Wallpaper is the devil!

I like a good renovation, don't get me wrong, but wallpaper is a huge mess to deal with. My dad and I are fixing up one of the cottages for some renters coming in on the first and 'he' started a project we just couldn't finish. This one room had 4+ layers of wallpaper on it and we've been working at it for several days now without much improvement. In fact we're making the room uglier by the second. We tried using vinegar and hot water on the walls to get it off and then a miracle product DIF that doesn't work a true miracle. We even went so far as to rent a professional steamer to work on the walls but none of them are doing the trick. And we're both getting impatient about it. Dad finally decided today to just cover it up with some extra paneling we had from a previous renovation (our motto, save everything because you may need it one day). It will cover two of the walls and we're going to mud over one of them and just prime and paint. This post is just to remember how horrible removing wallpaper is and to prevent myself and anyone else out there reading this from ever doing it again.

p.s. I didn't write this for suggestions on how to remove wallpaper because we did everything we were supposed to and it was still awful. We scored the walls with those little circle tools and followed all the instructions but to no avail. Never again!

Unexpected Joys

I got an unexpected call from my cousin last week wondering if she and her husband could come up to jolly Maryland for a visit. Now considering Symphony and Caleb had just come home with Joy I very quickly realized that they didn't want to really see me but the baby instead. I am completely fine with that I just wish they would have said that to begin with.

All kidding aside it was a wonderful two days spent with Emily and Rob. They just moved to North Carolina so they're only about 5 hours away from us instead of the 17hrs when they lived in FL. It was a joy to visit with them.

Joy isn't afraid of heights at all and the sun doesn't bother her when she's sleeping either.

We went to Antietam Battlefield and did some drive-by reading of the monuments. And of course we went to the top of the Tower at Antietam (don't ask me it's real name because I couldn't tell you).


And after that we went to Harpers Ferry where Emily really wanted to take a picture by one of these white informational signs. Go figure.



There were kind enough to pull over so I could take a picture of one of the canons at Antietam battlefield. I thought the color of the aged/oxidized copper was really cool. Maybe something to incorporated in a painting or quilt.

All in all it was great fun seeing them both. Hopefully I can make it down to see them before the end of the summer is over.

Blessed

So the moment that everyone has anticipated in my family for months arrived last Saturday. Symphony and Caleb came home bringing with them Jaclyn Joy Lovelady. It is so amazing to be able to hold and love this little child of God that came into our family so unexpectedly. She is truly a blessing like none other. While I pick on her a lot for looking like a little old man (and if she scrunches her face just right one of those little tree monsters off of the movie the The Mummy II, sorry Symph) she is of course the most beautiful child I've ever seen. She's so tiny but she's already got character and strength all her own. Symphony and Caleb are going to have their hands full with this little wiggler. She's going to be crawling around getting into all sorts of mischief before they know it.

We had most of the Brown family over this past weekend to celebrate .
So of course there was lots of family portraits.

Here's Great Grandma and Grandpa.

The four generations picture. Four generations of love and life.

And of course Joy and her favorite Aunt posing pretty for the camera!

I don't know how I'll ever survive with them living so far away in Fort Hood, Texas. It's just not fair. Symphony and Caleb are going to be great parents, I know that, but Joy is going to need someone to play with and who better than her favorite Aunt.

Father of all,
Be with this new family of yours as they move so far away from their earthly family. Please provide them with friends and a church family in Texas that will help them when they need it, and keep them close to you always. Keep Caleb safe as he works and Symphony sane while she takes care of Joy. May Joy grow daily learning about You and Your world so that she'll never forget who You are. I love you and I thank you for your many blessings.

So you know I love you

Some no bake cookies for Symphony, whom I've promised for a while to give, to be sent with mom tomorrow!

*edit: make that try to let you know that I love you because you won't be getting these. I goofed the recipe up! This time instead of cereal type no bakes I got gloppy no bakes due to adding too much milk (oops!). Sorry but know that I will have plenty of goodies for you when you come home:) I love you

Jaclyn Joy Lovelady

In case you haven't heard yet there's a new addition to our family as of yesterday. Here is my niece Jaclyn Joy Lovelady. She was born July 9, 2007 around 11:30 am eastern time. She ways 6lbs. 7oz. and I have no idea how long she is but does that matter? Look at her adorable face.

Granted the picture is not the best but mom will take care of that when she flies out to Arizona tomorrow to visit her kids (Symph and Caleb) and hold her new "joy". How I wish I could be on that plane with her tomorrow but I'll just have to wait another 9 days before they come home to visit before moving to Fort Hood, Texas. Mommy and baby are doing just fine (and I think daddy's doing okay too now that he's gotten some rest:). They're already home and recovering and discovering everything they can about each other. How I long to hold her and tell her just how much I love her and have anticipated and prayed for her coming into this world.

Thank you God for the many blessings that you give us in this life. May we never forget to give credit where it's do and have a joyful and thankful heart in you.