the honest truth...

 So the new refrigerator is actually very nice, it's cold and the lights are so bright when you open the doors.  It's all spiffy and clean still, and you know how it is, we'll always keep it nice!  We are going to though.  Seriously.  But anyway, our washing machine debacle:  Paul has spent too much time and money on parts, he finally cried uncle!  I had an extremely nice set of stacked washer/dryer, from a very nice area, for a very nice price, ($100), that I was inquiring about (they were remodeling.)  Well, someone else got to them first, they must have gotten so many responses, they never got back to me.  Then there is a non-stacking washer, quite nice, for a hundred, right in town.  The young man said if it doesn't work, he'll take it back.  In his own words, "I'm not going to screw you out of a hundred bucks."  

To accomodate non-stacking appliances, the laundry room had to be rearranged.  This didn't sit well with me.  I know, I'm a huge brat, by nature.  No one wants less room though!   Paul and the girls emptied the room, more and more things in the living room we had JUST CLEANED.  oh dear.  I kept hearing mom, do you want this?  YES, I WANT EVERYTHING, that is WHY I HAVE IT.  But, the minimalist part of me, the part that adores empty spaces and organization, that part was in total agreement.  Hoe it all out.  

I wouldn't have chosen to do this project right before Thanksgiving, but then trials never come when we want them to.  Ha, we would keep cancelling them.  Now is not a good time for the testing of my faith, maybe next week?  

So I kind of failed this whole test.  I tried, but not hard enough.  I realized somewhere along the line how absolutely unthankful I've been.  It's ugly. 

The girls, being on vacation, watched a movie last night, 13 Going On 30.  At one point the main character asked her mother what she would change in her life, if she could go back.  The mom basically said nothing.  Because I've learned from my mistakes.  

So as much as I'd like to go through these last few days all over again, and be extremely thankful, I cannot.  But I can learn from it.  It's good for me.  It's SO easy to encourage other people, but me, I'm proud and stubborn.  And thank God for His mercy, that I can learn from life.

I most certainly wasn't thankful at this point.  But I did realize what treasures the girls were being.  They helped SO much.  (That's why I took them out and about today, and to Starbucks.  Because they are such good girls.)

The old washer, before it went all the way outside.  

This was hiding in the laundry room, Suzanne made it in high school.  It's back out on the kitchen counter where it belongs.

Today has been a day:  Pool, then out and about to drop off several bags of previously loved items at the thrift store, let me tell you, that feels good!  We also shopped there, and I got a nice Lands End coat, down filled, for way more than I thought I'd ever pay for a coat, $24.99.  It's so nice though.  

We went into Marshall's to get a little birthday gift for a friend, a gift for the girls'  Christmas party, and a few refrigerator organizers.  Then into Aldi for a pizza to throw in the oven tonight for a quick dinner, plus some hot sausages.  I also dug a Costco cauliflower crust pizza out of the freezer out for me.    

Home...ahh, home.  Time to make the pies.  I had already cut up three 3 pound bags of Granny Smiths, and put them in the cinnamon/flour/sugar  mixture.  I rolled out those crusts, and when the pizzas came out, pies went in.  

One apple pie!  (there are two)

Camille mixed up the pumpkin...

I rolled the dough...

Apples...

The blueberry is in the oven now.  I blind baked the crust for a chocolate pie, but it burned!  I partly followed some internet lady's advice to leave it in covered in foil for an hour.    I thought that was way too long, so I checked after half hour, and too late!  dang.  

We might be able to skip by without the chocolate pie, or make a graham cracker crust.  The sweet potatoes are all boiled for the sweet potato casserole (it'll be topped with marshmallows and pecans, mmm).  

Ah well.  After the apple pies went in the oven, dinner was done, time to put the feet up for a few minutes, but it was time to go pick up the "new" washing machine. 

It's actually quite spiffy.  We're on our second load of laundry already, it works.  

I have to go drain those potatoes, then I think I'm done for tonight. 

Tomorrow is a big day.  I don't want to forget what it's all about, in the midst of the steamy stirring and dish washing and looking for empty spaces to set hot pans.   I think I've learned a bit about thankfulness lately, it's easier said than done sometimes, but it's very hopeful for us, God is good.