A Cheerful Heart

 I am so thankful for this life of mine, as I sit here listening to three daughters giggle over hot cocoa, talk of the day's exciting events that lay ahead, and beg for more marshmallows.  I feel humbled beyond belief, to think of The Savior who died for me so that I could live.  I am grateful to have people surrounding me in my life--some who add to and refine, others who need a helping hand.  I am finding that it takes both to make us into the people God has designed us to be.  Without the sharpening aspect of heart friends, we would have nothing in which to reach towards, thinking that somehow we have reached our highest.  Without the sweet souls who need our care, we would not  experience the wonderful and unique "filling up" that can only be brought by serving others.  Being the deliverer of God's sweet blessings should never be minimized.  My prayer for the rest of this life of mine, is that I would not grumble over serving others.  That I would, again and again, pick up a washcloth, drop a note, cook nourishment, comfort tears, and encourage with words that soothe and lift up.  And when I fail at this, that I would look to Heaven and begin again.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

Bunk Beds for Three

We have 3 girls.  Not two and not four.  The reason I say this is because there just isn't a great way to split the bedrooms.  Either you get called unfair because you make the younger two share a room, or the older girls will cry mutiny because the youngest gets her own.  You just can't win.  Plus, there has got to be an upside to sharing room besides stealing your sisters clothes, fighting over the night light, and bickering...right?   For this reason (and more) the three girls will share a room. They have known this for awhile and have been very excited about it.  Last week we had the opportunity to put new carpet throughout the entire upstairs and everyone knows what new carpet means, right?  Yes, that means new paint as well.  Because no way are you going to risk getting paint on all that new carpet.

Brian had already planned on bunk beds as a Christmas present for the girls.  But if you are replacing carpet and adding new paint, this sure as sure is the right time for new beds.  Plus, Reesie is due for a crib-exit. The timing was perfect.

Brian wanted this to be a surprise so my sweet mom spent 2 and a half days watching our very docile, obedient :o) children while I helped my man out with trips to Starbucks and Home Depot (what else?!) until I was generous enough to relieve my mom of her duties.  ;o) I spent the whole next day hiding out at my parent's place, telling the girls all sorts of fibs about the carpet and paint taking longer than we had hoped.  This whole time, Brian spent 4 days without seeing the light of day.  Four days without a hot meal.  Four days without the normal girl shrieks that fill our rafters.  At the end of the four days, I brought the girls home with the instruction that they needed to watch a movie downstairs while the paint in their room aired out a bit.  Meanwhile, I hurried and decorated their sweet room as much as I could do in 1 hour.

At the end of the movie, Brian told the girls to go get their jammies on and this is what they saw:

Essentially, a new room.  Cream and turquoise were replaced with clean, crisp white and gone was the blue carpet.  (hooray!) I can't begin to describe the happy shouts and the little legs that ran up and down the stairs.  By the way, the stairs are my favorite part.  Easy for me to climb up and change sheets, and a genius storage for our 3-year-old's clothes.  (From age 2-99, closet space is very important in a girl's life).  This really was a wonderful addition, as I worried that the girls' already small closet would never be able to handle another girl.

She has 2 separate closet spaces and each of the girls have a cubbie for their books.  There is also a very cherished reading space and the girls are already talking about how they'll hang a curtain or sheet to make a fort when their cousins come to visit.

Another favorite thing is Georgia Reese's individual book shelf and water holder.  Anyone who knows Reese, knows her hanker for water, and not just one water bottle at bedtime, but as many as 4 (just in case.)  Brian was clever and included only one spot to try to cut back on the OCD.  Mousie takes up the space for now.

I googled a few bunk beds I liked and copied off pictures.  Brian did the same and then married the two ideas fantastically.  This room is the result.  I am so grateful for his hard work.

Please tell daddy thank you a thousand times.

-Holland, age 7