rain, rain, don't go away....

Good morning, happy Monday, it's rainy here and so cozy. I have been out with the dogs three times already. Rain or shine, having a puppy means you go outside.

So, we sold our big van, which is wonderful, but we didn't get nearly what we thought we would for it. The good thing is the nice man who bought it, a preacher from Ghana, who needed it for his church, had a mechanic check it from bumper to bumper. It's nice knowing he is fully informed about what it needs, what works, and what doesn't. Two thousand dollars....and guess what? The refrigerator is broken. So...I didn't spend it all, of course, but I did go buy a new refrigerator. Ours has leaked for years, it's gotten to be a habit to change the Refrigerator Towel every couple of days, but it isn't very cold, and Paul can't figure it out, it's ten years old, time for a new one.

I like to take time with a big purchase, check things out, research, go here and there to look. But we need to replace it quickly, so I was determined to just decide yesterday. I really wanted to get one to match the stove, but for the same price I found one that had an ice maker in the door, which was nice, made more room in the freezer. It's a Samsung, a display model, so it was $300 cheaper than it's selling elsewhere. I figure it'll look like that within a week at my house anyway. It's so hard for me to make a decision like that, Paul's in India, he told me just to buy one. I took Evelyn and Sonja and Char and Cam, and the puppy, since they are allowed in Home Depot and Lowe's. She did pee on the floor in Lowe's, but we had stuff to clean it up.

Anyway. It's coming on Thursday. I am very thankful we were able to replace it. I was honestly a bit miffed, at first, that our nice two thousand dollars would be dinged into by spending half of it on a 'fridge, but then I realized how ridiculous it was to be unthankful for that.

The really funny thing is that back a few months ago when we were looking for a new stove, I found that really really marked down refrigerator, and told Paul we should buy it. He wouldn't even glance at it, said, "We are NOT shopping for a refrigerator, we do not need one, we are looking for a stove." Fine, I said, now ours is going to break because we are not buying that one. So when we determined that ours isn't fixable, I told Paul it was my fault, although I do think it's a tiny bit his fault, ha.

Anyway. It's going to be busy around here this week, things going on in the evenings, picking Sonja up from physical therapy, dentist appointments, shopping for the activity club party which is on Wednesday evening, then getting the refrigerator delivered on Thursday.

Friday morning we are leaving for Washington D.C., where we will pick up Samuel and go to Virginia for our little vacation near the Shenandoah park. He called last night to tell me that he has been put on patrol, gate patrol, and his four day pass for next weekend revoked to just a two-day. He now has to work all day on Friday, and again on Monday. He reminded me that with the Army, nothing is ever certain. He has no idea what time he will get out of work on Friday, either. So. We will work around it and figure it out. I know for certain that God DOES know exactly what we need.

Sam is disappointed though, because he misses his siblings so much.



My darling little granddaughter Anya Jade turned three years old! Emily is flying out to Seattle to visit them this week, so I am sending her birthday gift with her. I miss her, and am so glad she is coming here for Margaret's wedding in December. She's coming early, so she can have lots of days to come here and play. I have saved so many toys, and rejoice when the kids come and enjoy them. :)

Today, I am planning on getting the sewing machine out, and starting on the living room valances and pillow covers. I don't dread it nearly as much as I dreaded the painting job. I am so glad that is behind me. I see so much more trim I would like to paint, but ugh, not yet.

So I have a red plaid couch and chair, bought ten years ago. They are fine, but I am tired of the red. I found a chair cover on clearance for twenty bucks, and it fits the chair. I looked online at Target, and the couch covers were on sale, then an extra ten percent off, so I decided to just buy one and cover up that red for once and for all. When it arrived and we so excitedly started to put it on, Kathryn couldn't get the two cushions stuffed into the one piece of it, and I looked again at the packaging...oops. I had ordered a loveseat cover. So I have to take it back. I did order the right size now, and it's coming soon. I looked into covering it myself, and some people can do these things grandly, but I would pull out my hair, and it gives me a headache just thinking about it. The stretchy washable cover is like sixty dollars, and I have been considering it for years now...

Anyway. All the little things in life, the things that bog us down and want to steal all of our thoughts...things that in the end aren't very important...things we have to deal with, but in the midst of them, we can gather so many treasures if we are willing to open our hearts to what God would teach us.

It's so quiet here, but not for long...the kids will be waking up...I have things to do...:)