That's all for this week!!!

Enjoy the new pics of the home. Didn't get too much posted this week, the darn desktop is dying, I really need to transfer all the photo programming stuff to my lap top Jack got me for my birthday. I use it for other stuff but just have not found the time to load in all the photo software yet.

Enjoy!!! and remember, send me an e-mail, or leave me a comment so I know someone actually reads this thing!!! Some of you already are and I thank you for it!!!

For My Little Princes!!

I wanted to put a chandelier in our bedroom so bad, but Jack was not into it, so I went for a practical yet stylish ceiling fan instead, which truly I am glade we did, with three windows in our room it creates a great breeze.

But when it came to Courtney's room I just had to ask again ,and Jack caved!!! Me and Courtney went to Lowe's and found this cute thing for 50% off. She loves it and I love it!!!

The room of beauty and frustration!!!

No this is not Thomas showing off his love of purple, he just happened to be in his sister's room while I was taking the picture and asked if he could be in it.

This is what became of the picture I showed you long ago of a strange pretty much unusable storage area above our stairs. We knocked it into Courtney's room and made her a loft bed out of it, so that she will have tonnes of floor space for play.

The strange patches in the purple walls you see have caused me much frustration and disappointment. For some reason the paint did not stick in all areas of Courtney's rooms and it bubbled and peeled. I am going to get around to fixing it, but for now I just look at it and go, Uggh!!!!!!!! I vacuumed the dust off the wall just like all the other rooms, I primed it and painted two coats just like all the other rooms, me and the paint store guys are stumped!!!

Perhaps its a lesson for me to learn about vanity!!!

There is an explanation!!!

You may be wondering, why a picture of a bed. Well this is our new bed, and yes it is in our renovation home, waiting for us. You see when we moved, we had great difficulty getting our King size bed up our stairs (it actually put the very first hole in the plaster of our current home). That day Jack said to me " honey without the aid of a chain saw that bed is never coming down!". So the king mattress has never really been the same since it got so squished to fit, plus we are in a different stage of life now then we were when we got the king over 8 years ago, then we considered ourselves lucky if we had the bed to ourselves for more than an hour before a child rolled in for the night, or sometimes it was two children one on each side squishing us.

Sigh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now those days are gone, no children climb in bed with us any more, so we can go down to a queen once again.

I know you are still waiting for the reason it is at our new home, I am getting there just let me enjoy reminiscing a bit would ya!!! Okay well, we purchased our kitchen appliances at one of those all and one stores, and they happened to have a great sale on memory foam type beds that week as well, and it meant we would save the price of two deliveries, so we bought it. Thinking at that point by the time the appliances came 2 months later (you can store them at their warehouse for 2 months free of charge) that we would be close to done, and in need of the bed by then. Ya!! Whatever! Life happens,.

So we had them put the bed upstairs, and a week later I found this headboard at a yard sale and gave it a fresh coat of paint, I also found the sheets and the comforter at a yard sale too, so we went ahead and set it all up as a way to protect the bed till we move in.

Jack took a 3 hour nap on it a few weeks back (when he was planning to work on the kitchen), he claims it is really comfortable!!! (apparently this bed, may be a source of distraction for Jack in the months left of Reno's)

Coming to a floor near you!!!

A claw foot tub will eventually sit here, if we can get those daisy decals off that is, otherwise it might be a modern day tub and tile surround. I do love how this floor turned out though it is commercial vinyl tile purchased for .32 cents a tile, this is the colors we did upstairs, in the downstairs we did blue and white. It was easy to install and cost under $100 per bathroom with all supplies included.

Upstairs Bathroom Cabinets

This is a poor picture but it just give you an idea of the storage we built in to the upstairs bathroom. Again my goal for this house, once I knew it was the one we were going to most likely keep of the two was for storage for every thing. Our current home has one main floor closet, and only 2 of the 4 bedrooms have closets, hence I am always looking for places to stick things. I do not want this nightmare again if I can help it. So one night while watching HGTV, while knitting of course, I noticed they used a stock pantry in a bathroom for more storage, and when it was all trimed out and completed it blended in really well, and I went ahh!!!!! we got to do that. So no more screaming to the kids to run, for towels, or toilet paper, or such, it will all be in there.

