Master Bedroom - rated M for Married ;-)

at our old house, our bedroom always felt cluttered. we were majorly lacking in storage so there were always clothes (usually clean) in storage tubs awaiting a home. at the new house, we each have our own closet...yeah...OUR OWN!!! we are still looking for a dresser that mama can paint and purdify and of course, one can never have enough pillows so that is for sure on the list of wants...in addition to bedding...it's time we fluff it up in here. but otherwise, we are LOVING our new less cluttered room (please note...there's still clutter, but we're cute)

his & her closets...gotta love that!

i love waking up to this picture each morning...and my banner i made on a whim

my messy bedside table...a girl can NEVER have enough books to read

the sign above the bed roughly translated..."wanna make out"...but seeing as how my kiddos can read, i thought i'd spare them the "ewww mom gross!" moment and put it in another language. but seriously....who doesn't wanna make out with the love of their life!?! ;-)

master bath...it's small, but cute!!! 

a side note...if you're looking for an AMAZING devotional for you and your sweetie...our pastor, Craig Groeschel and his ADORABLE wife Amy just wrote "from this day forward - 5 commitments to a fail-proof marriage"...i HIGHLY recommend it and it looks great on the night stand in ANY master bedroom!!!

wasted testimonies

we tend to live in 2 worlds on social media...those that sugar coat EVERYTHING and act like they've got it all together and the grumpy mcgrumperson's that cannot say a good thing and complain about EVERYTHING...even the blessings. trying to find that happy medium sometimes can be difficult...i don't want to complain about the amazing blessings i've been given, but i also don't want to sugar coat what sometimes is difficult, despite the blessings surrounding it...does that even make sense!?! 

this morning my devotions were about wasting your pain...sounds wonky at first, but broken down, it not only made an amazing amount of sense, but spoke to my heart COMPLETELY.

our greatest ministry comes from our pain - not from how amazeballs we are, or how we look to others...but out of the painful experiences of our life. our weaknesses and trials we face, can truly help others in need to overcome the obstacles they're facing in life. 

who can be more sympathetic than somebody who has already been through what another person is going through right now!?! who can better help somebody who's been abused than someone who faced abuse in a previous relationship and came out a stronger person because of it? who can help the woman feeling helpless as she faces countless miscarriages than a woman who walked thru that dark and lonely valley for years. who can better help the parent of an adopted child, than a parent who endured the long and tumultuous journey already? who can help the hopeless mama that's parenting a special needs child, than the one who's raising one that isn't her's biologically? 

you're not saying...check out how i ROCKED this trial, but rather, bringing encouragement and often times, resources to those when they need it most. if i hide my pain, and the trials i've faced, it doesn't do me any good. i'm not dealing with it properly, and i'm not using it for GOD's intended purpose. GOD can use the thing i hated the most in my life, that brought me heartache, and disappointment and can speak to the heart of someone who's feeling lost and alone in the midst of what i've already been through. when you're willing to share your personal brokenness...you're allowing GOD to work HIS amazing plans out in the life of others. what was your trial that can now help someone triumph!?!

2014-2015 Curriculum...(a little late, but i'm cute)

we interrupt this "home tour" to bring you our curriculum decisions...the good, the bad, and the oh my cow it's actually working!!!

gavman is in first grade this year...oh em gee...he's loving the bigger work load, although this week, with the amazing weather, he's had a rough time staying focused on education and more focused on becoming a ninja warrior!!!

1st grade -
*calendar - 100 days and continuing on with his joy journal
*bible - lifekids.tv through our church...we LOVE it!!! about twice a week we also do JESUS calling
*history/earth science/english - easy peasy all in one homeschool....this is the bomb dot com homeschool mama's. if you're looking for an amazing homeschool curriculum, it's been working wonderfully for us...and it's FREE!!!
*phonics - we're continuing with k12 (not online, but the books we purchased on craigslist)
*math - math u see (alpha)
*sight words - sight word notebook word of the day...i found it on pinterest...i'll try and pin it soon for all to see. he was really struggling with sight words last year, and this has been a HUGE blessing.

