Scenes From The Big Project

I am sparing you the really scary scenes of way to much stuff piled in my room, that needs to be gone through.  It is amazing how much a small closet can hold. ((shudder))

In case you missed it, we spent all day yesterday changing bedrooms.  With Lindsay married, Tim and I are taking the master bedroom again, and Emma is moving to the smallest bedroom.  She is so happy because even though she works from home, she is in her own room for the first time in her entire life!

 This meant though, that everyone had to move rooms.  A huge undertaking!

 By the end of the day, everyone had their bed ready to sleep in, Kyle's room was completely finished, Emma's mostly done, and the girls' room was basically done.  

They did a really cute thing.  They put their dresser with the bookcase topper in such a way that they have a super cute reading nook.

See?

I think a cute rug in this space would be so cute!  The chair is close the the big double window in this room.  It makes all the space in their room bright and cheery!

I will be painting my room soon - it is a pretty aqua color called Indigo Sea, but it's not my color scheme and it's been on the walls for 9 years.  I'll probably do the same color that I had in other bedroom - I like it very much.

Rachel and Sarah's room will get paint too, but not for a while.  Rachel loves the color they had but Sarah wants a warmer color.  So since they will never decide, I am not going to worry about it!

Emma may choose to paint hers, too.  I'll help her but want her to take the lead with it.  

Tonight we get the treat of going to the employee premier of Sight and Sound Theatre's Moses!  We are super excited.  I'll try to post about it tomorrow!

And just so you don't think we were all work and no play yesterday I'll share this video

Back To Reality

Still enjoying enormous satisfaction with the wedding, but most importantly with the marriage of my daughter.  She texted me briefly today (Joseph was texting his mom too).  They are doing well, enjoying married life, and the area that they are honeymooning in.

What parent doesn't want to hear that?  

Today we are slowly getting back to reality.  Tim's Mom, sister, bro in law and daughter (the wedding photographer) flew home yesterday.  We spent the evening with my parents and my brother, sister in law, nephew who flew in from California.  It was a lot of fun.

 They were in the middle of a game of 14 when we got there so we just joined in the conversation.

 My sister in law Paula

 My brother Robert…

 My mom, my niece Kaitlin (who lives in PA now), and my brother.  Looks like he's trying to convince them of something.  Ha ha.

Miss Kamryn with her new haircut.  Grandpa was enjoying time with her while she was playing Auntie Paula's tablet.

 Her mama and I both prefer her with her long hair, but she is adorable anyway!

Oh, and my niece the wedding photographer posted this photo of Lindsay and Joseph right after the wedding!  Isn't it lovely?

We are going to deliver the rest of Lindsay's things to their home and then begin our big project of this week - switching bedrooms around. I think I may have mentioned this once or twice.

We get the master bedroom back, Emma's going to Kyle's room, Sarah and Rachel are going to our room and Kyle is going to Rachel and Sarah's room.  If you were able to follow that you are amazing!

I'll take photos, and try not to bore you with too many details.  If you know me at all, you'll know how excited I am about this project!  I think we are going to wait to paint the rooms.  It would be easier to do it first, but all my helpers are tired and the thought of painting on top of moving rooms around?  Well, they just aren't into it.  So sometimes you have to compromise, and that is what I am doing.  

We'll see how long that lasts.

A Few Post Wedding Scenes

Sunday night a group were gathered around the laptop watching YouTube video of heavy equipment.  One of the videos about driving accidents had them exclaiming out loud - especially Kyle and his pal Daniel.

 Tim's mom flew in for the wedding, and today she and Tim's sister and family were leaving.  But there was time for a game of Mexican Train.  They had fun.

I am taking advantage of having beautiful flowers from the wedding in the house!  I put the girl bouquets in vases too, and have them around the house.

I was out for a while today with my sister in law at a local natural foods store.  I got a text telling me Kamryn had taken scissors to her hair on one side of her head.  This is what I found when I got home.

The excitement never ends around here friends!

We are headed over to my Mom and Dad's house soon to visit with my brother and his family, since they leave tomorrow.

It has been wonderful to have this time with our family and dear, dear friends (though we missed a special family).  I have to say though that I am tired!  I think I'll sleep well tonight!

Wedding!

Just a quick pop in to share a few photos that family members took at the wedding.

The ceremony was a perfect reflection of who they are from the music choices to the hymn "How Great Thou Art", to the reading of the covenant they wrote.

Everyone looked great and we enjoyed celebrating with all our family and friends.  Precious memories.

More to come soon!

Wedding Prep:Reception Tables and Flowers

The wedding is now just hours away.

