day 31: "i am thankful for.....5 MINUTES!"

....because that is all i have today to blog :)  roofing BITES!  time for a shower....and a movie with my husband.  hope you all had an awesome weekend.  ciao


.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 30: "i am thankful for......LAYS!"

....potato chips! i could eat the whole bag in one sitting.  doesn't matter what kind, but i do like the 'classic' lays chips the best.

i use to sneak a few from my mom's stash when i was in high school.  she loved them too.  guess i got her love of potato chips (and.... her love of m&m's).   thanks mom... :0)  just what i needed!  (if only i could eat junk and not gain weight like she could....)

have a safe and happy saturday my friends...! 


......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 29: "i am thankful for.......FLANNEL SHEETS!"

 ....i have found the 6-oz supima flannel sheets from lands end to be the best!

i have my sister to thank for introducing me to these awesome sheets.  i am a very cold blooded person (thyroid problem) so i need warm sheets and bedding.  my husband doesn't appreciate them...(he's always warm), but he knows i need them, so he puts up with me :)  they are very, very soft, warm, and fit over sized mattresses.  they wash well, and never pill.  one of the reasons i look forward to the temps dropping....i get to use my flannel sheets!

lands end has some very good sales (get on the e-mail list-they have 30% off right now!)...you won't regret buying these sheets if you are a cold natured person like me!

.....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 28: "i am thankful for......BUBBLE BATHS!"

.....the hot, steamy, long kinda bubble baths...after a excruciating long day on a roof.

my deep soaking tub...that i LOVE so much :)

we are finished (well, except for ridge cap) with the garage roof.  thank you GOD.  we will spend all day today starting to rip off a section of the house roof.   i will then, again, be thankful for my, end of the long grueling day of roofing, hot bubble bath.  i told my husband yesterday that this the LAST roof i am doing....he wasn't so sure...well, ladies and gents...I AM!

garage roof is done!!

have a great day friends!! (and please pray the rain will go away....i am so sick of it!)



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 27: "i am thankful for.....REST!"

we have several exterior projects going on around here before the snow flies.... 

LIST:

• rebuild shed
• paint brick house
• tear down chimney (CHECK)
• fix HUGE hole in house from tearing out fireplace (CHECK)
• hang new siding/fascia on house
• roof-house and garage
• rent excavator-tear down old barn(burn/bury it!), relocate some evergreen trees from back property to front  yard, tear out stone/concrete front porch, dig out run-off ditch, and (anything else we can think of while we have heavy machinery at our disposal)
• fix area above garage doors/replace garage doors 

i am either on the roof or a ladder these days. my body is aching from top to bottom!  i'm getting way too old for this stuff... so, yesterday, i took advantage of the rain and my husband being at work, to just lay around.  i watched several chick flick movies on netflix, took a long hot bath and took a nap!  my mother-in-law is always telling me to rest...so, that is exactly what i did yesterday.   i LOVE days like these... i NEED days like these...to recoop my old aching body...

for today....is a roof day.  (hubby is home, off to shingle we go!...UGH)


...so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 26: "i am thankful for......"I HOPE....!"

i really liked this article posted by kara baskin on boston.com.  thought i would share an excerpt with you...it's good stuff (whether you are a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa (you get the point).  gotta do the work....then all you can do is 'hope'.


a mom's wishlist......

I hope I raise a child who says “thank you” to the bus driver when he gets off the bus, “please” to the waiter taking his order at the restaurant, and holds the elevator doors when someone’s rushing to get in.

I hope I raise a child who loses graciously and wins without bragging. I hope he learns that disappointments are fleeting and so are triumphs, and if he comes home at night to people who love him, neither one matter. Nobody is keeping score, except sometimes on Facebook.

I hope I raise a child who is kind to old people.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that life is unfair: Some people are born rich or gorgeous. Some people really are handed things that they don’t deserve. Some people luck into jobs or wealth that they don’t earn. Tough.

I hope I raise a child who gets what he wants just often enough to keep him optimistic but not enough to make him spoiled.

I hope I raise a child who knows that he’s loved and special but that he’s not the center of the universe and never, ever will be.

I hope I raise a child who will stick up for a kid who’s being bullied on the playground. I also hope I raise a child who, if he’s the one being bullied, fights back. Hard. Oh, and if he’s the bully? I hope he realizes that his mother, who once wore brown plastic glasses and read the phonebook on the school bus, will cause him more pain than a bully ever could.

I hope I raise a child who relishes life’s tiny pleasures—whether it’s a piece of music, or the color of a gorgeous flower, or Chinese takeout on a rainy Sunday night.

I hope I rais

I hopee a child who is open-minded and curious about the world without being reckless.

I hope I raise a child who doesn’t need to affirm his self-worth through bigotry, snobbery, materialism, or violence.
 I raise a child who likes to read.
I hope I raise a child who is courageous when sick and grateful when healthy.