Pri Pri is in 3rd grade and she's shooting up like a weed...a beautiful weed, of course. she's, so far, loving school (with the exception of math...it's gonna be the death of me...but we keep on keepin' on)

3rd grade -
*calendar - joy journal
*bible - lifekids.tv and JESUS calling (lifekids.tv is TOTALLY free also...and SUPER fun)
*history/earth science/english/reading - easy peasy all in one homeschool
*spelling - i found a master spelling list online and each week she writes the words in her notebook, spells them with magnetic letters, writes them on the chalkboard, spells them while jumping on the trampoline, pretty much ANYTHING to get her to spell, we're doing!!!
*vocabulary - i found another list online of words a 3rd grader should know...she writes them daily and then we test at the end of the week...free and easy people...that's the motto!
*copy work - each week she has a main point and verse of the week from church. she practices writing in her notebook and then we go over the different punctuation that may be involved.
*math - math u see (beta) - this is by far the greatest math program out there. we love it (although capri is NOT a fan at the moment)...she is OBSESSED with Steve Demme...i don't know why, he seems nice and all, but, i mean, REALLY!?! she was having an absolute MELTDOWN yesterday because she didn't pass the test and will have to wait another day before seeing steve again...it wasn't pretty people...snot was flying...mama was doing A LOT of praying...but, HIS mercies are new every morning and today we are back on track to see the oh so entertaining steve tomorrow!

we're 27 days in...alive...and kickin'...i think we are gonna survive another year of homeschoolin'!!!

Livin' it up in the Living Room

when we walked into the new house, we both fell in love...the living room is super small, but it opens up to the dining and kitchen (both small also) and makes for a great flow on the main floor of the house. coming from OLD Blue, which wasn't an open floor plan at all, we've loved having the openness and that it's super easy to keep tidied.

i wanted to have a happy and blessed theme throughout the living area. i think it's important to have reminders around that we're blessed. we live in such an entitled, bigger and better world, that it's nice to sit back, and surround yourself with things that make you happy and remind you of how truly blessed you are. enjoy the living room tour

please excuse the pictures...i've had to use my cellphone lately since my camera has decided to be 40 kinds of wonky!

cute little sitting area. gaven helped me recover these two chairs before the move...one was free and the other was a whopping $5! the suitcase belonged to BIG daddy's grandpa and the two boxes below house some of my scrapbook supplies.

this picture (from Hobby Lobby) says it all!!!

One of my favorite corners of the house! My globe and new locker just make me smile!!! i found the locker at a local thrift store...inside is NASTY, but i'm hoping with a little elbow grease and a whole lotta LOVE it will be just as cute inside as it is on the outside!

another view of the living area...yep, it's tiny...but it suits our needs

windows and shutters from OLD Blue

i painted this last month...has the lyrics to Blessed By Your Name and #5 for our family of 5

saw this saying on Junk Gypsy and had to put it on my chalkboard

the hub...tried to have it be cute, but no matter what, a hub is a hub. this houses Gracelin's toys to keep her occupied while i cook dinner. 

shutters from OLD Blue

school house painting by my mama, relish the remarkable ride...by me...it's my favorite saying!!!

by the front door i have a thrift store mirror, and favorite pics of the family...and my niece

also by the front door, pictures of the kiddos, and gaven's "family portrait" he drew when he was three

thanks for stopping by! have a BLESSED day!!!

Classroom tour...and an attempt at an apology

so, it's been a year...a long and crazy year since this blog received ANY of my attention. i'm so sorry! as i wrote in the last post, we've been grieving normalcy around here. in addition to that, WE MOVED!!! yeah, like packed up everything and hightailed it out of our cozy little home, in our cozy little town (gotta love it when you're living in a small town and your child's biological family decides to drive by your home ALL THE TIME). so, it was time for a change.

now we're all settled into the new place and LOVE it! we increased our living space and got two extra bedrooms in the mix. we're much closer to my hubby's work, so his commute is only a few minutes...which he LOVES!

the kiddos are loving the yard, the neighborhood, and surprisingly, the classroom...which of course is my FAVORITE part of the house. our own little dedicated room in the basement that we've made ours. it receives TONS of light, but the kiddos can't see if their friends are outside playing, which limits distraction. i also have a tiny corner for crafts...gasp! perhaps one day, i'll be able to have a craft day in the near future...you know, when i have tons of time on my hands to eat bonbons and all that jazz.

here are some pics of the new classroom. and i'm gonna try and be better about this whole blog thing and post a home tour soon...cuz those are my favorite things to see on other blogs. But for now...here's a glimpse into...

