Dining Room

Having a dining room was a requirement that Mark and I had settled on when we were house hunting.

When we had seen the for sale sign in front of this house we said to ourselves

"If the staircase is straight ahead from the front door and there is a dining room, we want it."

Well if you remember from the foyer post, the staircase is straight ahead and to the right of that is the dining room.

Mark and I had purchased a formal dining room set about a year before and we didn't want to have to sell it or cram it into a kitchen area, it just wouldn't fit.

So a dining room was a major selling feature to us, not alot of homes now days have this lovely area.

We are also very fortunate because having this extra table space has turned this room into our school room as well. During the week we have A-frame bulletin boards set up on the table so each girl has a

private space of her own to work in.

I have always wanted a room specifically just as a class room but our home just doesn't have that one extra room, but we have made the best of this and I actually enjoy being in the centre of the house because if the girls are all working independently I can slip into the kitchen or laundry room and catch up on some small household chores. 

So this works for us.

Until next time,  Joceline

Sundae Sunday

That is the name my dad gave to our monthly family gathering.

With all the busyness life had been throwing our way, he realized we weren't spending alot of time

together. So about a year ago or more, he and my mom suggested a monthly visit held at there home where we'd share in some fun treats and a visit.

My parents are so hospitable, and always come up with some really neat snacks that the girls look forward to. "Is this week Sundae Sunday, Mom?"

We have had sundaes (of course), french toast, grill cheese and this past time we had fruit kabobs.

By the time we arrive, the snacks are already prepared and laid out. My mom truly enjoys loving us in such a tangible way, she makes everything, even simple snacks special. She too is into detail. ( I get it from her :)

On this particular night we arrived before everything was done, so the girls jumped in the fruit line and made some very nice fruit kabob creations.

We melted some chocolate and drizzled it on the kabobs, they were delectable.

I am so glad the girls will have these special memories to cherish.

I know both Mark and I have similar childhood stories, when it comes to times such as these.

Mine were grilled cheese night.  Back when I was younger the church we attended had two Sunday services, so after morning service which ended around 12:30pm, we'd come home for lunch.

The evening service started at 6:00pm, so there was no real time to have supper. So when we got home from Sunday night service, we had grilled cheese sandwiches around our sweet round kitchen table.  What a wonderful memory that is for me, I don't remember what we talked about but I do remember how I felt. Extremely loved.

Mark's are of homemade hamburgers and fries around the kitchen table were they too shared lots of sweet memories which still to this day bring a smile to his face .

 This speaks volumes, of how little moments can be remembered forever.

What may seem insignificant today may be a cherished memory in the future.

Until next time,  Joceline

Notice Anything Different?

Look really close at these two pictures, actually you don't have to it is pretty obvious.

Two of our girls have gotten a fresh spring look.

Jillianne was counting down the hours.

"How many hours till we go mom?"

"Only four"

"I wish it was only two"

Jillianne has been growing her hair out so she could donate it for cancer patient wigs.

She had set her mind to that a few years back, since her sisters had already done so, she wanted to as well.

She has endured alot of combing through the knot sessions and I think she had finally had enough,

 about four weeks ago she asked me for a hair cut, not to take her to get a hair cut but "Mom please just take your scissors and cut my hair." I waited a bit just in case she changed her mind, nope she didn't.

I didn't think her hair was going to be long enough and I didn't want her to be disappointed in herself for giving up so close to the required length.

As it turns out she had enough length to donate.

Way to go Jillianne!

Ireland overheard that I was planning to bring Jillianne for a hair cut, she quickly asked

"Me too Mom?"

"Sure why not."

Ireland, so sweet, she never wants to hurt any one's feelings, but as she was getting her hair cut I could see that something was bothering her. She had this funny smile, not like her usual one.

"Honey what's wrong, you don't like your hair?"

Shaking no.

"What don't you like, the style, the length?"

"The length, I want it shorter"

So back out the scissors came until she was happy.

When the hairdresser finished the second time around a real smile swept across her face.

What a Sweetie!

I have been hearing all night,

"Oh my hair is so soft."

"It feels so nice."

Don't you love it?"

Yes girls I do, even Daddy who wasn't super excited about his little girls cutting their hair agreed that Yes it is so soft, Yes it feels so nice and Yes he loves it!

Until next time,  Joceline

Front Porch

Looking back on our mini house tour I should have probably started with the front porch.

It is the first room in our home.

We have a closed in front porch which I love.

It is so wonderful to have a room with so many windows. It is almost like being outside minus the bugs!

We purchased a new conversation set last summer in a yummy chocolate brown.

It is very soft and smoogie, it is quite comfortable.

The girls very much enjoy this room especially during the spring and the fall.

It warms up so nicely and is a great place to play dolls, My Little Pony or in Kerrington's case, read.

