I have posted photos of the Living Room even though I had not finish hanging the last of my prints. The Dining Room is finished but I have a photo project I have been working on and will not post Dining Room photos until I finish it. However, I thought I would share some of the potential photos. These are a few of Kaitlynn.
She has been doing very well. Her first report card that has real grades instead of N, P, S's was pretty good. She only gets graded for Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science receiving all B's and a C respectively. I was really bummed because she was just points away from A's and B's to make the Honor Roll. Hoping we have given her something to work for. She is still taking her Global Kids class (like an AIG prep class) and loves it.
She will finish the soccer season this Saturday; she has been fun to watch. Basketball season doesn't start until January (yes, she asked to play basketball) but she will have Brownies to keep her busy. I will have to post a picture of her with her vest on.
Look closely this is the GOD AWFUL acoustic (popcorn) ceiling.
This is my new B-E-A-U-tiful smooth painted ceiling.
Sunday, September 16th as Phil's sister was driving out of our neighborhood, I was taking everything out of the living room. For the next two weeks, we scraped and sanded the ceiling to prepare it to paint. We painted the ceiling and walls. I painted inside the windows while Phil framed in the windows. We mounted stone on the wall. We found a sawmill, picked out a cedar tree, had it planed down and sealed it. We washed the floors and baseboards. Finally, we moved the furniture back in Wednesday September 26th. Just in time to pick Phil's step-mom up from the airport Friday.
I LOVE this mantle, solid cedar, 8ft long, pure beauty.
This stone wall was almost the death of me. I love it but would not do it ourselves again.
This dresser/buffet will be repainted in the months to come to match the living room.
There is art missing from the wall behind the sofa. It will be mounted in the coming weeks.
It will be so much better when my prints are back on the wall.
I LOVE the framed windows. This was a last minute addition.
This family tree is one of my favorite things after
the mantle and stone wall of course.
This living room update was long over due. There are not enough words to tell you how much I love it. Everyday when I come home I feel like we scrapped all old ugliness away. I was so pleased with the finished product, the Monday we took Phil's step-mom back to the airport I jumped on the dining room. We still have to frame in the dining room window and I have a photo display to finish. Once these are done I will share dining room photos too.
Phil was very burned out once the dining room was finished. We decided to take a break and start again after Christmas.
Throughout this process I have learned several things. Most days Phil and I work very well together. I laughed and joked and smiled more. I won't lie a few of those days I was very stressed and overwhelmed. What I learned about myself was to step back, regroup and work on what I was good at. Every time I did that I suddenly turned around and more and more or the room was coming together.
If you ask the kids what they remember.....eating meals on the floor in the hallway and living room, helping mommy wash the floor and baseboards and living in the upstairs of the house for two weeks.
For all the memories we created, I hope the new rooms create many more.....
Matriarch - A highly respected women who is a mother.
Last week I headed to a funeral home to pay my respects to a woman who lived and breathed the true definition of a matriarch. She was a mother of four and grandmother of 11(I think).
When I pulled into the parking lot I was amazed the only place to park was patches of grass on the side. I was greeted by her husband and he had a smile on his face. Then it was like I suddenly fell into a time warp, slide show and photos everywhere. You literally watched her children and grandchildren grow up in photos; her whole life right there in front off you.
As I talked to friends and family, she had spent her last days suffering and was ready to meet the Lord at the front gate. Before she went she spent time planning her funeral. She wanted everything to be just right. She didn't wanted those that loved and knew her to be grieving she was gone; she wanted them celebrating how she lived. She and her eldest son shared the joy of music. The next day he would be singing a final farewell to his mother. Just the thought of every ounce of love that will pour out of that song makes me cry.
The woman and her husband were married 52 years. Thinking about the more than half a century she ran the house, reared the children and stood by her husband in every hill and valley they travelled, how do you go on. To be together that long is one of the truest forms of respect. I know that a part of him died that faithful day with her.