Canyon Christian Homeschool Classroom

Main portion of classroom...shelving along back wall coming this fall and shelving being added to closet as well. our chalkboard table has been in use for two years now, and we couldn't love it anymore!

Reading Corner...and Baby Boo's play area for her blocks during school

These are full of busy bags for Gracelin Kayt to play with during school...gotta keep that little booger occupied

Saw this saying on Pinterest and had to make one for the classroom, as well as the new bunting, because we didn't want to block out ANY light from our basement window.

Our classroom rules...we implement them often...even on the teacher!

Picked up this desk from a friend's yard sale...one of my favorite finds for the new room...the kiddos LOVE it for their copywork and spelling time.

Bad view of the window, but you get the point. The rocking horse was picked up for a WHOPPING $1 at a yard sale...i threw some paint on it and it keeps Baby Boo occupied and is a great brain break for the big kids too.

More toys for the baby...she takes up the most space in here, and she's not even in school yet.

We implemented the ART wall this year too, to showcase some of the kiddos' work

The main hub of where things happen...we removed the easel from our Melissa and Doug easel and just hung the whiteboard and chalkboards straight onto the wall. Our adjacent guest room (viewed in another post at another time) has a huge chalkboard wall, so the kids head there often to practice writing, or drawing.

Hope you enjoyed the Classroom Tour, and hopefully I can get the rest of the home on here soon. Have a blessed day!

Tough Stuff

Life around here has been NUTTY and is about to get nuttier (is that a word!?!) my niece is heading to town, we are preparing to celebrate Gracelin Kayt's 1st birthday (sniffle, sniffle), and then I will be traveling with three children...and a teenager, to the west coast for one month...sans my handsome hubby! Oy! 

I'm super excited, albeit a little overwhelmed. I'm sure lots of pictures will follow, but if not...be patient, they will come! 

In addition to the coming things...we've been dealing with some heavy stuff at home lately. We began having Capri tested late last Summer to get a better idea of her delay, and how we can better meet her needs. As her educator, I'm always resourcing, trying to find the best things and ways for her to learn. No one knows her better than us, and I want to make sure that we provide her with every possible opportunity to catch up after such a difficult start in life.

We were recently contacted by Capri's doctor and told that she is severely developmentally delayed and that we need to be prepared for that to stay the same, or possibly get worse. The doctors aren't certain if it is caused from her stroke, when she had failure to thrive, the emotional turbulence she went through, or if it is genetic, as her biological parents are both developmentally delayed. 

I want so desperately to make it all better...I'm sure every mom would. I want to protect her from all the mean kids...and adults...that expect this beautiful girl to be "normal," then question why she isn't because she doesn't fit their idea of normal. In a sense, we are grieving normalcy around our house, and trying to prepare for the future the best we can. 

We know that GOD doesn't give us more than we can handle, and we knew that Capri had some special needs, it's just starting to become more of a reality with this recent news. My hubby is handling it all WAY better than I am...I guess I had on my rose colored glasses. I see her delay, but I also see that, since we started homeschooling, her emotional health is improving. Educationally, she's behind, but making amazing progress. We continually pray over our decision to homeschool...knowing that we always want to do what's best for the kiddos. We don't take the decision lightly. After much prayer,  we've decided we will continue homeschooling...and possibly add some additional outside resources. 

Capri takes a lot of work. We pour into her constantly...and often times feel like we are running on empty. But we're amazed at how GOD brings cup fillers into our lives. People who encourage us, pray for us, let us vent, and sometimes watch our kids so we can go on a date and regroup. We're forever grateful to you...you know who you are! 

So, as we continue to process this whole thing...we are finding that we draw closer as a family, a couple, and closer to GOD...we couldn't get through this without each other and we'd crumble without an amazing GOD...who trusts us with this little Dollie. We CAN do this through HIM!