Oh and guess what, I found a great 3 feet by 4 feet mirror at a yard sale with a fabulous frame for a great deal at a yard sale. It is like brand new!!! ( the Lord provides and provides)

Well there you have it

Enjoy this weeks rambling, I actually cheated this time and went a bit over an hour, due to stopping the clock to do something for Courtney and then forgetting to turn it on again when I started typing so really its and hour and 15 minutes of rambling this time.

Still I got alot done to read it all you will have to click on "older posts" on the bottom cause I actually wrote two pages this time!!!

Hey do me a favor, leave me a comment so I know someone actually reads this thing!!!

The TV Altar

This is found in the family room, really you cannot miss it cause it is huge and takes up the entire wall!!!! I was hoping for a bit more book case and fireplace feel and a bit less TV feel but it came out a bit unbalanced. I am painting the fireplace surround white and the rest chocolate brown to sort of take a bit of emphasis of the TV.

This is of course Jack's pride and joy he did not even let me paint it. I got to prime it and pick the colors but that was all.

If you are wondering how we ended up adding a fireplace, well it was a major close out deal at Lowe's one day and we could not resist the idea of curling up on a cruel harsh Indiana winter's day.

Okay winter really is not as bad here as other areas, but for this coastal girl where winter was like rain for months and snow maybe just a few days, its really Harsh to me!!! Oh well at least its sunny here in winter, I could not stand the Okanagan's grey winter days, I felt like getting a ladder up to the sky and tearing at the clouds, several times I swear to you I did get outside and screamed at the sky "would ya just do something, rain, snow whatever, just do something, cause I cannot stand do nothing grey days"

My Floor to ceiling book shelf

This is in the room I am calling the study, most would call it the formal living room, but a homeschooling family of five does not get much use out of a formal living room but a library we will. I am always picking up books at yard sales and thrift stores and really want to make this room a warm and cozy place to curl up with a book. This will be a TV free room. It is at the bottom of the stairs and opens up to the front porch and the dining room so it has a lot of exits off of it, so it is going to be tricky to get that cozy feel I want.

This is also the book shelf I had to "bat my baby browns" for a backing, Jack wanted to leave it drywalled but I did not see that standing up to the abuse of our family so I fought for bead board and won.

He on his own came up with a brilliant plan of drilling a hole in each long shelf and putting a plug in, in the bottom so at Christmas time I could put some of our books away and use it to display our Christmas village, with its lighted up store fronts!!!

My Laundry Area

Now when I say mine, I do mean mine, I know my kids are probably old enough to help and one of these days I will at least show them how to start the washer and dryer, BUT I am a tall lady who barely fits her long legs into "Long" labeled clothes, and that means I am very careful about how I laundry those clothes so that I don't look like I am even taller in pants two inches too short. This laundry area is my planning, one side of shelves is for dirty laundry the other side is for clean folded laundry that needs to be put away, all can be done at a hands throw.

The washer and dryer we got was a total God thing, we were in Home Depot one day when in the middle of the Christmas tree displays we saw this beautiful stacking washer and dryer set just sitting there (so I guess that whole Christmas tree disaster was worth it after all) (if you don't remember my agrivating run in with the tree check out last Novembers postings) . Anyways turns out it was a display model that they sold to us for less than the price of the washer itself, they basically threw in the dryer for free!!!

In case you are wondering where the set is, its on my front porch, I look at it every day and remember I need to set some time aside in the week to go and paint so that one day soon I will actually get to use it!!!

The ceiling I am so glad I batted my "big brown eyes" for

My daddy always use to say to me, honey your baby brown eyes are going to be your greatest weapon, all you got to do is bat those puppies and you will have your man doing whatever your little heart desires.

Well I save that power for important things like high ceilings off the kitchen. Jack fought me several times on this one, something about it being a big time waster to add. But now he loves it too, it really adds a wow element to the back end of the house.

Oh, okay I did use those "big brown eyes" a few more times on the project, including the attic, and the backing of the libary bookshelf, and perhaps a few small other areas!! Thank you Lord for my "baby browns".

