Welcome to the School/Play Room!!

I'm not sure I've shared our school room since moving into our house 2 YEARS ago.... crazy its been that long!!!  We are entering our 3rd year of working in the school room and I am just thankful for having this space.

When we went house hunting, we KNEW we wanted schooling space. A place to school can be just about anywhere, but each home and model was judged on whether there was a good space to for us to use for schooling. We needed 3 bedrooms and a home schooling room:)

One of the BEST features about our house was the finished garage:) Yes, totally finished... with carpet and crown molding! And so when they placed our house on-site, they raised the garage to be the same level as our main house and voila... a perfect school room. And the door to the school room is heavy duty, too... so the room is great for the kids to play loudly in, too!!

Yes, I said "play"! Our room doubles as a playroom which means often it looks like this:/

Yes, even the whiteboard gets "hit" during playtime!!

But then Mom gets in there and works some magic:) And bans the kids from re-entering until I get some pictures of it clean to PROVE it does get cleaned!

The Play and Pre-School Side
The arrangement of having the school room and playroom co-exist has been good. Some are still learning some self-control by having to complete work before playing! But overall it's worked out really nicely to have Nate playing in the same room so I can keep an eye on him, help him and guide him to clean up. And he's also listening in and picking up some of what we're learning;)

We only have a few toys in the room, mostly building, educational activities and pretend play.

Nate's work for the day is in the colorful trays. He works on those activities with me and then plays with "quiet toys"... usually puzzles, LEGOs, Play-Doh... which are stored on the shelves. 

Jack (our dog) usually isn't allowed in the room because he loves to chew the kids' toys (and he'll steal pencils, too), but since it was clean we invited him in for a bit;)

The School Side
Actually school takes place all over, like the kitchen for experiments, living room for computers and videos, the couches for one-on-one reading, or bedrooms for nightly reading together! But the school side of the school room is where everything is housed and where most of the book learning takes place!!

Besides the big front windows, my favorite school room pieces are my wooden table and our whiteboard. Our table was purchased through Craigslist, given some TLC and new cushions and is used for hours every.single.day!!  The whiteboard is a piece of bathroom laminate nailed to the wall and then edged with thin, simple molding (like totally under $20).





















This is the middle of the room!! A pulled out couch for reading (or a napping Nate!), a freezer and a old dresser that houses the kids' LEGO projects!! I really, really fought the freezer being in the schoolroom but we really had no other place for it. About the time we were getting a freezer, I was looking for a big magnetic board for Nate! LOL!! Not pretty, but it works:) And doubles for a drying rack for painted projects, too!

Our large white cabinet was a "damaged" item that we found deeply discounted!! It's a work horse for us;) It holds all the craft supplies (markers, crayons, paper, paint, etc), math and science manipulatives, games and preschool boxed activities.

I know there has to be a better way to organize it. Here is what the inside looks like today!

And last year we discovered that the inside doors make some excellent "wall space". We can have extra places for some visuals that won't clutter up the walls:)

The top is also used to house the laminator and extra school supplies that the kids don't need to be reminded that I have... like new markers, crayons,etc that I like to "save" until ours need to be replaced.





No home school is complete without a bookshelf or more:)

The shelf on the left is one that we've had forever!! Brian got it while in seminary and it was cream, then I painted it green for Chris' room when he was a toddler and now it's white;) It houses our binders for finished work, free reading books an activities and then my top row of Momma helps (my guides and binders)!

























The pair of shelves on the right were made by Brian when he was in high school!!! They are very simple and I just love how they match our table! These shelves hold our reference and resource books by subjects... our Science, History, nature guides, Bible, Art, Music, Language, etc!

Finally, we come to the kids' cubbies! We were given the little white shelves and they have been a perfect place for the kids to store their books.What they need each day is very accessible!

Last year, we moved the printer in the room with us! This is a much better arrangement since most of our printing is done for home schooling purposes;) And along with the printer came the black table;) It holds our paper supplies, clipboards and personal whiteboards.

We do really love our school room!! It's all mismatched but it allows us to have a great learning and messy space!!

