Weekly Update

Another week has passed here in beautiful East Tennessee. I look around us, and I realize that we have accomplished quite a bit this week even though Michael has had a busy work schedule. First, this was our last week of school for all of our children. We are now on Christmas break!!!!!!! I am more excited than our kids. I love home schooling, but I also love being able to get up and not be responsible for a school day. I get so many projects completed on nonschool days because I have the extra time as well as motivation.

We have spent some time today doing some outside clean up. Our carport had become home to much junk,trash, and clutter. The children all worked together to clean that area this afternoon.

If you read my earlier post, you know that we try to use what is already available to us when we have a need. Our heart's desire has been to close in our carport and make a much needed family room. We have waited since Spring to work on this project, and it just seems that there never is enough time or money to tackle such a large job. Our basement is a very large room intended by the builder to be used as a family room. However, we have a 3 bedroom house with 5 children so we were one bedroom short. We had our older boys make their bedroom downstairs. Just a few weeks ago it dawned on us that we could really make much better use of our basement. We moved the weight and workout equipment out to Michael's shop. This gave us a huge amount of space downstairs. We have moved the boys' bedroom to one side of the room, and we are making a family room on the other side of the room. We talked about putting up walls, but we felt it would make both rooms too choppy. We will be building a large walk in closet in an area that really hasn't been used for much of anything except storage. Michael will have to frame in a door for this, but that shouldn't take long. We bought paint last night, and I must say the room is coming along wonderfully. I feel like in just a few days that my house has already been enlarged. We bought a couch for downstairs, and everybody seems to be gathering downstairs more. We will be putting our computer back downstairs. YEEHAW!!! It is located in our bedroom. This house was built in the mid 70's and back then large bedrooms were not standard. To get around our bed, you have to push the computer chair up, and suck in your belly. When somebody is on the computer, we crawl over the bed to get to the bathroom. This new family room is a perfect example of using what is in the house. Someday I hope that we can enclose the carport, but for today I am very content. It is so nice to look in my living room and see it neat and tidy. It is also exciting to see the whole family gathering in a space that is large enough for everybody to have a seat. I am amazed this idea didn't come to us before now. We have lived here for 3 years, and I told Michael today that I am so thankful that we listened to him and bought this farm. I was having a hard time saying that 3 years ago!

grace and peace,
julie