I thought I'd quick check in. 

On Monday, we went to our montly visit to our homeschool supervising Teacher.  It went well.  It was snowing quite hard and I should have likely cancelled the appointment, but didn't.  We saw two semi's in an accident.  One was in the ditch on the main highway, and the other was on it's side on the cross road... the one I needed to take, so needless to say, I had quite the detour.  The snow covered the roads, but I was still able to make out where the roads were so we kept plodding along.  We got to our appointment a bit late, but she didn't have others... though we did rush, she had a webinar with her fostercare certification she needed to take shorlty after we got there.  I think the highlight of the visit was seeing her two new children.  She adopted two from Haiti.  There was a freeze on adoptions and they've been waiting nearly 3 years, but the earthquake down there opened up the applied for applications and her family was able to go get their kids they have waited so long for!  She said that they were locking down the adoptions even while they were there, so they praised God they got the kids when they did!  They are just adorable kids.  I saw the little boy, marching through the house... singing, dancing, cute little guy.  The older sister ran by, but I didn't catch her, but my daughter just did, though we did hear her play the piano a smidge.  The family seems to be adjusting well despite all the changes... you can tell it's a drain on them, but none of them look unhappy. 

Our bathroom progress is still coming along.  We've got the tile in and the walls painted.  The floor trim has been painted and half has been installed.  The door trim has been painted and installed.  One door to a closet is completely painted... we have two others left.  Basically the bathroom is now usable, short of the closets needing to be finished and some trim work.  Today I painted one side of one of the second door to go in.  Tomorrow I will flip it over and paint the other side.  The doors lay on our kitchen table... so it will be nice when they are done! 

I actually accomplished something today!  I made granola!  Paige and I made it together.  It was so nice, not to be sick or achey or dizzy!  I had planned to make bread, but I only got so far as to grind the wheat... then I petered out with the other projects that needed doing as well.  I did 3 loads of laundry, ordered SS materials, ordered our youth group materials, and looked for diapers and maternity clothes online (no luck!). 

I am finding my belly is getting in the way more and more often.  People misjudge me and I even myself misjudge spaces as I walk between areas... and OUCH... a poke in the belly isn't always the most comfortable!  Even Paige is finding my lap is starting to disappear.  She still loves to sit on my lap, and She often plops down into my stomach... thinking it will be just leg... but no, the belly is sticking out taking away her cuddle space.  *grin*  I always laugh (even though sometimes it hurts) and say... make room for baby snuggles too... then she laughs as well. 

It was a good day.  Though, I'm beginning to get a touch of heart burn, so that is my cue that it is time for bed. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Here's some photos of the bathroom redo.  Explanations of what you see are underneath.  Pictures aren't the best, as the room is small and my camera only is able to capture small parts of the actual room. 

The back wall of te room shows the plaster still on.  It took Dh 3 days to remove all the plaster and the lathe from the walls.  You can see a window frame.  When we originally moved in this room was a bedroom with windows.  It is now a bath, or bath in progress with no windows. 

In this photo you see the beams Dh put in for the lowered ceilings and the canned lights he installed.

This is Dh, working on the canned lights in the new hallway.   A closet will be at both ends.  We actually shortened the bathroom by 3 feet or so in order to add closets on either side of this new hallway and give a bit of a barrier between the dining room and the bathroom.  We realized the bathroom didn't need to be so large. 

This is looking into the bathroom.  You can see the sheetrock has been installed.  The wiring is hanging down for lights and electrical outlets.  The unfinished walls placed are still temporary and moveable at this moment.

This photo shows the old closet.  We removed the door and widened it.  A new one will be placed later once Dh can take them to work and finish them.  The old bathroom door is still there.  The paper is a tooth brushing routine for our little one with the bad teeth.  If you look around the paper you can barely see tiny spots.  This is mildew stains that are just in the door.  The door will be removed and burned eventually, but it is a great dust barrier for now. 

This is our new tub and surround. It still has the blue protective plastic attached to it.  The tub has gone in and out many, many times.  The girls told me they are pros at moving the tub, as Dad had them move it so often to be able to place the false walls on either side of the tub.  Luckily for them it doesn't weigh much more than 20-30 pounds.  Here Dh has the plumbing screwed together, but not completely finished plumbing (the pipes were not sautered together at this point). 

This is the new home for the toilet.  This is a partial wall built to hide the toilet from those entering the bathroom.  An exciting thing for us, since little one still likes to come in unannounced. 

