Camp and a Lamp

Camp Rockefeller on Gus Blass Reservation, Dasmascus, Arkansas

Clay has been at boy scout camp this week!  He left on Sunday, and he doesn't come home until this Saturday.  Ches left yesterday to go spend some time with him.  He'll be back later today. ; )  I did get to talk to him on the phone, and he's still my sweetie!  It must be hard to tell your momma that you love her when all your scout friends are around.  Bless him for making me feel special.  

My only picture of him as he went to his first middle school dance.  You can *not* pose for a picture..but that doesn't mean Mom won't snap one as you walk away!  You looked so handsome, btw.

I'm definitely missing him.  Ethan has been bored (although he checked into Gigi's house/hotel last night!) and totally misses Clay.  Mary Claire keeps telling us to tell him hi (her way of telling us she misses him too).  Our home is just different when we have chicks out of the house!

I got a basecamp (awesome software for everyone with a project!) post that the plumbing rough-in is finished on the house, and the slab has been poured.  I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for my baby to wake up from nap so I can go see it!  This is when it gets exciting (for me!).  I can't wait to see the wood framing go up..that's when it feels like a HOUSE!  You can walk around and feel the spaces.

We went out to eat on Saturday night after church, and when Carter was bored, I decided to take him out.  We were at Promenade, an outdoor mall, and I'd have plenty to show him..water fountains, flowers, music (there was a band!), etc.  But Ches suggested I run into Pottery Barn to buy something for the house.  I know, how sweet! (remember his love language is gifts?  This is how he shows love.)  I couldn't though because I have no where to put anything, it would just go to storage.  And I can't really envision or feel the rooms yet.

Isn't this lovely?  Yes, I'll have a back porch!  No, it won't be enclosed.  No, it won't have a fireplace.  I don't think.  But isn't it beautiful?  See..this might be why I should see the space before I decorate it in my mind. ; )

I just broke my favorite lamp last week.  It was a beautiful mercury glass lamp from Pottery Barn (on sale!), and I loved it so much.  It was my fault..I knocked it over with a box while looking for something in another box.  I didn't even speak.  I didn't want to say mean things, and it was my fault anyway.  Ok..so back to PB.  They don't have them anymore, and nothing was as beautiful.  I guess it's fine..I don't think I'd put another beautiful lamp in that spot now anyway!
 

Kinda like the one on the right..but they don't sell it anymore. : (

ps-I swear I'm a poet and didn't know it.  I don't know HOW I happen to write about rhyming things.  And some things with such alliteration.  It's crazy!

Hugs, ya'll!

Rather Rocky Floor

Mary Claire was supposed to get her braces today..but looks like July 8 is our new date.  There was a miscommunication.. at least she and Ethan got to play in the pink goop used for her impressions. ; ) fun!

The house is moving along, thank goodness!  I'm trying to find peace in the temporary house, use new coping skills..and now we'll be even more thankful to be in our new home.  It seems like everyone is having some sort of trouble (sharing a room, finding things, missing neighbor friends and our pool, etc.).  I'm praying for this time to grow our patience and teach us to rely on one another and not stuff and others.  I'M even having stress about tripping over boxes.  It's hard to not have access to things (my pizza stone..we made pizza on the oven rack last night..and cut it on the counter!), and have to walk in little paths around furniture.  I'm still packing things up that aren't crucial, and trying to give stuff away if I'm absolutely sure we won't need it!

Here is our progress:

The front, won't we have beautiful sunsets?

No running in the living room, boys!

The back porch.  And your lovely view of the port-o-potty.

The boys gathering walnuts to hit over our fence at the rental.  They like to play baseball, but not run get the balls. ; )

King of the Mountain!  This is the thing he does as soon as he gets there..

Our Driveway : )  Come on over!  You can park between the backhoe and the dumpster.

I'd ask for prayers for us, but there are so many worse off right now.  Pray for Ron, my friend's dad for healing of his foot and lower leg after being bucked off a horse.  Pray for Roy, a NWA JDRF family member who had a car accident, and just had his leg amputated.  Pray for Laura's family-her stepdad just passed away, and her mom went to the ER with chest pain.  She's ok, but keep praying.  It's a stressful time for them.

This makes me thankful for my health, my family, and that we have exactly what we need.  May God bless you right where you are.

Footings and Feet

Think I've left you in the dust.  Sorry!  We've now *kinda* settled into the temporary house, and are still alive.  We discovered today, quite accidentally, that the gas to our fireplace was on full blast.  Luckily the boys keep the doors moving, mostly open, so we haven't died.  Or blown up. ; )  God is seriously watching over us!

