The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{kids craft} Welcome Fall with a Painted Leaves Collage

Well, I’m feeling quite embarrassed about my whine-fest in the previous post. Sometimes life is just overwhelming and writing it out is theraputic, you know?  Funny what a good night’s sleep can do. After weeks of insomnia or using the bathroom CONSTANTLY all night long (thank you pregnancy!), God has been gracious and given me a few consecutive nights of uninterrupted sleep! What a gift…and what an amazing way to gain some perspective.

So I’m happy to report that I’m in a much better place this week and in turn, I think I’ve been a much better mother.  And nothing gets a “Yay! You’re the best, Mamma!” like a spur-of-the-moment art project, albeit with a semi-selflsh motive.

Back story: After perusing our new SuperTarget, I came across these simple white frames on clearance for 50% off: 

 
$4.98 for an 11″x14″ frame?  Yes please!  I’ve also been on the search for simple (read: cheap) fall decor, since big purchases are just out of the question right now.  Oh to live on a budget…I’m sure most of you can relate. 🙂

Cue the kids and the art project.  My inspiration came from this tutorial, with just a few tweaks.  For one, we used tempera paint with paintbrushes instead of finger paint.  I limited the boys to red and yellow, which they then mixed to make orange too.  I also ended up tracing and cutting out the leaf shapes myself, since there was way more interest in the glueing part.  

Our final result:

 
I love it!  And yes, the walls really are that yellow….think Ronald McDonald meets the majority of my first floor.  Lots of home improvement posts to come!

{ramblings} Catching Up: A List

One of the last boxes I packed….obviously over the whole packing experience!


Hello, hello!  Popping in to catch up before diving back into the craziness.  My brain is mush, so a bullet list will have to do today:

  • I AM TIRED.  I’m not sure exactly what I was thinking, but moving at 37 weeks pregnant is a ridiculous idea.  I am huge, achy and largely miserable.  Thank goodness for the nesting instinct that gets me motivated to do anything.
  • As if this time wasn’t stressful enough, my otherwise really healthy children have been taking turns with a lovely stomach bug.  So GROSS.  So badly timed.  
  • Between the sickness and the moving, the kids have been watching crazy amounts of PBS cartoons on TV.  The worst part is that I’m just too tired to feel guilty about it. 
  • The old house = stress-inducer.  We thought we found a renter, but she unfortunately fell through.  And even though I worked all summer long, the rental management company apparently has a list for us of improvements they’d like to see completed.  (Good point to know: we now live two hours away).  Exactly how I pictured spending the last few weekends before my 4th baby is born!
  • The new house = craziness. Boxes to unpack and a house to organize, all while my kids run rampant.  Did I mention the disgusting dog prints we found all over the carpet (that smelled like poop!) when we walked in for the first time?  Did I also mention that we haven’t had hot water for three days?
  • This post is turning into a whole lot of complaining.  Sorry about that.  Not typical for me as I’m usually a glass-half-full kinda girl.  I need some prayers!
  • One more order of business – Mamma Support Swap: hopefully everyone who participated has mailed their packages by now.  If not, please get those out soon!  Oh and Megan (winner of my giveaway!), I haven’t forgotten about you!  I hope to find our new post office this week.     

{i want to remember} – 9/4/12


With the movers coming in just a few days, I’m becoming quite sentimental!  Here are a few things I want to remember about this little home of ours:

I WANT TO REMEMBER… moving into this house on a crisp fall day, almost six years ago.  I was just weeks away from M’s due date and we were so excited to be able to bring our baby back from the hospital to a home.  Our home.


I WANT TO REMEMBER… the slow and steady process of making it “ours” through the years: new furniture, a kitchen renovation (and how excited I was to get new countertops!), DIY projects like the board and batton, and my favorite: having hardwood floors installed.  


I WANT TO REMEMBER… what “living in the country” feels like: wildlife in our backyard, lots of trees (requiring lots of raking in the fall!), and trips to town that take 30 minutes or more.     


I WANT TO REMEMBER… that this home will always have a special place in my heart.  It’s where I learned how to be a mother and a better wife.  I grew self-confidence here.  I learned to embrace my vocation, discovered new hobbies and uncovered some long-hidden dreams.    
  
I WANT TO REMEMBER… how we grew from a couple to a family in this home.  Our boys’ early memories are here: birthday parties, family dinners, playing in the backyard and lots and lots of laughter.  We have much to remember and be thankful for.


Off to make more memories in the next chapter of our family’s life.  We are excited to see all that is in store for us!    

{friendship} Liebster Award….who me?

