Happy Birthday Charles!

How is it possible that a year ago at this time I hadn't met this little man who is now such a big part of my life? How is it possible that a year ago we welcomed a tiny, helpless little bundle and now he is pulling books off of shelves and walking along furniture? Some days I wish I could freeze time right here and keep my baby this size forever! The bright eyes, full of mischief when you smile and giggle. The little head that snuggles on my shoulder when you're tired. The clinging little hands that reach to feel the moles on my neck when you're happy to be with mom again. That lickety split crawl that takes you wherever the action is. That certain "uhh uhh" fussing that means you need rescued from atop a chair or couch or steps..... But life goes on and time can't be frozen. My little man will continue to grow and change and learn. Happy Birthday Charles!
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Old School Yearbook Pics
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Space Savers

Living in a 720 sq ft house with no closets and a family of 5 children has given me lots of opportunity to get creative when it comes to household organization! Most of the time I rather enjoy the challenge, although I have my days and my dreams... One of the things I have found to help tremendously is Space Savers.

I don't like to spend money. Chris teases that I don't think something is a bargain unless it's free! :) That's stretched, but you get the idea. Usually I have tried to organize with what I have - cardboard boxes, baskets, whatever. I've finally decided that in this house it's worth spending a few $$ on some nice things to make the place more tidy!

There are sooo many things you can buy!! Here's a few of my favorites that have helped around here: (clockwise from top left) 1) Plastic drawers under the short hanging clothes for sweaters, etc. I used boxes turned on their side and stacked but this looks SO much neater! 2) Three small turn tables in my big, unhandy corner cupboard in the kitchen where anything you put in the back you might as well forget about getting to! Works wonderfully!! 3) Over the door hooks to make extra space to hang clothes on hangers. I use these nearly every day! When I wash, the dresses go there to dry. 4) Again, plastic drawers. The bathroom vanity doesn't have drawers so where to put toothpaste and all that good stuff?? Small plastic drawers in the cupboard under the sink work great! 5) Shoes. Under the bed has been the place for shoes around here, but that space could be used for so many more things, ya know? ;) This shoe holder hangs in the girls room and takes up very little space! 6) Over the door towel racks. In our teeny tiny bathroom there is no space for racks and the walls in the laundry/sink area outside the bathroom had no free space, so these towel racks on both doors were the perfect find!

And there you have it! A few Space Savers I've discovered. Check back in 6 months and I may have found more/different ways :) What do you do around your house?

Some Organizing Tips from You, to You!

It was fun hearing from a few of you, especially since it introduced me to one person I didn't even know! :) So...a few tips:

From a mother of 11 - "Putting items of a like kind together will help you find something much sooner than if you don't have categories." Very true! I can see this being a good idea for toys, for example, along with the elusive scissors, tape, and many other categories.

From a friend in OH: "Probably the row of hooks in the laundry room for coats, jackets, umbrellas with crates underneath for shoes, crocs and rollerblades. Oh, and the muffin tin to sort loose change and paper clips and stuff in the drawer." Coats, jackets and footware are a major thing in need of some organizing in any house with children! And I love the muffin tin idea...someday when I have an extra drawer :)

From an old time friend: "How can you organize when you don't know how?? The book *Large Family Logistics* by Kim Brenneman is helping dig me out of the hole of unorganization." Sounds like a book worth reading!

And then from a family member: "Guess the older I get, the less answers I have. And maybe realize that at this house, for this time, there are other important things. 'The things that really count are the things we cannot count.' T.J. Bach. Still, clutter drives me crazy and it's hard to have rest in my spirit if everywhere I look is a mess. So it's nice if in the evening the living room or sitting room gets straightened up. A restful place to read and pray before the day gets too busy." I so identify with that last part! There is something about a straightened up house that can change my whole mood!!

Thank you all very much for your contributions and if this inspires anyone else, feel free to send me an email at christopherbethany@juno.com. Tomorrow: Some tips from me :)

PS I am thrilled to have a new phone - hence the length of this post!! Look out, now you'll find out how long winded I can be! :)

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Fast-Growing Industry
A New Player In The Booming Bottled Water Market.
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Spring!

Yesterday morning we woke up to a world covered with a wet, white blanket of snow! Sigh... March 30th, really??! But today? Today it looks like God finally flipped the switch for Spring!! Blue, blue sky, bright, beautiful sunshine, gentle, cool breeze.... aaaahhhhh! I think I hear a huge collective sigh as we all exhale and let this lovely day sweep the Long, Cold Winter away! My girls are outside reveling in the freedom of playing outdoors and not freezing, my house is all straightened up (why does the weather affect that?) and my mind is full of walks and picnics at the park and flowers and flip flops and all such lovely ideas! I am glad, after all, that God made winter - it sure makes me appreciate days like today so much more!! Happy Spring Time to all of you! May you feel His love for you today just as bright and warm as the lovely sunshine outdoors! :) PS I haven't gotten much input on household organizing tips... All I can assume is that I have a very organized audience! :) You can still share!

Happy birthday jennifer!

Dear jennifer, 6 years a go today you entered our lives - 2 weeks later than your "due" date! You were my much longed and prayed for baby, and i was so thrilled to finally meet you! Like the rest of your siblings, you hold your own special spot in our family. For you, it's a spot full of drama! Whether you're hurt or excited or grouchy or cheerful, it's all expressed with sweeping dramatics! Your imagination is as wide as the ocean and as high as the sky - anything is possible in your little world! Details are drunk in greedily as you closely observe all of life around you. Your observations are stored in the busy mechanism of your mind to be brought out at later dates in astonishing precision! You love stories, and your playtime reflects the stories you hear as you carry on a running commentary with e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. That you do. Your love for getting and giving makes birthday time
fun! You are entering a whole new realm of adventure as you turn 6 and start school. I love you!

"I think I'd like..."

Some days I'm tired. Tired of dirty laundry and dishes and floors and doing the same chores over and over, of losing sleep at night. Tired of trying to understand deep things, of praying for hard situations, of teaching and training children, of trying to model godly character. I think I'd like to wear three layers of "dress up" clothes and shoes 4 sizes too big and stand on a chair and sing loudly out of an orange song book. I think I'd like to be put down for a nap when I get cranky and sleep for 2 hours straight in a darkened room. I think I might enjoy kindergarten and coloring pictures and learning sounds for a change. For that matter, I think it could be fun to scrapbook or sew with no interruptions but it's been so long that I can't remember for sure. Then again, it could be very possible that the saying is true "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"! When I take 2 minutes to think of someone less fortunate, I pretty quickly change my tune to "I think I'd like to just be me!"

Some Truth to "Chew On" With Me

Does the Lord ever bombard you with something? Present you with the same truth from every different angle until you say, "Ok Lord, I get it! Now what??"? Yesterday I read no less than 4 blogs on pretty much the same subject. I'm going to share the links with you because they were just that good! http://flowerpatchfarmgirl.blogspot.com/BrokenForMe http://jenhatmaker.com/RunYourRace http://dorcassmucker.blogspot.com/RetainingHonour--Post5 http://emilywierenga.com/WhatIt'sLiketobeaMentalHealthStatitisticintheChurch I'm still "chewing"... God has been working on my eyes for a long time, opening them to see that A) I'm just as messy and needy as the "worst sinner" I know B) I am not the judge of others. I must love people in their messy state and allow God to work. In order for that to happen I might need to be willing to let some of their mess spill on me! C) God uses us in our messy state. The gifts that I have are worth offering *must be offered* to obey Him! A lot to chew on there....