Our Christmas Home...And a Birthday Boy!!!

Today is our Caleb's sixteenth birthday!! It feels completely unreal. How is timing moving by so, so quickly??!!

Since I'm having such a hard time keeping up with posts, the shop, everyday life...everything in general, ha... I thought I'd share some photos of our home all decked out for Christmas. We moved into this house three years ago today- yes, on Caleb's birthday!- and while we've done lots, it still feels like there's so much to do. Including a mantel!!! Every time we get ready to make that happen, some life catastrophe happens and it gets pushed back. That's how it goes, I guess. But we are healthy and well, so no real complaints from me. :)

I'll share the family room first...

These were taken last Friday, when I was home ALONE. I dropped Levi off with my Mom so I could get some major sewing done. Yeah, right. I started to clean up a little, and one thing led to the next, and then the sun was shining for the first time in 800 years, so I pulled out my big girl camera to snap a few pics. #priorities

No themed tree for me, at least not while my kids are still living with us. It's a smattering of homemade and other special ornaments that I wouldn't dream of not putting up. Some years we put up our big artificial tree and I have more of a "theme" with that one, but this Mama ain't got no time for that right now. ha ha

I have two of these precious snowflakes from my Nana, who passed away twenty four years ago when I was living in Spain. Talk about time marching forward! Now I'm feeling very old. ;)

I'll have to update this shot because I moved all the stocking and the blue chair, but it represents our daily life pretty well. :)

And this turkey. Many a morning spent playing in here, and everything just seems magical by the tree's glow.

Occasionally I do sit down with a good book. Love this view too.

Onto the dining room...

I decided to start a new little tradition of making a big to do out of the first morning of December. Only it was the second morning because Jonah was working, and Caleb had plans. One thing I've learned after all these years: improvise. Our Dec 2nd special breakfast was great!

That little tree in the corner used to go in one of the boys' rooms when they were small, and Levi is a bit too small for it, so... it works nicely in here. He plays with it a ton, rearranging (and hiding or losing!!) ornaments on the daily.

He looks like such a big boy here!! And I didn't even notice that wrapper until now, ha ha ha!

Then we had our family birthday party for the two December babies. So fun!!

We had our annual gingerbread house making night, so these cute houses are now on display around the dining room. I got a huge kit, which was great, but there were SO many houses that I may have left a couple out back for squirrel food. They were completely gone within twelve hours!

Our back deck- the kitchen window overlooks this, so washing dishes has a pretty view at night. :)

Isabelle's pink tree. I've blogged about its significance several times, but just know, it's a very special tree.

Just a few holiday touches in our room...

Yesterday was a super long day for Caleb, between school projects and then driver's ed, so I surprised him with a few things from good ole McD's before his class started. He willingly posed with me, AND shot up to greet me and give me a big hug in front of everyone! Aww. Obviously NOT my best picture, but I'm sharing because that's how much I love him. We've got a big day planned, I'll try to blog about it before Isabelle's birthday on Saturday!! ;)

Joining in the fun here and here!  I just love seeing everyone's homes this time of year!

I post much more frequently on insta @bethanylivs_life so come find me and say hello!

Touches of Fall in our Home

Two posts in one week! Who dis??? Since I just love getting a glimpse of other people's homes and how they decorate, etc, I thought I'd share a few pics of our home with you. I mentioned in IG earlier that I don't normally decorate for fall before September, but this year, it's like I wanted everything festive and inviting- not summer worn out and tired- for when Ethan left for college. Kind of hard to explain, and lots more emotion all wrapped up in that than I'm going to post right now, but it just felt like the right way to send him off on his own. For a little while anyway. :)

This first picture makes me smile. You know I have a zero tolerance policy for nakey or undies pics online, but this has enough blur that I'm good. This captured moment represents such sweetness and joy to me. I love it.

Here is a better view of the fireplace. Mantel is arriving shortly...I hope! This is the first year I've put things up there, and even without the mantel, I really like it.

That little Target shelf getting some fall attention...thinking about adding a couple more things... Also, the Keurig is gone, since it was technically Ethan's, so that space got filled in with something pretty, but I miss what was there because it represents change. And change is so hard!

 Flowers from our backyard!!

I got the tobacco basket at Hobby Lobby for half off and have loved the texture it adds. I think that wall needs a little something else, but I haven't settled on anything just yet.

I just realized I forgot about the kitchen pics, but I've got to get going.... Happy Thursday! It's almost the weekend!

Simple Fall Decor in Our Entry, Living and Dining Rooms

It's Thanksgiving Week! I'm not one for decorating early (before Thanksgiving) for Christmas. However, this year, I find I've got the itch to move the autumn things out to make way for the lights and sparkle. Last fall, we had painted lots of the trim and the door white, but the walls were still pretty awful. I love how fresh and light the space looks now.

 Simple but festive on our front porch

I'm still loving the sectional sofa in our family room/living room. It opens the space up the way I'd envisioned.

Here's a look at the dark leather furniture in here- it was still such an improvement getting the TV mounted on the wall so we move the couch to that wall.

