These are not resolutions...

I have never been huge on New Years resolutions. Mostly because I never seem to be able to keep up with them. This year I decided to make a list of goals. Projects if you will. There are two separate lists: List #1 home improvement projects and list #2 sewing projects. I did also (as you can see on the right hand of the screen) set another reading goal for 2012, but upped the goal to 30 books, and for the record, I am going to try to read some more meaningful titles this year. Not that zombies, and vampires aren't meaningful...Let me rephrase...I am going to try to read some books that might enhance my family/spiritual/homeschooling lives. At least a couple more life enhancing books anyway...all work and no play blah blah blah.

On to the first list....the home improvement list...

1. New dining room table (ala ana white)
   
   
2. Giant Ruler for play room
   
   
3. Paint the bell room (see laaaaarge color sample below)
   
4. Paint kitchen cabinets (this is a biggie...wanna come help?)
   
   
5. Paint boys room
   
   
6. 5x5 shelves (also from ana white)
   
   
7. Raised garden beds
   
   
8. Play tent
   
   
9. Branch coat
   
   
10. Paint fridge (my plp just painted hers with chalk board paint!)
    
    
11. Lace window screens
    
    
12. Curtains for all of the living room/play room windows. This is no small feat. Right now I have full size quilts hanging on them and they are barely covering them. They are huge beastly windows and they need to be tamed.

I will share list #2 another day. If you have made it through this list...the boring picture less post...you should check out my seesters blog and see all the handmade goodies she made for Christmas this year.

Our Fire and how you can help...

One Wednesday, April 13th the apartment below ours caught fire. The fire spread to our apartment destroying most everything in our bedroom and the kids bedroom. What wasn't destroyed by flames was damaged by water and smoke. Our family has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people around us. We have had people give us gift cards, money, physical help, and prayers. We appreciate it all so much. We have had a lot of people ask about items we need. So I am putting this list together for anyone who might be able to help with the lost items/things that would help.

• 4 twin size mattresses
• 1 full or queen size mattress
• Boys socks (size 9, sizes 11, 12)
• Boys undies (size 3T, size 4-5T)
• Girls socks (size 1)
• Girls undies (size 6 or 7)
• Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils
• Boys shirts (size 3T)
• Boys pants/shorts (size 3T, 4T-6T)
• Various sewing notions (seam rippers, tailors chalk, etc)
  
• Kids DVD's
  
• Kitchen table (seats 10-12)
• Sleeping bags
• Baby wipes

Also, my amazing friend Vanessa is selling some prints to benefit our family!


All of the kids toys were saved, so we are good on that front. Things keep coming to me as more time passes so I will keep this list updated. If you would like to donate a gift card it would be amazing to have them from Target (we have to buy all new toiletries, cleaners, etc) or Ikea (my lovely aunt will be driving a truck load down in mid May).

Even if you have nothing physical to help we appreciate prayers, thoughts, good vibes, etc. A fire is a traumatic experience, especially for kids. They just had to sit and watch the whole thing take place.

We are currently staying at my parents house, and are actively seeking a place to rent. If you know of anything please give us a heads up. We need (at least) 3 bedrooms and are looking to live in either Midtown, Northeast, or Raytown. Gardening area is a plus :)

Again, we appreciate everyone who has been there for us in one way or another, I am so thankful for you all. Thank you so much! If you have questions or want the address we are currently located at please email me emily.soulliere(at)gmail.com

dreaming...

If a wish granting fairy were to swoop down right now to grant my wishes this is what would happen...

My family would be finishing up our modest home on the a little corner of Shamayim Hill. I would settle for a mobile home, it really doesn't need to be anything fancy. There would be a cute little fence around the yard with chickens and a kitchen garden. Our water would come from collection units with filters that clean it before it comes into our house. Solar panels would be added from time to time when finances allow.

I would be able to help my family with the gardens, chickens, goats, and cows...milking, making cheese, collecting eggs, and canning and canning and canning. I love to imagine my kids roaming around the land, tromping around the woods, and entertaining themselves with things that dont have to plug into a wall. Christian would stay home with us all day and design beautiful things and play with us. We would educate our kids together, and just LIVE.

On community.

Eric's sermon at Revolution this morning touched on the importance of community, specifically when facing trials. It really made me start thinking about the community our family has right now, and how much that has changed in the past 2 years. We are blessed to have a strong community of people around us right now. People who would do anything for us. Hardly any of us go to the same church, but that doesn't matter. 2 years ago though, we had a small group meeting in our house every Sunday night, and we had a house of people, from that small group, living across the street from us. We didn't do everything right. Thats for sure. But, we were there for each other. We shared meals, cars, tears, frustrations, loss, and love. Even though those times were hard I am about 93% sure I would throw my family back into that situation again.

