The Library

We got it done!  A few years earlier than planned, even.  We have already used it as a spare bedroom, and hopefully it will be a quiet place for kids to study.  I am very excited to have emptied every box of books that was in the basement.

 This wall was already built in.

I copied a Pinterest idea to frame favorite books.  

 These file cabinets were given to me.  They now hold curriculum.

 Here is another free find and Pinterest idea:  a sliding closet door.  

There are 2 antique big story books on the wall, which I clipped on a board using tiny clothespins.

Happy Anniversary to Us

July 4th, 1999 was quite possibly the very best day of my life.

It had been a few years and our kids had been asking, so last night we sat down and watched our wedding home video.  You never know how you're going to feel, reliving such a highly-charged emotional day.  But, I loved every minute of it!  I was determined to have a wonderful wedding day, and after watching it all, it was wonderful, and I would go back and do it over again.

I do not think we made our wedding vows glibly.  I had wrestled through the "what ifs" before entering into that covenant.  I felt like I was going into marriage with eyes wide open.  But still, at age 22 1/2, we had no way of knowing what it would be like to actually live out those promises.  Right now, I'm sure any of you who have been married for decades are smiling knowingly, thinking that at only 14 years we have no idea.  I agree.  Nevertheless, each year that passes adds more layers of the "for betters," and the "for worses."  And already we smile back on our younger selves, knowingly.

Yet, there are things to learn from those 22 1/2 year olds, too.  We had energy (daughter said, "Mom, I've never seen you so hyper.")  We had soft and tender hearts toward God.  We sought help from our mentors and teachers.  We were content to have little but each other.

May we go on in God's grace.