I’m exhausted today but I wanted to throw up these pictures for you. They’ve been preparing the front of the house for the stone. It was pretty exciting to come home and find all the mud up!
Top Ten Tuesday: Lighting Choices
Decisions, decisions. This is for our bedroom. It will basically hang at the foot of the bed, midway between the fireplace and headboard. What I really was after was a pretty chandelier to be the girly jewelry in an otherwise manly room. However, after a quick look at lightingdirect.com and shadesoflighting.com, I have just a *few* more options. Halp!
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What say you?
See more Top Ten Tuesday posts over at ohAmanda.com
Weekend Progress
We have more progress!
Scott turned all this wood…
…into our back porch.
Obviously still in-progress but at least you don’t have to hike your leg up 3 feet to get in there anymore. We really hadn’t planned anything except a set of steps but I guess you have to do more to pass code *sigh*. It’s all temporary (well, somewhat) as we hope to tie it in to our nearby pool deck (maybe next year?)
Also this weekend they insulated the outside walls and ceiling.
It’s really starting to shape up! Also, a fireplace! I don’t think you’ve seen a picture yet of my $75 find!
Something I really should have taken pictures of are the piles of trash I cleaned up today. Whew!
So, plans for the week are to FINALLY move the big electrical box and gas line to the new outside wall. And once that’s finished, they will start dry wall! That should take about a week I hear. That includes cutting open the walls for the hallway and the girls’ new closet. In other words, it’s going to be a T. TOTAL MESS around here this week. Also happening this week is supposed to be the stone on the front of the addition and garage. Rain may hinder that but hopefully towards the end of the week we’ll see some progress there. Oh! The cabinet guy came and measured for the bathroom counter so that is being built, but we won’t see it for about 3 weeks. Whew, I’m tired just thinking about all that. My mind just wandered off to final tile selection (we ordered the floor and shower tile on Friday), countertop (need to make that appointment) and paint colors (halp). Is it Friday yet because I feel like I need another weekend already!
Coupon Shopping Spree
The past few weeks and months I’ve been racking up member points, coupons, gift cards, etc. to our favorite stores until all the sudden I had a huge stack of really great discounts. Plus, the girls have been working hard on their chore chart and had saved all week for a trip to Justice. Since starting work I’ve been so exhausted in the evening and even into the weekend and have not felt like shopping. Well. I’ve gotten some great rest the last two nights and Scott is working today so if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may well know I made it a girls day out! 
Last night Lexi insisted we make an itinerary so we wouldn’t forget anything and put it in my wallet. After each place today we checked it off. It was so much fun. Especially since we walked out of some stores paying absolutely nothing. I felt a little like a robber hitting up stores but I knew that some of these things had been well-earned from our loyalty (and money!) to the stores before. And just because I was curious, I decided to see just how much we saved today and thought I would share.
Build-A-Bear
Total before sale: $20
Total after coupon: $0
Saved: 100%, $20
The Limited
Total before sale: $198.59
Total after sale $98.95
Total after coupon $48.95
Saved: 75%, $150
Justice
Total before sale: $24.05
Total after coupon: $14.43
Saved: 40%, 9.62
Ulta
Total before sale: $52.85
Total after sale: $37.90
Total after coupon: $34.90
Saved: 34%, $17.95
TrySports
Total before sale: $10.23
Total after coupon: .23
Total saved: 99%, $10
SAS Cupcakes
Total before sale: $2.49
Total after sale: $2.49
Total saved, 100%, $2.49
Smoothie King
Total before sale: $13.98
Total after coupon: $6.98
Total saved: 50% $6.98
All told, we saved $217.04 with an average of 83% off retail value. Not a bad of shopping!
The Checkmark
It’s funny how a stroke of a pencil can change your life. A little checkmark in a little square box among pages and pages of information.
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Scott had been trying for months to get hired by a police department. Since I was the designated "secretary", I was the one filling out the driver’s license number, years of addresses, work history and education history page after page. I remember one of the last applications I filled out getting downright frustrated and near angry at having to fill out another one. Surely there was a more efficient way! As we were filling out what ended up being the last application, one question stumped us. "Are you willing to be assigned to another county?" Which really meant are you willing to leave a town you’ve been in nearly your whole life, along with your new baby girl, away from all your family, probably your job, for a strange town, maybe in the middle of nowhere South Carolina? A little checkmark. On paper it was insignificant. A little stroke of a pencil. But how much more it meant. We checked that checkbox over eight years ago. Scott got the job and we were told had we not checked that little box, he would have been passed over. A dream denied, lives altered. I honestly don’t know where we’d be without that checkmark.
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One of the most stressful aspects of adoption so far (and we aren’t far) is the four-page checklist in our application packet. It’s the number one thing the computer will use to match us up to a child. Because of the conditions that children come out of from DSS, it’s near impossible for them to come out unscathed. In almost all cases, these children have been abused and/or neglected in some way. Emotional issues are always present in some form and sometimes physical. And the thing about adoption as the adopter is you get a choice on what you will accept. If you thought deciding what race would fit in your family would be the hard decision, you are sadly mistaken. This list is quite comprehensive. There are checkmarks for cheating, stealing, several for sexual abuse, HIV, cancer, cleft palate and on and on. And not only are these listed, but the severity of it from none, mild, moderate to severe. And not only is the child considered but also the birth parents. In other words, would you accept a child whose parent has HIV? It’s insane really. How do you determine whether a child that has a moderate case of lying and a severe case of cleft palate with a parent who has HIV would fit into your family, whom I should mention has their own list of ailments in one way or the other? It’s a messy thing. But be sure, these checkmarks will change a life. Nay, many lives.
