Finishing Touches

Just a week and some final touch ups away! We go out to check on the progress and I hate to leave. I can't wait to be home. We sign off with the builder a week from tomorrow and officially move May 5th.

Here's a sneak preview!

Friday Musings

It's a bright, sunny Friday and that is glorious news. I was in sore need of a sunny day, regardless of how much I enjoy the rain. There's nothing like sunshine to lift me out of a gloomy outlook.

Of course, good news help too. News like....."I talked to the builder. He said he's scheduled the inspections and will be ready to sign off on the house next Friday." Now that does wonders to lift the gloom! I had begun to wonder if this building project would ever end. And now the end is in sight. We really are going to move into our new house. Maybe in April yet!

Other thoughts running through my head this Friday?

My Autumn Rain is heading off to a new adventure in a few minutes. I won't see her before she leaves as she's leaving straight from campus. She's off to present her philosophy paper at a conference. My girl who's never even prepared and given a speech. She's nervous...I'm nervous. But mine is for a different reason, I have no doubt she can present her paper with flying colors. I'm sending my daughter off with strangers, her professor and two other students attending the conference. A lone girl with these three! What were we thinking. I'm sure they are all honorable gentlemen, right? Father, protect my girl.

And my thoughts are on the next in line too. We're off to the park soon to have her senior pictures taken. One more graduation coming up. Another girl heading off to school. One less student in my little school. She has adventures ahead of her as well. We'll add new forms of conversation to our dinner table. To philosophy we'll add music theory! We'll all be so well rounded when we've finished and I'll have the college experience vicariously.

So, you see, there are many thoughts rumbling through my mind this fine Friday afternoon.

The Jabberwocky With Style

I have to admit, this is one skill I never anticipated acquiring in my "Learning Life"...the creating of a mohawk on my son's head! But for one day, April Fool's Day, I can humor my Jabberwocky and let him enjoy the moment of triumph with his buddy. This afternoon, after his buddy says goodbye....the hair will depart too.

Before

After

Groovy Dudes

Sweet 16

Our "Techno-Geek" turned 16 over the weekend. And he may not have a drivers license ( a very sore topic indeed), but he does now sport a much coveted i-pod (from his sugar daddy). He's one happy kiddo.

19 + 2 Days!

Someone's growing up and needed a new look to celebrate!

Happy 19th Birthday, My Dear Autumn Rain!

It's been a lovely day of celebrating your life.

From start to finish.

From the trombone fanfare...to the cherry turnovers...
to lunch at the Thai Orchid...to dress shopping...
to birthday cake and presents...I so enjoy celebrating you!

So Many Reasons To Rejoice!

Rejoicing because:

My husband...my best friend will be home tonight!

It's the first day of spring.

It's sunny today.

My little girls have new friends to play with.

My new little nephews are home, safe and sound, from Ethiopia.

"This is the day that the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Maybe April?

Dining Room

Kitchen Cabinets

Room for MANY books

Fairy Houses...Everywhere!

Ladybird and Moonchild have been delightfully busy constructing a Fairy Village in our garden.

Daffodil Village

Log Cabin

Tea House

Fairy Rain Shelter
(an essential feature in any Oregon village)

Inspiration for this lovely fairy village comes from "Fairy Houses... Everywhere!" by Barry & Tracy Kane:

Status Report

The pace is picking up out at the house. After weeks of waiting for the moisture to dissipate from the sub-floor it was finally dry enough to lay the wood floors. We were so surprised today to find all the wood had been laid in the past two days! The tile has also been started and is looking very nice. Next week the cabinets are supposed to go in. The end is in sight!

Dining Room and Entry

Living Room

Adding to Clan Q

My brother and sister-in-law arrived in Ethiopia today! Please pray for them as they meet their 3 newest children tomorrow for the first time. This has been a long journey for their family, bringing these little ones home.

I'm sure there are some trying days ahead as they all get used to each other. I know it will be especially difficult for them when they have to say good-bye to their little girl, leaving her there for a few months yet until her paper work is finished and they can return to bring her home. But it is incredibly exciting for them to be picking up their 2 small sons!

I can't wait to meet these new little ones God is bringing to our family...more cousins to add to the count!!!

Good News

My Lavender Girl heard wonderful news this week! She received word of her acceptance to the Honors Program of our favorite home town university. Go Girl!!!!
Just standing on it's own this was good news. But it was extra good news for this Mama's heart, as I've watched my girl struggling to find some enthusiasm for the journey ahead, to wake and hear her say, "I'm excited to go to college, Mom!". I'm excited for her future. I'm excited to see her take this next step. I'm excited to see her excited. I'm just excited!

A View To Look Forward To

It may not look like progress....but it really is!

House Building Update

It's been a long time since my last post on the house progress and these pictures are old. I kept trying to post them back in December and couldn't get the pics to upload.
A fair amount of progress has been made since these were taken.

Entryway

The interior has been painted and then repainted after we saw the result of our poor color choice...it was very PINK. Now it's a nice neutral beige in the main part of the house and creamy white in the bedrooms.

Kitchen and Family Room

The kitchen cabinets have been ordered. The trim is going up around windows and doorways. We're looking at carpet and tile samples....there are so many choices. And I'm not a designer sort of person. I'll defer to my husband in that department.
The new projected finish date is April 1st. Just 9 more weeks, we can hold out that long. By the time we move it will be 1 year from our signing on the property.
Waiting is SO hard.

Flying Solo

This week has been long.

Much longer than I anticpated it being when my husband flew off to Texas last Sunday.

Come Wednesday, usually my favourite day of the week, I was happily anticipating his return Thursday night only to receive a very disappointing call. The project was going slowly and he would need to stay through Sunday. I would have cried had my new neighbor not shown up at my door right about then!

My husband's home coming each evening is the light at the end of my day. I've missed him sorely this week. Just as the lack of light in the winter affects my mood, so does the absence of my husband.

Soon, very soon he'll be heading home. Back where he belongs. I know the week has been long and tiring for him as well. The hours can't pass quickly enough. Soon my sunshine will be home.

Cousin Tally

January has been quite the month for our growing clan! Every once in awhile we have to sit down and re-tally the cousin count. And since we've added a new girl cousin, a cousin once removed, and hopefully we will be adding 2 little boy cousins next week, this is a good time to add them all up. Here's the official score: Q side of the family has 31 cousins and the G side has 37 cousins (these figures include my 6 on both sides) so my children have a grand total of 55 cousins! Incredible!!!

This past Friday we were able to enjoy some cuddle time with the littlest member of Clan Q.

Lavender Girl and Baby

New Mama, Grammy, and Baby

Welcome, Little One

My big sister is a grandma! The newest member of the clan arrived at 9:40 last night. I hear she has dark hair and a cute button nose. I can just picture it. As beautiful as her Mama I'm sure. It's all we can do to refrain from jumping into our car and driving up to see her for ourselves....but we'll make ourselves wait and give them all time to recover.

A New Side of Life

Representing EDS at Governor Kulongoski's Inaugural Ball.

Our Place of Quiet Rest

A few weeks prior to Christmas my very thoughtful husband came home with grand news. He had booked a cabin for the two night after Christmas. We shared a delightful family time...reading books, watching movies, playing games,munching, building Fairy Houses in the wilds......for two blissful nights and a day. It was heaven on earth!

Christmas Craziness

King Jabberwocky


Moonchild, the Queen of Camo!