It has ALWAYS amazed me how emotions can change with a drop of a leaf.  In Michigan, that is a true statement.  I can sit at the window in awe of God's beauty of fall but then a leaf falls and you are brought to the reality that winters cold is right around the corner.  The time in life where you burrow yourself inside and kept yourself warm and safe.  The time when the season controls your schedule, the snow, the ice, the wind.  November is statistically the month where depression rises.  It's proven.  It's true.  My sister puts it as S.A.D. or "seasonal affective disorder" which is actually a real thing. 

"A type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter."

What causes the depression in places like Michigan? I would say it's the lack of sun.  The days are shorter.  My husband gets it a little because he leaves for work when it's dark and comes home when it's dark.  

So how do you fight S.A.D? Well just as November is statistically proven to be the month with high depression it's also statistically proven that if you write down 5 things a day you are thankful for you will be 25% happier.  Typically for me Thanksgiving through Easter are really somber months for me.  I always find myself searching for God's glory more through these months which leads me to really focus on giving thanks in all things. 

Here is my encouragement to fighting off any type of seasonal depression...whether it be in the winter, in the summer, in the midst of mothering young ones, in the midst of dealing with consequences from sin, in the midst of struggling through school or busy season schedules...

1.  start recording things daily that are good...that you are thankful for.  Find a place to "record" them whether it be a notebook on the kitchen counter with a pen ready or a tree made out of naked tree branches with pieces of paper hanging from them with a pen ready to record, or pieces of paper taped to your kitchen sink or window...make them ready and make them visible!

2.  Exercise.  I'm not saying train for a marathon but it's also proven that you are given more energy through exercise and energy will help beat those winter blues or depression vibes.  Find a yoga or pilates that you like to do or a quick 20 minute cardio to do. 

3.  Try and limit your carbs.  This also leads to lack of energy which will help contribute to your seasonal depression.

4.  Get outside! Especially when the days are shorter! Sit out on the porch for 5 minutes with a warm cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate and breathe in the cold air and soak up the sun.  Just be still and just give thanks.  

5.  Plan out your days.  Whether you are staying in all day or out and about.  Plan them out so there is no stress or feeling overwhelmed.  Shop accordingly.  I don't know about you but family parties stress me out because I feel like I'm constantly shopping for them.

6.  nap...snuggle up with a good book on the couch by the window and read while you fall asleep :) it's good for everyone to catch up on your sleep this winter. 

7.  Find blogs that are encouraging and read them...write them down and schedule time in the day or in the week to read them!

8.  Lastly but OH most importantly...read the Word of God.  Study it, memorize it and join in fellowship through it! It's the only thing that is reliable and will get you through that seasonal depression!

Here are a few of my absolute favorite blogs! Enjoy!

This one is new but I don't doubt it will be amazing!
https://thedotydwelling.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/in-2048-when-i-look-back/

Ann Voskamp always has amazing reads to get you through the winter!
http://www.aholyexperience.com/

The pastor at our church has a blog and I am always learning through it!
http://shapkancoffee.weebly.com/blog/traveling-road-show

A sweet friend of mine who home schools and centers her life around Christ
http://reflectionsofahomemaker.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/good-livin/

There are many many more! What are some of your favorites? And what are your ways for defeating S.A.D.?

The House Reveal :: {{week 6}}

Well we have officially been in our house for over a month now.  I know many are waiting and waiting and patiently waiting to see pictures so I decided to take some.

A year ago, some dear friends of mine sold their big GORGEOUS home and bought a much more humble home.  They had necessary reasons in making that decision and although they loved their old house they have no "look backs" calling their new humble abode their home.  

She is incredibly talented in making a house a home and I took notes when I was there last ;) but this was her latest "craft" for her home decor and i.love.it! 

**this isn't her picture but it's the same saying**

This will be on my long "to-do" list in making this house a home.  In past posts I've stressed how much of a change this is for us.  Not just an adjustment with the size of house but also an adjustment figuring things out in the sticks. We haven't had internet yet and well, running a business isn't very easy without internet.  So that has been a huge stressful adjustment as we try and find the best satellite provider.  

My husband and I went to IKEA last Friday with his parents and we both had so much fun.  We got some curtains and rods and sinks and this weekend we are going to start the bathroom make over! I am very VERY excited for this bathroom makeover BECAUSE it was the room that flooded on the first day we moved in and it has an OLD toilet with a padded seat and I've been squatting for six weeks to go to the bathroom ;) I am ready READY more than ready to get started on this bathroom! 

