It’s December.
So begins the busiest time of year in our household, I know this is the case for most of us though right? Obviously the holiday season is always busy, but now that I have two children with December birthdays, in addition to the usual holiday gatherings, well it is just a whirlwind month. Add the flip house and filming on to that...honestly it's a wonder I'm not stress-paralzyed by now. I have been getting an insane amount of help from friends and family - and I can feel that extra grace the Lord is giving me to keep it all together. He really does equip us for the season we're in when we seek His help. Also, I'm definitely lowering my standards this year when it comes to birthday party plans and Christmas goals. Some years are just different, and that's ok. In the end the kids won't remember that one year that was crazy busy...unless I give them reason to remember ME being crazy. They probably would remember the year mom had a nervous breakdown at their party. So I am determined to take a few days off here and there so I can be present with my family, really soak up the season as much as possible, and love them well. Kid parties are too dang elaborate these days anyways, us moms need to cut ourselves some slack. All our kids really care about are the gifts and the sweets right? Give em' legos and cake and they'll be happy for days. So far my kids have been completely satisfied with small parties at the house, just the cousins and family, and I'm thankful they're so easy to please. Small special traditions, like breakfast out with daddy and a sleepover in mommy's bed make beautiful memories too that they look forward to every year (although I think I got the short end of the stick on this one...daddy gets a yummy breakfast out with them, I get kicks in the back all night and bags under my eyes the next day. Hmm...might need to rethink this one, lol.)
This week we celebrated Ransom's 12th birthday!
Ok, the house updates...
A lot is changing! Our drywall crew has finished and the house is ready for paint and flooring, which we hope to start next week. We have had a couple of warm days so we've been taking advantage and focusing on finishing up the exterior work - Gabe painted the dormer and porch gable, and I finished woodwork on the garage. I measured, cut, and nail gunned all the decorative trim...that was a big accomplishment for me, and a great boost for my skill set confidence. I made some mistakes, but I love knowing I can do a job like this now, I think I'm even going to try to tackle the primary bedroom trim on my own too, I want to add board and batten trim in there too.. We finally got sod laid in the front yard - that really transformed the place! So, a lot of little jobs are happening that make a really big impact, which is fun to see! Here are some photos of current progress!
GRATITUDE PAUSE
I've always been so impressed by my brother Gabe. He's not a talkative one - unless you get him going on something he's passionate about, and I love it when that happens. He is really great to work with. He works at a steady, focused pace, and gets so much done without rushing around. He is careful to do the job right and not cut corners. He is great at problem solving and being resourceful. He knows so much about all types of jobs. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he is a lot like my dad, and can teach himself how to do just about anything. He might hate me for this one, but when we were kids we would play make believe together...I remember him playing dolls with me, and one time we played animal hospital in the backyard. We climbed a tree together to "rescue" animals, and I distinctly remember him carrying a dead baby bird that he found on the ground (which grossed me out.) I've really cherished this project and having him be a part of it. And I am SO grateful he was available and had the time to work with dad and I. We have REALLY needed him. It's such a blessing to be friends with siblings as adults.