A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 7

Okay, it is official this kitchen remodeling is kicking my butt! (can a pastor's wife say that???Yikes!) I am so tired that I am yawning every minute. Wow, I can't remember doing so much work in my life.
Last night, we took out some more wall and prep the wall for today's drywalling. Some wonderful people, Bob W. and his wife Diane, (a BIG Thanks to them too) came over and helped us put up the new drywall and told me how to do the mudding. Yes, I am doing the mudding....Yikes!

Notice the TV? Of course we had to have basketball games going during work. I personally thought I should be able to watch a chick flick; but March Madness only happens once a year right?????

Later tonight, I am gonna start packing up the living room so we can put in our new floor next week. My new floor came in today and is sitting in my living room, Yeah!

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 6

Our middle child said...and I quote, "Our house looks like a dump truck!" Sadly, it is true.

We are neck deep in our renovations at our home....at times it is very overwhelming. It seems that around every corner there is a new problem. We are pressing on! Yesterday, it was time to take down a portion of our wall, very exciting. We also had to replace the floor board under our old sink because of very bad water damage. My mom and sister came to help with the baby. We waited until his nap to do the job and here is mom and sis watching us work. LOL

We kicked up a lot of dust. The dust went everywhere....I am not joking...EVERYwhere! Here is John trying out a new toy the Sawzall.


We were also able to finish up taking down the popcorn ceiling. Jen and I really got it done quickly. It was messy; but it is done. I have to wipe it down, prime and paint it, so I am far from having it all done. Here is a great picture of some of the mess on my dear sister.

We have a new saying that I have place on my refrigerator. It is in honor of a dear friend who lost his battle with cancer this week.

Some exciting news our plumbing is all done!

Here is all we have left to do...our goal is to be done by Easter with most of it!

My upcoming projects are....

Patch and prep walls for painting

Paint the ceiling and kitchen walls.

Paint all the molding and doors.

Paint the ceiling in my bathroom.

Paint my kitchen table.

My hubby's upcoming projects are....

Help Bob C. do the flooringWork

Help Bob W. drywall repairs.

Help me work on the molding.

Help Pastor Brad make my 2 custom cabinets.

31 Virtues for Our Kids ~ Humility

Humility

Over the next few months we will be praying for 31 Virtues for our Kids maybe even for ourselves too!

Titus 3:2 (New International Version)
2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Humility- the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.

The opposite of humility is pride, thinking of your self better than others. Sometime humility can be hard thing to teach to a kid. You want them to always do their best and be proud of what they do. However, you do not want them to become prideful about themselves. I think that can be a hard thing for kids to get and work out in their little lives.

Probably, the best way for them to understand this virtue is for us, as parents, to be their example. We need to do our best at all we do but never be prideful about who we are. We need to examine our motivations because at the heart of some things we do them out of our own pride. We have little eyes always watching us and to some degree becoming like us.

I think one of the best ways to begin to teach them this idea of humility is by using the "Golden Rule" ...."Do unto to others as you would have them do to you." I actually had to use this in my daughter's classroom while helping yesterday. One of the little girls was playing with another girl and called her a loser. I asked her if that was a kind thing to say and is that what she would want others to call her. She did agree that it was unkind and that she would not like it if she was called a loser. She then went over to the girl and said she was sorry.

We must look for opportunities to teach our children these simple but profound truths.

*"God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all"

*by Bob Hostetler, it is excerpted from Pray! magazine issue #4, 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids

Not Me Monday! My Kids

I would not let my girls make a nest out of all there stuffed animals and then plop my son in the middle for a picture.....nope not me!

I would not find my son playing in my new cabinets, today ...nope not me!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

At the Cross

I love to worship and I love this song!

31 Virtues for Our Kids ~ Perseverance

Perseverance

Over the next few months we will be praying for 31 Virtues for our Kids maybe even for ourselves too!


Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

I love this verse! One of my favorite artist, Ron DiCianni, captured this verse beautifully in his work of art "Legacy". I bought this print as a gift for my husband, John, when he was ordained as a minister of the gospel. I love the image of the minister surrounded by the giants of faith encouraging him to run the race marked before him. I love looking at it when I go into his office...it is very inspiring.

