Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! 

In lieu of our upcoming eighteenth anniversary of living in our current home, I thought I'd share (I think for the first time) about how we came to live in this house. This was all inspired by a memory that popped up on my Facebook memories this week, so I've already shared it on social media. I am so thankful for memories like this, for the gift that family always is, for spaces like this where I can come to share. I'm also grateful for readers like you, who read faithfully and are so kind to always encourage. Often when I pray, I include you in my prayers! 

This was a sign that hung in our garage for years. Todd finally took it down because he wanted us to have it forever. It's rolled up in a tube somewhere out there...one of these days I would love to have it framed! So, here is our story.

The year was 2003 and our life was crazy! Graham was 4, Drew was 3, Jonah and Noah were seven months old. We had been living in the cutest little house on a cove here in town, but we were bursting at the seams. Both babies could not sit in their high chairs at the same time in our kitchen, and both "sets" were sharing bedrooms. We had two bathrooms and three bedrooms in that house, which was a good size, but we had no backyard, we had no garage, we lived on a busy corner on the street and we flat just needed more room. We began the search for a home to buy (our first!) in or around August-September of that year. 

We found the perfect home for us, one that was never even put on the market! My sister Lisa was a Realtor at that time and a friend in her office was selling her home, so we came to look at it, fell in love, and the rest is history. They had three daughters, we have four sons, so some changes needed to be made, things needed to be cleaned and spruced up, but otherwise, it was perfect. In the midst of all that, my stepdad was selling the home that we were living in at that time and renting from him and Lisa would call me and tell me I had to be out of the house in an hour, that she had clients coming to look at it that day. I don't remember much from that time, honestly...you can see why parts of it are blocked in my mind. It was busy and a whirlwind—and keeping the house picked up and getting all four kids out the door in a little amount of time was beginning to wear on my nerves. And packing? Who had the time for that? It was all I could to keep our heads floating above water! Also, you need to know it was during this time that I almost drove off and forgot a baby in his carrier...poor Noah! I got to the end of our driveway and Graham started yelling, "Mommy! You forgot a baby!". It's a wonder that's the only time that I did that.

Also in the midst of this time, we had planned a family vacation to  Gatlinburg with my in-love's and my husband's brother, wife and son. (Eleven people in less than 1,000 square feet is never a good idea, by the way. That was the first and last time we ever did that.) We closed on our new home and the next day we left for Gatlinburg. Fast forward a couple of days and Todd gets a phone call from our next door neighbor. He asked Todd why there was a moving truck in our driveway if we were in Gatlinburg. Todd immediately called my sister Lisa, because he knew her name was written all over this. He was right! 

While all of this had gone on, she had been planning to get us packed, for the house we would be moving into cleaned/repainted, moved in, unpacked and new furniture purchased. This wears me out even typing that! I cannot imagine how in the world she was able to accomplish this, except for with the strength of the Lord. She enlisted all of her kids to help, plus my parents and step parents, my sister Trish and her son Devin. 

So, even though our neighbor ruined the surprise for Todd, nobody wanted to ruin it for me or the boys. For the rest of that week while we were gone, he made it his goal to torment me over all the things he knew we had to do when we got home, and by the time we started the drive home, I was a wreck. Add to that hours of travel with four kids ages four and under, confined in a minivan and having to stop and use the restroom quite often, well you get the picture I'm trying to paint. We had stop after stop to make...there was a reason for this, but I had no idea. The reason for all the extra stops is because someone in my family kept telling him to delay a bit longer, they weren't ready! 

When we finally got in later that night, we pulled into our old house and I immediately noticed that it was empty. We had a carport that attached to the back of the house and our doors into the house were sliding glass doors that went into our living room. Everything was gone. There was a garage door opener on our mantel, though and Todd got it and turned to me and said, "Let's go home."

