Red, White, and Blue!

Find something fun to make or something patriotic to do.

 It will make your holiday extra special! 

Do it!

Hope your Fourth celebration SPARKLES!

Because God gave us teeth...

Do you ever have a conflict with some fundamental beliefs between you and someone else?

Fundamental, core values, that shape people, change lives, and form great and mighty nations.

The conflict might be with a co-worker, a friend, an in-law, or even just maybe your husband?

See this girl?

See her here... eating this apple?

Perfectly fine without it being sliced into wedges.

Why can she eat it?

Because, yes I am starting my sentence with, BECAUSE!

BECAUSE, God gave us teeth.

Mr. Peterson CRITICS will say I'm lazy or I'm wasting half the apple...

"CRITICS" will say that you need to slice the apple so children can eat it...

But "CRITICS" also will cook three different meals for three different kids.

(Yes, I started that sentence with a BUT.)

(Also, No, I have not lost a child, I still have four children, the fourth is just a great kid and eats whatever and however food is offered to her.)

What I am teaching my kids is a HIGHER law....

because God gave us teeth.

Claire turned 5!

This girl is so amazing.

She loves all things girl.

Necklaces, rings, bracelets.

Dresses, skirts and Sunday shoes.

Yet...

She loves the dirt. 

Messy hands, face, feet.

And boy oh boy is she active.

Climbing, running and popping wheelies.

Yes, in true contradiction, you will find Claire out racing around on a bike with her dress or skirt flying in the wind, jewels jangling, while trying to catch some air with the front tire.

Man I love that girl.

She has the kindest heart. Without any prompting from parents she will offer to break a cookie in half, hand over the last piece of candy, give over the favored polly pocket or barbie and offer to let the screaming baby sister open some of her birthday presents, and with true delight and joy watch as others enjoy her generosity.

Man I love that girl!

Framing

Sometimes we take for granted what things sound like to kids. 

Kind of a whole "Parts" scenario.

I mentioned after the foundation had cured a week that they would be ready to frame the new house.

My girls asked me what "framing" was. I think they imagined it had something to do with these...

I explained what it meant. Now whenever we are in the car and see a home under construction with 2x4's and plywood my girls yell out "There is a house being framed!" The other day it about scared the bejewels out of me! 

Silly girls!

 Basement level...

 Main floor level...

Fun to see the framing moving forward!

Lisa

These pretty girls and their daddy need all the prayers you can give. 

Her name is Lisa and I have so many lovely memories of laughing and being silly together. 

Once, when we were young, we were frightened by a mentally handicap girl. She would watch for us to pass by and come tearing out of her house. She would chase us with arms flailing like a windmill while she would moan and scream. We would scream and run as fast as we could to the safety of our homes. We decided one day that it would be nice to make her cookies. We took them over to her house and her mom answered the door. We handed the cookies over and then Stacy saw us. She was so excited that once again she moaned and yelled and ran after us. 

We ran too... all the way home.  

Again.

Thank goodness the Lord sees the intent of our heart even when our results are less then perfect, right?

If you can add Lisa to your prayers and if you find yourself needing someone to fast for (and it is always so important to have a purpose in our fast when that first Sunday rolls around) well, this family needs the strength of your love and prayers and the powerful blessings of Heaven.

♥

Just in case...

The other day a friend was embarrassed because we ran into them at the new home site. I hope no one would feel embarrassed if we bump into each other. We are so excited about our new home.

Building or buying a new home is so much fun and we are the first ones to want to see a new home. I love the parade of homes, seeing what people are doing new and how things come together -and- I am always interested in knowing what friends will be living in, where there life will be. 

So... just in case we run into each other... we appreciate everyone who is as excited as we are about the new home!!!

The trouble with bunk beds...

Bunk beds are great for a number of reason, most of those reasons include more floor space and a much higher occupancy in a bedroom.

None of those reasons include a sick child.

A sick child here...

Will throw up here...

Which the laws of physics will send it here...

and here....

and then the projectile nature of an up heaving stomach also will send it here...

And here...

And somehow, some way, 
also covering the peaceful dreams of sleeping child here...

So... instead of cleaning ONE bed, and bathing ONE child...

At 12 midnight, 

(Why is there a law irrevocably decreed that it always has to happen in the middle of the night?)

So at 12 midnight you and cute hubby are bathing TWO children, cleaning TWO pillows, TWO sheet sets, (oh and the origination point sheets had to be sprayed off with the hose out in the front yard cause I am not allowing that to go in my washer), TWO mattress covers, TWO bedspreads, TWO blankets, TWO sets of pajamas. You are wiping the nooks and crannies of TWO beds... then removing blinds and washing in the tub, cleaning the window, wiping down the wall for a good 6 foot radius from the origination point, cleaning the front of the dresser directly across from origination point. 

