In honor of Earth Day: My Recycling Project

This week was Earth Day and we were blessed with beautiful weather! I was desperate for a project that would get me outside and kept thinking, "what can I paint?" I had a spot in my dining room that was driving me crazy. I just couldn't figure out what to put there. Look at it, it will drive you crazy too:

I was nosing around on Blue Castle's blog (you can click on it to the right, sorry, I haven't figured out how to embed links to my postings), and she is re-doing her front porch. I stole this idea from her like a thief in the night . . . Several years ago, the hubs replaced an old rotting, wooden garage door with a sparkling new one (he's good to me). I managed to wrestle him to the ground and save the panel that had the windows. Amid much grumbling and eye rolling he broke out the saw and separated them for me. Next I did the 'ol 1995 crackle job, hung picture wire and just hung them on the wall. Here is how they turned out:

They were just ok. So this week I sanded them down, and painted them glossy black. Next I got online and ordered 8x10's of the kids from Sam's online. I then called the best friend on earth, who I might add was having the most "terrible, horrible, no good, worstest day of her life" and asked her to stop by Sam's and grab my pictures for me. (Thank you Lovey!) I then mounted them evenly on the glass. Next came the worst part, measuring and leveling. I hate that part. Entire project cost less then $8.00, I had everything but the pictures. Now look at that spot in my dining room. . . .

Happy Earth Day! Recycle, look how beautiful it can be.

Things that caught my eye today . . . .

Back in black. .

A couple of weeks ago I bought a black O, our initial, to use somewhere in the house. It was a little small and weak to hang alone, plus when your initial is an O it just looks like a circle on the wall. I had some stuff stashed away that I knew I would eventually use. So this is what I did this week. Painted an old white shelf. Sanded and painted another $.50 find from Hobby Lobby and then applied a decal over the top. I then painted an old 11x14 picture frame (I stashed the backing and glass, (you never know). I had already made the pictures of the kids, but didn't have a place for them. Next I ventured over to Etsy.com and ordered two prints from an artist named Laryssa Hubert that I have been admiring for a while. You can visit her blog "Heaven In The Home" by clicking on it to the right. The hardest part of this whole job was the measuring, leveling, etc. Sometimes I need three hands. Enjoy!

It really has nothing to do with a rabbit . . .

This year was one of the best Easters yet. I have to start out by bragging a little about my family. I am so proud of how they respect the Lent season. Everyone stayed true to their Lenten promises, with no nagging or pushing from me. John and I decided a long time ago that our kids would carve their own way in this world with gentle guidance from us. I have never forced my children to make a sacrifice during Lent, but every year they humble me with their eagerness to participate. Although temptation is always there, they stay true every year. I promised John that I would really cut back on my spending this year and I'm proud to say I did. I really focused on the purpose of the season. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us and I have to be honest, it is so hard for me to wrap my brain around. He made those sacrifices for me. Me! Why me?

I was so proud of my son on Good Friday when he said to me "Hey Mom, you know what happened at 3:00 today, don't you?" I have to be honest I didn't know it was at 3:00. "Jesus died for us, can you believe it?" I was so taken aback that a 10 year old had that running through his mind on that morning. After all, he got out of school early, we were going to the movies that night, the Easter Bunny was coming the next night. There were so many other things I expected him to say. You know what, that's my kid, and I'm so proud of him!

As you have already read and as you can see in the pictures, it really has nothing to do with a rabbit. It is about sacrifice and love and joy. It is about family.

In Technicolor

My friend, Jana, here in town got some chickens a while back, and well you know what comes from chickens. She has been selling the eggs to cover the cost of food, which I have taken full advantage of. I was very excited to see how our Easter eggs would turn out. Here they are before . . .


. . and after.

Today's thoughts

So here's to you.
Familiar faces at my breakfast table!
Here's to smiles, sleepy kisses and theological questions at dawn!
Here's to unbrushed teeth, unmade beds, and unpicked-up clothes!
Here's to dirty tennis shoes with one blue sock and one brown!
Here's to last night's scores and news told before I read it!
Here's to my cold cup of coffee, to the lunch forgotten!
Here's to the little girl who wants ice cream with her eggs!
Here's to the daddy who thinks that's funny!
Here's to the man who loves us so and lets us know!
I cherish you who breakfast with me.
You are sun in my rain - sustenance and star.
-Ann Weems

Plotting Her Revenge

Yesterday was April Fool's Day. I think it was the first time the kids were really old enough to get full enjoyment out of the day. Kennedy planned for days about what we could do to prank her brother. Some of her ideas were way out there, but thanks to little snippets on Nickelodeon we were able to come up with some fun stuff. I played a couple of tricks on the kids. First thing in the morning I made them cereal for breakfast. I put food coloring (green for Ken and red for Wes) in the bottom of their cereal bowl. Next I poured the dry cereal on top. When the kids poured their milk over the cereal it turned colors, that was cute, they got a kick out of it. Next, I stripped everyone's beds and hung sheets on the line (mmm mmm smells good) I then folded the kid's flat sheet in half with the opening at the head, so that when they climbed in they were in a short "pocket". That earned me a resounding "what the heck!!!" from Wes. Kennedy noticed it before she climbed in.

The biggest and best prank of the day was from none other than Daddy. After we tucked the kids into bed, he went in their rooms and was "feeding their fish". In Ken's room (remember, the light was out) he opened the tank and sprinkled in fish food and then yelled "Oh no, one jumped out!" then he flung a wet, crumpled, paper towel on Kennedy. I kid you not, that baby screamed at the top of her lungs and flew out of that bed! He's lucky she's got a great sense of humor. Wes, hearing all the comotion didn't fall for it.

Only 365 more days for Kennedy to plot her revenge on Daddy!