A New Look on Some Old Things

I just love Pinterest.  It is loaded with great ideas.  Today, I found a project I had to try for the main bathroom in my house.  The bathroom had a complete renovation and we have just finished it.  It needs the rug and shower curtain and then I can proudly post all pictures of it.  Until then, I have been gathering items with my color scheme.  

Here's what I did...

I took this glass and vase 

and this paint..Bahamas Blue Americana Acrylic Paint.

I poured the paint into the containers and layered the inside well.  After letting it dry for a few hours, this is what it looks like.

  

Here's how they look on my new shelf in the bathroom.

The walls are a light (VERY LIGHT) gray, the trim and wainscoting are white.  The yellow candles and turquoise blue containers are the accent colors for the bathroom.  I LOVE the way it turned out!

Having fun

Tuesday afternoon.  We were all finished with our school work and it was time to play.  My oldest daughter made cookies and we watched movies together.  Later that night, my husband and I took our four older kids to see Jurassic Park in 3D.  The time spent was fun.  We got candy and slushies and found our spot in the theater.  We don't go to the movies much because it is SO EXPENSIVE to take the family to a movie.  Here's a picture of my kids set up and ready for the movie to start.

They are so cute!  They enjoyed the movie and they did well staying engaged.

 I can't imagine life without them!  

Blessings, Bloodwork and the Dentist Office

This was a manic Monday for sure!  The morning started too early for me as my husband was already awake and getting moving for work by 6am.  I'm NOT a morning person! Though a rough and busy beginning, I was determined to get the week started right.  First, I had to pray a blessing over my family.  My youngest son, has begun to pray the blessing over me after I've prayed it over him.  This is good for this momma's heart.  

I had to get bloodwork done for an upcoming oncology appointment and my husband needed to get to work.  There are many errands I will run with my children, but taking them to my doctor's office, is not one I ever want to repeat!  I also had a mountain of laundry to complete for the day and had very little laundry soap...therefore, my plan was, I will run to get my blood drawn and pick up laundry soap on my way home. Simple task.  

I got into the office shortly after it opened and found I was third in line.  (This only happens when I am in a hurry.)  Normally, I wouldn't mind waiting, but today was different.  As I watched the dear nurse try to get a line going for another patient who was receiving chemo, my heart was so stirred.  This nurse has done this very procedure probably thousands of times before, so it was nothing new.  But today, for this patient, she was having a difficult time finding a cooperative vein.  As I watched this older woman endure the pokes of a needle and hear her groans of discomfort, my heart and mind were stirred to think of my ailing grandmother.  My grandmother just turned 85 last week.  A feat I didn't think would happen.  You see, my grandmother has been bound to her nursing home bed, slowly dying for weeks.  She's not dying from illness, though she does show signs of dementia.  Her body has simply run it's course and is running out of steam.  Though I'm grateful it wasn't her sitting in that chemo chair, taking the pokes of a tiny needle, I was so saddened because I knew at any given moment she could be enduring her own pain.  She can't move around to find a more comfortable place to lay anymore.  She can't get up to stretch her legs.  There isn't a medication she could take to help heal her body.  While I pray that the Lord will bring her comfort, I know the only comfort that will come is when He takes her home to be with Him in Heaven.  While that does bring comfort, it still is painful. 

Later that day, my two oldest children had a dentist appointment.  After being there for over two hours, I was ready to go home!  They were new patients in this office and it was just a six month cleaning..but it seemed to take forever!  My girl will need a lot of work as she has a small mouth and a lot of overcrowding, but my son walked out with a good report.  

I know God hasn't promised us a life on easy street.  We each have to deal with the needles and crowded teeth of life.  You see, we have a spiritual enemy who can't stand us and will try every angle to ruin our lives.  Did this day go the way I wanted?  Nope.  In fact, I was ready for the day to end early.  But I know that I serve a God who does care for us.  He cares that my heart hurts for my grandma.  He cares when I cry out to Him to make the hard parts of life go away.  James 1:2-4 tells me to consider it pure joy when I face trials.  I long for sunshine and roses all day, everyday.  But until that day comes, I will work to endure in this life until I am complete, lacking nothing.

A Blessed Life

Our church has a program that started just two months ago, called AWANA.  Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.  My children have loved AWANA for several years.  The program is quite exciting.  The children attend each week, learn scripture verses from the Bible, play competitive games and earn rewards for their hard work.  Four of my five children are active in this great program and are eager to study their books to memorize their verses. (The fifth child is not even two yet...we are thrilled he is learning to say snack!)  Some of my children are in competition with one another, others are in competition with other children in the program.  

While my husband, who works in the program, and children are in their classes, I am attending a parents class called AWANA at Home. I have been challenged to begin new things to better enhance our family's walk with the Lord and our closeness to one another.  One thing I began this week, was to speak a blessing over each member of my family.  This idea comes from the book of Numbers, chapter 6 verses 22-27 when God told Moses to have Aaron bless the Israelites.  I want to stay diligent in doing this every morning when we rise.  I want my children to begin their day thinking of the very Creator of their lives.  We have so much to be thankful for. 

There are days, however, when I fail to remember that we have so much to thank God for.   A lot of times, those days are filled with stress and hassle.  If only I start the day with the Lord, will I then be able to control my response when things don't go "my way".  

Yes, I live a blessed life.  I have a wonderful family.  I live in a good home with food in my kitchen.  I have friends and family who love me.  I couldn't imagine a life without all of these wonderful things!

Art Day

Mondays typically are our art lesson days.  After lunch, I pull out our guide book, Artistic Pursuits, and our collection of materials needed, then I call the children together.  They LOVE art day.  We discuss the lesson and I give them their assignment and they go to town.  I like to step out of the room while they work and listen to them discuss their work with each other.  Once each child is done with their piece, I will lay it out to dry before hanging on our Art bulletin board.

Today's assignment was to draw an experience they have had.  This is what they came up with...
Silas remembers the time he went to the water park with his aunt, siblings and cousins.

Faith remembers when we took a family trip to Disney World.

Levi also painted a picture of the water park with his aunt.

Lizzy was excited about learning how to ride her bicycle without training wheels.