My birthday & my house

Well, I'm 34 today.....woop woop!!!  I know, the year to party hearty!  It was fun, we did a mini Oktoberfest here with just a few friends.  No beer wench costumes were worn.  Perhaps next year... 

We did, however, have plenty of beer, brats, mustard, sauerkraut and apples.   YUM!  My husband even snuck home early from church (when I say early, really I mean that while I was blabbing to everyone and their brother he simply came home) and he made his own version of "death-by-chocolate" brownies which were very good!  We have been married 14 years and I don't remember him baking anything.  I was very impressed and it was so thoughtful, it really made my day.  My oldest child also sneakily made a bowl of JELLO for me, so sweet.

I don't think I've posted a thing about our recent trip with hehem NO KIDS to Hawaii...  Just bliss.  Well, not really totally bliss.  See, I have a gift, and that is with finding fault with pretty much everything.  It's not a gift really....well you get the point.  So there were a few "not perfect" things, however, what was lacking on this trip??  Complete lack of any work.  None.  No changing diapers, no runny noses, no cooking, no trying to figure out what to make for dinner, or lunch, or breakfast, no mailboxes, no laundry even...the most work I did was hanging up our wet beach towels on the line.  I enjoyed it, and I'm still enjoying it just remembering it.  I have wanted to go to Hawaii since I was 12 and now I have.  Of course I can't wait to take the kids there now...

Since I've been home the weather has been nasty cold and windy.  I'm still pretty miffed about our crappy weather "summer", but the house got painted in the end (hired a painter) and that was my main final "project" that had to be done.  I'd done all the canning, sauerkraut making and putting up of veggies I was going to do before we left and so now the chickens are enjoying what little remains of our garden.  Yesterday I buttoned up the yard as best as I could and cleaned out and re-organized the garage.  If I don't do the garage once every week or so it won't stay looking nice, but it really only gets done about once every 6 months and then a few pitching fits in between.  For now it looks BEAUTIFUL, as much as a garage can anyhow.

I decided I'd like to work one room at a time (again) and get rid of things (again) because when ever I do this I don't feel that urgent need for an addition to our 5 bedroom home.  It's very functional and I have friends who have far less and so I'm grateful for my wonderful finished home.  I just have to keep it tidy and purged in order to enjoy it (and use it) properly.  It's my business office our schoolroom our sleeping quarters our kitchen, living, dining, running, playing, milling, cheese making, bread baking, canning, piano playing, movie watching, dancing, art work making, scrapbooking, sewing, papa's working, dressing, storing, and-so-much-more space.  This is magnified with the cold weather keeping children indoors.  It's amazing all that you do in a home and all the crap...err, stuff you need....err, want for all of that.  Thank you Lord for my home.  I love it and especially after having friends with much less and friends who have lost theirs to fire I am SO grateful for my wonderful very nice home.  I realize that God can easily test me and I could loose it all tomorrow.  I really hope I'm not up for that sort of test.  I'm grateful for what He's given me to take care of....my home, my family.  Hawaii is a great place to visit.......but there's no place like home.

The perfect house color

*Warning* This post is altogether too long for such a simple subject. I suggest skipping this or skimming. This writer still has to work on mastering the simplified versions of stories

I have wanted a yellow house for years, at least 10, but I think quite a bit longer. I specifically wanted a pale-ish yellow with white trim, and white accents. Very girly, I know, but I have my girly moments.

We rented an apartment after we were married for about 5 months in Anchorage, then moved out the cutest above garage apartment ever. Living right next door to "my homemaker mentor" as I'll call her my "mentor". She's the one who helped me to appreciate being an actual homemaker including sewing quilts, canning, gardening, and even hanging my cloths out on the line. I'll have to write more on her later... My mother was definitely an awesome cook and seamstress, but since I got married as a teenager I never appreciated her skills until I needed them.

We lived there for 4 years and in that time the two of us and our 2 black labs grew to include 2 kids. We (I) wanted/needed a HOUSE! With a dishwasher please!

4 years was plenty of time to think/dream about our new house that we would some day be able to afford. At about 3 years into the apartment we met with a financial "helper" and she got us on the saving track and we saved up (mostly) for a down payment on a new house just about 3 doors down from our apartment in the country.

We realized after talking to the bank and builders that we had to go with a "budget" house, especially since we were buying 5 aces, that was eating a large chunk of the loan we qualified for. We would not be going with cedar siding, so it would be affordable T1-11. You could paint that.

Our house would be yellow.

Or not. See, I have a husband. Normally he does not care much about colors and I get my free choice on things. In this case as he said, "I will not live in a yellow house." Hmm, seriously? Why do you care? Are you sure honey? See, isn't it so pretty? Really, no yellow? Ok, fine. What color do you want it then!? Green or blue or....anything but yellow. Ok.

Our house would be green. A pretty, Martha Stewart green, mind you. One that we agreed on. Agreeing is very nice sometimes, but guess what I have obsessed about for those 10 years in a green house? Yes, yellow houses. I love them, and can't get enough of them. NOT the bright yellow ones, the pretty pale yellow with white trim ones - only.

2 years ago I came to realize that our house needed to be re-painted. A very expensive/large task. This year we're (well, I) am finally tackling it and I had to double check with him on the color again, since it could be yellow if he'd allow it. I asked, I double checked, still no yellow. Then a friend we don't know well gave me some hope when they said my husband had said, maybe. Maybe? Not sure? I had to get to the bottom of this. I asked again and no real answer. I finally go to Lowe's to buy the green paint and call him on the cell phone in a last ditch flat out nagging effort in desperation but no real hope of success.

Me: Hi, I'm here to buy the green paint and just wanted to be sure that we're NOT doing yellow.
Him: Heh, really? Me saying it over and over is not enough for you?
Me: I know, I'm sorry, I just need to hear a for sure...No, I will not live in a yellow house.
Him: Honey, I realized that if this is what you really, really, really want...
Me: It is what I really, really, really want! But I don't want to nag you into it and have you hate it and be upset about it.
Him: I know, if this is what you want then I don't care that much. I love you.
Me: OMGosh, OMGosh, I'm shaking! I'm so excited. I love you!

Grabbed some swatches, had 3 samples made up in the 1/2 quart size, told the checker all about it....and off I drove to my mom's to show her the new potential colors.

A week later (after pining over the choices) I'd chosen the palest color of my lot. I had borrowed a friends sprayer and pressure washer and got to work. Our house is now 1/2 yellow/greenish and no white trim and the windows are catching much overspray. It is messier than I had thought it would be, but the family is handling it for now. The dog is now black and yellow.

I'm going to have a yellow house. Deep inside I'm afraid I'll get sick of the color before I can even finish, it's SO different from the green. But I keep telling myself after all is said and done I'm sure I'll love it. I know I will, just hope the neighbors and my family can get used to it as well.