is inspirational to me!

Did We Miss the Window of Opportunity?

Braewyn was showing a lot of interest in potty-training back in March. We had a little potty set up in their bathroom and she would often run back there and come announce to the family of her accomplishment! Very exciting. Well, I didn't pursue it but just let it be up to her as I was hoping to be moving in the next 6-8 weeks and thought she might relapse anyway. That phase passed and now she is more than content to stay in a dirty diaper until we notice. Occasionally if she wakes from her nap and I see that her diaper is dry, I'll say excitedly, "Let's go peepee on the potty." She'll pull down her pants and then take her diaper off. I give her a little help getting up on the potty (the plastic seat is clipped onto our actual toilet these days) and making sure she is sitting back far enough. Then come the expected words from my sweet, independent, 2-year-old child.

"Out, please. Privacy!" (sounds like "pwivacy" when she says it)

Oh my goodness! How do you potty train someone who "needs" privacy? I have worked with her on this however because it started with just "Out, Mommy!" and a hand pointing toward the door. I told her we weren't going to have that but I would step into the hallway if she were nice about it. And here we are.

Some kids train by 2 years old, some by 3. Braewyn is only just over 2, 27 months actually. We'll see where we stand in another month or two and try again.

A Moment to Treasure

This morning I saw Braewyn hit Philip. I asked her why she did that and she tapped her shoulder and said, "Bubba hit me." Well, I didn't see him hit her but I told them to hug each other and say sorry. They hugged and then Philip said the sweetest thing to her.

"We're married now, my love, my wife. And I won't forsake you."

Where do they hear these kind of things? It was precious. Philip is in that stage of wanting to play make believe relationships. Often he and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. Sometimes Braewyn is the mom (designated by Philip), he's the 8-year-old brother (that's big and cool to him) and I'm the younger sister. And occasionally, like today, he and Braewyn are married.

I tell him he really won't marry his sister, but that God will bring just the right girl for him one day.

Now if I can only get Matthew to begin speaking to me as romantically as Philip did to Braewyn!!

Philip's "School Book"

Philip's "School Book" arrived in the mail on Monday. It is actually our "Hands On Homeschooling" 2 inch binder which contains a year-long curriculum for teaching 4-K (preschool for 4-year-olds). I was so excited to take the box from the mailman, but then as I began flipping through it, especially the 17 page Planning and Preparation section, I felt anxiety begin to grow. It was somewhat overwhelming to flip though but what got me was the thought of feeling out of sorts due to many items which would be handy sitting in storage in the storage unit. We've packed that thing tight so if I need to get anything out, it will ALL have to come out. I began to frantically pray, "Please Lord, let someone buy our house so we can be settled in our new home before September when our school year begins." I didn't feel it possible to teach Philip effectively without having everything at my finger tips and sorted out.

Thankfully, I did next pray frantically for God's peace and mercifully, He has given it. Even if we begin school in this house, there was a suggestion to buy a trifold display board (remember science fair projects?) to use for displaying each week's key items (letters, Philip's crafts, etc.) and just change it out each week. Another thing which confused me at first but now has me the most excited are the folder games which we'll do each Wednesday. Basically you take one manila file folder for each week of school and the inside becomes a boardgame or matching game or sorting game. The 26 folder games are explained in detail in that 17 page Planning and Preparation section. They are quick and easy games which I know Philip will really like and most likely can teach Braewyn to play too. It is recommended that you laminate (or cover with clear contact paper) the inside of each folder and all game pieces. I know if I take the time to make them nice they will last for when I'm teaching Braewyn in preschool two years from now. Maybe they'll be used for future children too!

The curriculum is completely broken down into a year overview, month overview and then individual lesson plans for Monday thru Friday. Exactly what I needed having no formal education background. Each day is composed of four "units". Everyday has a reading portion (but more so reading readiness instead of actually learning to read), a Bible portion (somedays we read the week's store with questions, other days we read the story and make a craft relating to it), a math portion which begins with sorting/matching and continues on to learning to count to 100 and write numbers, and then an assortment of other units (physical movement, music, cooking, manners, social studies, dramatic play, etc.).

If I can get myself started on putting the folder games together and gathering pictures for our Alphabet book, the year will not be as intimidating. And then the remembrance of our house being for sale hits me and I get a little uptight again. I could ponder if it would be harder to move before school while I'm trying to get all the prep work done or after we begin school and try to maintain a consistent schedule throughout. I take a breath and realize God's ways are always better than my ways. I'll look back on this time a few years from now and still marvel at how it all fell perfectly into place. I am so excited when I do think about house hunting and how we decorate and set up the new house. These weeks of being on the market have definitely honed my cleaning skills and desire for tidyness. Can't wait to post photos of our new house, but no telling when that will be. Actually need to go mop the bathroom floors now so better bring this post to a close.