I hope I raise a child who begins and ends all relationships straightforwardly and honorably.

I hope I raise a child who can spot superficiality and artifice from a mile away and spends his time with people and things that feel authentic to him.

I hope I raise a child who makes quality friends and keeps them.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that his parents are flawed but loves them anyway.
And I hope that if my child turns out to be a colossal screw-up, I take it in stride. I hope I remember that he’s his own person, and there’s only so much I can do. He is not an appendage to be dangled from my breasts on the cover of a magazine, his success is not my ego’s accessory, and I am not Super Mom.

I hope for all of these things, but I know this: None of these wishes has a thing to do with how I feed him or sleep-train him or god-knows-what-else him. Which is how I know that these fabricated “wars” are phony every step of the way. I do not need the expensive stroller. I do not need to go into mourning if my "sleep-training method" is actually a "prayer ritual" that involves tiptoeing around the house in the dark. This is not a test. It’s a game called Extreme Parenting, and you can’t lose if you don’t play. And, really, why would you play? You have children to raise.


.....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 25: "i am thankful for......GRAFFITI!"

let me show you what i mean....(the the legal kind, i promise ;o))

#1 (thanks ry for helping me paint the guest bathroom! ;))

#2 (our kitchen ;))

#3 (back door ;))

#4,5,6,7,&8 (front yard! ;))

and the winner is........???

  

 i am partial to my husbands graffiti he drew on the front yard the other day (while cleaning out the paint sprayer)

 great job honey!!  way to participate in my graffiti obsession!!

here they are up close and personal.....

ahhhh....he loves me ;)

a rose!

hi!

ryan!

sam!

 so, if you are renovating....have some fun doing it!  graffiti up those walls!!  our last house, before we installed carpet, i let the boys draw pictures all over the sub floor!  someday, when someone replaces that carpet, they will get a pleasant surprise ;O)  

.....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 24: "i am thankful for......DETERMINATION!"

on friday morning, 3 pallets full of shingles/tar paper/starters/drip edge and ridge caps arrived and were dropped in our driveway.  we are roofing our entire house/garage.  we are wanting to get some practice (refresh our memories) on the garage roof, so that is where we started.

day 1:  friday

1. ripping off old gutter
2. ripping off old drip edge
3. place tarp/wagon under garage roof
4. w/ roof shovels, tear/unnail old shingles
5. take many trips to dump debris (we took them all over to our 'scary barn'.  we are planning on burying that baby anyways :))
6. sweep....again, and again, and again...
7. tar paper whole side
8. install new drip edge
9. install starter shingles
10. start shingling

how far we got w/ shingles day #1 (see them?)

it started to sprinkle.....then the sun went down....then we stopped, got cleaned up, thinking we were done for the day.... hah!  not quite.   we did not place tarps in place...BIG MISTAKE!  the sprinkle turned to rain, then turned to downpour....the weather was in the RED!  sam was already outside covering up the miter and table saws inside the garage...i grabbed a rain coat, and a big a** tarp and trudged my sore aching body up the ladder in the 'red' rain towards the pitch black roof top to cover it!  hubby came up with another tarp.  ok...under control.  whew!  end of day #1

hubby and me

here i am, roof shovel in hand (i'm trying to figure out why i am smiling ;))

 

day #2: saturday

1. take tarps off (whoo hoo!  it's sunny!)
2. continue shingling first side
3. start ripping off other side of garage roof
4. bring sam to soccer game
5. continue shingling
6. pbj dinner all around....
7. DETERMINED by dark to get first side ALL shingled
8. DETERMINED by dark to get second side ALL torn off

front side DONE!

back side ripped off!

WE DID IT!  by the end of day #2 we shingled the front and ripped off the back.                                                                                              


DETERMINATION.......it's a good thing, especially when you have NOTHING left in you....







.......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 23: "i am thankful for.......a HARD HEAD!"

the other day, while picking my son up from piano practice, i was not paying any attention to their porch fascia and hit it at full speed!  it LITERALLY took me off my feet.  i landed on my bum, not really knowing what the heck just happened!  i have never been knocked off my feet like that. i mean, i got AIR!

so, yes, i may still have a bump, but at least i didn't need stitches or a trip to the hospital!  thank you my dear 'hard head'...!

have a great day friends....and remember....LOOK UP!!



so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 22: "i am thankful for......PRAYER!"

today, i pray, to our Father in heaven, for you...

i pray for... your happiness
i pray for... many blessings to be bestowed upon you
i pray for... your health
i pray for... your families health
i pray for... your safety
i pray for... your strength
i pray for... your understanding
i pray for... your courage
i pray for... your friendship

i pray for... all your wishes to come true

i pray... for you, my friend, today and everyday.

day 21: "i am thankful for.....GOOD INTENTIONS!"

