daybook 18

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, 

and that seek him with the whole heart.

Psalm 119:2

Preface to my Daybook...

Monday:  Wishing I had time for blogging, here's what I did instead:  Woke up before my husband (!) but thought about getting up until his alarm went off  ;-)  We went to the house together to prepare for the carpet installation ~ I scrubbed and mopped the two bedroom floors and hallway.  It's amazing what a body can accomplish before 8am!  Mr. Friendly Carpet Installer arrived about 8, so we left him to his business and came home to have some more breakfast with the kids ~ and a shower for me.  After several phone calls and starting bread dough, I decided I should hurry back to the house at 11am to vacuum out kitchen cabinets before the countertop installers arrived after lunch... I met the carpet installer on his way to another job and arrived to see a big truck parked in the driveway "IOWA Countertops" ~ oops! ~ so much for my cleaning the cabinets.  But I decided to vac the new carpets instead.  So the poor installers had to listen to my awful powerhead on the vac, but I got it done and then relaxed on my floor with the most gorgeous view of blue sky and delightful cool breeze via my window.  Countertop guys finished and disappeared.  I had my camera along, but had dropped it on the floor here in the process of taking it off a shelf, soooo when I thought to spend my time snapping pictures, the camera didn't want to work.  I brought it home and charged the battery, hoping that might be the problem, but alas, today it does the same thing... When I turn it on, the lens comes out and goes back in, noisily and slowly as if it were in pain (I know about that sort of movement) until I shut it off again.  :-(  I'm not sure I have time for visiting the camera shop to ask if it's repairable  :-(  So sad!  I might have to commandeer the Cowgirl's camera for now.

Anyway ~ I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen mixing bread, cookies, and banana muffins ~ the girls helped bake the cookies and muffins.  The G Family came about 4 bringing two huge laundry baskets full of food!  Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, lettuce salad, cooked veggies, frozen fruit slush, banana bars, kolaches!, scalloped potatoes & ham, and pizza.  As a mom of six, Mrs. G. understands large quantities of food  ;-)  What a blessing!  "And what are you doing cooking?!" she wanted to know ~ I told her, It's a habit.  ;-)

FOR TODAY

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; 

for therein do I delight. 

Psalm 119:35

Outside my window... another gorgeous day!  The gerbera daisy opened up lots of blooms this week  :-)

I am thinking... I should really be instituting a computer fast

I am thankful for... God's goodness ~ and His ability to provide all I need every day.
...for the beautiful weather this week (we have no central air at the new house yet)

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee 

because of thy righteous judgments. 

Psalm 119:62

From the learning rooms... Miss Artist and Miss MusicBox are in Omaha this week ~ they will teach a couple lessons as their youth group leads VBS  in TWO parks ~ morning and evening. 
We should be packing all of our books!

From the kitchen... Read the preface.  Do you think I should be cooking today?  I should bake my brother's batch of bread for July before we decide to pack the kitchen.  I should start packing the kitchen... and clean out the new cabinets...


I am creating... no witty thoughts to answer this one today  

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: 

I hope in thy word.

Psalm 119:114

I am going... to the grocery store for boxes for packing our s.t.u.f.f.  I still need to haul away the accumulating pile of stuff I don't want to keep.
...to sleep at our new house tomorrow night!


I am reading... the Psalms, Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson (I didn't read any from Carson last week ~ so much for the thought of finishing that before we move!)

I am hoping... the electrician can be done next week.

Order my steps in thy word: 

and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 

Psalm 119:133

I am hearing... the Cattleman is sorting through music tapes and CDs, the air conditioner is running

Around the house... one bedroom is now bedless so the girls have room to work at packing their stuff treasures...

One of my favorite things... hearing my kids sing or hum their favorite hymns and songs

... the following verse.  I memorized the first part of it about twenty years ago with a 2-3yo Sunday school class.  :-)   (I was one of the teachers, not a student ~ just in case you were wondering)

Thy word is true from the beginning: 

and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. 

Psalm 119:160

A few plans for the rest of the week: um, yeah.  A. few. plans.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
Miss Artist raking the oats the other week.  It's already time for cutting the second crop of hay in the other field!

(no new pictures since I injured or killed my camera yesterday...)

Link up and read more daybooks at Peggy's blog.

daybook 17

FOR TODAY

Monday, June 21, 2010

I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: 

and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: 

and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. 

Psalm 108:3-4

Outside my window... it is mostly cloudy.  We must have had some rain again overnight.  My purple wildflower is still blooming.  The corn is growing taller, taller...

I am thinking... I should have taken time to read others' blogs later today 

I am thankful for... my good friend Jill who picked up my kids for VBS this morning, so I could stay home and do stuff!

From the learning rooms... Vacation Bible School this week.  Miss Artist is playing the piano the first three days. She and Miss MusicBox are helping with classes this week; next week they will teach a couple lessons as their youth group leads VBS for two church-plants in Omaha. {correction: TWO pastors have ONE church plant with VBS in TWO parks ~ morning and evening}

From the kitchen... I should be baking bread.  Haystack is on tonight's menu.  But there is also leftover grilled steak in the fridge... mmm-mmm!