But this verse is for everyone. God has a plan for us all. He has a life for us to live. It comes with two requirements however:


1. Throw Off
There are two things we need to get rid of they are first the things that hinder us and second sin. There are things that may hinder us that are not sin, they are distractions. The not so obvious distractions, things like watching too much T.V., computer, sports, hobbies and things like that. They keep us from the calling of God. Then, of course, the sin that so easily entangles us. Sin can keep us away from God; it separates us and holds us back. We need to get rid of it by daily allowing Christ to examine us and purify us.

2. Run
My physical body hates the very idea of running. I never have liked it, even as a child. God is calling us to run to Him. It is not a short distance run it is more like a marathon. We are not trying to beat everyone else; but to simply finish the race God has marked out for us. The great cloud of witnesses are cheering us on. He has given us His word as water to help us. And God is our coach speaking to us through prayer to encourage us and direct us. So run, even when we don't feel like it. So run, when we feel strong. So run, because we will receive a prize if we do not give up! The prize, eternal life with the One who loves you and me!

*Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them."

Run and...

*by Bob Hostetler, it is excerpted from Pray! magazine issue #4, 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 5

So there is a new saying at our household..."Nothing comes easy when you're talking about the Johnsons". It seems that there is some obstacle around every corner.

Today, we worked on our electrical. It was quite a hair raising experience to say the least. Here is John's tape measure after it got zapped by the 22o line and yes there was a big pop, fire and a nice burnt smell that lingered for some time afterwards.


Here is Bob C. and John figuring out some things. Bob was such a blessing to us today. Thank you, thank you thank you Bob! He kept teasing us that he was going to get us zapped. He was just kidding....but knowing us you may have figured that we would get zapped all on our own. LOL

I got to use the tools. I was very excited to use the fun tools. Tools are fun hehehehe.

Here are the electrical boxes I cut out all by myself and I even feed the wire up to the boxes too.

This was my kitchen all day....very frightening! There is my Diet Coke that John was so nice to pick up for me on one of his runs to ACE hardware.

My kitchen is all on the other side of the room now. All the plugs work, the stove works and the fridge works...all in all a very productive day! Hey, there is part of my new floor rolled up in this picture.

Oh, I did get zapped by one of the 110 plugs. My arm hurt for a little while and I was very timid for the rest of the day....it gave Bob a good laugh though. I'll laugh more about it tomorrow...I think!

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 4

So I have a bunch of pictures for you.....



Yesterday, I spent most of the day sanding, sanding sanding and then painting, painting and more painting. I paid for it during the night, my carpel tunnels really flared up. Thankfully, my chiropractor squeezed me in this morning for an adjustment and a sit in his massage chair. My right shoulder is feeling much better.

Here are my pretty white cabinets all done. I can't wait to get the counter top ordered. It is gonna look great.

All you homeowners out there please do not ever put a popcorn ceiling in. It is a terrible headache to all of us future owners to remove. hahaha This project is very messy and time consuming. I can only do a little at a time; but it is looking better already!

Here is my ceiling in this bucket now. I am gonna fill this many times before I am finished...very sad, very sad.

We removed our cabinets after dinner and here is what we found behind all of them, many, many, many, strangely many holes. Either the builder didn't have a stud finder or was having a hard time measuring 16 inches. John and I are still baffled by the holes: we got a good laugh out of that find. Maybe, he wanted to play a game of connect the dots.

Here are the cabinets gone.... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! What a glorious day!!!!! ..Ugh, more work to repair that wall; but I only have to do the wall on the left. The right wall is what we are taking out.

So we are taking some of a wall out and John said I could take a hammer to it if I wanted to...I did! I love demolition!

A new kitchen is in sight......I will.....

Tomorrow, Bob C. is coming to do the electrical...hopefully nobody gets zapped putting the 220 line in! LOL

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 3

So, this endeavor seems to be getting a lot longer than I thought it would. I find that I have to do a little at a time, which is not in my nature to do. I like to do things fast, quick and get it done; however, that usually means I take short cuts and do a half-baked job. I want my kitchen to look good so I have to do it well and it is driving me crazy how tedious it is getting.




I almost finished our main bathroom. It was very interesting watching my cute hubby fight with the plumbing; but he did it mostly on his own. I am very proud of his ability to stick with something and get it to work! Good Job, John! I love my new cabinet and the new color in my bathroom. The picture does not do the color justice.







