Thursday, December 17, 2009

HAPPY~

All are excited in the little yellow house tonight...we have family coming to visit this weekend. I pretty much always miss my family and sometimes feel like we are in the middle of nowhere. So far from the truth. Abbey and Paul (sister and hubbie) arrive tomorrow afternoon. It has been over a year since we have seen them. And my parents and brother arrive Sunday! It has only been seven months since we have seen them.

My husband and I had this LONG to do list that we wanted to accomplish before everyone arrived. But ya know...we got most of it accomplished. :) Then again my Dad, who tends to fix anything broken in our home will be here so maybe we will be able to use our front door by the end of the visit. Yeh, the key broke in the dead bolt while it was locked. It may be an easy fix we have not tried yet. The new dead bolt is sitting on the shelf waiting for its turn. We were climbing in and out of the front window but thought that was a little too obvious. We are ridiculous, but Ellie thought it was great. :)

Needless to say we are happy, thankful, and excited. We are also praying for good health all around. :) Have a great night enjoying YOUR family!

~This is super random, if you want to see a cool leopard seal video click here. We did not know they were SO huge. ~

Saturday, December 12, 2009

One Year Anniversary

One year ago today we got up early, went to this building, sat around in a waiting room, practiced our signatures what felt like a hundred times and the end result...we closed on our Little Yellow House! One year and one baby more we are still loving it so much.


DSC_1824


House Description~ It was built in 1910, high ceilings, old beautiful doors and knobs, three bedrooms and one bath. The upstairs is fun with two bunker windows, one of the bedrooms and enough room for a sitting area and our great computer/sewing table that a good friend made us. A cute (messy right now) little mudroom that leads out to small deck. Beautiful hardwood floors that I am sure we will scratch up in no time. A one car detached garage. A moderate country kitchen, meaning, our table and chairs are in there. We love this house, and know we do not deserve it.

God amazed us when He gave us this home. For many reasons: like most we had a limited price range (we looked at some homes that were so disgusting inside we did not make it past the front door), this one had ALL the updates for an old house, electrical, central heat and air AND it was beautiful inside, the price had just been reduced, and location wise it is exactly where we wanted to be. We made an offer (which was significantly lower than the already reduced price) and naturally they did not accept it. But we didn't budge, we walked away, a little sad but hopeful God would bring us something else. Three days later they called our realtor to say they changed their minds and will accept our offer! I cried. At the time we were living in this old 1917 farmhouse with NO central heat or air. We did have a wood burning stove that I miss (my husband doesn't --- he was the fire starter :) --- We moved into this house looking at it as an experiment "Is living in the country for us?" We really tried to make it work, my husband bought some laying chicks , because there was a hen house so why not. They loved him --- he would do this crazy whistle and they would flock all around him, there was one that would even sit on his arm! I had a vegetable garden that ended up only producing a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers. The cucumbers took over and killed all the other stuff I really wanted. I ate cucumber sandwiches almost everyday that summer, I don't like cucumbers (lesson: do not grow things you do not want to eat). Now, we went to FLA for a visit, came home to chicken body parts all over the place. Yeh, gross. We had someone taking care of them, but these things (chicken massacres) just happen. Also, there was a wasps problem upstairs (where our bedrooms were) I did not handle this well. Wasps out here are different than in FLA they are big, red, and awful looking. I know there is some movie out there about city folk moving to the country, well we should have been the cast for it. Conclusion...we are city folk and that is ok.

God has given us a gift and we hope to be good stewards of it. And we hope to fill it with happy, creative, God's glory reflecting kiddos!

DSC_1425
Ellie and I enjoying sidewalk chalk on the front porch, we did this about everyday. :)


DSC_1446
This is to the left of the porch, Ellie and I planted some herbs, two sweet pepper plants, and two tomato plants. She had a blast picking the produce. My dream is to make our entire front yard a veggie garden, it would be more than our small family could handle but it would be nice to bless our neighbors with. But that is one day down the road...we will get there!


DSC_1806
These are some Zinnias and Sunflowers Ellie and I planted from seeds. They did so well and we enjoyed them all summer long.


DSC_6935
This is one side of the living room, just so you get a feel of what it looks like inside. Miss Ellie reading Better Homes and Garden, so cute!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

~CUTE~

I want to make THIS!

Package Delivery!

Ellie's Kitchen came in the mail! This is her big Christmas present. Other than her stocking stuffers this is all Clay and I got her. Click here to look @ it.

Why did we pick this one over all the others out there?
~neutral colors
~comes with all the accessories
~wooden as opposed to plastic, it just looks better!
~FREE shipping!
~It is simple, some of the kitchens now are like the size of a small apartment kitchen :)

Thank you to the family members that pitched in, the Pearlsteins are going to have a lot of fun playing restaurant!

Brrrrr....

It is 8 degrees right now outside, I am looking forward to the high of 31 degrees. Praising God for a home and heat, and a little girl that loves to cut paper while I cut snow flakes to put on her windows. Which she thinks look amazing, it is fun crafting with her. Hoping you are enjoying Christ and His blessings, freezing though it may be today!

And, a BIG thanks to our friend Bryan Buie who fixed my blog last night (from his home in Michigan) --- thank you so much!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Government Song

I know, three posts in one day...but this song brought tears to our eyes and needs to be shared. :)
Click here to watch it.


~Confession~

I have to confess something in order to tell a funny story. We have a mouse problem. Yes, I know, disgusting. It is not bad, we kill one here or there and then some time goes by and it starts over again. We had not seen any "evidence" lately so we thought we were good until the other night I was in the kitchen getting a snack :) and there he was. I HATE them. I am not scared of them anymore, I just think they are disgusting.