We pulled into our new home and opened the garage to see all of our family in there and this sign there to welcome us. (I made myself cry when I wrote that.) I honestly don't remember much after that...I do remember walking in the door from the garage that leads into the kitchen and that being as far as he got before Todd just started crying. I think I was in shock and cried after the fact, but I had to process it all first, which has always taken me a good amount of time. I don't remember what I said, I just remember walking around and looking on in astonishment. Lisa had hired painters to paint in the rooms that she knew we wanted to change, so in Graham's and Drew's (shared) room and in our bedroom and bathroom. Everything had been cleaned, even the carpet, and she bought us new furniture! We had new living room furniture and she'd given us stuff that she no longer used, so we had tons of lamps and pictures hanging that were like new to me. I'm sure she bought some of that stuff, I honestly can't remember a lot of the details, but I remember loving how our family filled our house that night. 

Also, someone ordered a bunch of pizzas and I remember the pizza guy busting it on the sidewalk in front of the house...for some reason, when that concrete was poured, they created a step that didn't need to be there. Sixteen years later we got that fixed, after countless falls and near face plants. (I'm shaking my head and cringing at all the people who tripped over that thing.) The pizza guy was unforgettable...he had those warming containers in his hands, and he went one way and they all went another way. 

It was an unforgettable time in our life that I always want to remember and relive. It's biblical to remember all the things the Lord has done in one's life and perhaps that's why I will always share this story with anyone who wants to hear, and also every few years on social media—this is me, raising my Ebenezer (1 Samuel 7:12). It's a blessing to be able to remember it and think about it again, but the biggest blessing was for my own little family. How selfless and loving was it of my sister to think up this grand plan? They have shows for this now on HGTV, but Lisa was a trend setter. Of course we said thank you over and over to all of them who helped, but really, how do you adequately thank someone for that kind of a gift? 

One way I can do that is by being willing to talk about this story over and over again. Another way we can honor her is to always be looking for ways to give back to others. We do this as best we're able and there have been years that we've been able to do above and beyond what we do during other years; there have been other years when we were the ones being on the receiving end of that. The scale of the giving is not what's important, it's the condition of your heart in which you give. What an honor to be able to think back on this, to remember the joyous moment that night was and all the memories we've created here in our home, to share it with you and to be challenged to ask the Lord for more opportunities to love others like He loves us.

I pray this has brought a smile to your face today. Thanks for reading, friends. Love to all. 

weekending

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's post. I hope you had a good weekend! Before I get started with today's post, I've noticed that some of you have said you're locked out of the comments. Does anyone know why this would be the case? Is it because you're using your phone to read my blog? Or are you using a lap or desk top? I'd love to know your thoughts; I haven't changed any settings on my end, and I make it to where anyone and everyone can comment, because if I ever receive spam comments, I just delete them as soon as I see them. Someone help, please! Thanks in advance. Now, back to the post for today...

I thought I'd talk about the very whirlwind of a trip that Todd and I took on Thursday to get Noah moved into his new (to him) apartment. 

Thursday morning I walked over to my neighbor's house to feed their dogs, and took these two pictures right below. 

This trailer was loaded the night before, and just waiting on us to leave that afternoon after work. I took this picture of Noah's car parked on the street on his last morning waking up in a bed while he still lived in our home. It's funny, how things hit you; I keep expecting to hear him coming home at night! It'll take some time for me to get used to the fact that not only does he not live at home anymore, but that he lives two states away. (He's about 7 hours away from us.) 

He posted this and I took a screenshot. As he drove outside of Memphis, he talked to my mom, and all of his brothers, making them promise to come for a visit sometime this summer. 

 

And this was my view as we drove. I cried as he said his goodbyes at home, and I needed to pull it together, so I put my earbuds in and listened to the latest Big Boo Cast. Nobody has the ability to make me laugh like Melanie Shankle and Sophie Hudson. 

For the rest of most of the drive, I listened to an Audible book, but I'll share about that next week in our Share Your Shelf link-up party that's all about books. 

We made it to Texas around seven that night, and I took the opportunity for some pictures.

Noah is our youngest son, born two minutes after his twin brother Jonah. He's so tall! He's 6'2 and I find it hilarious that our tallest son drives the smallest car. Noah has never wanted a truck, like the rest of his brothers. He's always been our son to march to his own drumbeat. I love this about him! I won't talk about the wretched Dallas traffic even at ten o'clock at night, but we did finally make it to our hotel just around eleven fifteen, and crashed. Noah had gone straight to the apartment after one last stop together for gas. Todd and I both took quick showers and almost immediately fell asleep once we hit the pillows. 