Here I am standing in the far corner of the bathroom.  The wall on my left is on the backside of the tub.  The wall on my right is the wall that hides the toilet.  I am looking into the area which will have the sink.  You can see the old hole from the toilet in the floor.  The dark square is where the sink sat before, it will shift to the left where you see the pipes sticking out of the floor.  To get out of the bathroom, I need to take a right just after the wall on my right. 

I need to work on finding paint colors.  I need to add pictures from today's work.  Dh got the tub hooked up so we can actually SHOWER again.  He also placed cement board on the floor and plans to tile the floor tomorrow.  Walls were going to be done next, but the way the cement board worked under the tub made a change of plans for us.  It gives me a few more days to decide the coloring of the walls... Of which I am a loss to... the house has an americanna coloring on the ground level and each room that gets redone is connected to that in someway.  We have the bathroom and our bedroom to redo at the moment.  A plan for our room is already made, but I'm at a loss for the bathroom and new hallway.   I'll sleep on it tonight. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Don't be overly impressed... it's not a big work of art.  LOL  My family was so excited that I actually made supper... I haven't made supper for nearly 2 months. 

I made a new recipe.  I found that dairy and meat are both causing me much distress after I eat... sometimes for a day or so.  I get bloated and the extra pressure increases the nausea and heartburn of this pregnancy.   So this recipe is vegan and I really enjoyed it.  It is called Tofu Croquettes and was given to me by my friend Nicole.

The rest of the meal was pretty simple and all I could handle once the sun began to set.  Baked potatoes just tossed into the oven, pineapple with cut bananas, and home canned green/wax beans. 

I really enjoyed the croquettes and I will be making them again.  However my husband and older daughter didn't care for them.  I think it is the nut flavor they don't like, as they don't like cottage cheese loaf with nuts in it either.  My 3rd daughter ate them and said they were fine.  My 4th daughter doesn't eat soy, so didn't eat them.  (My first daughter wasn't home to try them).   I got 73 balls from the recipe.  I figured the protein to be one serving for every 4 balls (that includes the cashew gravy on top).  This will help me meet my protein requirements coming up.  I plan on freezing them into a few meal size packs for myself, so I don't need to eat them every day for the upcoming week. 

We'll see if we can keep up the supper meal preparation.  I think if I get crock pot meals going, that I will have more success as I didn't have problems putting together the meals in the morning.  Now to find some more of those as I only have a couple of those that I make regularly and they aren't dairy free. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

I was reading in 2 Peter, the other night.  I found it an interesting little book.  The last two verses of the book caught my attention and I will share them here. 

"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and for ever.  Amen. "    2 Peter 3: 17, 18. 

This has been something on my heart.  I watch our family, the church kids that I teach, and myself... and wonder if we get comfortable where we are at and simply sometimes slide back to old ways, not really realizing it.  2 Peter was written to remind us of what we know.  To remind us to keep pressing on, to look at where we are at... did we slide back to old ways?  Or are we continuing to grow in grace.  

I was grateful for the reminder as I reevaluate once again my own life and try to press on, and hopefully encouraging others to do so as well. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Well day four found Dh building the interior walls for the bathroom.  He also opened the one closet door a bit larger for a larger door as we needed to replace the door and opted for a larger door.  Also, Dh put the lowered ceiling joists in and placed the canned lights.  Alot of measuring and running out to get materials for building the walls up. 

Day 5: was a store day and almost all the final decisions made and items purchased.  Dh says we spent 4.5 hours at the lumber store, but I'm not sure it was THAT long, LOL.  We picked out the light for above the sink, the exhaust fan/light for above the tub, a shower curtain, the tub and surround, the pipes for connecting the tub, drains, sink, and toilet in their new positions, tile for the floor and all the stuff that goes with that.    We loaded it back home and about all we had time to do was decide on a pattern for fitting the tile into the bathroom floor before closing the door for Sabbath. 

Day 6:  after sundown, Dh decided to start working on plumbing the pipes into their new positions.  He's currently working on it and I have no idea how much he's got done.  Evening isn't good for me.  This project is mostly his doing.  It was my choice to put the bathroom into the next project in line, but it is all his sweat and tears getting it done.  He doesn't want me in the dust and by late afternoon, I'm not much good to anyone... not even for decisions of what to go where...   I feel bad, but at the same time am so thankful he's so willing to work so hard on this! 

Warmly, Melissa

Today we took down the Christmas tree and put away about 2/3rds of the decorations.  We rearranged the living room.  All that work took about 6 hours and only two sentences... *sigh*

Warmly, ~Melissa