We've had a wonderful week.  Our family has been arriving and we've enjoyed having them near us to help us celebrate!

I wanted to thank you for your prayers.  It means more than I can say.

I decided to show you a sneak peak at the tables and flowers for the wedding.

We're all set.  We will be up early tomorrow for hair and make up and then off to the church to get dressed.

I hope to post some photos tomorrow evening.  Thank you for being interested in our wedding and for praying for us.

We are so excited and ready!

The Last, Few Quiet Moments

before the wedding this weekend.

Tim headed out to work early today so he can leave work early and go pick up his Mom and brother in law at the airport.  Our first out of town guests to arrive for the wedding!

Lindsay had an eye appointment at 8:00 am, and took Rachel along so she could take her to her cello lesson (thanks to her teacher for doing a 9:15 am lesson today) which is just down the street from our eye doctor.  Then they will grab some food and head to pick up Lindsay's wedding gown!  She had her final fitting last week.  She's beautiful, and the dress looks wonderful on her!

This past weekend, I put away the last of the winter decor and brought out my white things and we added in some blue.  That was Rachel's idea, and it looks fresh and welcoming.  I moved my silver tray and pots to the top of the bookcase and I really like it there.  Sometimes just moving things from one room to the next freshens things up.

Here is the view out of my kitchen window this morning.  We are getting a dusting of snow.

I wanted to show you what Lindsay and I made yesterday.  These are the table cards so people know how to find their table!  Aren't they cute?  Different greens, as we are using varying shades of Joseph and Lindsay's favorite color for their wedding.

Now I must run!  I have some fluffing to do in my bedroom, and I need to mop my floors!

3 days to go!  Thank you all for your prayers.  I feel them!  We are relaxed, laughing, and enjoying these days together.

Wedding Prep: The Final Week

We've entered the home stretch.  5 days to go.  Last night Lindsay told me she looked down our row at church and realized that this is the last time she will sit there as an unmarried daughter.  She is saying her 'farewells' to her life as it has been, and welcoming it as it will be.

I wrote Tim a note in church and said, "I'd like to go out to lunch." We don't do this very often, and it was what I needed.  Sarah played with my phone and took this photo and the next one.

 My sweet girl is growing up.  She'll be 12 this year.  She's a mixture still of little girl in braids and young lady.  I love her so.

Our van has been making strange noises and it doesn't surprise me too much considering it has 245,000 + miles on it!  Tim found it needed a motor mount and a wheel bearing.  These two, along with Joseph's brother Daniel, made the changes and Tim says, "Your going to love driving the van now!"  He was amazed at how much of a difference those two things made.

 Meanwhile, I stayed nice and clean and texted with my friend who is doing the flowers for the wedding.  We are making a change to the table decor and we got that all worked out - she is a genius, and got my creative juices flowing!  So I tried out a few things with some flowers that I had that were left over from Lindsay's shower.

Then I made about 4 dozen pancakes that were devoured in about 15 minutes, and took myself off to my room for the evening.  I mostly had the time to myself but I was also Kyle's consultant for Balderdash.  He thinks I'm a genius and I'm happy to have him continue to think so!

This post sounds like it should be titled 'Scenes from Sunday" but really this is all prep for the week ahead.  It is the final week of having Lindsay in our home on a daily basis.  There are things to accomplish this week, but I think we have achieved our goal of a no stress final week.  Just busyness, which is a part of our daily life.  

Today, Lindsay has an appointment for a trainer/animal handler job at Sight and Sound.  She'd dearly love to get this job, as this is what she was doing when she injured her knee last June.  She's excited but trusting God to open and close the doors.

Our family from Florida and California arrive on Wednesday and Thursday, friends from out of state on Friday.  We are all so excited!  We pick up the wedding dress on Wednesday, get manicures and practice hairstyles on Thursday, and do the table settings at the church for the reception, Friday morning is making the flower arrangements for the tables, the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.  

Then Saturday is the wedding.

It'll be over in a blink of an eye.

Twenty-two years we have worked to raise a daughter to love Jesus, to serve others, to be ready to be a wife and mother, to love her family and her home, not just ours but her own home.  She's ready.  It's a joy to see.  

 I won't lie and say that there have been no irritations or frustrations along the way.  We are human after all, and prone to self focus and for me the expectation that my priorities should be everyone else's.  But our relationships are all good, and we are still smiling and laughing here.  We are holding onto the JOY of our family life.  It's a beacon and a blessing to us all.  

This last week before the wedding?  Bring it on!  We're ready to enjoy it in all its potential craziness!  You'll forgive me if I am scarce here, I know, but I promise lots of photos and stories to tell this next week.