Wedding Preparations

With less than three weeks until Anna and Scott's wedding, 

we are making all the final preparations, mapping these last days out.

 We have done our research and tried to find the best bargains available

 to make the most of our wedding budget.

Our flowers are coming from Costco online, 

where you can buy flowers, or in our case, 

pale pink roses, 

by the hundred.  

Since Anna is a regular candle-holic, and a die hard romantic, 

we will have plenty of candles for the wedding decor. 

 I looked and looked for the best buy on bulk candles, 

and came up with quickcandle.com, where one can buy 2x6 pillar candles for $2.50 a peice, 

and other such wondrous finds.

We have rented tablecloths, at long last, finding Blue Ribbon laundry to have the best price.

The china, punch cups, and chaffing dishes are from AtoZ rental. 

I have asked the wedding coordinator to pick those up for us the day before the wedding.

I bought the flower girl dresses on ebay, quick and easy, 

and having made my order, found the dresses to fit perfectly. 

The key to ebay is finding the right phrase for searching.  

"short sleeve flower girl dress"  ended up to be the best method to find dresses with sleeves. 

Anna found simple, modest, sensibly priced bridesmaid dresses at A Formal Choice. 

The dresses are beautifully made and fit well. 

After shopping all over, resorting to much prayer, 

I bought my Mother of the Bride dress at a wedding shop. 

 I just could not find anything long and flowy, which was what I really desired. 

Anna bought her veil and a portrait collar for her dress from Tidebuy.  

Although most wedding shops only carry strapless dresses, 

there are several online places to purchase 

short jackets,

 lace overlays 

and portrait collars 

if a bride desires more fabric for a modest and original look.

JC Penny has the most variety of wedding style shoes we could find, 

not to mention the sales people in both locations where we shopped were super nice, 

letting us put shoes on hold while we scouted through the mall 

to see if there was anything better to be found,

 which, by the way, 

there wasn't.

Pinterest is a treasure trove of wedding ideas to 

inspire and motivate,

 copy and mimic.

YouTube has great how to videos for just about everything relating to weddings. 

 Do it yourself flowers, centerpiece ideas, church decorations and hairstyle how to's.

The flower girl baskets we bought at Amazon, 

as well as the isle runner, napkins, and flower petals.

The guest book and hurricane lanterns for the centerpieces were purchased at Hobby Lobby, 

a 50% off coupon. 

Oh, the fun of getting box after box by UPS or FedEx nearly everyday! 

 We try to keep something yummy on hand to share with the drivers, 

whom I am sure are tiring of trekking down our long driveway.

We have borrowed tulle, Christmas lights, silver service, crystal, 

and other lovely items from everyone I can think of.  

Putting together a simple yet elegant wedding has been oodles of fun for me, as I enjoy event planning.  Anticipation of seeing it all come together is building day by day.

Last week, Brian and I spent three hours at the church mapping out how we are going to hang all the decorations for the reception and such, making a list for the hardware store as we went.

This week I am ordering flowers, making the ring pillow, finalizing out of town guest arrangements, handing out punch bowls and recipes to all the ladies who have graciously consented to bring food, 

and breathing deeply.

Next week I will do the grocery shopping for the reception and the week of the wedding..

having planned crockpot or freezer meals and paper plates all week, and through the weekend,

well, except Thanksgiving day, 

  Then, I plan on ironing all the wedding clothes and tableclothes, hanging them all up with plastic covers.  Then we will clean the house top to bottom. 

and then, I will drink a good amount of my favorite relaxing tea and eat chocolate.

The week of the wedding, we will be decorating since the church is available all week:  Monday the sanctuary and dining hall, Tuesday the reception hall and Wednesday, anything else that didn't get done, hopefully not a lot since we will be preparing for Thanksgiving here at Providence Lodge. 

 Friday we may have some out of town guests over for lunch, then the rehearsal and dinner.   

Saturday,  

The Wedding! 

 Sunday hanging out with whomever is still around,

 and Monday loading the moving van to haul Anna's belongings off to her new home. 

Then we will crash, no doubt, in a tumultuous mixture of happiness, exhaustion, and tears; 

for my eldest has just moved out on his own, 

our daughter will have left for her new home,

 and our baby will turn two. (boohoo).

There is no doubt in my mind that as happy as I am now,
those issues of transition for this mama's heart will work their way out,
and I will need plenty of tissue and comfort food on hand.

(smile)
In the meantime, though, we are delighted and overjoyed for this young couple
whom God has brought together. 
And we know, most thoroughly, that

Together is a wonderful place to be.

Savoring Saturdays

Autumn rains pouring forth outdoors,
wood fire crackling inside,
the lodge is hushed from the usual comradere of littles,
  and the clamor of a big household.
 I adore Saturdays.
 This is the day of the week I often look forward to the most.
 The day where my cozy, nesty side comes out
and gets to putter about, which I find romantic.

