Remodeling Living Room

I've been talking about remodeling Heaven's old bedroom for a long time. We've truly needed this to be done for a long time. I turned our old living room into a classroom quite a while ago, so when we have visitors they have no real place to gather. We sit at the kitchen table but it's often cluttered and a very busy station in our house. It feels really good to have turned this bedroom into a real living room.

These first two pictures are after the painting is almost complete. I totally forgot to get pictures before painting.

Tony rolling the paint on.

Our Christmas tree, notice the painted walls, ceiling, new blinds, new curtains and new carpet. We also got a new couch but it's way to large for our room. It's 14 1/2 feet long! My mom has a really nice comfortable set and we've agreed to swap. I can't wait! You can see the blue of the couch on the left of the picture-mom's set is brown and beige. A perfect match!

This fireplace wasn't even visable when we started. I removed the boards and cleaned it out. We have plans to put in a gas insert soon. I can't wait to see a fire in this beautiful fireplace. I thought the mantel turned out beautiful!

A close up shot.

Merry Christmas Meadow!

Merry Christmas blogosphere!

Remodeling Living Room

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/12/remodeling-living-room.html

Chantal Kreviazuk-leaving on a jet plane

You ever just have one of those days?

Today is my day.

If I could- this is what I'd do, even if I could only go for just a few days.

Sometimes you just need to be alone, to get away, and today I'd like to leave..... on a jet plane.

I love this song. Sort of helps me feel like I have left, a few moments of peaceful getaway, day dreaming.

Enjoy!

Chantal Kreviazuk - leaving on a jet plane
Uploaded by b_careful.

Chantal Kreviazuk-leaving on a jet plane

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/chantalkreviazuk-leavingonajetplane.html

Resting

I am so tired after having two glorious days of Thanksgiving with my families. We did do a little black friday shopping. Nothing major, two of the things I had wanted were gone. I did manage to find one of them online and the other we'll get before Christmas but it would have been great had we been able to get them yesterday.

Tony and I are spending the day in bed watching movies. I didn't get to go and see Blindside yet but I'm thinking Sky and I will go to a matinee this week! Can't beat those prices! :)

Praying all of you had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Resting

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/resting.html

Happy Thanksgiving

I am at my mother in laws house baking for tomorrow........cheesecake, pumpkin roll, peanut butter balls, snowballs, cookie dough truffles....mmmmmm

I am spending the night tonight and I feel much like a little girl at grandma's house! I guess in a lot of ways, that is exactly what I am. I'm so thankful that I am close to my mother in law. I enjoy helping her but I don't feel like I'm helping because I LOVE doing the cooking!

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year.

Tony will be coming up in the morning. He doesn't like to sleep anywhere but his bed! LOL

We will have almost all of the desserts done tonight, the turkey in the oven, and other dishes are prepared just waiting to be baked. I like being prepared!

Friday will be Thanksgiving at my mom's house for my family. My sister is in from the beach and I can't wait to see my brother. I'm ever so thankful for all of my family.

I'm looking forward to the next two days, I'm so excited that I'm giddy!

I'm hoping to find time to go and see Blindside with Sandra Bullock this weekend. If you've seen it let me know if it was as good as they say it will be!

I pray each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving! Praise to be to God that we celebrate such a time as this!

Happy Thanksgiving

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-thanksgiving.html

Canning

Yesterday I went to my mother in laws and canned 14 quarts of deer. Meadow loves to help and that amazes me. Sky won't come near the deer meat! Meadow helped cut the deer meat up and pack it into the jars. I love having her help. Meemaw loved having our help too.

My sister in law came over with baby Aiden and spent the night with us last night. We all had such a good time. We watched the biggest loser, cooked dinner, cleaned up, reminisced and laughed most of the night.

It felt good.

Spending time with family and doing work that is enjoyable and rewarding.

Bringing those quarts of deer home and putting them in the cabinets felt so good. Sometimes being a stay at home mom can leave you with feelings that you don't really work or contribute to the family in a financial way. I know I contribute, in many ways that money could never buy, but when I pay the bills and purchase things we need there are those times that I feel some sort of responsibility to bring in money.

I try to find ways, but any ideas that I've had take money to make money. Even homemade items take money to purchase supplies.