And just clarifying - all wiping was first wiping up with water, then a second wave of hot clean water (third if necessary) and following it up with Lysol antibacterial cleaning wipes.

Oh and do not forget we have 6 "That's Not My..." board books on the floor by the air register that were stacked there at bedtime, all six needing to be rinsed, wiped dry, sprayed with Lysol and then set out like a fan on table to air dry. (Thankfully they were board books!)

Then there is the carpet that was shop vac-ed for chunks (for lack of better word) then soaked and wiped with water countless times until nose-to-floor no longer emitted a throw up smell, then wiped carpet with dry towels until somewhat dry to touch.

Then there was the spraying of entire bedroom surfaces with Lysol. 

Then we must get to the bathroom where throw up covered children were taken. Tub needs to be scrubbed along with sink and lets throw the rug and towels into another one of the TO BE WASHED piles accumulating in line up according to foulest smell.

We have yet to address all the rags, towels that now have added to the loads of washing.

And still we have not addressed that the two children had to be dried after their bath, hair combed, teeth re-brushed (for the originator of this mess), beds made up in other areas of the house and accordingly covered with old towels (for the originator), with bucket and glass of Gatorade with pink 'bendy' straw to replenish fluids if she so feels inclined to drink (again for the originator).

And why are parents of young kids always so exhausted?

Bunk beds.

A house upon the rock...

At the Cedar Hollow House the foundation walls are up, the gravel is in, and the floor will be poured today!

 

Over the weekend Erik and I spoke to the girls about what we want our house to be built upon.

We gathered some rocks. 

The munchkins washed them, then put a nice coat of pink glitter paint over top, then decorated the rocks with flowers, stars, hearts, polka dots or whatever entered into the head of those 4 sweet little girls.

Each rock was labeled with something our house would be built upon.

The girls gave lots of great input with a few ideas thrown in by Mom and Dad.

We dug a shallow hole...

Then we placed the rocks inside...

 

And closed the hole up with our rocks within.

 As the floor gets poured a 4 inch layer of cement will cover those rocks.

Our home will be built upon those rocks.

Rocks of Love, Faith, Service, Kindness, Work, Learning, Purity, Fun, among many other things.

Years will come and go. 

Girls will grow and possibly leave to start life on their own.

(Swallow giant lump.)

Yet those rocks which made the foundation of our home will stay with them forever. 

Guiding them, strengthening them, directing them to the greatest joys this life can hold.

There is NO GREATER joy than family life!

It is my rock.

Chelsea James

I have fallen in love with this art work from Chelsea James and I'm wondering if I can adjust my building budget to include one of her pieces in my home.

I love the colors and strokes in these pieces. They remind me of home, of the Utah I love.

 One of my favorites.

Painting is a study of our existence, spirit, and environment, derived from experiences in life. I choose objects that evoke childhood memories, create situations of atmospheric mystery, and bring visual interest through interaction. I'm intrigued by subtle shifts in value and color; yet seek a personal interpretation of the objects rather than a replication. Personality is revealed through the process of painting. Abstract remnants from my process remain visible in the final product. The hand must obey the spirit.   --Chelsea James

Another one of my favorites. 

Lovely.

Shopping List

Usually I assign McCall or Elizabeth to write items on the shopping list. I do this to help with spelling and writing NOT because I am lazy.

I guess in our home white bread necessitates an
underline
WITH 
a please 
WITH  
an exclamation point 
AND 
a smiley face for added emphasis.

Foundation

After the hole was dug, the footings were poured, then the foundation wall forms were set and ready to receive the cement.

At this point I arrived with Erik and was subsequently banned from the job site.

You see...I guess I lack vision and ask too many questions.

I possibly use the wrong phrases like...

"What did you do?"

 and 

"Is it set way too high?" 

and 

"Are you sure this is right?" 

etcetera.

Erik informed me that he does this for a living.

He then told me I couldn't come back to the site until it was done. 

The BEST was when my cute next door neighbor, a family I already ADORE, came up and started asking the same questions I was asking as she was trying to figure it all out. 

It was sort of a confirmation that I was right.

The next day he allowed me back if I promised to be on my best behavior.

He pointed things out once the forms were taken down and it looked a bit more clear.

We will have a "walk out" to the backyard. 

Now it has to set for a good week before the floor is poured and the next stage involving wood begins.

Meanwhile... I need to be picking out windows and moving forward on my selections for the next wave.

Good times!