Pretty Lady

can't believe our little porkchop is ten months old already. she took her first steps last week and has been a bundle of naughtiness...all while being positively adorbs! this first year is flying by and this mama can't capture the memories fast enough (or blog them fast enough). here are some pictures from gracelin's 8 month photoshoot...she's a keeper for sure!!!

 love those kissable chubby cheeks

 what rolls!?!

such a happy, smiley, pretty lady

out of the mouths of babes

i have a spiral notebook that i keep readily available to write down the funny things that the kiddos say...i love to read through it on those difficult days to remember that even when they are cranky, they still have a heart of gold and a child-like innocence.

2012's funny quotes... (as well as some pics to wrap up the year....only 3 mos. late...no biggie)

-GOD is peeling my ouchies ~ gaven
-dad, i can't sleep, my feet are too stinky ~ gaven
-can i please have some lamb (clam) chowder ~ capri
-my name is baben and that's my sissy dapri (how gaven spoke in 2012)
-i love doing sprinklesaults ~ gaven
-gaven, do you want to wear a dress? (asked capri) do i what? of course not, so don't ever ask me that again, it's disgusting ~ gaven
-mom, can eleventeen be a number today? ~ gaven
-mama, while you were at work today, i decided to pull out my tooth (we didn't even realize it was loose) ~ capri
-BUT I DON'T WANNA CALL HER GRACELIN, CAN I JUST CALL HER PORKCHOP? ~ gaven
-ooooh, i'm gonna put that cash in my piggyback ~ gaven
-daddy, change the channel, i'm allergic to football ~ capri
-my favorite color is....um....pizza ~ gaven
-(when asked what does a turkey say) no don't eat me ~ gaven
-i'm not a sadowski, i'm a frog! ~ capri
-crap dadddy! crap! crap your hands ~ gaven
-london bridge is falling down arg matey ~ gaven
-mama, do you think annie loves her daddy starbucks (warbucks) ~ capri
-i love my lobster (Leapster) from auntie christy ~ capri
-(while explaining to gaven that sissy is adopted and was in "Val's" tummy)...you mean like 'val shall not steal?' ~ gaven
-yay! i'm so decided!!! ~ gaven

~CAPRI LINAY~

 ~GAVEN KEITH~

~GRACELIN KAYT~

 ~HARVEST BLESSINGS~

 ~CAPRI WITH THE CUPCAKES SHE DECORATED FOR HER 7TH B-DAY~

 ~GRACELIN SACKED OUT AT CAPRI'S B-DAY PARTY~

 ~GRACIE'S FIRST CHRISTMAS~

~LITTLE GIFTS~



genius!!!

have you ever had a "oh my goodness, i'm a genius" moment as a mom!?! i NEVER have them...i find myself thinking other moms have them all the time, but my moment came on sunday.

the monkeys are going through the name calling phase...you know, the one where every name ends with 'head' or 'bottom' and starts with silly words like 'pickle'...DRIVES ME WONKY!!! so, (enter genius moment) sunday, i'd had my fill and said, "picklehead, thats funny...but whatever you do...do NOT call me wonderwoman and i won't call you captain awesome!" they laughed, and we moved on.

today, gaven was getting mad at capri because she was touching his lego creation and i heard the magic..."LEAVE ME ALONE WONDERWOMAN!!!" DON'T TOUCH THAT! YOU'RE SUCH A CAPTAIN AWESOME!!!"

genius...pure genius

Harvest Blessings (even though it's winter)

(somehow this never posted...so sorry for the delay)...fall is my favorite time of year for photo ops!!! i LOVE it!!! we took the kiddos to papa's pumpkin patch...GREATEST pumpkin patch EVER...and picked out cute little pumpkins for the big kids...and one GREAT big pumpkin for our BIG baby!!! and did we mention it was 70 degrees outside...NICE!!!

LittleMan...BIG POSER

CHEESE

 Capri's perfect little strawberry shaped pumpkin

 Goofy Girl

 this was completely UNPOSED!!! while waiting for me to get my camera ready, Gaven leaned over and kissed his big sister...so glad my camera captured it...and so glad that my littleman loves his big sister...makes my heart sing!!!

 My Harvest Blessings

My Sweet Lil' Punkin...who's not so little anymore!!!



and here's what happened after the picture.....(so thankful for daddy and his muscles...it's pretty hard to rock a 25 lb pumpkin with a 15 lb baby inside...but he had it mastered by the time all was said and done...HEART HIM BUNCHES!!!