I was up by five something, so I had some time with Jesus while Todd slept in a bit more. Once he woke up, I made myself a cup of coffee and got dressed for the day. I dressed comfortably for the ride home that day. We were out of the hotel by 7:45 and at Noah's apartment fifteen minutes later. (Our hotel was in Plano, and he lives in Carrollton.)

Here's their apartment! His best friend is Jacob, whom he's been best friends with since about the ninth grade. They have matching tattoos on their wrists, of three crosses, which I find both really sweet and also funny. They'd lost touch for a while when Jacob started dating a girl that he ended up proposing to, and when he moved to the Dallas area. They ended up splitting up, though, and after a heartfelt apology on Jacob's end for dropping his friendship with Noah for a while (Noah never liked the girl he was dating), he invited Noah down for the weekend, and then also asked him to move in with him when Noah decided to move to that area. This was already Noah's plan, whether or not he knew anyone in Dallas, but I do think it definitely sped up the timing with which he was going to move. 

I completely understand this reasoning of Noah's, and we fully supported him, so long as he knew he had to have the money saved up to be out on his own. Noah wanted to do one last thing to his car that was expensive, so after he did that back in March, he started saving most of the money he made, with the exception of paying his bills. We feel confident that he had (has) enough to get him started on his own; it helps that he won't be paying much in rent for now until he gets on his feet again with his new job, which he starts this week. 

His job is for a valet company that will have him at one specific restaurant; our son Drew did this for a while as well, and there is really good money to be made in this kind of work. That is even more the case in Dallas, because it's such an affluent area. This is what Jacob does as well, and the company that he works for does withhold taxes, which makes Todd and me feel better. (Drew's company that he worked for did not withhold taxes, but instead he just put back about $20 for every $100 that he made so that he wouldn't be hit with any penalties.) 

Another big reason why Noah wanted to make this move is because he wants to start his own vinyl car wrap business. There is a huge market for this kind of thing in the Dallas area, and the more that time goes on, the more popular vinyl wraps are becoming. They're less expensive than painting a vehicle, they're more durable, and they're easier and more affordable to change. Noah already has some experience in this, in doing this for both his own vehicle and a few smaller jobs that other people paid him for. It helped us send him off, knowing that he has a plan like this. I am so proud of him for knowing what he wants to do and just going after it, and Todd is as well. 

Todd and I talked on the way home about how we're kind of envious of Noah for getting out of Memphis. We're stuck here for now, but we would love to live somewhere else someday. Back to Noah and his big move...

They had the trailer unloaded in thirty minutes. We spent another thirty minutes there afterward, so that Todd could help them put the futon back together and get the feet attached to Noah's tv, but we wanted to get started on our way back home. We also wanted to give Noah and Jacob the whole day to organize and figure out where his things would go, because their apartment is teeny tiny. 🤣

The little kitchen area...

... they have a great little patio! I gave them the idea of us giving them something as a type of housewarming gift like we did for Drew and like we'll do for Graham and Jonah someday. Patio chairs are a great idea, in my mind, for the times when it's cooler outside. I sent Noah a lot of ideas, and he said he would let me know what they need most. The good thing is that Jacob already had a lot of things, so Noah didn't have to take much with him. 

Here was the finished apartment after they spent the entire day organizing, cleaning, and decorating. Most of the things you see on the walls were Noah's from his room here at home. I'm so proud of him, though! I didn't know that decorating was anything he enjoyed, but he took great pride in showing me lots of pictures and videos. He's most proud of the closet they're sharing; his hoodies are his favorite clothing items, and they're hung neatly on nice hangers in rainbow order. He is definitely mine!

After hugs, goodbyes, and a few tears on my end (I have always hated saying goodbye to people and cry every time I have to say it to someone I love), we were back on the road heading out of the Dallas area. 

We stopped at Buc-ee's to top off our gas and for one last restroom break, then we stopped two more times before making it back home around 4:30 that afternoon. We were gone for twenty-five hours in total! Talk about a whirlwind of a trip; this is why I was falling asleep in my chair at 8 p.m. that night. Todd lost his mind and rode a shift with the sheriff's department that night! 

