Home Make Over...

I took a few more pictures of the 'new' living room. I had been shopping for window coverings for a few days. Man! They are expensive!! Even at Wal-Mart one panel is around $20! I needed one blind for the door, 2 for the end windows, and 3 for the big picture window. Not to mention 8 curtain panels! That really adds up fast. When we decided to do the living room, we used extra things that we already had. ie...leftover drywall, paint, outlets and switches and so on.....all we had spent was around $5.00 for outlet and switch covers!! I really love bargains and I had been watching adds for sales for a few days. Finally, yesterday, I had my big break! We were at Lowes and they had blinds on sale. For the huge picture window, I needed 2 blinds for the small end windows and one huge one for the middle.....Can you believe that I found that huge blind marked down from around $60 to only $18??? I was thrilled.....At Wal-mart I found some sheer panels on sale for around $4 per panel!!! I also got a few brand new in box blinds at Goodwill for a little of nothing! So, John and I decided to use blinds and sheers for now. Later on I will gets some nice drapes to add. But imagine how happy I was to get all 6 blinds and 8 panels for under $70!!!! Which adds up to a living room makeover for under $75.00! Now thats amazing!

Well, anyway, it's clean, compfy, cozy, updated and we love the new look!

The Apples are here.....

September is the month for Apples!!! We had a bunch of apples given to us from a friend here in town. We really loaded up the truck! I had never canned apples before. I have put them in the freezer but never canned them. These apples were really tasty and were not sour or bitter.
We borrowed a peeler/corer/slicer from Mom. I did it for awhile and then John went to work. Debbie helped too by peeling the old fashioned way!
After 5 hours, I ended up with 18 quarts of apples and 5 quarts of chunky applesauce.
I cooked them first with cinnamon and sugar....just perfect to put in a pie or apple cake.....apple dumplings........apple cobbler......I'm feeling hungry just thinking about it!!
And then the next day......Back to some tomatoes!
The rest of the week will be consisting of painting and putting ceramic tile back in the bathroom in the basement. I really think I need a vacation!!!

Another week of Work....

Here is your dose of cute for the day! Our neighbors dog wondered over into our yard and Emily latched onto him and played for quite awhile! She is such an animal lover.

On Sunday afternoon, John and I took the kids to go pick apples!! We picked about 4 bushels! So I guess I will be canning apples this week!

John and I spent the last week doing a makeover on the living room. It was long over due! We repainted everything, ie...walls, trim, door, It looks nice...We also removed the wall between the living room and the hallway. We really opened up the entryway and hallway. It makes it so much easier to get Willie's wheelchair down the hall. Come to find out, the ceiling supports had been cut and wasn't supported, so it was actually a good thing that it was fixed and supported with a beam.

John also spent a couple of hours scrubbing the hardwood floors in the living room....Seems like he does everything! haha I work right along with him it's just that no one else takes many pictures....

John replaced all of the outlets, switches, and covers...

Here is my 'bargain' light that I bought at a yard sale for $5.00! I love it and it looks really nice in the entryway....

Here are a few pictures of my living room after the renovation.....Everything is updated, fresh and clean!

I couldn't resist taking these pictures of the kids! I love to see them all cleaned up. Here they are getting ready for Sunday School...This coming week I have to can some tomatoes, salsa, and apples. I also have to paint Ieshia's room and put up a wallpaper border for her. This weekend her carpet will be installed. I will also be able to put the downstairs bathroom back together after John gets the ceramic tile all replaced! So, as you can see, I have a lot to do and I will be taking more pictures to post during this next week! I will also have more pictures of the living room!

Time to catch up.........

Wow...I can't believe it has been so long since I updated my blog...I can't even explain to you how busy we have been! The carpet was laid in Derek and Emilys room last week and then we moved all of their stuff back in. They were so excited to have their rooms back! We also stripped Emilys dresser and desk and freshly painted them and they are so precious! They are white with pink handles. A lot of work on the house has been completed but their is still some left. The thing is, John and I really do enjoy fixing things and so it's kind of like a past time for us. When we need a break then I spend a few days in the kitchen and John goes out in the garage for a few days, or work in the yard and then it's back to the house. So even tho' we aren't fast at it, it does get done!
A few days before school started, we took the kids to Lake Story for the afternoon to
play...Sharayah went with us also...It was a gorgeous day and every one had a lot of fun!

The first day of school came all too fast this year! Derek and Emily started 3rd grade this year! Ieshia had already left byt the time I remembered to get out my camera!

Emily likes helping in the garden and just helped me pick these tomatoes!

One of the foster children we had many years ago, Damon, came to visit over the Labor Day weekend....He came to live with us when he was 8 years old and left when he was 11. As you can see he's all grown up now and will be 21 in a few weeks.! We always enjoy seeing the kids and catching up and everything they have been doing....while he was here he helped John put carpet padding in Derek's room...

A few areas in the house needed some drywall repair....basically the wall was covered in painted paneling and we in need of an update, so it was replaced with drywall. We had a few sheets of drywall left over and since we really don't have a place to store it..we decided to use it and fix a few things.....and besides....John always has to have something to do!

John has been spending a lot of time lately working around the house......filling in seams and getting the living room ready for a fresh coat of paint......it was time to freshen up a few spots, so while we had everything handy...he got started on the mud and tape and I have been sprucing op the woodwork and painting trim...

Of course this means that I have more painting to do....but I love they way a room looks after it's all freshly painted....and decorated.

And Summer Goes on......

This week has been pretty humid, but great conditions for the garden....I made more salsa this week, pickled banana peppers, freezer pickles,dille pickles, and my first batch of canned tomatoes!

I came up with a new recipe the other day. I wanted something for dessert that was cool and fruity so I made a Mandarin Orange Cake....It was very moist and very tasty....Here is the recipe for my Mandarin Orange Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

2sm cans of mandarin oranges
1 can crushed pineapples

1/2 c of applesauce

3 eggs

1 box of lemon pudding

1 small container of cool whip

water

mix cake mix, eggs, applesauce, water per cake mix directions, and one can of mandarin oranges together with mixer on low until well blended. Pour into cake pan and bake according to directions on cake box. When the cake is cooled, mix pudding with crushed pineapple, add 1/2 can mandarin oranges cut up in small pieces, and the cool whip. Spread over cooled cake. Use remaining 1/2 can of mandarin oranges to garnish cake. refridgerate until ready to serve!

This week was the Abingdon Fall Festival....on Thursday night was the Chicken and Pig Scramble....Derek and Emily were in the pig scramble...Derek gave the pig a run for his money and Emily got the Pig!! Emily got $10 for winning the pig!

Emily was in a class of about 10 eight year old girls. They are in a closed in area and there is one little pig running around. When they blow the whistle all the girls run and try and catch the pig..oh and the pig is all soapy and the grass has been wet down....Emily was determined to get it! Once you catch the pig, you have to drag it to the middle of the area and you and the pig have to be in the huge tire...

Derek tried real hard and almost got the pig!!

After the Chicken and Pig Scramble, The kids got arm band and rode rides with Sharayah, Crystal, and Emily J.

The kids had a great time and really enjoyed riding rides. I'm glad the weather cooperated with us. I remember from years before, sometimes it is so hot and humid, it made you sick just being outside....but this year the weather was perfect!