These days we are in a new church situation. I don't have a strong feeling of community at Revolution. Mainly because of our geographical location I think, we live too far, and gas is too expensive to make it to their home groups that meet throughout the week. Those home groups(or a Sunday school class), they are key. That is where the community building happens. Where it really comes to life. Though we do have people around us right now, that I would consider my community, a lot of them are based in the Raytown area. It literally makes me queazy to think about that fact that when our lease is up (in just a few short months) I have no idea really where we will be living. Probably in the city somewhere, but the thought of having to rebuild our community and try to fit our (rather large) family into a new "place" makes it hard to breath. I know that I need to branch out. And not think of this as replacing our current community, but more like broadening it.

Life is so much more bearable when you have people going it with you. I love you guys.

Thrifting and wallowing...

I have been making myself comfortable at my go to thrift stores lately...probably a little too comfortable...I seem to have this problem with ever doing certain things (think spending, eating, internet, thinking, worrying, yep. basically everything). Anyway, Here are some of my favorite finds...

See those trays...the ones behind the owl? There are 4 of them and I am planning on letting the kids eat on them or play with magnets on them. They are so cute!

See this! I love the illustrations!! So good!

This is hanging next to the front door now!

I like saucers. A lot. I like to use them as coasters. A lot.

This quilt is so cute! It has some weak spots on it so I knew it wouldn't survive washings and the wear and tear of constant use, so my sewing room has some curtains!

Find of the century!! I paid .50 for this popcorn popper. I think it had maybe been used once maybe. This makes for a quick afternoon snack!!

Found this in Oklahoma on my visit early this month. I was so excited to find that it worked and then was completely bummed to find that it got a few bumps and bruises in my suitcase I checked on the way home.

mmmmmmmm...

Yet another Oklahoma find. I love it.

On another note...I was thinking the other day about how I need to adjust my thinking. I find myself wallowing around in the fact that my platonic life partner lives so far away...and with the recent move of Jacob and Rachel, my wallowing had become more and more frequent. I found myself thinking about Sydney the other day...hoping that she will find true loving friendship in her future. Thats when it hit me. I should be thankful for the deep bonds of friendship I have been blessed with. I shouldn't feel sorry for myself that these friends are so far away. I will be beyond happy if Sydney can have even an ounce of the friendship I have with these. Its so rare. So...here is to celebrating. I will wallow in my blessings, and be thankful for my friends.

Things to do while Vanessa is here...(aka another reason to make a list)

A few months back Vanessa and I decided that we at least needed to be able to visit each other on our birthdays. So, Vanessa is coming in on the 14th of July (her birthday is actually the 1st of July, but we decided we would like to be together for The Deathly Hollows Pt 2) and I am planning planning planning all the places we need to go/things we need to do while she is here...

Food Places

• Dixons Famous Chili

• Big Boy Burgers

• Breakfast with Grandma ChaCha

• Chich-Fil-A

• Shamayimhill Cafe

Stores

• Savers

• Red Rack

• Goodwill

• Charity Thrift Mart (are you sensing a trend?)

Activities

• Harry Potter @ AMC Main Street

• Kansas City Zoo - Just to visit Nikita!

• Embroidery

• Benettis (at least 987698769876 trips, below is a picture of me and Vanessa 20 some odd years ago...again, stolen from her flickr)

Recipes

• Asian Caramel Chicken Wings
• Sweet Cinnamon Scones
• Chewy No-Bake Nutter Butter Bars

Falling behind...

I have seriously fallen behind in my whole "blog more" goal. And, Its not even that I dont have anything going on in my life. There is plenty going on around here....I just haven't been writing about it.

Here is a quick overview of what's been going on....

• I got to spend a great weekend in Oklahoma at the beginning of the month. I got to totally surprise Vanessa! Cory kept the kids and we got to just run around drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea! I love this picture from Vanessa's flickr!

• Christian agreed that a serger would be a good investment. So we found the perfect one of craigslist!

• My parents bought the cutest baby goat you have ever seen!

• My sister is moving back to Raytown this week! I am pretty excited to have my movie buddy back. (I dont envy her list of things to do though)

• Thrift stores have been very kind to me lately. In fact, I think I am going to do a separate post later on just to share my latest thrift store finds.

The weather has been incredible the past few days and it is weird to see people out and about on foot again. The kids and I have enjoyed a couple walks lately and there will be more in the very near future. I even went to stake claims on a garden bed at the Raytown Community Garden this afternoon. Spring is here! and it makes me happy beyond belief. Another benefit of being outside is the smell of roasting coffee! Benettis has opened a roasting location across the street from us. I am in no way shape or form a coffee drinker. I enjoy making Christians coffee, but you wont find me sneaking drinks. But, I do love the smell of roasting coffee!

I am currently working on putting together a list of projects to work on. I have been in a creative funk...or coma might be a better word. So I am going to try to do a couple projects every week, just following tutorials already out there on the interwebs to try to get the creative juices flowing again.

There are a ton of pictures on our flickr page. Having an iPhone has really made picture sharing a lot easier for me.