Five-Smiles! (Link up)

I enjoyed doing the link up post last week because it gave me a fun topic to write about, this weeks link up with Mrs. Disciple is Five-Smiles.

What has made you smile this week? Whether big or small finding things everyday that make you smile can make a big impact on your gratitude (and your attitude!)

This was an easy topic for me to write about today because we have had a really fun week and lots to smile about, it will be hard to narrow it down to just 5!

My 5 Smiles for this week were:

1. Friends!

We have dear friends that moved to another state a few years ago and we were able to meet up at a campground and spend a couple hours Friday night and all day Saturday with them.  Not only did we get to see friends that we miss so much but we also had such a fun time hiking trails, playing in a creek, making s'mores, grilling out, etc.

Made some great memories that will bring a smile to my face each time I think about this weekend.










2. Legos

Yes, I know that sounds kinda funny coming from an adult, but the other morning I was on the floor in the middle of doing pilates before the kids were up, I look over and see this: the boys had set up their ninja turtle legos on what was built as a western set.  For some reason it just brought such a smile to my face.  Just a silly thing, but I thought it was cute how they left it set up like that (verses leaving them just lying around everywhere like usual!)  Whenever I see evidence of my kids creativity and imagination it makes my heart happy!










3. Kids doing something new

We went to a local small farm with a friend this week and two of my girls rode a pony for the first time. Again, this is just a simple thing but seeing their faces as they sat up on their little horse really made me smile.

4.  Zucchini & Summer

Another funny choice! This past week my second daughter, Summer, turned 9 years old, instead of wanting cake for her birthday she wanted to help me make zucchini bread.   She is unique and she makes me smile!  (and btw, in my opinion, zucchini bread is much more yummy than cake!)

 
5.  Completing a Bible Study book

It always feels good to accomplish something, and finishing up this bible study made me smile this week.  Looking at the book itself brings me joy just because it has nice colorful pictures, but this study was filled with so much insight too.  Soon, I would like to write a post on some of the highlights in the study that caught my attention.

Thanks for reading about my 5 smiles and thank you to Mrs. Disciple for coming up with enjoyable topics to write on. 

I hope you will think about 5 (at least) things that have made you smile this week. 

 It's easy to go about our busy lives and forget to really look at the things that make us smile.  Having a habit of focusing on the positives and the things that make you smile even when things aren't going so well can make all the difference.   

5-Soul-Fillers! (link up)

I am linking up with Mrs.Disciple at http://mrsdisciple.com/five-soul-fillers/, the topic is Five-Soul-Fillers!  She talks about Jessica Turner’s book The Fringe Hours which is about finding that space in your day to do things that give you joy and feed your soul.

When I think of filling my soul the first thought that comes to mind is quiet time sitting with a cup of coffee, an inspirational book, and my bible.  But that’s not the only way to feel your soul being filled up, sometimes it is just doing something fun, taking some time for yourself, seeing things from a new perspective…

How do you know when you are running low in this area? 

For me, I know I am in need of having my soul filled when I get into a “funk” and can’t even pin-point why, or when I start snapping at someone for no good reason, or when I start to let things get to me or hurt my feelings too easily…..

The causes and/or evidence of us running on “empty” may be different but the fact is it happens to all of us.  We stretch ourselves too thin too often and we need to make sure we are carving out that time to feed our souls so that we can give our best.  

These are my 5 soul-fillers, five things I try to incorporate into life that help me have that balance:  

currently on my nightstand

1. Reading

  

I love to read and it is probably the one “hobby” or interest I try to do every single day.  Whether it is a bible study, an encouraging christian living book, or an “I-can’t-put-this-book-down” novel…I just love to read.  I usually have one of each of those type of books going at all times…and then ones waiting to start as soon as those are finished :)

2. Getting Creative

I have always been the “artsy” type…I don’t know if I could pick a favorite outlet for this but the thing I do most often to get creative is scrapbooking because it is something that I feel is benefitting the family as well, my kids love looking at our scrapbooks and I know the photos will be even more special as they get older and we can all look back on them.  I also paint, draw, sew, etc….not everything I make turns out great but I enjoy doing it. 

