rain, preparations and memories

the creator has been giving rain the past couple of days.  i love how the trees in my yard look in the rain.  dark branches and vibrant buds.  it's a lot more magnificent in person.  next time it rains you should come take a look :)

my in-laws are coming to town next weekend and in an effort to impress i have been doing mostly small, some big, projects to prepare.  not that this cute little decoration on the back porch will even get the slightest attention, it just needed to be done!  i have been working in the yard a bit too, cleaning out flower beds and performing much needed care/expulsion of a few plants here and there.

my grandparents furniture and belongings have finally arrived!  on wednesday, the movers unloaded beautiful pieces of furniture into my parents home filling spaces that have been unknowingly empty for so many years.  a few antique dressers, dining table and a hutch.  john and i received two twin beds, a side table and a dresser that were my papa's and his brother's bedroom set growing up.  it is such a neat set and i am honoured to have it.  i opened the door to the bedroom on thursday morning and the room was filled with the smell of gemlear.  memories.  so sad that eventually the wood will no longer smell of memories.

tomorrow we are heading over to unpack boxes of dishes (not china) and glassware.  plates and bowls that meemaw served her family with for so many years.  now i can serve my family and friends with the same.  and as most of you know, i almost cannot contain my excitement.  really.  i mean, would most people be excited to get old, used everyday ware?!

(not to worry, i can pretty much guarantee there will be pictures posted soon!)

the Lord is good

sitting on the back porch. slight breeze, warm sun. home-made pizza in the oven.  for some reason - right now, right here - it is overwhelmingly easy to see the Lord's goodness.  it could be the 'high' the day after easter, being reminded so vividly that i serve a RISEN Savior who gave his life for me. or it could be the fact that it's just been a good day.  or the weather.  or these cute faces.

 

 

mona and furniture

 

my sweet mona.  the Lord is using her to teach me something.  i'm still not sure whether it is patience, temper control or something else.  but let it be known...i apparently haven't quite grasped it yet.

 

my counter, full of vegetables and fruit, makes me happy.  i utilized bountiful baskets for the first time today and i for see a long relationship between myself and this food co-op.  if you are in the utah/idaho area, you should try it!

papa finally [and in my opinion, sadly] sold his home in pennsylvania.  we knew it was coming, but it is still hard to convince myself i will never go back there, breathe in the air of the surroundings and soak in the comfort of gem-le-ar.  in preparation of receiving some furniture and dishes in the next month i am clearing out and reorganizing a few things.  

goodbye to the old gross, spaghetti stained tupperware (i bought new stuff, yay!).  adios to the green and orange dishes - i can't wait for the new to me everyday wear and retro green iced tea glasses!

we are getting to twin beds, bed frames, dresser and a side table that papa used when he was a boy.  i am so grateful to be able to keep these in the family and have them in my home.  to make room for the set we decided to take this old dresser and make it into a bench/storage area.  this would look really good if we had a large entry area, but for now it will make do in the living room.

ideology

i am doing a study on worship.  just started last week, using an old devotional book i bought years ago.  last night i began a section about 'who/what' we worship.  i am learning things folks.  i know, as most do, that as a believer my only object or focus of worship should be God.  a life lived in response to His character and salvation.  but that is in a perfect world, one in which we do not reside.  so who or what is my idol that keeps me from worshipping with my whole heart?  have i ever really admitted it?  the more i understand my struggle, the better i can overcome it, right?

people usually spout off the usual - money, cars, school, music, fame, materialism, etc - which are all valid idols.  i'm sure i have idolised these in the past, but when trying to identify what occupies my mind most i really struggled to pinpoint something. 

in hopes to grasp at something to fix, my first go to answer is money.  but i hate money, i don't love it.  i don't desire ridiculous amounts of it.  i just have issues with the control of it, or lack thereof.  not wanting to just settle with this diagnosis, knowing it wasn't the whole problem.  i asked john.