First of all, I love Saturdays because it is a great opportunity to pamper my family a bit.
The children get to sleep in.
This means a quiet, slow morning for me,
(and Olivia, who is always my alarm clock being the morning person she is).
The boys awaken to the weekly radio programs at Moody Radio,
 which they listen to in their room
while I make the children a big ol breakfast full of scrumptious yummies
to celebrate the arrival of the weekend.
We have worked hard all week,
and today is a special day
unlike the other weekdays.

I take great comfort in this a weekly ritual.
It is something to look forward to.
We are creating something special and beautiful out of the ordinary.
I like that.

Few things in life give me more pleasure than setting a nice table for my family,
and filling it with homemade food.

My boys think hashbrowns or fried potatoes are one of the most marvelous of foods.
Therefore, each Saturday breakfast will be slightly different, but always contain potatoes.
This week, a hearty  skillet breakfast and fresh milk for starters.

Today my pampering included Doughnuts...hot from the oven.
They are incredibly easy to make and have fast become a favorite in our home.
First the dough.

Then the frying.

 Next the glaze.

  At last into mouths!

The little ones have their own Saturday rituals as well.
 We have a special music CD they only listen to this day.
 It is full of Sunday School songs and Bible Club songs like we sang when I was growing up.
 They start their day dancing.
 They sing.

  They play dress up.
They take turns hiding.
They sense this is a special play day, and make the most of it.

The second reason I love Saturdays is this:
After breakfasting, each child  is given a housecleaning chore.
 Saturdays are for housecleaning,
 and we all work together to get the job done.
 By each one taking a chore, we get the majority of the work done in around an hour.
  This day, Rose and Caleb cleaned the kitchen,
 Joe folded and put away the laundry...which had been stacking up on the couch upstairs..
so quite a pile for him!
 Jim vacuumed the rugs and helped Ben with the bathrooms.
 Bethany, Gabe and even Olivia get in the spirit
and help wash surfaces such as the frig, dining chairs, doors and door handles, light switches.
  I sweep and mop.
Then go about finishing my list;
 washing windows, dusting, changing beds, tidying surfaces,
setting out a different table centerpiece, rearranging this and that,
what I call puttering.

This again is one reason I love Saturdays.
The house getting clean and tidy,
 restored to order and thus beautified,
  a marvelous part of homemaking that I take great joy in.
Making a clean and lovely home for my family is giving (it, the home) life.
It is this spirit of a home that the wife and mama makes,
filling the house with her own spirit,
 and pouring out a sweet pleasant fragrance,
 which is a ministry to her family and all who enter.

The children, done with their chores, return to their play, or watch a movie,
 leaving me, again, in relative quiet.
Often, I find this the perfect opportunity for that
time alone with God
 that I have been needing.
Time to write in my journal of 1000 gifts,
time to reflect and make sure my heart is right.
Here is my third reason for my love and anticipation of a beautiful Saturday at home,
rarely during the week do I find this kind of time available to me for the taking.
Aaaah, God is good!

The evening is made up of a simple dinner,
 baths for the littles,
clothing laid out and ironed for Sunday,
and all to bed early, so that we are prepared and rested for the Lord's Day.


Here is the why of our Saturday rituals:
It is the way we live each day of our life that make up the tone and color of how we live in this world.
We can make it to be vivid and rich, sweet and pleasant,
 or not.

JR Miller writes it so well,
"What is true of our individual lives is true also of our homes.  
We are making memories day by day and year by year,
 and what they shall be in the future  will depend 
on the home life we are living now."


God created women to give life,
 to be helpmeets,
to nurture,
to imitate Him in beautifying all that is around us.
 When we seek to cultivate these passions He has built in us,
we find that contentment, that peace, that inner joy that delights in the smallest things.
And there, as these aspects grow and flourish,
overflowing from what is in our hearts all along, out to our families,
we live in the beauty of the Lord.

Organization Obsession

 I have a dear friend whose cupboards are beautifully organized,

 much to my envy, I admit. 

 Finally, I took the plunge to organize my own cupboards and spaces. 

 The result was a quick addiction...possibly a new obsession.  

Once one space was organized, 

I felt so much satisfaction and content with it,

 I would just go open the door and stare at it, a euphoric glaze in my eye.

My first project was the miscellaneous closet in the bathroom 

containing all kinds of herbal remedies, 

a plethora of first aid supplies, 

and all kinds of other medical stuff.  

Gathering baskets I purchased at the dollar store, 

I emptied the random and chaotic mess in the closet. 

 I then began making groups, 

and eventually worked out appropriate smaller groups for the baskets.  

The effect so elated me, 

I immediately began making plans for the next area. 

Like a drug, with just one try, I was hooked.

Next I moved on to the children's bathroom,

 where multiple bottles of shampoo, conditioner, face wash, body wash, and bubble bath

 vied for position on the shower shelves, 

often ending up knocked over and used  liberally by the littles,

 to the horror of the true owners.

  My techy daughter, Rose, found this idea on Pinterest.

  It is working wonderfully.

I bought a tension rod and hung it over the wall side of the tub/shower.