We have had a lot of success with the sticky traps. So, last night around 3 am or so I hear all this commotion in the kitchen. I was soooo happy! If you have ever had a mouse problem before you can relate to this weird joy of a small creature about to lose its life. So my wonderful, incredibly tired husband goes in there. Typically he gets a plastic bag throws the mouse that is stuck to the sticky trap in the bag and stomps it. If you know my husband this is not his nature. He is the type that could drink hot tea and read Lewis or Chesterton all day. But, like I said it is 3am and we want these things dead. Well...all of this did NOT happen. No, he goes in there and the mouse somehow got itself stuck under the oven, while still on the trap. All it sounded like was a war in the kitchen. A war between man and mouse. And...like someone was going to rip our oven to shreds. My husband gets the mouse, won the war, took him outside, washed his hands and came to bed. Where he proceeded to pick up where he left off, sleeping. I of course, am wide awake. "What happened???" He tells me...then he tells me he had to crush the mouse with his hand! He did not seem the least bit disturbed by this, I however felt nauseous. And afraid we were all going to die from gas poisoning because of how much he had to move the oven around, but he assured me we were not.

This morning my husband said, "I can't believe I crushed that mouse, it must have been because it was 3am." :)

Well, at dinner tonight my husband shared with our 2 1/2 year old little girl (who I might add is very sweet and girly) about his adventure last night. And the part I assumed he would leave out (the "hand crushing" part) he told her! And she said "yeh! And I killed him with my fork!" We started cracking up. Then my husband tried to get her to say, "meet your maker mouse." But she was done. So what does your family discuss over dinner, conversations here have been all over the map. That's all for now, Swiss Family is on so Mama is sneaking upstairs to wrap Christmas presents. Have a great night with your family!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Be Fruitful from~ Nancy Wilson

I enjoy Nancy Wilson's blog a lot. Not only because she is older and wiser but because she can write on a controversial subject tactfully and gently. This post, in my opinion, is well put and worthy to be read and thought through. If you disagree ask yourself why, and for what reasons. You might find that your reason's for not having babies is selfish, but maybe not. God said children are a blessing (and they are!) but He never implied that His blessings do not come without hardwork and sacrifice. Actually, this really isn't what the article is about, just check it out.

blog help...

Does anyone know how I can shift my text to the right a bit? I really want to keep this background, but not if it is going to look like this. Thanks!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Frugality

Hi there! To the few that look @ my little blog I'm sorry it is has been so uninteresting and boring lately. :) I have a lot of blog ideas but need the help of my wonderful husband for the pictures. He has been super busy with photography lately, which I am praising and thanking God for!

This quick post is about small ways that we, the Pearlsteins, try to honor God through the money He blesses us with and make it last. Ways I try to be frugal...

1. Using cloth diapers...lately I have been burnt out on this, maybe I should hurry up and actually potty training Ellie. :) But this is a great way to serve and sacrifice for the benefit of my family's finances.

2. Make your own bread! I just started this a couple months ago. We have really enjoyed all this whole wheat goodness!! Today I ventured out and tried a new recipe...pesto swirl bread. It turned out well and will go along side the spinach quiche I made for dinner tonight. Which Elli calls egg pie, that works too. :)

3. Make your own laundry soap...sound weird? I thought so at first too. But it is super easy, super cheap, and smells good.

RECIPE~ 1 bar of ivory soap grated like cheese
1 C. borax powder
1 C. washing soda (NOT baking soda)

**borax and washing soda should be on your laundry detergent aisle, if not I know it is on Amazon**
~Use 2 Tablespoons per large load~

4. Shop on the clearance rack and Thrift stores for your clothes. I know some people do not enjoy the "hunt" but you might once you see how much you can save. And, some thrift stores will have sales, which I think is hilarious.

5. Ditch the cell phones!! Did I just write that?? We use Magic Jack for our phone. It is an internet phone so you have to have high speed dsl, which we pay $35 a month for. The Magic Jack is $70 for two years, unlimited local and long distance. That $70 is not per month, but for two years! I will say that my husband was not as inclined to dropping the cell phones, but was willing to give it a try which I am thankful for. He says now that it has not been that bad and is glad we did it.

6. Make a menu for your family's meals. Before I go grocery shopping I make a two week menu. I think this is fun and actually get excited about it. Why do I make it two weeks? Because a wise, older woman at our church was sharing with me that the less you are in the stores the less tempted you are to splurge on something. She is right! Now, I do have to make another little trip in between for more produce, but I usually do not make a splurge buy because I have a list and I do the envelope cash system (thanks Dave Ramsey!).

7. Eat breakfast for dinner one night a week. (It could be another inexpensive meal that your family would prefer over breakfast.)

8. Make your own breakfast foods. With my little helper Ellie we make this on Tuesday mornings when Athan is napping. We make granola, it is really yummy and so easy. You can find a number of recipes online. We also make quick breads, banana, pumpkin, or whatever you like and spread peanut butter over it. On the weekends I will try to make eggs or pancakes. Here is the pancake recipe we use. It takes pancakes to a whole new level, if there is such a thing.

9. Check most of your movies out @ the library. You might have to wait a few weeks but that will make it even more enjoyable.

10. Buy raw milk. Is this cheap? No. But it will benefit your health in the long run, which is really an investment.


I have only touched the tip of the ice burg when it comes to frugality. These were just to spark your imagination for your own family. I want to mention a few things before closing. Frugality will look different from family to family. What works for us may not work for you. Also, the cheapest way is not always the best way to live. If cloth diapers is too much for you and you find yourself snapping at your children, feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, then just stop. Peace and a happy Mama are more important. Maybe you could try again in a few months. There are many seasons in life, and some call for convenience.

There, I posted. I feel better. Have a great night!