The Adventures of Primginger

Let's Try This Again

2012-01-03T10:09:00.000-05:00

It's a new year after all, so it should work.

No resolutions for me this year, my new year is starting off with pain, tooth pain, not fun....I'm so not in the mood for any type of resolution, so I'm just going to call this the things I want to try to change for our family.

An awesome link for those wanting to try to be more frugal, and I like her way of thinking when it comes to food storage.

We really need to work on this, well, not me, my other half. He tend to purchase items because they are on sale, not because they are needed.

Hoping this is the beginning of regular posts from me, an update on things happening at our homestead on a regular basis would be great, right? I'm going to try to do that this year, promise.

An FYI

2011-10-24T09:06:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't posted much lately, life has pretty much taken over, and with the holiday's just around the corner, I wanted to let all of you know that, you can still keep up with all the comings and goings in our life by checking out my husbands blog when I'm too busy to blog.
www.heirloomhomestead.com

Things Have Not Been Pleasant

2011-10-14T13:50:00.000-04:00

As I write this, I think back to the past few weeks and all we have encountered on our little homestead here in Wescosville. I think a part of me has been hesitant to really think about what has happend, one reason being, I could have avoided it, second reason being, it hurts to much to think about it.

We said goodbye to our girls, and Pat a few weeks ago, and it's been hard not having them around. Every time I'm at my kitchen sink I look over to see them in their pen, and they are not there.

When the hurricanes his earlier this summer, about six weeks ago, our lower yard became the resting spot for the deluge of rain. Honestly, it doesn't bother me that much, not as much as it bothers others. We haven't been inconvenienced by the water sitting in the yard, but our neighbor certainly doesn't appreciate the new pond outside his window as he's trying to sell his house. That being the main issue. Ever since the lower macungie deluge of development, our yard has become the spot where the water sits. The developer who built the homes behind us gave no concern to where the rainwater would go, if it rained really good, hence the pond.

This past rain, from these two hurricanes, has been the most rainfall in 100 years.....our home is 102 years old. We actually had the kids in a raft boating around the water, because there is that much water.

I was home one day with a sick kid when the letter came in the mail from the township, telling us we were not aloud to have the chickens. The letter was vague, it was hard to tell if they meant the amount of chickens or just chickens overall. We had 6, are only suppose to have 4 per acre, but I misunderstood and thought it was 5, Tractor supply only sold in sets of 6 so it's all I could do to buy six, with the thought that one might not make it....well, they all survived....lol.

Now back to the letter. When we got the letter, we urgently put feelers out to see who would be willing to take our one Roo and a hen, luckily we found a great woman named Dawn who took them both, they are now free ranging. We supplied the township with a letter telling them that we are now down to 4 and all should be ok, but no, all is not ok, we couldn't have them at all because we are 10,000 sq feet short of an acre. Even though our pen is in the center of our property, more than 100 feet on all sides away from any neighbor, we could not keep our girls without a fight that would hurt us financially.

So I checked with Dawn, and she was willing to take the other 4 to free range with the other two. It was very hard, and still is, to let them go. They were my girls, they sat on my lap, they ate from my hands and they were always anxious to let me know when they left something in the coop for me.

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I was able to figure out what really went down with our chickens. Turns out, instead of our neighbor coming to us first, about figuring out what to do with this water, he went right to the township, who spent the past six weeks in my yard, back and forth, watching the water situation. See, our township won't lift a finger to help dispose of the water, they tell us they are broke, but they are worried about a west nile outbreak, so they keep checking to see where the level is at. That's why my chickens had to go, not that they disturbed anyone (although the Roo might have) but because they were in my yard and saw them, I had to get rid of them.

I can fight this, I can pay probably over $1000 to hire an attorney and file the proper paperwork and see what can be done, which I may still do, but what I am also doing is making the situation know to all who will listen. Homesteading is a way of life, it's what people do now more than ever with the skyrocketing price of food. We grow our food, can it, share it, it's the way things use to be! We need to make homesteading the new way of life, we need to communicate more with our neighbors, share what we have, have an understanding about each other to make it through one of the worst economic times in history. People, things are not getting better, they are going to get much worse before they even make an attempt to turn around.

In the mean time, I have a new pond to boat in, possibly an ice skating rink this winter and I have the prospects of two new pets in our house, my son has been putting together a big guinea pig cage for a while now......I'm sure there is more news to come.

If you would like to follow our story, I've created a facebook page about our chickens, it's called "Bring our chickens back" and you can follow all the updates on what's going on in our township of lower macungie, pa and how we intend to get our girls back.

It's Time For Eggs!

2011-07-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

The time has finally come where our girls are starting to lay eggs. I went out this morning and found evidence of three possible eggs that were laid, most likely overnight, but the eggs are still not strong enough to form an egg. One of the photos you can obviously see that there was an egg but it was paper thin, the other photo is totally scrambled.....just wish it was scrambled in my frying pan.....

The girls were so proud of what they tried to do, when I took the lid off the coop they all hopped in, were talking up a storm and crowding around me as if to say "Mom, did you see what we did?"

It's an exciting time here on our homestead!

Where do I start?

2011-07-19T09:47:00.000-04:00

It's almost the end of July, and I feel like I need at least two more months so I can feel like I've got something accomplished. I don't forsee any canning in my future this year, I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the other tasks I have to accomplish. Wishing I was Laura Ingalls and could spend the days, the 70 degree days, on my little farm getting everything just the way I like it.

The Chicken Coop is done, for the most part, with many kudos to my Dad for lending his expertise and tools, and my nephew Noah and my son Jake, they helped on Saturday's to get this job done and we are so happy it's done.

The kids love to play with the chickens, and the rooster, yeah, we have Pat, the unknown bird that is now known...we will fatten pat up and then....say goodbye...I don't want to upset my neighbors with a rooster.

We also have spent some time at our local baseball games, the Iron Pigs, last week we were given tickets to some VIP seats that we just loved, here is Jake enjoying the game.

We also have one summer birthday under our belt , Emma turned 10 in July and we celebrated by giving her a surprise Luau at her grandparents pool. We all had a great time and beautiful weather. Here is a photo of Emma celebrating in Sunday School.

I will try to update again soon, when I find time......anyone willing to give some of their time, I'll forward my address...lol

The Work Keeps Coming

2011-06-28T12:22:00.000-04:00

On the homestead that is. My girls (and one boy) need their run finished. We have the area somewhat fenced in now, have to put the top boards up and move the coop in to the spot so they can run around. It's been fun and motivating for me to get this done, I can't wait to sit and watch my girls run around and make noises....quiet noises...lol

The garden is growing, potatoes are really tall, tomatoes are in and the bunnies are everywhere.

I wish it was cooler out so I could spend more time in my yard, I'm not a fan of the heat, Scott isn't iether, so this isn't always fun but it has to get done.

Specialized For Children? Not Exactly

2011-05-23T10:17:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had the dis-pleasure of having to check in at our local hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital, for our 9 year old who has been dealing with constant stomach pains and issues. Her issues seemed to have escalated Friday night and hubby and I felt pretty helpless and not knowing what to do decided to stop in at the NEW Children's ER. Our initial thought to stop in was based on their new Children's ER they opened about a month and a half ago. Thinking it would be geared toward children and wouldn't freak her out much, we thought this was best since our Dr. was closed.

Everything started out fine, we knew she wasn't "critical" so we had no issues with those who seemed more urgent moving in quicker...we were doing our best to help her breath through her pain and encouraging her with our words and hugs, she seemed to get through the intial part pretty well.

I would say we spent about 15-20 minutes out in the waiting area total. Once we were taken back to the Children's ER, which means you walk through the normal ER, we were seen by a nurse pretty quickly, changed into an ADULT gown and were told by the nurse that the Dr. would be in shortly, that she didn't want to really poke around too much because the Dr. would do just that.

We sat in that room for an hour and a half, possibly a bit longer, before we saw the Dr., never once had a Dr. pop in to do a quick check, nothing.........I had to initially ask if she was aloud to use the bathroom because she had to pee, where they then place the cup in the toilet so she could give them a urine sample. That was probably half way through our stay.

We didn't get a Dr. into the room until I went out and voiced my opinion to the insane wait we had to endure, in a Children's ER that was not busy, all while we listend to nurses and whoever else was around discuss weekend plans, play with the other children in the ER, I think we counted 3.

Now, by the time the Dr. did come in, of course the pain was gone. The nurse mentioned twice while she was in and out telling us the Dr. would be in, that her white cell counts were elevated and she probably had a UTI, but that was it.

She did get some water and animal crackers to eat after the Dr. did finally see her, I think they wanted to see if the pain would come back with eating, since we were discharged after she ate they were not around to see that the pain did in fact come back after she ate, but they could have seen that if they would have stopped in the room earlier than 1 1/2 hours after we got there.

I guess you can tell my thoughts on this new ER are not good, and I probably won't be back in there any time soon with an emergency. I really should have used my gut instinct and gone to St. Lukes, but, I was thinking more about how quick I thought they could help my little girl, and I was wrong.

I'm not leaving

2011-05-11T09:06:00.000-04:00

But I have been asked to take part in a new blog format in my area and I made my first attempt yesterday. I would love your thoughts on how you think my first blog went....good or bad...

http://lowermacungie.patch.com/blog_posts/why-do-we-worry

This will be my wordless Wednesday

2011-05-06T11:19:00.000-04:00

Wordless Friday instead......

It's been a few weeks

2011-05-02T12:08:00.000-04:00

And things are changing so fast in our house...it's hard to keep up anymore.

