Pardon my absence...

We've been busy little bees around here...

doing this:

I have lots of other stuff to share non-house related...stay tuned!

Take a peek...if you like.

Just a quick announcement.

I updated the 'House of Grebe' tab under the header.  If you want to take a gander at our past and present home {in it's current state} everything has been updated.  While I was updating...it really made me miss our old house.  As much as I love this house, the old place was so great, and so ours.  This house will get there, I'm sure, but it sure is a process.

Hope you enjoy!

Click HERE to view!

Tuesday thoughts...

first day of school, 2010

As the summer comes to an end...I am struck with a feeling of being blessed.

Blessed without measure.  4 healthy, amazing kids who are actually absorbing the values that we are trying so very hard to instill in them day by day.

Coaches, teachers, grandparents, friends, their friends' parents...all tell us what  a good job we are doing.  This makes me happy.  Compliments coming from people that interact with them when we aren't around.  It's a tough job, and it certainly isn't ever over no matter how many kudos we get.  It's made even harder when your time is divided by 4.  Tougher still when you are submerged in a world where it seems most people are raising their children to be entitled.

We aren't perfect parents by any stretch of the imagination.  We fail probably as much as we succeed.  I'm learning it is very much a 1 step forward, 2 steps backwards process.  And that, my friends, makes it very difficult getting up that 'raising your kids' hill.  It's more of a mountain, really.  A sheer cliff.

As I still struggle to find balance in building a new hobby/business, running a household, focusing on my kids, blogging, finishing the new abode...I have to remember what is most important.  THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.  No matter how much I try not to lose myself in this parenting journey, 4 other little souls are more important than my own.

It's hard not to think of Jake, too. Without him by my side I couldn't be half of the mom that I am.  {Okay, three quarters of the mom that I am.}

Who was it that said if it's a job worth doing, it's worth doing right?  I think it is really a proverb, but that is a debate for another day.

Blessings to you.

Unfathomable.

image via D. Bush: http://www.missouriskies.org/rainbow/february_rainbow_2006.html

Hello.  No I have not skipped town.  No I have not headed for the border.  No I have not been laying on a beach somewhere {I wish}.  I've just been getting these kids ready for school, and have been busy with photos.  Hopefully, when they return to school I will achieve some sort of balance. I know that sounds sad, but school equals a calm normalcy around here.  Then, come Christmastime, I will be whining that I feel like I never get good moments with the littles between school hours, sports, and social calendars.

But, enough about my silly life.


Recently, I was contacted by my bloggy friend Katie from 'Where is Thumbkin Pottery'.  She is on quite a mission.  She wants to raise money to fund adoptions of children with mental and physical disabilities from countries that treat these children much differently than we do in this part of the world.  It is shocking, and sad, and really hurts my heart to imagine.  I thought the best way to share with you Katie's passion is to share a bit of one of her emails to me...

This subject is such a killer for me -- all of those children in such terrible situations.  I think about it every single day, and wish there was a way we could adopt now.  I am hoping that in a year or two, those doors will be open for us, but for right now, all I can do is pour out my guts to people and advocate for them.  Nicholas {a child currently in an orphanage with downs syndrome} will be having a birthday next month, and while I don't know his exact status, it could definitely mean a transfer to a mental institution.  Children disappear from Reece's Rainbow all the time, and I fear that he will be the next one to become "unadoptable."  There are children in certain regions who are still available after a transfer, but they tend to decline quickly.  The difference between baby houses and institutions are pretty clear.  Conditions are bad at the baby houses in many areas, but the institutions are far worse in general.  Sure, there are some places that are better than others, but for the most part, being an orphan with special needs in Eastern Europe is pretty much hell.  The last few posts in my blog talk about it in more detail.  It is just so SAD.

So for some reason, I feel compelled (in a OCD sort of way, almost...lol) to advocate for one special little boy, Nicholas.  Maybe because he reminds me of Ben, or maybe it's the cut on his lip, or 70's style collar.  Most of all it's his expression.  It might look blank to some at first glance, but there is so much more there.  Tears my heart out.  So I have been his "5/5/5 Warrior" this summer, and my goal was to raise $5000 for his adoption grant through Reece's Rainbow.  Man, it's not easy!  Right now I have raised I asked for donations through FB, twitter, homeschooling groups, had a huge yard sale, and another one coming up, promoted my Kindle giveaway, my etsy shop (100% go to him right now), and just created a new one just for him called Saving Nicholas.  I just set it up last night, so there is hardly anything in there yet.  I wish I could have set up more local fundraisers that would have brought in more, like a spaghetti dinner or auction, etc, but I was not organized enough and time ran out.

