So Stinkin' Much

Dear readers, I warn you that this post, like pretty much all of my other posts, is rife with my high praises for motherhood and my precious family. If you are tired of reading such ramblings, than feel free to mosey on to the next blog on your reading list. If you don't mind my obvious affection for my husband, sons, and daughter, and like cute pictures, read on, readers!

I have a confession, friends: I am horrible at decorating. And arranging furniture. I just don't posses the capabilities. When He created me in my mother's womb, God, in His infinite wisdom, made a laid-back, low maintenance, singing, book-loving, cat person with a passion for being a wife and mother. He left out awesome culinary skills, self discipline in the areas of working out and resisting sweets, and the decorative ability that many of my friends have. I'm not complaining, I'm just sayin' that, when it comes to beautifying our home, Stephan sadly has to do most of the work.
  Because of this, I often feel a twinge of jealousy when we visit a friend's house and see their beautifully arrayed walls and shelves and creatively arranged brick-a-brack. It really does baffle me how they can think that way. My brain does not work like that. I just don't have that skill. So when I set my shoes to creating the perfect nursery environment for my precious baby girl, I sought help. Lots of help. And, dear readers, my friends delivered. I had websites, blogs, pictures and uber-helpful advice sent my way from some of the best friends a gal could ask for. So much so that, with only two house visits, I have in mind a vision for exactly what I want for my baby's room. This is what I have completed so far:

The "accent wall"

  For the other walls, I know exactly what I want, I just need to make a run or two to WalMart or Hobby Lobby to get a few items to complete my desired look. I'll try to remember to post pictured of the completed room once it's just that; completed. 
  Now for another confession, dear readers: I have let my sons down. In all of my drive and determination to decorate the walls of my little girl's room, I have realized that, in the months that we have been fully and completely moved into our wonderful house, I have never put an iota of effort into decorating my little boys' room. Sure, it has its little attempts at decoration here and there: a brightly colored fish tank, two pictures of Noah on the top shelf of their book case, and some cutesy stuffed animals that are for looking, not playing, arranged on the shelves of their bunk bed, but their walls and one window are bare as a bathing baby.
     It's really not to surprising, considering the spiel I shared in the above paragraph about my complete inability to decorate. And before this week, I never felt bad about it because, save for our dining room (the "fanciest" room in out house) and the two random paintings hung up in our living room, no other room had really anything hung on the walls. (You should see how plain and ugly our bedroom is. Good thing visitors don't hang out in master bedrooms). But now that the newest addition to our family is being treated to a beautiful living space, I feel bad for my Boogie Boy and Little Bit.
  So, to mollify my feelings of guilt ('cause honestly, the boys have never complained about a naked or boring room, so there's no other pressure to get things fancied up), I did something about it. I hung a curtain up in their room.
   Please, no applause. I'm just like you, only I found an unused curtain rod in my mother's shop and used it to hang an unused shower curtain in my son's window. I would show you a picture, but Witten's currently napping. It's a red curtain, if that helps any.
    I will, eventually, hang a few more things up in the boys room, maybe. I can't promise too much because if I had soooooooo much trouble and needed that much help in decorating a little girl's room, how on earth can I begin to strategize for the decorating of two very different-minded boys' room? also, what would I decorate with? I hate obvious, store-bought room themes, like Superman bedsheets or Jake and the Neverland Pirate wall murals. I'd like to accumulate an eclectic array of rugged, boy-ish things to fill the walls and shelves of the boys' room, similar to how I gathered feminine, pretty things for Baby Belle's room. I think I know where I might like to start, but for now I'll have to be content with the shower curtain hanging in their window.
  Then, maybe someday, when my ship comes in, I can start on my own bedroom.

         Pictures of my boys!

Witten loves to give kisses lately. Even to baby sister

Somebody's getting way to big! Stop growing, you massive four-year-old!

 And here is the latest of my precious baby girl:

It's like someone put lipstick on Witten. 

   My heart is as full as my growing belly. I love these kids so stinking much! I thank God and Stephan for these little ones, for without either of them, they wouldn't have been created.

  Speaking of Stephan, he just bought us an RV. With a little TLC and a TON of elbow grease, our family will soon be off on fantastic adventures as we created treasured memories!

  Be blessed, readers!

Five months, not too bad...

