School Room

I have long desired a room that is totally dedicated to home-schooling.  For years, we have used the table to get the homework finished.  I hated clearing off the school books to make room for lunch, then clearing off the lunch dishes to make room for school books, and so on.  In our Indiana home, we had a schoolroom in the basement.  It was rather cold in the winter, but it was open and well-lit, so we made it work.  I got used to not having to shuffle books and dishes several times a day, and it spoiled me!  :)

In the trailer, we do not really have an option – everyone has to squeeze in at the table.  A school room was on my list of “wants” for our new home.  It kept trying to scootch over to the “needs” column, but I kept shoving it back, somewhat reluctantly, I must admit!

The Lord was so good to give us a “bonus room” that we can dedicate to our school needs.  I am so grateful!  So, here are the before and after pictures of this wonderful world of learning!

This was the bonus room as we first saw it.  The walls were painted a neutral beige, but were so full of holes and punctures, that we had to do some serious patching on the drywall.  That meant we had to repaint, too.  There was a wallpaper border around the top, rather appropriate for our purposes, with the whole “library” look, but since I am not the world’s biggest wallpaper fan, I decided that it would have to go as well.  You can see in this picture the nice, spacious closet – a huge plus in my opinion (this house has the nicest closets, and lots of them).  The floor was bare plywood, but other than that, it was in pretty good condition. 

I painted this room my lovely Seamist and we had new carpet installed in the entire upstairs (and in the downstairs bedrooms).  Along with a fresh coat of white trim, it gave the room an entirely new look. 

I was so excited when I found a giant white board at a local consignment shop.  It was a high-quality, 4’x6’ board with a marker trayand it was only $24!  Paul helped me hang it, and it really adds to our classroom instruction!  Over in the corner is our “children’s library,” a collection of books that I have gathered over the years.  They range from my childhood favorites to solid classic children’s literature.  I always encourage my children to read good books – it helps to develop the mind!

Right now, this is where we spend a great deal of time each day.  Since it is such a great part of our lives, I wanted it to be a relaxing, serene atmosphere, too.  I feel that I have accomplished that to a small degree.  Later, I plan to add some pictures of great American landmarks that we have visited as a family.  My ideas are boundless, but so are my pressing priorities, so the photos may have to wait a while! :)

Beginning of the End

Well, after several months of waiting, it would seem that we are coming to the end.  Our realtor called last week, and it looks as if our house in Indiana will close at the end of this month! Glory, Hallelujah!  I am trying not to get too excited, since things can always fall through at the last minute, but already it is a futile attempt.  I am excited!

 

Now we can begin to seriously look for a home here in Mississippi.  All the joys, trials, and perils of home ownership are about to be ours again!  We have our eyes on a house that needs some TLC, but nothing major.  We actually even went through it with a realtor.  I like it.  Paul likes it.  It has great potential for our family.  Now the next waiting game begins.  I tell myself that if this it the house the Lord has for us, no one else is going to get it.  The hard part is when you think you know which direction to go and the Lord gently turns you in another direction.  So, as we wait and pray about this situation, would pray with us?  We need wisdom and direction for this major decision.  The best part about it is that we are not in a time crunch to find a house.  We are comfortably (more or less) living in our “home on wheels” for the time being.  We can wait for the right house!  That is, if I don’t go crazy waiting… :)

Socially Secure?

Due to our recent move, I have to get a new driver’s license in Mississippi.  Paul got his almost immediately so that he could get a resident hunting license and finish out the deer hunting season.  “Oh, it’s really simple to get your license here,” he said.  “You don’t even have to take a test if you have a valid driver’s license from another state.  All you need is your old license, proof of residence, and your social security number.”

I was relieved.  I hate taking driving tests – even the written ones!  I gathered all my papers and headed down to the DMV one afternoon, prepared to get my new license.   I walked into the DMV and saw a large lady slouched in a chair, talking on the telephone.  I finally caught her attention, and she motioned me over and asked what I needed.  I explained, and she looked at my paperwork, and slouched back in her chair. “You don’t have the right papers,” she said.  I looked at her in astonishment.  “What do you mean?” I finally stammered.  She then grabbed my papers and showed me that my license, proof of residence, and Social Security card did not all have the same name on them.  My SS card still sported my maiden name!  “You’ll have to get a new SS card,” she stated, and without another glance at me, she slouched back in the chair again and continued her phone conversation.

I was somewhat disgusted with the whole situation.  Now it would be two weeks at least before I could get my license, and I had another bureaucratic hurdle to jump.  “Like I have time to go sit in the SSA office all day,” I muttered as I stomped out to the truck. “Guess it will just have to wait a few days.” 

I knew that I needed a Social security card with my married name on it (I don’t know what happened to the first one I got almost twelve years ago—I’ve been using the one with my maiden name on it all this time!), so the trip to the SSA was a necessary evil.