The chickens are growing like the weeds in my garden, the weeds I can do without, but my girls are getting their voices and plumping up nicely.

The new coop made it's way over from Pop Pop's house, Jake and Pop worked on it along with Jakes' cousin Noah, they did an awesome job and the girls love their new house.

Now in the midst of playing with our six new family members and tending to their needs, we are in the midst of soccer yet again. Jake has decided to play with his U12 team again from last year, they did a great job in the fall and have even more team members this year. Yesterday was our second game and for the second time we won 2-0, with Jake and Mike scoring the two goals from yesterday's game. So very proud of Jake and how far he has come.

Our weeks ahead look just as busy, with the school year coming to a close, spring concerts this week, Emma and her orchestra concert this week, it's looking to be a nice, exciting and adventure filled spring.

It's been a week!

2011-04-07T09:06:00.000-04:00

Since we got our chicks and what a difference a week makes. They went from furry little fuzz balls that chirp to strong winged fuzz balls that can yell!

We certainly are having a blast with them though, I especially love when you hold one and it feels all warm and secure in your hand and falls asleep, how sweet.

They moved into a huge water heater box a few days ago because we noticed them "lifting off" pretty often, so I wanted something with higher sides.

We also put a wooden dowel through the box for them to practice pirching.....and they love it.

Yesterday we wanted to clean the box out completely so we moved them back into their old clear box for a bit so we could do some cleaning, then once I realized I didn't have the room to clean out the box in the laundry room I decided to place the chicks in the living room while I cleaned....well...out came chazzy kitty to check out all the noise, I took a few pics but saved one of my favorites for this post, I'm sure my husband's blog will have more of the pics soon, I saved one especially for his blog as well.

One day down!

2011-03-31T13:32:00.000-04:00

We have completed our first day with our six new babies. I was one worried Momma last night though, checking the temp in their brooder box, making sure it didn't go too low , stayed up late doing wash so I could peek in on them and adjust their light if need be. They seem to have done well overnight, they were all asleep when I came down this AM.

I noticed the pine shavings were pretty wet, they are messy birds, love to get wet and make a mess of their water feeder, I had to shovel out the pine shavings and add fresh ones this morning.

Also had to check some vents, two of them were kind of messy, they had a nice warm cloth on their bums to clean them off, then they also had messy belly's, fixed that as well, the funny part was as soon as the warm cloth went on their belly, they fell asleep in your hand. They really are the sweetest little things, will definitely be enjoying their smallness the next few weeks, they grow up fast.

Chirp Chirp Chirp

2011-03-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

Our babies arrived this morning, after a quick stop at Tractor Supply to check on the delivery, sure enough a whole new tub of chicks had arrived. I took home six, 3 white and 3 red. Once home I dipped their beeks in the water to get them familiar with their surroundings, they were all on board with constant drinking and eating. Looking forward to spending some time with my new chicks later.

Chick time!

2011-03-28T14:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight we begin our chick adventure. Supplies are needed before we bring those cute little chicks home, so off to tractor supply we go to find everything we need to keep them warm, fed and happy until they can go out into their new coop currently being built by Jake and Pop Pop.

The kids are excited at the thoughts of 5 new friends living on our property, and mom is excited for fresh eggs for baking just in time for the Holiday's.

Will post photos of our chick adventure so you can see just how much fun were having......

We really need Tractor Supply to be able to keep the chicks in stock, seems they are a big seller!
Now what to do with Chaz and Izzie, our two cats..lol

On the hunt

2011-03-08T12:23:00.000-05:00

For all the chicken facts again. Seems the kids and I have the chicken bug once again, always happens come spring. I've emailed the township and am waiting for word, figure it best to go straight to the officials for the yes or no on chickens.

We picked up our potato starters this weekend in Lancaster County, as well as our onion sets and peas, last night we found heirloom tomato seeds locally that I will start this week. Looks like the planning has begun and we are so looking forward to growing alot of our own food again.

The kids have been informed that if gas prices keep going up, there will be less visits to the grandparents this summer to swim, unless of course the grandparents want to keep them over night, then we don't have a problem, but our neighbor has already offered her pool to the kids and since we will have the garden and possibly chickens to tend to, I'm all for staying in the comfort of my surroundings at home and working my land to benefit us all.

If anyone out there reading this has any tips or advice from chicken world, feel free to post here, all the advice is welcome.

Sad day for our Country

2011-01-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

The saddest part about this whole shooting in Arizona, in my own personal opinion, is the disregard by people of just how devastating this shooting is, when their focus is on how, when and who reported what.

I'm tired of arguing with people and trying to make them see that their simple mindedness is just insane when we are hearing about six people dying because of some off the wall 22 year old....oh, but who reported it first, and who reported she died, and who reported this....get over yourselves already.

Reporters are on the scene to report what they HEAR, every single news station reported that this Congresswoman died....no butts about it....it wasn't until maybe a half hour afterwards that the stations started pulling back on that report and correcting what was reported, yet also stating that they are reporting what they are TOLD from the scene of the incident.

A 9 year old girl died yesterday. My daughter is 9 years old, this little girl who died was studying our political system in her school and a neighbor of hers thought it would be interesting to go to this event...she gave her life, an innocent child...did nothing to this whack job who shot all these people. It kills me inside to think that most of the talk yesterday and today had to do with a news station and not the fact that people died.

People, pray for these people who were injured, who have died, pray for the officials trying to figure this whole ordeal out. Stop being so ridiculous about how things are reported.

3 days?

2010-12-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

What will I do. I have realized, just this morning, that I am not the super woman I thought I was. I always think I can do it all. Until today. Christmas is Saturday, it's now Wednesday and I still haven't finished the cookies, done all I wanted to do around the house, or even started the food for christmas Eve. I know it will get done, I have an awesome support team at home, but I'm down a man....one has been put on the injured reserve list....the youngest male is down with a bug. I hate when my kids are sick over holiday's that they love so much. Praying he gets better so he can enjoy his time off with his family.

So much to be thankful for....

2010-11-24T11:16:00.001-05:00

It's amazing to me, Thanksgiving is tomorrow....where did the time go? Two things took me off guard today. First was a video montage of a little girl named Caitlyn. Many of you know of her story through me, she is the daughter of a dear friend, a friend I have never met in person, but one I have talked to and emailed with constantly for the past 10 years. Caitlyn has been dealing with two forms of cancer this past year and it's overwhelming for me to think of everything that both Caitlyn and Melinda have dealt with this past year....heart wrenching to say the least. Second, is Bowen, the little baby boy of Matt, from Sanctus Real....who was born with a heart defect and they almost lost a few times. I just read an update on him a bit ago and he and his family will be on ABC news tonight sharing their story.

I have no major illnesses in my life right now, nothing devastating like either story above that just crushes my will to want to continue through each day....but I'm realizing that with no major issues right now in my life....I haven't been as thankful as I really should be.

I have my health..for the most part
Scott's health is turning around and looking better
My kids are both healthy and active and doing awesome in school
I have both of my parents...
Most of my family is close by and reachable within a few minutes
I've found some awesome friends the past year in my newest job at Josh Early

So why do I not feel as thankful as I should be? That's something I'm going to have to ponder the next few days. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful, I just think for myself, and I'm sure many others, we forget what we have, we forget that we do have what we need.....and life just takes over and we don't take that time to cherish those people and relationships that we have.

So the next few days I will surely be thanking God for......
My family
My parents
My new friends at Josh Early
Caitlyn's little life
Bowen's heart
My husbands caring hand with our children and his willingness to put in all the overtime at work
My children and their steadfast love for Jesus
My life.....and the life given up for me.....that's allot to be thankful for....

Reminicing

2010-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

I spent today..not all of it, reading through my blog from 2008 and all the stress I was dealing with trying to get the house purchase complete. LOL, I am so glad I am finally in our house and content. I can totally feel what my sister is dealing with in trying to find a house and get settled...all around the holiday's. Here's to hoping her process is easier than ours was.

2010-08-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Where has the time gone? I can still remember Jakes first day of Kindergarten, I can see him with every teacher he has ever had, I can pinpoint every struggle he has ever encountered during every grade...and tomorrow he begins his adventure at LMMS. Sixth grade already. I'm wondering right now who is more nervous, Jake or me...lol. I know he's a little hesitant, just by the way he is behaving, he wishes he didn't have to do this in the morning, but I'm trying to reassure him that Mom and Dad will be with him as he gets his schedule, walks the routine he will walk during school...and all the other fun stuff that's in store. Here's hoping the day go smoothly and Jacob does not wake up with a headache.

Terrain at Styers-Lunch with hubby

2010-08-16T14:22:00.000-04:00

On Thursday of my husbands vacation, he had this entire day planned of things he wanted to do, visit, see...you name it, he planned it out. Most of our day consisted of things I had done before, a trip to IKEA, Trader Joes and Whole Foods...but some of the day was made up of new and exciting adventures, all of which I will detail here.

Our first stop was to a place called Terrain at Styers. I can only describe the place like this, grungy meets new and funky....it was such a neat place, I think we spent two hours in total here, both shopping and eating. http://styers.shopterrain.com/ I've included the link so you can see for yourself.

We got a few ideas for our own house while browsing the store, lots of funky type jars, soaps, salts, tons for eating and lots for decorating. As we wandered the store we came upon the spot hubby was telling me about, only he did not explain it in the detail it deserved. This was the cutest spot for lunch, a glass greenhouse with bamboo type shades on the ceiling, full of plants, all sorts of plants and old structures torn out of buildings..just the neatest place to eat our lunch. Hubby had crab cake sliders and I enjoyed a tomato, mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich, both were on freshly made bread. While we waited for our lunch to arrive, we were given a little flower pot...with some tabs of homeade butter, sprinkled with a purpleish color salt and wine...so cute, and oh so yummy...I will be making little loaves of bread in the flower pots one day soon. That was the best freshly made lunch I have had in a long time...pictures above!