My boys are happily distracted in the back yard, the heaping pile of dirty dishes left over from Noah's birthday party are taking a bath in the dishwasher, and all the laundry that I care to put away right now has been dealt with.
Free time, yes, it's free time!
This will undoubtedly be a brief break from wifely/motherly/household duties, as something always pops up needing my immediate attention just when I sit down and get comfy, but I though I'd spend this rare, sweet moment of quiet on my blog. My poor, neglected blog.

Well, there was my first distraction. Fishing a Witten out of the pool that I told them not to get in this early. Now the boys are happily distracted inside. Let's see how long this lasts.

My dear readers, in the five months of blogosphere silence, a lot has transpired. If you missed the subdued announcement in my last post in January, I am, indeed, pregnant.

Me being pregnant at Easter time with my handsome, handsome boys.

 In t-minus two months, Stephan and I are eager and excited to welcome our third baby and first daughter! Her name shall be Meisie Belle Du Toit. Meisie is Afrikaans for "girl", which is an homage to her heritage. Belle is from Beauty and the Beast (my favorite movie in the world), and, of course, means "beauty". Du Toit is our last name, so that's a given. After we settled on the name, my husband started referring to her as "Belle", or "baby Belle". I LOVE it. So I'm thinking she may go by her middle name.

My little girl.

  We are over the moon excited to be welcoming a little girl into our family. Her brothers are, too. I'm looking forward to seeing what she looks like, who she takes after and what having a little girl in the family will be like. So much to look forward too!
     In other news, most recently, we celebrated our oldest child turning four. Four! Noah Sias will be four years old tomorrow, May 6th. WHAT? How? Where did the time go? Am I old? It's hard enough watching my baby boys grow up before my very eyes, but birthdays really drive it home that, honestly, they're not babies anymore!

New Noah

Now Noah

He is such a handsome boy. My goodness, God has blessed Stephan and me with adorable boys. He is far from the perfect child, as he does all the things every hyper, happy, grumpy, excitable, whiny, friendly, shy, loud, stubborn, sweet, little boy does. Every day is a practice in Godly parenting for Stephan and I. We are trying our darndest to raise him and his brother in a manner that reflects our Biblical beliefs and glorifies God. It's tough sometimes. I get cranky or impatient. I react harshly sometimes. But I am trying my best to apologize when I need to and show through my actions, not just my words, how to act and live life rightly. (Praise God for His help through the Holy Spirit). I love that Boogie Boy so much!
     In Witten news: my baby is no longer a baby. He talks a lot. He's so smart! we have to watch what we say around him, 'cause he's entered that sponge-stage of the tubby two's (Witten's not terrible. It seems completely disingenuous to refer to his second year as his "terrible two's"), in which he soaks up everything around him with remarkably keen senses. Witten wants to be a big boy like his brother, so he tries his best to do everything that Noah does. Except making stinky on the potty, which is putting a damper on potty training. He'll tee tee on the potty fairly regularly, but he has yet to make a stinky in the potty. It's all right, though. I'm not stressing this time around. He'll get it when he's ready. I hope.  

Just look at that squishy face!

Meanwhile, my husband has continued to be awesome. No, dear readers, I do not claim that my husband is perfect, as he is a flawed human being just like myself, but I do think that he is the bee's knees. Stephan Douglas Du Toit wows me weekly with his indomitable work ethic and can-do spirit. Oh, sure, he belly aches of aches and pains and weariness (he DID turn 29 recently. That's almost 30!), and yet he plows ahead with drive and a determination that I could never pretend to have.
  When I was young, my mother warned me against marrying a man just like me, as I am laid back, sometimes to a fault. Her warning is fair, as two me's would never get anything done. Well, momma, don't you worry. If you haven't noticed already, Stephan Gregory Du Toit is a go-getter who inspires me to be a better person. And, I think he's rather handsome.

 He has a heart of gold, that Stephan Cecily Du Toit. 

 Well, the boys have migrated from their room into the living room, raising the distraction level drastically. I'm going to sign off now, readers, with a promise to try to update more often. We'll see. I think I'll try to take the boys to the zoo now. I also have to grocery shop. (uuuuugggggghhhh!).

Be blessed, dear readers!

