'Tis a Leak in the Pipe! Pt. 2

The plumber showed up today nice and early as promised and diagnosed our problem rather quickly. An hour later, we were leak-free and $340 lighter in the wallet, but happy to have it resolved.  Turns out that when our house was plumbed in 2007, the contractor left out a small, vital piece when he installed the kitchen faucet.  It rendered the faucet unable to tighten properly and it's probably been dripping behind the cabinetry ever since. (that's 3-1/2 years, folks!) The drip itself, and the fact that we've never been able to get the faucet to turn properly,  has been driving us crazy.  After all this time there was nowhere else for the water to go, so it began to leak through down through the concrete into the livingroom.
The plumber replaced the faucet with a new standard one and a separate sprayer.  They don't quite match the other fixtures, but we really don't care at this point. It works -- hassle-free! This weekend we need to pry up the tiles under the sink and bleach out all the mold that has accrued. I can only imagine what the subfloor looks like underneath -- yuk! -- but at least we are able to use our faucet (pictured below) happily now!

'Tis a Leak in the Pipe!

Last week a portion of our living room carpet was wet without an apparent explanation.  It was soaked through the padding right down to the concrete. After some investigation we discovered it was located directly over a pipe leading from our kitchen, and every time we ran water in the kitchen sink a pool of water formed in the living room.  We pulled up the carpet and padding in that area and sucked up all the water with the wet-dry vac, then dried each portion with fans. We had to rearrange the living room furniture to accomodate the mess and also realized that we wouldn't be able to use the sink or dishwasher. On Friday we called a plumber. He thinks he can solve the problem but can't be here until Tuesday at 3 p.m.
So - we've spent the past 4 days without a kitchen sink. I hand wash all of the dishes in our laundry room --and since I forgot to put paper plates on the shopping list, I'm washing a lot of dishes.  Really, though -- isn't this how it always used to be done before the invention of modern conveniences?  My great-grandmother raised 15 children in the early 20th century. Now THAT is a lot of dishes!

We've kept fans blowing around the clock to dry the padding.

Every home with children needs a gigantic shop vac. If you don't have one, get one.

My temporary "kitchen".  Laundry and dishes washed here -- two for the price of one!

8 !

Madalyn turned 8 on Saturday. It's hard to believe how time has flown by!  She was my only symptom-free pregnancy and pain-free labor.  No kidding -- the nurses didn't believe I was actually in labor because I was not acting like a typical woman about to give birth.  I was smiling and kidding around while my contractions were 2 minutes apart. That explains why Matt nearly delivered her himself, because no medical personel were in my hospital room when Madalyn Grace crowned and started to make her appearance into the world. She's always been a strong-willed and determined girl who likes to do things on HER schedule!
This year we celebrated her birthday in the evening with her favorite pizza and by watching "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader".  It was  fun and relaxing  for us as we all squished together on our bed to watch the movie and eat popcorn (though I really should have changed the sheets afterward because I kept feeling popcorn kernals beneath me as I slept that night). Zac wasn't part of it because he was at a concert in which he crowd-surfed for the first time and fainted from dehydration after "moshing" through the sets of 3 bands. (He's fine -- and now has a story to tell all of his friends.)
Sunday evening I made the dinner Madalyn requested: meatloaf.  Seriously, the girl loves my meatloaf. Matt made her birthday cupcakes (rather than cake) and the pictures below depict him explaining the meaning of the decorations to her. He made hearts on some to show that she is much-loved; smiley faces because she makes us laugh; stars because he thinks she's a "rockstar"; and flowers because she's so pretty. (I can hear you thinking, "awww...". I know -- he's such a sweet daddy!)

Wordless Wednesday

"But when you said, ' Help yourself to some chili ', I thought you were talking to me!"

The Grass Isn't Always Greener....

I made a confession to Matt this morning:  I'm guilty of coveting our neighbors' lawn. It's just so lovely with its lush green grass; fully, leafy trees and season-appropriate decorations. The homeowners, a young couple named Matt and April, live directly across the street from us.  I  admire their landscaping everytime I look out our front window. Yesterday April was out working in her yard for about 8 hours, laying rich black mulch that accents their home perfectly.
Later this morning a pool and spa company truck was parked in front of their home, so I can only imagine there will be lots of activity going on there in the next few weeks. 
In comparison, our lawn looks rather forlorn and brown. With my man's schedule preventing him from spending much time out there this Spring, I have made some attempts to get it nice and green. However, despite my best efforts it seems all I've been able to accomplish is lessons in futility:
1. Never run the sprinklers when there are wind gusts of 46 m.p.h. (I'm learning this lesson right now as I type this.)
2. No matter how many times I remind the kids not to run across the grass, it is just too big of a temptation for them.  How easily they forget my request!
3. Begging, pleading, encouraging, watering, praying....none of these will make my annuals emerge from the soil and bloom any quicker.  They are some really stubborn flowers!  Matt and April must have planted the non-procrastinating ones.
4.  Hanging baskets only look nice when there is actually something growing in them.  I have 3 dirt-filled baskets waiting to take their place on the hooks outside, but I have nothing to plant in them. Not in the budget this year. Daaaaang.
5.  Even though we don't have much, I guess there is always something somebody else wants. Case in point: Our weed-eater was stolen. There has been a rash of garage break-ins in our addition and it appears we fell victim.  I shouldn't complain, though, because a few days ago our friends up the street awoke in the morning to discover their Cadillac Escalade propped up on cement blocks, missing all four tires.  I'm not kidding.
Alas...though I whine and pout that our lot resembles a pasture, I'm reminded of this fact: it provides a place for the kids to gather with their friends and  jump on the trampoline or play Capture the Flag; the driveway is covered in colorful chalk drawings that little hands spent hours making, and the wobbly bench on the front porch is the perfect place to sit and look at the stars on a summer night.
All things considered, our lawn might not be the prettiest on the block, but I suspect it's the happiest.