We wandered off to find an old campmeeting after lunch. With hubby being so much into the campmeeting history..I figured I might as well let him explore a bit. We found this Chester Heights campmeeting and wandered through there...it was a bit sad, the place looks really run down, cottages are falling over yet there seems to be some sort of group trying to make a go of it...some of the cottages were so cute..and then others...well...not so cute.

After that we drove over to IKEA to check out some bathroom items, we found the base vanity we want as well as the accesories.....now it was off to Trader Joes and Whole Foods...after that we were starving, so we checked out Chipotle...wow...such yummy food, we so need one of those here in the Lehigh Valley.

We were now home and exhausted, but what a fun day it was

It's Ceiling Time

2010-08-16T13:50:00.000-04:00

In 2008 when we purchased our house, we also purchased all the tin tile and molding we would need for our kitchen ceiling....and we did nothing with it, until NOW.

With hubby having the week off, our initial intentions were to take some day trips together while the kids were visiting with their Aunt and Uncle. When Friday rolled around and we realized we couldn't get in for our lunch like we wanted, I mentioned the tin pieces sitting in the basement and off to Lowes's we went.

We settled on a hammered brown rustoleum spray paint for the tiles.....started with two cans to see how far it would take us, one can will cover 6 tiles......we are now on can 12......lol..that's alot of paint.

I've attached some photos below, you can see how gross the ceiling was, and how cool it now looks.

Learning To Let Go.....

2010-07-21T09:54:00.001-04:00

It's been very hard for me this week to "let go" of my first born child. Jacob isn't a little kid anymore, he's almost 12 and he's maturing emotionally so very quickly....too quickly for his Mom....I'm learning this week that sometimes, I have to put the well being and safety of my children in the hands of others. For a parent, that's one of the hardest things to do.

I spent the first day or two of this week in utter worry...why? I have no idea, I have nothing to really worry about, except for the fact that my soon to be 12 year old is 45 minutes away....in a place that I just loved for three summers of my life...a place where if i could go back in time...I would go back to 1987-1989...Twin Pines Camp....those were the years where I learned to have confidence in myself, where I taught other children about the love of Jesus Christ, and where I made some of the bestest friends...friends I've lost touch with...and have now reconnected with in some way because of...you guessed it...FACEBOOK!

Jacob is now half way through his first full week at Twin Pines...in the woods...with a good friend from Church..and I'm hoping they are having a blast with all they get to do this week.

I've gotten over my worry and it's only Wednesday! I look forward every morning to signing on and viewing the photos from the previous days events, anticipating seeing Jacob in the photos.

I'm learning this week...learning to adjust to the fact that my 11 pound first born baby is now an almost 12 year old middle schooler who can do alot without his Mom....

9 years ago today

2010-07-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

My sweet Emma was born. Nine years has gone fast...faster than I would have liked, but she is growing up into such a neat little girl....she gives us our fair share of minor torment, but she is such a sweet heart, from her caring side of always asking about a friends little girl named Caitlyn, to her giving side when she is "looking" for things to do around the house for mom, to her adventurous side of checking out the mulberry trees in the yard for berries...she is my little sweet Emma.

We knew Emma was a girl from the start. We wanted a girl to complete our little family. Our experiences during the pregnancy were scary none the less....from the umbilical hernia surgery while 6 months pregnant, to two hospital stays once she was here.....and then the whole insulin dose every day...she was worth it, well worth it.

She's grown up so much the past two years alone, I can hear her voice changing, her questions becoming more serious, her reading becoming more intriguing.....she's definitely forming her own little personality...one that I will enjoy watching mature over time.

I'm going to surprise her tonight with a little store bought cake, since we already celebrated her birthday this weekend and I put most of my effort into making her cake already, I think she would enjoy a little cake on the actual day of her birthday.

Happy Birthday little Emma, I love you so very much...you have no idea.

One more day....

2010-07-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

At the beach and then we head home. It's been eventful, I can say that for sure, changing by the day, that's a fact....but it's been spent with family, and nothing can compare to spending quality time with your family.

It's been nice and cool with no humidity the past two days so yesterday we visited the OC MD boardwalk. Had our lunch on the boardwalk, came home and Scott made us dinner. Mixed a few bike rides in there and some walks to town. Last night we played on the beach while Pop and Wendy listened to the band concert on the boardwalk.

I went for another walk to town this morning, I think this is one of my favorite things to do here. Town is so darn close and everything is within walking distance, I love this place. Spent the day on the beach again today, wasn't real hot so it was nice to just sit and relax.

Scott took his new "old" video tape recorder out and used it a bit to practice shooting while I took the bike for a spin. Later in the evening we walked up to town and listened to the army band again, saw dad go up and stand while they sang a song to the veterans. Had some really yummy ice cream and custard at dickies....yummmmmm.

Now were back at the house and were tired, especially with getting up early in the am, I mean, a girl needs her coffee...right?

Day 3...and the heat continues

2010-06-28T22:24:00.000-04:00

It's wicked hot here on Bethany Beach. This isn't always a bad thing if you plan to spend your days on the beach and in the ice cold ocean water. That's what we did today again, there was a cool breeze off the ocean which made it nice to sit...but the kids got bored yet again and we ended up leaving in spurts....It was still a nice day at the beach and once again I think I look like the indian that my parents brought home from the hospital...lol.

Tonight was eat out night, so we went over to Harpoon Hana's for dinner. Once we sat down the storms started, it got pretty windy and we saw some pretty cool lightning, but by the time we left it was all over. The fun began when we got back to Bethany and realized we had no power and the streets had some pretty nice size puddles!

Let the games begin! The kids pulled out their games and Scott and Jake and I ran to the grocery store for some food and candles. I would say all together we may have been out of power two hours, not bad..especially with this heat.

We didn't go anywhere tonight, pretty pooped from being in the sun two days...tomorrow is always another day.

Day Two...the adventure continues

2010-06-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

Jacob and I started out day two at the farmers market two blocks up...how cute that was! Lots of homegrown produce, the fresh peaches smelled awesome so we had to grab some, we bought some fresh organic cheese and tomatoes and cukes.....corn was $1 a piece, so we passed on that.

We readied for the beach after that. Spent the whole day there, Jake ended up with a headache, but we think it was more him wanting to rent his bike, Aunt Wendy ended up taking the kids up to the boardwalk to look for sunglasses and stuff so Scooter and I caught a nap on the beach. By the afternoon the wind picked up and we were actually a bit chilly...but it was nice.

Once we arrived back at the house everyone showered and I drove the boys up to rent their bikes for the week. I drove home and they went for a ride. Pop Pop even went for a few rides with Jake once we were all home!

Aunt Wendy make us a yummy pork loin for dinner tonight, she's a good cook! The kids all went to the park after dinner and then Scott and I took all the kids for a walk around town so they could look at all the stuff they wanted but couldn't afford.

While up in town tonight we noticed people running to the beach, we walked down to see what the excitement was and found out that someone caught a shark on the beach, it wasn't a big one, but a supposed shark none the less, the police were keeping people back, pretty exciting....

Vacation Day One-Bethany Beach

2010-06-26T20:28:00.000-04:00

It was smooth sailing the entire trip down, traffic was null and void, nothing on the road caused a problem.....that could have been the problem. Once we got to Bethany beach and figured out where the house was, we ran and grabbed lunch...it was a little later, but we were hungry. The kids were anxious to see inside, so we waited for Aunt Wendy to arrive with the Key and off they went exploring the house.

The kids are in love, it's a big house with lots of room for them to have fun in. The adults on the other hand are wiped out. Scott so much so that he felt faint...achey...kinda concerned cause we just went through something like this with him last month and we still, or rather, the doctors still can't figure it out. We all have our theories, but we have Nurse Wendy with us this week to see to it that he's ok.

We were not starving for dinner and we want to keep Scott's meals kinda mild, so we explored town a bit and took a walk, the beach is two blocks down, as are like 4 coffee shops, pizza shop, subway, surf shops, french fries, you name it, it's here.

Tomorrow morning bright and early there is a farmers market that will set up in the bank lot two blocks down , you can bet were stopping down there to see what we can find.

We found a few seafood places where we can get fresh seafood and cook here at the house, that's always fun.

Right now every one is back and vegging...Emma is showered and the Shook girls are watching a movie, it's been a long day and I really just want a night where I can sleep (in a king size bed this time) and not wake up at 5am...I think I get that from my dad...thanks dad....ugh..an entire week of waking at 5 am for no reason whatsoever...no alarm, nothing...hate it.

Wow...April?

2010-06-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

Yeah, that's the last time I blogged...been to long yet again.

It's been busy since April. The second job has let up a bit, so I have more time with the kids and the house...not enough with the house but at least that means I'm with the kids.

The vegetable garden is in, I have tomatoes already , kinda early I think but, I'm not complaining. My cucumbers are taking off like crazy and my pepper plants look really healthy, crossing fingers that nothing invades. I put three raspberry bushes in and am hoping to put my five grape vines in tonight. I also cleared off part of the hill and have that planted...along with two strawberry plants...they are already producing fruit!

The tractor has been giving us issues for a while now, but we have realized that prayer works...even on a tractor!

The kids have gotten over the "I want chickens" phase, especially since the pool opened.