Our Study Area

Picture this in your head painted black and covered with papers (cause I do admit I have clutter problems). It is right off the kitchen in what was probably a breakfast nook at one time, but was a fourth bedroom when we bought it. We opened it up and the ceiling as well (see next picture) and decided it would best suit us if it functioned as homeschooling central). I am going to add a small couch to this room with a side table to hold my knitting and a folding adjustable height table for the child whom I am helping at the time. Above the desk area will sit a flat screen TV that can be turned in to be viewed in the bar area of the kitchen. The opening of the desk is large enough to fit two chairs comfortable, and will more than likely be a well loved spot for Courtney and all her artwork creations.

More Kitchen

Jack and I really tried to use every square space of the kitchen for as much storage as we could. I am so looking forward to having a pantry and a large closet just off the kitchen. Because we used ready made stock cabinets we did have to make a few of our own open cabinets, so to make it all look the same, I am going to paint all the cabinetry a creamy white, those of you who live near can check out the color on my arms and legs and hair in just a short while, as I plan to start painting it in the next few weeks (Jack has a bit of finishing work to do, and then I will need to prime it, then finally paint!!!).

Our Kitchen

I brought the camera over the the renovation house in hopes to show you a few pictures of the Pop up tent trailer Jack bought last week but that is another story (that includes numerous hours of frustration, in which I am proud to say I only heard 2 bad words utter out of my husband's mouth, that's a vast improvement in the past 13 years we have been married)

Anyways, instead of watching my husband rant and rave, I decided to take a couple of pic's of the house for ya all. (Although I have got to admit I thought about turning my camera on video mode and taking a clip of his temper fit, but he would not have found that as funny as me and my readers might have, and well I do have to live with him).

I hope you enjoy the sneak peak. Still a lot of work to do, but we are getting there.

What else is there to do, when your brother's got a game?

Soccer season is in full swing for the boys and although I enjoy watching the games , the other children really only like the "big action" moments, so as a way to ensure I will actually get to watch the rest of the game with few interruptions from the other "non-playing" children, its one of the few times I allow them to play their portable video players, other times are long trips, dentist visits and time at the renovation house.

She finally Caved and joined in!!!

Courtney has not been a fan of video games until the last month or so. But now she is hooked much like her two brothers. She is making due with her brothers old Game Boy Advanced, but has already put a Pink Nintendo DS on her growing Christmas list, (that includes a swim doll, and various other products from commercials)

One last short comment

The hour is going far today. So I've got one last thing check out www.owlhaven.blogspot.com and read about a lady who will truly make you feel challenged to squeeze more into you day.

I Love CVS

Many of you who live locally have received my e-mails raving about CVS, which is a drugstore near me that offers great deals. Thanks to sales, with Extra Bucks, and manufactures coupons I know pay little to nothing for Toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, hygiene products, razors, makeup, and facial cleanser.

If I have not got you hooked yet, please go over to the side column and click on moneysavingmom.com and you will not be sorry, she has a sidebar listing marked "for those new to CVSing" or something like that and it will go over how to do it all.

I caught the bug from my friend over at winning personality, so check out her blog too!!! She is hilarious and if you go back far enough in her archives (I think it was march) you will find a very fictional story that has my picture attached to it. Well okay so its not really fictional but it is at least a bit exaggerated, well at least the part about my yarn being blessed, anyways, I guess truly the rest does describe we very well.

I know I already have two of you readers very hooked on CVS, but I feel it is my mission to get all my local friends to at least give it a try, I cannot be the only one who enters the local CVS and has the cashier shout over the counter "Hey it's that coupon lady again!!! How low are you going to get that total this time!!!" (seriously it has happened, and I want to know I have company in this ).

My new Sport!!!

After 3 years or running in the summers I finally decided to Kick things up a notch. A few things helped first I finally went to the doctor's this winter to find out why I was so tired all the time and sore all over, which turned out to be a iron defficiancy problem!!! Within three months I felt loads better and even my weird migranes went way down in frequency.

If you are wondering why I call them wiered well count on me to suffer from a form of migrane only 5% of migrane sufferers get, that actually cause one half of my body to go numb!!!!

Any ways enough about my wierd body, lets get back to running. The most important reason I began running longer and more often was because my friend Jami took up a liking to it too, and then her liking spread like wild fire and now at least three other friends are running. They are now my sisters in sweat!!! And believe I am no daintly lady I sweat a lot!!!

The pictures above are of my first official race as an adult, I use to love to run in grade school got lots of ribbons in a box somewhere to prove it. Still I was a bit nervous that was oh lets say 20+ years ago I kind of did not remember what it felt to race.

