Mixed up - Day 244

I love my mixer! It was one of the first purchases we made after we got married, and has probably been used more than any other small appliance we own. We even got a special offer that allowed us to get a bowl for it that is engraved with our name and wedding date! If you need something mixed up - this will do it! Just about anything!

“You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”    Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Control - Day 243

Remote controls are pretty interesting things. I frequently wish my kids came with one - wouldn't it be nice to rewind, or skip something, or just have the volume control even?!?!?!? But then I'm reminded that I can't control others, not even my kids, but I can control my own thoughts, responses, and reactions, with the Lord's help. Time to turn that remote toward myself I guess...

“You cannot always control circumstances, but you can control your own thoughts.”   Charles Popplestown

The entryway - Day 242

The area of comings and goings...and the reason I was always motivated to keep the dishes done, since the sink was the first thing straight in the door. Not a large entryway, but I'm thankful for all the hugs shared here either in welcome or in farewell...

“Bless our comings and goings…”   Unknown

The breakfast nook - Day 241

We probably didn't spend enough time here eating as a family, but we definitely spent a lot of time here over the last couple of years. This is where we did all our homeschooling - so I spent hours with the girls working on their studies. We also used this table a lot as a game table - in the past year, the girls fell in love with playing card and board games. Many laughs and much special time was spent around this table nestled in the bright sunny corner here...

“A single conversation across the table with a wise person is worth a month’s study of books.”   Chinese Proverb

The Garage - Day 240

Ahhh...the big garage - also known as the man cave! It had a little woodstove in the corner that helped provide a little warmth when working on cars in the winter, and provided shelter from the rain for the same activity. It took a little while after we moved in, but we actually did use this to park our cars in - which was so nice! What a blessing to be able to unload the car in a dry location - then make the dash to the house even when it was raining and windy! And there were many hours my husband passed out here with one of his brothers working on one of the many project vehicles he had - you know, the ones you put a ton of money into and then sell low! Love the memories of sneaking out to check on them and bring coffee or treats to warm them up...

“Only in America – do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.”   Unknown

The guest room - Day 239

Now this room started off as my oldest daughters room, but when we ended up letting our girls share a room, this became a spare room that enabled us to enlarge our world and family in so many ways. It became a room for our exchange student from Germany - giving the girls an "older sister" from Europe, and allowed a very special friend we call "Auntie Amy" to spend several summers with us. And a large number of friends and family have spent time in this room...definitely lots of memories in here...

“Where there is room in the heart there is always room in the house.”    Unknown

The girls bathroom - Day 238

One thing I will always remember about this room are the stripes. I learned a lot of things about how to do stripes in the process of painting that room - but I always loved the results. My husband always wanted to repaint it - but I had put WAY too much work into that project! Before it was this color - it was a rather bright blue. That was a bit of a mistake, but we didn't get it fixed for a while, and it made it a fun room for our daughters to take baths when they were little! Still, the end result was much better I think.

“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.”  Sulvia Plath

The girls room - Day 237

This room definitely evolved a lot over the years. It started off as the nursery for my youngest, then we needed the girls to share a room for one night - and they loved it so much they wanted to stay that way! Ever since, it has been the room that they have slept in, played in, cried in, been sick in, and lived in. It started off with plain white walls, then was transformed into the pink and purple princess room, complete with Disney Princess wallpaper. Then we removed the wallpaper (which gives this room the unique distinction of being the last room I will ever voluntarily apply wallpaper too!) and changed it to the more grown up blue color. I will always treasure the memories of little girl giggles and bedtime prayers that this room holds for me...

“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.”   Indian Proverb

Master Bathroom - Day 236

I think this room has my favorite mirror in the world. I always looked better in it than anything else. Of course, part of that might have to do with the fact that most of the time I spent looking in this mirror was when I first woke up in the morning, and didn't have my glasses on...I tell you what - glasses are highly overrated! 

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.”   Miss Piggy

The bedroom - Day 235

Oddly enough, I realize that this is the room I spent more time in than any of the rest of the house. I doubt I ever really appreciated it enough, because I was usually falling into bed exhausted and trying to get enough rest for the next day! 

“I am woman! I am invincible! I am pooped!”   Anonymous

Laundry Room - Day 234

While I can't say that this was my favorite room of the house, I can say this was my favorite laundry room of any of the houses we had owned. I think it is because it was the only one with a window. Light makes such an incredible difference! And even though I wasn't jumping up and down to spend time in here, it was somewhere I was regularly running to and from - just to keep up with that funny necessity of clean clothes!