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Adoption though is so connected to God and the way His Kingdom works. First and not the least is the command to us to take care of orphans.
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27
That’s going to look very different in each of our lives but be sure, it ought to reflect some part of your life. In ours in this season, it is adoption. And what a beautiful way this particular action reflects how God adopts us. Verse after verse proclaim that we are God’s sons and daughters, becoming one of the family, receiving every inheritance that Christ receives as the Son of God.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God John 1:12
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ Romans 8:15
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies Romans 8:23
He predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:5
To redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons. Galatians 4:5
We are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26).
And when I think about that, I think about the pages and pages of a checklist God must have on me. One ailment or another that I carry a mild to severe case of. Jealousy. Anger. Stealing. Cheating. Pride. Lying. The checklist is endless. Four pages wouldn’t begin to cover it. And yet, God, without question, went over to the Severe checkbox of every single line and said YES, I will accept her no matter what. God said YES!
And you’d think those were the checkmarks that changed my life. And indeed in many ways it’s a part of what changed my life. I have a heavenly Father that treats me as His own. Loves me. Wants good for me. Gives me every good gift. And yet, it was another lone checkmark that planted the seed of change. One stroke of a pencil that really made the difference. The one where I said yes to him. The one where I let him be my Father. To love me. To give me every good gift. Because here’s the thing about God. His gift of adoption is conditional on your checkmark. It’s the one labeled faith. And sometimes you have to leave everything you’ve known as home to follow Him. You may have to move. Leave family. Lose friends. You will for certain lose yourself.
But it’s so worth it. It makes all the difference. One stroke. One checkmark. The little one that changes your life.
This post was written in part for the She Speaks Conference scholarship opportunity posted at a Holy Experience
American Idol Top 11
Scotty – Scotty always reminds me why I love country music. He’s going to be a classic like George Strait. Love him.
Naima – While I appreciate her efforts, I think that was the wrong song to put that spin on.
Paul – One of Paul’s weaker moments. As unforgettable as it was, I hope it doesn’t put him in the bottom 3.
Pia – Amazing. I think she delivered in a way she hasn’t before. Much more emotion. But it could just be the song. So good.
Thia – Really beautiful but I don’t think enough to save her.
James – He’s verging on cocky for me and I don’t like it. Not a huge fan of this one. Boy can work a stage though.
Lauren – Favorite of hers so far. So, so perfect.
James – Fast forwarded through second half. I’m over the dramatics.
Stefano – He’s improving but still so awkward to watch. So many of the guys are light years ahead of him.
Casey – Favorite Casey moment I think. Totally back in the game this week.
Haley – Have not been a fan of hers but I think that would be my favorite so far.
Favorites: Scotty, Lauren, Casey and maybe Pia too.
In trouble: Thia and Stefano.
Siding
Alrighty, the siding is DONE! The front will have the stone on it. It got delivered today but seeing that it’s supposed to rain the rest of the week, I doubt we get that up until next week sometime.
As we speak, Scott is off to pick up a fireplace I found on Craigslist. This whole time we were thinking we’d need a ventless one and it would run about $600. Come to find out you have to have a vented one in a bedroom. Well, of course, those are $1300. Um, no thanks. I want a fireplace but not that bad. But Craigslist to the rescue. This couple has the exact vented fireplace we need that (sadly) they had gotten free after their friend gave it to them when his house plans got canceled when his wife passed away. I will be honored to take good care of the fireplace and enjoy it even more than I had planned. (Oh and I should mention it was only $75!)
Scott will be super busy tomorrow trying to get the fireplace in, the electrical and HVAC up to snuff for code and cross your fingers, we’ll have it inspected on Thursday. Assuming we pass, the crew can start the drywall! Whew, if I didn’t know any better, I might think we could be done by the end of April!
Top Ten Tuesday: Simple Healthy-ish Lunches
Ever since I did the Daniel Fast I’ve forgone (for the most part) my usual lunches of Chick-fil-a, Taco Bell, leftover pizza or cereal. To say I ate unhealthy was a bit of an understatement. But it was just me and I was always in a hurry while doing other things during my lunch break and I just needed something to get by. And I was a little addicted to Taco Bell. And it’s Mountain Dew.
However, those days are gone and I have been really good at trying to eat something of value. Most of the time, this ends up looking like a kids’ lunch box, usually 3 or 4 snacks rolled into a lunch. There’s nothing profound here but I feel so much better when I’ve eaten off this list! And I guess it’s working because I’ve kept off the 6 pounds I lost during the fast! I have to give a shout-out to Jo-Lynne and Kristi for always inspiring to eat better!
- Carrots with ranch (admittedly the ranch should go)
- Cottage cheese (full fat!)
- Strawberry yogurt with granola (I’ve also heard rave reviews over greek yogurt with honey)
- Mixed nuts (don’t expect any pecans or cashews to be left after my turn!)
- Garlic hummus with pita chips
- Fruit – whatever I have: strawberries, grapes, etc
- Baked potato (with only butter and salt. ok and maybe a little sour cream sometimes)
- Salad with balsamic vinegar and oil
- Tuna salad plain (with Nayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise) instead of Miracle Whip)
- Egg salad plain (with Nayonnaise(vegan mayonnaise) instead of Miracle Whip)
Pretty sure I should have a ton more veggies on there but that is what I’m able to conjure up for now.
What else would you recommend?
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