Swings, Bread, & Strawberries

Sweet Scout...

What a refreshing day! 

It all began with a full night's sleep!!! (I've been having a little pregnancy induced trouble with the sciatic nerve in my left leg...sort of wakes me during the night...but not last night!) Thank You, Lord!!!

Not to mention, I vaguely remember my husband sitting on the bed beside me early this morning...he was praying for me as I slept...that is pure sweetness.

Roof wise, T talked with the adjuster...didn't really get anywhere...so we've pretty much decided to re-roof the portion of roof above my office. T is going to build a "cricket" around the fireplace, which should take care of some issues there, and will also require replacing a good bit of shingles around that area...which, if I understand correctly, need replacing...and the jury is still out on what we'll do on the third leak...it's on the newest portion of roof...the one we paid for out of pocket a few years ago. However, there is TREMENDOUS peace that accompanies making a decision regarding the other two areas. I find I don't do well at all while in limbo.

I also spent time on the phone with Adobe today and got all my software questions answered...and so the decision regarding purchasing software has been made...which also brings TREMENDOUS peace! 

Yesterday knocked me to the ground in terms of really realizing that I am totally incapable of parenting my children in my own strength. Since bringing MW home from the hospital I would have said I couldn't do it in my own strength to anyone who asked, but I'm learning it for real. Like, in the depths of my heart. As in...really, I cannot do this on my own.

Today...has been fun. I baked a few loaves of bread...I'm pumped with this new recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. It's the buttermilk bread...so yummy. MW can't get enough!!! A neighbor shared a loaf with us and I was hooked...and have been baking it ever since. She gave me some great tips...like, buying the 25lb bag of flour at Sams, and then I realized I could get yeast and butter milk there! Hooray!

yummy...

Out of the blue, Monday morning, MW asked if we could PLEASE make chocolate covered strawberries...so we did that this afternoon. MW "cleaned up" for me by scraping the bowl clean with pretzels...

And the swing...oh the swing. I am head over heels for this swing! I saw a swing in a magazine that sparked the idea. T and I studied it and talked over the pros and cons and finally, we drew out this design...T drew it out to scale and proceeded to build it. And paint it. And hang it. It was so fun for me. Like...SO FUN! I got to sketch out what I wanted, then my engineer husband kicked it up a notch with some "engineered/design improvements and suggestions" and went to work. I made the cushions (the bottom one needs a little work...well, let's just say I know how I'd do it if I had it to do again...) and before I knew it, it was up! Originally I'd planned to slip cover it, but after seeing it, I got intimidated at the thought of making a slipcover that complicated, so I resorted to cushions...which I really like better than what was in my head...and I tell you that because T was gracious, but let me know that he would've spent a little more time on his craftsmanship and the way he constructed it had he known the wood would be exposed...however, I think it looks FABULOUS!!! The kids and I sit on it every morning and read while we wait for carpool and often we curl up on it post rest time, and then again while we wait for T to come home from work. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I LOVE it!!!! T, you outdid yourself! It's so fun to sit on something YOU built!

Ok...happy day!