Almost a Month and Lots Happening

As I showed in my previous post, we had concrete floors.  Now, we are pretty close to having them done, minus the threshold pieces.  It looks so much nicer than bare concrete!

The living room floor after flooring installed.  It's lovely!  

From the other side of the room.

Photo Bombed by Biscuit

Getting Gus acclimated to the pool...or just having fun putting him on the inner tube.  LOL

Biscuit's turn! 

A graduation celebration dinner at church.

Visiting with Grandparents and one special uncle.

"And these alligators are found in the Flint River?  I guess we shouldn't swim in there!"

Beautiful daughter with her sewing machine.

The living room window that needs a treatment of some sort.  I'm not sure what, but since this window is so huge, it will probably be something simple.  We have new pillows that I found at the local W*lmart on a 2 for $12 deal, so I couldn't resist adding more color to the room.

I just love my drive home!  This area is so beautiful!  (Sorry for the bug splat on the windshield!!)

The view out my front door.  This is such a quiet neighborhood, it is almost like living in the country!

The morning this picture was taken, I was on my way to get my blood work done and to talk with my Dr about the Trim Healthy Mama Plan (THM) life changes I've been making, as well my right knee.  I found out that my right knee is "bone-on-bone" and it gets worse when I ride/drive for long periods of time.  The verdict?  Less riding/driving, less walking, more THM cooking, and more swimming.  With my blood test results back, I know that I can rest assured that THM is working!  I've lost 35 pounds, my Triglycerides decreased by half, my A1C is 6.1 and my fasting is 105.  I've not seen those wonderful numbers in YEARS!  You betcha I'm sticking with it! 

Strong young men hard at work, replacing worn out steps and putting in new concrete.

One side of my office is going to be a sitting area and I think I have a pretty good start with these wonderful pieces I found at a yard sale and an online facebook flea market group.  The wing back chair is a reclining chair.  The side table is an antique from the 60's or 70's, the lamp I just loved, so I bought it for a good price....and.

...the magnolia swag that I thought was so pretty.

In the next couple of weeks, I'll finally be able to get some curtains up on the dining room window, my oldest son's window, the office, and hopefully our bedroom.  With everything being so busy, I'll be able to sit down long enough to get my sewing machine out to work on some stuff.  I also plan to keep my eyes peeled for more furniture for the sitting area.  I love decorating "on the cheap."  

Have a Great Day!

God Bless,

One Down, Two to Go

There are times when life is so extremely busy that you just have to hold on while it happens around you.  This is what happened this past weekend.

We're getting our house painted, getting a few things replaced and updated for the new owners.  While we do that, we've also been cleaning and making food and getting ready for our oldest son's graduation ceremony and subsequent party afterwards.  While many people can't wait to just get this one thing done so they can move on to the next, I love being right in the middle of things, experiencing them to the fullest.

....backing up....

We've been looking for another vehicle to travel back and forth to Georgia a little more comfortably than our current vehicles, but also had enough leg room for our VERY tall children.  My husband found a Chevy Express about 86 miles from here, so we went down to look at it, drive it and possibly buy it on Friday.  Yes, when we should have been cleaning and cooking and getting things ready for the party, we were hung up an hour and a half away negotiating to buy a vehicle.  As God would have it, the van had a little leak that the dealership needed to tend to as well as refilling the AC.  They needed an hour, so we went to have brunchfast in town and did some window shopping.  We loved the van and we were willing to wait.  Once we got on to the road, we made it home by 2:30 and there wasn't time to bake a cake at that time because it was going to be a large--4 box carrot cake.  I decided to make a list for each person so I organized my thoughts to make sure everything got done.  I showered and started cutting up vegetables for the veggie platters while my husband took the kids to get their uniforms for the color guard.  Fortunately I was able to take care of that one thing before we left for rehearsal.

Once we were done at rehearsal, we had to go to Walm*rt to get drinks and a few odds and ends, then home to do more cleaning and lots of cooking.  I wasn't able to get all of the meat cooked, but I finished the chili meat, the pasta, and the cake by midnight.  I went to bed and couldn't sleep much past 5:30, so I got up and started cooking again.  Wow!

I had a time frame to get everything done by 10AM because we had to leave by 11AM for the ceremony.  I was rushing and rushing trying to get everything done.  I didn't make any frosting for the cake, but that turned out anyway.  A dear friend of mine made a scrumptious cake to share, so the carrot cake (the HUGE one) didn't get put out.  So now we eat off of it, but piece after piece gets ice cream on top instead of frosting.  LOL

But, coming back to the graduation, my son Daniel is now a high school graduate!