3. Writing

As a kid I wrote lengthy stories, short stories with illustrations, and diaries.  As an adult I write blog posts and journals.  I quit writing for several years, telling myself that I just didn’t have the time but I started writing again after my first miscarriage last April and getting back into it has really helped me in so many ways personally and I have felt called to try to help others through writing, as well.  

4. Exercise

One of my favorite things to do to give my mood a quick boost is to grab my phone (for music) or my kindle (if I want a slower paced work out) and get on my elliptical.  Taking 30 minutes or so to rejuvenate mind and body just feels great.  I also like to do pilates and yoga.  Recently I did a 90-day Bikini-Body Mommy Challenge and while it was nice to have that “challenge” and mix things up, work different muscles, etc. it wasn't that soul-filling work out I look forward to, so I’m glad thats over!

5. Studying my children

I will totally admit that a lot of times all the demands/frustrations/busyness of the kids can be a reason that my soul is feeling empty but there is something about taking the time to slow down and really watch them that fills my soul.  Fills me with thankfulness. Melts my heart. Sometimes it’s when they are outside laughing and playing saying “Look what I can do!”.  Sometimes it’s when one of them is just sitting quietly doing their own thing oblivious to me looking at them.  Other times it’s seeing something they have made or done that just reflects who they are, their imagination or talents.  Nothing can make you feel closer to God quite like a child can. 

I could list several more…music…mom’s nights out…date nights in….

What fills your soul? What can you take the time to do in your life to give you more joy and keep you from running around on empty?

You Are Not Invisible

Building Cathedrals-You Are Not Invisible.

Our purpose as moms is far greater than we will ever be able to see right in front of us.

I came across this story reading a blogpost shared in a Facebook group I am a part of for moms that write blogs, it is a lot of fun connecting with other women who are "living out loud' and sharing our struggles, joys, ideas, encouragement, etc. with anyone who is interested in reading about it!  It gives a sense of community and the truth that you are not alone.

This particular post contained a story that I just had to share with you all because it really spoke to me. And I think it is so relatable to any mom out there, whether you are working mom or stay-at-home mom, whether you have one child or 10!  

We love our job as mom, we love our kids, we pour our lives into our families, and a lot of times we are so rewarded for it, the unconditional love we get in return from those precious little ones is priceless...

 But what about the days when we aren't feeling the love?  When all we feel is that we are pulled in a million directions, when we feel worn down, when we feel like we're not doing anything right (even though we are trying so hard to do everything right), when we feel like all we do is make meals, clean up messes, do laundry, and wipe butts! It's easy to feel like that job isn't very important in this world.

When we feel like nobody sees all the work we do as a mother...there is someone who sees it all....

The Invisible Woman by: Nicole Johnson
 

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. 

I'm invisible. 

The invisible Mom. 

 

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone! 

 

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'   In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - 

we have no record of their names. 

These builders gave their whole lives- 

for a work they would never see finished. 

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. 

 

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied...

 

'Because God sees.' 

 

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. 

You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' 

 

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. 

 

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

This story is an excerpt from Nicole's Book The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers

 

Check out Nicole Johnson from Women of Faith doing her version of the Invisible Woman.

The Invisible Woman- Nicole Johnson

 

Yes, moms, our purpose is far greater than what we can see in front of us, we are building cathedrals and we didn't even know it:)

Special thanks to Elizabeth at www.christianworkingmama.blogspot.com for sharing this story with me.

He protects

As, I guess, sort of a follow-up or a part 2 to my last post 4-reasons-i-want-another-baby-after-loss, I want to talk about the other side of it.  About this waiting game, about the chance of NOT being being able to have another. 

A few months after we lost Trey we decided it was time to put our trust in God about having another baby.  I wrote my post about deciding-if-i-am-ready-to-conceive after the loss around that time, and up until that point it had not taken more than 2 months for me to ever get pregnant. I remember saying to my husband "we can't just assume I'm going to get pregnant right away like before," but even as I said that I know I was thinking it would happen right away, I was wrong.