We are participating in School Room Week @ iHomeschool Network!

Swamp-noeing... a Perk of Living by a Swamp

So I've shared before, we live next to a swamp:)  Brian calls it wetlands... sounds a little better!! It's actually a part of our property so we affectionately call it "our swamp"... although we are totally aware that it doesn't actually belong to us;) We can "pretend", right?

We've had tons of fun wildlife here; turtles laying eggs, egrets, hawks, green tree frogs, lizards, love the hummingbirds and the dragonflies that are our constant companions!! They follow us everywhere and keep an eye on us:)

At the end of August, Grammie brought us a canoe. This canoe actually has a LOT of history in our family.... from giving away my brother's secret window escapes to being followed by our pet duck when my mom would canoe a creek where we grew up.

We were excited to finally explore our swamp in the canoe and see what was really back there;)

Brian and Grammie took the "maiden voyage" in the canoe... just in case began to leak:) Not sure what they would have done if it had, maybe paddled harder to the shore;) ha hahaa

They had a watchful audience from the woods. Watching every move. Calling out when they couldn't see them through the wetlands foliage! Waiting their turn!

They came back safe and dry... so brave Grammie took out a few of the kiddos to teach to paddle and explore.

And then Brian took two more kids into the back of the swamp.

Even Nate and I got out there for a bit!! When he got in the canoe, Nate was very leery. But once he was away from the shore, he loved it!



Once we got through some of the limbs, little islands and trees... it was gorgeous out there!! One part opens up and it is lined with Cyprus trees:) It had a Cyprus Gardens feel minus the alligators:) Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how to waterproof my camera so I could take some pictures... they would be fun to have in the house!!

Brian went out again with Lydia and Grammie.... and they found some water snakes... a BIG one:) Ewww! And Brian brought all of is out to see the beaver dam... we had seen him a few times. And now we know why we have a swamp:)

Just another perk to living next to the swamp... I mean wetlands!!

Oh and if your wondering we do have mosquitoes but not as bad as some areas of our county that aren't as close to water as we are. I really think the dragonflies, all the different birds and family of bats that  zoom over our head at night helps with the mosquito issue:)

Neighbors from Nature

Our property is surrounded by woods (and some seasonal wetlands... LOL!! swamp). We are in a neighborhood but kind of tucked behind everyone else!

It makes for a peaceful place;) Lots of space for the kids to run! And slowly we are starting to see more little nature friends emerge from the woods.

We brought with us these two critters:)

BTW... I was told by a friend that cats could try to get back home when they are moved to a new home. I did a little Googling and came up with a plan to keep them in their little crates when we weren't playing with them for a couple of days. I knew the cats would HATE it, but if it would keep them from traveling down the highway:/

The plans changed though once we got to the property. The kids traveled with Grandma and GRanddaddy with the cats. And once they got to the new house they let them out of the crates!! And they stuck around!! The kids showered love on them, kept them happily fed and they got plenty of attention every time we went outside...

and they stuck around;)Although Collar has scared us with his "adventures" that keep him away from the hours for hours... he always returns ready for Lydia snuggles;)

At the parsonage we had huge horse flies.... gigantic man-eating (or at least man-biting) ones. But here near the swamp the most common bug besides gnats and grasshoppers are these...

dragonflies:) I hear they eat mosquitoes:)

As far as reptiles go... it's been a slow snake year.... thank goodness!!!! With all the rain we'd had TONS of frogs! In fact at night it sounds like the "plague" outside! But we were all delighted when Daddy found this guy...

Our most exciting nature neighbors, besides the owl (we have heard but not seen yet) and the hawk & egret(some have briefly sighted), we saw one evening through the window.

We had seen their prints in the sand when the foundation was laid and in the freshly moved dirt after the septic tank was put in. But we were soo very excited they returned when we could watch them in semi-whispered conversation about how beautiful they were:) And if we should call one "Bambi"!!

It was crazy, but it seemed like they were watching us, too!