A long time family friend told me that the the son she shared the joy of music with, could not get it right with his father. They seemed to argue and not connect on so many levels. As she fought her battle to live with an ugly disease, the father and son finally made their way back to each other. Even in her death she found a way to bring them together. So much so the father walks into the family business, the son helps run, and says (no matter who is around), "Good Morning Son, I love you." It took an amazing woman to remind her strong willed, set in his ways husband no matter what tell your children you love them.
When I left the funeral home, I was just shaking my head. As a mother of three, one day I will be that person. To hold this position in a family are pretty big shoes to fill and not everyone is cut out for it and can do it well. Will my husband think as highly of me as this husband thought of his wife? Will my children trust and respect me, the way this family did? When my family celebrates my life will they really celebrate it or just be glad I am gone?
The whole evening just made me think about my life and what I want my children to learn and take away from it. What things do I want them to carry with them to their children. Sometimes we get so buried in day to day life we forget all the little things we do make a difference. The things we think are irrelevant will be the one silly little fact our child remembers.
To all the mother's out there, one day you will hold this highest position. It won't matter the position you hold if you don't earn it along the way. Thank you Mrs. Anne for the reminder that every minute of every hour of everyday we are striving to teach our children the very best in life is what we make of it as we live it.
During the last week I have been running, running, running.......and I am exhausted.
To start Madelynn finally started school. She was very nervous. To start 90% of her friends she has gone to this school with for the last two years are not in her class this you. She is one of the youngest children in the class. I believe she is also nervous because for the last two years she has had the same teachers and this year she has new teachers. Unfortunately, the day after she met her teachers the week before one of them left. So she started the school year off with a teacher she had never met.
Madelynn was very excited about the classroom and all the fun things to do. This year she has and art center, nature center with a fish tank, kitchen and family care area. She would have been happy to taking care of the babies all day. I was thrilled to see all the things that will challenge her this year. I believe that over the next few weeks she will get acclimated and do very well. Sadly, I discovered she needs help learning how to use scissors. Since she cut her own hair last year I assumed this was not an issue. However cutting hair and paper are two different things. guess we will have to practice.
Today was the first GAME Day of the season for Kaitlynn and Jackson. Let me just say when I left for the field this morning it was grey and foggy. However, I came home with face, arms and feet that resembled a roasted tomato. I have flip flop stripes across the tops of my feet, farmers stripe across my bicep and my face looks like I tried a new raspberry makeup.
Enough about me.....Kaitlynn and Jackson did great on the field today. Jackson's game was up first and he wowed the crowd. The first play of the game he was passed the ball at mid-field without taking a step he used those powerful legs and scored. I and most of the parents watching were stunned. His team won 7-2 and Jackson scored 4 times. He did really well.
Right after Jackson's game we moved fields and settled in for Kaitlynn's game. Kaitlynn's team did not fair as well they lost 9-7. Kaitlynn scored twice and did very well acclimating to her teammates and being one of the smallest players on the team. Even though they lost many of the parents, from the other team, and the official walked over and complimented how well they played. I think it was a good learning experience for the team. Kaitlynn was not disappointed they lost because her coach pulled her aside and told her how great she did. If nothing else I hope this is a great confidence builder for her as the season goes on.
Over all it was a Good week and Great Soccer Day. But my favorite pictures of the week are.......
The end of Summer is here. Like most parents, I am a little sad it is coming to a close. I have truly enjoyed my children this summer and everything it entailed.
It started out with one child mastering her bike, one child brave enough to just take off and ride, and one child finally having long enough legs to ride the big wheel (you would have thought she won the lottery), Vacation Bible School, Family Weekend and three weeks of Camp Gabe took us through the end of July.
