Field Trip & Changes at Home

I (ehem, make that, "we") are reading some really great books right now. Some of you might be familiar with Donald Miller, particularly, "Blue Like Jazz" and/or his newer one, "A Million Miles..what I learned while editing my life.." Loving them. Like. Really. Refreshing. And Witty. And Beautifully Transparent. So, that's my reason for not blogging more lately when I might be able to make time at night. I've been reading. (which if you knew me, is a feat in itself because these are like the 2nd books I've read ALL YEAR.) I actually love this time with Ken; in our earlier years, we would read together more often & I loved it. We read through the Chronicles of Narnia, A Severe Mercy, and a couple different marriage books that were fun catalysts for conversation. But as many of you can relate - life with kids and jobs and the fatigue that ensues can inadvertently put the kabosh on read-alongs cozied up on the couch together. I'm glad we've begun reading some new books like we used to. I love it. Sigh... and, it's especially charming to read in a quiet house after the kids are all sleeping, with the glow of lamps lit and a fire going, with hot cups of tea nearby too. Oh we've become "old" haven't we? ;) Well, this post isn't about all this... but I do recommend both books, highly. ;)

Last week Jack had a fun class field trip up to beloved Greenbluff. They took a tractor ride, learned about apples, picked pumpkins, ate homemade pumpkin doughnuts & sampled fresh cider, walked through the corn maze... it was such a stellar day. It really couldn't have been more beautiful; crisp, Fall air, gorgeous colors, sunny, kids laughing & running around. Maggie & Logan got to join in too (as did I - Ken was interviewing & sad to have missed out on the fun.)

We've also been working on house projects during (what we are affectionately calling "down time") while we have Ken home more during the job hunt. It's really not down time at all. Ken describes this phase of our life together perfectly... it's the feeling that your house is on fire and you can't just sit around letting it burn. So even though he has more time, it's not like vacation when he's home - not really relaxing (except for those nights when we can read together, right?) ;)- it feels more like the urgent prodding to persevere and make progress. So, we've (pretty much) finished the cosmetic, budget-friendly overhaul of the basement bathroom. And we have made some changes to our living room. And worked on trim. And started other small projects (like a cool mirror with old wood). All the while, the simple & treasured things of life still continue too... playing with the kids, teaching them, running errands, cleaning, cooking, job hunting, interviewing, meetings, and his night job carries on too. That is, until an ankle injury prevents him from doing so. (that's another story) - but prayers for healing over his ankle would be much appreciated. Or, prayers that that God would open up doors for the right job to transition into, actually, would be really coveted. And that through all the trials this year, our faith would continue to grow and we'd be strengthened, not defeated. 'Cause sometimes it feels that way.

Anyway, if you've hung with me this long, let me share some pics of the above mentioned things... :) Love you all so much!

Jack's preschool class (and some others mixed in) learning about apples


They each picked a pumpkin


These two together on the field trip - Oct. 20th, 2010


corn maze


The brothers cuttin' zzz's after a fun, Fall day outside


Living room after...getting closer & I'll be excited when we move that TV downstairs. (since moving here - we've painted the walls, put up trim, painted the fireplace, and swapped out some of the furniture - mostly making use of things we already had or finding killer deals... like that $17 rug on clearance. Yep. Come to think of it, I think I can like it afterall... ;)


I painted the fireplace. I know, to many, it's a cardinal bad idea to paint brick -- but I just couldn't handle how depressing the extra dark brick looked with black grout and how it'd like, suck the life out of that end of the room. And, the woodwork on the mantel was lost before - now it stands out


The previous owners left this big ol' mirror with the house. It is HEAVY. But we've got plans for revampin' it, involving old wood from crates picked up (for free) at an Interior Decorating shop downtown - thank you craigslist!


Dustin' off the ol' trusty table saw to put 'er to use


This space is right outside the basement bathroom - it's almost like another little room before you turn the corner & hit more unfinished dungeon... aka, the laundry area & potential future classroom or bedroom. But, you get the idea of what this little area could be used for? We have a funky old blue velvet chair in the garage that is another project waiting to be tackled. It just screams "music" chair to me. So, why not hang the guitars on the wall (once we sheetrock), paint the concrete floors or do a fun acid stain on the concrete, and then hang that big mirror on the wall there to lighten up the space?) quick, rough sketch - but you get the idea, right? ;)


And the other night, we had the most amazing sunset -- I absolutely love this time of year. The brilliance of colors everywhere I look, stop me in my tracks. Daily. Hope you are enjoying it too!