I have only a few days left until the 5/5/5 Warrior event ends (7/31), and I would love for it to go out with, if not a bang, then maybe a little pop.  I will still be raising money for Nicholas past the end of the program, and probably will be until he either disappears (the money would then go to another child's grant) or until he is safely adopted.  But raising as much as I can for the 5/5/5 goal before it is over would be a great thing.  But #1 for me is getting his face out there.  It is so important that as many people as possible see him, especially prospective adoptive families.  You can use any of my posts, there is a video there that you can use...If people would like to donate directly to him instead of to the link on my sidebar, they can go to his page here and click on the donate button:  http://reecesrainbow.org/nicholas-25ha

I tend to be long-winded -- sorry about that!  Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, anything.  Oh, and if you know of anyone thinking about adoption, direct them to Reece's Rainbow and perhaps Nicholas will be found.  :)
Thanks so much, Beth!
-Katie
www.whereisthumbkin.blogspot.com


I know that time is up for Katie's 5/5/5 goal, but you can still help!  This is a seemingly never ending crusade.  I will leave you with a video from the Today show.  It is difficult to watch.
  



Will you help?

Where we live.

These are the rooms we LIVE in.  Really live in.  The kitchen and family room.  The hub of the home.  

I know I've shared a bit of each, but now, they are just about complete save some baseboards and trim pieces in the kitchen.

These rooms make me happy every morning when I go in to make my first cup of coffee {of many}.

I hope you enjoy them, too.  As we all now, I love a good peek inside someone's home.  ;)

Let us not forget {EVER forget} what it started as...

 Have a super {if not hot} weekend!

Blog-worthy...

If I was blogging only for my close friends and family, I'd have a million stupid, what-can-seem-mundane stories to tell and photos to show.  I choose not to bore too many of you, and for that, I haven't posted any good meat, lately.  I apologize.

I've been too busy with it being summer to even think of note worthy things to write about.  Sometimes, I like being too busy doing nothing.  You know what I mean?

I am happy to report some good things have been happening in Betsy's life, and we will be getting her a 'big kid' stroller very soon.  This is something we've wanted for ages, but they are VERY pricey.

I am over-the-moon excited.  We are going on a trip to Chi-town over Labor Day Weekend, and I think it will be invaluable to everyone's experience.  She gets tired fast.

So, in a nutshell...we've been sick-busy doing nothing, but the pool, golf, baseball, summer school for Bets, and being hot.  Oh, and eating a ton of sno-cones {thank goodness they finally got some more pomegranate flavor...I was almost ready  to go postal}.

I do have a post coming up about a touchy subject for myself...the current state in some countries of how they manage/deal/view children with special needs, and the difficulty associated in adopting them.  Sad stuff.  Get your tissues ready...

I {heart} faces - props

I decided to try my hand at the 'I Heart Faces' photo challenge this week.  The theme is props, and for this particular theme you do not need a visible face in the photo, just a body.  This is probably my favorite photo I've taken to date, and I thought the wagon made it very 'proppy'.

Insta-mania.

I don't have a whole lot of time today, so, I though I'd share a few from my Instagram arsenal with you.

On Sunday, we got kicked out of the pool due to thunder.  The skies got craaaaaazy shortly after.  I took this in our driveway, and then took shelter.  It was spooky.

Rosie lost the ribbon to her tap shoes.  I, of course, wasn't told until 2 minutes before she walked into the studio.  This is called mom improvisation.  I found a party favor bag in my purse and made it work.  It's not the prettiest thing, but it got the job done.

Pete got this amazing hat from my pal, Tara of My Crochet Obsession.  He pretends he's in The Avett Brothers when he wears it.  Is it sick to be proud of that?  Because...well, I am.

This photo sums up my two boys' dispositions beautifully.  My oldest, Jake, is sitting patiently waiting for his slushie and burger at Bob's Drive-In.  Pete, on the other hand, is laying on the patio in the background writhing around.  Good gravy!

Our little Willie.  She likes me.  A lot.  Too much.  Rosie likes her.  A lot.  Too much.  Because as Rosie carries her around everywhere, pushes her in a stroller, and is so close to putting doll clothes on her, Willow seems to grow more attached to me.  Funny how that works.  Rosie traumatizes the puppy, the puppy falls more in love with her 'momma'.  Again, good gravy!

Have you heard of these?  Apparently, I'm behind the times.  They. Are. Amazing.  Go get yourself some.  Now.  Here.

Betsy came upstairs yesterday in this.  She put it on all by herself.  It's my shirt, but on her it looked like a muumuu/caftan thing. Instantly, I thought of Mrs.Roper from Three's Company.  If only her crazy hair was red, and she had some plastic jewelry on...she'd be a dead ringer.  I'm smelling an epic Halloween costume. What are the chances of finding Pete a leisure suit?  Can you say, Stanley?

If you're on Instagram, I'd love to have some new followers {oddgirloutblog}.  If you're not on Instagram, what are you waiting for?  You need another time suck, right?