One of my prayers at this time was, Lord, please don’t allow me to get pregnant again if I’m going to lose the baby. 

Fast forward to now, 6 cycles later and still not pregnant, my initial reaction is disappointment, obviously.  And wondering if there’s something wrong with me now.  And then I start to feel unhopeful and close to giving up. This last time my husband said while trying to comfort me after another negative test “remember we have to have faith, that’s what this is about, it’s in God’s hands, it’s going to be His timing.”  I know you hear that all time, I know I have said that myself many times but as I was writing in my journal about another month of not getting pregnant…something occurred to me…

God is protecting me. That prayer I prayed months ago…He was listening.  

I think, just maybe, that I have not gotten pregnant yet because He has been protecting me from another loss.  When I said I would trust Him with this baby thing, it didn't just mean I would trust Him to provide for our family as it grows, I also meant I would trust Him to not allow me to get pregnant until the timing is right.  

God is protecting me. This disappointment, even tears, each month I am still not pregnant again is nothing compared to the devastation of losing another baby, He is protecting me from so much worse than this disappointment I feel now.   

So, what if that means we never have another? That could be a possibility I will have to face at some point. 

As much as I hate this waiting and the unknown. I know I should be thanking Him.  Sometimes He answers our prayers by not giving us what we want, right away or at all, because He knows what’s best for us and He knows the future and all those things we can't predict. 

Rejoice Always

Pray constantly.

Give thanks in everything,

for this is God's will for you 

in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

"Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety." Job 11:18

***I dedicate this post to Trey Joshua Mangicaro….I never want to go through again what I went through losing you, but you have taught me so much and you were worth it all. I will hold you again baby boy.

4 Reasons I want another baby (after loss)

Why I want to try for another baby…

There was a time when nobody would be surprised to hear that I wanted another baby or that I was pregnant again, which for the record I am not at the moment.  But after having two losses back to back I feel like there are a lot of people who wouldn't understand me wanting to get pregnant again.  Everyone has different views and I would love to share mine on this subject with anyone who may wonder Why would she want to try for another baby? or maybe you are someone who thinks like me and likes to see that there are others that feel like that too! 

Reasons why others would think we shouldn’t have another baby:

*1. We already have 6 kids, who needs more?

*2. We lost two babies last year…why put ourselves through the chance of another loss?

*3. Our youngest is 3, out of diapers, and getting more independent, why would we want to go back to the baby stage when things are getting “easier”?

*4. Why would I want to put my body through a 9th pregnancy?

Reasons why I DO want to have another baby:

*1. Yes, we already have 6 kids, and I love it!  I love having a big family, I love how each one has their own unique personality, I can’t imagine not having a single one of them and it’s really cool to think that God might have another new little person that belongs in our family.  

*2. That’s a hard one, because I was pregnant twice last year that was two different times of us imagining our family with another one. Two periods of time where I dreamed of what our baby would add to our family, and just because we lost those babies doesn't mean that dreaming of another just went away. I still feel like we are missing someone. And, if I am being honest, I would really really love to not end my childbearing years with loss (I know that is ultimately out of my control) it’s just that when you have such a traumatic experience (read more about it that experience here) it can really taint all your feelings on pregnancy/babies, and I really want that optimism back that I had before. (maybe that’s not a good enough reason, but that’s how I feel)

Also, I know there is no guarantee that we won’t lose another…I know this…oh how I know this…BUT I am letting my faith be bigger than my fear.

*3. There was a time when we had 3 of our kids 2 1/2 and under. There was a time when 5 of them were 5 and under.  So, when you look at it that way then the thought of just having one baby and the rest of the kids being bigger seems almost too easy!  :) I am sort of joking…trust me, I know how much work a baby is…but having just one that would need a crib, diapers, stroller, etc instead of couple at once would be a big difference. 

