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.

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 2

Wait a minute this looks like a bathroom not a kitchen!

Hahaha so we TRIED to change our bathroom cabinet and sink yesterday, which is also part of the renovation plans. Actually, that is what started the whole renovation idea to begin with, that ugly bathroom sink. We didn't get very far because when we started to work on the plumbing we found that it isn't your standard stuff and we are going to have to cut the cabinet out....Yikes.

A big thanks to a guy from our church who came out to the house last night and told us what we need to do...Thanks Bob! And a big thanks to Pastor Brad for lending us his tool to cut it out! I have a feeling we are going to have to borrow a lot of tools. I tell you it is a sign of things to come....John and I just laughed. We are going to try again tonight. We will see how that goes...Ugh! Did I tell you we have no idea what we are doing? hahahaha

Oh, new white pretty cabinet...just a little longer until you are in your new home!

John didn't appreciate me taking pictures....I think it maybe wasn't a good time to capture him for my blog...He'll get over it. LOL hehehehe

31 Virtues for Our Kids ~ Generosity

Generosity

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

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (New International Version)
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Wow, I love it when I reread a scripture and it suddenly speaks to me in a new way. This is an awesome verse and is now added to one of my favorites. I love the very last part of 19....soooo gooood!

John has a fantastic story that really reflects this idea of generosity and this verse in a remarkable way....

John was a senior in High School. We both went to a Christian school, Fairlane Christian. He was sitting in his Bible class when his teacher, Mr. Molnar, shared a story of trusting in the Lord even with your finances.

Mr. Molnar said he was praying at the altar of his church one day. He was seeking God's direction. He felt that God was calling him into the ministry and that he needed to go to Bible College. He did not have the money to go and he didn't know what to do. When he was done praying, he got up and saw a man coming toward him. That man told him that God want him to help Mr. Molnar pay for his college.

John remembers getting very emotional during the telling of this story because that man who was generous with his finances to help our bible teacher was John's Grandpa. His grandpa had passed away when John was a kid. Here years later, because of his grandpa's generosity and his faithfulness....he was still able to speak into his grandson's life even after his death through our bible teacher. What an amazing story...I cry every time I hear it, I am crying now.

How far reaching will my generosity go long after I leave this earth, if I am found faithful? God only knows; but I do know that I never want to be selfish. I want to be generous with all that I have.

*"Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age."



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

I borowed this picture from John's cousin Dawn...Thanks Dawn!

A Story About Girl & a Boy and Their New Kitchen! Part 1

Well my hubby and I are about to embark on one of the craziest ideas we have yet, in my opinion. We are going to redo our kitchen. The crazy part is that we have no idea whatsoever on how to do it and we are trying to do it the cheapest way possible. But our kitchen is in need of some desperate repairs and if you start one repair it inevitably leads to apparently in our home redoing the whole thing.

And if you know me and my not-so-handy dandy hubby there are definitely going to be a lot of funny stories coming out of this project. So instead of keeping them to myself of course I am going to blog to the whole wide world our adventures or maybe I should say misadventures.

I told John the other day, if we can make it through this and not need serious counseling afterwards than we just might make it until death us do part...even if that death comes later rather than sooner LOL. John and I would like to call ourselves wonderful discussers (is that a word). We discuss things to death because we are both a little bit on the stubborn side believe it or not. So, we are going to use this remodel as a time of practicing patience, humility, love, respect and keeping our mouths shut when irritated. I let you know how well it goes. LOL

Here is the before pictures....

See the terrible phone on the wall ....I think I am going to sneak it into the garage sale box....shhhhhhh don't tell John. He got it in High School and seems to be attached to it for some reason. Funny side note, it is a bank at the bottom but we lost the key and there is money in it so I will have to brush up on my lock picking skills.
I have a portable dishwasher that I a thrilled to be announcing, "It is going to the garage to be sold". It has been a good dishwasher to me...many back breaking washes have been avoided due to its kind service. Good bye old friend....Good bye.
So believe it or not....can you guess what my cupboards are made of? Not oak...not maple... not formica....nope but the obvious choice for cupboards ....Plastic! It is true...I almost did not believe it myself. Anybody interested? They will be found for sale at my garage sale; however, I have a bad feeling I may have to put FREE on these bad boys. LOL

Now here is the reason for the repairs see what has happened to my floor! I would like to personally thank my dog, Eowyn, for this creation. She leaves it alone now but before her training these are some of the kind of things my demon possessed dog did (read about her here). Well, on the bright side...I am getting a new floor....so maybe thanks are in order?...nope.

Here is one of my drawings for my new kitchen. I have hired myself for the interior decorator. It doesn't pay much; but I think I will do a good job.

Now my new kitchen design is revolved around a collection of mine. I collect antique Jadeite. Jadeite is a green milk glass type. Here is a picture of one of my favorite plates.

We are going to do this a cheaply as possible remember?! So John and I are going to keep track of what we spend. I will upload pictures as we go and at the end I will let you know how much we spent at the end of the project. Fun! I am so excited and a little overwhelmed at the same time. Pray that this job doesn't kill me. hahahahaha

Oh...Grow Up!

It is late...and I am just pondering some things that are heavy on my heart. I think I am able to just sit and think because everybody is asleep around here and all I can hear is the tick-tock of my clock. Such quietness does not happen often but it is good to just sit here and think....

There is this picture of me in my dad's shoes and him holding onto me as I try walking in them and loving every moment with his daughter. I think this an interesting God image if you will.... As I grow in Christ, I will begin to fill those shoes; but my feet will never get as big as His. He is always there holding on to us, guiding us, directing us...there to catch us when we stumble. And someday when I see Him face to face, I will run to the one who loves me more than anything.

Did you ever have growing pains? Sometimes, they can be really painful during a a big growth spurt. I believe God is helping me thru some painful growing up. It has been a very hard thing to do probably because sometimes God's refining process can get really close to those things I just can't seem to let go of. I have been a Christian for nearly 26 years and I am amazed at how much growing up I still need to do.

Here I am at the ripe age of 34 and I still have some of the pitfalls that I did when I was little. I want to sulk and blame everybody else. When actually I am the only one who can control how I react to things. I read into everything and get offended even when I thought I didn't act like that. In some ways I am still selfish and want things only my way instead of God's.

Now don't read into this that I am just too hard on myself, don't beat yourself up so much or that she is just having a pity party. The reality is that there is a serious danger of us ever thinking "I have arrived...I got this Christian thing down." There is so much more that God wants to do in us and when we think there couldn't be anymore ...God reveals even more.

Why? Is it because God is a big meany and wants us to be miserable? When He corrects us is it because He has nothing better to do? Nope, actually the opposite is true. God wants us to live our best life! That only comes when He is completely Lord of all and we surrender. God is who He is and is completely reliable and trustworthy. His Word declares all His promises. He is the measuring stick of holiness. We need to walk in His steps. Not along the side were we might get distracted but in step to exactly where He is leading. He is leading us to something more amazing than we could ever imagine....it just requires obedience.

I tried to explain God's great love to a class of tweens today...I had a hard time doing it because there are no words deep enough, big enough or wide enough for us to really get it. My God is gracious, compassionate, kind and tender....the list goes on and on. Our Fathers love is what inspires me to grow and walk in His shoes.