this was a brave move.  "okay, so i want you to be totally honest, do not hold back, tell me what i worship more than God, what is my biggest idol?"  (you should ask someone this question...it's always eye opening to see yourself through someone else's eyes).  his philosophical answer (paraphrased in my words) that i never would have been aware of:

my idol is not tangible.  my idol is an ideology, an idea or a vision.  in a few words - control, structure, stability - and the desire to have others perceive me as capable.  as john and i discovered last night, it manifests in all sorts of ways, but that is the root issue.  i obsess over every penny we spend, or don't - i obsess about the house, decorations, laundry, dishes, etc - i obsess about what others think about the decisions john and i make for our family.  not that all these things are in order or perfect, but i am ALWAYS thinking about them, usually frustrated with them, and too often let it control my time.

this is honest.  genuine.  not sure why i'm letting you know.  but there it is.

we are to have no other gods, no idols in place of the One True God.  He ALONE is to be worshipped (not the budget, my friends or family, my house, etc - that clarification was for me).  he alone can change me.  i am willing, and i am watching with my eyes wide open. and we're working on it!

ha, ha!

i tend to do dumb things. :) (as verified by a few people and events this past week...you know who you are!) 

examples...

i posted about something that i shouldn't have, at least something that was not very wise to say to everyone in the world.  if you don't know, it's okay, but i can't say, otherwise i would be posting it again...and i'm not that dumb!

i went to visit john at work, tried to come in the door that he instructed but thought it was locked. then proceeded to find out that if i just would have pulled on the door rather than only trying the handle i could have gotten in.  not a big deal, right? right, but it's an electronic door, i said it was locked, IT guys made a call, just to find out it's fine.  yeah, so much for making a good impression :)

if you have ever heard my jokes or the ones that i deem funny...you'd give me a funny look (at least my husband does).  they are cheesy and usually not that clever, but i enjoy them none the less!

maybe that's why my husband loves me so...i make him laugh, or he always has something to laugh at :)

done anything dumb lately that i should know about? :p

saggy pants

my pants are sagging.  and it looks bad.  and i hate to buy more, just to get rid of them soon...but it's necessary.

so i went to savers (a local thrift store) to pick up a pair of jeans that fit.  i wasn't really sure what size to try on, so grabbed a few. 

TWO SIZES SMALLER THAN I WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR!

(and i could button up an even smaller size - but not wear them and breath comfortably at the same time!)

it feels good.  really good.  (but if you see me wearing the same pants time and time again...just know that i launder them frequently!)

10 lbs gone in the last six weeks, and i plan to do 10 more in the next six weeks.  :)

and oh...if your birthday is today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i hope you are celebrating a little extra this year :)

my first quilt

fabric

sewing machine

ribbon

fluffy insert

scissors

give or take 12 hours

=

 

QUILT/Duvet Cover

my friend is an avid quilter.  she may have gotten me hooked on yet another crafting ability.  i wouldn't say it is my absolute favorite project - at least not yet (probably because i am not an expert with the sewing machine!), but i LOVE the results.

i had full intentions of making my first quilt for my bed.  i was going to get it professionally quilted after i finished piecing it together, but then had another idea.  i have always wants a fluffy, soft, comfortable bed.  the kind you don't want to get out of in the morning, the kind you sink in to and is perfect for cuddling.  

yeah, doesn't that sound amazing!

we wanted that.  and for some reason, having a thin heavy quilt didn't fit bill.  so i decided just add a back to the quilt and make it a duvet cover instead.  

i bought layer cakes (pre-picked fabrics) so i can't take credit for the amazing color and fabric combinations, but aren't they neat.  so perfect for john and i and they fit right into our bedroom decor.  for the back of the duvet i decided to use a sheet instead of buying 9 yards of fabric.  it was cost effective and i got two pillow cases and an extra fitted sheet out of the purchase.  plus, it's reversible and easily washable!  and i bought the insert for $24 at ikea!

 

[i made a pillow out of the extra squares]

[pumpkin loves it!  see how plush and comfy it looks]

[instead of buying just a plain sheet, i found this one at target that has the perfect design to blend into the theme on the front of quilt.  i used cute ribbon to tie the duvet closed along the shorter side.]

it brightens up our room and matches our large picture too!  and one day, it will look even better when we get a bed frame :)