A few days later, I went into the local SSA office, documents in hand.  I took a number generated by a kiosk in the lobby, and sat in a chair to wait.  I was reading my Kindle(that is so nice to have during long periods of forced waiting) and as I sat there, I began to pick up bits and pieces of conversation around me.  Most notably, my attention was caught by a man sitting at the window with his elderly parents, who seemed to be in terrible health.  He was attempting to get legal custody of them, but was having complications.  The attendant at the computer told him that he would not be able to obtain the custody because of his prior murder conviction!  By this time, I had forgotten my book and was all ears.  I was feeling somewhat less than socially secure at the moment. :)

The man began ranting and raving about lawyers, records being expunged, the time he served,etc., while the attendant kept trying to interrupt him.  “Lady,” I thought, “don’t get him riled!  You might be next!  For that matter, I might be next!” 

I was quite relieved when my number was called shortly thereafter, and I departed to another room. Within minutes, I was finished and my request for a new SS card was processed.  As I hastily exited the building, he was still there, wrangling with the attendant.  I had to laugh as I drove home…  Social security?  I think it is an oxymoron! :)

First Week

Our first week in Mississippi has been a flurry of activity, running here and there, trying to get our bank accounts, drivers’ licenses, registrations and the like all done before the holidays.  After several trips back and forth from our storage unit, I think we have everything we need.  I cleaned all the summer clothes out of the kids’ room so that they could put all of their winter clothes in the drawers.  That was a chore that I am glad is done for a while.

The weather here is milder than in Indiana, but I know the summers are going to be killer.  The cashier at Kroger, upon learning that we had just moved from Indiana, said to me, “Oh, you’re going to hate it here!”  I hope she was just talking about the weather! :) We didn’t have a white Christmas this year (they only get snow about once a year, and not very much at that).

We are almost all settled in, and I think after another week, things will be back to normal.  That means back to school, too.  I have one more glorious week of freedom before school starts again!  Thankfully, I had the foresight to get my lesson plans done before we moved, so I will not have to do those this weekend!  I do have some catch-up to do on my grading – it seems like those papers just multiply while sitting in my dark desk drawer…

Safely Home

Welcome to Mississippi – our new place of residence!  We had a long, but uneventful drive down from Indiana, for which I was grateful, since I had to drive the 26’ Penske truck full of our junk.  I am already planning my next garage sale, and I don’t even have a garage yet! :) 

There are sad things about moving – saying goodbye to all our friends and family in the Indiana area, leaving my beautiful house(whaaaa!), and boxing up a lot of my things to be put in storage until we purchase a new home.  however, there are a lot of positive things about moving as well – being a part of another great church, making new friends, and beginning a new ministry.

Thanks to so many people who helped us get our things packed and loaded on the truck.  It was no easy job, let me tell you, and I nearly had a meltdown while loading!  Thanks, Mom, Allen, Matt, Michelle, Kirsten, Ryan, Jeff, Gord, Brad, Pastor Jordan, Mrs. Kathy, and everyone else who offered their services.  We could not have done it without you!



Here are some of our weekend heroes!  They look a little tired about now, don’t they?  Please don’t look at all the stuff – I can’t believe how much we have accumulated in the past year and a half! 

We had our Christmas programs on Sunday.  Josiah did a great job in his part as Benjamin the shepherd – he worked so hard to get all of his lines!  The big scary-looking guy is Paul.  He grew his beard out for the part.  Thank goodness, it is gone! :)



I was thrilled with the job the children did.  An added blessing was that one of the little boys came forward after the service to be saved!  Thank the Lord for His blessing!



Here they all are – dressed in their finest!  I love the bow ties for the boys – really makes everything look sharp!  The girls, of course, were beautiful in their Christmas finery!  I wish you could have heard them sing!  What a blessing to be able to work with these kids, and with my friend and director, Julie (she worked at least as hard as they did).  I am already looking forward to hearing how next year’s program goes!

The adult choir performed John W. Peterson’s cantata, Love Transcending in the evening service.  It, too, was such a blessing.  I was privileged to be a part of this momentous event!  Thanks, choir members – you all did a tremendous job!


Monday morning, we packed the trailer up, stuffed the kids in the trucks, and hit the road, headed for Mississippi.  It was a nice day for travel – cool, with scattered showers, and clear roads.  Josiah rode with me, and took this very flattering picture of me driving the truck.  :)



Driving the truck was quite a workout for me, since I am so short.  The seat didn’t scoot up far enough for me to rest my heel on the floor to work the pedals, so a lot of the day, I just had to suspend my right leg by sheer muscle power to operate the gas pedal.  I was able to use the cruise control at times, which gave me some relief, but in the construction zones, or when there was heavy traffic, I had to drive the old-fashioned way!

Well, that’s enough catching up for now.  I hope to get back on the blog regularly, once my internet connection is established.  Thanks for your patience and most of all, your prayers.

Wacky Wednesday

Well, by this time, we should be settling down in Mississippi – I am doing this post ahead of time, because I think that this week is going to be crazy!  I will update you all as soon as I get a chance to catch my breath from unloading all those boxes!  I will give you another freebie today from My Memories.