To Have and Have Not

I remember an incident when I was a teenager that is forever ingrained in my memory. I was at the mall with my mom and I saw a clothing item that I really, really liked.  It was on sale and I asked my mother if she would buy it for me.  She said no, and I'm sure she gave me a reason but I don't recall what it was.  However, I clearly remember her saying, "Well, look at it this way: not getting what you want builds character!".
Many times over the past 2 years or so I've asked the Lord for things I think my children or I deserve, but His answer has been "no". Everytime I realize that my desires are not going to be fulfilled at that time, I recall those words from my mom. God is building character in me and in my children.  Those tangible things, or experiences, or the words I want to hear, or whatever it is that I've asked for are being withheld so that He can work in me.  He uses the "no" and "not yet" to draw me closer to the character of Christ. He knows better than me what is beneficial and what is detrimental, and I need to trust Him. It's that simple.
Yes, things really suck for us right now.  My heart aches for things that you would not even think of, and they may not ever come to pass.  If God chooses, He might fulfill those desires, or He may take the desire from me completely. But until then, I will wait, and trust, and thank the Lord that He is our loving Abba Father who does supply our needs, and sometimes our wants.

Higher Ways

 A few days ago a friend posted a quote so very apropo,  I needed to sit  and meditate on it. I don't know if it's her original quote or if she heard it elsewhere, but nonetheless it nourished my soul:
                        "There are places where God exercises His sovereign right to retain mystery.
                           In times where there is no answer, I need to step back and let God be God."

Tonight as I was thinking on those words again, I noticed the verse-of-the-day on this blog:
                        "In repentance and rest You will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength."          Isaiah 30:15

I drew the correlation between quietness and trust in that verse and  His sovereign right to retain mystery in the former.  I am guilty of trying to hurry God; to urge Him to act quickly on our behalf or that of others.  However, in that I am missing the mark. It is not my place to question His time or His will; but it is my obligation to trust Him that He will do what He will do when He will do it. After all, He is far greater than I can even fathom!

Sunday Funny

Yesterday I came across this delightfully awkward picture of my 3 older siblings and I in 1975. I'm in the pink shorts.  It's too bad the picture was cropped because I would have loved to have seen my father's expression. (He's standing behind us.)  We were at a  week-long family reunion at my grandparents' house. My mom had just given birth to my younger sister 2 weeks prior, so she stayed home in Michigan while my dad took the rest of us to the reunion in Minnesota.  He was a brave man to undertake a trip like that! I was only 5, but I'll never forget that while we there, we all contracted food poisoning and my dad had to take care of 4 puking kids by himself.  Fun times!

Chip and Chin

Monday night Luke split open his chin. He whacked it on the same window sill upon which Katie cracked  her head 2 years ago, for which she needed 3 staples to close the gash. Must be that his bony chin has few nerve endings, because Luke didn't even realize he'd hurt himself. Not a tear was shed while we considered whether to take him for stitches.  It was 9:30 p.m. and since I managed to find a few butterfly bandages that would hold the skin together nicely, we took our chances and treated him at home. He'll probably have a scar to remind him of it, but it seems to be healing up rather dandily.

This morning Nathan ran into the coffee table. He chipped his front tooth a bit and tore up his lip and the roof of his mouth pretty well. It caused him pain for several hours and he was unable eat or drink anything until dinner.  To add insult to injury, he fell again on the pavement and started bleeding all over again. Poor kid. My teeth hurt just thinking about it.

(Sorry -- no picture. He wasn't very happy with me when I tried to photograph him...go figure.)

