Getting creative

We're getting creative around here, even in the midst of the messiness. This heart is made up of rice, noodles, and pasta. We had an accident with the bags falling from the cabinets and this is what my little ones made out of the mess.

This picture is of our home the day we brought our 2nd daughter home. Our oldest made a sign that was so precious, welcoming the baby home. My mom hung the pink tulle bows. (It was February and for some reason, I had empty flower pots on the porch already.) But I remember being so happy, so peaceful that day. Everything was right in my world. The sun was shining, our house was full of visitors and love.

I've been having trouble lately with being content. I'm thankful, don't get me wrong. I appreciate all my husband does to provide for our family. He is a willing, wonderful provider who never complains about working for his family. I mean never. He enjoys his job most of the time and wants to stay home with us all day, but still willingly goes to work. Sometimes he has to go away and stay in a hotel for what seems like days upon end. He misses us, and it shows. I am very grateful for him.

What I'm having trouble with is vanity regarding my house. I want it to look neat all the time, to be beautiful for everyone who stops over. It's not. Keeping our home clean is primarily my job. I've always said my children are the biggest reflection of me, instead of my home being the biggest reflection. Somehow, though I say that and think that, my actions don't really show it. I tend to be jealous of people who are able to be tidy all the time and have their home looking like a magazine. There are so many unfinished projects and tasks around my home it's almost overwhelming. The thing I need to realize is that I have so many things to be happy about and thankful for that the way my house LOOKS isn't the priority in any way.

These babies are the priority. (And the 3rd one who wasn't around at the time this picture was taken...) They need clean floors, they need a nurturing home. They need food and fun. They need a mommy who isn't worried about being in Better Homes & Gardens. How do you stay on top of a home and still have time to play? Will that come as my kids get older? Where is the balance? How to you maintain a home & all the projects without being extreme? I want our home to be welcoming and clean. I want my husband to feel like he can come home to a peaceful sanctuary and know his kids and wife are happy. I know we're blessed and I want my home to be at it's best. But I want my kids to remember me playing with them, not cleaning constantly!

This morning as I try to get finished with projects, I want to take time out to thank God that he has blessed me with a happy family, a comfortable home, beautiful cool weather in June, a husband who more than takes care of us... I could go on & on. What blessings are you counting today?

Imperfect Beautifulmess. I mean beautifulness...

Ok, this isn't fair. My favorite blog, Nestingplace, is having some Linky-Doo thing today. I haven't even had a blog long enough to rope you guys in with my craftiness and clean house and cute kids. And I have to show you my imperfections already!

Ok, for the most part, I'm blaming the messes on him. Below. This is my 3rd child. My son. Spitting image of his daddy, except for the blonde hair and blue eyes. They aren't really all his messes, but he's cuter than me, so I'm sticking to my story. This is my idea of perfection. My husband had just returned from a working out of town and we took the kids for ice cream. Looks like a perfect day for ice cream, doesn't it? It turned out to be one of the best times!
This is a very bright, very uncomplementary picture of my mistreatment on my kitchen window. It's really pretty in "person". When we moved into this house, the cabinets were original and very brown, very 1950's ugly. Bluh. I painted them white and put on brushed silver pulls. Much more perfect now, don't you agree?
This is the big plate shelf in my kitchen. Yes, it's RED. My grandpa made it for me and when I took him the paint he about fell over. He hated the red. I think that's just hilarious and think of him every time I look at this. He also "carved" that rolling pin. The rooster bowl belonged to my mom's grandmother. The white and red plate belonged to my dad's grandmother.
This is my "master bedroom". I just finished painting it, and now I'm searching for the perfect material for pillows and mistreatments... I'm also on the hunt for any ideas on how to treat the imbalanced windows. My least favorite thing about a ranch house is the long skinny windows. Do you like the scrap of fabric above the blonde 1950's nightstand? I'm trying to convince my husband this scrap is beautiful and I should buy loads of this fabric...
This is my before shot. I was inspired by Nester to paint my husband's grandma's very dated shelving. Man, it looks good now. Wait till you see the after. It comes out
way
down
there
because I'm new to blogging and can't figure out how to post pictures where I want them.

This is my perfect dining room table with my kids and their Ninna painting Perfect Derby Day shirts. Beautiful, isn't it?

This is my perfect living room.
This, now this is really perfect. This IS the after...


Have I convinced you to come back and see my decorating/housekeeping skills with all those pictures? Hopefully, cause there's much more perfection in store! By the way, it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful, right?

Oh, P.S., if anyone has any thoughts on the Master Bedroom or the big black dog cage in the living room, please share.

Sleeping babies

Sometimes I miss my kids when they're sleeping. I know, crazy, huh? But I do. I miss touching on them. I could-- and sometimes do--just rub on their little faces and hands until they're practically begging me to stop. I worry that they're growing up and I won't get to hold them on my lap when they're grown. There is nothing in this world better than a sleeping child to cuddle on. Nothing better than a warm little palm to kiss on, or the side of their temple where the hair turns to babysoft fuzz. Even on the absolute most chaotic of days, I have a hard time resisting picking them up and cuddling when I go in to check on them.

All 3 of my children sleep in the same room. We have 2 bedrooms and one bathroom in our 1950's ranch. It's a beautiful house to raise kids in. A nice flat yard, lots of light, hardwood floors & nothing too fancy for them to mess up. The only complaint I might have is the storage--there is none. I have decluttered and organized until I just can't anymore and that's frustrating for a crafty person. I can't leave well enough alone and I always like to try it another way. But when you've run out of space that's hard to do. It clutters up my creativity and makes me feel stressed. We've gotten too big for our little house. I'm hoping my kids don't get too big for me. Sometimes I ask them as we're cuddling: "please don't get too big too quick", and I get the cutest responses from them... "I promise I will only grow a little bit right now. Like this much" and she'll show me about 6 inches. Too funny.

Introducing...chaos!

See that handsome groom? He's smiling as *I* come down the isle. Me! He was that happy because of me! Anyways, he started it all. All the chaos that the last 12 years have been. But, boy oh boy, has it all been such terrifically sweet chaos. We met our Senior year in highschool. The one month anniversary was our Senior prom. First, there was the dating. He lived a half hour away from me--highway only. My parents (who were raised in "the valley" and met each other when they were about 5, and who still to this day live a block away from where they met way back then) were fit to be tied. Their only daughter, driving like that, 2 times a day & most of the weekend! Chaos! Then, there was the dating again, but even farther! Now my fella decided to go away to school--3.5 hours away. Then he proposed! Then, boom, we were pregnant for our first anniversary. Our first daughter was perfect, there was no chaos there. Then came number 2. She was perfect also. But two was a little harder... Then, surprise! Here comes our bouncing baby boy and wow, the chaos. We found out about him before #2 was even 10 months old, but didn't tell anyone for a while.

Our 3 babies have always been blessings to us. They are each perfect and flawless. I wouldn't trade them for the all the world. And right now they're sleeping. In about 7 hours, I'll begin to wonder if there are Indians in my neck of the woods that could be coerced into trading a teepee for a blonde haired child or two. Or three...

I try to keep in mind that each moment with my children is special and not to be taken for granted. I try to make their days beautiful and teach them about God's word. I know that this stage in our lives is flying by and I need to cherish each little hug and kiss. I realize all too soon I'll want this stage back, even if it doesn't seem like it when they're all 3 crying about something different. But I have a lap big enough, and hugs big enough and a Father who can settle me down and give me the strength to take care of my blessings. He is there with me and I can cherish the chaos, the sweet chaos that comes with being given these perfect blessings.