Enough talking...here are the pictures you've all been waiting for!

This is EVENTUALLY be the entry way.  But currently we have little four boys sleeping here until we get the upstairs finished!  All of the knotty pine will be painted a light grey.  Gasp! who would ever paint knotty pine?!?!?!  Well living on the river and the sand that surrounds our entire house, we are going to do hardwood floors through the whole house so for ME (personal preference) it would be too much wood.  The windows will be lined with simple white curtains or bamboo blinds (haven't decided yet) and the light will come from those and lamps.  This will be where my desk is and other furniture for comfortable sitting.  That door will be gone (out of the room but not getting rid of it) as will the framed in windows leading to the living/dining room area!

Next is the living room/dining room!

Say "hello" to my wonderful friend helping me paint (won't mention her name).  I am going to LOVE this room when it's finished! White walls, big trim and wood floors.  AS of right now we are not painting the mantel or the brink because it matches our table and I want it to match the rest of the wood furniture in there as well.  But we'll see ;) The light fixture will be traded out of the dining room.  I'm on the hunt for a "candle chandelier" looking fixture (ya know like pottery barn...but not pottery barn).  But the fan will stay in the living room however I will be painting it.  All of the light switches and such will be spray painted black! This room is incredibly time consuming because I do not want those knots to bleed through so I am priming each knot twice then painting two coats of "super" paint.  But more progress has been made since this picture!

My kitchen!!!!!! I am SOOOO excited for this kitchen! It's HUGE! Here is my current plan in here.  The bottom cabinets will be painted a grey color and the top ones will stay white! We will put in butcher block counter top and hard wood floors! I'm soooooo excited to see how it turns out! There will be wood shelves where all of the homeschool stuff is and new appliances and yes! I'm keeping the open shelving and putting new cabinets on each side of the stove! Really hoping to have them built or maybe IKEA ones will work in the future! I REALLY wanted to do the farm house looking sink in there but then I would lose the old fashioned metal cabinets under the sink and I really didn't want to (complete with an old bread drawer)...so we bought a different farmhouse looking one ;)

The amazing bathroom (sarcasm BUT hey it works)! This is our first project because it needs to be done! I am on the hunt for an old wood buffet to turn into a vanity so if you see one shout out to me! We will be doing tile in here and the laundry room but unsure as to what kind (what will look good with wood flooring).  We will also be getting rid of the cabinetry and the current sink in there if anyone is interested!

This is our bedroom with beautiful hardwood floors! We will be trying to match this throughout the house! It's a small bedroom and I wasn't too happy to have to downsize our bed to a queen again (not in the room yet) and get rid of our king and my BEAUTIFUL door headboard :/ so I may be on the hunt for one of those as well but to fit a queen...I LOVED it!  Not much will change in here...the color and decor and light fixture but that's it!  Oh! and the fact that the door to get upstairs is in our bedroom ;) so that will be re-routed!

Isn't it pretty? This is also very exciting for me as we are (in the spring) taking the roof off and adding walls, dormers and a giant room for the boys complete with a sliding barn door...SOOOOO excited!!!!!

Lastly, the laundry room!

This is currently the door everyone uses to get in.  Both walls to the right and left of the laundry will be pushed out and made flush with the rest of the house.  To the left of the laundry we will put in a 1/2 bath and to the right is where the stairs will be re-routed!  This won't change much except the colors, light fixtures and the size of space ;) 

sooo...what do you think? what is your advice? What are your thoughts? :)

So it's no "secret" that the last few weeks have been trying...to say the least.  Last week we finished the drain field and all of the issues that surrounded it (plumbing).  One day I was taking a shower in the sink and the next day I was doing dishes in the shower.  Finally...after much repair and more repairs after the first repairs, we have a fully working house.  Laundry, toilet, sinks and showers! Whew! Project 1 of 1,000 done! But back to being trying.  After water came in through our basement (because of our own failures) and Brian waking up to a flat tire...we still sat down at the end of the night in our home...a warm, cozy home...and could still say at the end of the night that God is still good.  

I have no words of encouragement on my own...but I have some pretty great words of encouragement from the only Word worth listening to and remembering...