This week were preparing for vacation, this time with Scott's sister and her family as well as Scott's dad......should be nice, the cousins get to "hang" for an entire week....

Today was also the kids last day of school, they are relieved...and mommy fears they will want to stay up as late as me....ugh...

I want six mom!

2010-04-13T09:21:00.001-04:00

My eleven year old wants six chickens...so do I, don't get me wrong, but now? Were so not ready for six chickens, not even one! We have an idea of where we want to put our chickens but that area just isn't ready yet. It was nice to visit the chickens on Saturday, but then again, do I want to buy my chickens from Tractor Supply or do I want to find a farm closeby and buy some eggs to incubate myself....decisions decisions....I think that decision will be made next summer.

The adventure continues.....

2010-04-12T11:58:00.001-04:00

I did it, finally got my seeds started for the garden. I was wondering if that was ever going to happen, thank God it did, with little Emma's help. I also weeded the most prominent area at the house, the one that faces Brookside Road....and I started sunflowers there as well, anxious to see if they come up and do well.

Scott managed to cut the entire lawn with a push mower this weekend, eventually he will man up and get the tractor working, but until then, he has his work cut out for him.

Jacob started his soccer games this weekend as well, for some odd reason this season he is really hyped up for the games, and I'm glad, don't get me wrong...I've wanted to see this enthusiasm from him for a while and I'm glad it's finally appeared.

The candy store has dwindled down in activity, so when I do have to work, it's kinda slow.

Hoping to spend some time in my vegetable garden this week getting the beds ready, pulling out more growth that I can't figure out what it is and trim some trees....I'll figure out how, I always do.

Hot Tea.....

2010-03-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

Fitting caption not? Yeah, that's what my life consists of right now. Seems I've been kissin' on my kids a little too much the past couple days and now we are sharing some germs....germs that mommy really doesn't need right now cause she has to work at the candy store all weekend. Ugh.

Were suppose to get hit with some good solid rain soon, I'm really hoping it doesn't interfere with me getting a garden plot ready for my peas and onions. I really want to get them in the ground so I don't have to worry about them, I also want to start my seeds soon so I have to start that list as well.

What's growin' in your garden this spring, hopefully more than just weeds?

Oh, I have to tell you all, Jacob came home with an awesome find last night. He is my garbage picker in training. Someone in the neighborhood was gettin' rid of a pretty decent looking gas grill....at least it looks 5 years newer than ours...so he rolled that baby home and made his momma proud. Way to go Jake!

Awesome weather!

2010-03-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, I hate to see the last time I updated my blog, makes me upset to know that I have deserted the one thing I love to do! I love reading many blogs online and finding new ideas for the house or the garden.
The weather since Friday has been awesome in the Lehigh Valley area and I have taken advantage of it. I have been off from the candy store for a few days so that left me an entire day to spring clean, a weekend of hanging out wash, a chimney cleaning and I even found time to cook out on the charcoal grill and have a fire pit. That's alot.

Tonight I'm back to the candy store with my favorite girls. Easter is on the way, so the candy must be packaged and sold for all those lucky Easter baskets.

I have to get my garden ready for spring peas, they must be in the ground by st. patricks day....that's my goal. That is also the goal of the amish as well, who I might say are also busy at work in their gardens as I witnessed this weekend. I so enjoy sitting by the side of the road and just watching them as they work, not a care in the world.

So here is my goal now, to blog at least once a week for the next month, and then to move that to twice a week and so on.......

Planning

2010-01-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

Christmas and New Years are over....the tree is down, the bins need to go up and the Valentines need to come out....but the garden needs to be sketched out as well! This has got to be one of my favorite times of the winter. I remember last winter, we had recently moved into our new house (err...100 yr old house) but new to us none the less!
I knew that with the amount of property I had and the amount of sun light and success that Nana Schaeffer had, I could have a pretty neat garden.
I will admit that last years garden was a "I can do this just wait and see" type of garden, and I did, with over abundance and some really tart pickles to try out in the end. But this year it will be different, everyone sais that , I know, but it will, cause now the hubby is involved. He realized after everything I harvested just how much we got from our garden, that we could level up and make an even better garden. So he is planning now as well. We tore down all the vegetable beds already and we will start the sketching soon. His main objective is to have vegetable beds that we can drive the tractor around to cut the grass. This could get interesting.

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Where to begin? At the begining! What a year we left behind. I'm honestly glad that 2009 is over. You can ask my husband, but I hate odd numbers, I think they are cursed.
I enjoy opening the door to a new year and an even year at that.

Our family is looking forward to some changes in 2010. We want to eat healthier, garden alot more, spend more time with family (we can check that one off already) and just enjoy the time we have with each other. Time is so short....every moment has to be cherished.

The kids are doing awesome in school! I'm so glad for that and for the obstacles they have overcome so far.

I have started working a second job at a local candy store and have made some awesome friendships. I know I was put there for a reason.....and I'm so very glad.

First Day of School

2009-09-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

It has arrived...with less fanfare than I had expected. Weird, I was picturing stomache aches, kids not waking up, not wanting to eat breakfast....none of it. Sure, they were a little slow, or, one of them was, but they managed to get themselves together and eat a little something before being walked to the bus stop with Mom and Dad.

There were smiles everywhere when the kids started walking up to the bus stop, lots of Hi's and "How was your summer"....one neighbor we know lost her job in June so she has been job hunting for a while.

There was no turning back when the bus arrived, my kids were the first ones on it! Hoping the day went well and anxious as ever to see them after school and find out all the details. Taking them on our traditional night out to dinner tonight to relax and talk about our day. I miss my kids.

Vacation is over

2009-08-31T11:14:00.001-04:00

And it's time to get back to a normal routine, one that doesn't include swimming every day but that does involve yard work, revamping a garden and flower beds and getting to work on some painting that I want to have done by the Holiday's.

We started our list last night and we are preparing to begin our life following the money principals of Dave Ramsey. I could kick myself for not following what he has said for years now.

Trying to get the house and the kids rooms in order so we can start school next week. Tonight starts soccer practice already....where the time has gone I have no idea.

Maybe I can finally get the time to update my blog the way I planned when I started it...we shall see.

Vacation time!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-21T09:27:00.000-04:00

We are in need of a family vacation like never before. We have put off planning this for month, hee hawed back and forth as to weather we should bite the bullet or just can it. The kids are what convinced us we needed this. When I look back to this past year and all that we have gone through, I see a family that is in need of some together time like never before. Sure, some will say "but your always with your kids" not really, I'm working most days and when I'm not were trying to get stuff done at home or driving to the pool where the kids get to enjoy being with the rest of their family. The quiet, just the four of us time is a long time coming.

Stress has been my middle name recently, from work, to personal health issues, to my kids and Scott's health, it's been a roller coaster ride of sorts and we haven't had the time to refocus and get back on track.

This week ahead we will do just that. Were heading to the beach in OC maryland tomorrow. I've got 3 books to go with me, Scott will pick up numerous papers and magazines along the way that I'm sure I'll find in our house next summer some time cause he hides em' on me. The kids will want to bring home some sort of sea creature (that I have already told them will put off the cat purchase, so they changed their mind) And hopefully mom will have some nice time to read and just sit on the beach.

We have all of our meals planned out, food for the beach is packed , kids are packed, hubby is packed, tonight mom gets to clean out the car and pack that as well.

Time to focus on us for a while, get kids familiar with what kind of routine they will have when we come home, and get them excited about school starting. Yeah right.

Is it really August?

2009-08-07T11:05:00.000-04:00

The summer, or what we had of one, is almost near it's end. It went really fast in my opinion, in the kids as well....It's almost school time but not before we get one vacation in to relax before the nerves kick in with Jacob and Emma.

Our garden adventures have been just that, adventures! I'm amazed at the little I accomplished so far with our garden. We are still up to our ears in cucumbers, and we have our pumpkin family now making it's appearance. The sunflowers didn't take, but I also didn't nurture them so they would, so that's my fault. The tomatoes, well they are beginning to come every day, especially those pretty chocolate ones! Can't wait to try them. We harvested all of our peas, three crops total, and we still have a ton of onions and peppers. Planning some fall crops as well and Scott has his mind set on revamping the entire space so he can drive the lawn tractor through, we shall see.

Our plan to focus on the kids and our family for the summer has gone well. Of course there are always bumps in the road....you drive around them and keep moving. I'm always telling the kids, you just don't know how long your going to have your grandparents around....treasure each day and hour you have with them, soak up as much of the silly stories they will tell you and enjoy both the good and bad days.

We have already started our school shopping, supplies is really all, clothing I think my kids are set with for a while.

Jacob has been doing so incredibly well with his tutor this summer. I know it sounds just awfull to think that your child will have to do school work over the summer, but that is the best money I've spent all summer. I'm encouraged by his progression so far and I know he will do well come the start of the new school year.

It's almost time

2009-06-12T10:29:00.001-04:00

For the kids to be home for the summer and school to be out. That leaves me with many thought of excitement, and worry. I'm excited because I know my kids need a break. Their new school has been much more demanding than the old one, and even though they only spent a half year at this school, I can see how wiped out they are. I worry because of the schedule we will have to keep for the kids. I know I have all the confidence in the world that if my kids are the pool, my sister is there to keep an eye on them, yet I worry when they are at home in the morning while Daddy sleeps, that they are not fighting, or eating a bunch of crap they shouldn't....stuff like that.

Our summer will involve many new things for us as well. Jacob will spend one day a week with a tutor for about an hour, catching him up on all the 5th grade work he will have when school starts in again. Jacob would like to head to some day camps and Emma, well, she would be happy just staying with her momma for a while and not doing anything, something I need to spend my summer working on.

