Some Changes in the Family Room

~ Yay!!! ~

I am blogging again!

I can't believe I've been away for this long!

I always miss you when I take my little blogging breaks.

You all have become my dear friends!

:) :) :)

I've been busy feathering my nest for fall and working on giving my family room a small facelift...

I have not shown a whole lot of our family room on this blog.

There is a reason for that.

It's ugly!!!

Haha...

It has always been my least favorite room in our house!

Over the years the kids have sort of taken it over as their hang-out, and it's always been cluttered with junk.

I let the room go and just focused on other areas of the house instead. But as time went on I developed a deep hatred for this room! I hardly ever went in there! It was just a place for Micah to watch TV, and for the kids to trash with their toys.

(Before...)

See what I mean?

I never did anything about it because I think my attitude about the room had become, If I can't have it exactly how I want it, I'm not doing anything about it at all!

So, I was holding out... 

I was waiting for the right financial situation, and the right moment in time for Micah and I to gut the room and start completely over.

(My dream is to have a family room that looks like this...

PERFECT! Isn't it?!)

So, that was my plan. I was waiting... and dreaming... and ignoring the reality of the room.

It was a good plan, except for one teeny tiny thing...

Somehow 8 years flew by and we were still living with this family room! 

We still had the gold paint on the walls from the previous owners, and Micah's furniture from when he was a bachelor! To make matters worse, Elsa recently had taken a black Sharpie marker and scribbled all over the couch!

Ugh!!!

A few weeks ago some friends popped in for an impromptu visit after supper. 

I was chatting with my girlfriend as we walked past the family room, and I noticed when I glanced over that her husband had sat down on our 30-year old, Sharpie-covered couch to chat with Micah, and I felt embarrassed!!!

That was it.

The final straw.

Why are we living like this?! I wondered...

Well... We currently are in NO position to rip up carpet, tear out the fireplace, and start completely over... But, why can't I do something?!

Why can't I take a few baby steps in the right direction to make me feel better about this room?!

And that's how the project began.

I asked myself, What can I do in here quickly and inexpensively? 

SO... A couple of weekends ago Nola and I painted...

It sure felt GREAT to see that gold disappear!

Good-bye glaring, obnoxious gold! You will not be missed...

 I also found a used (and extremely inexpensive) couch on FB Marketplace...

Nothing glamorous, and a far cry from what I would someday want, BUT, a huge improvement from what we had! So, I am thankful!

Finally, after a toy and broken furniture purge, and just a little TLC, the family room looks like this...

I hung these bird prints...

And just today I made and hung these simple, muslin curtains...

This is mainly where the kids play, so my goal was not to make the room fancy, just comfortable and freshened up!

I feel better already!!!

(before/during...)

And after!...

SO, my question to you, dear reader, is this... 

Do you have an area of your home that you hate? A room that you've yet to tackle because like me, you are holding out for just the right time and budget to make it perfect? Only... that time and budget never arrives?

(Or am I the only one who has done this?)

Maybe the thought of getting to work on it feels overwhelming! And you don't know where to start!

Just take the first baby step.

You'll find that taking that step will motivate you to take another, and then another will naturally come after that!

This family room project has taught me that even small, easy changes can make a difference! It doesn't always have to be all or nothing! Someday I'll get my magazine-inspired family room, but for now I am doing what I can to make it nice and deciding to be thankful!

I'm thinking of it as more 'in the meantime' changes, until I can get what I really want! 

So, don't be surprised if you see us tearing into this room again in the future!

Haha...

Friends... by taking the first baby step, (and deciding to be thankful!) what project will YOU get started on?

I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Three Out Of Four!

My little Soren got saved just the other day...

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth."

~ 3 John 1:4

He is now the third child, out of my four, who has come to me wanting to accept Christ.

(My Roman accepted Christ at age five, same as Soren; and Nola this past summer at age six.)

I have diligently been teaching them about the Lord their entire little lives, but in all three salvation moments, it has been the child who has come to me with questions and tender hearts. 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." 

~ Deuteronomy 6:5-7

When I was in my pregnant and child-bearing years, I used to plead with the Lord not to give me any children that wouldn't grow up to love and serve Him.

Then when my children were babies, I would pray over their heads when they'd sleep that the Lord would grant them repentance at an early age.

Well, now it is happening!

I have led all three older ones to the Lord and have witnessed their salvation.

In all three cases my children have come to me alone asking for help with how to get saved. I would explain that I could help them, but I couldn't do it for them. This was between them and the Lord. I would then make sure that they understood what Jesus did for them on the cross (Philippians 2:8), and that He is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6), but after that the very next thing I would do is ask them about their sin. A child who is being raised in Sunday School will most likely know about sin and know that they have it, but it's crucial they know that they must repent of their sins! It's not enough to just believe in God.

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!'"

~ Matthew 4:17

"Unless you repent, you too will all perish."

~ Luke 13:3

"If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me."

~ Jeremiah 15:19a

There's a reason why this is so near and dear to my heart. I may even go a tad overboard in driving this point home, and it's because of my own personal testimony...

