Can It Be????

Well, folks, it looks like we have a house after all!

At the same time, we've had our hearts broken a few times already, so I don't know that I should really think that it's for certain until all the papers are signed and the keys are in hand. Of course, this means completing the Big Move now, and I don't even want to think about all that that entails, especially leaving my family and trying to establish ourselves in a new place. It's very intimidating, and even more so for a homebody who doesn't really embrace change (that's me, in case you wondered).

I am trying to think of this move as an adventure, and look at it as exciting rather than devastating. I am definitely looking forward to taking our new home and truly making it ours. Hopefully I will be able to document all of that progress for all of you.

Thanks to this blog community, I am absolutely exploding with ideas for the new house! I don't think there will be time or space to put them all to use. ;)

What I Needed to Hear Today

I read Miss Mustard Seed's blog every day. Sometimes more than once a day. :)

Today her post was on "asking and receiving;" she makes sheet music wreaths (and so do I, by the way...different from hers, but when I saw hers I figured I could give it a try...I've used sheet music, but I've also used vintage books, and today used a vintage Bible), and her supply of music was running low. She put out an SOS, asking for some....and received some, in spades.

Also, today, I was working with my oldest here at home, doing some preschool-type work. The story that goes along with the letter for the day was "Noah and the Ark." At the end of the story, we were reminded that God always provides for his children when they trust in Him.

I have been struggling for the past few days with the fact that we do not yet have a home; but I needed the reminder, small though it may be, that provision is always made.

Cinnamon Bread with a side of Butterflies

As you know, the kiddos and I are staying with Mother and Dad until the Hubs can find us a home to complete The Big Move.

Dad is a minister, and this week it was his turn to host the community-wide prayer breakfast (attended by the mayor, other pastors, and business owners). He wanted to kind of make a splash, so he asked my mother, sister, and I to cook some tasty treats.

My mother found this recipe, and IT IS AMAZING (the breakfast-ers thought so and told Dad over and over!)

Cinnamon Bread

1 box white or yellow cake mix
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T butter flavoring (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and beat well. Mix, have ready 4 Tablespoons sugar and 2 Tablespoons cinnamon. Pour half of batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Add remaining batter. Makes 2 small loaves or 1 long loaf or also makes 3 miniature loaves for gifts. Bake 1 hour at 350 or until done.

In other news, the reason for the butterflies...
We may have a new home by the end of today. This is such a huge huge step for us and I am frankly scared to take it.

A Sad Day

Well, today we got an answer.

Just not the answer we were hoping for, I guess...the house we had been in negotiations to purchase went to another buyer. We are now absolutely officially homeless, with no real prospects yet for a place of our own. Thank God for Mother and Dad. ;)

I am on one hand extremely sad and on the other grateful, as 1) we are certain that all things work together for the good, and 2) this means spending more time with my family before we move away for good.

We are working at maintaining a positive attitude even though our future seems uncertain.

Somehow it will all work out.

Copycat Flag

I happen to love, love reading The Lettered Cottage. If you haven't been there yet, you need to go. Really. Just wait till you finish reading this, then hop on over there.

A couple of months ago, I was reading her posts about mantle decor for changing seasons, and I fell in love with her summer design. I really, really wanted a flag like hers.

So I tried making one. Mine definitely doesn't look as refined as hers does, but I think it will do the trick. Since The Big Move is coming up, I haven't hung it in my current house, and I'm hoping that there will be a good spot for it in the new one.

(On a side note: today we got word from the bank that there is another offer on the house that we are trying to get. We have been negotiating with the bank for over a month now, and almost two weeks ago accepted THEIR offer. They, however, had apparently not accepted their OWN offer. Does that make sense? It does not make sense to me. That being said, they can accept anyone else's offer that they choose as long as they have not signed off on ours. Enter anxiety.)

So hopefully we will have a place to live someday.

In the meantime, I will have a cool flag in storage.

Our Sunday Evening Tradition.

I'm kind of big on traditions.

I think that they tend to give us a kind of mental or emotional stability....something to look forward to and depend on, or something to look back on with joy. They don't have to be huge and momentous (like Thanksgiving or Christmas), but a simple, happy celebration of "today."

And "today" happens to be Sunday. ;)

On Sundays, we usually eat a large midday meal, so nobody (read: Mama) feels like cooking that night, or feels like eating a large dinner.

Enter Monkey Bread.

There is a shortcut to making Monkey Bread (using pre-made biscuits or rolls), but I like to make a batch or two of biscuit dough from scratch. Then I use my Pampered Chef scoop (I think I use the medium-sized one) to scoop out balls of dough and roll them in butter and cinnamon-sugar. (I used to just roll the balls by hand, but using the scoop lessens the mess and also ensures that each piece of bread is the same size. Then I put in a greased/buttered/sprayed cast iron skillet and bake it at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

When it comes out of the oven, while it's still piping hot, I pour a powdered sugar glaze over it, which kind of carmelizes in the skillet and all over the biscuit dough. Oh, it's good!

My Hubby Made Me a Farmhouse Bench!

Yes, I am squealing!!!!!

I have literally wanted one ever since I laid eyes on my first copy of Country Living magazine when I was 18 years old (I don't really think we need to discuss how long ago that was). I remember thumbing through the pages and thinking, "This is ME!" even though I had no idea what country or cottage style was (beyond country blue and dusty rose and all those ducks and geese from the '80's...ugh!!! Do you remember those?).

I was at a little flea market in our tiny town and saw a farmhouse bench for sale, and took Hubs up there with the truck so that I could buy it and he could help me load it, but he took a look at the wobbly bench and said, "I think I can make that. And I think I have everything I need to make it at the house already."

Wow, really? Ok!

So sure enough, he made one! And so far it has cost us exactly $0, which is AWESOME. The wood came from leftovers from other projects, and the primer and paint were all sitting in the garage begging for a second chance to make something pretty. And I think they did a pretty good job. I still have to buy poly for it, since I am hoping to use it for seating at my dining room table. It should seat 4 bottoms, I think. Well.....I guess that kind of depends on the bottom, huh?

I also need a new camera, because I think mine takes pretty lousy pictures, but hopefully you can get a decent idea of how my new farmhouse bench (!) looks.