*4. I loved being pregnant…there is just something so magical, so special about it.  Even all the morning sickness, feeling like crap, throwing up, constant state of exhaustion, just reminded me that there was a little baby growing inside and it made me so thankful.  I know all the pregnancies have taken a toll on my body, inside and out, but it has all been worth it.  Even the babies we lost, even the awful, awful morning sickness I had with Trey and then lost him, still, I don’t wish that he never existed. I am thankful for that time I had with him inside me and how much I felt pregnant.  Each pregnancy is different and precious in its own way, no matter how many you've had.

So there ya go, my reasons why I would be so excited to have the opportunity to be pregnant again.  I have seen my doctor recently and she doesn't see any reason why we wouldn’t be able to go on to have a healthy baby even after our losses. She did a bunch of blood work, which all came back normal, and I talked to her about another test (that she doesn't feel like I need done, but one that a friend has suggested to me after her losses) so she has referred me to the maternal fetal medicine office (high risk doctor) to discuss with them if anymore testing should be done.  

  In the past we have always gotten pregnant so easily, we have never really had to try…I hate how that sounds now…there are so many couples that struggle with infertility that it doesn't seem fair that others get pregnant without thinking about it, or even while preventing.  I use to take for granted how easy it happened for us.  But after going through several months now of it not happening for us, I am more thankful for all those times when we got pregnant so easily, and I have more of a empathetic heart for those whom it doesn't happen for so easily/quickly.  Always lessons to be learned. 

 Only God knows what the future has in store for our family….I will keep my readers posted:)

"pictures and memories is all that remains"...losing my dad

It has been 10 years since my dad died.  To me, it was completely unexpected.  Looking back I should have seen the signs. I knew he had congestive heart failure, I honestly didn’t know it was going to kill him.  I was young, naive, I guess.  I really thought he was going to get better.  

It was a hot Monday, June 27, 2005, I had taken Kylie, my oldest daughter (almost 2 at the time), to a splash park then met my husband at work to go out and have lunch.  We were leaving McDonalds when I got the call from the police.  A friend of his couldn't get a hold of him and went over to my dad’s place (I can’t remember if they had plans or not) and when his friend saw his car there but couldn't get an answer at the door he called the police, who came, broke open the door and found him dead on the couch.  I got there right away, Brian dropped me off and took Kylie over to my mom’s house.  He was still on the couch when I walked in. 

I talked to my brother on the phone, he was out of town.  Part of me has wondered if my dad waited to die until my brother wasn't there, Brandon was living with him at the time and had he not been out of town he would have been the one to find him.  My uncle, Dale, my dad’s brother, came down and helped get a lock smith for the door that was broken and stayed until they took away my dad’s body. 

The next couple days were a blur.  I didn't have time to have the tearful breakdown I needed to have because I had to become the adult of the situation.   My brother, my husband (Brian) and I tore through his place looking for a will, and any other important documents we would need to know about. Went to his bank, had appointments with an attorney to begin working out the estate, made phone calls to his doctor, and went to plan his funeral.  That was the worst.  At age 21 I was in no way prepared to do all that, the guy at the funeral home looked at us and probably thought Don’t you guys have an adult with you?  Nope, it was me, my husband and my just turned 20 year old brother.

Father’s Day 2005 was the last time I saw my dad alive.  We went to out to eat, me, Brian, Kylie, Brandon & our dad.  I can’t pass that restaurant without thinking of him, I haven't been to there since.  And I really don't like Father’s Day.  I hate it.  There I said it. I feel bad for saying that cause it’s not fair to my husband, step-dad, father-in-law, and all the other fathers I know out there. I try to just focus on my husband and what a wonderful dad he is to our kids instead of thinking about the fact that I don’t have my dad anymore, but I still get emotional on Father’s Day, sentimental, still cry, not nearly as much as in the beginning though.  I am lucky to have a step-dad who treats me like a daughter. I am lucky to have a father-in-law who is proud of his son and our family.  I am lucky to have Brian as the father of our children and who has been such a strength to me through everything, he lost his mother when he was 15, when I lost my dad he already knew what it was like to lose a parent.  