It's been too long since I publicly shared my gift counting. Maybe it's a sign that's been neglected in my heart, too, or just a busy season of non-blogging.... honestly, a little of both! :( Thankfully, it's always a great time to start;)

371. nature sounds
372. power and beauty of the visiting deer (our Creator knows beauty)
373. memories of trying to quietly watch the deer through the panes
374. Nate running through aisles with a handful of blown up helium balloons... giggling:)
375. acceptance
376. bedtime stories in bed
377. summer visits with friends
378. VBS songs
379. the giving hearts of children
380. provision - more than we require, given when we need it
381. crazy 8s and Uno with the kids:) - summer boredom busters;)
382. ceiling fans
383. the faithful from the past
384. summer berries
385. toddler cuddles
386. kitty running to the kids
387. chasing frogs
388. playing in the rain

Realities of Being a Homeowner and how God is soo Good

We've had our first full week at the house:) And what a week it was... LOL!!! We were quickly confronted with the reality of being homeowners.

Monday morning as we were making plans to take a bike ride around our new little neighborhood, the kids were getting some water before we left. From the living room, I heard Lydis fill her cup using our refrigerator's water dispenser, but then after she was done I heard a huge spray of water.

It immediately caught my attention and I jumped up to figure out what it was!! In the kitchen water was pouring out from underneath the refridgerator... pouring out!!!! Pouring out!!!

I quickly realized that it wasn't the actual refridgerator and I pulled the fridge away from the wall! The waterline going into the fridge had come loose and the line was spraying water everywhere..... EVERYWHERE.... crazy amounts of water.

So I ran to call Brian... frantically asking him how to cut off the water. Checked under the sink. Ran outside to cut the main source off (which I couldn't find). He decided to get home!!

And then I grabbed kids to start filling buckets and coolers of water!!!! One kid had hose duty and the other two older ones watched Nate and dumped buckets.... yes, buckets.

Thankfully when the kids started helping and water wasn't spraying everywhere, I thought to grab towels to keep the water from reaching the carpet. And I saw it.... a tiny little valve switch at the base of the refrigerator's waterline!! I didn't know what it did, but thought surely things can't get worse :) Thankfully, it was the switch to cut off water to that line!!!! RELIEF!!

By the time Brian walked through the door... the water was off. Drops coming off the recessed lights. The brand new table sitting in a puddle of water. Towels were soaked all over the floor and more towels needed.

We soaked up what we could. We stuck paper towels under molding. Brian called the contractor and he called the plumber.

It wasn't until the plumber came to hook it all back up that he told us how fortunate we were!! Fortunate that I was at home and caught the "leak" when it first happened. Fortunate that we got the water cut off. Fortunate that we didn't loose our kitchen.

But it made us remember some key things:

1. Things (house, vehicles, new furniture, stuff)is not lasting. At any moment it can be destroyed or taken.
2.  God  is soo good... these moments when you realize what you've been spare from (and not by your own doing) leads to thankfulness and gratitude
3.  We are soo blessed... those stressful moments didn't include any life-threatening situations. We are a healthy family of 6... we are blessed!
4. I have to learn more about home maintenance:) At least for the hours that Brian is at work, I have the responsibility of house emergencies... I have a lot to learn:)
5. And we're very glad for our decision to live close to Brian's job!! As water was spraying everywhere I was thankful that he had a 6-mile drive and not 30:)
6. The house is still under warranty:) Hopefully though we don't have any damage since we were able to clean it all up right away!! Still... provides a little comfort!

High Chair

Nate's highchair was one that fits inside any chair at the table. We have loved having a highchair that doesn't take up a lot of room in our former dining room.

Since the final "move in" was a spur of the moment thing, we lived at the new house without Nate's highchair for a few days...

and Nate did fine without it;)It makes us wonder if we even need the highchair any longer?

But now he's on a really high chair:)

More Wordless Wednesday at  NapTime MomTog, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Mama to 4 Blessings, Go Graham Go

and Live and Love...Out Loud !!!

Moments of Moving and Settling In

As we moved load after load and tried to settle into the new house, it was fun to step back and think of all the firsts and how we were beginning to make this house our new home.

