Making some progress on the basement

My basement has looked like this for several years.....some insulation, studs up, brick walls exposed at the bottom, someone's scrap carpet for the kids to play on and open shelving for toys and games (and overflowing dress-up box). The plan has been for several winters in a row, to finish the basement. In fact, this winter we even did some financial re-shuffling so we could...and still...no renos.

Until now. It's Spring Break here and I told a whole bunch of people that we were finishing our basement over Spring Break. So...I opened my mouth and now....had to follow through. Trev ordered everything Thursday and I cleaned out the toys and furniture from the room. Drywall, insulation & poly were delivered Friday and these 3 pictures are what happened on Saturday.

Photo #1 - I started the insulation after breakfast (9:30-ish) this morning while Trev ran to the store to get more sealant for the poly and staples for the staple gun.

Photo #2: By 11:00 we had insulation, sealant and poly up and the first sheet of drywall screwed to the wall.

After a short break for lunch....
Photo #3: Our entire rec room downstairs is drywalled by 3:00 in the afternoon. We still have under the stairs and the closet in the pantry to do but this room looks SO much better already - and it's warmer down here! I can't believe it only took about 1/2 a day. I personally think my husband's a rockstar. Oh wait...he is a rockstar. And he's amazing when he puts his mind to reno-ing.

Shhh...don't tell him...but this corner I'm showing you is the home of my future scrap-room :)

Multitude Monday - March 22

March 22.
I have missed at least the last 2 Mondays. Not because I'm not thankful for anything obviously. But partly because sometimes what I'm thankful for is obscured by what I'm NOT thankful for.

So, today I'm starting again.
I'm choosing to be thankful again.
For everything.
Even the things that seem like they're not worthy.
Even the things that seem like they're hurtful and not helpful.
Even the things that are painful.
Because somewhere I read that God makes all things work together for good.
And somewhere I read that God has a plan for my life - to prosper me and not to harm me.
And somewhere I read that God loves me.

#51. God loves me.


Thanks God.
I love you too.

I love this day.

I love this day.
It's Sunday. That in itself brings all kinds of goodness to mind (no school, no work, probably friends over for supper, hours to scrapbook/nap/hang out with my kids). But today held some special treats (rather: blessings) for me. The house was pretty "up-and-at-'em" early this morning (kids watching cartoons, one playing on a new Christian game website , Trev still sleeping in our bed (not "up-and-at-'em" but still, not vacated) and so I hid out in the boys' room with a delicious cup of coffee and an hour of devotions all to myself. What a great way to start the day.



And not just any devotions....
but take-my-breath-away-and-bring-a-lump-to-my-throat devotions.
I hope I'm not violating any copyright laws here but I just have to share
how Beth Moore puts into words my own unspoken thoughts.
This chapter was about how every little girl (even those turned-big girl)
has a dream of living happily ever after,
and I love how she assures me that those dreams are born of Him -
he placed in me that dream.
Knowing full well it wouldn't be fulfilled here, on earth, by anyone else, on earth.
Knowing full well that he was the fulfillment of that dream.
And knowing full well that whatever visual I've given to that dream -
he can do exceedingly MORE than I can image.



And if that isn't enough - today she also reminds me of my 2010 word: Joy.
My study on the word Joy this year has taken a backseat recently
as I deal with life and am learning a whole bunch of other things from God....
but eventually he brings me back around to Joy.
Joy that has nothing to do with my circumstances.
Joy that has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with where I am.
Joy that comes from the "sheer awareness of the grace of God."
Not to say I can't also have happiness.
But to say that Joy is available all. the. time.
Happiness is a gift to be enjoyed; a treasure for him to give;
rare, and yet out there; a glimpse of his goodness.
Joy is my birthright as a child of God;
His presence freely given.

Plus, if that wasn't enough fun for one early morning. I get this to make my day:

My son, in an "authentic Oxford" shirt (he read the tag himself -very proud)
and wearing one of his Dad's old ties.
I love the little blue bandage on his right hand -
makes me think that despite the tie - he's still my little guy!

We're a family of re-purposers

If you know me at all, you know that I love to treasure hunt. Flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales...I love them all. I used to buy craft stuff way back when, then my life changed and I bought kids' clothes and toys and now, in the great cycle of life, I'm back to buying scrapbooking supplies and stuff for organizing. I shouldn't be surprised then that my kids love to "hunt" too. And when I do bring things home, they don't always end up in the way I thought they would.

I brought home this wicker shelf awhile ago - I thought I'd put paint and stuff on it in my scrapbook room.
I painted it white and it was sitting in the kids' toy room.




Then today I found my youngest son playing mini-sticks in the basement
and using it, backwards, for a goalie.
He had assigned a point system to each of the holes
and was already at 63 points when I found him.

I guess he comes by the re-purposing / treasure hunting naturally :)

Congratulations to the new Clear Scraps Design Team

Hop on over to the Clear Scraps Blog and help me welcome the new members to our team. I'm so excited to be staying on as DT Coordinator, and also this year, in a marketing position as well. This company has been, and continues to be an awesome company to work for.

Clear Scraps Design Team

Multitude Monday - March 1

42. I'm thankful for Clear Scraps - they gave me a shot at a manufacturer DT a couple years even though I had only ever done one acrylic project in my life - the one I sent in with my application - and now I'm in charge of picking more new people for the team. It's been a fun, fun ride with them...looking forward to lots of great adventures.
43. I'm thankful for this great country and the success of the Olympics....I'm so proud to be Canadian right now :)
44. I'm thankful for my boss(es). I'm an EA at a school. I have a Principal, Vice-Principal, and 2 resource teachers over me, not to mention several classroom teachers that I work with and co-worker EA's. I think I like them all. Really, truly, like them all. Especially those over me....there's not even one who I feel I wouldn't be able to go to and be heard.
45. I'm thankful for a little bit of lost weight. Only 6 pounds. And to look at me you might not even know it - I'm 6ft tall so I hide the excess weight well, but I'm thinking....if I can lose 6 pounds without even really trying very consistently, what would happen if I tried to lose weight?
46. I'm thankful for struggles in my life. I don't say this lightly - there have been a few that I thought would take. me. out. But like Romans says: "...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." I think that slowly (and more slowly due to my own thick-headedness, not any slowness on God's part), I'm developing some character and I'm leaning heavily on Hope. Current sufferings remind me of past sufferings and I can clearly see how perservering through those led me to God. I'm hoping all current and future trials do too.
47. I'm thankful for my local thrift store. I may have mentioned this before - but that place is a treasure trove. And, in light of God's provision and how he makes the right things appear there exactly when I need them...I'm fully expecting to find jeans in my size there tomorrow (I'll let you know).
48. I'm thankful for sales on berries at Shopper's Drug Mart. Whoever thought that the cheapest place to buy milk, frozen fruit for my smoothies and cheese would be at the drugstore? So weird, and yet wow...thankful for that.
49. I'm thankful for the warm, warm temperatures. March is definitely coming in like a lamb this year - it's supposed to be 0, +3 and +4 here later in the week - that is unseasonably warm. I've said it before - I'll say it again: this global warming thing is totally working out for us here in Canada.
50! YAY. 50. I'm thankful for these lists....I'm going to back and re-read them all one of these days...maybe even print them off for scrapbook journaling. It's been so good for me to write this stuff all down and put it out there for public viewing.