Last year on Father’s Day I remember feeling the loss extra hard, that was shortly after my first miscarriage and all those emotions and feelings of loss and grief from that were right on the surface and reminded me of those same feelings I had when I lost my dad.  Just a couple weeks before that I had a friend from high school lose her dad, I left a post for her on Facebook, just what was on my heart for her as I heard about her dad. We don’t know each other super well but when you see someone is going through something that you have been through then your heart just hurts for them in a unique way.  A couple days later she sent me a message saying that out of all the things that people had said to her over that last week that my post was the one thing that continued to be on her mind and that she was able to get through her Father’s memorial with a sense of peace that she wouldn't have had before.   Wow.  I can’t remember now what exactly I said, all I know is that I wouldn’t have had those words to say if I hadn’t been a daughter who lost her father as well or if I hadn’t let God comfort me in that situation.  There is something humbling in the knowing that God can use us through our trials to comfort others.  It wasn’t me that helped my friend that day, it was God using me.  

It is hard to understand why things happen, I don't know why my dad didn’t have more time on earth and get to see all his grandkids growing up.  But I do know that we can get through more than we think.  God can use those hard things that we go through in life to teach us things we couldn’t have learned otherwise, to allow us to help others in ways we couldn’t have otherwise, to make us who we are meant to be.

 

“sometimes it takes an absence to leave the nest so when your looking down you know where you’ll see me best,
 I’ll be standing in my backyard waiting for the rain and wash it all off till I’m wasting away

it’s a little too late while I’m rushing to your grave, give my whole life to be back in those days 
when pictures and memories is all that remains, 
held it all inside till I'm taken away

so give me one more chance and I’ll make it okay, give me one more night so I can find a better day”

 some of the lyrics from “Last Holiday” by Brandon Meyer (my brother) a song he wrote several years ago.

The Last Holiday

It seems like its the norm to be taken for a fool

all the people with the pull always pulling over wool

but they couldnt teach me neither could the tv

 a bonds God given, this will never be easy

when life as you know it, change to life unknown

try to make new friends with those years alone

still a hose, hard rain, but nothing left to grow

just a guitar and a voice that could barely hold a note

that would play and repeat all the good times we own

but would never forget all the bad times weve known

no, wait to be seated, when everythings closed

it was christmas night and we had no roast

wake me up in december cuz im ready for the snow

cuz hell is to home when its all that you know

I hear you have your things packed when its time to go

and to think i was out of town when i heard the phone ring...

the day i knew i would never have peace 

or really feel completion never the least

or less thats how i feel when i replay the reel

and find myseld locked in for the fire drill

And we never live long but we never let it matter

make the best of it all when you cant force a smile

we ride a fine line which is wavery at times

and get lost in the mix and its OK

cuz ive said it all never saying a word

it occurred theres no point if your points not heard

sometimes it takes an absence to leave the nest

so when your looking down you know where youll see me best

Ill be standing in my backyard waiting for the rain 

and wash it all off til im wasting away

Its a little too late while im rushing to your grave

give my whole life to be back in those days

when pictures and memories is all that remains

held it all inside til im taken away 

so give me one more chance and ill make it okay

give me one more night so i can find a better day

Ill be standing in my backyard waiting for the rain 

and wash it all off til im wasting away

Its a little too late while im rushing to your grave

give my whole life to be back in those days

when pictures and memories is all that remains

held it all inside til im taken away 

so give me one more chance and ill make it okay

give me one more night so i can find a better day

give me one more chance and ill make it okay

give me one more night so i can find a better day

the statement that was stated in the place of my replacement

of the basis of my makeup being blank, just a page up

from the dream that i have, where i die before i wake up

if i had my way with time,  for sure i would take it

and make it more make it better cuz you would always make it

but in the end.. our foundation was on pavement

just wish it wasnt true or maybe never wasted

when the sun & moon align you wont find me in the basement

Ill be standing in my backyard waiting for the rain 

its a little too late while im rushing to your grave

standing in my backyard waiting for the rain

standing in my backyard waiting for the rain

its a little too late while im rushing to your grave

song by Brandon Meyer 

Love The Home You Have-kitchen/dining room re-do!

