Is Life Really Simple?

Yes and no.  Mostly no, I think, with a little yes sprinkled here and there.  Even things that you think are simple turn out not to be as simple as you think.

When I named this blog I was thinking of simplifying my life and getting organized.  Getting rid of clutter.  Selling stuff I didn't want or need.  Downsizing.  Organizing the pantry and grocery shopping.  Planning meals.  Growing some of our own produce.  Keeping better track of the kids and journaling as things happened.

Well, I can't say I have completely accomplished all of that list, but I have decided that my life is not simple, nor is it ever going to be.  That's ok.  God didn't promise me a simple life.  He did, though, promise life more abundantly if I live for Him.  The process of "simplifying" and downsizing has brought us to a place that we have a new realization for just what we really do and really don't need.

The truth is, we really don't need much.  That part is simple.

What our family has decided we need most is a life focused on what God created us for - to serve Him by serving others.  We want to be the hands of feet of Jesus in this life He has given us.  We have become passionate about those in our world who are helpless and need, so desperately, for someone to show them Jesus' love in action.

Matthew 10:38-39 says that we will find life when we lose our own.  Doug and I have made a decision to try to live that scripture out in our lives very intentionally on a daily basis.  I'm not sure how simple that will be.  Sometimes more so than others, I expect.  For that reason, I've created a new blog where I'm going to journal about what we're doing and how we are serving.

I'm excited about all that He has in store for our family!   I hope you join us on "Our Journey To Life".

I'm going to keep this blog going for now.  If keeping up with both is too much, then I'll just blog about everything over there.   We'll see.

Quote of the Week

I love good quotes. They inspire me. I'm going to try to blog one every week or so that I really like. I found this one on another blog this evening.

"Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning and is coming back tomorrow."

- Martin Luther

Frugal Family Fun Blog

Hey, I just found this blog called Frugal Family Fun Blog and think I'm going to like it alot. Thought you might like it, too. She's doing a giveaway for some eco-friendly cleaning products, which I'd love to try. I'll let you know if I win!

Along the frugal line of thinking, I think I'd really like to try sewing. I don't have a machine and honestly, I'm not even sure what I'd make. It just looks like fun and I've seen some stuff that is so darn cute. I would like to maybe make some curtains and put the kids' names on their walls somehow. Don't know, though. Like I said, I don't have a machine. I think I'll start checking Craigs List. Maybe I could get a good deal.

House Pictures

View of dining area from living room.

Living room. The door to the left goes out onto the covered deck. There is a window to the right of the fireplace and the ceilings are vaulted.

The kitchen. There is a large pantry just to the left, which separates the kitchen from the living room. There is also a door to the garage and the laundry to the left.

This is the playhouse in the backyard. We're going to put the slide in so that the boys can will slide off their deck.

The back of the house from the ground behind the pool. The yard is really sloped, which will be a project in the years to come.

The entryway. The frog isn't there any more, it belonged to the previous owner. We may re-do the pond/fountain and will add some colorful flowers next summer. The boys want fish. Not too sure about that yet.

The entryway and stairwell from the living room.

We still have a lot of things on the "To Do" list, but nothing is so important that it has to be done right away. We have already built a fence around the small deck that is attached to the pool. I do need to paint a bathroom and have plans of painting the boys' room and a wall in the kitchen. That will all get worked in as we can get it done, since school is starting.

Grandparents

Harrison and his great-grandma, Treva Hammond, when he was just home from the hospital.

Papa Rod with Carter and Harrison. Carter was 2 1/2 and Harrison was just a few months old. Carter had used a permanent marker and put "make-up" on.

Nana and Carter "camping" in her bedroom - and Sadee, too, of course. Carter has his favorite, the firetruck blankey. They're laying on a quilt that my great-grandma, Anne Tannehill, made.

Jackson and Doug's dad, Papa Lee.

I just read an article on another blog (here) about grandparents. It made me think of my own grandparents and my parents, who are now grandparenting my own sons. My sons and I are all very blessed.

I've been so blessed with wonderful grandparents of my own, that I adore and miss very much. They are such an important part of my life and who I have become. If I had a wish or two to be granted, one would definately be to have them back so they could see me now and meet their great- and great-great grandsons. I am fortunate to have one grandmother with me still, which I am so thankful for. I have great childhood memories of all of them. I can't imagine growing up without them.

Now, my sons are enjoying those same types of things with my parents. Because we live in different towns now, they have opportunities to spend days at a time with them, which is such a grand adventure for the boys. I know they are making memories they will treasure forever.

This past week, Jackson and Carter spent four nights with my mom and her husband, Jim. Nana and Papa Jim took them camping in St. James two nights. Some of the highlights were Carter falling off a merry-go-round, which he deemed "awesome". Jackson rode his bike into the river, where it got a good washing. Oh.. and at the end of one day, when Carter's legs were hurting (which they often do...that's another story), he came to Nana crying and said, "They hurt so bad that if you don't do something, I'm going to have to hop on one leg tomorrow." Well, I'm not sure Carter will remember that, but I don't think Nana is going to forget anytime soon.