I admit, I did not bring up even half of the decorations I normally do. I used fresh flowers and food basically. And I liked it, but I missed some of my favorite things.

Somebody didn't mind all the pumpkins and gourds around the house!

Plus they made fun bath toys :)

Just some candles and faux flowers for this hallway.

I have not finished with that far wall, but it looks so much better than when we started. This was taken a couple of days after we moved in. You can see all the wood trim and that ginormous brick fireplace with the stone cold slab of granite (which weighs like a thousand pounds...no joke!)

This is not a very good picture...I'll have to change it out... but it shows our framed ship lap wall. We removed that awful gold wall mounted fixture and finally kissed the green farewell. A year later and we still haven't done the mantel. #lifewith5kids

And because this picture always makes me smile. This was really the only decoration that I ever loved on it. :)

Baby shower post HERE

I'll be making Pumpkin Pecan Pie and Sweet Potato Casserole this year...can't wait! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Big Decisions & Little Changes in our Home

Okay, so first things first. It's hard for me to share this, but maybe it will offer encouragement or hope to someone else in the same boat. I know God is good like that.

For nearly a month, we'd been hoping that we'd found our baby girl. The morning after receiving an email about her, back before Christmas, I was walking C and IK to the bus stop when I got a text telling me that sweet Birthmom had been rushed to the ER due to premature labor (about 4 months early). That felt like some kind of sick joke, considering how we lost the baby back in August. We found out a week or so later that she was doing well, baby was well, and things looks great. Good news!

Another week or so passed and we hadn't heard anything. This is normal, but still, it's frustrating! Well, around this time, I'd also begun to consider another international adoption, or rather, that if God was leading us in that direction, then I would let go of my fear and follow His lead.

On Monday afternoon, I did another online search, only this time I got sucked in. I found a few agencies I like and began reading about the various country requirements, and my heart just started crumbling. Changes in laws have made it SO difficult to adopt, and not only is it a financial hurdle but now it takes more than 2-4 years on average to complete the process, including a 6-8 week or longer stay in country. I felt so hopeless and heartbroken- it doesn't seem fair! Why are people trying to make it so hard to give children a home? A family of their own?

In the midst of this moment of turmoil, I checked my email and there it was. THE email.

Birthmom chose another family earlier that afternoon.

We were told that she was holding our profile in her other hand, and had a really hard time deciding, and that we should feel better knowing that. Maybe.

Maybe not.

I hadn't "lost" it over a rejection in a while, but that night after reading the email, I couldn't hold it back. I feel like my children have seen me cry so much in the past, well, decade, so I tried to hide in the shower. I'm not sure it disguised anything. That was a painful and difficult night. And cue the tears once again. Oh this life is hard!

God is good, all the time! I really do believe that! In fact, that's what I'm clinging to for dear life. It's hard to trust Him- especially His timing right now- but I'm trying. It's a continual relearning to let go of my expectations, and to be grateful for what I have.

So that's what been happening on the adoption front. Tuesday morning was kind of blur, but in an okay way. It was pouring buckets all day long, and wouldn't you know, we had our family portrait sessions scheduled that night. Talk about a near panic attack! My hair, people. That's what I was terrified about. I mean, my hair hardly ever cooperates in general, but with RAIN...oh no oh no oh no... And then there is the pressure of coordinating outfits, everyone else's hair, those goofy grins you're hoping don't show up...

As if it knew it would be the end of me, my hair not only behaved, it was a model student! I couldn't believe it! And that is proof that miracles do happen.  =) Our pictures turned out even better than I'd hoped, and once I started breathing again because of the major sticker shock for the package prices, it was all good. (Our church is updating its directory, so they brought in the professionals, and families could choose to buy packages or not...but honestly, how on earth do you resist when everyone is smiling, looking cute/handsome, and you just look like one big happy family? Exactly.)

I was so happy, in fact, that I declared it Ice Cream Sundaes for Supper night. Tuna subs for dessert. Yum! Then...

Isabelle announces that her tooth is weally, weally, wiggly and the stinker yanks that other top tooth out! I had a hard enough time with the first top tooth, how can I even stand to lose this one? I cried. I tried to pretend it was happy-crying, or at least fake-crying, but I don't think she bought it. She kept rubbing my back and telling me that she's still my baby girl. Insert ugly cry here.

And I am proud to announce that there were no redemptive Tooth Fairy visits (after the fact) for this tooth! We are seriously the worst T.F. parents out there! No, really. The Worst. I will add here, however, that the parents who are forking over twenty bucks for a tooth are really making it difficult for the rest of us who think that forking over twenty bucks for a tooth is insane. Isabelle may have had a snarky comment or two regarding her measly two dollars. Girl should be happy there's something there at all, but I don't think I'll get into that with her. HA

Since I shared some adoption news, I'll share some family news. Ethan has taken a turn for the worse. The medical bills are pouring in. Caleb's broken leg is having more issues, and surgery may be back on the table. Medical bills from that whole fiasco keep pouring in. There is tension and bitterness in our home, even despair. Unkind words and behavior. I worry about the condition of my children's hearts. Of mine.