We have lots of things planned already and the summer isn't even here! Church functions, family from out of town, the kids going out of town for a bit, scott and I working in our yard and maybe putting a new patio in...time at the pool........it just feels really busy....which can be good and bad.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T14:43:00.000-04:00

One of my saddest days

2009-05-12T14:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was tough. Actually, tough is to easy of a word. Yesterday was hard, I never want to experience that again. We knew over the weekend that Redford wouldn't make it past Monday, but we were not prepared for the emotions we would feel when the time came.
I can't say that I had more emotion dealing with Redford's death than I did Lexingtons, I think I was more attached to Redford, therefore was more prepared and at peace with our decision.......it just hurt in a different way.

Redford was weighed in when we arrived at the vet, I wasn't sure what the purpose was of the weigh in, but I went along with it anyway. It hit me when I read his weight, he had gained almost 10 pounds since his visit the week and a half before. That was not a good sign, it wouldn't have changed our decision if it wasn't as high, but still, it sorta made it permanent that the decision we were making was best, no matter how much he was still smiling, wagging his tail, or getting excited at the sound of our voice.

In talking with the dr. we saw, she confirmed that his water weight gain in his belly was not better, that it was putting added stress on him and we could definately see that over the weekend. She had revealed to us that she was working the day Red was in for the ultrasound and x-ray and again mentioned that the results showed a very tiny Liver......which ended up being why he was holding onto the fluids.

Our Red was a trooper till the end, I can still see him, standing there, refusing to lay down, standing strong for mom and dad till the end. We kept talking to him, telling him it was ok to lay down, that we would hold him and talk to him the whole way through.....after the dose of sedative you could see his legs start to wiggle, like he needed to lay down but was being strong for us, that was Red, that was the Red we love......eventually with our help and the dr's help, we managed to get him to relax and lie down. I caressed his shoulder while Scott rubbed his cheek.....all while telling him how much he was loved, how much love he brought to our house, how he kept us all feeling safe when we moved in to the new house, how we will miss hearing him walk across the floors..........we told him to run....to cross the bridge happy and be free....no pain, no sorrow, just happy times with his family.

He was a trooper, he was pretty tough till the end, he didn't want to give in.....but he did.......the last thing I did was remove his collar from his neck, the blue one with the stars that I bought especially for him....I will treasure those memories....I will cherish that collar......I will miss Red.....I will always love Red......my very special fur baby.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:08:00.000-04:00

That's what today was. It wasn't that..."eventful"...probably because I know what's gonna happen tomorrow and I am very upset about it. I did get to spend the day with my Mom and Dad and my big Sis and her family, so that made it extra special, and of course my kids and husband were there and church was nice...but I have tons on my mind and it's really hard for me to focus on things will what I have to deal with tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-29T09:16:00.000-04:00

Praying for Redford

2009-04-28T21:42:00.001-04:00

Dealing with another sick dog is not fun. Redford will be seen by the vet tomorrow for either bloat or some sort of infection in his stomach or kidney.

An Awesome Adventure Awaits

2009-04-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

That awesome adventure is summer. It's our first summer in our new house. Things are changing very fast for us. The garden plots have been started, three so far, with about 6 more to come. With the heat wave we have had here in Allentown the past few days, there was no way I was going to dig and weed in a full sun garden, so instead I waited till the sun went down and walked the lawn mower in the areas the tractor couldn't reach.

Jacob has been a busy bee as well. We now consider him an expert at the tractor. Last night he managed to cut 3/4 of the yard himself..what a pro he has become.

I have also managed to sneak in some time just enjoying my new porch, well, it's not new, but for me, it's new and my rocker is just wonderful to sit on while just enjoying the cool breeze at night.

Among all the stuff we have to do at home, now that we are homeowners, we also have the stuff we always do, like pop pops pool, waldheim and much much more.

I'm just trying to figure out how were going to fit this all in this summer.

Here's to a peacefull, enjoyable, stress free summer on brookside road.

2009-04-28T14:56:00.001-04:00

Trying something new! I just set my blog up to be able to post from my blackberry! Let's see if this works

New Roof Day

2009-03-24T12:20:00.000-04:00

Today is the day we have been dreading for a while, the house we purchased back in October is getting a new lid! A nice new dark brownish colored roof! I'm excited, mainly because it's one more thing to check off my list that is finished. I like getting stuff done. Roof should be done by the end of the week. The next step are two other roofs on our house. We decided to call in a historical type company to come in and see if we can take the other two roofs back to their original tin state. I'll let ya know how that goes.

Why is it

2009-03-18T08:48:00.000-04:00

That the people in your life who treat you the worst, or would be the first to stab you in the back to save themselves, are the people to preach to you how you should act? I never understood that.
In my life, my own personal life, I have made an effort to welcome everyone, to help whoever I can that needs my help and to be a more open and honest person.

I will say that one other thing I have done is to keep those people who do exactly what I mentioned above, out of my life. For the very reason stated above, I chose to keep a distance from those people. Those people have hurt me in many ways, too many to go into detail.

I made an attempt, a small one, to crack open the door of communication....and bam...it was done again. Why does no one understand that but myself?

We just spent three weeks in church discussing forgiveness. I don't think I'm at that point yet. I understand the steps I need to take, the words I need to find to speak to these people, and I also know how great it will probably feel to tell these people they are forgiven...but I don't think I'm being honest with myself by saying those words.

So I think forgiveness...for me....has to wait.

It's been a while.....

2009-03-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

I'm in a funk....I really want the warmer weather. I see my seeds sprouting and calling me to plant them outside, yet I have to soothe them and tell them "not yet, but soon".

I want to get out and plant, compost, run around in the grass, sit on my porch and watch the kids play....this whole time change thing has me really bummed. I use to wake up with the sun, now I don't want to wake up and I'm really tired when I get home from work.

I'm hoping my hair cut today will change things. When my hair gets long, and thick, it frustrates me to no end. Here's hoping today's cut will enlighten and brighten my day.

I'm determined!

2009-02-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

I took the plunge...my constant craving to learn to do penny rugs has overtaken me...I ordered the kit shown above...that is what it should look like when it's done...I'll take pictures as I get things done...and I may end up taking it with me during my visit to Suzanne's to figure out what I'm doing wrong (notice my train of thought already) it's that blanket stitch that has me scared.

When will the weather change?

2009-02-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

Normally, if you know me well, you know that I love winter. It's quiet, nothing is happening, and I can stay captured in my cottage and dread what comes with summer. Well, something has changed, I'm no longer living in the cottage and I'm very anxious to get outside and explore the yard, gardens, flowers....just to work my hands in the ground and really make it a home.
It's not to say I don't miss the cottage, I have tons of things to miss about it, after all, it's where "we" began, so it will always hold tons of memories for us. But times change, people change, people grow...and we have to move on.
So I am very anxious for the weather to change. I have many plans and I want to get started.
We are working now towards renovating the outside of our home...it's needed, in a desperate way.
We are putting together the roof estimates now and will have the house brick pointed starting tomorrow. That leaves tree work and possibly a patio...but..let's see where we get.

Kitchen lighting

2009-02-06T13:29:00.001-05:00

Ok, so not everyone is a fan of my idea of primitives...but I think my lights turned out pretty cool, and they don't at all conform to the norm...which, well that's pretty much us!
So the electrician...shall I say it...is DONE! I still can't believe it's done, but it is. I finished my basket lights and he hung them this week. The ceiling won't be finished for some time, we have to paint the tin pieces and that requires space, or the yard! So by early summer I should be able to lay out my tin, paint it, age it and hang it.
Here are our new kitchen lights, made by me..hung by my electrician. This weekend we plan to hang the coal sifter lights...pictures will follow after that.

Let the garden begin

2009-02-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

I am finally able to do what I have been wanting to do for so many years. Plan my garden! Yesterday I ordered so many seeds, that I will start myself, in my new home, with the big open field that I can't wait to use.
I think I have 6 different tomatoes starting....some hanging basket tomatoes that are cherry size, cucumbers for pickling and for eating, a couple different lettuces....red, orange, yellow and green peppers, brussel sprouts, onions..I know there are more but they are not coming to me right now.

I also ordered one of my most favorite flowers, gladiolus.....why is this my favorite? A long time ago my husband made me walk around this place called Mt. Gretna. While in Mt. Gretna looking at all the neat cottages, some old, some modern, some just cute as can be...I noticed that all the cottages had these long pretty flowers on the porches...this started my fascination. These flowers do not grow in shade, they love sun, so they never grew at our old house. Our new house has tons of sun.....and the side of my house and garage will look lovely with all these gladiolus growing in the colors of red, white, purple/blue and yellow....can't wait.

So next week will involve starting all of my seeds...and taking tender loving care of them so that I can hardy them up for their new spot in our big yard.

Can't wait to share pictures!

Will it get better?

2009-01-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Just when you think you might have one child under control and content with their new school...the next one starts.

Poor Emma. This is so incredibly hard for her. I'm not saying this school is worse than their old school, they just do things differently, and Emma is having a very hard time with the changes.

Much of her problems don't even revolve around school, it's the bus. There really is no sense of stability in the bussing. Let me rephrase that...In their old school, they were called over the PA by their bus number, if you were on that bus, you lined up and followed the fellow bus riders out to that bus, very orderly. In this school, you are released by grade, you are let free to find your bus! This is hard for her, she worries she will find the wrong bus, that her brother won't get released in time to make it on and the bus will leave without her...she worries. Two mornings now of nothing but tears...it's heartbreaking. Pray for Emma, pray that she has peace about this whole bus thing and that she starts to feel in control of the situation.