  Back at the dollar store,

 I found baskets with handles and shower curtain rings to hang the baskets on.  

Now each big person has their own basket for their stuff, out of reach to smaller people.

I just had to organize something else, so down to the cellar I went.

Ahhh, (sigh) 

Oh the delight of an organized food storage area.

The 40 gallon cans in the middle of the floor are for big staples

 such as flour, sugar, rice, wheat, and salt.

My most recent little project was the most miserable cupboard in the kitchen.

  The one where everything falls out as soon as you open the door. 

 You probably guessed it,

 the storage container cupboard.

Again Rose came to the rescue with the idea of using a dish drainer for all the lids.

We put them in smallest to largest. 

 Loving this one.

Who knew the sheer joy awaiting the one who organizes!  

Notes on Children's Fall/Winter Clothes

When the cold weather settles in,

 we begin to get out all the snuggly, warm clothing I have collected for the children through the year. 

 I am always on the lookout for wool articles,

 homemade sweaters,

 flannel lined pants, 

quality fleece garments and such. 

 Knowing the Littles are cozy, warm, and comfortable in chilly weather is a very satisfying thing for me.  

I guess I am just a cozy-comfy sort of gal. 

 Making up the children's beds in 

layers of loveliness

 for winter is also a joy to me. 

 I relish the puttering that comes as we prepare for the change of seasons, 

it is a kind of nesting that is soothing, relaxing and satisfying.

Some time ago, as we were thrift shopping, 

I came across two pairs of used, 

hand knit socks. 

 I thought they were charming, and brought them home.  

They have now been through two winters with us, and are still in great shape. 

 Since we live in  a cold snowy region, we usually purchase a pair of boot or ski socks

 for each of the children every winter. 

 Last year I noticed, as I put the winter clothes away, 

that the hand knit socks were in great shape but the boot socks were very worn,

 or completely worn out- needing to be thrown away. 

 Therefore, this year, I hunted around until I found hand knit socks for the children,

 made by a local lady, since I haven't acquired that skill

 (yet..I am picturing me rocking in a chair, knitting with a great white bun of hair on my head-smile-). 

I had a pair of hand knit socks made for each of the little ones, 

then, having fallen in love with the look and charm of hand knit, 

 proceeded to purchased mittens and hats as well.

The hand knit socks cost the same as the boots socks we were getting,

 but last two to three times longer.

We buy most of our clothes in thrift stores,

 but on the occasion that I really need a particular item and cannot find it there, I shop on ebay. 

 If we are still in need, or, if I find time and creativity to sew, we fill in the various wardrobe needs thus. 

 I really love to sew, but rarely do. 

 This summer, I did manage a few days to whip up a few skirts and blouses for Olivia. 

 Such little items are frugally and easily accomplished with left overs or repurposed articles. 

 My favorite garment ended up to be the little gray wool skirt with a flannel lining. 

 These skirts take about 30 minutes to make start to finish and need no pattern. 

 It is just a simple rectangle measured to the wanted length, then finished with an elastic casing. 

 I also made a flannel lined denim skirt for her that she has already been wearing quite a bit this fall.

Even if one bought fabric from a small one's skirt such as this, 

the cost would likely be less than $5.oo. 

Since I like to thrift shop, I keep my eye out for garments of good quality fabric 

that are on the tag of the day sale. 

 My last trip out I bought a large wool skirt for .99 just for the fabric,

 which can be used for two or three small skirts. 

 Sewing does not always have to be costly.

My grandma sewed this way, and first  introduced me to the idea.

There is a great satisfaction from making
something
out of nothing, 

and even more so if it was done in a frugal way.

For girls, dresses can be difficult to find, 

more so the older they get.

 Mothers often ask me where we find our dresses. 

Thrifting or yard sales often provide a variety of showy dresses for special events and church,

 but for everyday,

 I favor Land's End long sleeve knit print dresses.  

These dresses are comfortable, of good quality so they wear well,

 and they have that wholesome look that I really prefer to see on our girls. 

 We have done well finding ours on ebay.

I should also say that we always pray over our family's needs before we begin shopping, 

and God is so good to meet those needs time and time again.

Over the years, we have come to realize that high quality clothes last,

 and can be passed down still looking good from one child to the next.

  When Joe was a little tike, 

we bought him a new pair of Carhardt Overalls.

 Joe wore them, 

then Jim,

 then Ben, 

as well as Bethany,

 and now Gabe.

  They still look good.  

Cost more initially, but last by far longer,

 and so are really the more cost effective way to go in a big family.

I guess that why I enjoy this process so much

 is because I think that meeting our family's clothing needs 

really is of great value beyond putting fabric on their bodies.

  I see it as an avenue of life giving, 

 and an opportunity to nurture, 

as well as train them (while they are still young) about good clothing choices. 

Herein is a chance to take the mundane act of shopping,

 and cultivate beauty with it for the benefit of our family,

 instead of passing by without notice, or considering it just a task of drudgery. 

We can make the ordinary task special, and by doing so,
 we enrich our family life.