While we were gone...

Jonah painted his (new) room; he took over the bigger bedroom that Noah had been using. When we first moved into our home twenty years ago, Graham and Drew shared this room. Their twin beds went on that wall you see to the right of this bed, both beds along the walls with a nightstand in the middle. When Graham turned sixteen, he asked for a bigger bed, so that year both he and Drew got queen sized beds, and Graham went to the biggest room, which also used to be our playroom. (He was the oldest, so this was the reasoning behind that decision.) Drew had this room to himself until he moved out, and Jonah told Noah that he could have it, because for a long time, Jonah loved having the smallest bedroom in the house; he insisted that it was easier to keep it clean. 

Now that Noah has moved out, Jonah made the switch to this room, and his old room will be the mancave that belongs to my hubby. We put our treadmill (that used to live in our bedroom) in there, and Todd bought a small minimalistic desk and will add an office chair. He hung the tv on Saturday, and I cleaned our bedroom really well from top to bottom, and rearranged just a little, now that I have more space again.

It felt so good to work on cleaning the house on Saturday! I had decided to stay home on this day, because I was tired from being in a car for two days in a row. I'm so glad I decided this, because for the entire day, I either cleaned out cabinets or cleaned and organized things. I started the morning doing that in our laundry room, then I moved upstairs and vacuumed, then cleaned out my lingerie chest; I moved that back to the corner of our bedroom once the treadmill was out, then I cleaned our ceiling, the fan, our bedroom walls; I dusted all the furniture, cleaned our bathroom, and then vacuumed once more upstairs. Later that day, I also cleaned and vacuumed the downstairs. I loved having the whole house clean! I love it when each room gets done on the same day; those days are few and far between it seems like. 

Yesterday was church, then Todd rode a shift that night. While he was gone, I cleaned up in the backyard and then I did this:

...while I listened to this book on Audible. 

Are you familiar with Jennie Allen? I love her! She's been the co-host of Candace Cameron Bure's podcast this year, and is an author and Bible study teacher. Speaking of Bible study, I am taking this as an online Bible study over the summer. I cannot wait to dig into this subject more, but this is an excellent book. Consider if your sneak peak for all the books I've read this month and will share about next Thursday June 6th. Speaking of that, here's our graphic for that if you want to join in with us next week.

What did you do that you loved this weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I'll see you back here tomorrow! Love to all.

Jenn 💚

I'm linking up with Holly, Sarah, and Joanne for today's post. 

let's talk about it Tuesday

 

Happy Tuesday, friends! Before I even start, I have to brag on myself that I got all of those things done yesterday that I didn't think I'd get done even in a week! I guess I felt pretty bad when I went to the dentist and I immediately felt so much better afterward, that I came home and got busy. He told me I couldn't eat for a couple of hours and I was hungry so I got to work, trying to fill some time. Also, about the dentist, it was an old filling that had come out and lodged sideways in my tooth. It probably got loose a couple of weeks ago, and when I ate some cheese-its Thursday night, that was when the big unlodging happened. He put some temporary filling in and will do the new filling in a few weeks. I am so grateful he was able to fit me on on short notice! And I'm SO EXCITED that I got all of those things done! (Edited to say that I went back and read that post and realized that I also mentioned the kitchen cabinets—I did not get those done, but stay tuned.) 

It feels so good to be productive! Thanks for humoring me, it's not often that I tackle a to-do list with such gusto and success. Here are a couple more areas that I worked on yesterday. I'll explain with the pictures.

Remember this picture below from yesterday? It was taken in 2020. The one above is from yesterday and trust me when I say that it looked NOTHING like this when I started. The leaf was in the table, there was no tablecloth, and the top of the hutch was not even decorated. All I saw when I looked in this room was wood, wood, wood and more wood. The cloth on the table definitely breaks it all up and though I'd love a different set of chairs for this table and a longer, shorter sideboard as a hutch, that's not realistic and I can live with it how it looks right now, thanks to my deep cleaning and re-purposing yesterday.

I still don't love what's hanging on the walls by the hutch, but for now I'm living with it and I'll decide on what to replace it with later. I have some ideas in my mind about what I'd like, but I'll probably save the ideas for closer to my birthday or Christmas. 