Peace, Be Still

I've continued to ponder some of the things I mentioned in my previous post.  The Lord has no doubt been doing a work in me. The "Spring forward" time change has tried to get the better of me this week but this morning I was up bright and early before any of the children.  I awoke with anticipation about what the day has in store for us but also with a sense of unrest. I'm anxious. My hands are tied regarding our future; Matt and I have no control and no say in what happens next for us. We must depend fully upon our Heavenly Father and trust that when and where we move is His Will -- His good, perfect and flawless Will.  There is peace in knowing that, yet the imperfect person who is me still feels disheveled and anxious, worn-out and berated. I have no human strength left to finish this long journey to financial recovery; my hope for the future gets clouded by the reality of  our current state.
  However, the few minutes of uninterrupted quiet this morning afforded me time with God, and He graciously reminded me of this promise:
Peace, be still --know that He is God and He has us in His hand. Peace, be still --He knows the aching I'm feeling for life to get a little easier for all of us, wishing we could just cut a break.  Peace, be still --and give Him my tattered and broken heart and allow Him to re-fashion it until it beats with hope and encouragement. Peace, be still -- He is our good shepherd, and He cares for us. Peace, be still -- rest in Him.

Spring Has Sprung

Spring Break is this week, and given our circumstances we've made the most of it. Being a one-vehicle family with Matt working 20 miles away and gas prices on the verge of ridiculous, the kids and I are homebound; but it's been a good week and I've enjoyed having all my ducklings running around.

The weather has been lovely, so there's been a lot of this:

and this:

 plus some of this (does a mom's heart good):

 There will always be plenty of this:

 There was even some of this!:

Tomorrow is Matt's Saturday off, so I'm looking forward to having him home for the next two days before we all get back to the grind. There is a sense of anticipation around here, knowing that we will be moving soon (hopefully?).  Call it Spring cleaning if you want, but I've been preparing for the changes by cleaning out closets and cupboards and packing what I can.  I've been saving boxes for a year and I'm glad there's finally some inspiration to fill them. As well, I've been preparing my heart and mind for our move. I look forward to leaving some of my old character behind and starting anew with a new hope, motivation and love for my calling as a wife and mother. Our long and difficult season of winter is (almost) over...Spring has come!

Sometimes a Mom Just Needs To....

...BRAG!!!!

Seth has made a huge turn-around this year.  We've always known what he's capable of and it's wonderful to see him finally realize it himself!

Got Swagger?

You all should know by now that I am all about saving money. I have found a great way to earn free stuff, and I really must tell you about it: SWAGBUCKS.  If you already know what Swagbucks is, you can stop reading now.  (Ha ha.) 
Swagbucks is a search and win toolbar, but there are no gimmicks, I promise!  I downloaded the toolbar about a year ago and use it in place of Google. For instance, if I want to look up let's say, polar bears, I would just type it into the search bar and it will pull up the search results just like Google does.  However, sometimes along with your search results a banner will appear saying, "You've won __ Swagbucks!"  The amount varies but is usually 8-10 Swagbucks; sometimes it's more, sometimes it's fewer. 
So why win Swagbucks?  So you can shop at the Swagstore, of course!  Once you've accumulated Swagbucks you can trade them in for hundreds of different prizes at the Swagstore.  You can buy actual items (anything from crayons to an iPod Touch) or you can purchase giftcards. For example, a $5 Amazon.com giftcard costs 450 Swagbucks. It's an online e-card, so when you're ready to shop at Amazon.com you just redeem the code on the card and you save $5 off your purchase.  Seth bought a PS2 game  for $10 from Amazon the other day using Swagbucks.  He redeemed 2 Amazon.com giftcards and used them to purchase the game.  His total purchase cost $0.  It was absolutely free, just because he uses Swagbucks.
I purchased the ToyStory 3 DVD last Fall  for $19.99, but paid just $5 because I redeemed $15 worth of giftcards I had purchased with Swagbucks.  You can also apply the money to your Paypal account. Matt redeems his Swagbucks on Paypal and then applies it towards his purchase of nutritional supplements that he buys online. He has saved up to $20 on a single order thanks to Swagbucks. 
The great thing is, it costs absolutely nothing to use. Inotherwords, you're getting the prizes and giftcards FREE. 
Once you've downloaded the toolbar, you will discover that there are several ways to earn them.  Sometimes there will be a Swag code encrypted in the Swagbucks blog. You simply copy and paste the code to your account and you've got yourself some Swag. If you "Like" Swagbucks on Facebook, there will also often be codes in your newsfeed.
So...do you understand how it works, at least a little bit?  Then go get yourself some swag!  You can click on this link: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/momx8 
Have fun!

Better Than Playing Video Games

We've been enjoying mild and warm weather for the past couple of weeks with few exceptions, so I decided to post some pics of the kids playing outside. 

  Star Wars.  Luke is Darth Vader and Nate is Luke "Sidewalker" (quoting Katie)

 Glad I snapped this before they got tripped up and fell over on eachother.

 Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me ---I'm the stinky cheese man!

 No matter how often I clean it, our back door is always smudged with fingerprints. Always.

Abby joined an online photography club offered by k12.  These 3 pictures are some she took for an assignment: