What I'm reading this week

 

Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life

By Michele Cushatt

 

What do I have in common with a divorced, single mother who remarried, discovered she had cancer, and then decided after their own children were raise to start over again by fostering three little ones?   

 

By the events that happened in her life - nothing. 

 

But the God she serves in her life?  I do too.  And her struggles with faith are my struggles too.  I broke into tears many times in the first two chapters of this book but the words that hit the hardest to home, that stuck with me and I reread and reread are these:

 

"But what if?  What if I'm not okay?  What if the worst-case scenario happens?"

 

Last time I'd checked, Troy wasn't God.  He couldn't make promises about life and death.  He couldn't control the outcomes.  I slung a little snark and waited to see what he'd do with it.

 

Then, sitting together on our bed, he spoke the words that finally broke fear's chokehold on me:  "If you really believe what you say you believe, Michele, then it's only going to get better for you from here."

 

Whoa.  I didn't expect that.

 

I didn't expect to be reminded of the faith I'd claimed since childhood.  To be challenged to either believe it and live it, or let it go.

 

If I really believe....

 

Did I believe what I claimed?  For years I'd professed a solid and sure faith, to my husband and children, neighbors and friends, and in the venues and on platforms in front of hundreds of strangers.  I talked about God as if he were real and powerful and interested in his children.  And I talked about heaven as my ultimate vacation destination.  But somehow I'd let cancer turn God into Santa Claus, a childish fantasy and a work of fiction.  I still believed in him.  I just didn't believe him.  I didn't count on him to be the powerful, rescuing, interested God in the middle of my crisis.  Mine was a belief that looked good on paper, but didn't work itself out in reality. 

Happy Valentines Day!

Ah, Valentine's Day. 

 

In this household, it is a very talked about holiday - one that grows with anticipation each year.  I believe it was when Bree was 3 years old that we started playing Bingo on Valentine's Day.  I saw this awesome prize punchboard on Pinterest and (back in the days of lesser children hence more time) I made said board and a tradition was born.  However, I realized I have never gotten around to blogging about it! So here are the posts of Valentine's past, all condensed into one lengthy blog. The theme of the meals are changed up each year but one thing remains the same - Bingo and prize boards.

 

2014

 

 I don't have too many pictures from the 2014 celebration.  We had company over for dinner and bingo and I'm usually a bit distracted entertaining to take pictures. But the theme of the evening is quite clear in this picture.  Dinner on a stick!  And no one got their eyes poked out, thank you very much.     

 

 

We dined on carrot and celery sticks, salad on a stick, sandwiches on a stick, chicken on a stick, and chocolate covered strawberries... on a stick. 

 

2015

 

There wasn't exactly a theme per say for the 2015 Dominique Valentine Day Extravaganza. 

 

 

For breakfast we attempted a Pinterest idea of baking store bought cinnamon rolls in a waffle iron.  Doesn't really work.  I'd rather just have them baked.  And, of course, we had chocolate covered strawberries. 

 

After breakfast we showed our love for others by busting out our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and started organizing items we already had.  We also counted the money in our 'Give' jars to see how much we had to spend on shoebox items.   

 

THEN it was time to play bingo!

 

(Yep.  That's a cantaloupe under Jim's arm.  He knows the way to this girl's heart.)

 

Holly was not nearly as impressed with the prize boards as her siblings. 

 

In fact, she was down right grumpy about having to get a prize. 

 

But eventually she got the hang of it. 

 

 

Lastly, we opened our Valentines mail from our beloved Aunt Mary.

2016

 

The theme for this year was: VARIETY!  Games to be played for prizes.  Food to eat at each meal.  Everything was your choice. 

 

 

First game of the day was Bowling Dice. 

 

 

The great thing about this game is that it included a little math lesson in old school bowling addition. 

 

Holly ROCKED bowling dice with a score of 225.  She was the first to get a prize this year. 

 

 

CHOCOLATE!!!

 

The prizes aren't all chocolate and sweets.  Mom and Dad passed out coupons this year too!

 

Then it was on to something a little more "girl friendly." 

 

Shocker who won that game, huh?

 

 

 

We played War, Uno, Countdown (adding/subtracting dice game), had a sit up contest, and, of course, Bingo.

 

And Holly got one special punch on the prize board just for taking a nap!

 

Once all the prizes had been won, it was time to burn the boards and do what we do every weekend....

 

.... play Mario

 

And just when I thought it was time for everyone to go to bed, a chess lesson started up. 

 

And that is how we celebrate Valentines Day in our house.  Every year its the same and yet it is so much more.  Its a tradition that must be upheld.

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Curiousity

Recently you may have caught wind that I ordered 20 pounds of Jell-O. 

 

Yep, that's right.

 

20 POUNDS of Jell-O.

 

I know what you are thinking. 

What does that much Jell-O look like?!?

 

 

That picture probably wasn't helpful.

 

Maybe this one will be:

 

 

 

Or maybe your curiosity lies more in what on earth am I going to do with 20 pounds of Jell-O?

 

 

For starters, I am sharing half this sweet goodness with my sister who will happily feed hungry high school wrestlers. 

 

 

My half though?

 

 

I have no special plans.  Its just nice to have on hand for a rainy....or snowy... day!

Steps 4 - 5 - 8 and DONE! Almost

It started.  And then it stopped.  It was slow going and then all of the sudden it was done.  Well almost.  We are waiting on one last key piece to come in and then I'll be a project making fool.

 

At long last, here is the update on my craft closet renovation.

 

When this project started, this is what the closet looked like:

 

Then the header and drywall were removed and it looked like this:

 

 

Wooden floors were added, drastically changing the feel of the room:

 

 

Little detailed decisions needed to be made like paint color to make my super cool new light:

 

 

Trim needed to be painted.  Yep, I'm going WHITE in a craft room.  Which if you know me, or any crafter for that matter, this is a daring and bold move!  Must learn to paint neater.  Must learn to paint neater.  Must learn to paint neater....

 

Bead board was added to the ...... ceiling!  We had to hide the hole from the header after all. 

 

Cabinets were unboxed, screwed together, and ready to be hoisted into position. 

 

From there it was smooth sailing.  For me.  The bystander.  My hubby on the other hand, had a weekend full of fun ahead of him. 

 

And the color choice?

 

 

I went with...

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Bottlenose Dolphin.  Or in other words. 

Gray. 

 

 

I went with the decision to remove the doors from the other closet in the space.  They were the sliding kind and always falling off their tracks.  Someday I may choose to have bi-fold doors installed but for now I found curtains that will do the trick and I love them!

 

All that's left to finalize my room so I can start busting out the projects is my countertop (which has already been ordered), a chair to sit on, and containers so I can start loading all my supplies into my new cupboards! 

 

But all that did not stop my child from using my craft room before me!

 

Thank you to my hard-working husband who pulled most of this off in a single weekend.  You sacrificed your closet (for the second time) for me to gain a place that makes my heart happy.  And while this space probably means we'll be spending more time apart, I promise to make you proud and save you money with the items that come out of it.  I appreciate you seeing my vision and making it happen.  

 

I love you.