I am creating... piles and piles of stuff to disown  =)

I am going... to order countertops for the kitchen and basement bath today!

I am reading... the Psalms, Dancing with My Father by Sally Clarkson, and NEWSflash! I read more than 20 pages of Carson last week with the kids ~ only 25 pages left to finish the chapter and book!  woot-woot!

I am hoping... God will be honored above all in the long process of completing and moving into our new home (completing actually comes after we move in).

Help me, O LORD my God: 

O save me according to thy mercy:

That they may know that this is thy hand; 

that thou, LORD, hast done it. 

Psalm 109:26-27

I am hearing... the fan.  Only.  Now and then a bird sings.  It's very strange to be home alone!

Around the house... It's Monday, so there is laundry, laundry, laundry!

One of my favorite things... good customer service  =)  We did enjoy the wait-staff at the Honey Creek Resort on Saturday at my niece's wedding.

I'll save the grumbling about state-owned resorts for another day... Should have taken a picture of the reserved parking for "HYBRID CARS ONLY" :p

A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, the idealist will have~ sorted the entire attic, hauled away all the garbage and treasures we don't need, caught up on computer accounting, put a week's worth of meals in the freezer, cleaned out the freezers, scrubbed the floors twice at the new house, sewed several things for my DDs before they travel on Saturday, and cleaned this house too ~all before Friday so I can use that day for errands in Ames.   
Bahahahahahahahahaha

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
The boys got the new mailbox ready in time for our mailman to start delivering last Thursday. 

Thursday was a banner day ~ we also got the first toilet hooked up ~ Happy Day!  =)

Link up and read more daybooks at Peggy's blog.

random this and that ~ w/photos!

NEWSFLASH:  We have BLUE skies today!  :-)  I'm no longer looking at the forecast ~ I'm not in charge of the hay crop anyway.  I heard them talking on the farm show today (radio) about 1983 when we had lots of rain early, then a drought in July-August ~ not a pretty thing to compare with 2010.  So I will be doubly thankful if God proves that comparison wrong!

Here's what arrived at the house Monday morning... (woot, woot!)

The electrician also arrived, so Tim will start hanging wall cabinets after he finishes the kitchen outlets...

But here's one of our beautiful new doors that Tim stained last week...

And the master bath with grout, toilet, and vanity ready to install...

Round Two on tiling bath #2... they stuck this time!

(sorry about the cardboard ~ I didn't want to disturb anything)

And, speaking of bathrooms, here's the basement bath with it's PINK wall  :-)  Yes, this would be the girl's domain... It's a two-room bath ~ pocket doors coming someday.  I guess you'd call the first room a powder room with countertop/vanities on both sides and one sink.  The second room is a 'full' bath in itself.  Total:  two sinks, three counters, three mirrors, four girls  :-)  Should work.

Boys with power tool = willing workers in their room...

We've been working hard on the basement floor... chipping drywall mud, sweeping, sweeping, and now washing, scrubbing, washing...

First wash is usually a matter of pushing the dirty water around...

I bought a string mop today, so hopefully tomorrow's labor will more efficient.  :-) 

I mentioned my Danskos ~ here they are...

Lovely, yes?  You see, Jodi, I was NOT going to paint.  And I don't wear other shoes without good reason.  So I went to the house to check on everybody, deliver kids, whatever, and the next thing I know I have paint on me... later I'm running the sprayer ~ which actually leaves such a light layer of paint on shoes that it's easily washed sort-of-clean.  But when I started rolling and brushing and dripping paint on them...  But let me add that they have been well-worn for a long time now ~ the right one is even cracked through the sole ~ Contrary to my salesman's opinion, they DO wear out!  But now I will have a work pair and a good pair  :-)  What can be wrong with that?  The new ones should look the same ~ almost  ;-)

I told you my four oldest kiddos had a date at HuHot last Saturday.  Well, they loved it!  And Miss Artist brought home several pairs of chopsticks... So Monday night she got them out to use with our pepper steak...

The rest of us were happy to use a fork  :-)

FINALLY, in the theme of ruthless purging of s.t.u.f.f.  (Thank you, Julie @ Herding Grasshoppers!)
Here's one treasure that is now free to leave our home...  (the fingerpainting, not the girl!)

There is and will be more.  I won't post pictures of all of them, but this one turned out especially cute ~ in my biased opinion (and she doesn't mind me posting her picture on my blog)  :-)

But Miss Artist won't mind if I show you this...

She took an old frame she didn't like, recovered it with scrapbook paper, and added the embellishments... and an old photo of the Cattleman  :-)  Very fun.  (Now go finish putting your laundry away!)

daybook 16

FOR TODAY

Monday, June 14, 2010

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: 

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Psalm 95:1

Outside my window... the sun found a break in the clouds this afternoon.  Everything is green after rain every day since Wednesday (and more in the forecast...)