So here are memories I hope to remember:)

Complete boredom.... no toys, TV and too hot to go outside, so Anna makes a ramp with the books she was allowed to keep with her, her pillow, a shoe and a ball we found moving furniture;)

Loading up the van (and the blue car) to the max:)

{Funny}

And yes, even Grandma and Grandaddy's car was packed!! Nothing like 2 adults, 3 kids and 2 cats :) LOL!!! I know I heard some stories from that trip:)

{Pretty}

We are loving the beauty of the property and some of the new furniture that we had purchased for the house. So far the favorite is the pub height table for the eat-in kitchen. Brian had been wishing for one for YEARS:) 

Anna and Lydia settled in with some coloring at the new table with the window to the open backyard behind them.

{Real}

A Late Spaghetti dinner.... late dinners are getting to be the norm around here.... hoping for some earlier meals now that we're all moved in!

And as much as we have tried to keep everything looking clean (except for boxes still everywhere), finding finger and yes, even hands prints are inevitable:/ Thankfully wipes work wonders:)

{happy}

 The one thing that kept us all happy (if that is possible for a 2 yr old) was that we had Grandma and Grandaddy with us for almost a whole week to help us move:) They helped with moving heavy furniture, cleaning both houses, with the kids, in the kitchen... ok... so they did basically everything!! :)

They were so incredibly helpful and it really would have been extreme chaos for us to moved without them! We would NOT be in the place we are now without their help.

So a huge THANK YOU to Grandma and GRandaddy!!
We have plenty of memories with them helping through the week and not many pictures :( But they were here and a working hard with us each day!

We are so very happy to be all moved in;) There is a huge sense of relief of a burden that had been hanging over me for a long time! It's nice to be able to begin to enjoy what we had hoped for these last few months!!

There still is plenty to do around the house.... plenty of boxes that need to be stored or sorted through and the school room... phew! But for now we get to do a little each day...

And enjoy our new house! Our 1st  pancake breakfast was nice as well;)

Linking up to {pretty, happy, funny, real}, Moments to Remember and Weekly Wrap-Up.

Labor, a Roller Coaster and Camping and how they Relate to Moving

A couple of months ago I was using the comparison of this "move" season to being pregnant. No one looks forward to labor, but by the time it's about time for the baby to be due, the pregnant woman is ready for it... she'll take it pain and all:) Sorta;) Well that's what I was feeling like with this upcoming move... I HATE packing, but I've been waiting to move for over 11 months now... I've was beginning to look forward to packing:)

But this week the comparison to our "move" season is more like a rollercoaster!!!

And honestly, I'm ready to get off the ride.... to be done!!

My heart has been unsettled for too long. I'm emotionally drained from all the highs and lows. I'm looking forward to the end of the ride when my heart isn't pumping sooo fast waiting for the next "low".

It seems like the whole process has been highs and lows.... times of excitement and then feelings of dispair/frustration at a new "situation" with the house. Like when we were just about to close on the loan a few days before Christmas only to find out from the bank that our lot was in a flood zone. That status took a MONTH to work out... surveys, statement to the bank....

yes, that took a MONTH!

Then there was the rain that prevented the foundation. The plumber that quit due to the distance to the job. And the special order door made backwards:/

I've been frustrated... shedded tears. Prayed with friends for peace and joy through the crazy times:) It's been a hard 11 months.

This week finally broke me though... I was angry, frustrated..... emotionally exhausted!!

After spending two weeks (3 of those days while my husband was a time zone away) busting my tail and dragging along my kids, spending HOURS cleaning the house and bringing over 9 loads of stuff (clothing, toys, books, kitchen stuff) to the house... I was really looking forward to getting "the green light" to move in.

The green light for us is a document from our county stating that our house passed an inspection!


On Monday, the inspector when through and the house didn't pass. We had some minor issues... insulation not thick enough and ventilation needed to the schoolroom. Early Wednesday afternoon the crew came in... sweated their tails off in our attic and got everything ready for the "final" inspection. Our contractor even showed up to be sure the house was ready :)

Looking forward to the possibility to move in this weekend, we began to arrange for a moving van. It was stress city trying to get a van for our use this weekend, in fact the company called with apologies and a credit since they couldn't find anything for us.