Snuggling and Bread

2009-01-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm ready to relax...finally. Scott tells me there are talks of snow this weekend. I would love to just snuggle my kids after their long and stressful week and watch movies, make popcorn (eh, nevermind, need a microwave for that, we still don't have one) ok, how about homeade bread, I am craving homeade bread. Anyone know if bread that's made will stay good in a freezer? When I make something I like to go all out and make alot and freeze stuff.....have to look that up.

The kids made it on their bus this morning with no problems. First times are rough times here of late with my kids, but they seemed to do well.

Can't wait to hear how it went once they got to school, I'm worried that Emma found her class ok.

Will this day be better?

2009-01-06T14:38:00.000-05:00

It looks like it may be. Jacob had no problems saying goodbye this morning and wandering off down the hall to his class, while Emma needed some help, it is a very big school and it will take some time for her to find her way. Luckily I was able to walk her down and help her figure out where she was going.

The kids had an early dismissal today due to no snow falling.......yeah, that's what I said, there is nothing happenin' and the kids got out early. I had the chance to talk to Jake about school, he said it went much better today and that I didn't have to email his Math teacher because he figured it all out with her and things will be fine.

What a relief. Now to take Jake to the doctor and find out if there could possibly be something wrong or if it's just the stress of a new school and new beginnings

Transitions

2009-01-05T13:07:00.001-05:00

Today brings about a new transition for us....A new school. No one slept well in our house last night. It was to be expected and we used alot of TLC this morning to coax the kids to eat their breakfast and get dressed with a little bit of enthusiasm. Emma was the complete opposite of herself on her orientation day, she was excited, jabbering away to the point where I could not think! Jacob, again, complete opposite, he was reserved, scared, his belly hurt...and it goes on. We managed to get out the door and drive the 5 minutes or less to school.

Today's day consisted of Scott and I going into school with them, and then it was all new to us as well. We figured we would drop them off and just wonder where they were going for class and what they would do, but we were pleasently suprised.

We left the office to head somewhere, we were not sure where, and there was another student with us and her mother so they were just as confused. As we waited in the lobby for our aide, people started welcoming us and we had no idea where they were, little did we know they were on the big tv behind us! It was two 5th graders doing the morning announcements on TV! That peaked Jakes interest. They also did the pledge of allegience and a song, which was neat, everything stopped for that. Then our aide came back and she hurried us on...we had no idea where "on" was. We ended up at the room where the morning announcements were being done! The kids were quietly moved into the room........and in a matter of seconds they were the announcements! It was really sweet to see Mrs. Kemp introduce each of the kids, tell what school and district they came from, what grade and what teacher they would be heading off to! Scott and I were a little scared that our 4th grader would be so freaked by the sudden camera on him and his belly ache that he would puke on camera, but he didn't, he even cracked a smile! After that we were off to their new classroom, and Mom and Dad were very happy to be able to meet their teacher and see where they were going. First we dropped of Jacob at Mrs. Dobbs class. I instantly took note of the fact that Mrs. Dobbs pulled Jakes desk next to another student so he wouldn't feel so alone, he smiled, proceeded to put his lunch pack aside and his coat, and he was ready for his day, with a tear in my eye, I waved goodbye....
Next was Emma, we walked over to the 2nd grade area and met Mrs. Fehlinger. She was very sweet and Emma walked right in with no hesitation. I called her for a kiss and off she went. After that we walked out of there as fast as we could, I didn't want to have any kids chasing after me!
I know they are doing fine and in about two hours now I'll pick them up and hear all about their exciting day! Thank you to everyone who has kept them in their prayers, I know I'll find out from Jacob later that his belly ache went away and he will tell me that Jesus made it better, like I said He would.

Christmas is over.....

2008-12-26T12:39:00.001-05:00

And the real adventures begin. We are finally moved into the house, did that last Thursday the 18th. Moved most of what we need over, have done two trips back and forth from the cottage to the house every day since then.

We endured a very hard last day of school at Truman. This was why I did not want to move during the school year. I knew this would be hard, but not this hard. My little Emma is still a tiny bit upset. She spent most of the last day of school crying. She cried through pretty much all of her testing at her new school and showed no enthusiasm during the school tour. After the tour I made a stop at the post office and she just started crying out of the blue......I took her home, got her in comfy clothes and we just cuddled on the sofa as she cried through endless episodes of Drake and Josh. She did eventually fall asleep, but not without some outbursts of tears. She was in bed by 7 and woke the next morning about 7am. Scott called me that morning to say Em went back to bed at 8 and got up at lunch time. Her heart is very sore......she misses Mrs. Long and Emily...that's all she talks about.

The next day things got a little better, there was actually conversation about the new school.

By Christmas day we were definately showing some excitement about the new school, with a little bit of hesitation mixed in.

Now we are preparing for a day of no bad weather on the 27th so we can move the last 7 pieces of furniture into the new house. I've rented the truck and friends are gonna show up to help. I hope it goes well, that no one gets stuck in the mud and we all stay safe.

I still don't have the computer hooked up at the new house, so my only emails come from work.

Looking forward to updating with good moving news on Monday

We are a week away!

2008-12-15T10:43:00.001-05:00

Visit My Photos - 50 Pics

December 13th 2008

We are about a week away from moving into our new "old" house. I've uploaded some photos from the weekend that show our newly sanded and finished floors on the second floor, as well as the furniture that was given to us by Bethanie in Jacob's room, and the work we accomplished on the first floor. We are now at the point where we have basically done what we can to get ready to move in. There are certainly details that we need to finish, but, they are small enough for us to finish once we live in the house. The washer and dryer are picked out, the tub faucet is going in today, hopefully the master bed will be moved in tonight (I have actually enjoyed the sofa the past month when scott is working, more than the bed) and we have to clear everything off the first floor because the country stripper is comin' back tomorrow! He does floors.....I know what you guys are thinking. Saturday is the big move........and we know we have friends and family who are helping and are so thankfull for them! This week will be a busy one for us as it's the last full week of school for the kids.......
Tonight-clear out the first floor
Tuesday night-Jakes' chorus concert
Wednesday night-Order a moving truck, get groceries for the move and for emma's brownie party
Thursday night-Emma has brownies and a party
Friday night-run around like a chicken with my head cut off, but before I do that we have to visit the new school with the kids
Saturday we move
Sunday we need to visit Santa, he doesn't know we moved yet!
Monday is the last full day of school
Tuesday I am going to school with the kids.....and I'm taking tissues

Weekend Accomplishments

2008-12-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Visit My Photos - 19 Pics

December 7th 2008

This weekend was spent trying to get the second floor paint finished. I only had one day to work due to our annual shopping trip with my sisters and my dad, something he likes to do to make sure he picks all the right gifts for his grandkids. We had a blast, but, I was a little discouraged by not being able to work on the house Saturday.
Sunday I worked hard getting the hallway of the second floor done, Scott rolled the paint while I did the cut in. My uncle showed up and he fixed the master bedroom trim work, looks so much better. I think he will show up more this week to fix the trim in the other bedrooms as well. We have until Wednesday night to get everything painted, cleaned up and moved off the second floor so the floor guy can come make the floors look really pretty on Thursday. Tonight we will get a second coat on the hallway walls as well as a second coat on Jacob's ceiling and walls, and my uncle will work on trim work.
We also managed to loosen up that goofy stove in the kitchen, so now that can come out and the electrician can wire for the new one. Forgot about the rangehood, have to work on that next.
Jacob and Emma got a ton more of the floor out in the kitchen, will have to move the refrigerator to the porch tonight so we can finish the kitchen floor tonight.
I'm sure I'll have more pics to share later in the week.

We have a moving date!

2008-12-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Scott and I think we have come up with a moving date, so now we need your help. Helping us move would be awesome , we will not turn anyone away, but we need your help in a more spiritual matter. If you could all continue praying for this whole transition, we would be so thankfull. The move itself is overwhelming, but we have other things involved in this move, and they are 10 and 7, yup, Jacob and Emma need your prayers and continued support right now as we prepare to take this very large leap.
I know my kids pretty well, heck, I'm their mom, I can easily sense when something is off, and I know that something is way off, and it has alot to do with our move, and the change of schools. It probably doesn't help to have their mom just as upset about the change of schools as they are, but, it's really hard to say goodbye to such an awesome school.....
The kids need your prayers, that they will not be so stressed over the whole thing, that their anxieties will be calmed down and that they will just enjoy the entire experience and have an open outlook on what our future will bring.
Some prayers for nice weather on the 20th will also be apreciated, I can totally see a snow storm approaching that weekend, if it came Sunday it wouldn't bother me, but Saturday, come on!
We will keep everyone updated on the progress we are making, but the way it looks now, the 17th our floors should be done so that we can walk on them, which means the 20th is still a go!
Send us a note if you want to help.

