We are home owners.  I'm so thrilled!  This is the realty company's photo from winter. 

We have lots of house projects to work on and lots of landscaping to trim.  I look forward to posting updated pics!  Thanks so much for the prayers.

I love houses with names.  As soon as the offer on our house was accepted I started researching name possibilities.  I tried to find something that related to the history of the house and the location.  Nothing seemed right.  I consulted with a friend, Pastor Darrell Harmon.  His house, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, has an amazing name!  He gave me some tips and got me pointed in an inspiring direction.  After weeks of thought and prayer, we chose Elkanah House.  Elkanah is Hebrew.  It means "possessed by God". 

I'm off to grout tile, move boxes, paint walls, do laundry, fix meals, and teach kids. 

I attempted to cancel homeschool for a few days, a.k.a. fall break, but to no avail.  The girls insisted they REALLY wanted to do school.  After I picked myself up off the floor and touched all their foreheads to see if they were delirious with fever, I agreed.  I'm really thinking, "Can't a momma get a teacher work day?"

P.S.  I  those girls!

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. 

~Author Unknown

(Thank you, Mrs. Frances.)

Katie and Emrie share.

A bathroom in between. 

Gracie and Judah share.

Too cute to keep to myself.

Visit Where The Heart Is for an eeeee-asy DIY Tutorial. 

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer. 

Our Master Door-room Bedroom

(Entry from Kitchen)

(Entry to Master Bath)

(Entry to small room off back porch)

(Closets)

The FlyLady has become a very fond acquaintance of mine.  I love organization!  I just can't focus if I am surrounded by chaos.  I use so many of the FlyLady's ideas to help me keep it together.  My ultimate goal is to make our home a happy place that my husband and kids can't wait to get home to.  I want them to feel as though our home is a sanctuary where they can relax and retreat from the everyday world.  The kids have school in our home.  I want it to be a place that is conducive to their learning.  They play in our home.  I want it to be a place that makes wonderful memories.  My husband often works and studies from home.  I want it to be a place where he can be productive.  A place that he can think and have his best ideas. 

If you haven't met FlyLady, go introduce yourself at www.flylady.net.  You'll get to know her gradually as her site has so much information.  Don't try to read it all or do it all at once, you'll get overwhelmed.  Just implement a little of her suggestions at a time (babysteps, she calls them).  Use what works for you and absolutely disregard what doesn't.  (I do. She understands.)

Reading this letter to Flylady really changed my perspective about the home,

"Dear Flylady
Wanted to let you know about the wonderful B & B my husband and I stayed at this Memorial Day weekend. The small but simply furnished kitchen was well stocked with delicious healthy snacks and meals. Homemade waffles with blackberries were served from a beautiful clean kitchen. The living areas and bedrooms were furnished with fresh plumped pillows, lovely matching sheets and down comforter and scented candles everywhere. The bathroom - ah ...bubble bath, lotions and fresh white towels. The library was stocked with books, magazines and yoga videos…."

Flylady and friends were getting excited - where was this wonderful sounding bed and breakfast? We always keep our eyes peeled for pampering opportunities - especially ones we can share with our spouses….I continued to read…

"…Best of all, my husband and I spent time together with no interruptions, chores or traffic. Okay - you guessed it ... thanks to you - this is my home. Thank you, thank you."

Everyday perfection will never happen but I can organize my home in such a way that peace and tranquility emanate from every room.  I can fill our home with things that we love by getting rid of everything that we don't. 

My goal is to fill our home with wonderful smells from candles and good home cooking.  I want to fill our home with wonderful sounds from great music, to laughter, squeals of delight, unsaid words of bitterness and by teaching my littles to control their voices when angry or upset (work in progress ).  I want to fill our home with fun and precious memories like these:

Christmas 2005

Spring 2008

Do you see the chalkboard?  At our Virginia home I wrote, "On the Menu at Vine Street Retreat."  I haven't written anything on our chalkboard because I haven't decided on a name for our new home.  Do y'all name your homes? 

This church pew came out of a church in Castlewood, Virginia.  It was built by my Great Grandfather Garrett.  Lucky for the congregants that they replaced the pews, huh?

I told you there would be more...

Nothing else to see here.  Standard bathroom stuff.  Nothing to see. 

(Stay tuned for the kitchen.)

All my friends and family back home (probably just my mom and my church small group) are waiting on pics of the new house.  For the rest of us, I apologize for the following poor quality photos of my modest home.  If my new ISP actually fulfills their promise of internet service (we're on South Carolina time, now), I promise to resume other topics and leave the home decorating to the Nester. 

This is my front door from the inside.  I started with my back to the door and took pictures clockwise from the corners of the room.  Regardless of the lighting and poor quality of the photos, my walls are off white (not gray or green as some of the photos would lead you to believe).  The ceiling and trim are white.