Mission Accomplished

We finished the bathroom yesterday. YEAH!!!! We lost track of the number of trips to the hardware store:) It was definitely worth the work. Of course we learned a lot so we will be able to plan better the next project. The bathroom was a room we wanted to redo since we first moved in to our home. It has been on the back burner since it was not a high priority.
Before: Gross blue linoleum




After!








Before: 70's blue counter and sink














After!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Incredible Pictures..hehe

The bathroom is so small its hard to get a picture of somethings. I don't have the new light fixture on here and other things, you will just have to come over and see it:)

Winnie Graduates

Wing Chun aka Winnie graduated from beginners obedience class last night. The students were tested with the dogs to graduate and the trainers were not allowed to use any correction during the test. Winnie did not sit during a part of the test she was suppose to sit so Isaac put his hands on his hips and stared down Winnie until she sat. We all laughed and the teacher said Isaac was sly.
Geneva relaxing on Winnie


We might enroll Winnie into a different class but probably not til next year. We have a lot of classes we are involved in this year with our homeschooling. I can't possibly add another.

Be careful of what you say you might have to prove it!

Last month I was in 2 different conversations with people saying basically the same thing to both of them about something I believe. Hopefully I was encouraging them about keeping on during difficult times. Then God tested me to see if I really believe it. It is a lot easier to say what you believe than to live it. I can say yes Lord that is the truth with more confidence in that area now.

We had a special preacher come to our church yesterday. I was pretty excited about it. Invited a couple people (which didn’t show up) and was on edge to hear the Word of God. Shortly through the service I became convicted in my heart about my excitement. I realized I should be excited every Sunday and I should always be looking for opportunity to invite people to church. I am glad God used this “special” service to remind me of the importance of His day every Sunday.

Rexford drove around the block a couple times now. The first time he pulled into our driveway I screamed, he was driving between 2 trash cans and I guess I was being a bit of a drama queen. I was laughing the whole time I was screaming. I am trying to have fun with it! So far he is doing fine.

The greatest gift

A chapter we read last week together as a family:)
1 Corinthians 13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How we spent our summer vacation, sort of.

I took Isaac to the orthodontist today. Two of his baby teeth are fused to his bone, so he will have them surgically removed since they will not fall out on their own. The doctor estimated 2 years of braces, which was about how long Ethan had them also.

Rex took last week off and we painted the house. We have some paint spills we still need to clean up. We are almost finished remodeling our (very small) master bathroom. We have a beautiful pedestal sink in there now.

We went to an indoor water park for our family vacation this year. The pass we got for the park was for part of 2 days. The first day we went there were 3 bus loads of kids and the park was packed. The lazy river was a water race track. Even when the park was packed with kids the waiting lines for the rides were relatively short. They had a couple cool slides for Geneva to go down. She loved the hot tubs. She was also able to go down the tube slide if she was on someone’s lap. They had other water slides that everyone else enjoyed. The first slide I went down, Lilly and Isaac were behind me, trying to scare me about how scary the ride was. I was kind of nervous when it was my turn to go down:) It was a really nice break from the projects around the house.

Rexford finished driver’s education today. He now needs to take his test for his permit. He will have some behind the wheel lessons after he gets his permit. I am sure he will be a sensible driver like his father.

It's Not Over!

Co-op emails are starting to come in and I guess I will be sending out some of my own. I ordered our homeschool books for the year last week. This summer has really flown by, but it’s not over! I am going to try and make the most of what is left of it. We did go to the lake twice last week. The girls insisted they wanted to play tennis, the temperature was well into the 90’s and I agreed as long as we went to a tennis court that was by the lake. Three of the kids lasted for about 15 minutes and the other 2 held out for another 45 minutes. I guess I can’t whine too much.

A young lady from our church gave us free tickets to hear the Minnesota Orchestra play Four Seasons by Vivaldi last Friday. We went with the pastor and his wife to a very cool restaurant before we went to listen to the Orchestra. The restaurant was English, named Brits. It was very tasty! I had fish and chips and Rex had pot roast. I would like to go back there again sometime. The music at Orchestra Hall was excellent but ended too soon:)

It is raining outside. We were going to prime and paint the house today. I am not sure when we will be able to do that now. The Lord knows when it will stop raining and when it will be the best time to paint the house:) I guess we will work on the inside of the house today.

I Vonder

Rex and I went to a movie last week and saw an Awesome preview for the movie The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I heard Michael Medved say he thought these movies would be bigger than the Lord of the Rings movies. I certainly hope so! The symbolism in the books is so much greater than the Lord of the Rings books.

Rex is taking some vacation time at the end of the month. We are going to paint the house. We have a couple of smaller projects also we would like to finish during his vacation.

Geneva turned 3 today. While we were at dog training, I made some conversation with her and asked her how old she is and she said she is three. I told her no, she was two but she wouldn’t stop saying she was three. Three is her favorite. She has a favorite color also. She is talking so much but most of it is very hard to understand. A funny phrase she said a lot last week was” It’s not my fault”! I vonder vere she got that from? NOT ME!

Rexford has started driver’s ed. I am excited for him. Ethan has finally named his 2 birds. Ethan is very thoughtful and takes his time before making almost any decision. That has its advantages and problems. Isaac is still thanking us for getting him Winnie and he is doing well training her. Lilly and Danielle are having their first sleepover and are so ecstatic about it..giggle giggles is all I hear.