Weekend work continues

2008-12-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

Visit My Photos - 25 Pics

November 30th

We managed to get alot done this weekend, my body is telling me to stop, I've never hurt this much in my life, but I will press on, it has to get done!
The entire second floor is primed....Two bedrooms are practically done and the third was started yesterday with the first coat of color. The first floor living room which consists of two rooms is starting to get painted, the color we picked looks really nice and I managed to find some black friday deals for curtains in both the living room and kitchen, SCORE!
The two 10 year olds painted the laundry room last night, first coat, they did an awesome job.
My sister got the first coat on jakes room and zach and I finished the priming of the hallway and doors.
We are trying to get all the painting done before the people come to finish the floors on both levels. We know there will be patching and such to do after the painting being that the electrician decided to not show for an entire week! But I'm over that now and I'm gonna keep going.
The floor is almost out of the kitchen, that sucker is hard to pull out, let me tell ya, and when someone is taking it out, everyone else in the house has to wear ear plugs cause it's so loud.
Hopefully I'll have more to show ya by the weekend.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

Visit My Photos - 26 Pics

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving was spent at my parents house this year, it usually is, we had Scott's dad over as well to share in the festivities with us. Mom went all out as usual, turkey, ham, homeade stuffing (20lbs of it) asparagus, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce, homeade fruit salad, rolls and it goes on. When we were done eating, we helped clean up and then we started a new tradition, we helped pop pop set up his Christmas decorations. This usually ends up being something that we try to do one weekend before christmas, but, I thought it be best to do it when everyone was together. It went so well, we have to continue the tradition. When we were done decorating, it was time for desert! That was fun, and yummy! After that we relaxed, and then we all headed home, we had a 3am wake up to go shopping the next day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish all of my friends and family a very Happy Thanksgiving. I know, it's Wednesday, but with the schedule I've been keeping I just know I won't find the time to do this tomorrow.

I have to be honest and say that I really didn't think we would be at the spot we are today, November 26th. I am very blessed to have the friends and family that we have, who have made it possible for us to proceed with our new house and with the work that has to be done.

There are days when I am so tired, I don't want to roll out of bed, but I have two kids counting on me to make their lunch! I have to get up and get going, go to work and then count on Scott to handle the cottage while I work on the house. I have friends who call and say "can we come paint" and my heart is full, it just makes me so happy to know that I do have people in my life I can count on, who are as honest as they can be. These are the little things that I am thankfull for today and will always be thankfull for.

It's when your in the time constraint that we are in, that you have to be thankfull for these wonderfull people.......and for the freedoms that we have in this country.
Thank you to all of you, and you all know who you are.

The weekend work

2008-11-24T10:22:00.001-05:00

We got an ok amount of work done this weekend. Two bedrooms have been primed, more of the kitchen floor came out, and more walls have been repaired.

Paint

2008-11-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

We have finally picked paint. After numerous trips to Lowes for sample chips and cans..........We have picked paint.
I'll post pictures of the paint chips, but let me tell ya, the colors are way off in the pictures, so for now, you can look at the chips and criticize our choices.......and then when it's done and I post pics of the finished rooms you can eat your words! How does that sound? LOL, just kidding, we went with very natural earthy spicy colors..............

In the Kitchen, since we have so many windows, we figured we could go a little darker on the walls
Walls Lyndhurst Stone
Trim Autumn Surprise and Mark Twain House Brown

In the two rooms that will consist of a living room and an extension of that living room, with pocket doors and tons of intricate original molding and trim we picked
walls Homestead Resort Pumpkin
Trim Molera Garden Ochre
Doors and more trim Grecian Olive

In the laundry room, otherwise known as the porch with all the windows...we went with
walls Homestead Resort Olive
window trim Desert Grass
and we picked a neat indoor/outdoor carpet to go with

For the master bedroom we went away from the pumpkin that is in our room now to something a bit more manly......but I really wanted to do blues and browns...so this is what we got
walls Silver Fox
windows and trim Moon Shade
And I put a sample of our bedroom fabric in the picture as well

This picture is the perfect example of the picture just being way off....it will look much better when it's painted

The work continues

2008-11-12T11:21:00.001-05:00

Where do I start? OK, We spent last weekend spackling all the cracks and dings and odd things in the walls of the house. We have realized that these are 100 year old walls, not your typical drywall type of wall, so we will fix the really bad stuff and enjoy the uniqueness of what we have. Thursday and Friday of this week we will be sanding the kids rooms and preparing them for primer and then paint this weekend.
Still have some major faults to fix in our bedroom but we should get to the painting of that next week.
Our electrician should hopefully be done with the second floor at the end of this week, cross your fingers and toes.
We started removing the floor in the kitchen so we could see what we had in terms of having them sanded.......they are too far gone.....we picked out 12" tiles and will have my brothers help to get a new floor installed in about two weeks.
Last night we bought the kids paint and we got samples for the living room, office and kitchen. By this morning we had already changed our mind with the living room office area....LOL, we do that, it's not always fun but I think we settled on what we want the look and feel of the house to have, so we added a third color.....just more work, but, who's up for painting? Give me a call!
I went over some of the writing that I could make out on the walls and took some better pics, I'll post them as well.
I think that's it for now, enjoy the pictures.

Please VOTE today!

2008-11-04T12:44:00.000-05:00

Today is the one day in history where your vote can make a difference. My vote is going to John McCain, for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons right now is the fact that my family has worked very hard to build the business that currently supports us financially. In two years this business will be in my family for 100 years. That's a legacy, it's a legacy that I don't want to have taken away by the first black president. My family has given to charities, churches, organizations to help the poor for years on end, probably more than I think we should, because we do this alot and I sometimes wonder if it's appreciated. My concern is, this is my choice, I don't think anyone should be told they have to give to someone because that someone is just to darn lazy to get off their duff and get a job or find some help for their family. We have too many people who sit by and expect a hand out, and that is something I do not support. The welfare system in this country is so over ridden with people who do nothing but take advantage of it, that there is nothing left for those who need it. That's why my vote is going to John McCain, he is someone I can trust.

Pressing On!

2008-11-03T10:39:00.001-05:00

We got a little more done on the house this weekend. All of the wall paper is off! That's an accomplishment, let me tell ya. I still have some glue to get off the walls in Jacob's room but other than that, were ready to sand and spackle.
The electrician started last week and it puts a smile on my face to know that this is getting done and I am just a little closer each day to moving in. This weekend we will start repairing cracks and filling holes and fixing ceilings with spackle, 5 gallons of spackle might I add.
The tin has been ordered for the ceiling in the kitchen and the fan came Friday.
The wood stove has been doing an awesome job of keeping us toasty while we work, and we can totally feel how well it will do once all the ceiling fans are in and we have a few heat vents in the floor, what a difference that will make.
I'm hoping my camera cooperates with me this weekend so I can take some pictures.

The Weekend is HERE!

2008-10-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

I love the weekend, it means I have my kids and my husband by me all the time and I'm not bored in the office. I plan to get alot done this weekend at the house, we only have a little bit of wall paper to get down and then were ready to sand and repair the walls. My electrician was suppose to start this week but I think he got lost........The wood stove has been doing really well to heat up the house, can't wait till we are there full time and the house is nice and toasty.
Tonight we are filling treat bags for our annual Halloween night outreach with church. I always love the time I get to spend with people from church so I'm looking forward to relaxing and just enjoying the time tonight.

Dad's 68th birthday

2008-10-20T15:14:00.001-04:00

Friday night we took a break from the house stuff and had a birthday celebration for Pop Pop. The kids get so excited when they know they get to celebrate a birthday and hang out with their cousins. We had alot of fun, especially when it came to lighting all 68 candles, I think we lost a few......Afterwards the kids were so incredibly hyper that we sent them out to play in the dark, but that turned into hide and seek with the big and little kids. That was fun and the kids wished it would have lasted longer but we knew we needed a good nights rest to get back to work on the house the next day.

The Weekend is HERE

2008-10-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

I am so happy the weekend is here, it's been such a crazy week. This weekend won't be slow, that's for sure, but it will be spent with family, and to me that's what counts the most.
Tonight we are suprising my dad with a birthday party, the kids are so excited, they love spending time with their grandparents.
Tomorrow we will spend a little time at the new house, then will have to leave for one of Jacob's soccer games (hopefully this one he will score in like he did two weeks ago, it really lifted his spirits) Then Saturday night is the Halloween parade in Emmaus, my kids love it cause it happens at dark time as they put it.

Sunday is church, and then we will head back to the house to fire up the new wood stove and "cure" it, we also have some folks stopping by to pick up the old metal and appliances.

The Original Brookside Rd. Homestead

2008-10-15T09:31:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Cousin Kim for emailing us the photos above. As many of you know, Scott is a history nut, and that's putting it mildly. When I opened my email to find these photos of the house that Scott and I just purchased, I cried. This, I knew, would make Scott's day. I was right, we scrambled to get ready for school today because Scott was so into explaining the photos to Jacob this morning. The history that we are finding in every nook and cranny of this house is overwhelming, for Scott and I and for the kids.
The past few years Nana Pearl just hasn't been up to remembering different things that Scott would wonder about, so uncovering items like these photos and the notes on the walls when we take down wall paper is so much fun and really puts this whole house purchase into perspective for us. Jacob and Emma never had the chance to get to know their Nana, Nana Sheila, so we relied on Nana Pearl and her memories to enlighten our children.
We learned this week that Jacob will be sleeping in what use to be his Nana Sheila's bedroom (I think I got that right) That alone put a huge smile on his little face.

October 12, 2008

2008-10-14T10:28:00.001-04:00

First Weekend of work

2008-10-13T20:38:00.001-04:00

This was our first weekend to be able to work on our new house, we went full throttle and didn't stop. Luckily we had my two nephews who worked really hard! My dad stopped in and gave us some direction as well, so that's always good. I put some pics together to show you what we worked on.

Our first mission was to remove the drop ceiling in the kitchen...ACCOMPLISHED
Our second mission was to remove the wall in the kitchen...ACCOMPLISHED
Then the boys just went nuts and started removing very old wall paper from the bedrooms

Visit My Photos - 21 Pics

October 11th 2008

The Work Has Begun

2008-10-10T13:55:00.000-04:00

So it's day two of homeownership and the work is starting. My great hubby has been hauling wood over to the new house in preparation for our new soapstone wood stove that will be installed on Monday. He has really been working hard and I must give him credit for all his efforts.

