Insulation Complete!

Praise the Lord we now have insulation in the attic! We had not a drop up there before now, and with the extra cold -O* temperatures, and terribly cold wind chills, it has been a COLD last few months here!! Our main goal was to not have to fill the propane tank every month, all winter long, like we did last winter. At $800.00 at a pop, that was absolutely ridiculous!!! So, this winter we have only filled it once. We had also put a woodburing stove in to the basement, and then added a vent from that, up through the floor in the living room, and that has helped tremendously, but then there was the second floor that was still cold, and of course that is the floor with all the bedrooms. So, thank God for tax time, we took that money and bought insulation to put up in the attic. If you buy all the insulation at Menards, they will loan you the blower for free. So, that's what we did. We put 18" up there and what a difference it has made! It cut $200.00 off of our electric bill (well that and not using the little space heaters anymore), so we are blessed by that.

Makeover Home Edition anyone?

Kitchen After -----------------------------------Kitchen before

Have you ever watched the television show "Makeover Home Edition"? It's on ABC at 7:00 on Sunday evenings. I have been inspired so much by what this team of people do for some many families across the U.S. God has opened up so many doors for these people to get a house that they so desperately need for so many different reasons. Yes, Sears Department Stores are their biggest contributors, which in my book makes them a pretty special store (though a little pricy and we can't afford to shop there)! There is very seldom ever a time that we watch this show together as a family that one or all of us don't end up in tears at the awesomeness of what these people do on this show. There are so many wonderful, needy truly families out there, and it makes me see how much we are blessed with compared to how difficult it is for many families to survive. We have had several people ask us if we, with all of our children, living on one income, would mind if they turned our names in to Makeover Home Edition? Mind, no, of course not! But are we as truly needing and deserving as so many, many other families are? No, not even close! God has blessed us! Even having to live in an old house that is still currently in the restoring renovation process while we live there. Some days I get depressed and frazzled by the fact that there is so much to still do, it is cold in the house on many days (colder than we really like), the floors are in terrible shape, the walls almost all finally have drywall now, etc., not including the need to be taped, mudded, and painted. This all does not include that we need trim around the doors and windows, our bathroom completely working on the main floor (right now it has a toilet), windows in the living room and dining room that need to be replaced, a new roof (because it has just started leaking), a new septic system put in... And we are a family of 11 people living there, and this does not count the new baby our daughter is having, or our new baby! That will make 13 people in a 3 bedroom house! But, God has stretched me in ways that I swore I could never live with. I am by temperament a person who hates to have things half finished. I hate half done projects no matter what they are, but to live in one, that takes a lot for me personally. When my husband asked me what I needed to be able to move in to this house so that we could use the money to keep fixing up this one up, and not keep paying rent at another one, I wasn't sure what to say. After much thinking, I said that I needed a functioning kitchen and one bathroom that had a sink, shower and bathtub. Well I have this. It seemed like the most important things with having a large family, but I have to admit, sometimes I so wish the rest could be done, that the money would just appear and we could hire someone to finish the work 100%, but that is not realistic. I know that. And I know I am blessed beyond measure, but I will so be glad when our house is 100% finished, and Doug and I have our own bedroom space for just the two of us (and the baby of course), finished walls so I can hang up pictures, and so forth. Some day...but for now, I will take the blessings that I am given and choose to daily rejoice!