So Big, So Fast

Please continue to pray for J.B., Matthew's cousin Mollie's son. He is doing really well as far as gaining weight, and sleeping and eating, but the doctors who have seen him do not know for sure what is wrong. Mollie and Michael are told that his adrenal glands are not functioning normally and this causes problems with maintaining his sodium levels. He is on a daily routine of salt water and steroids which is keeping him normalized. All that being said, J.B. is just a beautiful baby boy who has two loving, adoring parents.


We visited with them a week ago. Philip really loved sitting silently beside me and stroking J.B.'s head. Braewyn was a little rambunctious so we had to watch her as she flipped this way and that on the couch right beside me holding J.B.

Seeing J.B. in person, I could hardly believe my two munchkins had been that size once. I am just in awe of the Lord's ability to grow children from tiny helpless infants to the energy-filled tiny tots I live with today.

Here is Philip during his first week at home.


And here is Braewyn during her first week at home.


And here they are on Matthew's Uncle Dennis' John Deere tractor during our recent visit to Kentucky.

What Imaginations!!

Here's the "conversation" Matthew and I just heard.

Braewyn: Hey, doggie, doggie! (as she tried to "pet" Philip who was crawling beside her)

Philip: Do you mind! I'm a car driving myself!

Matthew: (laughing hysterically!)

Face Painting!

This past Saturday, our neighborhood held an Ice Cream Social to promote community awareness and a chance to get to know each other. It was a lot of fun as there was ice cream to purchase which would help raise funds for a new neighborhood sign, a firetruck for the kids to sit in and spray water for the kids to run through, sidewalk chalk and a woman doing face painting.

Philip was really excited to have a Spiderman web put on his face. I was surprised when Braewyn asked for something too and then sat still as a statue while getting Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales on her cheek. Philip asked for something else and so picked an 8 ball from her example page. I don't remember ever playing pool with Philip but I guess he just thought it looked cool. Bob the Tomato got a little smeared up into Braewyn's eyebrow before he dried.

What God Taught Me This Week

I've always known that God hears my prayers, but now I know if you pray specifically, He'll answer specifically.

So our house is still for sale. As of this last Saturday, we hadn't had anyone look at it since early June. I had let myself again get to a very frustrated point (as you could probably tell from my last post). Saturday morning I woke up in a bad mood and frankly wanted to stay in that bad mood. Obviously Matthew could tell and suggested we go for a walk over to Milliken where the kids could run free and look for ducks at the pond. We began straightening up the house just in case someone called to see it while we were out.

"I am so sick of cleaning this house for no one to see it!" I said as we headed out.

Matthew kindly said, "Would it be that bad to clean it for us?" There was really no sarcasm behind his statement and it hit my heart in a way that I knew he was right. Keeping up with the housework has never really been on my list of favorite things so the house was usually cluttered and unkept. Somehow hearing Matthew say what he did and spending the next few hours enjoying God's beautiful creation changed my heart and refreshed my spirit.

We came home and after lunch, I swept and mopped all the floors, and cleaned the kitchen. Also that evening I read my Sunday School lesson which I would teach the teenage girls the next morning. God worked on me again as the lesson was titled, "Why Does God Sometimes Say No?" This is in reference to our prayers. The lesson goes on to give three answers: God wants to grow and strengthen you, God will always glorify Himself, and God has a greater purpose. He was clearly getting my attention as this process of selling our house has done all three. Of course I wanted it to sell the first week on the market but if it had I would not have developed the housekeeping habits I now have, I would not be able to rest in His comfort knowing He knows when and who will buy our house, and I am getting more daily excited to see where God is leading us after the house does sell.

That being said, I prayed Saturday night for God to please bring someone to see the house even if they didnt' buy it. We had just gone so long with no activity that I wanted a little confirmation that our house was still in play.

Well, Sunday afternoon found us laying around enjoying God's day and the phone rings at 4:20pm. Someone is looking at our neighbor's house and wanted to come see ours... right then! We scurried around, pulled a sleeping Braewyn from her crib and drove out of our neighborhood. About 45 minutes later (we just drove around, deposited some money at the bank, etc.), the showing agency called to say the agent was done showing our house but that she and the potential buyers LOVED it and were headed to the bank the next morning! We were thrilled! Monday came and then Tuesday and Wednesday. Today I emailed my realtor Rappy to see if he had heard an update and here's what he said, "The buyer does not qualify!" From the level of interest shown, I'm really feeling sad for them because our house just might have been their dream home.

And that brings me back to the beginning. Yes, I prayed for someone to see our house but not buy it and that's exactly what God let happen. I am not mad but just reminded at how sovereign a God He is. I thank Him for this new lesson in growing my faith, but am revising my prayer.

"Lord, please bring the family You have in store to buy our house and in the meantime, please grant me patience." Yes, I know people say don't pay for patience, but I'm at the point of driving myself crazy if I don't.

Lastly, here is the promised batch of before and after pictures to remind myself primarily of how far our house has come and really what a great house we are living in for this season of our lives.

This was usually how you would find my kitchen...

but now most days it is clean when I go to bed.

Our livingroom was cozy but just full of toys...

and now it's just a livingroom instead of a toy room too.

We also went from having a catch-all office / exercise room / playroom and...

an overcrowded bedroom which Philip and Braewyn shared to...

