Jacqulin joins a youth band.

Luke has been playing with the youth band at church for several months. It's a good group of kids that are 8th, 9th and 10th graders. They lead worship every Wednesday night for the youth. Alexis Cruise is the adult in charge of this venture. He has more patience than anyone I've ever met. When you realize most of these kids haven't played in front of anyone before or with other musicians this is quite an accomplishment.
Alexis decided that he wanted to start a 6th grade band. Jacqulin went to the first practice and said she wanted to sing. She told me she didn't want to sing a solo but just as part of the worship team. Well, I don't know how he did it but Alexis talked her into singing a solo. She was so nervous but she did a great job.
Jacqulin had so much fun that she said she can't wait to sing again. I'm so excited for her.







The goofy face in the middle of these pictures is the middle school pastor, Paul Teller. I set my camera down and found he had taken several pictures of himself for me. This is a perfect example of the personality God gives you if you are going to work with youth. He is goofy and the kids love it.

This is a picture of Luke listening in the back of the room. He has been so supportive of her and has told her how great she sounds. Her band only sang one song and then his band played. since he's on the drums it's hard to get a good picture of him.

Colors, colors and more colors

We know what colors we want to use in the kitchen. We've talked about it for months, black cabinets, barn red island, neutral granite and I'm keeping my valances because I love them because they have roosters on them. I love roosters the original alarm clock. Anyway, we had to take a color sample to the place that is making the island. Yeah, wow, colors start looking the same. We want the cabinets and the island distressed so that requires more colors. Needless to say the first 'barn red' turned out to look like a grape juice stain, the second looked like a pumpkin. We made a couple trips to the paint store.







We looked at several colors for the walls. Jacqulin painted this nice display. One thing we know for sure is we are still looking for a wall color.

Happy Veteran's Day November 11, 2009

I love our little small town. The Veteran's parade was very special this year because Luke got to march and play drums. Now, this is the 3rd time he has been in the parade but the first time he has played an instrument. They were great!!! I wish you could hear them.

Hey Mom, where's the fridge?

Habits are so hard to break. I'm amazed at how many times we have gone to the hole that used to house the refrigerator to realize there is nothing there.
Bert said Monday morning when he got up with the kids to get ready for school Luke stood in front of the hole for about 5 seconds with a bowl of cereal in his hand. He said he finally sort of shook his head and moved to find the milk. I know it was in a new place but 6:00 a.m. might have added to the confustion.




Because of the wall, I couldn't open the refrigerator door all the way. That kept me from being able to use the drawers and this refrigerator has 3 of them.
I didn't know if I would like the refrigerator being right next to the dishwasher but it works. The first day or two it felt like a giant was in the room. I've been in several kitchens this week and noticed that the fridge is like a big ol' line backer hanging out in your kitchen. It's usually big anywhere you put it.
I really think it's all what you get used to and I am so excited to be able to open the drawers.

Have you ever had a husband that could do anything?

I am so serious, Bert can do any and everything!!! And he does it all very well. We had a very eventful day. Our weekends are so packed with activities that the kitchen is having to be worked into our nights. Bert has a car show this weekend and Luke had Middle school baseball tryouts.
So, between the hours of 4:00 and 10:00 pm we bought an island today!!!! I have been cutting pictures out of magazines for about 2 years. You know, pictures of things I really like for the kitchen like islands, ovens, hoods, cabinets. Our friend Derrick looked at some of the pictures and sent me a link to an island I picked out. It was made by a man who lives in Franklin and has a showroom at the Factory. The island was only $10,500!!! WHAT!??! Today we found one that is being custom made to my specifications for about $8,600 LESS!!! God is so good.







Abbey says "if I close my eyes tight enough all the hammering and dust will go away."
Bert was able to move my top cabinet and move the refrigerator to it's new location and finish the wall.
The island will take 8 weeks to make and be delivered. Christmas is in 7 weeks. I'm praying for an early Christmas present, but even if it doesn't get here early I'm so excited to have found what I really wanted and for an unbelievable price I can wait.

The kitchen is coming along, slow and steady.

We have a wall. Well sort of. We decided that we would put an arch in to divide the great room from the kitchen. I'm always amazed at what Bert can do. He had to take the banister down from the stairwell that goes to his office, frame the wall, create an arch, move the light switch and put up the sheet rock. It's going to look great.

Happy Halloween 2009

We joined some neighbors for pizza and tirck-or-treating this year. I usually have people over and cook chili or taco soup, but my kitchen is torn to shreds. So, we went to the Higdon's house and ate then started the trek around the neighborhood.
Jacqulin was a precious scarecrow. Luke decided he is too old to trick-or-treat. We did go to our friends, the McClanahans, and he told them he was dressed as an angry, hormonic teenager. He meant hormonal, but I'd rather have a harmonic teen.