Thankfulness Tree

sticks. . . damp sand. . . . magic marker printing on fake leaves. . . white lights. . . remembering to have thankful hearts.

dress blues

Special weekend. . .

Kids with inlaws, dinner out on the town in a city not my own, cold drizzling rain and snuggling into our hotel room. . . fun fun fun.

Daniel participated once again in Honoring Our Own. . .

Such a beautiful ceremony.

Real bagpipes.

China set at a table honoring those who won't be there.

Stemware ceremonially turned up side down.

Couldn't stop the tears watching my little man's daddy stand guard at a table for those no longer here.

Watched the incredible presentation of the lives of the fallen. . . blown away to see it dedicated to our Gabe.

Lots of Kleenex.

Special.

Precious.

(before & after snapshots)

My back is out

my arms hurt

helped my good friend Carter (age 10) retrieve the middle squirrel of a trio he and Daniel trapped on the roof 

{drumroll for me helping.  This involved a ladder, which I don't do, and tin snips to cut the wire cord attaching the trap to the roof, which I have since been informed, were the wrong tools for the job.  But Daniel was on duty and Carter needed help on the ladder. . . sooo. . . I cut the wire, he held the trap and the hissing, spitting squirrel.  He thought he'd tease me with the little varmint, but I told him I wouldn't speak to him for the rest of his life if he let that trap touch me.  JD heard me and I spent the rest of the afternoon explaining what a threat is. Deeann stood at the foot of the ladder and laughed.  Not funny, Deeann.} 

Oh for a camera when you need one.

I fell off of a bench while rolling the kitchen ceiling

I feel guilty staying home after working so hard for so long

I still have scrapes on my hand from reaching up into a fan that JD had turned on (unbeknownst to me)

But here are a couple pictures of my part (Daniel obviously does the things that really matter. . . like water heaters and drywall and tearing trees out and buying appliances. . .)

Kitchen {BEFORE}

Why, oh why, peach and burgundy?

Kitchen {AFTER}

Obviously the flooring and counter tops stayed.  Cupboards, bright white, walls *journal cover*

What???? You didn't think there was going to be chalkboard paint?

Check out that cool brass fixture.  Seriously, at what point in history did brass ever look good?

Enter, hammered metal spray paint + new shades - new light fixture for $12



So much of the work involved in foreclosures is just simple TLC. . . like super cleaning these vents and cold air returns and giving the grates a fresh coat of shiny black paint.

Dining room and into Living room. . . fresh white paint on all of the trim. . .

Lots of Murphy's Oil. . .



Stairway {BEFORE} . . . how about mustard for a stairway and hallway color?




Stairway {AFTER} . . . oh yeah. Much better.



Master bedroom {BEFORE} . . .  three layers of ceiling falling down and shiny olive walls. . .



Check out the *non mustard* hallway. . .



Oh whew.

I'm so tired.

So today I treated myself to Bath & Body hand soap {spiced pumpkin and pumpkin cream. . . yum} + new boots + aimless shopping + bookoo free samples at the mall + lunch with my gorgeous sis-in-law Karen at Panera + the Hawks who weren't a treat today + a mini candy bar + two matching $3 lamps to make over at Goodwill.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Goodnight.



November

Thanks, God, for not letting the snow come . . .

my heart isn't ready for it yet. . .


Taking a meal to a couple who just welcomed their first child. . .

JD: Why do ya take people food when they have babies?

Me: Cuz then you don't have to cook, you can just cuddle with your baby.

Cambria: Well, God gets to cuddle with our baby.  {Loved that.}


Painting and painting and painting.  Trying to see the investment potential.  Feeling very immature and short sighted.  Just wanting it to pay me now.  Cambria: We going to the dirty house? JD: Cambria, don't call it the dirty house, besides, our other house is dirty too. {True words, my son.}  She's calling it the "wental" now.

Contemplating the heavy load on the shoulders of working moms.  This project is so voluntary for me; I enjoy it, but it's my choice.  It's enlightening to me to realize how the hours of labor away suck all of my enthusiasm  from my real home.  Here becomes drudgery, a drag, so hard at the end of a long day.  I look forward to the next few weeks of being here at home and the joy that comes from being here.

Trying to sort out what is real grief in Cambria and what is manipulation.  Yuck.  Who wants to psychoanalyze that?

Emerging just a little back into the world of being aware of others needs and to the overwhelming hurt and pain in the lives of people.  Life is hard.  I'm not the only one suffering. 

Cringed when someone told me several weeks ago. . .hey, the old Hayley is back! because I don't think she's ever coming back.  I am a different person.  Don't know that I'd even want to go back to the naive, glibly I'm a Christian, life is amazing when you obey God way of looking at life.  Life is pretty much not amazing like 72% of the time. I'm learning that God's gifts of those beautiful moments of joy are just that:  gifts. Gifts to give me a taste of the Giver of life, the Giver of eternal life. 

Thankful for a faithful man in a world of cheap thrills and temptation.  I love you, babe - you rock.

Enjoying a young guy sharing our dinner table on Wednesday nights before all the whirl of activities begins. . . the kids are lovin' Henry and my cooking is being challenged above and beyond Totinos or Cheerios before we dash out the door.  Planning.  It's all about planning.

Tickled to death that I escaped jury duty.  I think it had more to do with the fact that the trial was cancelled than the five different ways I said my husband was a firefighter and I had very good friends in law enforcement.

Savoring some special lunch dates with some amazing girlfriends lately. . . I am so blessed.

Phone calls from my sisters. . . I love love love how connected we are.  Warm fuzzies all over to know what each one is doing and know they care about me.  If you don't have a sister. . . oh, I am so sorry for you.

Tentatively planning some Christmas stuff. . . feeling so thankful for the ideas God has showed me to include Gabe. . . like still hanging his stocking. . . and filling it. . . and then giving it. . . to a little person still here.  And so glad for my ongoing tradition of choosing a different color every year to theme our Christmas decor around. . . yep, this year we are going to have an Orange Christmas.

Scared for Thanksgiving. . . weird. . . one of my favorite holidays. . . I know exactly which moment will be the hardest.  Tears pool now, just thinking about it.  Each one of us, around Mom and Dad's long table, taking turns saying what we are thankful for this year. That will be hard. 

Learning to let my man pursue his dreams. . . realizing how often women and their insecurities hold their husbands back from doing what they love.  Ugh, don't wanna be that woman.  Easier said than done.

Learning a ton from our Bible Study this year. . . on peacemaking and living out the gospel in our relationships.  It is so stretching.

Eating terribly. Sleeping terribly.  Knowing this needs to change.

Loving loving loving our junior high kids this year. . . they are just too fun and so refreshing.

Still  reaping healing and more healing from our weekend in Georgia. . . so thankful for everything God did there.  I will write a book post on that soon.

Thankful that God is God and knowing He is big enough to meet every need in my heart.

Shamelessly copied this random thoughts idea from Wendi, over at Everyday Miracles. She really deserves a whole post, but true to the random thought idea, let me say this. . . childhood friend; beautiful woman; real, real, real; someone who has walked this road of grief before me; amazing photographer; blogger before it was cool; in love with Jesus.