Philip's own big-boy bedroom with a fresh coat of paint and room for toys...

and a sweet baby nursery for Braewyn that is open and spacious.

Our master bedroom was never a peaceful retreat which master bedrooms should be...

but now it is!! Even when one of the children come running through.

We also had the house and driveway pressure-washed. I had NO IDEA how clean a driveway can look after pressure-washing. Wow!

And I also stained the back porch to complete the project. We've had a busy six months, but I believe that all the hard work up front and day-to-day upkeep now, will pay off in God's timing.

Quick Recap

We spent the last week (Thurs., July 2-Wed., July 8) in Kentucky with Matthew's wonderful extended family. They have a pool and so both kids became quite brave little fish. Here's a general rundown of our family.

Matthew is enjoying his job, at least most days I believe, and praying daily for our house to sell.

I'm deliberating about potty-training Braewyn now or after we move. And that brings me to my other issue... daily wondering if our house will ever sell and trying hard (well, not as hard as I should) to keep it from slipping back into the messy state it was in prior to listing it on the market. The place looked amazing all of April and May. Now the yard is getting burned up by the heat, all the marks around the house I erased with the "Magic Eraser" are back, and little piles of clutter are beginning to grow. We should have taken that first low-ball offer, but... God's timing is perfect!!!

Philip is enjoying his summer and fully obsessed with Transformers. He did learn to swim a good bit more from taking swimming lessons again this summer. He tells the most interesting little stories, usually about Transformers, and is looking forward to school this fall. Today I ordered the curriculum we'll use as we homeschool for his K-4 year. I chose Hands On Homeschooling because each month has a key Bible verse, a different Bible story each week which ties into the verse, games with the letters and numbers, manners, physical education, social studies, crafts and even cooking. I hope to get the material in a few weeks giving me August to read through it before beginning at the first of September.

Braewyn is speaking more clearly every day and using longer sentences too. She doesn't seem too interested in potty training so I might wait until August. She has come to love her baby dolls and our out-of-service cell phones. Quite the little girly, girl. I believe she would love to wear a face full of make-up and pierced earrings if we would let her. For now, we're sticking with chapstick.

Please pray for little JB

Matthew's cousin Mollie had her first baby on Wednesday, July 1. He appeared to be a beautiful, healthy baby whom they named JB. However after some blood tests, things appeared to be a little off. JB is still in the hospital and tests are still being run. It appears his adrenal gland might be too large and is causing his levels (i.e. glucose, potassium, sodium) to go incorrectly up and down.

Please pray for Mollie, her husband Michael and new baby JB. You can read more and see photos of this precious little man on their blog, Jackson World, which is listed on my sidebar.

My Day Job

My full-time job title is Mother. I love and care for my husband of course, but the majority of my waking hours are spent tending to Philip and Braewyn. I try my best as this is more than just keeping them occupied and out of harm's way. God has blessed Matthew and I with two unique, incredible, little (for now) people who are very impressionable at this stage. Lori recommended a book last Thanksgiving which I bought a few weeks later. Unfortunately, I started and stopped reading it twice since then, getting side tracked with other things. A few friends keep a running list of the books they are reading on their sidebars. I'm starting my list with this book, "The Ministry of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson, as it really is a great book. Also seeing the cover on my blog will inspire me to read it completely through this time as I'm not removing it from the blog until I finish it.

Knowing that it was the Lord who entrusted Matthew and I with the kids, I desire to raise them as He wants. A paragraph from page 3 sums up my thoughts on the subject which Clarkson expresses more percisely than I could.

"They don't need the sweet platitudes of faith that will momentarily placate their emotions. They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical-worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship. They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today's storms and tomorrow's and will guide them for the rest of their lives. They also need to see what real faith looks like when lived day in, day out, so they will have a pattern to follow."

I pray to minister to the people in my own house, those people who need me the most.

Our Day

Today Philip began swimming lessons. He's on the far right and his best buddy Nic is on the far left. He is taking lessons at the same location and from the same teacher he did last summer. He seemed to have a great time even though he said he didn't remember when we asked him how it went. I hope I won't be hearing that answer for years to come.

Also both kids have new looks these days. On Saturday I took Philip for a hair cut. When Darlene, our hairdresser, asked if I just wanted her to trim it up like always, I first said yes. Then I said how everyone told me summer was the time to try a buzz if Philip wanted one. She said she could do it but would leave it a little longer so as not to have him looking scalped. It's a cute look for him, but I'm wondering how a buzz grows out to his original hairstyle if we want that again.



Braewyn is occasionally letting me put her hair up in pigtails. She would rather just run around with wild hair, but it adds to her cuteness when I do get a rubber band up in those locks. Here she is after dinner tonight, but before our walk.


Here she is after our walk and after hitting the pavement hard just 50 feet from our front yard. Thankfully it was just as we were returning home from a 2 mile walk and not as we were starting out.