On Thursday, I packed what I thought would be our "final" load before the "big" move... Brian had secured a private van from a local company. I loaded all our dishes and most used cookware:) While I knew our house was no where close to being packed and ready, I was ready for the "green light"... at least saying we could "live" at our house.

And I was very excited with the possibility that we could spend the next night (Friday) in the house:) So fun!

You can imagine the shock when I got the kids in our l.o.a.d.e.d. mini-van and read a text from Brian saying that the inspector wasn't going to make it to the house until Monday afternoon... maybe!!!

WHAT!!!????!!

Anyway, I didn't handle it well.... not at all!! But it was all the emotions and frustrations coming to a head. I just thought of all rushing and late nights I had had with the kids. And the things we had let pass us by this spring and early summer because we were thinking the move was going to happen more quickly.... like Anna's 8th birthday, our 10th wedding anniversary (nope, we didn't do anything, no dinner, no date.... nothing... just packed and ran errands with the kids to get the house ready), Mother's Day, Father's Day and we almost didn't go to Wesley's 1st Birthday!!!

it was a "low" :/

Sometime that night (Thursday) Brian contacted a church member asking to borrow his truck and trailer to run a few bigger things to the house to at least start the moving process so when we'd get the documentation to move in we could and would have less to move with a moving van.

Our sweet friend agreed!!

What started as a few things turned  into... 2 days of insane moving in 100+ degree weather!! 6 truck/trailer loads (insane we have that much stuff) and many men and hands helping. A HIGH for sure!!

As I look around the house tonight, there is very little;) We are all sleeping on mattresses on the floor. We're eating off paper plates;) No dryer or couches, a couple of outfits for each person in suitcases, a few lamps and a TV:)

We're now officially camping out in the parsonage until the house can be inspected and pass!! LOL!!!

 But as we look at the holiday week, we quickly realize that we could be here "camping out" until Friday:/  Please pray that this "final" step happens soon and we can move ourselves and mattresses to the new house...

and be off the rollercoaster:)

BTW.... I will not take lightly how blessed we are. That we can move into a wonderful house! That we have amazing friends and neighbors willing to come help us... some stopping as they passed to help load!! Even in tears of frustration to a friend after receiving that text from my hubby, I was reminded to how blessed I was... that she would remind me to be "joyful" when she knew I wasn't !

And while it's been crazy the last 2 days with the trailers and men loading up almost everything in the house.... I am so very grateful for the ability to move loads at a time versus packing a whole truck at once and unloading it all at once!! A blessing to be moving nearby.

And that each time I want to complain that we can't be in our house.... I am reminded of the people who have lost their homes to floods and fires in the last 2 weeks!!!! And the amazing community we have around us that I will be leaving ( but not be too far from) and get to enjoy a few more days!!

We are blessed!!

Pictures from our 2 day packing SPRINT!!

How Grandma keeps them cooled off and out of the way of the packing crew:)

House Update: That's a Lot of Dirt

We had some MAJOR projects done last week;)
 It's soo exciting to see some of these "biggies" be completed!

One biggie was the water line from the road to the house.... it ended up being almost 400 feet.
And guess who helped put it in??

Yep, Brian!!!
He had the man grading the yard dig the trench with his big 'ole machines;)

And speaking of the man grading... he did it! And we are left with a lot of dirt:)

The hill going up onto the property is gone! It has made it look more like a yard :)

the back of the house

Nate in the backyard.... surrounded by dirt!

These are also new... our heat pump, AC and the water line waiting to be connected to the house;)

This was our front yard from the front porch two or three weeks ago...






And now... just dirt!

 Front Yard June 1, 2012!!

It almost looks ready:) Home.... with a lot of dirt!

On Monday we will have a gravel driveway:)

Then later this week we are hoping to see some stairs to get into the house;) Also the final water connection and tests to be sure it's all working correctly! Our back door that was made backwards is also getting replaced this week!!

I wish I knew more about putting together a house/yard and knew the answer to the big question, "How much longer until we move in???"

Regardless.... we have plenty to do on this side to get ready!