Toward the end of last month, we spent a week in West Plains. The kids had a great time at Papa Rod's house riding four-wheelers and doing things that they can only do with Papa. Great-Grandma Hammond played catch with them in the shade under the walnut tree behind her store. They rode Uncle Homer's tractor and played in the loft of his barn.

We are so blessed. I can't imagine not having this family. I didn't ask for my place in this family and this time. I didn't earn them. God put me here, and I am so thankful. It's unfathomable to me, that there are people in this nation and all over the world who have no one. James 1:27 (NIV) says this:

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I hope that one day, God will look at my life and deem that my religion was pure. I am so blessed.

Home Sweet Home

What a week! I am still tired and trying to recover from all the loading, unloading, unpacking and organizing. We've been in the new house a week now and we are very happy with our purchase. I still have a lot of organizing to do, although I think most everything is unpacked now.

As far as the house goes, it is the nicest home we've had. It's about 3500 sq. ft. of living space. The basement is finished, which is a huge blessing. My office, homeschool space, play area, family room, bathroom #3 and a huge storage room are all in the basement. The main level is pretty standard - 3 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. The living room is large and open to the dining area, which is off the kitchen. I have tons of cabinets and counter space, which I love. There is a huge pantry with room for our dry goods, cookbooks and small appliances. I even have a few cabinets that are still empty after everything has been put away. There is extra storage space all over the house, which is great. The only thing I don't like is that my washer and dryer are in a closet off the kitchen.

The back yard is pretty sloped, which isn't great, but the kids don't care. It has a nice above-ground pool they are pretty focused on. There is a playhouse, too, with a deck and some neat hiding places. There are three decks on the back of the house, which is nice and will hopefully be put to use for lots of BBQs and family gatherings.

There is still a ton of decorating to do. Since our basement is finished and so big, we put most of our "old" stuff down there. That means there are empty spaces upstairs that need to be filled. That's ok, though, I don't mind shopping! :) It will get finished over time and will be a fun treasure hunt.

My camera battery charger and card reader slipped through my fingers during the move. I've located the charger, but my card reader ended up at my Dad's house in West Plains. I'll post pictures of the house when I get the reader back, which will hopefully be over the weekend.

Food & Fun Friday

I realized this morning as I was catching up on my blog list and finding great new ones, that I had forgotten my Food & Fun Friday post. I have a good excuse, though. We definately had a fun Friday, as we were going full-speed from the time we opened our eyes.

We had great friends from out of town spend the night Thursday night. Carter had gone camping with his Nana in Branson, after we spent the afternoon in Silver Dollar City with said friends. So, Friday morning we woke with company, but minus Carter. When the friends left mid-morning, the remaining boys and I headed back to Branson to reclaim our Carter.

We ended up going back to Silver Dollar City with Nana. We spent the entire afternoon riding and eating (which completes the Food & Fun theme for the day - lol) before we headed back to Nana's camper. Doug drove down after he was off work and played a round of putt putt with the kids after dinner.

However, our plans to reclaim Carter were blundered when both older boys wanted to camp instead of come home with mom and dad. So, Harrison came home with us and we will hopefully reclaim Jackson and Carter this afternoon. I'm thinking that after today, Nana will see to it that I have my sons back.

So, we had a Friday full of fun and lots of good food!

The menu plan for next week looks very similar to last week's plan. Because Doug showed up at the beginning of last week with several steaks that I wasn't planning on, we grilled those and ate leftovers a few times. Most of the groceries I bought for last week are still in the fridge or pantry. I'll just have to restock the milk, bread, eggs and butter.

Blackberrries & Rice

I know, you were thinking this was going to be a post about a wonderful new recipe I found. Sorry. However, this information could save you a few bucks, so read on!

My Blackberry found its way into the backyard the day before yesterday. I'm sure it got there by way of Harrison, my beautiful toddler whose picture I posted in the post just prior to this one. He's a great little guy and already has a fascination with electronics. lol

Apparently, he carried it into the yard and dropped it. I had no idea as I was going on about my mommy business. That particular day, we were mostly inside because we were being blessed with intermitant thunder storms. Yes, that's it. There were storms and my Blackberry was in the yard, unbeknownst to me.

Long story short, I found it in the early part of the evening when I was out taking a look at my garden. I was not a happy camper. This is my only phone, as we had the land line disconnected last summer. It was only six months old. I just got it in December, when I signed up for my new plan with Sprint. I did buy the protection plan when I got it, but should have known that water damage is not covered.

While I was sulking, a friend of mine walked in the back door. She told me to take the cover off and put it in a bag of rice. So, I did. I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I left it there overnight.

The next morning, it worked!! The condensation under the screen was gone and it powered up just fine. At first, not all the keys and functions worked. I could only dial calls by actually typing in the numbers and I could receive calls. It took about an hour or so, but eventually everything returned to normal!! Yea!

Now, I have no idea how long it will last, but for now it's working like nothing ever happened. So, if you have a water issue with your cell phone, give the rice a try!