All of this has led to some serious conversations, lots of prayer, and a rethinking of sorts about what we want as a family. I'm not able to say exactly right now, but we're making big decisions and there will be even bigger changes in our immediate future. The strange-wonderful thing? I have such a peace about it all! That is a total God-is-in-control comfort, and I'm so thankful for that because I think I would just give up otherwise!

Just to make this post even loooooonger, I've been meaning to show a picture of our old TV armoire that we'd shoved in the basement when we moved here (it didn't fit anywhere, or so I thought!) that now sits happily where the tall bookshelves had been. It houses TONS of sewing storage so I'm able to keep things looking neat and clutter-free. And it was completely free! Happy happy happy! I moved the book shelves to the adjacent corner and they add just the right amount of weight to the family room. Now I have to add a couple more pictures to center the gallery wall above the couch, but that's pretty minor!

I will have those new million dollar portraits to show off.  ;)

If you've made it this far, well, thank you for reading my rambling! Here are some pictures:

Obviously this was taken at Christmas- the book shelves have been in that spot since we first moved in. I liked it, but there's nothing like needing to find a spot for a piece of furniture that kicks you in gear to move things around a bit.

I've missed that armoire! We stained it ourselves years ago and it was the most hideous orange you ever laid eyes on. Then we (I) tried to paint it, which was a complete disaster- just bad color choices. So then we stripped and or sanded it down to the original orange but this time rubbed in dark walnut stain, and I've loved it ever since.

I'm still playing around with different pillow cover options. Apparently Ryder has an opinion too.  If you squint, you can see the area to the left of my sewing table is a little different too. I've had so many sewing projects lately that it's never completely picked up, so...that's why there aren't more pictures to show you. Soon, I promise!

Ha Ha, this photo captures the moment well! She made herself a little nervous at one point in the extraction process.  =)

And I just had to share this one- she has such a tender mother's heart, making sure they're covered and warm. I didn't know she'd put them like this until after she'd left this morning. 

Okay, now I'd better scoot! Lots of sewing to do, but first, I've got to get my Beef Stew in the slow-cooker. Have a wonderful day!

Our Family Room Fall-ified...and How We Share the Space for a Home Office/Sewing Nook

Nice title, right?
I was debating adding "...and Red Hair," but decided against it. Wish I'd decided against this color. In the spirit of fall, I was going for a rich, auburn hue and instead now resemble Ronald McDonald. Yikes! Maybe we can just pretend I'm red-haired Sydney Bristow (from Season 1), 'cuz I'm not gonna lie, that would be pretty cool.
Anyhoo.
We were sweating buckets this week with crazy-hot temps and I just couldn't bring myself to haul the fall decorations up from the basement until yesterday afternoon. Today is absolutely the best kind of fall day- big puffy white clouds scattered about that perfect robin's egg-blue sky and coolish breezes giving you the slightest bit of chill. I love it all! Truth be told, I still have yet to locate some of my things- probably because when we moved I had the stuff already out, so I put it where I was sure I'd find it later, and then promptly began setting up for Christmas. Yeah, now I have no idea where it is... but here's what I did find, all set up and looking pretty in our family room.

I had a favorite corner in our other home. (I just spent 9 minutes looking for a pic of it but to no avail...)This is becoming my favorite corner here.  =)

We have a medium sized black letter "P" to go on the top right side. Next to the one frame I neglected to paint ivory. Oops. Someday.

Here's what this room looked like a few months ago. In my defense, the all-house overhaul had taken its toll and I needed a break. Kind of a blank slate... I don't love the tan panels in here, but I do like how they look in terms of length. That little "fishers of men" lampshade got a teensy make-over this summer.

If you're a facebook fan (you can find me on facebook HERE) then you saw my picture of my sidekick/helper. This is one of the pillow covers I was working on. It's actual staff with words and notes and everything! I can't make it out clearly enough to figure out what song it is, but I will try when I'm really bored someday. The other new pillows are the floral prints on the couch. One caution about leather furniture- your pillows don't stay put! And the larger the pillow, well, forget about it! It will always be on the floor.

More help!  =)

A handmade treasure from Caleb's kindergarten days. :)

Now here's the other half of the room: our office and sewing space
Notice how I let go of my pride and didn't even tidy up first? 
We're going to put up two large white shelves above the sewing table - a place to hold all those trims and buttons and threads, etc. It's going to be wonderful!!!

I wrote about this space earlier in the year, and though it isn't perfect, I was able to reuse nearly everything from our previous home office, and those things I was lacking I stole from other rooms in the house. The two shelves and pink baskets were new, but the baskets were on clearance.

Oh, and that big stash of burp cloths and bibs? Those are for sale, and I've got quite a few so...please buy one. Pleeeease.

Here's one last photo of the layout of the two spaces. It's challenging for me to keep my sewing stuff under control, but since it's in plain view, it sort of forces me to. Most of the time.  =)

The next post I write about our home will be another kitchen one! That room sure has changed, AGAIN! Here is the first kitchen post, and a post about organizing on a budget. I'll share how we transformed this horrid looking stuff under the cabinets. Happy Saturday!

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