What WERE we thinking?

I walked through my house late this evening and began to get the giggles. You know those, "there is nothing amusing but this is hysterical!" giggles. :)  My day had gone something like this: up early, breakfasts made, lunches made, laundry done, beds made, grouched at the kids to get their chores done, bills paid, paperwork done, calls answered.  Grabbed stuff and headed out the door so the kids and I could go use their putt-putt coupons for a free game which we have literally had for years.  Putt-putted and headed to the airport to pick up Jennie.  She had gone to spend the weekend with Clay (Yay!) and was flying home.  Her plane was early and we grabbed her bags and stopped by the grocery store on our way home.  Unloaded and put away groceries and threw together supper which was rotisserie chicken I grabbed at the store (there was nothing to leave cooking in the crock-pot :( ) and veggies. Sat down to watch the news with my hubby and did one of the things I do best. Crashed out.  When I woke up a few minutes later and began walking through the house I began to get the giggles.  I just had to share what my house looks like!

We are in the middle of a remodel. A growing bigger all the time remodel.  We really ARE trying to find a place to stop! It started with two goals. The booth we used for sitting at the dining table was worn out and due to a dishwasher leak the flooring that has needed to be replaced was now a priority.

First, the booth.  Checked around to see about recovering it. It's very large and I knew there would be NO WAY we would have time ourselves. (Oh, the irony) Discovered we could get a whole new dining set for the cost of recovering the booth. Okay, move the booth out. Wow, the walls will have to be painted in what we call the office-where the booth and dining table was-don't ask. If we are going to paint in there we should go ahead and paint the kitchen and the dining room as well.   Never really cared for the striped wall paper in the dining room anyway...

Striped wallpaper gone and painted-except for the bottom where the wainscote  will go

Jimmie working away on yet another "little" project that cropped up

Only half of the light fixture works so it has to go

A work in progress.......?

Can't paint here yet-replacing this window and the new one isn't in yet

Oh, yeah. Went and looked at this table that was advertised on Craig's List. It's too tall for what I needed. When I said so and the girl  who was selling  it was so despondent, I bought it. Guess I'll cut off the legs and paint it. :)

There was a wall heater here.  Jimmie took it out and patched the drywall. He's getting really good at it!

The wall heater was also included in the wall of this room. Another room to include in the remodel.:)

The patch and paint job turned out okay in here.

Many layers later, we are down to the subfloor.

We had to put tarps down so the adhesive left on the sub floor won't have us stuck to it like mice on those sticky papers.

 REALLY?!  Could we not have just gotten the booth recovered and put down new tile flooring?  NO, no. Way to easy.  Actually, it has been kind of fun. I'm a really good tearer upper.  Now to see if we can get it put back together!!

Overwhelmed

I am overwhelmed this morning.  This is nothing new. So many things can bombard us and overwhelm us, it seems.  Particularly when we become convinced that we have to live life with all of its challenges in our own strength.  Yes, I am overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. :)

I learned this morning that a friend had her baby and my heart is singing with their family at this precious gift! No, this is not her first child or even her second, but the eighth child in their family!  Many people shake their head and say something like, "That's crazy!  Who would want eight kids!?"

Soon after Jimmie and I were blessed with Clay and then Jennie people would often counsel me that I needed time away from the kids.  They meant well and only had my best interest at heart, but as I began to look around and study this thing called parenting, I came to a different conclusion.  Time spent WITH my children was really what was needed!!  Time spent teaching, loving and enjoying these little precious people was what we ALL needed.  No, my children are not a burden.  They truly are a gift...a reward in fact. :)

This morning I am listening to Clay's new recording. And marveling at the gift of music that he has been given. Jennie is out the door to work. She has her apartment all set up and is starting UNM in the fall to pursue her passion in theatre.  Today is Marissa's 12th birthday. She has been blessing our family for 12 years now.  Mason got up early and worked and worked on a Happy Birthday poster for his sister. I am so thankful that God has allowed me to be "Mom" for each of these precious people.

Overwhelmed.

Psalm 127 :3  "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward."