Country Road, Take Me Home

I seriously giggle every time I sign in to do a post when I see how long it's been since my last post. I think about blogging so much, and I have so much I could write. So...I'll try to do better. :]

Right now we're in the final stages of buying our first home. This week we will either get the house, or lose it and have to shell out some cash for inspections and things like that. So it's a tense time right now, but we both have peace about it, and we know Jesus will take care of it.

After we get the house, we're looking at lots of fun DIY projects I can talk about, plus a potential family shift. I'm pumped.

aloha and hello!

[andy bernard quote from The Office. love it.]

I am actually doing some DIY-ing, and hoping to start posting pictures and linking up. I'm getting a handle on two under two, I think...or maybe I've actually started getting delusional. We'll see!

May BH&G Organization

May Storage Projects: Garage

Create Task Kits. Create kits for various outdoors projects by filling 5- and 10-gallon plastic buckets with all the tools, products, and accessories you need to complete specific tasks such as car-washing, weeding, bicycle repair, and more.

Stash Sporting Gear. Fill tall kitchen trash cans with large and odd-shaped sporting gear. Drill holes in the bottom of bins if drainage is important. Stabilize containers by securing to a wall with short bungee cords.

Organize the Trunk. Clean out your vehicle's trunk. Toss every item that is expired or damaged. Place all trunk gear in a canvas bin or box. Make sure the container doesn't slip by adding rubber or hook-and-loop tape to the bottom.

Tidy Up the Tools. Hang hand tools on a wall near your workbench from hooks on pegboard, magnetic board, or a wall-mount strip system. Label each tool's spot. Put extra tools in a tool box or clear plastic boxes and store on floor underneath workbench.

**I don't have a garage, but I'm okay with that. This is lots of organizing I don't have to worry about! ;]**

Update since 40 days ago!

It's been a while since I posted anything, other than the copy&paste stuff about organization, and a LOT has been going on. It's after 9, so I'm sleepy, but I will try to get caught up here!

First of all, the reason for the absence is that the staff of 6:22 were doing a 40 day media fast leading up to our Good Friday event. Can i just be real and say that I did NOT miss Facebook at all? We cancelled Netflix, didn't watch anything on TV [except some stuff that Shiloh likes], got off Facebook, and a few other different things, depending on the person. I really thought not having Facebook would be tough, but honestly if it weren't for my family and the pictures of my girls, I would've deleted my account when this fast ended. I've been so much more productive! More at peace, more organized, more active during the day because I'm not constantly checking updates and all that craziness - it's nuts how much time I waste on that site! But I'm sure I'll fuss more about that another time. :]

The biggest excitement in my life has been having 2 kids! Ariel Judah was born February 17th. She is my little Loverbug. Shiloh has adjusted to her wonderfully, and I'm just constantly in awe of how blessed I am to have such beautiful, perfectly healthy, loving, hilarious little girls.

They are my sunshine -Sugarbean and Loverbug. :]

Also, I've been doing a Bible/Book Study with the rest of the staff on Philip Yancey's book Prayer and I'm really enjoying it. I'm on my 6th time of reading through the book, and I'll definitely read it again. I was going to do a blog series on it and Matthew suggested I teach a study on it instead [I'll probably still do a post or two]. So that's been good.

Let's see...we just had our Passover dinner at the Boiler Room, this past week was the Feast of Unleavened Bread [which I *love*, because I get to make flat breads all week. :] Good excuse to bake too much!], and then we had our Good Friday gathering, which moved from the Town Commons to GCF due to rain. It went great though! 4 or 5 people [ I couldn't see all the hands clearly due to stage lights] accepted Jesus as their Savior - ALWAYS incredible to be around!!!

I've been getting more creative/crafty with the snatches of free time I've had, since I couldn't just get on Hulu or Netflix, too. More posts to come about that I'm sure!

This has been an awesome fast. Very humbling, very eye-opening. I'm excited to see what happens next!

March&April BH&G

**I'm catching up on my BH&G posts! Since Ariel was born [need to post about that!] we've been doing a media fast leading up to Good Friday [need to post about that too!], so I haven't posted anything anywhere. But I don't want to fall too far behind, so this is just a real quick catch-up!**

March Storage Projects: Living Room

Personal Storage Bin. Give every family member a spot to stash personal items. Fill a bookcase with similar baskets or bins and label containers with each person's name. Establish a house rule to put away books, magazines, toys, and projects every night.

Multifunctional Storage. Overhaul your occasional tables. Replace tables and traditional ottomans with small chests and storage cubes. Add baskets to open spaces. Skirt tables and stash items underneath.

Don't Overdo with Collectibles.[I'm currently working on this!] Edit a collection to 12 or a fewer outstanding items. Display on a single shelf for maximum impact. Store other items in the collection in one location. Introduce three or four new items--and remove and store the same number--every season.

Create a Space for Entertainment Supplies. Designate one easily accessible drawer for entertaining supplies. Fill the drawer with coasters, napkins, and snack bowls or plates. Include a basket of favorite snacks, a roll of paper towels, and a mini trash receptacle.

April Storage Projects: Laundry

Sorting Baskets. Place a three-compartment bin or basket (look at home or office supply stores for options) in a closet or on an open shelf in your laundry room. Use it to separate out clothing to be repaired, dry-cleaned, and donated.

Keep Detergent Handy. Fill plastic beverage dispensers with laundry detergent, softener, and other liquid laundry additives. Hang a set of plastic measuring cups nearby from a cup hook.

Drying Rack. Mount a drying rack or double towel bar near your washer as a spot for air-drying clean sweaters or rugs.

Make a Catch-all for Ironing Supplies. Convert a silverware caddy into a stain-treating or ironing kit. Fill with small size cleaners, spray starches, and linen waters. Be sure to include essential tools such as brushes, dry-cleaning pads, and collar points.

Love.

“I confess that I love him, I rejoice that I love him, I thank the maker of Heaven and Earth that gave him to me. The exultation floods me.”

-Emily Dickinson [my favorite poet]

My husband is amazing. He is truly my best friend, and has seen me walk through my darkest moments. I don't know how he keeps loving me some days, but I am forever grateful that he does.

Even more so, Jesus is the lover of my soul. There are parts of those dark moments that Matthew will never know about, the parts that happened in my mind and heart and soul. Jesus knows all of them, and loves me completely. I have hurt Matthew many times in the ten years we've known each other, but it's nothing compared to how I've betrayed Jesus - and He loves me. He loves me so much that He comes after me when I run away.

It's mind-blowing. It's beyond undeserved. But He gives it freely. I can't begin to understand it.

How, then, can we not love other people? The second greatest command from this Man who adores us is to love others. We stop loving people [or never start] over such petty things. Jesus has given us everything and we killed Him in return -but He LOVES us.

?!?!?!

John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

BH&G Post for February

**This one will probably be my favorite. I love love love going through the kitchen/dining room and clearing stuff out!**

February Storage Projects: Kitchen

Sort and Label. Evaluate all pantry items. Toss everything that's expired and give away everything you didn't use in the last year. (Write today's date on every item so you'll know next year if you actually used each item.) Put items back in pantry and label shelves.

Outfit a Drawer. Double the storage capacity inside a cabinet by adding freestanding wire shelves. Measure your cabinet interiors before heading to the home center or choose expandable shelves. Include riser-style inserts for small items such as spices or glassware.

Utilize Cabinet Doors. Evaluate the interior of every cabinet door and determine whether you can use the space to store spices, loose recipes, paper towels, or utensils. Add shallow shelves, racks, wall-mount pouches, and magnetic or cork boards.

Add Hooks. Install a utensil bar or metal grid above or beside your stove. Dangle five to eight frequently used utensils from S-hooks. Include a small wire basket to hold salt, pepper, cooking spray, and oil.

A Good Reminder...

**I didn't write this, but it popped up in my Google Reader and I wanted to share it. You'll have to forgive my laziness, but between the sinus infections being passed around in this apartment and being in what Michael Scott calls "the terminal stages" of my pregnancy, this is as good as it's going to get for a bit. :] **

5 Key Secrets to Making Marriage Last

from Simply Stated By RealSimple.com by erinkane

What are the five key secrets to making marriage last? According to British author Catherine Blyth (The Art of Marriage: A Guide to Living Life as Two) it's fairly straight forward:

1. Prioritize pleasure and laugh. Often. Remember that your marriage is something you create, together, day by day.

2. Seek the best, and keep actively noticing each other.

3. Minimize stress on your bond.

4. Embrace change.

5. Cultivate gratitude, never forgetting to praise your beloved, out loud.

Seems easy, right? Yet in practice we all know it can be quite hard. In all seriousness, how do you minimize the stress on your bond when there are bills to pay, car repairs to make, kids home sick from school, work deadlines, and mountains of snow piling up outside your door?

How do you actively notice your partner amidst the daily chaos that is married life?

I guess by paying close attention and keeping the home fires burning. Blyth suggests it takes "time, novelty, and awareness."

"Marriages can grow stale if we assume that we know each other too well. But do new things, take a few risks, see new sides to each other, and you'll experience again the surprises that jolted your heart when you met."

Kind of reminds me of that episode of Modern Family when Claire and Phil try to spice things up with a romantic getaway and role play. It's one of my all-time favorite episodes. Hilarious!

With Valentine's Day around the corner, do you have any special surprises planned?

New Series for 2011

I got an e-mail from Better Homes and Gardens a few days ago, and at the time I was trying to organize all my "nesting" craziness into something manageable. So this was nice to get. I decided that since I will need to take it easy when the baby gets here [42 days!], I'd just share their organization tips for each month. :] I hope it's as helpful to anyone else who reads this as it was to me going through it.

January Storage Projects: Home Office

Create a Mail Station. Set up mailboxes on a desk, wall, or bulletin board. Or give each member of your family his or her own labeled box, bin, or slot.

Stay on Schedule. Hang a large monthly calendar in a spot everyone can see and use it. Choose a paper calendar or dry-erase version, and encourage everyone to write important events, deadlines, and reminders.

Organize Office Supplies. Outfit a desk drawer near your main working area with a divided tray or multiple small bins. Limit the number of office supplies in each compartment. Label each compartment with an adhesive label.

Get Rid of Junk. Test all writing utensils. Toss everything that doesn't work perfectly. Group similar items (pens, pencils, markers, etc) in canisters for easy access.