OUR FRONT DOOR

Today I enter Blog World in need of advice. We are having a hard time deciding on a color for our front door. I know , I know, it seems like an easy decision, well maybe for some people but not for us. I am leaning toward the cranberry color of the shutters, but Harold is wanting the same cream color as the trim. Now don't get concerned, there is no marital discord happening here. I was quite amazed when I Googled front doors and saw how many forums there are out there discussing front door colors, so I said "why not ask my friends (whose opinions I usually trust) about my door". Now I know that it is easy to get too caught up in symbolism, but there are times when it can be healthy to incorporate a little into our lives. The Chinese are very into the color of your front door symbolizing the harmony of the home. They even go so far as to say "If there is an imbalance at the front door it can affect every aspect of life". As Christians we would probably say that is taking it a little too far, but then again the outside of our houses should reflect harmony within. There have been a few that I have been afraid to knock on since the lifestyle they reflected left me feeling a little wary. I found a quote that says "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live". Hopefully our front doors symbolize that God's Word has been "written upon the doorposts".
Please understand that we are still working on our "curb appeal". The landscaping is still a work in progress. The picture will give you an idea of how the finished product will look. Some of you will be brave enough to write down your opinion for me. For those of you who wish to remain anonymous I will let you vote in the the poll to your right. Thanks for your help.

PS Those of you who remember that the front door of my trailer opened into the laundry room will understand why I am so excited about my new front door.

Alumni Stuff

As I sit here at my computer this evening the Alumni officers for the HSBC Alumni Association are congregated in the next room. Harold has called a meeting to get everyone in gear for the annual golf tournament. This is not exactly a topic that holds a lot of interest for me. Sorry if that offends anyone. Having them here though reminded me that I never posted any pictures of the reunion and reception that happened at the beginning of the year. There may some faithful alumni out there who would like to see a few familiar faces.


In Jan. Jennifer S. and Ricky C. planned a reunion for those of us that attended the Academy. It was mostly the classes of 91 and 93 with a few others mixed in. We had a great time of reconnecting, laughing at old pictures, and eating. There were six of us there from my class.

The girls: Kayla(me), T.C., Ginny, and Jennifer


The guys: Jason and Harold



Me and Angela



John J, Brent and Anthony



In Feb. we had the annual Alumni Reception during Sea Breeze Campmeeting. It has been moved to Fri. night instead of Tues. night and the attendance has greatly increased. The evening always starts out with poor Paula wondering if we have enough food.


John J. prepares fruit trays while Harold talks.




Bill S. faithfully washes the dishes every year. Paula and I are very grateful for his servant's heart.


Let the festivities begin.
Debbie and Gay give me big smiles.


Two brothers (John and Arnie) chat with an old friend.



Sharon A. and Paula P. take a pause from their visit .




One of my favorite missionary couples, Glen and Stephanie G. with their daughter Kaitlyn.





Bart and Julie with the youngest of their four daughters.




I would love to know what Mrs. B and Paul S were talking about.



Doyle and Sherilyn B enjoying the fun and fellowship.




Well my living room is now empty and the house is quiet, so I better get some sleep while I can.

Hope you enjoyed this brief pictorial view of the events. There will be another reception in Apr. at IHC for those of you who plan to attend. I know that you will be bitterly disappointed to know that we won't be there. There is good news though, Jonathan and Emily will be taking our place, and they have something new to show off. Now you can go through the rest of your day singing "I Want A Principle Within" or "Beside the Mighty Ocean" , which ever you sing I hope you sing with great gusto and fond memories.

"This Kid, This Kid"

It's perpetual motion,

It's continual fits,

It's the carnal nature comin' out in my kid,

This kid, this kid,

So terrible,

This kid, this kid,

So beautiful,

It's the way he giggles,

It's a feeling like this....