First Half of June

This month is flying by. The first week was spent at Science Camp. Philip attended the Preschool Camp at our local science center. He had a blast learning about bones on Monday, rocks and soil on Tuesday, electricity and lasers on Wednesday, stars and constellations on Thursday, and snakes on Friday. Braewyn and I enjoyed time together wandering around outside or in the other museums for the hour Philip was at camp. The second week was spent getting ready for VBS. I did take the kids for a walk one morning to check a friend's mail and we made ourselves at home playing in her kids' wooden play house. Tonight is the last night of VBS and Philip and I have had a wonderful time. I'm helping with the rising-5th graders who are a lot of fun but have a lot of energy. If we give them even a minute of unscheduled time, the room becomes quite noisy. Philip has enjoyed his Pre-K class and I cannot wait to see his group sing tonight at the Family Night program. Not sure if I'll have to be on stage with my group or not. I've learned the motions and kind of know the words to the songs. Not sure if I can do both at the same time!

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VBS Prep Work

Our church is having Vacation Bible School next week. I'm really excited to be teaching the rising 5th grade boys and girls. However it seems that I didn't begin preparing early enough as Philip, Braewyn and I spent the last two hours hunting down a few last items. On our list was a boomerang, cotton balls, sandpaper, construction paper, bottled water, laundry bags with drawstrings and Chenille Craft Stems (a.k.a. pipe cleaners; guess the Lifeway company who prints our VBS material is steering away from tobacco product paraphenalia!). After scouring Big Lots, Maxway and Dollar General, I found cottonballs, construction paper and bottled water. Those stores sell everything under the sun EXCEPT what you are looking for. I headed there first as the prices are dirt cheap and they do carry the most random items. However the aisles are so narrow and the abundance of things make it a nightmare to find one simple item, such as a boomerang. I'm starting to wonder if boomerangs are sold in this town. Would that be considered a sporting good item, or maybe a self-defense tool? Anyhow, the hunt was made all that more eventful with needing to keep track of Philip and Braewyn who can be lost in three seconds flat in those type stores. Braewyn is a wonderful, caring child but her strong temper will definitely keep me on my discipling toes. She had a full breakdown in Big Lots when I put her in the cart. Philip never cried but repeatedly kept trying to make me think I had forgetten the objective of our trip. In his mind, it was to buy him a toy. I enjoy spending time with my little ones and watching them grow. However, next year I'll make plans to do my VBS item shopping in the evening while Matthew plays with Philip and Braewyn at home.

Update on House Selling Process

Well, things are going very well considering the market. We had four showings last week and one scheduled for tomorrow night. All that being said, and now without complaining but just stating the facts, it is hard work keeping our house in perfect "show condition". I suppose I added a degree of work to myself by enrolling Philip in science camp this week. He's attended it each morning this week from 10-11am and has had a blast (post with photos to come). This just means that I've gotten the three of us fed and dressed plus scurried around putting EVERYTHING in its designated place each day this week. Selfishly I'm praying (that is an oxymoron!) that our house will be sold in the next two weeks as the last two weeks of June, Philip attends swimming lessons -- that will be 8 days of scurrying!! The light I've found in this situation is a renewed gratefulness for being a stay-at-home mom of preschoolers instead of a woman hurrying out the door EVERY morning to work or even to drop kids off at school. Next week we might not go anywhere!

Prayers for the Gosselins

As I just returned home from Walmart and there glanced casually at the covers of the tabloids, I am again feeling led to ask others to join me in praying for Jon and Kate Gosselin and their family. Yes, I'm concerned for them even though I don't know them, but my main reasoning is for God to be glorified in their situation. No I'm not going to start praying for any and all celebrity couples who face divorce as that would take up my whole day. My thinking here is that the Gosselins are known Christians. They have spoken at churches and moreso, having read their book, "Multiple Blessings", they publicly claim Christ as Savior. My God who made the heavens and the earth is capable to do ALL things. I fully believe that if He chooses to soften their hearts toward each other and back to Him, they would give Him the glory as any Christian couple would. Marriage is hard work, i.e. the divorce rate being over 50% in America. As a wife who is a Christian, I cannot imagine making it work without having Christ in our lives. That's about all I wanted to say. It's not in the Lord's plans to earn popularity for popularity's sake, however we should pray for His name to be glorified in a way that those who do not know Him as Savior would desire to make that decision. Reconciling a marriage which has sunk to the level of the tabloids' descriptions (true or not) would be impossible in human ability alone. Let's pray, believing God is able, and just wait and see what He plans to do. I would be perfectly fine if the Gosselins somehow miraculously disappeared from public view and 20 years from now we hear that they have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary giving God all the glory for it.

Haven't Sold the House Yet

So here's the latest on this house selling process. We went on the market on April 6. Nothing for the first two weeks, but I was still very excited to know my house was on the internet and there was a sign in our front yard. Going out was like a game because the house had to be "show ready". It also made for a wonderful homecoming as the place had never looked better. While gone to Maine we had the one showing, and then FIVE more showings the following week. On that Friday (May 1), Rappy (our realtor) called saying we had an OFFER!! And he mentioned that there might be another coming. Well, that sent me over the edge and I began telling everyone that we might be having two offers and we were smelling a bidding war!! Woohoo! Anybody with sense knows that the worst thing to do when anticipating something big is to count your chickens before they hatch.