Camp Gabe is where the kids really thrived this summer. Kaitlynn was enrolled in the Fine Arts Camp. She came home each week with some amazing art work. Not to mentioned she loved the freedom to just create. Jackson on the other hand spent three weeks in Sports Camp. My favorite part about Jackson in Sports Camp, someone finally wore him down. He LOVED it, but he was beyond exhausted.....best he slept all summer.
Madelynn was in three weeks of "Mini" Camp. Half her pre-school class was enrolled, she loved it. My favorite part about "Mini" Camp was the first day when Madelynn crawled out of bed she pulled her Minnie Mouse T-shirt out the drawer. She looked at me and said, "I have to wear my Minnie shirt for "Mini" Camp." Never a dull moment.
The rest of the summer was spent sitting under trees as the breeze blew by, sneaking off to Brewsters's for after dinner ice cream, magic tricks and wild animals at the library and swimming as much as possible. It also included lots of tests and doctor visits. All three had their annual physicals. except for Madelynn's weight the doctor was very please with all three. We also left the pediatric cardiologist with a great report. We have to wait until next year to find out more about Madelynn's nerve damage in her diaphragm but all is well for now.
I'm not going to lie I LOVE when school is in session. It is nice to know if I leave for work and the house is clean, when I come home it will still be clean. My children are routine people. If they know the plan they depend on it. Ask those who come to visit and the plan is disrupted.
This year marks big changes for Kaitlynn. She will earn real grades instead of satisfactory or unsatisfactory. She will participate in End of Grade (EOG) testing. If she does not pass this testing she does not pass the grade. Each student Must pass both the class and the EOG. I have not talked to her about this yet, it is on the agenda for the week.
Jackson will still be on the satisfactory/unsatisfatory program but his teacher will have a challange. Lucky for us she knows all the tricks, has been teching for 25 years, and been at the school since it opened in 1998. Jackson was very excited when he heard she would be his teacher. I hope this was an answered prayer.
Madelynn starts school this week. She was very sad when we drove Kaitlynn and Jackson to school and she could not go. She cannot wait for school to start.
Enjoy the photos from the first day of school through the first day of school.
I remember panicking because I could not find Phil's ring......
I remember sitting up in front of all of our friends and family and my knees shaking I was so nervous.....
I remember when the ceremony was over walking in the park holding his hand and feeling the summer breeze flow though my veil......
I remember laughing in the limo with my sister and my best friend, so happy we shared this moment together......
13 years ago today I became Mrs. Philip Addler.
This journey has not been an easy one. We have been challenged beyond anything I could have possibly fathomed. As a result of these deep valley paths we have trudged, the light is so much brighter on the other side. We have three beautiful, amazing miracles to show for it. We have our health and our home. We are two very lucky people to be surrounded by so much joy.
I know most of you have seen these before but here are some pictures from the Happy Day!!
Yesterday I asked Phil if he wanted to go out to dinner tomorrow. His response was, "WHY?". I walked away and said, "Never mind". I was really upset...He then says, "Chelsea, I was kidding I would never forget what tomorrow is." One of the things I love the most is he has never lost his sense of humor and always makes sure I never lose mine. Thank you Pilbert!! I love you to infinity and beyond, to the moon and back, forever and ever.
Today we celebrate another milestone, your 4th Birthday. You have come so far in such a short period of time and we are so lucky you came along. You make us laugh even when we don't think we need it. Life would have not been complete with out you.
Thank you for never giving up, showing us the fighter built inside of you and almost always doing it with a smile. I told your Daddy after your surgery I wasn't convinced you would survive until I saw you smile again. I can even tell you the day I knew it.
I stand back and watch you write your name, illustrate a story or just creatively play and am in awe at the ideas that you conjure up. I can honestly say you surprise me ALL the time. Some days I wonder if the world is ready for you as you have grown. You are about to begin your last year of pre-school and they have no idea what they are in store for.
Some days the chaos of our everyday life gets the best of me. But once I step back and truly see what gifts I have in my possession I am one lucky Mom. I hope you have a wonderful day.