Here he is before, knowing that he'd have to make his speech first, he was very nervous! 

After the tassel is turned, speeches are done, blessings are given, and he's one happy young man!   And, my daughter is holding the Christian flag to the right in full dress blues. 

After the ceremony there was a reception hosted by all the Juniors & their moms.  We stayed a little later than we ought to have, but that's ok.  I called my hubby when we were on our way and no one was at our house.  We pulled in to the side yard because the driveway was PACKED with cars.  LOL  So, the party began.  The kids changed in to grungy clothes and had a wonderful time taking their friends to the "mud bog" to make sure they were sufficiently muddy.  It seems to be a ritual with our parties, wet, water, mud, you name it, we have it!  LOL  

After friends started leaving, other friends came and we started a campfire.  We swapped stories of our foolishness in high school and after high school all while Daniel was in our company. He was asked by one of my friends if he'll learn from those mistakes and of course, he said, "yes."    

After a while of laughter and story telling about our animals (yes, we get together and laugh about the antics of our cats and dogs---we're so exciting! LOL)  Daniel went in to the house to play his Xbox, then things started winding down.  I realized how tired and giddy I was and was yawning a lot.  I figured it was time to make my way to bed.  It was wonderful to have everyone over!

Now that one has graduated, we get to concentrate on the next one.  Miss HJ (holding the Christian flag in the picture above) will graduate next year, Lord willing.  We already started taking Senior pictures on our trip to Georgia, so we have one down and a bunch more to go.  She'll have just a few subjects to complete next school year, so if she wants to she can get a part time job.  She's excited for our move, so we'll see what happens and where God takes her.  

Such an exciting, busy time in our lives!  

God Bless,

Beginning to Say "Good-bye"

Today was our last class day at our homeschool group here in Pennsylvania.  I have been so very busy getting things cleaned up, straightened up, painted {I'm the painting person}, and just getting things organized and keeping them organized.   Needless to say, my mind has been so very pre-occupied that I've forced myself to not think about leaving.  I've had to do this to keep moving forward.

It isn't going to last long.

When we have our son's graduation party and people begin to leave, I'll probably lose it.

I'm going to miss every single person.  I've made so many wonderful friends here that have become like family for not only myself, but for my husband too.

Why are we leaving, then?

Simply put, God is calling us to Georgia.  We have many reasons and we get confirmation after confirmation that Georgia is where God wants us to move to with every turn.  We look forward to the work that the Lord will have for us in Georgia.  But, before we move, we'd like to serve one more time here--at our church's Vacation Bible School.

Please continue to keep us in prayer for God's provision, His peace, and His perfect timing.

God Bless,

Our Homeschool Group Formal

Our preparations began last Fall with looking for dresses for my daughter for the formal.  We have looked at hundreds of beautiful dresses.  We found some basic ones that everyone else would wear, so she decided to do something a little different.  She told me that she wanted an asymmetrical hem line with something long in the back, but knee length in the front.  I found this dress with spaghetti straps, so we covered her shoulders with a bolero.  She loved it!

Our youngest not so sure about what to expect with this formal business.  LOL

Our graduating Senior.

All three of our kids together with a couple of their friends.

What a fun and wonderful time for them to have with their friends!  They danced, laughed, played cards, and enjoyed one another's company.

With this being our last bit of time here, it is good for them to enjoy this time with their friends, making fond memories.

Graduation

Although I do not have a graduate this year, I will have one next year.  This year, however, as a "Junior Mom", it is our privilege to serve the graduating seniors and their families for the graduation reception.  This is our first year of ever being a part of or taking part in graduation.  I don't know the schedule of events during the ceremony because I've never been to a graduation.  All that said, I'm greatly relying on a dear lady from our home school group whose son is graduating this year.  She's given me tips, hints and suggestions from her experience last year to help.  What a blessing!

With all of this graduation reception preparation, it is thrusting my mind and thoughts, whether I like it or not--on the inevitability of my oldest son's graduation next year.  I didn't want to think about it just yet, although we've worked toward that goal for years.  Right now I feel as if I'm in the thick of the school days' lessons up to my eyeballs to just keep things moving along.  How can it be that in just one year I will have a graduate myself?

It is a bittersweet realization.  It seems so very close, but yet so very far away still.  But, in the blink of an eye, it will be done.   Then he will be off to college for his first year.  Then it will be my daughter's turn, and my youngest.  I'm thankful for this time with my children.  What a blessing from God!  In the same token, with each step, the bittersweetness fills me.

I remember when...


Now the thoughts, preparations, and plans for the next season of our lives not just begin--but continue with greater clarity of mind, knowing the target for our arrows is for the glory of God.