There was no contact with the possible second offer person and the first real offer fell through after we went back and forth with two counter offers. In my heart I truly wasn't upset that it fell through and had actually prayed in the process that if the woman couldn't afford it, she wouldn't take it. Yes, I want a new house but not at the expense of someone's financial ruin.

Ok, that was two weeks ago now and there's been NO ACTIVITY. Here's the part I didn't want to see happen... me losing hope that anyone will ever show up again and get so frustrated every time I tidy the house before going somewhere. My human nature tells me to just forget about it (i.e. making everything look perfect) when I'm running late (usually always) or just feeling that it looks good enough. But then I remember asking the Lord to bless this time of selling our house and to use it for His glory (i.e. people recognizing that this process was all of His power as I am hopeless in keeping a tidy house). I want everytime I leave my garage to know that if the showing agency were to call, I can say, "Yes, I'd love for you to show my house in 30 minutes." One of these days when I do drive out of the garage, I WILL receive that call, and that WILL be the family who buys our house, and we WILL be on our way to buying our new home.

Guess it just boils down to me very much disliking anything which requires a lot of perseverance. I'm a microwave girl, cable internet user, drive-thru window orderer. But just to use another anonymous phrase, whatever does not kill us, makes us stronger. And further more, I want to grow closer to my Lord during this process and more like Him. Today was the last day of our BSF year. We've examined the life of Moses by studying verse by verse the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Moses was just a regular guy and yet because of his intimately, close relationship with God, he wasn't. Moses spoke regularly and audibly with God on a mountaintop, performed miracles before Pharaoh in Egypt, witnessed plagues and the Red Sea opening, led a million people on a 40-year "hike" through the desert, listened to them complain for those same 40 years, and then died peacefully just before the people entered the land God had promised them.

The frustration I might feel after chasing two children, keeping up with laundry and meals for one family, and tidying this house for a month's time is laughable in comparison. Moses is remembered with these words, "Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egypt — to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel" (Deuteronomy 34:10-12).

I pray to be like Moses who became like God by going to Him daily and seeking His power instead of his own.

New Blog Link In My Sidebar: Jackson World

Matthew's cousin Mollie and her husband Michael are expecting their first baby on July 13. It's a little boy who will be called J.B. (full name Joseph Brooks). Mollie and I have become close friends and that friendship is sure to grow as she becomes a mom in just a few months. We're excited for them. Philip is excited to hold J.B.! I'm looking forward to reading their blog and reminiscing about those first few weeks of parenthood. Thankfully, they are mostly a blur by this point. I say that and yet I wish I could remember just how tiny Philip and Braewyn were at that point and how there was no need for discipline at that time! A really sweet time.

Our "Baby" is 2-years-old!

On Saturday, Braewyn turned 2. We had a wonderful day together. The kids began the day with sprinkle doughnuts for breakfast, always a good start! For lunch we headed out to Spring Fling, our local downtown festival, and spent more money than we intended on food. However we had a great time together as a family and saw a cool dog frisbee show (these were world-record holding, frisbee-catching dogs!!). We headed home to let the kids nap and Mommy to bake Braewyn's cake before heading to Ruth Ann's house for the birthday girl's party (we had it there in the hopes of maybe having a house showing that night... no such luck.). Braewyn enjoyed spending the evening with her Mommy, Daddy, "Bubba" (Philip), grandparents, big cousin Michael, little cousin Holden and Aunt Andrea.

Here are the photos to recap the day. I was touched by how Philip really seemed to want to let Braewyn feel special on her birthday and wasn't jealous at all. He's getting quite mature for his age!

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Today was Braewyn's first day in the Bible Study Fellowship children's program. The "policy" states that a child can begin the class day following her 2nd birthday. Philip began the Thursday after his 2nd birthday, but his birthday being January 22, he participated for the last half of the class year (it runs along with the public school calendar). Braewyn attended today and next Thursday, but then we'll all start back on September 17. She could have skipped these two weeks, but I've honestly been waiting ALL year to enroll her in Bible study. I don't ever want to let a chance go by when I can help instill the truths of God's Word in her little heart. Her teacher said she did great and acted liked she'd been coming for months. There was a little mishap as the kids were dancing, Braewyn bumped into Philip, tripped and fell to the ground. Her mouth landed on a toy and she has a puffy, pink lip. Guess I'll wait until next week to get her 2-year-old picture taken! She's a tough little thing; I know she'll be excited to go back to BSF next week.

Photos from Maine

It's been just a week since we returned home from Maine. The trip feels like a dream now. Being in Maine is as different from South Carolina as a foreign country would be. Life is slow there, but maybe we're just going too fast here. I'm so thankful we were able to take this trip and for my children to explore a beautiful, faraway corner of God's beautiful world.