Alright, friends. I'm "letting you in" to an area of our home that I've not shown you in quite some time, if ever. When I say that I need to finish painting, this is the space I'm talking about. This is the foyer and behind the coat tree are some doors that lead into the hall where our tornado closet is. I used to keep the doors open and the coat tree was where the front door would hide it, when it was open. Needless to say, with all of us in our home and any who are in and out, this tree gets used a LOT. It became cramped by the front door, so I moved it here and shut the doors going into the hall. I don't miss them being open, even though it definitely shuts the space off, but our home is older and a closed concept anyway, so what does it matter? Nothing, in my opinion. It just works for us better this way and it kind of hides the hall I'm about to show you.

I need to paint this hall as well and though this peg rack doesn't work quite as well as it did when the boys were younger, it's okay for now. I'd love to clear off the shelves (I made a dent yesterday!) and take them down and keep them down, or maybe just use one. Also, what in the world do you do with all your old DVD's? I don't know that we'll ever watch some of these again, but I can't seem to make myself get rid of them. Do you see the writing on the door that's open? This is the door to the tornado closet and it's where we kept track of the boys height over the years. I love it there and it's a testament to the eighteen years we've lived here bringing up boys.

I was going to show you a picture of the tornado closet, but Todd would kill me because of the first thing you'd see, so never mind. You're not missing much there, though, trust me. That's kind of the command central of our home and there are tons of wires and such in there for our Wi-Fi, tv, surround sound and other devices that make our home a smart home. It kind of stresses me out even opening the door to that closet, because it's a hot mess, but I even straightened up in there yesterday. All the indoor tools stay in there on the shelves, along with some of the boys' artwork from elementary school, board games and other odds and ends that make sense staying in there.

Looking out from the closet is the hall where the downstairs bathroom is and that leads into our kitchen, an area that was painted when I first started the project in 2019. I haVe great intentions, friends, but very poor follow through and almost killed both my arms when Jonah and I painted the stairwell walls that are like 20 feet high. I may be exaggerating, but I may not be. They're tall, trust me.

Everything on this board means something to me. I love all the little trinkets, pictures, notes and invitations that are hanging there. The door with the cross hanging on it is the half bathroom that's downstairs. 

All the while I was working on this, I was also cleaning and vacuuming as I went. On today's agenda is tackling the kitchen cabinets. They're in desperate need of a good cleaning and purging. I'm sad I finished The Home Edit, but I may start all over. I liked the second season so much better than the first, because it shows you their friendship, which reminds me a lot of me and my best friend. Also, it motivates me in a major way to get up and get moving. 

I didn't actually mean for today's blog post to be all about that I shared, but it kind of flowed into that. This is where you come in—first, if you spend your days alone like me, what do you do all day? I'd love to hear a breakdown on how you spend your time. Secondly, how do you organize or keep the flow of your home going to best suit your family? Whether it's just you and your husband or a family with kids still at home, I'd love to hear what works for you. If you have any suggestions for that hallway area that I showed you a picture of, I'd love to hear them. I don't like how it looks in that picture, but we keep it that way out of necessity and it's convenient to have bags hanging there, like their lunch boxes that they all take to work. 

Help a sister out! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

🖤 neighbors, a funeral, a mercy meal, and good friends 🖤

 

Happy Tuesday, friends. I thought I'd share a story with you today about neighbors, a funeral, a mercy meal, and good friends that are like family. 

We have lived in our home for twenty years, if you can believe that. We love it here and there were so many things that drew us to our neighborhood: wide streets, old oak trees that are prevalent in the neighborhood, the well kept neighborhood. What we didn't expect, though, and what has turned into one of the greatest blessings of our lives, was our neighbors. There are a few of us left here on our street that are in the 20 (years)+ club, and we are all good friends. The neighbor friends we know the best are the Hansens. At one point it would have been the Dicksons, who lived next door to us for several years, but they have long since moved. Those two families were awarded custody of their nephews, who were right around the ages of our boys, and the rest is history. It was friendship at first sight for all of them! 

