So Much Done... So Much To Do!

Thanks to the graciousness of my parents who are ever giving of themselves for their family, Tim and I were able to complete many of the painting and repair projects on our extensive list over the long weekend.  The fix it/paint it list is very short at this point... it's my cleaning list that just keeps growing! Yikes.

One of the major areas we painted while the kids were gone (out of necessity) was our bathroom.  Since we only have the one, there was no way we could get that done with everyone in the house.  It was awkward enough having no doors on the bathroom for the entire weekend with only the two of us in the house. :)  The other two major areas we completed with kids out of the house were the desk/office area of the living room, and the "toy closet".  Both were emptied completely and given a fresh coat of white paint.  Now they are put back together and looking much better!

All of the doors (interior and exterior) have been repainted.  Most of the living room was repainted and the rest retouched.  The dining room was painted.  The kitchen was painted... Are you sensing a theme? ;)

Some repairs have been minor, a few others major.  Thankfully, overall, the projects have gone smoothly and quickly.

Hopefully, we will soon have a sign in the yard... and would you pray with us that very soon after that we would have an offer in hand?

As is often the case with projects around here, "before" pictures are forgotten until projects are already begun.  I know I have pictures of most areas of the house in their "before" states... it's finding them that's the problem!  Somehow the "after" pictures don't seem as impressive if you don't know where we began.  Suffice to say, the old place is looking much better after it's facelift.  We did this one other time several years back and after fixing things up we decided the house wasn't so bad and we could stay for a while.  That isn't an issue this time around. ;)  While we will certainly enjoy living in a nicer environment for a while, we will be so thrilled when it sells and we can move to our new place!

Freshly painted and organized

Oh how I love my "new" bathroom!

When your kitchen moves to the dining room...

Fixin'

There will be a lot of fixin' going on around here in the coming days... This old house is going on the market! :)  God is SO good!!  He has provided for us beyond what we ever could have asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).

In trying to find some before pics of the front of the house (didn't have a whole lot of success, but this is what I got) I inadvertently found an entirely different before and after... Check out the difference in Tim from the center photo to the one at the bottom (he's the one in the orange shirt).  Someday I'll share a post all about that.  But for now, I need to get working so we can sell this house!

Mulberries

We've been eating a few here and there over the course of the summer, but this is the first time I've done more of a "mass harvest" of our mulberry tree. It sure would be nice to get more at once. These berries are so good and sweet! The kids enjoy swiping a few every time they play outside. :) Maybe next year I'll be more on top of it and get a better harvest. A ladder to reach the higher branches might be useful as well... or maybe I need to make an exception and enlist a kid to climb the tree. ;)

Official Announcement

I imagine most people who read this blog have probably already heard the news, but in case you haven't -- God has blessed us one more time.  We're expecting #9!  I kept intending to post.  Really, I did!  Then it got so late I thought I'd wait until the ultrasound.  It's hard to believe we've passed that 1/2 way point already. (For those viewing the mobile version of this post, you will need to view the web version to watch the videos - at least I did from my phone when I checked it.)

You can see her moving her hands, and also see her tongue move in her mouth. :)

I love the little twitch in her foot... as if she were dreaming?

Temperance Grace (praying fervently that she will live up to her name!) will join our family sometime around my birthday in mid-November.  Interestingly enough, her u/s was on Tim's birthday last week. :)  The kids are all very excited, and most were voting for a girl anyway, so the results were welcomed! Tim and I were especially relieved... we had a girl name chosen, but not even one idea for a boy name. LOL

The little "bubble" above her nose is part of the umbilical cord.

Precious little piggies.

The writing of this post was delayed further as I struggled with balancing our joy with the discovery that my dear friend had once again suffered the loss of a baby.  Last fall the family experienced the loss of twins at about 12 and 16 weeks gestation.  Her current due date was about 10 days after mine, and her ultrasound just two day after mine.  At that u/s they discovered her baby had passed away a few weeks ago.  This news has been devastating for them.  I grieve deeply with their family, and would ask for prayer for them at this time.  This is one of those times when I have to admit to questioning God.  It seems so unfair.  And while I grieve with them, I cannot begin to understand the depth of their grief.  Please, hold them up in prayer when you think of them... not just now, but over the coming difficult months.

Oddities

We took a spontaneous trip out to the back end of St. John's Arboretum today. Tim saw something interesting along the roadside while completing the 50 mile course for Tour of Saints yesterday. 

Despite the unexpected bloody nose Shi experienced while we walked the arboretum trail it was a fun time. :)