The World Must Know

I break my months of blogosphere silence, for what I have to share is truly blog material. Brace yourselves:

My family and I, including a few friends who are very dear to us, vacationed to Fort Worth to visit my brother and sister. The first place we stopped at as a collected group was a buffet style deli restaurant, for I was hungry. For some reason, I wanted potato salad.
   As my family arranged itself around a collection of pushed-together tables and started making it's way to the buffet line, my dear father, whom I love so much, graciously offered to fetch me a plate, as I had two other mouths to concern myself with. I happily thanked him for his kindness and set about tending to my sons' meals. I leave to grab their drinks. When I return, everyone else has already amassed their meals and started eating without me. I shrug off the mild offense, as I was really hungry and eager to eat. I sit at my seat, ready to dive in, when before me I see a plate covered in nothing but dressing-less coleslaw and one packet of crackers.
   I glance incredulously at my father. He happily smiles back. I guess he had remembered my craving for some sort of deli-style side dish, but brought me the wrong one, and he is clearly pleased with himself for being such a thoughtful father. I smile back at him. I can't begrudge him such a well-intended mistake. So, instead, I take up my plate and hit up the now much longer buffet line myself.
    My hunt was successful. I return to the table with a heaping plate of food, including a delicious looking serving of potato salad and, what excites my stomach the most, a large, crust-less, triple-decker club sandwich, no tomato, with a puddle of creamy honey mustard beside it. It is the quintessential craving of all my pregnancies, and boy, am I excited. I set down my plate, but my meal will have to wait. I forgot a drink.
    Within the minute, I return to my seat and plop down, eager to begin my feast. To my utter and shocking horror, I look upon my plate to see that my much-anticipated sandwich has been eaten down to two bites! The culprit even had the gall to mix ketchup in with my honey mustard! Anger and sadness war within me as I glare at the faces around the table.
    "Who ate my sandwich?" I demand, frantic tears already stinging my eyes.
No one spoke. Looks of confusion, amusement, and concern stare back at me, but one face looks away guiltily. My father. He apologizes quietly, trying to explain his actions, but my hungry, emotional state would hear none of it. Those tears I had tried to will away explode from my eyes in an angry, hurt torrent.
    "Dad, how could you! I'm hungry! I'm pregnant! You do not eat a hungry, pregnant woman's food!" I fume, my voice rising in a frenzied pitch with each word. I had never been angry with my father, but now, I was livid.

   I woke up with tears wetting my pillow. Sniffling and snuffling, I flipped over and curled myself around Stephan's shoulder. He mumbles something incoherent in his sleep. I gradually calm down. The moral of this story, dear readers: no matter how "close" you may be to a woman with child, never ever eat a pregnant woman's food. Not even in her dreams.
  I have come to forgive you, Daddy, and I still love you. Please don't touch my club sandwich.

Let my nerd flag fly

Friends, I just may be about to embarrass myself with this particular post, but if y'all can forgive me for writing a blog dedicated to ranking my favorite Disney princesses, then you should be alright with this one.
First, I'll start with a confession: I'm a tiny bit of a comic book fan. Well, I was one, back in the day. I no longer spend any amount of time perusing the comic book selves or checking out stats of various superheroes online, but there was a time I did those things. I don't know why. May be it was the draw of the stylized visions of human/meta human perfection that I envied and could only find in the pages of a comic. Maybe I just thought that those dudes in the painted on "spandex" suits were hot. Or  maybe it was the idea of heroes actually existing that I would still love to see. Wouldn't that make things like natural disasters and cataclysmic, horrible events so much better if there were superheroes who could swoop in and stop the collapsing buildings or save the trapped innocents?
  Anyways, In honor of finally being able to watch Superman: Man of Steele on DVD in the comfort of my own home (thank you for my new movie, honey!), and having my old superhero fan-girl revived, I decided to waste a nap time buy listing my top 9 personal favorite super heroes in order from least to most favorite. (Also, I'll be sticking to mostly DC comics and not Marvel, 'cause those kooks are too confusing, and I'll be drawing from all medium of entertainment; comics, cartoons, and movies). Let us begin:
 
Number 9: Aquaman

How is that get up practical for any activity, much less fighting crime?

 People knock Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, far too often. They ridicule him for a variety of reasons, mainly because his powers are lame and he's only useful close to or in water. However, in modern retelling of his story, Aquaman is actually super cool with very formidable powers. Also, he's one of the very, very, very few comic book heroes who is faithfully married, and considering the wealth of scantily clad crime-fighting women he works with, that's a big feat. Despite his impressive monogamy and improved status in the comic world, he's still only #10 because he's still only super useful in/around water. Lame.