.....sometimes, no matter how hard we try, no matter how good our intentions are, we just don't get it right.  either we get in the way, or we unintentionally cause harm...or we get the date wrong, or something was said that wasn't suppose to be... 

.....sometimes things don't work out the way they are suppose to....   and that is life.  but, just as long as you know, deep down inside of you...that you had good intentions, than it's ok if things do not go the way you wanted them or expected them too.  it just is....ok.  k...?



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 20: "i am thankful for........MR. WAGNER!"

....please let me introduce to you my dear friend, mr. 'paint sprayer' wagner!!

what a guy!!  he has helped make our job easier and faster on several house renovation projects.  he was first introduced to us in new york, while painting our loooonnnngggg fence. he was the very guy to thank for this beautiful (white) fence!

and since we think so highly of mr. wagner, we once again took advantage of his talents on our ohio house.  here i am assisting our master painter....

i just feel so fortunate to have a friend like our very own mr. wagner!  i think everybody should be so lucky ;)  

....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 19: "i am thankful for......94 YEARS!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!!!"

today is my grandpa barnes' 94th birthday!  i feel so blessed to have him in my life still and am very grateful my boys have gotten a chance to get to know their great grandfather. 

grandpa w/ my ry guy(two good lookin men ;))-2004

grandpa w/ my boys-april 2012

he just loves creating and playing 'paper airplanes' with my boys.  by far their favorite activity together.  they always try to come up with new and fascinating ways to 'fold' the planes!

grandpa w/ my boys-september 2010

grandma and grandpa barnes w/ me and toddler sam-summer 2002

while my husband spent a year in korea (9/01-9/02), sam and i lived in an apartment/house in ny to be near family.  it was so nice to be able to spend a year with my grandparents!



my husband was able to get stationed in ny for 4 years (2007-2011).  this was such a blessing!  i made weekly visits to grandma and grandpas house.  i was trying to make up for all the years i had been away (air force wife remember?!)   they are both such a pleasure to hang out with.   he calls me all the time now that i am living far away again.  i love talking with him.   he catches me up on his 'squirrels', 'birds' and 'deer' he feeds.  thank you grandpa for always being able to make me smile.  i hope to visit soon.  i miss you and i love you....! 


 .....so, what are you especially thankful for today?! 

day 18: "i am thankful for......DIURETICS!"

.......because sometimes you just need a little help! ;)

here is a list of some:

fruits and veggies-

• Watermelon
• Lemon
• Juniper Berries (what are these?!)
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Beets
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Watercress
• Celery
• Eggplant 

 beverages-

• Coffee (no sugar please ;))
• Green Tea
• Carrot Juice(yuck!)
• Cranberry Juice
• Dandelion Tea (i will never be this hard up)
• Sodas (oh, goodie!  i'm all set!)
• Tea
• Water (for u Kris :))

herbs-

• Parsley
• Horseradish
• Ginger
• Dandelion Leaf
• Stinging Nettle
• Hawthorn Herb (not sure about this one either)
• Garlic
• Fennel
• Raw Onion
• Celery Seed 

 just trying to help ya out friends...!  (dulcolax works well too, btw..... ;)) 

so, go have your cup of joe with a garlic and onion bagel...and you are all set for the day!!!!  happy flushing folks!


......so, what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 17: "i am thankful for......"THE SHACK"!

i have been rereading 'the shack', written by wm. paul young, to my 11 yr old son.  this book captivates and stimulates my imagination like no other book has done.   we are not quite done with it....but, i just felt the need to quote from this book today, to share with you this excerpt that really stood out to my heart....and how i feel so saddened about the turmoil our country and others are in.   

here goes:  page 179 (character 'mack' having a conversation, while sitting on a dock over looking a beautiful lake, with Jesus)

mack:       you're not too fond of religion and institutions?
Jesus:      I don't create institutions-never have, never will.
mack:       what about the institution of marriage?
Jesus:      marriage is not an institution.  it's a relationship.  like I said, I don't create
               institutions; that's an occupation for those who want to play God.  so no, I'm
               not too big on religion and not very fond of politics or economics either.  and
               why should I be?  they are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages
               the earth and deceives those I care about.  what mental turmoil and anxiety
               does any human face that is not related to one of those three?
mack:       (very overwhelmed)
Jesus:      put simply, these terrors are tools that many use to prop up their illusions of
               security and control.  people are afraid of uncertainty, afraid of the future.
               these institutions, these structures and ideologies, are all a vain effort to
               create some sense of certainty and security where there isn't any.  it's all
               false!  systems cannot provide you security, only I can.


so, in other words....trust and follow Jesus....not yourself nor especially your government?  hummmmm......