I got "saved" as a small child, too. I was raised in church and grew up around Christians. But for some reason I never repented.

I knew all the right things, did all the right things, and could answer all the questions correctly. I was a good person and believed in Jesus. I thought I was a Christian, but I really wasn't.

It wasn't until I became an adult that the Lord tracked me down, broke my heart, and I finally repented. It was then that I was truly saved.

My husband, Micah, has a similar testimony. So, you can understand then, that when my children come to me asking how they can get saved, I am hesitant.

Every time my initial reaction has been to say to them, "No, you are too young." Because I fear they don't really get it... I fear they'll be a false convert... I fear if I lead them in the sinner's prayer, they'll grow up believing they're saved when they're really not. But I have caught myself all three times. I realize that just because that was MY story, doesn't mean it has to be theirs!

All three times I've heard the Lord whisper to my heart, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

~ Matthew 19:14

So, all three times I have stopped what I was doing, and led them to the Lord... Praying the whole time that God would come into the moment, fill us with His presence, give me wisdom, move and work in my child, and grant them true repentance! 

"... In the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth."

~ 2 Timothy 2:25b

Once the moment ended I would wonder if it was really legit. I'd move on with my day knowing I really couldn't do anything about it except to pray for them and remind myself that God wants my children to come to know Him far more than I do!

"That we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth."

~ 1 Timothy 2:2-4

I also find great comfort in reminding myself that even if they grow up with a false assurance of salvation, as I did, that I can trust God to pursue them when they're older, as He did for me and Micah. 

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

~ Philippians 1:6

Really, all I care about in this world is that I can spend eternity with all four of my children in Heaven.

I have told them before that I expect to see all of them there! Haha...

I've said, "I know I'm going to be there! Make sure you'll be, too! I want us to all be together!"

"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

~ 1 John 5:12-13 

So, for now while they're young and at home with me, I consider this my job. My calling. I didn't choose it. God gave it to me.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go bear fruit- fruit that will last."

~ John 15:16

My children are my fruit, and so far God has yielded from me

 three out of four.

:)

xo,

~ Courtney ~

A Weekend Project

Hello friends!

How was your weekend and how is your Monday going?

I truly hope you all are doing well!

 I always consider it a good weekend if we can manage to tackle a home project from our long, ongoing to-do list.

To live in an old home means constant projects!

I don't know if we'll ever feel as though this house is done!

But we did complete a small project this weekend that I've been longing to do for a couple of years now.

I'd like to show you!

It's a project in my bedroom...

To the left of this scene is a door that leads out to a small balcony.

As long as we've lived here, it's looked like this...

We initially wondered if we should replace the door altogether. But, because it's a nice solid wood door with antique brass hinges, we wanted to figure out a way to keep it. 

It's been important to us throughout our renovations to keep whatever is original intact!

We know from the windows that this door isn't original to the house, but nevertheless- if we can avoid putting anything new and modern into this old farmhouse, we certainly aim for that!

So... the idea was born to look for a beautiful window to go in the place of these ugly, 70's windows.... And if we could find one, it would mean we could keep the door!

Well, an afternoon in our friends' antique shop was all that was needed to stumble upon this leaded glass window...

The measurements would be perfect for the door, so we snatched it up and brought it home!

(This picture was taken after it had spent some time with my grandma. Some repair work needed to be done on it, and she used to make stained glass windows as a hobby, so she was able to fix it for us!)

After a good cleaning, and a trip to a glass company to have it incased, Micah was ready to begin the process...

He never took the door off its hinges for this project. He kept it in place and just cut out a square like this...

Micah likes to be left alone while working on projects, haha... So, I do my best to back off and let him work.

I still try to snap some pictures, though...

Here, he is making sure that his cuts were accurate, and that the new window will fit...

(I think I'm going to love it!)

Micah made and painted some moulding to go around the window, and even touched up the paint on the door. 

Everything was left to dry overnight.

On Saturday morning my room looked like this...

The hard work is done! What's left to do now is the fun, easy part!

AND with an admiring audience! Haha...

But it's hard to stay focused on the task at hand when little daughters need snuggling...

He managed to complete the project, though! And I'm in love...

Would you like to see the 'After'?

This is the door today!...

Good things come to those who wait!

I never thought it'd take several years to get around to this door, but that seems to be the pace at which we complete projects these days.

*sigh*

This is a more backed-up view...

(I love my bedroom!)

Before...

And finally, After...

It is important, when renovating an old house, to use as many authentic elements as you possibly can!

It breaks my heart when I see people buy an old home but then they re-do it in a modern way!

I can appreciate modern decor, but I believe it would be best for newer homes.

Our goal for our farmhouse has always been to find the balance between respecting the home's original elements and history, but freshening it up so it appears bright and updated.

It's been a balance I have struggled to find over the years, and have often wondered if I've hit the mark. But, I have remained unwavering in my belief that it is what's best and right for very old homes.

(I spy a kiddo running around in the yard!...)

 I loved my bedroom before, but I love it so much more now!

A tiny change can make such an impact!...

Take care sweet friends!

xo,

~ Courtney ~