While trying to regain control of my house this morning (Monday Morning Syndrome) I became quite frustrated with the youngest member of my family. He got his fingers caught in the cabinets while trying to empty them out, he unmade his bed, and ran out of the kitchen with a box of Raisin Bran. Thankfully I caught him before he emptied that also. I know that I may be a bit strange, but this is the song the kept playing in my head. Right when I feel like wringing his neck he turns around and gives me that sweet little grin and my heart melts. He's sleeping right now so I better go get some more laundry done. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into a mind that is coming unraveled due to "This Kid".

A Glimpse At Our Home

I'm finally back, and with pictures no less! You finally get to see some of the finished product. The living room, guest room, and back porch/pool will have to wait as they are still works in progress. I want the guest room to be perfect before I let you see it, that way hopefully I can lure some visitors to the sunny south. Those of you who know me well, know that renovating a home has been a dream for me. I wouldn't have wanted a house ready to be lived in, that is no fun. Harold and I have had an absolute blast picking out colors and flooring. It feels like our home has been custom made for us. I guess it has been. While I know that I am no interior decorator, I love doing it anyway. On nights that I work HGTV is my weakness. Believe it or not my house is almost completely furnished and decorated from garage sale, thrift stores, and hand-me downs. (That even includes my bedding, which I dearly love) My goal in decorating this house was to create a haven for my family. Kids face so much more now than we did when we were growing up, home should be a "safe place", a place that they look forward to getting back to. I also want my home to be a place that enables romance to continue to blossom through the years. We've all heard stories about the man who never wants to come home because of the chaos. While everything here is far from perfect, I hope that Harold feels like coming home every night is like going on a little retreat. We are also looking forward to having a continuous stream of guests in our home. There always missionaries coming through MFI who need a place to stay overnight. We are so excited about being able to open up our home to them and exposing our kids to some real "heroes". I know, I know, come on Kayla and show us the pictures.

I'll start with the kitchen. My dear Father-in-Law did a phenomenal job painting the cabinets. Since the previous owners stripped the house of appliances I finally got my dream of stainless steel ones. Actually they aren't the real thing, just the cheaper version, but they make me happy. I'm trying to give my kitchen and dining room a LA feel. Does anyone get a craving for a good cup of coffee or a big bowl of gumbo? Oh well, I'll keep working on that. So here's before,

and here's after.

I can't seem to find a before picture of Harold's office, but here is the after picture anyway. We were trying to find office furniture when someone brought over these two tables. It worked perfect to put one in the middle of the room looking out at the yard and the other behind for the printer, books and other junk.

We didn't have to do much to the main bathroom to make it usable, just put in a toilet. We did rip out a box light over the sink and paint it a lighter color. So here's before,

and here's after.

The boys room is definitely the most fun, as it should be. Ethan and Collin's room was done in nautical stuff before so I decided to just make it the same for all four. This room is so big that we decided to put all of them together since they prefer it that way. Here's the mustardly before,

Since I can't fit it all in one picture I'll go clockwise around the room. Here are Collin and Landon's bunks.

Dylan's bed is definitely the focal point of the room. I told you before about exchanging cheese for the boat. It is no longer sea worthy, so Harold offered to take it off the owner's hands, so with a little bleach and paint we now have a boat/bed. My Mom hit the after Christmas sales and got the tree. Harold wants to put some coins and beads in the chest, but it sounds like a nightmare to me. I don't want the rest of the house decorated with fake gold and that is exactly what would happen.

Ethan ended with the Captain's bed since he is the oldest, not because he is in charge (contrary to his opinion)

Last but certainly not least is our room. (mine and Harold's) This was the room with all the dog hair, if you care to remember.

Here it is as it appears at this time. Please excuse the curtain, I realize that it needs some work. Don't be too hard on me.

Since I'm trying to cultivate romance I'll let you see our AMORE sign under our wedding picture. Now don't you feel warm and gushy.

That's all you get to see for now, come back for more in the future.

We are still so overwhelmed with the home that God has given us. We are paying less a month to live here than we were paying for our trailer. It hasn't sold yet, but we are confident God has everything under control. Thanks for your interest in our lives, we have the best friends and family.