The deer we canned was given to us by a friend of Tony's that likes to hunt but doesn't like to eat deer. I'm hoping the Lord blesses us with a few more before winter is over.

I'm truly looking forward to the holiday season. Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

Canning

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/canning.html

Manic Mondays

Meadow has had a horrid toothache. I called her dentist first thing this morning and thankfully they had an opening for her at 3pm today. We managed to finished school before having to go. Heaven came over and rode with us because they are having hard wood floors put in her home and its so messy and loud that she didn't want to sit over there listening to them work.

I don't know what is going on with Meadow's teeth and neither does our dentist! She just had xrays of her teeth in March and she didn't have this cavity. So in seven months she'd gotten this deep cavity in the center of two teeth. They worked on her for 2 hours and had to reschedule her for another visit.I had no idea we'd be in the office that long.

I had an appointment somewhere special to do something for Tony's Christmas present and was afraid I wouldn't get there on time. Thankfully we did and that was a sheer joy! I'm so excited about this! Then we went and looked at mattress and box springs for Heaven and Matt. I believe we had found a better deal the last time we went shopping. so she held off to go back there.

We are redoing our den (which was previously Heaven's bedroom) so I had to make a trip to Lowe's Home Improvement to pick up paints and blinds.

We finally got home by 8pm tonight! It was a long day but very productive.

We also had a wonderful Sunday yesterday, both the morning and evening services were fabulous. Our morning scripture was:

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am your God! I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

What a beautiful scripture! It was very comforting and well needed. I'm so thankful to have a home church with a pastor that truly hears from and obeys the Lord. I praise God that He is there for me and that He hears and will answer me!

Looking forward to a great week ahead. We have a lot on our plates. I may try to post before and after pictures of our den. What do you think?

Manic Mondays

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/manic-mondays.html

Prayer Request for friend's of mine's daughter Katie

Katie was in a bad car accident on November 10th. Her cars side nor front airbags deployed. She has major facial damage including breaking both cheeks, detaching her palate and they've had to wire her jaw together. She also broke both of her femurs. She has undergone a 7 hour surgery with a plastic surgeon for her face and a 5 hour surgery on her legs. Tory is just 18/19, she is beautiful and has her whole life ahead of her. Her parents are so precious! I went to school with both her mom and her dad. I would so appreciate it if the blogging community would come together and pray hard for them!

Prayer Request for friend's of mine's daughter Katie

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/prayer-request-for-friends-of-mines.html

I Love Fridays

Even Friday the 13th! Tony has always loved the number 13 so the whole luck thing has never bothered us, not that we believe in superstitions either but you know what I mean.

So...........today has been the best day ever.

I went with Heaven to the doctor today and we got to see the baby and her heartbeat! (We are rooting for a girl!) She will be 7 weeks tomorrow.

I'm ecstatic! I truly am.

After this we went to lunch at the Long Horn.

What a great way to spend the day.

I also love how close Heaven and I have grown since her new found adulthood. Moving out really changed things between us. It's not that they were bad before either its just that they are different now.

I'm so happy. I had to share.

I'm going to be a Gammy and Tony is going to be a Pappy!

I just want to give God all the glory. There are many all over that have been lifting Heaven in prayer over the last few weeks. God heard and He answered!

Hallelujah!

I Love Fridays

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-love-fridays.html

New Look

I tire so easily of blog designs. I also tire of having to fork out over a $100 everytime I want a new look. Tony had gotten me Photoshop Elements for Christmas last year and I've tried a few times to work with it but I find it very complicated. Things usually are when you first get started with something new.

I've been hunting around and discovering new and free blog templates and headers so I decided to drop my old look and I installed this one myself. I love the look and will be able to play with my design and change it with the seasons if I wish. I think this will be a lot of fun. The only drawback is that at the moment, I can't personalize my headers.

I plan to continue to work with Photoshop and figure out how to add photos and captions in my headers. If I can accomplish this I'll be much happier with my freebie looks.

So bear with me as I work my way through my new hobby.

New Look

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-look.html

I love the Fall

It's my favorite time of year. Actually this fall has moved so quickly that if you blinked you'd miss it. Last weekend we traveled up on the Mountain and visited family. I love going up there. Seeing the beauty of the mountains, the colors of the leaves, and breathing the fresh air-you feel so close to God. Looking around at all of His beautiful creations you wonder how anyone could doubt Him. Our God is an Awesome God.