I am thinking... cleaning up drywall mud and dust is a pain in the neck... and back...  I did decide that the sound of scraping cement has a remarkable likeness to the hog barn at the Iowa State Fair.  :o  Or maybe the paint fumes are just too much for me?

I am thankful for... the safe and timely arrival of our cabinets ~ today!

 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 

Psalm 96:1-5

From the learning rooms... I actually worked with the Cattleman this morning on his math  :-)  ...finding the GCF and LCM for fractions.

From the kitchen... pepper steak has been cooking all day ~ I came home so I could get the rice cooked and supper on the table for my hard-working family.

I am creating... ummm, I suppose a clean basement floor (with the kids' help!), so Tim can lay more tile

I am going... to order the rest of our A Beka Book order at a motel meeting on Wednesday, which means I might buy groceries the same trip ~ and pick up my new Danskos!  (Painting was a little hard on my old pair.)  Saturday we have a family wedding to attend ~ a few hours away, so that will be a late night driving home again.  Not going to a fun baby shower, buying club delivery, or the NICHE homeschool conference.  Thinking I have a few other projects to attend to?

I am reading... mostly the Psalms and Proverbs.  Oh, and Jodi, I read Chapter 3 of Dancing with My Father yesterday!  :-)  I might even remember some of what I read.

Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; 

and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psalm 97:12

I am hoping... to someday have time to deal with this house again ~ so much for the planned purge 'n' pack.  Maybe next week?

I am hearing... the Steve Deace program on WHO Radio~ He's interviewing a Libertarian candidate for Iowa Governor ~ At first I was excited to listen, but Gag!  I do appreciate the small government aspect, but this particular guy is absolutely Godless in his worldview.  :-(  He bases everything on "personal happiness."  So sad; so lost.

The LORD hath made known his salvation: 

his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 

Psalm 98:2

Around the house... Oh, please!  I did laundry; I'm cooking supper, am I not?  Reality is that I can claim two houses in very messy conditions.  Do you think this verse would be an exaggeration?

Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

Psalm 102:2

One of my favorite things... blogging.  Surprised??

A few plans for the rest of the week:  kind of covered this with the "going" busyness, yes?

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

♥ Happy birthday, Cowgirl!  ♥

If you look really close, you can see a "12" on the barn.  The girl was so tired after staying up until 1am to decorate her cake (and goof off with her sisters according to the rest of the photos they took... ahem) ~ I took five pictures of her trying to blow out her candles!  Laughing at herself didn't help  :-)

Link up and read more daybooks at Peggy's blog.

stomp rockets

The kids ARE enjoying a little summer along with working  ;-)

It didn't deter the kids, but there was a storm in the making that day as well...

Not sure this photo means much to anyone but us since it's still looking like a mess, but Tim & the Cattleman took out the old loading chute, and Tim cut off most of the huge mulberry tree on Memorial Day weekend...  Just need friend Jeff to come pull out the trunk/stump and push the dirt around to develop our front yard a bit more...

We'd all like to rest and relax as much as Smokey...

See the likeness?

gallons and gallons of paint, among other things

Oh dear, here we go again... I haven't posted a real house update since May 25   :o  And thankfully that means I have a LOT to show you!
 
Bonus?  I just realized how OLD this photo is -- no drywall!  Lots of clean-up still going on though...

Here are four of my able-bodied helpers unloading fencing on Friday 6/4 ~ the fifth was the photographer.  And the sixth was already helping his dad with painting.

And here are a couple of beauties modeling the lastest fashion in head-coverings (from a scrap box)  ;-)  ... ready to join the paint crew!

Tim putting on primer with sprayer and following with the roller...

Everyone helped!

On Saturday 6/5 we started with the real paint.  The boys decided on green for their room...

The main color is a tannish stuff called Travertine Trail, like that means anything...

And yes, that's the woman who said she was not going to do any painting... ahem.

Here's our dear Kayleb preparing to lay tile in the master bath (Fri 6/4).  He came back Thursday night (6/3) and was able to stay until mid-Monday...

My girls think this tool would be great for stirring up a BIG batch of pancake batter  :-)

Beautiful?!  Yes!

And the second bath...

 Bead board plywood for the ceiling of the front stoop...

 which Miss Artist primed on Friday, June 4th  ...and learned how difficult oil-based paint is to remove.

Tim installed the real front door Sunday night on our way home from church  :-)

Monday he put in the boys' bedroom door and stained it...

When the boys weren't helping inside, they were often out hunting thistles... the Cattleman wanted to show us this tall one he found.

On Tuesday he dug a hole for the mailbox post...

On Monday, the older girls and I went shopping (again) and chose more paint colors.  The Cowgirl and the Popper long ago chose this bright blue for their room.  They also want a green floor and a painted mural near the window of Jersey cow grazing  =)

 Lowe's or Diamond Vogel... pick one ~ it's been my home away from home for the past week.

This is what happens when I check the computer and forget I'm supposed to be baking bread (ie, today)...

 But it actually turned out wonderfully... maybe I should do that more often?