Our house is coming along.  We've finally seen some dirt-digging and building, giving us hope that a house is to come. : )  It has certainly been a huge leap of faith to leave our home of almost eight years, not even knowing what we are moving towards.  I mean, we have a general idea, but it's tough, people!  Lots and lots of faith, we are growing it here by the bushel-full. : )

Here are some steps in the right direction:

The footings are poured!  This is what the concrete block, and brick, will rest on. 
*Totally reminds me of building on a rock..not shifting sands: Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.*  Matthew 7:24

More footings..this is the back wall and back side of porch.

This baby is DYING to write his name in concrete.  He was tiny, and asleep, when we poured the concrete around the pool, and he hasn't forgotten that Clay and Mary Claire got to put their handprints into it...and he didn't.

Now, it looks like this!  The block are up..and they are too high for my taste.  I called to complain, and they probably rolled their eyes at that crazy holly girl.  Silly me, the lot looked so darn flat, but apparently it is lower to the left, and towards the back.  So there will be steps up from the garage to the house..that's going to build my calves as I carry up groceries!!  So..shapely legs for free?

Just so you know, Courtney...Carter does it too.  They get comfy, feet included! : )

I love this baby! : )  He has gotten so big.

I thought his trunk looked so long in that picture.  I'm thrilled he's finally growing.  He's still on formula at least until the next weight check in July.  He was underweight and height, so they are still keeping an eye on him.  Praying nothing is wrong and for healthy growth!  He's a smarty-pants, so at least it's not in the intelligence department? ; ) He figured out our cabinets..that don't have pulls or knobs!  They are even hard for me.

Hope your home is happily housing all your growing feet!  Please pray for our patience.  It's exciting, but it's work too.  Every day is something.  (did I tell you about the constrictor the boys found out back?  or the pool "discount"? or about the white quilt that took all day to dry, and then today the boys ate two bags of chocolate on it?)  (No?  It's probably better.)

Seeing Reality

So..no fence people today.  They hit the gas line yesterday, so they had to shut off gas, call a plumber, and we are back online now.  I still can't sleep.  My house is asleep...but I've been up for almost three hours.  I've showered, and apparently I have time to write.  Ha!  Not really, but it's good therapy. ; )

One day I'll look back and wonder how bad it really was..or when things are worse I'll think I was silly back then (now).  I was listening to a show on Oprah XM (her Soul Series) a few days ago and it was about how we look out with our eyes rather than the eyes of God.  We see what we want to see, all shaded with our opinions and feelings.  It's not the clear vision of Reality.  It was eye-opening, and I'm trying to see more clearly.  It was about seeing others the way God sees them, not about how we FEEL about them.  So..I'm applying it to my house situation.  I can see it's about where we sleep at night, where I can read to my babies, and feed them dinner.  Not about how I feel about my walls.

In other *good* news...they have staked the lot for our house!  A super yay!  We discovered that when they told us it was going to be a long (front to back) house, they weren't kidding!  It goes way back..almost 20 feet from the back property line (well, the garage part).  Ches is a little excited to mow less.  Ok, a LOT excited!

We are still trying to pick brick..we like used ("antique") brick, but it's more expensive..decisions..  I think we might go with a new brick, but messy grout to make it look older.  We have to decide super fast.  We've looked at lots of houses and bricks, and we are very aware of gas prices in all nearby cities, since we are driving to all of them looking at addresses!  If you see me drive by your house really slowly, maybe taking pictures, just wave!  I promise not to break in later tonight. ; )

Thanks for your love, it'll get better. : )

Moved.

..a teensy, tiny update.  We've moved.  Ok, our sleepy bodies landed in the temporary home last night, but our clothes still reside over on Lankinshire Place. ; )  We are still in Process.

I was thankful for a comfy bed that felt like Home (thank you mom and dad for helping move the headboard!).  We didn't go to bed until after one, and this morning the fence crew woke us up.  Thank you for getting a fence in the ground (gotta be thankful in this chaos) to keep my kiddies inside the lines.

I gotta admit it's been super hard.  Ches asked what my plan was for today, and my best answer?  Not to cry.  We've been moving for over a week now (since June 1), and it's been my focus (Exactly that: Get Stuff to the Other House).  So, I guess it's settling in.  I don't want to be whiny, so I'm trying to control what I say.  I don't even have a drawer in my bathroom for a toothbrush or hairbrush.  I finally get why all these crazy people pin bathroom under-cabinet organizers on Pinterest.  Umm..I think I need one.  To keep my toothbrush from touching my deodorant and hair from my brush!

We will make it.  I've weathered much worse.  God bless us in the transition.