We are redoing our laundry room too in the process. We are turning it into a laundry room/half bath. My girls are very excited about this change...no more waiting for a certain person to get out of the bathroom. We won't mention any names so we do not embarrass that individual. hehehe I worked on that room ALLLLL day Tuesday. It was rough! The wall was pretty bad and needed much patching and sanding before any painting could happen.








Yesterday, I began the process of painting my cabinets white. I got wonderful cabinets for free from my most wonderful Aunt Diane. Thank you, thank you and a BIG THANK YOU to her! I had to sand, put on two coats of primer and two coats of paint on them. I was only able to do the frames of the cabinets and today I tackle the doors. I am pretty pleased how they turned out.

My upcoming projects are....
Paint the rest of my cabinets.
Finish removing the popcorn ceiling (I will post about that later UGH!)
Paint the ceiling and kitchen walls.
Paint all the molding and doors.
Paint the ceiling in my bathroom.
Paint my kitchen table.

My hubby's upcoming projects are....
Help Bob C. do the electrical.
Help Bob C. knock out part of our kitchen wall.
Help Bob F. do the plumbing
Help Bob C. do the flooring
Work on any drywall repairs.
Help me work on the molding.
Help Pastor Brad make my 2 custom cabinets.


Yikes the list seems crazy and we are going to be very busy. To be honest, I am very afraid of all the work to be done for some reason. I guess biting it off in little pieces will help not make it too daunting. What have I gotten myself into!!!!!!!!

But I will as always....

Wednesday's Walk ~Out on the Boat

We would grab our life jackets, run across the yard to the dock for our boat ride with our grandpa. It was one of my favorite times at their home. We always made sure he would take us out on the lake.

In Michigan, there are so many lakes and you are sure to know somebody that owns a boat. My grandparents lived on a canal that went into Otter and Sylvan Lake. My grandpa had this rowboat and an orange pontoon boat.

We loved going on rides. I remember resting my head on the edge and watch the wake that was created by the speed of the boat. I loved looking at all the various homes along the waters edge. My favorites were always the really big homes. I always wondered what important person lived in them. Sometimes, my grandpa would sit us on his lap and let us drive the boat, which was so exciting. I was always sad to come back into the canal when our ride was over. But, I am thankful for all the rides with my grandpa and the memories that I will cherish as long as I live.

In this picture...my mom, me and my grandpa!

31 Virtues for Our Kids ~ Joy

Over the next few months we will be praying for 31 Virtues for our Kids maybe even for ourselves too!

1 Thessalonians 1:6 (New King James Version)
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

Now when I read this verse I have to admit that I thought, " I know a lot more verses about joy that I like better!" But then I started to try to understand it better and I think I get it now.

We have to find out a little about who this verse was written to. It was written to the church in Thessalonica. The church was being persecuted because of their faith. They were very evangelistic and loved the Lord very much and in the heart of adversity they still had joy.

Joy is more than just being happy; because I am sure that when they were being persecuted they were not jumping up and down with glee. But they were filled with a joy that only comes from God through the Holy Spirit. Now, I get that idea of the Holy Spirit giving us the supernatural. Thanks to the Lord who didn't leave us without a helper. The church in Thessalonica needed that supernatural power to help them through the hard times they were facing.

When we have the joy of the Lord it will sustain us even through the most difficult times of our lives. We will all face hardship at some point...it is the nature of living. Life is not fair, which is a hard thing to explain to a 7 year old with their big brown eyes looking up at you. We may never understand why we go through the things we do; but we can tap into the supernatural to help us. When we do we will receive a deep joy that will never leave, even in our darkest hour. In that deep joy we will find the hope that will carry us through.

So, as I ponder this verse it is exactly the kind of Joy that I want for my children. I want that deep joy that comes from the Most High through the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

*"May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."


*by Bob Hostetler, it is excerpted from Pray! magazine issue #4, 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids

Derby Day

Pinewood Derby 2010

My sailboat all finished!


The girls are so proud of their truck and rv!

I think we all have summer vacation on our minds!
Here are the results of my sailboat in the adult catagory!

And always the Johnson family heat! The girls totally killed me in speed....it was a little unfair...two against one.