A side note... my Dad grew up in Massachusetts and I was actually born there. When his grandmother died, his parents moved to Tenants Harbor, ME to live in her house. They lived there for 20 years until moving into a nursing home a year or so ago. Now my cousin Jeff and his family live in their house. All growing up, we would visit Maine but just stay around my grandparents' house or walk to the harbor of Tenants Harbor. This time, we stayed at the Thomaston/Rockland Hampton Inn about 20 minutes away and saw lots of local "attractions" I never knew about. The boat you'll see "sails" (it doesn't have a sail?) to Monhegan Island several times a week. That is about 10 miles off the coast of Maine. We excitedly hitched a ride, free of charge thanks to Jeff who works for the boat company, which took an hour. It was one of the highlights of the trip. The others on the boat saw it as we would in taking the bus across town. Very interesting. I asked a woman if there was a school on the island (there was a sign reading, "No medical staff on island. Enter at your own risk."). She said there is a school for Kindergarten thru 8th grade. This year there are five students enrolled!

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Is third time the charm for us?

Tonight we had our third house showing. The second showing this past Saturday appears to have gone very well as our realtor called me around 1:00pm that day saying the people were definitely interested but just wanted to find out who owns the woods behind us in chance they could buy that too. That makes us interested to know if tonight's showing was them again or a new prospect. Either way, we have ANOTHER showing tomorrow night from 6:00-7:00pm. Perfect timing as we'll be at church anyway! Thanks, God. This afternoon I cleaned the house like a mad woman so it'll just need tidying tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

Back from Maine and House Showings

These last few weeks have been busy with keeping the house tidy as every time I leave the house I want it to be "show ready". It could take four months or just four weeks to sell our house, but I'm viewing this time as a season to be found faithful before the Lord in trusting His timing. The first week we were on the market I began to get a little frustrated that no one was calling to see it (now realizing that I was being overly ambitious and that this process is more often a slow one). Now that wait is over in that we had a showing last week. A woman looked at it and the realtor's comments afterwards were "Home shows great!" but that the woman worked some distrance from here and was looking for more square footage. It at least broke the ice from my thinking that "No one is ever coming to look at our house!" Now it's just six days later and we need to be gone from our house from 10am until noon as someone else is coming to see it today! Philip was invited to a birthday party at that exact time. God has good timing.

Secondly, we got packed and flew to Maine last Thursday, April 16, spent five wonderful days visiting family and sightseeing in a very beautiful corner of God's world and then flew back on Tuesday, April 21. I'll post all about it including photos and videos this week. The kids had a ball as Philip loved climbing on the big rocks which make up the Maine coastline and Braewyn loved having her Papa around and walking miles and miles on those little legs. Matthew, the kids, my Dad, and I very much enjoyed the trip.

We're on the market!

Our realtor Rappy came back on Monday. Before he even came in the house, he was putting the "For Sale" sign in the yard. Matthew and I were ecstatic! All the hard work of the last month was finally paying off. I still want to post all of my before and after (and then more after pictures after we completed the "Rappy list"), but here is the virtual tour from Rappy's website. He has an awesome wide-angle lens camera with cool stitch photo software. Therefore what was just still photographs become a panoramic tour of our house and yard. Very cool!!

What I Learned Today

A few weeks ago, Matthew and I were in Academy Sports and I came upon the most amazing items. Did you know you can buy a blood tracking light? Or a videocamera which you mount on your rifle to "capture the hunt and share it with friends!" I was amazed. No one in my family hunts so I've never really browsed the hunting section of a store before, but Matthew was looking for a new pocket knife and this stuff was right beside them.

Anyhow, that's the way I am, always curious about things, wondering how things work, etc. Yes, "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was my favorite show as a child because of the videos of him going into the different factories. So after seeing the blood tracking light (somehow it intensifies red pigment so it sort of glows in the dark under this light) and wanting to run home right then to post about it, I thought I could probably post something nearly everyday of what I had learned that day. Either I'm really clueless or I just happen to stumble upon interesting things due to the curiousity (no comments please).

After all the build-up, here's today's new thing I learned...

Swim diapers cannot be substituted for normal diapers. We ran completely out of diapers for Braewyn today. I had planned to go to Sam's last night to buy a box, but we all went to Matthew's softball game last night and Sam's today. We didn't get to Sam's until 6:30pm so the real diapers were all used up and off we went to dinner with Braewyn in a swim diaper. We ate at a great new place called Wing Stop and I actually learned two things. Yes, her pants were soaking wet at the end of dinner due to the faulty swim diaper and she loves dipping carrots in ketchup. Braewyn ate only 2 or 3 bites of chicken, but she ate a lot of french fries and carrot sticks both dipped in ketchup!

I Take Back My Grumblings

(Read "Argh!" post below first if you haven't already.)

Yes, writing the previous post did let off some stream, but it wasn't an hour later when I was put back in my place. As dinner was cooking, I helped Philip put away some toys while I was sitting a few feet from our stereo speaker which was playing the radio. Suddenly I realized the song, "In Christ Alone" was playing. One line says, "I find my hope, I find my strength in Christ alone." It reminded me that my frustration was self-induced. I had become overwhelmed and begun to wallow in it instead of going to my Source of all guidance.

