no more popcorn!!!!

We have lived in this house for 16 1/2 years and I have had "popcorn" for 16 and 1/2 years!!!! But NOW its gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (in the living room, that is) Like the children said, " you never know what your going to wake up to as far as what mom is going to do!" I went to bed Sunday night and as I lay there I thought, "I wanna re-do the living room." So on Monday morning I gave the game plan and I think they were all in shock! we had to take down, move out, and clear the living room area! Good thing we had the new space area to put it all. The first thing was scraping the popcorn off the ceiling.......(warning- do not do this project unless you have older children who can help like major!!!) Scraping it off was absolutely the biggest mess! Next we had to prime the walls because I wanted to texture them. We also textured the ceiling. After texture, we had to prime both the walls and ceiling. We then were ready for painting. I painted the walls a cafe' color, in the brown tone and the ceiling is called firewood, it looks like "logan county red dirt," only people that live in this area know what I'm talkin bout!!! :) There is a book case on the bricks by the fireplace so we primed it and painted it black. It really looks so much better! I still have to do the doors for the book case and I am going to put a trim up around the ceiling which will be black too. So after 4 gallons of primer, 8 gallons of joint compound (texture) 3 gallons of ceiling paint and 2 gallons of wall paint and 1/2 gallon of black paint we have a newish living room! The walls are all blank now, (except for the new clock over piano) I hope to slowly get western things like I have with the other areas.

I was so blessed by Micah, Anna, Bethany and Andrew's help! They did a tremendous job!! This was one job that I could not pull off by myself! It was fun working together and the little ones all did so well to as far as being occupied while we worked! Mercy had her moments but we got through it!! :)

The guys do not know yet. They read some of my facebook status's and were all trying to figure it out and they know me all to well, and were concerned that I was removing walls!!! hehhehehe!!!! I guess I have a reputation!! So I am looking forward to their re-action tonight! I love our home and want it to a warm, inviting place where memories are made! I think one memory they will have for sure is "whats mom up to now!!" Its fun to keep things exciting around here!!! You never know what I might do......(with the Lord's help always :)

So now as my body recovers, :0, tonight we are going to our home town football game and its homecoming. That does not mean much to us, we are just going for the game but it will be a big one. The guys hope to be home a bit early. The work is going well but it almost seems like you work and work and work but it just keeps growing instead of progressing on this school. They have yet to do another wing, the gym and the cafeteria!! The Lord has brought some more workers so I think they have 9 guys working and maybe another to start in 2 weeks. Good fellowship with other Christians and also an opportunity to encourage the faint and be a light to the lost. I am thankful that our sons get to be "in the world" so to speak in a safe environment with their father to guide, admonish, counsel amongst folks that need Jesus. Witnessing and working......a good way!

We never know what tomorrow will bring. I read about a couple married a year, she found out she was preg with twins and at 21 weeks a few days ago she delivered them, the babies did not make it but she (they think) had a blood clot maybe in her lungs and caused her to loose oxygen for 17 minutes, went unconscious, they revived her, but I don't think she regained consciousness. She went to be with her babies in heaven yesterday morning. You can visit their blog here. I do not know them ,but found out through a friends blog. They live here in the OKC area. Please pray for her husband as he once again travels the grieving road and the children to loose another mother! The husband has 3 children from a previous marriage and his first wife died as well.

Hope you all have great weekend! Its definitely fall here!!

weekend review !!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!! It is very cool here! I am enduring it! :) Friday night we went to Ada for a football game, it was fun! My friend Natalie and her daughter Annalee went along with us and the van made it to and fro! The guys were already there, so they just came from work. Kinda strange when I called as we were sitting in the stands and I asked where they were and they said "just stopping at the house and changing." The rent house is just a few blocks from the field. Terry's folks came for the weekend too so we had a busy time with them. The Tulsa State Fair ended Thursday night but they do not release the goats until Saturday at noon, so Terry had to travel back to Tulsa to get Bethany and the goats. Anna stayed in Tulsa until today with a friend. Saturday, the guys worked on their land getting sand dumped preparing for the plumbing. Saturday evening we were invited to a young couples house for dinner!! Can you believe it????? Someone actually asked a family of 14 to dinner plus a few extra's!!!! LouCinda did a great job and the meal was sooooo delicious and we had fun telling stories of "things" we did, kinda like pranks and jokes all in good fun at the time. Sunday Caleb and Daniel had the opportunity to play their instruments at church, a blessing to get to hear them myself. Sunday afternoon we went to a little friends bd party, then after that we went to a real baseball field and played wiffle ball! I am loving that game. We ended the weekend, Sunday night with pizza, blue bell ice -cream and a game of scrabble with Dave and Kate and grandparents!! Whew.............what a weekend jammed packed!! Hope you could follow all that!

Lets see, what is today???? Monday! I have taken on a HUGE project, almost over whelming and hopefully it will be done before the weekend when the guys get home, if not, I am in trouble as far as mess goes!!!! So I don't know if I'll get back here for a few days. You'll enjoy a break from me.......haha!!! And I might give you a peek of what I have been up to :)

Well, I had to get on here and write "something" for my friend Angie, she said she had read the sweater post 15 times. LOL!!!!! But I have no pictures, which I can hardly stand to make a post without pics but its either "words" or nothin' tonight!

Have a great rest of the week!! And if I have any breaking news, I'll be back sooner than later!!!

a new sweater !

Mercy
a big 4 1/2 !!

Mercy wanted to show you
her new
sweater!!!
doesn't it look so
"fall?"