Not only do we have these friends, but our boys have these friends. Last Monday was the funeral of our bonus son Alex's sister, so we all made plans to attend; Drew and Noah took the day off from work so that we could all be there for not only him, but also our friends (his aunt and uncle) Val and Lou. (Todd, Graham, and Jonah just took the day off in the family business.) I fought tears the entire duration of the funeral, because the love was felt so strongly in the room where her memorial service was held. It was not an easy funeral, and she died a tragic death, but the presence of the Lord was there with us, and He was honored. I wish I could describe how it felt, the tangible presence of love in the flesh, but that is the only way I can think to describe it. You could sense the deep love we have for one another, as our family/friendship bonds go deep. 

Alex has had so much loss in his young life, first his mom and now his sister. I was so moved seeing all of us (plus an extra) squeezed into one pew at the funeral home, and hearing them sniffle beside me as they also fought tears the entire time. I'm still moved today, as I write this! I love that his best friends were there for him, my boys and his friend Gavin. It's a feeling I won't likely forget anytime soon, and I wanted to share it here. It was a sad and beautiful day, and I want to remember it forever. None of us could seem to leave afterward, and then they invited us to their home afterward, for the mercy meal. We all came home to change, and then we walked down to their house together. 

Did you know the after funeral meal is sometimes called a mercy meal? I read that somewhere a couple of weeks ago, and I think that's such a beautiful way to describe what takes place when someone you love passes. It was a meal provided by family and friends for those who were grieving, and I didn't think we would go, but was so glad that they asked us and that we went. I was able to help my friend in the kitchen with the food preparation. The boys all crowded around their dining room table, and Alex's grandma Flo took our picture. I love it so much! 

I'm so glad she took this, because I wanted to ask for a picture, but it didn't feel appropriate. For her to want to take it, though, was another story. I'm so thankful for this picture because it gives a visual memory with what I felt that day in their home and the entire time we were together. This is the one I tried to sneak before Flo took the one above. 

I could bawl again just looking at this picture. I hated to leave, but I got overheated and started feeling sick to my stomach, so I came home, and the others followed after me shortly, including Alex! They were all leaving together, and I'll tell you how the Lord worked through Jonah that day. They were just sitting there at the table when he suggested they all go and test drive vehicles. I think that's hilarious that he offered that as something to do, but Alex's first love has always been cars, so he was up for going. They spent the whole afternoon together, then when they got home, they all ate dinner here, for old time's sake. I was offended when Alex asked for a drink; there was a day when he would have just rummaged through the refrigerator without giving it a second thought. And we wanted it that way! It was so good having them all here under our roof, even after a sad day. 

I was encouraged for Alex; he is going to have some hard times, of course, but he is going to be okay. My boys will help to make sure of that, as will his sweet girlfriend. She was here too that night! I am still going to ask that you keep him in your prayers as the Lord brings him to your mind. He has had such a hard life with all that he has been through, but he and his family are resilient people. They (his family, not necessarily him) are firm and established in their faith, and that is also my prayer for Alex, just as it is for my own boys. One reason I have this little heart tattoo on the inside of my wrist is to remind me to pray for my people; my prayer is always that they would love the Lord their God with all their hearts, with all their souls, with all their minds, and with all their strength, and that they would love others as they love themselves. I have no doubt that God will always answer this prayer that I pray! The reason I know that is because that is in the Bible; anytime you pray something like that from the Bible over your family, that is God's will and He will always answer according to His will. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts today, friends. Love to all. 

(I am linking up with Joanne today for her Talking About it Tuesday link party.)

days 28 & 29

Yesterday was the twenty-eighth, and on that day, I am thankful for our beautiful (to me, at least!) home.  So many people in our world, even in our own city, don't have this privilege.  We have lived in our home for nine years now, and I loved it the minute I saw it.  Have I ever told you the story of how we got into it?  We closed on our house one day in November, and the next day, we had scheduled to leave for a week in Gatlinburg. 

I was a nervous wreck about all the moving I had to do with four kids in tow.  We left on our trip, and while we were away, my sisters Lisa and Tricia, my mom, dad and step-dad were busy little bees.  Lisa hired someone to paint some rooms for us and she had the upstairs carpet cleaned.  She also hired movers for the actual day that all our stuff moved.  While we were away, our neighbor called Todd and asked him why there was a moving truck in our driveway if we were out of town.