Well apparently I still remember how, me and Jami both won 3rd place in our division, okay really I got the 3rd and she got the 4th but we really finished together and I only placed before her cause I saw the ladies hand reaching out for our time cards first.

My next goal is a mini-marathon this coming October just over 13 miles of running, I think that works out out to just over 2o km for you Canadian folks. Strangly I am looking forward to it.

I am also planning or registering for the Indy 500 race in the spring, no I am not taking up car racing, they have a mini-marathon around the track before the big car race. Its suppose to be one of the largest ones in the nation. I figure having that as a goal will keep me focused on my workouts over the winter when I would really rather be hibernating.

My Big Surprise!!!
It all started yesterday morning, when Aiden desperately seemed to want to spend some time with Dad. Dad showed up around 10 and had just a bit more hospice work to do before heading to the reno house. I asked if Aiden could go with him he said, well not now but he can come with me on an errand at 3, we will be gone till 7. I of course not being one to survive off of few details (I am a very detail person I got know all the who, what, when, where and why) Asked for more information about the errand. All I got was a big fat "Its a surprise you are going to have to wait!!!.

Well several phone calls later, and I finally guessed it, and Jack admited to it. He had already picked it up by then. He bought what you see pictured above, a 1996 pop up tent trailer, with a queen size bed on one end and a double on the other, fridge, stove, tv and vcr, heater (but no airconditioning) roll out awning and the green carpet to go with it. They even threw in all their camping supplies for a cool $1700.

The kids are already begging to go out in it. I think we have a few weeks left where we could. Jack quit his weekend on call work at Hospice, so we should have the time (I know I know we got a house to complete but ya got to have a bit of fun now and then)

Lets Jump right back in shall we!!!

Yes that is a picture of my 6 year old girl jumping off the high dive and enjoying every minute of it while her mother takes the safe road and sticks to the lower diving board. Anyways lets get away from the fact that my 6 year old is braver than her mother and just cover some ground of what is happened in the last few months of non-existant blogging for me (I think the last one was late march).

Our family is still working on the first of our two renovation homes (we live in one). Things really took a slow down in the winter, once Jack took his new position at hospice, good thing is we own it, so the cost of holding onto it is low. I had one wise woman say really when you look at it, my hubby has renovation as a hobby and our holding cost per year are about the same as an annual green fee to a exclusive golf course BUT, I will get those green fees back with perhaps some profit when he is done, not many people have a husband with a hobby that does that!!!!

I am the official painter of the project, now up until this year my experience painting has been very limited but over the last few months I have learned a few things.

1. Buy the more expensive painters tape, you will not regret it (However if you do buy the cheaper tape, your frustration level will rise when you realize you now have to touch up a lot of areas that were pulled off by the Cheap tape!!!)

2. When painting in tight spaces where a hat or a shower cap, cause paint takes a long time to come out of hair, and you will get tired of people saying "there is something white in your hair!!!"

3. A good scrub brush full of body wash will take most paint off skin!! (what can I say I am a dripper and I hate using gasoline it stinks!!)

4. Always have a roll of paper towels handy for spills and oh ohs!

5. Those little edgers on wheels are the greatest inventions for painting near ceilings!!! They beat the edge paint brushes hands down.

6. When all else fails, go to Sherwin Williams and confess your lack of knowledge, and they will be happy to help you.

Some of you may be wondering just what our time line is now for our current renovation house. Well truthfully I give up on time lines, but I do know what has to be finished, its pretty much painting and more painting and more painting for me while Jack has to put in closet systems, redo the front porch, put in the claw foot tub and upstairs sink, put in all flooring throughout house, and put up a lot of trim , around windows and doors and floors and ceilings, oh and he has to hang those doors (which again need painting). There are also the kitchen counters to install, as well as the kitchen sink.

But truly we are still enjoying the work, it is very satifying for me to go over there and put in four hours of work and go back another day and see that those four hours of work are still done and not undone like the hours of work I put in to keep our current home clean. For Jack, its a change from dealing with people all day. We both love a challange and it truly has been a challange and continues to be one that we are pluging away at.

There goes the timer. I don't write much in an hour do I !!! Well I had computer issues today for the first ten minutes my picture would not load!!! See you next week.