Wednesday, January 27, 2016

I'm A Plumber...



Hi Sweet Friends

It feels SO good to be back
My kiddo is home
Update HERE

Over the weekend I noticed that there was water
On the floor in my Master bathroom
I realized it was coming from under the toilet
I knew exactly what the problem was
However, I didn't have time to repair it immediately

On Tuesday morning
I got up and ran over the Ace
Picked up a wax ring
And came home to repair the problem


I watched a couple of YouTube videos
Just to make sure I knew how to replace the ring

Let me just say here
Toilets are Heavy
Nuf said :)


After turning off the water
Unscrewing the bolts and the water supply
From the bottom of the tank
I lifted the toilet and moved it off the seal

I spent several minutes
Cleaning off the old wax seal
Cleaning the area around it
And cleaning the floor

(How do things get so dirty when they are not open to the air?)



Anyway
I replaced the wax ring and cup with a new set
Then came the hard part
I had to lift the toilet again
AND
Get is set correctly on those bolts
This was a bit of a challenge
Because I had to hold the toilet until each
Of the wholes were centered over the bolts

My suggestion:
Have a bit of help when you do this part

After resetting the toilet
I cleaned everything up


I reconnected the water and bolts
And
Voila
40 minutes and the job was Done
I hope I don't have to do that again
For a long while


Now
You all know I have a little shopping addiction - LOL
I purchased a sweet heart on an etsy site
And it arrived today

Is one of my favorite Etsy Sites
You can see her beautiful items here



Not only did I receive the hand made heart
Stephanie added a sweet journal
Just in time for me to start writing
Down all of the wonderful Blessings
That God has blessed me with

1. Madi is Home and safe
2. My toilet is not leaking
3. I have a Terrific Job that I Love

Those will be the first blessings I will write in my new
Blessings Journal

Thank you Stephanie

May you all be blessed
And find JOY in the little things


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Thank Yous, Clarifications and Prayer Requests



Hello My Dear Blog Friends

It is hard to believe I have not opened my laptop
Since the 9th of January
The past two weeks have been
Scary and Busy

1. Thank You:

     I would humbly like to thank each person who has contacted me via email, text, phone, FB or through my blog to offer prayers and good thoughts. Your encouragement is what is getting me through this terribly difficult season with my youngest son.
I honestly don't know how people get through a crisis without prayer, family and friends. I know I covet your prayers and especially your encouraging words. So, thank you again and always!!

2. Clarification:

     It is a difficult task to relay my heart through the written word.  On my last post (at Loving Madi), I shared that I would attempt to use female pronouns when referring to my son, as that is what he would like. Also, I mentioned that I would try to call him Madi.
     I realize that many may have misunderstood my intention and my stance on the subject of having a son who would like to be a girl. Please let me clarify, if that is really possible.
    My son, who is 30 years old, has recently told me and the world that he is transgender and wants to go through the process of becoming female. I have been a mess since that day, September 21, 2015. I have prayed and cried out to the Lord to help him see that his choice is sinful and, in my opinion, will cause him a life of pain. Yet, so far, he has not changed his mind, in fact, he is stronger and more determined than ever.
     In my attempt to help him through his pain, I decided to show love (God's love and Grace) to him by using female pronouns and his new chosen name of Madi.  This does NOT mean that I have changed my opinion about him being transgender. I do not agree with it, I do not understand it, I do not condone it.  My heart is still broken about it, I am grieving, and praying, no pleading with God to help him, I cannot change my opinion about his choice. BUT, I can choose GRACE! I can show love and respect for his choice.
     He will always know that I am here for him, that I will always be truthful with him about my thoughts, he will always see God's love for him and God's grace for him through me. I will never turn my back on the truth's I believe are written in God's Word, yet I have to find ways to have peace in my home and keep my son from ending his life because of the pain he is in.
     It is possible that you may not agree with me or the way I have chosen to face this trial, but at least you know where I stand and why I am making the choices I am making.
     None of us has any idea of how we will handle a situation until that situation is staring us in the face. When the rubber meets the road, so to speak.
     I Never thought I'd have to face this, but it is here, in my home and I have to walk it out the best way I know how.  I may be wrong, but I'm praying through it and will listen intently for my Father's voice in the midst.

3. Prayer Request:
     Madi has been in the hospital for 9 days, 'She' was suicidal and homicidal. Threats were made and she needed to be in a place where she is safe. 
      a. Prayers are requested for a proper diagnosis (right now schizophrenia is a possibility)
      b. Correct medication and dosing for treatment
      c. Wisdom for her medical team
      d. Wisdom for housing and living arrangements
      e. Peace for me and for her
      f. God's protection and Grace

Thank you Again!

Now, I am hoping in the days ahead, I will feel more awake and at peace so I can start blogging happily again!

May you have a Blessed Week Ahead




Saturday, January 9, 2016

Post Holiday Re~Styling



Hi Sweet Friends
And Welcome to my first post
Of 2016

Christmas décor has finally all been
Packed and put away for another year
And it's time to start
Cleaning and re~styling the house


Today I started in the Living room
Dust is something that I try not to collect
But there certainly was a lot of it to wash away


I'm not able to get a full width photo of the
But these three give you the idea of what it looks like


With the exception of the quilts
I tried to keep everything light and white
I'm pleased with the top of the area for now
I'm sure spring will bring more changes
But for now ~ it's a good thing


The quilt above was made and gifted to me
By a friend a few days ago
It does have special meaning
Which I may share another time
But for today
It became inspiration to re~style
The opposite side of my LR


I'm am putting myself on a spending freeze
Due to some upcoming changes in my life
So I really had to be creative
And shop my house to find the best pieces
To use in the entry


Pulling in white and bits of blue
Is a challenge for me
But I was surprised at how much I do have


I've had this IKEA Expedit for many years
It has been serving as storage for
My 3 K's toys and books
However, now that they are older
I can start to use it for more display items


I purchased the above art from my friend Melanie
And love how it works with the quilt and theme


I'm not super experienced at styling
So gentle suggestions are always welcome

I'll be heading to my mom's on Sunday
To help her clean and decorate her bedroom

Praying you all have a blessed weekend
I'm hoping to blog more on a regular basis
And definitely looking forward to visiting you
More often!!!

You bless my heart
And keep me headed in the right direction
And in 2016
That is Forward!!

Thank you for stopping by
I am praying for you this week

Blessings

Sharing at The Enchanting Rose

New post at
Loving Madi