Number 8: Green Arrow

Only in costumed crime fighting could a grown, heterosexual man wear shiny leather and be considered "cool"

 As you will see later on in the line up, I appreciate those heroes whose only abilities are their own strength of body, mind, and character. Oliver Queen is (tell me if this sounds a bit familiar) a billionaire playboy who uses his wealth to equip  himself with a unique and stylized arsenal of weaponry so as to fight crime using a masked alter-ego. (I know, right? Sounds sadly familiar. He even had a secret hideout called the "arrow cave" in the beginning, and I'm not even kidding). However, he, siilar his apparent idol and life model, is out there facing down the bad guys with only his strength, wits, and a bow and arrow. That takes a certain kind of crazy bravery.   

Number 7: Captain America

a

 'MERICUH! It would be unconstitutional, unpatriotic, and mean of me to not include the all-American hero in this line up. And I really do like the guy. The recent movie, in which Steve Rodgers is well portrayed by Chris Evans, did a good job of capturing what is so darn likable about this guy in the comics: he's an all-around good guy. As American as baseball and apple pie, Captain America might not posses the extreme super-abilities that many of his compatriots do, but he's still an opponent to be reckoned with. And the theme song to his 1960's cartoon is catchy.   

Number 6: Green Lantern

Not the movie. I repeat, not the movie. I mean, good try and all, WB, but I was left sad and lacking, despite your headache-inducing amount of special effects. The story felt rush, full of holes, and wishy-washy.
The comic book  version(s) of the green lantern are mucho gusto. Hal Jordan, the guy pictured above, is a stand up, brave guy who was selected to be the first human on this intergalactic police force-type organization call the Green Lanterns. Why is green such a popular color among super heroes? I don't know. But accordig to the Green Lantern books, green is the color of will, which lanterns utilize to use their rings to create constructs of their minds. You'd really have to dig in to a few GL comics to grasp his character, but I like him, so he's number 6.   

Number 5: The Flash

He doesn't just run fast, he moves fast. He can move so fast that he can vibrate his molecules through solid objects, like walls and armor and stuff. Also, he's the lighthearted, good natured, humorous type of guy that can liven up a dark situation with his quick wit and upbeat attitude. I really got to liking the Flash back when I used to watch the Justice League cartoon. (Strangely, he was perfectly voiced by the same guy that played live-action Lex Luthor on Smallville.) So race on, Scarlet Speedster, you're alright in my book.    

Number 4: The Hulk

The only other Marvel character that I don't like only because of his awesome movie. Bruce Banner's story so so tragic that I just want to hug the guy! And the Hulk is a very unique "hero" in that there aren't a lot of semi-mindless monster-types out there inadvertently doing good while rampaging through cities. ( I say "hero" and semi-mindless because the various writers that have worked with the Hulk's character throughout the years have changed his metal capabilities and his status as hero or anti-hero often.) Overall, I love me a flawed character with good intentions. And Edward Norton was my favorite Bruce Banner. (No offense, Mark Ruffalo. All offense intended, Eric Bana.) 

Number 3: Wonder Woman

Do you know hard it is to find an image of Wonder woman (or any super heroine, for that matter) that is not extremely sexual? I'd like to see a woman fight crime in anything that's not tiny or skin tight.

WONDER WOMAN! WONDER WOMAN! Good for you, Diana Prince, Amazon princes and ambassador to the U.S., you made my list. You're all about truth, justice, and equality. You're a symbol of feminism without being overly obnoxious about it. And without any gimmicks or the use of your feminine whiles, you can hang and fight with the big boys. Heck, your sparring partner is Superman! I like you, Wonder woman. And good for you for finally getting with the man that I have always envisioned as your perfect match. And thank you, CD comics, for making that happen.

Number 2: Superman

This was a close one, it honestly was. I love me some Superman. He's the ultimate, perfect superhero. Everyone knows who he is. He truly is the original superhero. He embodies the perfection that all mankind wishes to be. And even with all the power and might and strength and inhuman abilities that he has, as Kansas-raised Clark Kent, he's as approachable, humble, and considerate a guy you'd ever wish to meet. There is no wrong with this man and somehow, that's totally appealing instead of obnoxious! As far as powers go, I really don't think there's anyone better, DC or Marvel.  Also, I loved his movie, and Henry Cavill is Superman.
 So why is he here instead of at the very top? I'll show you why:

Number 1:
Na-na-na-na-NA-nana na-na-na-na-NA-nana na-na-na-na-NA-nana

BATMAN!