Not only do I know Jesus is always waiting, eager to provide the strength I need ("Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28), but we are currently learning in BSF how detestable complaining is to God. When we complain about anything (especially something involving a blessing from God), it is sin. We are saying, "God, You can't bring me through this situation. God, why did You let me get in this mess?"

The Israelites spent 38 years in the desert wandering around and surviving on manna because they had not believed that God could do all He said. They grumbled several times and received the punishment for it. This week's lesson from Numbers 21 recounts the Israelites saying they detested the manna, God's perfect provision for them. He then sent poisonous snakes among them, biting many of them and causing many to die.

Here I am living in a wonderful home and actually preparing to move into a new (at least to us) home with even more space which I know will be perfectly suited for us as God will direct our decision. In my sinfulness, I began to act just like those Israelites. Then again, aren't we all daily forgetful of God's blessings which fall new every morning? Thank you Jesus for daily forgiving me of my grumblings.

Argh!!!!!!

At this moment, I want to walk out of my front door and throw away the key! We're hoping to call our realtor and say, "Our house is ready to list on the market." But the bad thing is that the condition of this house is getting worse, not better. All the furniture is moved to its proper places, but in every room there are many items just laying around. I don't know what to do with it all. Maybe a good idea would be to take a large box and gather everything to take to the dump. Also with this huge mess everywhere, I feel I'm wasting my time gluing down unstuck wallpaper edges in the bathroom and touching up kitchen cabinets with a q-tip. If someone walked in now, they wouldn't even notice the wallpaper or cabinets.

Can you tell I didn't get a nap today? Yes, that's the real problem. We're staying up until midnight trying to get things done, I'm losing track of the dishes and laundry for spending time clearing out closets and staining the deck. I was going to lay down after getting home from lunch and getting the kids to bed. Braewyn fell asleep on the way from my parents' house to lunch which means she had had her power nap and wasn't really tired when I put her in her crib. After reading books to Philip, I smelled poop to put it bluntly coming from Braewyn's room. I should have entered right away, but did so after attending to a few other things. What I found was a dirty diaper on the floor, a girl rolling around in her crib and everything in it soiled!!! Girl and all contents out of the crib. Philip comes walking out of his room about that time too and I decided it was getting too late to try to resettle them.

Oh well, there goes my nap and any chance of getting the much needed energy boost needed to get anything really productive done today. Philip and I attended Bible study this morning so I guess that counts for something. We are no closer ready to selling this house. I suppose I should find something to feed my family for dinner.

Productive Day

Between last night and today, Matthew and I (with some help from Philip too!) spread 6 Bobcat scoops of mulch and planted 114 flowers around the yard. Yesterday, a man came and pressure washed the house, front/back porches, and driveway. I was completely amazed. It looks beautiful. Having your house pressure washed while you're inside is like being in a drive-thru car wash for a few hours. I loved it! The sound of spraying water is very soothing and the end result is awesome (the absence of nine years of mildew and spider webs!!).

I've already begun praying over our flowers for God to bless them with a long and prosperous life. They'll be prosperous if they live long enough for us to get this house on the market and then entice someone to buy it! Mulch, flowers and pressure washing are now checked off the "Rappy" list. We also bought a new front door wreath from Michael's while out buying flowers this morning. Another check. As for the dishes and laundry... don't ask. I'll just say the outside of my house is looking WAY better than the inside right now.

The "Rappy" List

You may have heard of the movie, "The Bucket List" about two elderly men who create a list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket. Well, I've not posted in a while because Matthew and I are constantly working on things from our "Rappy" list. We are in full swing getting the house ready to place it on the market. On Wednesday, March 3, our realtor Rappy Williams (hence the list) came to our house to give us our first once over. He's awesome and very experienced (20 years in the business!!) -- thanks, Kelly, for recommending him! Well, we followed him around our house inside and out for an hour, all the while me scribbling down his suggestions to do to the house. He also gave us a four page print-out which he gives to all potential home sellers, "Rappy's Checklist for Preparing Your House for Showings".

And here's the breakdown. I'll start with the good news.

Things Accomplished
-- Change Kitchen fluorescent lightbulbs
-- Replace kitchen brass knobs with nickel knobs
-- Spray paint all exterior light fixtures black
-- Change lightbulbs in garage, laundry room and master closet to brightest available
-- Move hall light fixtures to bedrooms, and replace with two-bulb fixtures
-- Attach molding to bathroom mirrors to cover flaking spots
-- Clean out area above washer/dryer
-- Put extra piece of vinyl under kitchen sink area
-- Spray oven cleaner in tubs to remove soap scum (THIS REALLY WORKS WELL!!)
-- Replace shower curtain in master bath
-- Separate kids from one bedroom; clear out office to become Philip's bedroom (pictures to come; their rooms are awesome now!)
-- Empty office closet to become Philip's closet
-- Spray water stain on ceiling with bleach
-- Rearrange master bedroom for more spacious look
-- Remove multi-sort laundry basket from master bath
-- Wash globes (the decorative glass pieces around lightbulbs) of ceiling fans in dishwasher (you'd be amazed at how good they come out looking; try it with yours!)
-- Seed entire yard with a rye/fescue mix
-- Remove screens from all front windows
-- Move two bushes from front yard to side yard

