Home Tour: Dining Room & Kitchen {Q & A}

These last few days have kept us on the go!   Yesterday, the kids and I had an afternoon of Mops {Mothers of Preschoolers}, home school/preschool, our regular chores, dinner, soccer practice, and then David took Harbor on a five mile bike ride. Whew!  Sometimes I can't keep up! It is fun though, and great to be busy. As mamas, we all have such an important purpose in the home. We are the heart. : )   Thank you for the questions and comments on my blog and on FB these last few days. Let me try to answer a few things for you:   1. Yes, we are still using {and loving!} our homemade laundry detergent. Some of you may recall the first batch we cooked in Detroit over two years ago {here}. Perhaps I need to visit that subject again. It is really great stuff!   2. I will most definitely do a post about meal planning, shopping, and making good meals happen. It is a challenge- even for me- and sometimes I want to cave and eat at Chick-fil-a instead of cook. Ha!   3. To answer the question about Harbor's scripture booklet we work on as part of our "preschool" at home, it is an Awana book.  Awana is a fantastic program and I can't say enough about it!  Harbor started at three years old- and it runs through middle school.  It is a Christian program you can attend one night a week through church. You do not have to be a member of the church- it is just where they meet. Lots of people attend Awana at a church they are not affiliated with.  It is a two hour class every week where kids learn to hide God's word in their heart. It really forces parents to know their scripture because it is taught at home all week. The kids are then quizzed on Wednesday night. They have vests and receive patches {awards} for the completion of their verses. And the best part? The entire year for the program, book, and vest costs only about $35.  Google Awana and your city and find one close to you!   Okay. Home tour. This is our dining room and kitchen combination. We chose an eat in kitchen instead of a true dining room in order to get those two living spaces, the formal and great room, as a part of the plan.   We love the layout, though. David painted the dining room, but other than that, we hung art, drapes, unpacked the kitchen, and called it done.  

We also have a pantry off the dining room.

 

 

And a powder room, as well.

  Have a great weekend!  

Home Tour: Formal Living Room

I hope your week is off to a great start!   We are recovering from a busy weekend- we took our Christmas card pictures ourselves via tripod and self timer and made a day trip to a few old Colorado mining towns. We've not been home but an hour or two all weekend,   My laundry is crying out to be folded {or maybe that's one of my kids crying?} : )   So, I thought I'd start our home tour by showing you our formal living area. It was stark white when we moved in and full of boxes. It was, in fact, our dumping ground for every homeless box.   After the entire home tour wraps up, I'll post side-by-side before and afters.   We mainly use this space as our office {computer armoire} and as Harbor's school room.  The big white dresser holds all of our games and puzzles.   And just for fun, in our Michigan house, the chair was in our master bedroom sitting room, the dresser in the guest room, and the the school table in our dining room. Moving furniture around makes it feel new once again!  

 

 

Soccer and Stairs

Happy Sunday!   We've just returned from a great afternoon of church and shopping. I hope you've had a productive day, too.   Taking a nap and eating goldfish crackers is another way I like to stay productive on Sundays. But, today, it wasn't happening. Too much to do. Including an update to the blog for our friends and family. : )   We have finally entered into the phase of life I used to dream about: the "we have an activity every evening and are always on the go" season.   Soccer practice, soccer games, Awanas, church, and Mops meetings consume all but three days out of the week.  

The three days we're at home, we're not playing the game of soccer, but we are playing the game of "stairs." And both require speed. And good blocking. Both my jobs. Yes, I'm a baby goalie. And I'm a fast one, at that. : )


Last week, David sold his beloved Harley out of the parking lot to a guy who happened to take notice of it. It was pretty exciting for David, who, though he loved his motorcycle, had been looking into a different kind of bike.One where he was the motor- a mountain bike.   With my birthday in a few days, he also surprised me by getting one for me, too. We took the kids on a pretty strenuous trail in the mountains. Had we known, we would have gone elsewhere- it had jumps and steep inclines and loose gravel. Not ideal with a seven month old. Or an out of shape mama. But! We had a great time- and broke the bikes in! : )    
  

  The trailhead was beautiful. I would have been happy to just ride around in the parking lot.  


  Gorgeous, isn't it!

    The boys are starting to play together. Mainly Henry chasing after Harbor. His little knees are forever rug burned, but lately they've been building couch forts. They both enjoy crawling under the pillows,  and my heart feels like it will burst to hear them belly laugh together in their own little language.     Henry is discovering his world. I've always heard mamas say that the 2nd child isn't photographed as much as the first, and I've been so determined to make sure that doesn't happen. Keeping my big camera charged and at hand has helped capture the simple moments that I know will someday tell the story of childhood.         Harbor is enjoying his second year in Cubbies at Awanas. What a fabulous program! We love the scripture reference and memorization.  Harbor works so hard for those patches. And we all get good practice reciting basic Biblical truths. His verse last week was, "God loved us and sent his son."         I've finally finished decorating, painting, and organizing the house. We've been here only three months or so, but I feel like this house has taken the longest to set up. The mountains calling our names have something to do with that. : )   All of my life, up until high school, my family moved every 2-3 years also.   My mom was a pro at setting the house up in record time. She always told me that a family who has a home, clean and organized, to settle into, will feel secure. I've always tried to remember her wise words and not let to much time pass without everything finding its place.    As a mom, I know that job falls to me.   My boys might not realize they can find what they want quickly, but it sure leads to less stress, less fighting, and less anxiety when we all know where the bike pump, the game Candyland, and the craft paint is at a moments notice.    Speaking of paint, I threw together a "school" bunting for our formal living room during Henry's nap.        I think starting in another week, I will be ready to blog about our home here. Some things I love. Somethings I'm still adjusting to. Such is the life when your husband picks two homes in a row and you are living 1,000 away. He picked this home and our Michigan home with me only seeing pictures sent via text messaging. He does a great job and I'm so thankful he "knows" me. Having built a house together from the ground up has helped tremendously. Looking back, I can see the Lord preparing us for these moves.   I'm also thankful that while I'm in the great room blogging away, I can see him upstairs ironing. Thanks, honey. : )     And I'm also training Henry to compose blog posts.   I know, I know.... I have it made.     Have a great week! Anything new going on with you?