My family was bummed that he gave up the surprise, but we had really sweet neighbors.  :)  Todd did good with the secret, though, and didn't tell me.  In fact, he did the opposite~he added to my anxiety by pretending he was dreading the move with all the kids.  Keep in mind, at this time, they were four, three and eight months old.  On the day when we came home, the closer we got to Memphis, the longer Todd took.  (My family wasn't done yet!)  I was so ready to just get home...and the babies were simultaneously screaming in their car seats. 

We finally got home to our (old) house, and imagine my shock when we went in and saw that all our furniture was gone!  There was a note with a garage door opener that said, "Come home" or something like that.  So, we loaded the kids back up and drove to our new home.  My sisters and parents had not only moved all of our stuff from the old house to our new house, they had decorated and Lisa had even bought us new living room furniture!  My mom had made curtains and hung them, as well.  Everywhere I looked, there was something new.  It took me months to find all the new things. 

My family is the greatest in the world.  Have I mentioned that?  So, along with my beautiful home, I am still and everyday so thankful for my precious family. 

Today is the twenty-ninth, and today I am thankful for my homeschool mom's group.  We're called Renewed Moms, and boy, do I ever feel renewed when I walk out of that church on Thursdays.  We have fellowship, a little refreshments and sweet time spent in God's word.  I love it and I love all these new friends God has given me through this group.  I am also thankful for how much Jonah and Noah love going to school each Thursday.  This is their favorite day of the week.  :)

Love to all!

show & tell Tuesday Christmas decorations

Good morning!  Today is Show & Tell Tuesday over at Momfessionals, and I am linking up with her for this post.  I thought I would invite you into our home and show you our Christmas decorated house.  I love Christmas!  I have some in almost every room.

Our dining room usually doesn't get used during the week, but when friends are here and when community group is going on, it gets used.  I always have to put the desk back there under the mirror, because our Christmas tree sits where the desk usually does in the living room.  It's kinda crowded in the dining room with the desk, but I don't mind it that much.  The arrangement you see on the table is one that my mom made.  The merry sign came from a friend of mine from two years ago at a women's event at our church.

The kitchen looks so different this year, with the different counter tops and cabinets.  I love it!  I've already changed things around in the kitchen since I took these pictures.  I always do that~move objects around from one place or room to another.  I love my little snowman canvasses that Jonah and Noah painted for me their third grade year.  I love my bottle of lights in this picture right above~a sweet friend of mine had surgery a couple of years ago, and when I took her dinner, she gave me that as a gift.  I might have cried.  I love the gingerbread cookie plate~every year I think this will be the year that we put that recipe to use.  The red sign about what love is I bought from Home Goods, a couple of weeks ago.  (I've moved it to the piano, though.)

Our kitchen table and door that leads into the laundry room.  I love my snowman plate and the sign on the door that says "Rejoice".  My mom gave that to me a few years ago.  Actually, Mom gave me most of my Christmas decor.  And my sister Lisa.  She moved and downsized and I inherited some things.  :)  I love hand me downs.

The table at the top of the stairs.  I usually put these tall green trees on the dining room table, but I switched things up a bit this year.

My downstairs bathroom.  I love these little snowmen!  They were a gift from Drew's first kindergarten teacher.  (He had two that year.)  I always put these little guys in the same spot.

I added some things to the floor and to the top of the bookshelf in the living room.  I love the way the room looks at night, with the lights on the tree and mantle twinkling.  Most of the ornaments on our tree were either made by the boys, or they were given to me by family or friends.

This is the nighttime view.

Also new to me this year is the pillow I have on our bed that my sister Trish bought for me and gave to me for an early birthday present.  I love the pillow!

One more favorite thing of mine is the little decoration that my sister Lisa gave me several years ago for my birthday.

It's also a tree ornament, but I keep it sitting on the table beside my chair in the living room.

That pretty much sums up all the Christmas in our home.  Jonah and Noah have lights in their room, and the outside of our house is decorated with lights and a couple of inflatables.  Also new this year are some window candles I put up Sunday.  I was waiting on batteries to put inside them, which we got on our giant Costco run after church.

Thanks for visiting!  Love to all.