Download this page kit by clicking on the link below.
http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

Don’t forget that you can get a great deal on the My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software by using the code STMMMS94566  to get $10 off and another $10 coupon for the online store!  These pages are a snap to use with the MMS software!  The possibilities are endless! 

Now, go enjoy your day, and be thankful you are not moving the week before Christmas! :)

Harried and Hurried

Ok - some of you may be wondering what happened to me, while others of you may be relieved not to have to read about my crazy life!  The truth is, I have hardly had time to brush my teeth, let alone sit down and blog the last few weeks - thank goodness for the scheduling options on Blogspot!  This week has not had many posts because I just didn't have the time to write.  Even now, I write hurriedly, hoping that my husband doesn't see me working on the computer instead of packing boxes! :)

Our truck arrives this morning, and there is still so much to be done.  We lost some time because we took a day to be part of a funeral service for a family in our church that lost their baby at 27 weeks.  Please pray for the family as they deal with this difficult loss.  Saturday is our kid's Christmas program rehearsal (yes, I am helping with that, too), and I am looking forward to this year's program.  The kids have all worked so hard.  I think the Lord is going to use it in a special way.  Sunday morning is the children's program, followed by the adult program Sunday evening, and a going-away/Christmas fellowship party for our family after the service.  Then Monday morning, we head out to Mississippi.  Paul will be driving the truck and trailer, and I will be driving the 26' moving van.  We didn't really need one that big, but when we upgraded from a 16' truck, they didn't have any 22' trucks available.  Go figure!  Look out, everyone!

This may be my last post for a week or so.  I guess only time will tell.  I certainly don't anticipate having any spare moments in the next few days! :)  I will try to let you know when we all get settled.  Pray for us!  Moving is such a  delightful experience!

Wacky Wednesday

Well, today certainly is wacky around our house as we continue packing up our belongings.  The truck arrives in two days, and then it will really get crazy! (I keep telling myself not to stress, but I think moving is just stressful no matter how you look at it!)  I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and enjoying the holiday season, with all of its excitement, last minute shopping, and yummy baking.

Here is a digital freebie from My Memories to sweeten the holidays just a little bit more.  I love the pink papers and giant eyelet frames – they are perfect for that little girl in your life!  It is so easy to use these quick pages with My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software.  You still have time to put together a great album for the grandparents for Christmas.

 

Download this kit by clicking on the link below.
http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_3

Don’t forget that you can get $10 off the My Memories Suite software by using this code STMMMS94566.  This code will bring the price down to $29.97, and you will also get a coupon for $10 off in the digital scrapbook store!  Hop over there today and take a look at all the great pages, kits, and ideas.

Drip Drop

The last several days have been rather wet here in Indiana –the chilly, damp weather that seeps into your bones and makes you crave warm soups, fresh baked goods, and hot chocolate. 

Last weekend, we picked up our RV from the repair shop and paid the hefty bill (somehow it seems wrong that they can charge $100 an hour for labor), glad to finally have our trailer back.  For me, this meant that I can begin packing in earnest, stashing things in the trailer for immediate use, and packing up the non-essential belongings.  At least, that was the plan…

Paul went over to the trailer and came back with a very perturbed expression.  It would seem that we have a leak in the roof – due to scraping against a tree branch.  Since the past several days have been so wet, he was greeted by a huge puddle on the kitchen table that had spilled off onto the dinette seats, the couch, and the carpet.  Everything was soaking wet!  Not a pleasant discovery on a Monday morning, just after having the trailer serviced!  Thankfully we were able to get it into the body shop immediately (they have a four-week waiting list right now) and hopefully, all the leaks will be repaired.  Whew!  Now, back to all that packing! 

The moving truck arrives in 10 days… we leave Dec. 19th.  Crunch time is upon me.  It is rather exciting, but also nerve-wracking.  Moving at this time of year is even more difficult because of the holidays and the precipitate weather. 

To Be, or Not to Be???

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I have broken with tradition.  I always drag out the Christmas decorations the Saturday after Thanksgiving and start beautifying our home.  I love Christmas decorations – there is something about the red and green that just makes me feel festive.  The tree comes a little later, but the rest of it goes up almost as soon as we close the door after our relatives! :)  This year however, I have a dilemma.  We are moving in three weeks ( give or take).  I want to put up just a few things, but I am thinking it might be more trouble than it is worth.  What do you think?  If you were me, what would you do?  Nothing at all until after the move, or just a touch of color here and there (they take possession on Dec. 20th – not much time to decorate after the move)?  I know what my hubby would say… but I will not ask him.  :) 



This picture is from last Christmas.  I love the tree and the white lights and the touches of red.  I will definitely miss having a real tree this year.  The little one in the corner will be our main tree again this year.  It has been our “trailer tree” for about eight years now.  It will be fun to decorate the trailer again.  When do you start decorating your home for Christmas?