Tony is still hurting. The vitamins I ordered him came in and I also got him an herbal rub for his knees and hands and lower back. I know it'll take some time but I'm hoping after a few months of being on this vitamin he will begin to see a difference in his pain. We have been a little lazy lately and have greatly enjoyed being together. We've been piling up in bed and watching movies together. :)

I also have other news. I have waited to share because I know I have viewers that are friends, family and church family so if you are one of these hold your breath. For my readers out there in blogosphere it's easy to share these things with you because well, you don't know us.

I've waited a week since learning this and since almost all of our family has been told I think it's safe to say.


How many of you would like to take a chance on guessing what I'm about to share?

Anyone?

At all?

Or is the suspense just killing you?

I have to laugh!

At this point it could be anything!

I suppose I should just go ahead and say it.

So I will.

I'm going to be a grandmother!

Did you catch that?

Heaven and Matt just found out that they are expecting their first blessing!

Heaven and I did go to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy test but so far that is it. No sonograms or anything yet. Right now the guestimated delivery date will be June 17th 2010.

I am especially excited too that my brother is also expecting his first child, a son in March 2010. I'm pretty sure I'll be the appointed babysitter and I just have to laugh that last year at this time I was mourning not being able to conceive myself. God knew then just what He had in store for me this next year! Not one, but two babies!

God is so good to me.

Please continue to lift Tony up in prayer. Constant pain can pull ones spirit down. We will see victory in this in Jesus' name!

(be sure to visit our homeschool blog where I'm updating at least weekly, more often most of the time, on our comings and goings, field trips and our homeschooling journey!)

I love the Fall

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-love-fall.html

Pray for Tony

He's in a lot of pain and the doctors have diagnosed him with arthritis. We aren't receiving those reports and we are praying for his complete healing, please stand with us.

Thank-you.

Pray for Tony

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/pray-for-tony.html

Ponderings

I love rainy days. I also love my girls. Heaven came by during our history read aloud and sat in for me to finish reading about missionary William Carey. After I finished reading, she took Sky and Meadow to the pound to see if there was a kitten available. They came back home discussing when Heaven would be able to come and get them again.

They miss her.

She misses them too.

Mommy loves seeing that.

Monday night Heaven called me at 11:35 pm when she got home from work and we were on the phone until 3:00 am.

Mommy loved that too.

It's so different with Heaven not living here anymore. I enjoy seeing this new bonding, or should I say re-bonding take place. It makes a mommy's heart happy.

I'm so blessed. I look around at my husband, my children, my home and our life and I praise God for it. I'm so blessed.

Reading about William Carey has brought other thoughts to my mind too. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. William has to deal with a missionary friend that doesn't know how to live modestly. His friend keeps not only running out of money but borrowing money to keep him and his family in the lavish lifestyle that they are accustomed to. William's friend has made many enemies because he leaves owing them money. It hurts the reputation of the missionary society also.

The other day I watched a video by John Piper on The Prosperity Gospel. It didn't set well with me. To me it sounded as though he was saying, that the only time God is glorified is through our sufferings. He mentioned something about Christian's driving a BMW.

We are considered, I suppose, somewhat of Word of Faith believers, although I do not like tagging us with a name. I do believe in calling things that are not as though they are, speaking life and not death, and calling forth healing in the name of Jesus! Do I really believe it's right with God to live richly? Do I not?

I'm torn between these two things. Is one really wrong? Or are they just the extreme. I think I fall somewhere in the middle of both, I like to think that I have balance. Lately, it just seems to keep popping up over and over.

What is right? What is wrong?

What does God want me to do, how does He want me to live. Am I filling the call He has placed on my life.

What do you believe?

I'd love to have some peaceful input on the above if you have anything to share.

I know in reading about William Carey, he lives very modestly, on the bare minimum. Then the remainder he uses to translate the Bible into other languages. I truly see how far it is I have to go when I'm reading of other missionaries and or evangelists. It's sad, I suppose, that in life, when I look around, I feel like I'm doing good with the Lord. But, when I begin our studies, I am reminded of how little of myself I'm really giving to the Lord.

Lead me God.

Lead me that I may follow.

Ponderings

http://jenileighsjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/ponderings.html