I'm A Plumber...

Hi Sweet Friends

It feels SO good to be back

My kiddo is home

Update HERE

Over the weekend I noticed that there was water

On the floor in my Master bathroom

I realized it was coming from under the toilet

I knew exactly what the problem was

However, I didn't have time to repair it immediately

On Tuesday morning

I got up and ran over the Ace

Picked up a wax ring

And came home to repair the problem

I watched a couple of YouTube videos

Just to make sure I knew how to replace the ring

Let me just say here
Toilets are Heavy
Nuf said :)

After turning off the water
Unscrewing the bolts and the water supply
From the bottom of the tank
I lifted the toilet and moved it off the seal

I spent several minutes
Cleaning off the old wax seal
Cleaning the area around it
And cleaning the floor

(How do things get so dirty when they are not open to the air?)

Anyway

I replaced the wax ring and cup with a new set

Then came the hard part

I had to lift the toilet again

AND

Get is set correctly on those bolts

This was a bit of a challenge

Because I had to hold the toilet until each

Of the wholes were centered over the bolts

My suggestion:

Have a bit of help when you do this part

After resetting the toilet

I cleaned everything up

I reconnected the water and bolts

And

Voila

40 minutes and the job was Done

I hope I don't have to do that again

For a long while

Now

You all know I have a little shopping addiction - LOL

I purchased a sweet heart on an etsy site

And it arrived today

Rose Petal Blessings

Is one of my favorite Etsy Sites

You can see her beautiful items here

Not only did I receive the hand made heart

Stephanie added a sweet journal

Just in time for me to start writing

Down all of the wonderful Blessings

That God has blessed me with

1. Madi is Home and safe

2. My toilet is not leaking

3. I have a Terrific Job that I Love

Those will be the first blessings I will write in my new

Blessings Journal

Thank you Stephanie

May you all be blessed

And find JOY in the little things

Thank Yous, Clarifications and Prayer Requests

Hello My Dear Blog Friends

It is hard to believe I have not opened my laptop

Since the 9th of January

The past two weeks have been

Scary and Busy

1. Thank You:

     I would humbly like to thank each person who has contacted me via email, text, phone, FB or through my blog to offer prayers and good thoughts. Your encouragement is what is getting me through this terribly difficult season with my youngest son.

I honestly don't know how people get through a crisis without prayer, family and friends. I know I covet your prayers and especially your encouraging words. So, thank you again and always!!

2. Clarification:

     It is a difficult task to relay my heart through the written word.  On my last post (at Loving Madi), I shared that I would attempt to use female pronouns when referring to my son, as that is what he would like. Also, I mentioned that I would try to call him Madi.

     I realize that many may have misunderstood my intention and my stance on the subject of having a son who would like to be a girl. Please let me clarify, if that is really possible.

    My son, who is 30 years old, has recently told me and the world that he is transgender and wants to go through the process of becoming female. I have been a mess since that day, September 21, 2015. I have prayed and cried out to the Lord to help him see that his choice is sinful and, in my opinion, will cause him a life of pain. Yet, so far, he has not changed his mind, in fact, he is stronger and more determined than ever.

     In my attempt to help him through his pain, I decided to show love (God's love and Grace) to him by using female pronouns and his new chosen name of Madi.  This does NOT mean that I have changed my opinion about him being transgender. I do not agree with it, I do not understand it, I do not condone it.  My heart is still broken about it, I am grieving, and praying, no pleading with God to help him, I cannot change my opinion about his choice. BUT, I can choose GRACE! I can show love and respect for his choice.

     He will always know that I am here for him, that I will always be truthful with him about my thoughts, he will always see God's love for him and God's grace for him through me. I will never turn my back on the truth's I believe are written in God's Word, yet I have to find ways to have peace in my home and keep my son from ending his life because of the pain he is in.

     It is possible that you may not agree with me or the way I have chosen to face this trial, but at least you know where I stand and why I am making the choices I am making.

     None of us has any idea of how we will handle a situation until that situation is staring us in the face. When the rubber meets the road, so to speak.

     I Never thought I'd have to face this, but it is here, in my home and I have to walk it out the best way I know how.  I may be wrong, but I'm praying through it and will listen intently for my Father's voice in the midst.

3. Prayer Request:

     Madi has been in the hospital for 9 days, 'She' was suicidal and homicidal. Threats were made and she needed to be in a place where she is safe. 

      a. Prayers are requested for a proper diagnosis (right now schizophrenia is a possibility)

      b. Correct medication and dosing for treatment

      c. Wisdom for her medical team

      d. Wisdom for housing and living arrangements

      e. Peace for me and for her

      f. God's protection and Grace

Thank you Again!

Now, I am hoping in the days ahead, I will feel more awake and at peace so I can start blogging happily again!

May you have a Blessed Week Ahead

Post Holiday Re~Styling

Hi Sweet Friends

And Welcome to my first post

Of 2016

Christmas décor has finally all been

Packed and put away for another year

And it's time to start

Cleaning and re~styling the house

Today I started in the Living room

Dust is something that I try not to collect

But there certainly was a lot of it to wash away

I'm not able to get a full width photo of the

Top of the 'Big Black Monster'

But these three give you the idea of what it looks like

With the exception of the quilts

I tried to keep everything light and white

I'm pleased with the top of the area for now

I'm sure spring will bring more changes

But for now ~ it's a good thing

The quilt above was made and gifted to me

By a friend a few days ago

It does have special meaning

Which I may share another time

But for today

It became inspiration to re~style

The opposite side of my LR

I'm am putting myself on a spending freeze

Due to some upcoming changes in my life

So I really had to be creative

And shop my house to find the best pieces

To use in the entry

Pulling in white and bits of blue

Is a challenge for me

But I was surprised at how much I do have

I've had this IKEA Expedit for many years

It has been serving as storage for

My 3 K's toys and books

However, now that they are older

I can start to use it for more display items

I purchased the above art from my friend Melanie

And love how it works with the quilt and theme

I'm not super experienced at styling

So gentle suggestions are always welcome

I'll be heading to my mom's on Sunday

To help her clean and decorate her bedroom

Praying you all have a blessed weekend

I'm hoping to blog more on a regular basis

And definitely looking forward to visiting you

More often!!!

You bless my heart

And keep me headed in the right direction

And in 2016

That is Forward!!

Thank you for stopping by

I am praying for you this week

Blessings

Sharing at The Enchanting Rose

New post at
Loving Madi