  

 

"Praise the Lord, my soul;

All my inmost being, Praise His holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul;

 and forget not all his benefits—

 

who forgives all your sins

    and heals all your diseases,

 

who redeems your life from the pit

    and crowns you with love and compassion,

 

who satisfies your desires with good things

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness

    and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

    his deeds to the people of Israel:

 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

    slow to anger, abounding in love.

 

He will not always accuse,

    nor will he harbor his anger forever;

 

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

    or repay us according to our iniquities.

 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his love for those who fear him;

 

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

 

for he knows how we are formed,

    he remembers that we are dust.

 

The life of mortals is like grass,

    they flourish like a flower of the field;

 

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

    and its place remembers it no more.

 

But from everlasting to everlasting

    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

    and his righteousness with their children’s children—

with those who keep his covenant

    and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

    and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels,

    you mighty ones who do his bidding,

    who obey his word.

 

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

    you his servants who do his will.

 

Praise the Lord, all his works

    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul."

Psalm 103

Seriously, how incredible are those promises? How indescribable are those comforts? How assuring is His love? This is the Psalm I will be meditating on through this house renovation and pray that it will be ingrained as I go through life.  Because no matter how hard life gets...God is still all of the above and worthy of all of my praise!

I came across a few incredible blogs/posts this week that really encouraged me and I highly encourage you to check them out and read them...

This is a post from my friends facebook page (hopefully she doesn't mind me using it.. :) )...

"Have you ever noticed when the sky is the most cloudy and gray, the sun's rays reaching down to earth are most evident. It's truly striking and beautiful. Just like my God in dark and troubling times: His presence seems the most evident. My pain will be made into something beautiful. Am I waiting on the rain? Or Looking for His rays?

 — feeling inspired."

I loved her analogy.  I am waiting for her to write one up about the sunset ;).

Then my beautiful friend and sister in Christ started a blog (I've been patiently waiting for her to start writing) and she had some pretty encouraging steps on how to beat the grumpy mom syndrome...take a minute and read?

Here are a few pictures from our week!

I love LOVE L-O-V-E FAll!!!!!  I love the cooler weather, the fires, the world around me changes color and I love apple cider.  I love big sweaters and cozy socks! And I love that my chances of curling up by the fire with a book or kids grows greater in the fall due to unpredictable rain and windy days! Here is my favorite cold day drink (and the kids' as well)

Wassil...

Some very yummy chicken noodle soup on the stove as well as a great dessert drink, Wassil. 

Once again...those fall colors are beautiful and those falling leaves? Well, they make for GREAT art projects!

Even mom had fun ;) and I used it to prepare them for our "field trip" the next day.  We traveled bravely to art prize! And these are some of the kids' favorite pieces from the day.

And we ended it with lunch at Applebees (which we NEVER do for very specific reasons ;) ).

Here is a small update on the house ;).  The drain field as I stated above is good, new and working.  I decorated for fall because Fall and Christmas are my favorite seasons to decorate for so I just had to...plus it helps it feel like a home. I am painting the crazy amount of knotty pine in our living room, dining room and front porch and so here is a small patch I am trying to make sure the knots don't bleed through...I'm SO excited to see if come together!

This is our first family dinner in our new house where we all sat down and ate together...it was incredible!  What a blessing!

This is the "boy" closet for now until their room is finished ;).  This was actually difficult to fit everything into but it works for now!

And I was incredibly grateful for a small amount of time spent with my grandma who was diagnosed with Dementia.  It was awful to see her mom go through it and it's awful to watch her go through it...thankful she still knows who I am and who my kids are.  Cherishing every bit of memory I get with her... 

And my last instagram post for the week...after Benny Boy was sick...

"Brian is out fishing (in our front yard) and I AM going to sneak a small amount of sea salt caramel truffle ice cream before my workout because it makes me happy ;) (just kidding)...but after weeks of issues...drain field and plumbing issues, water in the basement, showering in the sink and doing dishes in the shower, flat tires and backing into trees, sick kids and lots and lots of stress, hurrying, mistake after mistake...I WILL count it all joy! Because I have a God who measures the universe in the palm of His hand! And as far as the heavens are above the earth (and we don't even know how far that is) so is His love for those who fear him! His love stretches as far as the east is from the west! My God is greater than any littler or big problem here in earth! #preachinggospeltomyself #thankful #joydare2014 #onethousandgifts

Amen!