Cute Things from Isabelle & a Home Office Sneak Peak

This week has been one ginormous UP and DOWN, with the weather, with moods and temperaments, life things, school things....ahh, you name it, and we've had a high and a low about it this week!

One of the highs was hosting a brunch yesterday, and then visiting with other friends later in the day, and then... getting to watch Ethan play soccer for the first time since October! It would have been completely awesome had it not been for my lurching-to-my-throat heart every time another player got even the slightest bit aggressive with him. Or the ball flew past his head. Or pretty much anytime he left the sidelines. (Ethan is our oldest son who suffered a severe concussion in October than landed him an overnight in the hospital, and then months and months of physical and neurological therapy, in case you're new and don't know- he's much better now!)

Isabelle is that gloriously fun age where she's trying to understand everything, so she asks lots of questions. Lots. Of. Questions.

Lately she has been trying to wrap her brain around what's real and what isn't. Disney makes this no easy task, ha!

She is completely baffled about the notion of  "actual, real, live people" when Anna ecstatically sings about the big party because she can't fathom how the two belong together in the movie. Because, after all, she informs me time and time again that there were actually no real, live people in it. Ha Ha

One other day, totally out of the blue, she asked me how Flynn Rider and Rapunzel could be singing their song with their "mouthas" closed. That one took me a second, because I hadn't remembered; but she's right, they aren't singing at first. Try explaining that one. Background music and voice-overs didn't seem to be the thrilling answers she was hoping for, not that she got what I was saying in the first place.  ;)

And then, the instant the van stopped in the garage after gymnastics practice Thursday afternoon, she pops out of her seat and squishes her face against my cheek, raspy-voiced and whispering, "I think you broke my smolder."  I nearly died. But wait, it gets even better... she backs up and tells me to watch her "smolder" as she proceeds to wrinkle up her face and smirk her little lips, and then tilt her head to the side. That's when her very-high gymnastics ponytail smacks my right eye, and now we're both dying. Such a funny, endearing little moment- I don't ever want to forget it.

This picture popped up for some reason the other day when I was going through some other albums- cutest thing ever! That grin, those curls, that adorable little dented chin. I love it all!

As for the office, I've made a few subtle changes. There is quite the explosion of color from all the fabrics that are folded on shelves (and generally spilling out from baskets, across the ironing board, and all over my sewing machine), so I've made things a bit more neutral on the office side of the room. This is just a little sneak peak...

I might even have some updated kitchen photos to share soon. I'm sure you can hardly wait.  =)

I hear the weather may get warmer today so we'll be heading outside for sure! Have a great weekend!

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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