This is where the babies usually end up.

This is a dried out vine that has caused many a conversation between Mark and I.

He greatly dislikes it and I rather enjoy it.

I know it will eventually come down because we'd like to install a ceiling fan in this room, so I'm going to continue to enjoy it until then.  With Mark's schedule on the rather full side I can see it staying up for the foreseeable future.  Yeah!

Until next time,  Joceline

The Living Room

When Mark and I started house hunting over 10 years ago, we really started talking about what styles we both enjoyed.  We were very fortunate because we both really liked "Victorian" or old fashion
lets say.  We found our house, it was built in 1920 and had lots of old feel to it.The previous owners
had tried to modernize it but we quickly saw past that and wanted to bring it back to its original beauty.   ( according to us; )

The living room was my least favorite room. It had been painted a deep cherry and at night gave the appearance of a blood red. Kind of scared me a little.

This was the first room we set to work on so I would actually want to come home.

( I didn't like being here by myself, it was spooky)

It took two coats of primer and two coats of the cream colour we had chosen to cover the walls.

What a difference!

The room became so inviting to me and I looked forward to filling it with our details.

This little trunk has sentimental value to me. It was part of a Mother's day gift to me some years back. It was a gift to delight my five senses. All put together by Sweetheart.

The box was for touch.

Some chocolate for taste.

Perfume for scent.

Wind chimes for hearing.

All wrapped up in cellophane and ribbon which truly delighted my sight.

So when I see this little trunk by the fireplace, I am reminded I am loved.

This piano was built in the late 1800's. It actually belong to Mark's great Aunt and was passed down to Mark's mom.  She worked really hard to refinished it in a mahogany stain quite a few years back and what is kind of funny is that this was not the colour of her family room furnishings at the time. She must have foreseen that it would be a perfect addition to our home. This is also the very same piano that Mark learned on as a child.

Even though there are a few keys that play out of tune,  when he sits down to play it, it comes alive.

He plays this piano with such passion, it is amazing. 

This is my favorite piece in the living room.

A basket full of blankets, which makes this a great room for snuggling.

I think that's my favorite part!

Until next time,  Joceline

It's All in the Details

I want to take you all for a tour around our home. A sort of mini-series highlighting some of my favorite details in our home.

Before I do that, a recap of what we have been up to the past couple of weeks.

Spring is in full swing, not that the weather has received the memo, but my schedule has.

Grad committee meetings, purity banquet phone calls and e-mails, home school-co-op, birthday parties

taxes, soccer starting soon,  Fire calls, church conferences, the list is continuous.

As our family saying goes

"We are abundantly blessed with lots to do" ( or in others words, very busy) 

So back to my real post.

I am a confessed home body.  I love to go out do lots of things, but my heart is home.

I am so privilege to be a stay at home homeschooling- mom because it is such a perfect fit for me.

I am so thankful for my husband who works very hard so I can stay home.

He knows my heart so well.

I have never thought that being a stay at home mom was boring or mundane, I do admit that a few thoughts of maybe "I should get a degree in something so people will take me more seriously" have crept in but I quickly dismissed those thought because I love what I do!

I am a passionate home-maker.  I have turned my family into my career.

I love taking care of them full time.

I am always on the hunt for new tips and tricks for house cleaning, baking, cooking and so on.

My home is a wonderful place for me to express myself in many different ways.

I enjoy detail.

Someone once laughed at me because I was adamant about some particular details at my wedding, he commented that nobody would notice things like that, so I proceeded to recall of a previous wedding and all the details I had noticed. He wasn't laughing anymore.

Like I said, I enjoy detail.

So my home is where I add little details to make it more us.

Thankfully Mark is also into details or he'd go crazy.

So welcome to our Home.

Our Foyer.

We chose the colour green because as you may or may not recall it is my favorite colour.

It is so fresh.

If you look closely the walls are texture with tissue paper. I wanted a little more depth than just paint.

It was so easy and fun to do.

This is the beautiful crown that goes around the foyer. I had bought this about five years before we put it up. I bought it for a really great price, I didn't even know which room we would put it in but I knew it would be lovely.

Yes that is wall paper on the ceiling.  I very much enjoy that look, it is in three rooms of our home.

My arms are still soar (ha ha).

It wasn't easy to put up, but oh so worth the look it achieves.

Once again, I am so glad Mark is into details because he's the one that does most of the work.

When Mark got on the fire department it was essential that his keys be accessible very quickly, so I happen upon this key hook at Micheal's. I knew it was meant for us because the door knob is like the ones we have throughout the house.  Just because it's functional doesn't mean it can't be pretty.

Pictures of who we are and where we came from.  I am looking to add more of Mark's ancestors. That is currently on my fairly long to do list. 

So welcome to our home, I hope you enjoyed the Foyer!

Until Next time,  Joceline