I have always enjoyed batman, but it wasn't until Nolan created the greatest trilogy in film history that I truly came to appreciate the awesomeness that is Batman. His story, his drive, his sadness, his passion, his awesome hand-to-hand combat skills, the way he sounds like his vocal chords were severely damaged whenever he's wearing the mask...it's just neat to me. No, he's not super-powered, but he smarter, stronger, more skilled and richer than I will ever be, so I can still look up to him. Also, whereas Superman is the perfect good-guy, Batman is the dark anti-hero who thrives on darkness, fear, and the element of surprise. Those two couldn't be any more different, and yet, because both are unquestionably dedicated to justice, they're besties! I look forward with eager anticipation to the next Superman movie, mainly because Batman will be in it (even if Batman is Ben Affleck. I've been surprised before. Again, Mark Ruffalo). All in all, it's the fact that a "mere mortal" can work on par and in league with the likes of Superman, The Flash, and, yes, Aquaman, that has me ranking Bruce Wayne as Numero Uno on my list.

The end. Feel free to tell me what you think the list should look like.

I have 10 Minutes

I have now less than 10 minutes to cram my thoughts into this blog post, so buckle up!

Well, honestly, this might be a rather easy feat, as not too much excitement has happened in out lives. All around us, people are poppin' out babies left and right, but here in the Du Toit household, the only cataclysmic event that has transpired lately was a tragedy.
Y'all remember Ecto Kitty, right?

 Him and his short-lived sister showed up while we were still at my parents. From the get-go, we knew that he was a special cat. 

 He was snuggly, playful, insanely patient with both our boys, and clearly loved to be loved.

 He was also the strangest sleeper and always was extremely flatulent. Like, disgustingly so.

I promise Witten was not choking the cat in this picture, just hugging him around the neck with his hands.

 No matter how rough our boys were with that sweet cat, he never bit or clawed or became mean. He wouldn't even run away. He'd just lay there and take it while crying like a little baby. And boy, did I love having a cuddly cat again.

Well, Ecto passed away this past week. This is the first time I've been truly saddened by a pet's passing in years. He's buried in our back yard and neither of the boys seem to truly grasp what all of it means, but Stephan and I are bummed. He was a great cat.
  We'll miss you, Ecto-kitty.

Overwhelmed and overjoyed

I have so much to catch up on, both reading and writing, that I decided to worry about catching up on the blogs I follow later and focus on you, dear readers. You're welcome.
  (Side note: it is so nice to be reading this on a big computer screen and typing with an actual keyboard. I've come to really loathe smartphones.)

Per usual, I have an assortment of pictures to help with my story telling, so prepare to witness my life in the past month and some with a bit of visual aid. With that being said; brace yourselves, pictures are coming.

As of my last blog, we were still at my parents' house, enjoying their satellite tv and free rent.

Showin' daddy luvins.

 I tell you, friends, it was a good run. We did enjoy our time there, and we will always be grateful to my parents for putting up with us for as long as they did, but boy howdy, was I glad to move into my own house!
And move we did! Our house wasn't (and still isn't completely) finished when we moved in, but gosh, do I love this house. My, how God has blessed us with this home. There's plenty of room, a beautiful setting, a great yard, and my own stinking closet! I promised you pictures of the finished product, and I will deliver, but I haven't taken any yet, so y'all are just gonna have to be patient.
  Anyways, we moved in about mid-August, just in time for us to prepare for one of the biggies as far as parenting goes: the first day of (pre-)school!

It was hard to get Mr. camera-hog out of the pictures for Noah's first day of school shot. Somebody takes after his mother and really like the camera.

See?

  Noah started preschool at Colonial Hills Baptist church and, as far as I can tell, he's loving it. He's been pretty tight-lipped about the experience so far, but from what I can coax out of him, he's making new friends and learning about letters and going to chapel. And, while Noah's being such a big boy at school, me and Witty-bit get to spend some one-on-one time together. I'm loving it! Witten is such a ham and so sassy, yet snuggly. I'm really discovering his personality during these mornings when big brother's not around to influence him in any way. He's a hoot.
  And then, friends, we went to the beach!

Too cool. So ready.

 The weather was perfect. The house was beautiful. The beach was spectacular. The food was impeccable. The company was sublime. The jellyfish and sand flies were only minor irritants. In short, it was phenomenal.   

Witten's first day on the sand, he wasn't so sure of things.