Happy Fall to All!!! Its here, and its cool here! I am missing my 100 degree weather, I don't think I will see it til next summer though :( I am already wearing a jacket in the house, window units are off, windows open, pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks are all standing/laying proudly in our house but I am still a summer person! I am a flip-flop person! I was trying to strain a few more rays from the sun while ago, and sitting right in the sun was so nice........... and hot!!

I read a scripture over a week ago, and it has been on my heart for sometime but it has been so busy, I have not had time to sit here. I find myself writing about the last 3 years and the grieving journey often and I am not necessarily done writing about that but there are other areas of my life that need work, chiseling, re-done, and any other word that would describe "help!" We all need "help" don't we? The things I wanna do, I don't and the things I don't wanna do, I seem to do! There is this 3 letter word that I want in my life.....do you know what it is??? JOY! I think I have had it for moments, maybe even a day or so, but it is not a consistent attribute in my life. I have had joy about Joel and in this journey of grieivieng as I embrace scriptures that the Lord has given me and it is so peaceful and anticipating, but I have to exercise my mind to stay there. But what I really want to dwell upon is how I want to have "joy" at all times. Happiness tends to make think of ones circumstances and lost people can be happy. Joy is something from within. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Notice its a fruit, that means stuff has to take place before its ripe so to speak. I guess this scripture that I read is an eye opener of how to get this "unction" in me. I don't doubt there are many other scriptures that would offer direction but this one verse is one that leaped out as how to let "joy" spring up in me. And let me make this clear, I am writing all this as a plea, as I don't have this down, as this is what I need help in, so don't go thinking I am writing from "experience," I am writing as a confession that I need God's work to make this happen in my life! I tend to fall in the "happy" category" more often than the joy one. A new chair makes me happy, a new kitchen appliance makes me happy, the house clean makes me happy, when schedules go smooth it makes me happy and so on but what if I don't get a new kitchen, or another new couch to replace the old one, or a new dishwasher to replace the broke one or the house is a mess, I want to have something that will lift my heart out of the drudge because of the desires not getting fulfilled like I expected so that is where I see I need this fruit of the Spirit in my life. The scripture I read is Isaiah 12:3, Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. As I have been thinking upon this, I think one way for me to apply and receive the fruit of joy, is to draw it from the wells of salvation! The word water means grace, so in thinking of the different fruits of the Spirit, they are all "graces" imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. The well of salvation is so deep, so rich, so fulfilling, it is meditating upon Who He is, what he has done, the price, the pain, the sacrifice. It will be an exercise of enveloping my thoughts upon Him instead of me, instead of circumstances, instead of things. The well of salvation will fulfill any longing. One more mature with the Word than me could surely come up with more but this verse was just a verse for me and it spoke to my heart of my need for joy and how I might get it. In Him!

Here's a little rendition of the love chapter in Corinthians "if you have not joy ye are nothing."

if i have a new kitchen, yet not joy, I am nothing
if i have a new appliance, yet not joy, i am a complainer still
if i have a clean house, yet not joy, i am not fun to be around
if i have a new chair, yet not joy, then i show ungratefulness
to my husband
if i have 13 children, yet not joy, then i am not a godly example
if i have "things", yet not joy, then the "things" become
a list to check off and get
if i have not joy then i am not walking in His Spirit.....(ouch)

Lord.......how I need Thee!!!

Well, we got another busy week, do we ever not have busy weeks??? Today Bethany is purchasing/picking up a semen tank so she can breed her does with a straw and get incredible goats! Major, huh? You'll have to ask her bout all that, way beyond me!!!!! Tomorrow Anna has dentist stuff, Thursday thru Saturday several are heading to the Tulsa State Dairy Show, Friday some of us might go to a football game, ( I'll let you know Natalie :) also some company over the weekend. Lets see on Wednesday, there was nothing..........yippeee!!!!

Hope you all have a great Monday and stay warm......or maybe that comment is only for me!!


Big news for Josiah......his first bottom tooth is loose! I wonder if Joel's would have been loose too??

Caleb's stem wall up!

Over the weekend, Caleb and Daniel got their stem walls up! These pictures are of Caleb's, they did his first and I left before they got Daniel's finished so I don't have a picture of his yet. They are both building with the ICF, insulated concrete forms. Both of their houses will have 2nd stories, Daniel's will have a loft that will have two bedrooms and a bath upstairs. They have some really cool plans all created by themselves. Each phase they get to do is very exciting! To think that two young men can build their own homes debt free in 2010 is a huge blessing from the Lord, well it likely won't be finished in 2010 but the project in general. I hope it encourages others to seek to be debt free as well. In our almost 24 years of marriage, God has provided what we needed and way more than that, He has fulfilled desires over and beyond our needs!!!

Hopefully this coming weekend, they want to get the concrete poured in the stems and the next phase after that is to get all their plumbing in place and they will be ready for the foundation!

How's everyone on this Monday???

anna is 18 !!!!

Happy Birthday to Anna!!!
18 today!!!!

Thank you Anna for serving our family!!
Thank you for all tons of laundry you have done since you were 6 years old!!
Thank you for all the pounds of desserts you have made !!!!
Thank you for all the breakfast's you have made!!!
Thank you for the "love" you show all your younger siblings!!
Thank you for "protecting" your brothers :)
Thank you for letting me use your car!
Thank you for being a beautiful daughter inside and out!!
Thank you for seeking the Lord each morning!!

A =amazing
N= night owl :)

N=number 5
A= awesome volley ball player

Happy Birthday dear daughter!!! Love ya, cowgirl!!!