“If I don’t do laundry today, I’m gonna have to buy new clothes tomorrow.”   Anna Paquin

Rec Room - Day 233

I always thought this room was appropriate named the Rec Room...although I would have spelled "Rec" as "Wreck" I guess. It looks pretty neat and clean in this picture, but it was typically a mess. It always just ended up being the dumping spot for everything...but it was such a blessing to have this place for everything that we had no idea where else to put it!

“If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door greet him with, ‘Who could have done this? We have no enemies!’”

The living room - Day 232

The living room is where much time was spent in make believe. My daughters danced in this room more times than anything, but also spent hours setting up imaginary kingdoms, or stepping stones of books across some imaginary expanse. This is where we watched movies together, snuggled on the couch and read books together, or had picnics on the floor on rainy days...

“Imagination is the true magic carpet.”    Norman Vincent Peale

The Family Room - Day 231

When I think of this room, I think of coziness. This is the direction where the wind and the rain always beat against the house, and where we spent a lot of time. Just looking at it, I can visualize my husband sitting on or in front of the fireplace and studying when he was doing his college work - usually with one of the kids sitting nearby reading one of their books as well. The rocking recliners were just to the left of this picture, and I spent HOURS rocking my daughters on them when they were little - so I spent so much of my time looking at this view that it is engraved in my memory.

“The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you’d just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.”    Susan Allen Toth

The Kitchen - Day 230

I doubt anyone would question my opinion that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where life happens, where everyone gathers, where most of the work - as well as the joys - of day to day life occur. Cooking, baking, canning, doing dishes, unloading groceries, talking, visiting...the list could go on forever...and this kitchen has been full of all of the above.

“Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time.”   Chinese Proverb

Down by the Creek - Day 229

Another one of the things I have always loved about this house is the creek. Sadly enough we never spent nearly enough time down playing in it, but it has still always been a comforting presence. One of our bedroom windows overlooked this side of the property, as did the girls room. So we pretty much all fell asleep listening to the sound of the running water...

“Our grand duty is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”   Thomas Carlyle

The Garden - Day 228

One of the things I enjoyed the most in the summer was gardening. Granted, I have never been the best gardener - and my garden was rarely perfectly tended and week free. It often resembled a jungle of vegetables! But there is something very therapeutic about weeding on a warm and balmy evening, and nothing is better than deciding what to make by dinner by going to browse the garden and see what is ripe and ready to use. And then there was canning and freezing all the extra of the bounty that you couldn't eat! LOVED my time spent here...

“I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature’s rebirth?”   Edward Giobbi

The Backyard - Day 227

When we bought this home, I actually think I fell more in love with the yard than I did with the house. Not that the house wasn't wonderful - but the yard made me so happy! It was just a tiny bit over an acre - just enough to have lots of wide open space, and yet not too much to take care of. Many hours have been spent here romping in the grass, mowing (LOVE the smell of fresh cut grass), playing ball, gardening, strolling around to look at the fruit trees, or playing in the snow. Will always remember this yard...

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”    James Dent

House full of memories - Day 226

Today is the beginning of transitions. I am spending the next couple of weeks going over, in detail, this house and all the memories it holds, for which I am ever so thankful! I am scheduling them ahead, since today is the day the moving vans pull in, and the process of moving from this valley where we have lived our entire lives, and this home where we have spent the last 8 years, begins. Although it has changed since that day, this is the first view we got of this house, and will be the last view we see as we leave for the last time. How can there even be words to describe all the memories that have been made within it's walls? There is no way to capture it fully, but I am so thankful for the haven this home has provided to us...and am now shedding as I write this a week early, the first of what I am sure will be many tears over leaving it behind. Thanks for blessing us with this house Lord - and I pray that it will bless the new owners just as much as it did us. 

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”   Albert Einstein

Purpose - Day 225

I love the sun - but when it gets really hot out, I prefer that it doesn't shine so brightly into my house and heat the air to stifling proportions! And lately I have been very grateful for the blinds on the west facing sides of the house. They have definitely been fulfilling their purpose well! Amazing what something that seems so flimsy and insignificant can do to make our life more pleasant...hmmm...

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”   Robert Byrne

Overcoming shyness - Day 224

I have, to some extent, always been a rather shy person. Sometimes it is hard to speak up and say the things I'm thinking even still, although I certainly am not the same person I once was! I have enjoyed all the many ways I have been able to share my heart and thoughts with others via this keyboard though. It is amazing the things that sometimes my fingers can say, that my mouth cannot! And yet I don't still see myself as that same shy and timid person I once was - I must be finally growing up!

“Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other.”    Unknown

Hot Days and Blue Skies - Day 223

It is August in the Pacific Northwest - so blues skies and the hottest days of the year are here! I remember when our exchange student Melanie was here, and her family came to visit. Her father told us that it looked like we had similar weather to what they had in Germany: fall, winter, spring, and August. Couldn't have been more true!

“The trouble with weather forecasting is that it’s right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.”   Patrick Young

Pretty Paper - Day 222

I kind of have a little problem with collecting paper...it is all just so beautiful! The smell, the feel - I just love pretty papers! I was so happy to discover these tiny little paper pads - because it gives me the opportunity to collect it in little bits, and not have so much that I waste it - or feel guilty using it! But very little things in the world make me as happy as sitting down and playing with paper. And I love my little collection of prettiness!

“I have too much paper said no woman ever.”  Unknown

Practice makes perfect - Day 221

I love watching my kids work so hard to perfect something new. They have been working on this routine for a while, usually with many giggles as they mess up and try to clap or slap with the wrong hand! But they keep on working on it - and they are starting to get pretty good! Their hands fly so fast now when they do this! So proud of them!

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”    Robert J. Collier

Light Switches - Day 220

Sometimes I fail to notice the littlest things around me - and am amazed when they are brought to my attention. For instance, I realized the other day that I take light switches for granted! If it wasn't for the knowledge of electricity and how it works they could almost seem magical! I mean - think about it! You flip a switch, and if everything is working right, the room lights up! Of course, you do have to flip that switch if you want the light to go on...

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.”   Charles Swindoll

Glasses - Day 219

I can't believe that I didn't think of these sooner! I rely on these little beauties every day to help me see the world around me! Even though they frequently are a bother and a nuisance, I would be lost without them - literally! So grateful for this little blessing in my life to help me see the world around me.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.”  Joel A. Barker

Carrying each other's burdens - Day 218

Isn't it great to be able to pitch in and help carry each other when the going gets tough? It's even nice to be carried every once in a while! I'm so grateful for all the deep and lasting friendships I have. I am leaning heavily on them through this process - and am so grateful for their love and prayers and support! 

“Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all life really means.”   Robert Louis Stevenson

Sticking with it - Day 217

I have to be honest...this whole moving thing is for the birds! I feel like I am just running in circles and accomplishing nothing, while the clock keeps steadily ticking and eating up what little time I have. I would gladly just check out of reality for the next couple of weeks, and wake up when it is all over. However, I realize that in doing so I would miss the very process that I believe the Lord will use to strengthen me - as well as strengthen my reliance on Him. So...I will stick with it, because by doing so, I'm sticking with Him - which I believe is the best place to be!

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”   Albert Einstein

Spiders (at least when they stay outside!) - Day 216

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I have NO great love for spiders. In fact, pretty much the opposite. And yes, I know that they kill flies and bugs and are helpful creatures - but do they have to be so creepy and crawly and nasty?!?!?!? So...I will be thankful for them - as LONG as they stay OUTSIDE - where they belong! (In my humble opinion...)

“I saw a spider in my bathtub, so I got a piece of tissue and very carefully…burned the house down.”   Unknown

Fresh from the Garden - Day 215

One of the things I have missed the most this summer is growing a garden. But somehow...moving doesn't exactly make growing a garden a wise idea (a little hard to pack and take with you!) So last night when we stopped by our local Farmer's Market - it was with great delight that I brought home some of my usually favorite garden vegetables - Sugar Snap Peas, and Green Beans! We so enjoyed eating them, and even though they didn't taste "quite" as good as the ones that you have grown with your own blood, sweat, and tears - they were pretty close!

“Once while St. Francis of Assisi was hoeing his garden, he was asked, “What would you do if you were suddenly to learn that you were to die at sunset today?” He replied, “I would finish hoeing my garden.’”   Unknown

Stretching - Day 214

I have learned to LOVE stretching! Nothing feels better in the morning right after you wake up and are all relaxed - or after a hard day when you are stiff and sore (which seems to be more often the case than the first!) But I love that the more you continue to stretch, the further you find yourself able to go! Each time you can make it a little bit further...

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”   Sir Winston Churchill

Continual Effort - Day 213

I love watching my girls try their hardest! It doesn't matter what it is - any new challenge that they tackle head on and don't give up on makes me a proud mommy! And inspires me to do the same and keep trying, even when giving up sounds a lot easier!

“I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying.”   Michael Jordan

Light - Day 212

There are some days when things just seem dark, and you wonder how the light can shine. But no matter what - there is always light. Even if it hides behind a cloud. I'm so thankful that I can trust the Light of the World - no matter how dark the world might get, if I look for Him - he is always still here!

“There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish a single candle flame.”    Saint Francis of Assisi