Today started some plumbing work, getting water to the outside of the house and repairing some very leaky faucets and such. This weekend we will really get into cleaning some things out and starting the hard work.

We finally did it!

2008-10-09T09:02:00.000-04:00

We purchased our very first house last night. The entire ordeal was stressful, alot of work, and just not something I plan to do again for the next 30 or more years. I am very satisfied with the end result and we are all anxious to get to work on the house so we can be moved in by christmas. If you read my blog, or what I call my rantings, on a regular basis, you should see a link to my husbands blog. Scott's blog will be a more in depth written layout of all we are doing as we do it. We will have photos of before and after work and more. My blog is more of a frustrated and frazzled housewife blog...........but it's enjoyable at that! right? Anyway, I know many of you have kept us in prayer for a very long time as we started this process a long time ago, so now it's time to say THANK YOU to all of you, and you all know who you are, for keeping us focused and for continuing to offer support and encouragement as we got very discouraged at times and just were not sure how this all would go.

Is this the day?

2008-10-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

So far, it's the day, it's early afternoon and so far everything is on track for settlement tonight. I'm trying not to get tooo excited, cause I'm one of those people who thinks if you get ahead of yourself, it will all fall apart.

I'll be sure to update tomorrow morning if in fact today was the day.

Exhausting couple of days

2008-09-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

The past few days have been somewhat exhausting for us. From making sure we have every piece of paper signed, to transactions at the bank, to bank paperwork, to decisions being agreed upon and then not agreed upon, it's been a roller coaster of events. Events that I would really like to drink away and never look at again.

We think we are about a week away from one of the biggest events in our lives, except for the birth of both of our kids , this one is a biggie.

For those of you who know us and know the struggle we have been through in trying to acquire this house, we ask for your continued prayers as we take this final stretch...........If you find us stressed, cranky and just not at all pleasant, you know why.

I love IT!

2008-09-22T10:51:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of my favorite time of year, Autumn! I am so glad summer is over, you can only eat so many hot dogs and hamburgers and swim so much in your life that it's just time for pumpkins and gourds and leaves and cider, yum! I'm praying that this is the beginning of a stress free fall............fingers are crossed and prayers are being prayed that all of this house stuff now moves quickly so we can get in and get settled.

It's Friday!

2008-09-19T08:56:00.001-04:00

And this crazy week will finally come to an end. I did something this morning that may or may not come back to bite me. I drove to work.... I know, probably shouldn't be driving until I see the doctor on Tuesday, but man is my family going crazy this week. I've been shuffled around by Scott to work and home every day, I can see how tired he is. We have had some sort of school function every night this week except tonight, and now my kids want to go to a football game! UGH......

We still have no word on the house and whether or not the estate attorney will work with our current agreement, all of which is in line, the dots are marked the t's are crossed and everything is fine, except for this darn attorney.

I just want something to pan out for us this week, something to fall in line with what we need done. Why won't it work?

Jacob's Baptism video

2008-09-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

Well I promised this video two weeks ago, then ended up having my emergency surgery and never got around to it, so here it is, it's a short video but it's precious to me. This is my 10 year old Jacob being baptized by our pastor, Robert Daneker in the pool at Waldheim Park.

My wild week

2008-09-12T17:58:00.000-04:00

What can I say, my week was a bit crazy this week. Started Monday with little Emma needing to see the doctor, so I worked a half day. Tuesday morning about 2am I was stricken with severe stomach pain, though it was a stomach bug, I was wrong. By Wednesday at 2am I was in the ER and being admitted. Turns out my gallbladder turned against me and it had to come out! By Wednesday afternoon it was out and I was feeling so much better. Thursday by 2 I was home and I am now being pampered by my husband. Need a couple days to recover and I can't drive until the 24th but I think I will make it through.

A cleansing

2008-09-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, September 7th, my Jacob was baptized. It melts my heart to write about it because to me it is such a special event, and what makes it even more special is it was his decision, without any prodding from Mom and Dad, he made the decision, he talked to us, and we mentioned it to our pastor.

Scott and I had Jacob baptized when he was a baby. That was our decision as parents, that we wanted him baptized in the church, one of the places where we spend much of our time and where we believe our extended family lives.

The unique part of this baptism yesterday was, Jacob was baptized by the same Pastor who baptized him as an infant, yet a different church. So this was my little "Verification from God" that we are in the right place, this is the church home where God sees us making a difference, these are genuine, unique people, who care, who show real compassion and love and who show all of those things to my kids, to Scott and I and to the people around them. This is finally our home.

I'm going to try to post a video later of the actual baptism, I thought it was pretty neat.

The Anxiety is killing me at this point

2008-09-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

The documents to buy the house have finally been seen by the attorney for the estate and let me say this in the nicest way I can without using bad words. If the attorney were a spider, I would step on him in a flash!

He is making this transition very difficult...................and that is honestly all I can say right now cause I'm mad.

First day of school

2008-09-03T10:47:00.000-04:00

Has finally come and I can't be more excited. The summer had it's ups and downs and shuffling the kids back and forth and making sure they were not too bored just got very tiresome. All in all I put some of the blame on the kids, they did NOT want to participate in anything this summer. Jacob could have done two or three soccer camps and Emma had tons of opportunities for girl scout type stuff but they both chose to not do anything.

It feels good to get back in the swing of school, to know that they are both safe in their classroom, that Jacob won't be calling me a million times on my cell, although the I Love You's will be missed every time he says goodbye.

We are beginning our soccer practice tonight with Jacob, it's the last practice before the first game on Saturday, it's not our fault, the coaches never called. Typical disorganization.

The house settlement is probably pushed off a week or so, seems the mortgage folks didn't get the proper paperwork to the right people and now we are stalled until it's reviewed, irks me alot and I lost a bunch of sleep over it last night. I think I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee already just trying to make it through the day.

The one good thing I did for the day was had two meals all ready in the fridge to pop in the oven when we get home from school and work today. Jacob requested meatloaf tonight so he had something to look forward to today. I have never made meatloaf, he experienced it at his Aunt Teri's house, so of course I had to go to Teri to find out how she made it cause I already know I never liked my moms meatloaf. Hope he likes it tonight.

10 Years Old!

2008-08-26T00:36:00.000-04:00

Today is the day my little (11 lb 1 oz) Jacob turns 10. Of course I'm still awake, folding wash, rolling coins, doing dishes, just the stuff that moms are suppose to do but I enjoyed a homemade birthday cake with my boy instead kind of stuff. I can't believe this little guy is now in the double digits.

From Jacob's very quirky "wiggles" to his curiosity that just won't let up, this kid is my pride and joy. This little guy makes me happy to be alive. We can talk and talk and talk and we will go through subject after subject, but he enjoys just talking with his mom.

It's been some very fun 10 years and I'm looking forward to 10 more.

End of the week

2008-08-22T10:09:00.000-04:00

And lots of things got accomplished this week. I'm exhausted and just want some time to relax!
Still waiting to hear about some final things with the house purchase, the inspection is done, the electrical contractor will be submitting his bid soon to redo the house. We have cleaned up the house just a little, anything having to do with a cat has been tossed! It's somewhat weird to be in a house that still has remnants of a very long life lived in this house. We find photos of family when they were very young and try to figure out who everyone is.
The school situation has been dealt with and we feel so much better knowing that we have our kids in such a caring and nurturing school. I can't say enough good things about this school and my heart aches knowing I only get to enjoy this school for a little while longer. The Principle and staff at this school is just so involved and they are there for us around every corner.
Other areas of our life have been somewhat stressful and we are working to make things much less stressful. One weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I must say, I feel so good about the decision, there is no turning back!
Watch for more updates coming soon, or as soon as we know something!

On The First Day.....

2008-08-20T09:08:00.000-04:00

He inspected. And it turns out things are in pretty good shape. My nerves have settled a bit knowing that we really are buying a solid house and that with just a little elbow grease we will have a home we can enjoy for a very long time and I can actually say we will be settled.

The really nervous part comes today, when the electrician shows up and we tell him all the things that are wrong and NEED to be fixed before we can even begin painting or moving in. I'm a little nervous about this one.

I'm trying so hard to just hand this worry over to God and let him take care of it instead of always stressing about these things. This has been the hardest thing for me to do this year, to not stress and to just realize what everyone has been telling me, hand this over to God and let him carry the burden, I know he already has..........but I have to continue to have faith that he will continue to carry that burden.

So if your looking for anything to add to your prayer list, you can add the Schneck's. That we continue to have faith that this whole process will work out, that we won't stress continually and we can just trust that this is the Lord's plan for us and with a little faith, we can have less stress.

In the (NEW) Beginning

2008-08-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

There was a family of four, and an almost 100 year old house...........now the fun begins.
Today officially starts our future full of appointments at the house we are planning to purchase. We start this morning a tad bit fear full, only because we have no idea what this house inspection will turn up, being that it is a 100 year old house.

We plan to spend a few hours with the inspector today, tomorrow we plan to spend an hour or so with an electrician, buttering his hand to see just how low that new electrical service will cost us.

The next few days entail dealing with the gas company, schools, appraisals, security and it goes on and on and on.

I'm looking forward to that day where I can sit on my back porch, watch the cars and sip my coffee, but until then, we press on, with the hope that as long as we put our faith and trust in God, we have no worries, I'm giving them all to him and I know he will bring me through this, with my cup of coffee still warm.