(ps. i have a second copy if you want me to send it to you!  everybody should read this book!  it's just that good....)
(pps. the book is not about government.  this was the only page written on it... )



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!:)

day 16: "i am thankful for......SOMETIMES!"

let me explain.....

a few years ago, while tucking my then 5 yr old son into bed, he said to me

"i love you sometimes......and, this is a sometimes."

occasionally, each and every one of us are blessed with those precious moments in life we need to remember.  this was one of them.  after leaving his room that night, i quickly found his baby book to write it down and i am so glad i did.  we all need to remember those special moments that make our heart sing.

the other night, we both brought this past conversation up again.  i asked him, now my 8 yr old,  "if he remembered years ago about 'sometimes'" and  "if this was a sometimes"?  he quickly responded "yes.....this is a sometimes mommy".  he then preceded to tell me...."but, not when you are yelling, or mad at me"...  oh, my dear ry guy, you are so right....i am hard to love sometimes.  i will try harder :0)

me and ry guy...after he put flowers in my hair :)

i don't think i could love my children any more than i do.....in fact, it's impossible!  Thank you Ry for being my son.  i love you.....always.



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!:)

day 15: "i am thankful for.......SHOOTING STARS!"

.....last night i watched a star fall from the sky.  this, of course, was not my first observation of a 'shooting star'.  i have seen many throughout my 39 years, but i am always in awe of them.  what is it about them that captivates me...??  do you know....?  do they fill you with wonder too...??

one night, years ago, while my family and i were camping in montana....my husband and i, after tucking the boys into their sleeping bags for the night, stayed up to watch for shooting stars.  we counted over 20 within a 2 hour time span!!!  AMAZING are the skies, even at night, in montana.   i made a lot of wishes that night....that have all since come true ;)

so, if you are blessed with a clear night sky tonight....watch out for a falling star and make a wish.  you never know....it just might come true :)

Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.

                             


.....so what are you especially thankful for today?!  

day 14: "i am thankful for........BAVARIAN CREAM!"

......donuts!   they are, by far, my favorite kind of donut.  my husband bought me 3 yesterday...i am a lucky girl!

now doesn't that look mouth watering!?    one a day...keeps the doc away...(so i say ;))



.....so what are you especially thankful for today?!

day 13: "i am thankful for.......14 YEARS!"

.....14 years ago, on september 12, 1998, i married my best friend.  it was one of the happiest days of my life.

.....we met while he was on the usaf thunderbird team, as a videographer.  here is a picture taken just a couple months after our wedding, at an airshow, in shreveport, louisiana.

  
.....during these past 14 years, we have moved 7 different times, lived in 6 different states, and have been blessed with 2 beautiful boys, 4 cats and one dog.

.......my husband is a very loving, generous, supportive, and especially forgiving man.  he is a great father to our boys, and the strongest man that i know, physically and emotionally.   i have truly been blessed.  thank you honey for 14 very memorable years....may there be many more to come.  i love you kerber....

here are just a few pics taken throughout the years....

october 1997

may 2002

september 1998

march 2012

january 2000

december 2003

may 2006

april 2006

may 2007

july 2004

march 2005

march 2011

  ....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!:)  

day 12: "i am thankful for......our FALLEN HEROS"

       A Day to REMEMBER, HONOR, and GIVE THANKS

to the men and women in uniform that gave their

lives 11 years ago, and those that continue so serve and protect our country.....God bless you all. 

 

....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!:)   

day 11: "i am thankful for.....FIREWOOD!"

....especially if it's 'free'!

while my family and i lived on 34 acres in ny, we chopped down all the 'free' firewood we could muster.  we could never run out of hardwood such as sugar maple, walnut, and alder.  when we moved to our 10 acres here in oh, our trees consist of cottonwood, willow, and fruit....not at all useful for burning.  so, we have had to start being creative about where to find our firewood.

last year we contacted a guy (owns a tree service business) on craigslist advertising he had firewood for sale for $50 a cord.  well, that is a great price...compared to most selling their wood for over $100 a cord (outrageous!).  we jumped at the ad....drove 30 min to this guys house...and my hubby chopped up about 4 cords worth of hardwood...so a total of $200.  not bad!  but, we still have a hard time swallowing the fact that we have to pay for wood....(we got very spoiled in ny).

this year, the same tree service guy called my hubby, asking him if he would like some 'free' wood. he had cut up some wood for this elderly couple, but they did not want to pay to have him remove it.  of course we jumped at this!   we have been driving back and forth, 1 hour drive time, to load up our trailer full of all this wood!

here i am with all our FREE wood!  not too shabby huh?

now, take a guess as to how many cords this is (cord = 4'x4'x8' stacked)!  i will let you know how much money we saved (once we split/stack to measure a cord).   i have NO idea.  my husband guesses 5-6 cords.  what is your guess??



....so, what are you especially thankful for today?!:)