Things Still Needed
-- Replace carpet in master bed
-- Pressure wash house, driveway and porches (a man is coming tomorrow to do this)
-- New mulch in flowerbeds and around trees (being delivered tomorrow also)
-- Extra colorful plants in flowerbeds (Lowe's has 3/$1 this weekend, yeah!)
-- Remove paperbox
-- Change lightbulbs in bathrooms to white instead of clear (waiting until list time)
-- Clean out master closet and Braewyn's closet
-- Clean all blinds and windows
-- Clean kitchen appliances inside and out
-- Wipe all baseboards
-- Touch up kitchen and bathrooms cabinets
-- Clean out garage
-- Empty front closet of excess coats (why do Matthew and I NEED 8 coats each? crazy!)
-- Buy front door spring wreath
-- Find time to keep up with LAUNDRY and the DISHES in the meantime

Philip is a Child Model!

Matthew's brother Jonathan is the Director of a children's museum called Imagination Station. We visited the museum while spending Thanksgiving weekend with Jonathan and Lori. We actually got a really cool behind-the-scenes VIP tour and during the time there, Philip bravely held one of the snakes. We are so excited to announce that Jonathan chose a picture of Philip and the snake to be a part of the museum's promotional flier! If you are ever in the Wilson, NC area, be sure to stop by Imagination Station. You can tell the Director you know his sister-in-law!

Updates on the Chillin's

Philip had his 4-year-old check-up on Friday. He's known for several weeks that he was getting shots at this appointment, but Friday morning he didn't show any signs of hesitancy. He did get a little anxious once our pediatrician left after examining him and he knew the next ones through the door would be the nurses with the needles. I was actually tense all morning because I had not seen him get shots in two years and was dreading it for him. He received four shots but thankfully two nurses give two rounds of two shots at the same time. Needless to say he was crying. To quote Philip telling Grandma about the experience, "I wailed." To make the situation worse, Braewyn needed a second dose of Hepatitis A vaccine also. I chose for Philip to go first as I knew his "torture" would be worse, but seeing her brother so upset really got to Braewyn. She received the one quick stick and calmed down quicker than Philip did, but it broke my heart the way she cowered behind me while I was holding Philip's hands during his shots. The upside of the appointment is the news that we have a strong, growing, well-developed 4-year-old on our hands. Philip now weighs 33.3 lbs and is 39 1/2 inches tall. These measurements make him 25th percentile for weight and height. His pediatrician said he is petite but well porportioned.

Braewyn is still doing amazing in the potty department. It's crazy because aside from putting the Pooh Bear training potty in their bathroom, she's potty-trained herself! She actually said, "Potty" while waiting for the pediatrician to come in for their check-up. I told Dr. Shelly this and she said I could take Braewyn to the bathroom while she checked Philip's eyes and ears. Braewyn went peepee in the office bathroom! Saturday morning, Matthew and I took the kids to Krispy Kreme as a treat after their shots the morning before. Again Braewyn asked to go potty and there she pee'd and pooped! Hooray, Braewyn. We're leaving her in diapers until the move as I've always heard big changes can cause regressions. However, the way she wants to go potty at home alot, those big girl pull-ups would be very helpful as she could pull them up and down by herself. She's a silly little thing. Here's the list of Braewyn's potty policies:

- Must be naked from the waist down when pottying at home (this includes socks!)
- Tells Mommy to stand in the hallway (she pats a spot on the wall where she wants me to stand!)
- After pottying in the training potty, she carries the removable pot around the house for all present to congratulate her (it's hilarious hearing Philip's response when he's not in the mood, "I know you pee'd; go take it back to Mommy.")
- The best part is that she doesn't even know reward systems exist; she is completely satisfied with verbal praise alone! (we went through MANY chocolate chips with Philip and Braewyn is even more of a sweets lover than he was so this is a VERY good thing!)

I'm Still Here!

Sorry it's been a few weeks since posting. Matthew very sweetly gave me a new camera for Valentine's Day and I've loved taking pictures with it. The catch is that I've yet to sit down and read the manual so I don't know exactly how to upload the photos to the computer. Probably would be a simple process which I'll try to get to tomorrow. I have lots of great photos from the kids playing in the snow this morning as we awoke to around 5 inches of the white stuff! Also the kids' room and living room are both "show ready"! (Remember we're getting our house ready to sell?) The frustrating part is that each of these rooms currently look very un-ready to sell. Thankfully, each room in the house is making its way to ready with just straightening needed. Many items from around the house now reside in a rented storage unit and deep cleaning (hooray for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!) is going on on an almost daily basis. I'm calling a realtor tomorrow to make this whole process official!! Good night.