Be creative every day...

I saw a gal online who paints on windows to brighten up the winter months.  She does it for businesses.

I don't like people being able to look into the windows on the sides of our front door, but I like being able to peek out.  So...I added some cheery colors for Valentine's day.

That was fun!  It was a quick and easy little art project.  According to the artist, it is easy to get off and do again.  We shall see!
 

Snow!

We got about 4 inches on Wednesday into Thursday.

Ted gave orders not to mess with clearing the snow when he left for work...he would do it when he got home from work. 

I cleared the front sidewalk, patio steps, and cleaned off the vehicles.  By the time he got home from work, the wind picked up and had gotten colder.  My job was to move vehicles around for him.

My guy...even when getting sick...taking care of business at his job and at home!
 

Rootbeer floats...

We shared the afternoon and evening with our friends.  Our last time around the table we talked about rootbeer floats, so I made sure to grab some vanilla ice cream and rootbeer for dessert.  Supper was made special with Valentine plates and napkins and Rooooot Beeeer floats.  Ted raised the stakes for next time in the conversation this time!  Deep fried pb and j....deep fried oreos....deep fried snickers...
 

Making Valentimes for friends with friends

 

More Saturday projects

Applied a special paint to the bottom of the cabinets as extra precaution.  We will see how it works!

The fumes were very strong!

Cleaning nasty windows and window sills...

Replacing old outlets...

Can't figure out how people crack an outlet...

New light fixture...

Everything looks so nice.  We are making a list of final things to do.  We are talking to a potential tenant.  We are praying for God to work out all these final details.
 

February...

the month of love and hearts...and both are sprinkled throughout our home.  It is also a month of germs and sharing.

 

Practicing what my Mother taught me!

I received a message from a friend letting me know her mother had died.  It was the first thing I could think of to do...share comforting words and then make a comfort food.  I was able to deliver them with a hug...and a reminder that I am here to help.  Time for and with people is what I learned best from Mom...and most often and unexpected...I get the blessing.
 

My co-workers

 

Cue...tired!

After supper, chores, and homework...a little downtime with AFV before bed.

After school drop-off for the two youngest and a cup of coffee to catch up on my responsibilities, I picked up the older girls and we headed out on a mission.  Their no school day turned out to be very profitable as we found items for their Spirit Week costumes.  I took a trip down memory lane as I guarded the cart during fittings and scoured the racks for what they were looking for.  Oh the hours I did this with our girls!  I did encourage them to think out of the box...something that is hard for that age...because we were not going to find "exact items".  They were excited about their purchases!

I want to be this fancy when I am older!  The girls agreed that her coat was amazing.

Where do you go for lunch when it is just the girls?  Panera, of course!  A little splurge for these girlies who gave up something fun to be helpful for the weekend.  It hit me that what they had to do was not necessary, but I didn't get a chance to have a say...so a little spoiling was in ordeer!

I picked up the two littles from school and we had a snack to hold us over till supper.

We made a list of meal ideas.  They wanted stromboli!  

I said only if they helped make it and they beamed!

I doubled the dough recipe and we made cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

We worked on Spirit Week costumes.  "Wow, Mrs. T!  You have a lot of useful stuff for this!"  Yes, yes, I do and I am so glad I can share it with you!

Retro Day is Monday...we have a hippe, a 1950s lady, a 1980s Punky Brewster, and a Daniel Boone.

Doing boy stuff while we did crafty stuff!  "Hey...I have a board...will that help?"  You do?!  Yes!

Sticky is good!

Such a good helper to make sure the girls don't slip and fall!

We got all the laundry caught up!  These kiddos can do it all!

I got the approval of the fur babies!

We all drove down to help Mr. T. with some projects he needed extra hands for.  Mr. R's eyes got really big when Mr. T. almost fell off the step ladder perched on the stairs that Mrs. T. was holding when it shifted!  I think my low back and hips still hurt from fighting to hang on and not let Ted and I both go down the stairs!  Uff da!  We both were shakey for awhile after that...BUT...got the mini-blinds hung!  And I didn't even think about grabbing more pictures of our adventure to the rental house.

Wow...a new month already!?!

Ready for big brother to come home for a visit after graduating from boot camp.  

Helping each other with homework questions.  

Silly kids and tired puppies.

Thankful to be able to help and spend time with this group!  Fun...busy...and tiring!  I forgot all the moving parts of being Mom to kiddos still in the home and at school.
 

Reminders from the Word

I have had two opportunities to help encourage in hard situations this past week.  Both had similar struggles.  I remember well the thoughts and feelings that go with each...because I had to deal with the same things in the same places.  Often, we get so out of sorts in our own head that we can't see the bigger picture or a different perspective.  It happens...we are human!  I am thankful that I can go to Scripture time and again to find the right way to handle little issues that pop up in our daily life.  

Ephesians 6 comes to mind.  Satan wants to seek and destroy our effectiveness in daily life.  He uses the little issues to cause strife and division...and it is so easy to do with women.  We are a mess at times and cannot think straight because we are emotional beings.

Ephesians 4 also comes to mind.  God wants us to walk in peace with others.  He gives us the reasons why and the how to accomplish His purpose for us.  Then He reminds us of what is most important.

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Friendship with Jesus first.

Friendship with others.

Your soul is refreshed.

JOY

We can have joy in the messiness of life!

We just have to spend time with Jesus and be refreshed.

 

A little here and there and everywhere

A little crafting using some parts and pieces from my Momma's collection...still spreading her love.

A little pushing...I sent an email to our local road commission (not sure how many other neighbors did this time) and they finally came out and salted after three weeks.

A little bit of time to help a friend with her kiddos and conversations from the backseat.

A little bit of baking this week to share with friends for after-school treats and breakfast.

Lots of prayer and music this week to fill up my heart and mind as we come to the end of January!