Well, what a fun surprise!  In between serving lunch to my littles, I snuck a minute to check my blog reader and imagine what I found!  I was
nominated for the Liebster Award by Kallah over at Being Open to Life…thank you, thank you!  
In case you’re in the dark, the Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers.
It’s a way to acknowledge and encourage each other (which we all know is right up my alley!). The award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers…so fun to support fellow “little guys”! 

So according to Kallah, when you receive the award, you are encouraged to post 11 random facts
about yourself and then answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you. You can also share 11 blogs you love and declare them winners of the Liebster Award too!  I’ve got a to-do list a mile long, but since this seems way more fun than laundry or packing, let’s see what I can come up with! 🙂

11 RANDOM FACTS YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ME
1. I lived in 10 different houses in my first 18 years of life (thank you, Marine Corps!).
2. I have always been a little crazy about paper products…journals, notepads and calendars are most definitely part of my love language.
3. I am a lefty, as is my brother.  We’re the only ones in our entire family.  Weird.
4. In school, I was one of those crazy kids who loved math classes.  In fact, I was the girl who voluntarily took calculus during senior year.  What can I say?  I love solving for x!
5. I drink entirely too much Coke Zero.
6. I don’t mind doing laundry, or even folding laundry, but putting away laundry?  That part is the hardest for me.
7. I had a scoop of icecream every single night after dinner growing up.  Mint chocolate chip is my favorite.
8. I keep a journal of every book I’ve ever read, a tradition I’ve kept up since grade school.
9. I am quite resistant to the “latest and greatest” technology.  I still rock the Blackberry and honestly?  The only reason I would ever upgrade is to get Instagram.  ha!
10. I am a way better baker than I am a cook.  My husband is the opposite.  That must be what makes us a good (and well-fed!) team.
11. We are so excited to meet our little girl (four more weeks to go!), but if you had asked me 5 years earlier how I pictured our future family, I would have happily told you that I saw five/six strapping boys who looked just like their Daddy.  Our Little Miss was a big surprise…but surprises are good. 🙂
 
 
ANSWERS TO 11 QUESTIONS (well, 5 of them!) 
(Unfortunately I don’t have time to answer them all, but here are a few…)
 
1. If you could ask God one thing right now, what would it be? 
I would ask God why He trusts me so much!  Some days are just hard: bickering boys, taking care of the homestead, general pregnancy discomforts and long, long days.  There have been many days I’ve retreated to my bedroom to let God know I just can’t do it anymore, that this life is too hard!  Thank goodness for grace…He knows just what I can handle and He’s always there when it feels like too much. 
 
2. If you could tell your five year old self one thing, what would it be?
I would let her know that she really doesn’t like the sight of blood, both hers or anyone else’s.  Her dreams of becoming a doctor are well-intentioned, but silly. 🙂
 
3. What is your fondest memory of your childhood?
With all of the packing going on around here lately, I’ve been doing lots of reminiscing about my many moving adventures growing up.  I remember the stacks of boxes lining the rooms and hallways and how it seemed like they reached all the way to the ceiling.  Our house felt like it was full of tunnels, perfect for playing hide-and-seek.  I’ll also never forget the feeling of arriving to a new and completely empty house.  Running around, making “snow angels” in the carpet of my new room, hearing my voice echo through the house…I’m excited to experience that with my boys soon.
 
4. Why did you start a blog?
I started my blog about a year ago as a way to honor my great-grandmother, who passed away in Dec 2010 (at 99 years old!). She was a huge inspiration to our entire family with her dedication to family, learning, and making a house a home.  With all of that in mind, I dove into the blog world and have been writing about my own experiences with those themes ever since. I’ve been blown away at the amazing way a blog allows you to connect with others! What a blessing.
 
5. If you only had one store to shop at for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Easy question.  I would choose Marshalls or TJ Maxx because it’s the best of all worlds: I love the thrill of the hunt, it holds both name-brand clothing AND home accessories and it’s budget-friendly.  Win, win, win!
 



 A FEW BLOGS…
(Naptime is ticking away, so no time for 11, but here are a few great blogs that definitely deserve the Liebster Award!)
 



1. What can I say about Meg at Handmade by Meg K?  She is definitely Jane of all trades: besides being a Mamma, she crafts, sews, gardens, cooks….so amazing!  Be sure to check out her new saints dolls in her etsy shop.  I want Mother Teresa!
 


2. Christy at fountains of home is a super-sweet Mamma of four sweet kiddos.  I love her posts and photography, along with the “G.K. of the Day” series she does.



3. If you’re a homeschooler of little ones, you have to check out Pam at everyday snapshots.  I love her laid-back schooling approach and have actually implemented a lot that I’ve seen through her blog. 
 


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