        I know most of my writing recently has been "heavy" so I thought it would be fun to write about and share pictures of a "lighter" subject...home decorating.   For the past several years I haven't really cared at all about decorating.  We moved into our 1,000 sq. ft. condo almost 10 years ago, painted and attempted to decorate when we first moved in.....and then haven't really done much since as far as stylish decor...mostly because we added 5 more children during that time.  And also because I guess I didn't really have a lot of motivation when in the back of mind I was thinking Hopefully we will be moving to a bigger house at some point.  But a couple months ago I decided that I really needed to face the fact that we will not be moving for probably a long time so I really wanted to just try to make better use out of what we do have.  It started with de-cluttering, just getting rid of things we don't need or use anymore...when you have 8 people in a small place things can feel cramped quickly.  Week after week I was (and still am) bagging up things for  Goodwill.  It feels good to get rid of things, and it helps us enjoy more what we have.  I wanted to do more than just get rid of things to make more room though, I wanted to love the home I have.

 After reading the book Love the Home You Have by Melissa Michaels I was inspired to look around and identify some areas I would really like to work on or improve in our home. Whether its improving the functionality to accommodate a growing family, or to just improve the overall "look" of an area, basically I want to smile when I walk around and look at my house!
        The kitchen was #1 on my list.  After purging things from cabinets and drawers, having my mom give us some colorful dishes that replaced boring ones, and pulling some things off the walls that I just didn't like anymore and that had been hanging there for almost a decade (!) I was motivated to repaint the whole thing and go with a whole new look.   So a couple weeks ago we took a Saturday to transform the space, its amazing how different it looks! I spent the week after shopping for little accessories, getting ideas of what kind of look I wanted with my wall art, painting pictures, etc.  After literally years of not putting much thought into the house aside from cleaning & organizing it was so fun to go out and buy something for the house just because I thought it was pretty.  And having an excuse to paint new pictures always makes me happy!

Getting Pinterest inspired while making ART!

Painted the outer and inner edge of this chalkboard to go with the walls

I used chalk paint to paint over an old canvas I had to make a chalkboard for the kids or to write quotes on, I did the burlap strip on it just to make it not so boring and to tie it in with some things in the rest of the room

My wall art gallery, consists of things I recently painted, a family picture, the painting in the small pink frame is one I painted years ago that was in a different frame in the basement. In the frame that still needs something in it will do a picture of Brian and I that should be coming in the mail soon, I had forgotten to order in when we did our family pictures recently.

I really like how these turned out and I like mixing the different styles.

of course when the kids saw me painting they wanted to paint pictures for the walls too, theirs are hanging in the hall by the entryway.

Instead of having the kids use "kid dishes" they use "real" dishes, yes they may get broken, but washing pretty dishes just makes me happier. And when I have to wash as many dishes as I do everyday, every meal, it is worth it!

Some of the kids everyday dishes

I found this metal sign for 5 bucks at Hobby Lobby, not only did it coordinate with my colors but I love what it says,  I even have "Dream On" tattooed on my foot,  this was a fun find!

I had been searching for some kind of a valence for the windows in the dining area, aside from the blinds that were hanging when we moved in, we have never had any window treatment for those windows, I always meant to put some kind of curtains up but things like having babies kept me distracted and buying curtains moved to the bottom of the list :)  After we painted, I decided I really wanted to finish the look with some kind of window treatment, I came across a curtain panel that I really liked the fabric of, but it was long (length-wise) and I needed something to go across the top.  A lady working at Home Depot suggested making a cornice and doing the fabric over it.

Brian built it and I wrapped the fabric around it using a staple gun.

We are happy with the result!

Here are some more pictures of our kitchen/dining area....I love how everything turned out and I am even more inspired to go through the rest of the house, see what changes can be made and make it the best I can with what we have.  When we first moved in we only had one child and had no idea that several more were in our future. There are times when having a small house and a large family gets frustrating but for the most part it really does work for us, and making some changes will help us love the home we have more and also make our home more functional for the growing children!  Next on the list....better shoe storage for entry, repainting a small bathroom, and getting the boys bunkbeds!

 

I should have taken some actual before pictures but here is one taken on mothers day the week before we painted that shows the wall color "before".

"before"