Gratitude n more....

It seems that I cannot keep up with this lately. To bad as I really enjoy it.

Since my last post, my girl is now moved and settled into her new oh so pink room. My darling found her a loft bed with a dresser and desk included as well as "secret" storage on the back side of the bed. The bed also comes with a trundle that when not in use just looks like another large drawer. There is still a little trim work that needs to be finished, hubby keeps cutting pieces then is not happy with how they fit around rounded corners.

We have finshed the bathroom as well. I have been looking for a new mirror for it but have not found one that I really love. He did a great job on tiling around the shower and we have put in vinyl flooring.

The living room has been sheetrocked and painted. This is making day to day function of the house a little difficult as we have only subflooring that we are reinforcing and we found a couple of holes that needed fixing...NICE...next step is 1/4" plywood, then laminate flooring. YEAH. We still have to trim the flooring and one window then odd little jobs. We have a huge picture window that I refinished in a deep walnut rather than the oak that seems so common these days. Such bad timing as Hubby has now been trying to fill his deer tags for bow season.

Our garden is not producing as well as I hoped. I had a ton of seedlings, but they drowned in the spring rains so the garden actually got a late start. I have 8 raised beds, this year, next year those I hope to dedicate to tomatoes, peppers and other plants that need copious water and more TLC than others. I hope to have some hoops over those by next spring. We planted strawberries, however the neighbors abundance of canadian thistle have overtaken that. My asparagus is surving, being the first year I am just nurturing those, as they want to be 2-3 before harvesting. I am trying to talk hubby into a greenhouse for next year to start my seedlings in as they quickly overtook the dining room.

On my list for fall is as I empty the garden beds, I have more compost to mix in, I have some "weed carpet" given to me by my mom that I want to use around the beds rather than contend with grass sneaking into the beds over time.

We did spend a week up at my mother "cabin" in the mountains. It is actually a 2 bedroom trailerhouse that sits in a valley with a creek running in the property. We found out the water from the well is potable altho it needs filtering because of grit, which is a huge blessing rather than hauling water. We took down the front of an old cabin that had been detroyed when wind knocked down a huge old pine tree, but truly we are grateful that it did not take out the house. There still many tasks to do up there but it is so peaceful.

When we were there we would wake early and work outside until about 12:30 - 1:00 until it just got to hot to work. One lunch break we were sitting at the kitchen table reading "Pilgrims progress" and got a gasp when we saw to fawns in the front yard. Deer are abundant there. We would then get back to work about 5:00 for a few more hours as the temperatures became more bearable. The kids all want to move up there despite having to have them all in one bedroom. I am not so sure that they would feel that way mid winter when we would be snowed in. Altho' I would not mind that!

My mother told me she is going to be signing that property over to me when she gets back from a trip she is on going to see my brother and his family, as well as my great aunt. I am thrilled as she loves it up there however, she does not want the maintance of it and she has a hard time being there because of the memories my father and her built there. She misses him more up there as they lived their for 5 years and truly it was the most wonderful time of their lives.

To add insult to injury, hubby had to work for some of the time we were up there, so he was on his way up and got about 1/2 way there and something blew in his old truck. He described it (accurately) as it sounded like a machine gun driving down the highway to limp it back home. We had been looking for a new motor to rebuild but cash for clunkers took care of that!

Now we have been looking for a new truck for him.

Last year we became snowbound (the kids and I) we are also looking for a new vehicle for me. I love my van, but it just won't make it up the icy hill to our home. It is rear wheel drive and the hill faces north so does not get the sun to melt the snow all the way, just enough to ice it up.



List of gratitudes continued:

709. A cabin in the mountains that brings such peace
710 wood peckers waking us in the morning
711. a herd of deer nestled near the creek in the cool of the morning
712. A picture window to view the mountain
713. cold well water..that we can drink
714. eating smores, shared with a neighbor at her fire pit
715. Indoor plumbing...for some up there don't have it
716. the neighbors dog (in Monarch) who comes to wish us good morning then returns home
717. smell of pine trees
718. fishing
719. finding raspberries, and choke cherries
720. kids playing hide and seek in the trees and shrubs
721. hard work
722. games played at a kitchen table, leading to laughter and smiles
723. no electronics!
724. gardens producing fruits and kids excitement at harvesting them.
725. finding out a freezer had gone, but having enough time to salvage most of the meat (still frozen enough to cook, but not enough to refreeze)...almost 50 canning jars now filled!
726. Hubby making it home as his truck dies.
727. Having another vehicle (our old farm truck/suburban) that he can join us
728. rototiller!
729. taking kids to see David Crowder band at the downpour (My little guy was just aching to see them)
730. My mom being able to drive to Washington.
731. Our friend, that we may be a blessing as he adjusts to losing his beloved to cancer.
732. learning to make homemade pasta.
733. hunting season. (Prayers that God will bless my husband this year with safety and success)
734. An 11 year old boy who wants to learn to can venison so he can enter it in next years fair
735. A 9 year old who one first place and best of show in the state fair.
736. An 8 year old who loves and excells in taekwondo
737. Seeing a porcupine waddle through my back yard
738. God says I need to be thankful in all things.....thankyou Lord for the smell of skunk that came wafting through my house waking me in the night
739. A huge owl hooting just before bedtime, and me seeing him sitting on my light post.
740. A neighbor who built a "shepherds monument" for us in the mountain property.
741. Finding lady bug eggs! on our corn...hope they don't eat to much!!
742. My beloved is still working
743. A gifted pressure cooker that I am quickly learning to love (especially in the summer)
744. An 8 year olds birthday, spent with his mom, and family.
745. Finding sticks still green enough to be peeled for walking sticks
746. Fishing poles and worms
747. Being able to tend my mom's cats while she is away.
748. chaos created to lead to order
749. work being finished to make this house better
750. vison for what is to be done....