Just like last time, Noah loved it

Our house! that beautiful house!

Cutie.

the view from out front deck was stunning. The first day we were there, we watched a couple get married two houses to our left.

We loved begin there with Bebe and Papa and Aunt Melissa and Uncle Justin.

We went kite flying an para-sailing. We all enjoyed trying new things on this trip.

Yup. ALL of us tried new things.

 Just looking at those pictures makes me yearn for the beach again! Though I pledge here and now, as my God and my readers as my witnesses, we will never again drive anywhere that requires us to be on the road for longer than 3 hours, tops. Next vacation we take, we are flying. But painfully long road trip aside, it was a wonderful family vacation.
   Then we returned to real life and got back to going to school, putting our house together, attending church, and hangin' with good friends.

Cuties.

 Then, right before life got too routine, I got to do something I've only done once, but I absolutely love doing: I got to be a bridesmaid!

My hairstylist is super skilled. And pretty.

See? It runs in the family.

 My sissy-poo was the hairstylist to the bride, and I got to crash at her pad for the weekend, so I got to see a lot of my little sister. I miss that girl. She's such a sweetheart and a fun friend and she lives too far away.  Melissa was my date for the wedding and, though both of us wished that our guys could be there, I think we seriously enjoyed ourselves. I certainly did! The pre-ceremony and ceremony was, for the most part, fun and stress-free for all involved. My dear friend and the happy bride, Sarah, was absolutely beautiful in her gown. And to top it off, the reception was a blast and  I got to dance like no one was watching! And to top it all off, the cake was strawberry! I wish I could have taken a layer home in a to-go box, 'cause it was literally the best tasting wedding cake I have EVER tasted. Good choice, Sarah Rega. Good choice.

Le beautiful bride and I after getting our hair did.

 And now, dear readers, I have returned to living normal life, and you are all caught up. I tell you what, readers, God is so kind. I see blessings all around me every day of my life. His blessings are almost routine with how constantly and graciously He pours them out on us. Even when trials or scary news or sad times come around, 'cause they do, I can see God working in them and through them to cause spiritual growth and to ultimately bring us even more blessings. I am ashamed by how few times a day I think to stop and thank God for his kindness. And to really be still and soak in the beauty of this life I'm living; this life God has given me. 
  Forgive me, Lord for my shortcomings. Thank You, loving Father, for more than making up for my weakness with your unyielding strength. For covering my flawed nature with your perfect love. For perfectly loving me, despite my floundering love for You. And thank You, Lord, for these guys:

   Amen.

GAH!

Boys!
Or, more accurately, Noah!
Noah has been wearing big boy underwear since the beginning of this year, and yet sometimes, it still feels like we're potty training. He'll go a few days to a few weeks with no accidents, dry underwear all day long, and even dry pull ups in the morning, but every once in a while, he'll have a stint of relapse for a couple of days that results in a serious crack down on potty training from Mommy. Honestly, I'm getting real tired of it. I'm trying my best to be patient, but Lord knows it's hard to be patient when he obviously knows how to do it right and then just doesn't. I could just spit!
  *happy thoughts, Colette, happy thoughts*
My husband is amazing.
I've said it before (often), but I'll say it again and again. He is super awesome! Our new house has been under renovations for almost 2 months now, and the progress that man has made it stunning!
  You doubt?
Fine then, readers, let me show you a miniscule glimpse into the beautiful and yet still incomplete transformation our house is undergoing. I give you, a before and after shot of our kitchen, sans counters, back splash, and flooring:

Before: dated, old fashioned, laminate flooring.

not-quite after: fresh, clean, beautiful, I love it and it's not even done yet!

Look at that! The man took out the stove with cabinets under it as well as the old oven and made shelves for my numerous cook books (*a-wink*) and a space for a oven/stove combo. Bye-bye, cranky, old vent-a-hood, hello shiny, new microwave! And just you wait until I post pictures of this with the back splash tile we picked out! I'm so excited!
   I thank you, Lord, for giving us this house. We don't deserve it. You are so kind and gracious to us to bless us with any home at all, much less one so so perfectly wonderful for my family! Please give Stephan the strength and perseverance he needs to finish this house. You are so good to me. Amen!

  More pictures of our new abode will be posted once I have actual "afters", but to sign off, I just wanted to include this adorable picture of a super-cheeky Kyle being silly/sassy:  

Oh, hello. I didn't realize you were there! *wink*

Be blessed, readers!