The Rest of the Story

Maybe you read this about our dining room furniture makeover.  No?  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

OK - now you know about the top being refinished, and the parts you can see being repainted.

What I didn't tell you is a little secret I discovered underneath the table top.

Being that this is written in cursive, I figure Katie must have been about 8 years old when she signed our table.  Certainly old enough to know better.

And here's what I find interesting about this recent discovery.  What once would have caused me to be upset, wonder where I had gone wrong in teaching her, or trying to figure out the best strategy for discipline now only brings a smile to my face.

Why?  Katie is grown now.  She is 21.

She is the wife of Alexander, working on their 3rd year of marriage.  She is working full time at McBride Clinic,  is paying her own way through nursing school and will graduate this May with her RN degree .  She is a loving sister, a fun Aunt Kate-Kate, and a wonderful daughter. She's hardworking, extremely talented and our go-to for medical questions.

So moms and dads.  When you discover those signatures and masterpieces in your closets, cabinets, window sills, etc., just know that some day it won't bother you so much. Your little artists will have grown into amazing adults!

Besides, I'm sure Katie knows by now not to write on the furniture. Wait... maybe I need to have Alexander check underneath their table!

Dining Furniture Makeover

Several years ago, when  honey colored oak when VERY stylish, (of course) we purchased a larger dining table for our ever-growing family.

Now, since honey colored oak is no longer very stylish, and at the suggestion of my stylin' daughter, Ali, I decided to make a change.  And we are all very glad!

First, I started with the bar stools.   A nice improvement, don't you think?



I lightly hand sanded the legs, and spray painted with a black satin finish.  No drips!  The top I sanded with a power orbital, removing the finish.  I used dark walnut Min-Wax Wood Finish for the top, and finished with a couple coats of clear satin water-based polyurethane.

Then, I really got busy!

I sanded, and sanded and sanded and....well, you get it.  It took a LOT of sanding for the top.

Looks better, right?



Again, I removed the finish and stained with the dark walnut, applying several coats of polyurethane to protect the top.  I lightly sanded the legs and this time used a brush and satin finish black latex to paint the bottom part of the table the the four chairs.

So, for more than a week's worth of work, dinner in the living room, a mess in the house, and about $30 of materials, we have a new-t0-us table and chairs.  I think Dave Ramsey would approve.  So does Ali!

Number 23!!

We have GREAT news!!  We are adding ManyMeadows, Number 23, and GRAND number 8 to our family in July!



Andrew and Abbi shared the news with her parents yesterday in Nebraska.  We've known for a short while and have been BUSTIN' to share this happy news with everyone!!

Read more of their story here.

We're so very excited for them....and for us!!

: )

Dread or Great Expectations?

So you're headed to your in-laws tomorrow.  Anxiety is already building, causing spats with your spouse and conflicts with your kids.  You're already dreading the prying questions your Aunt will ask, the tension and comparisons with your siblings, the unresolved issues with your dad.  Or things even worse.

Thanksgiving?  Ha!  It will be more like "Terrible Taunting Turkey Day".  A day you can't wait to be over...and then, there will be Christmas to think about and all those issues to be  revisited again!

But get this!

God's word tells us in Ephesians 3:20

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! (The Message)

How?

through his mighty power at work within us (New Living Testament)




Is it possible  in pressing circumstances that we could be setting limits on the power of God working in our behalf ?  Might this scripture indicate that He will do just as much for us as we will allow him to do in us?

So why dread the day?

Instead, allow His Spirit to have free reign in your heart, and go to your extended family gathering with a great expectation! Watch for His Divine encounter.   According to His power within us, He can  do more than we can even think or guess or imagine!!




Now, that's a great and freeing thought!!

Name Your Dish

What is your favorite, must-have-at-Thanksgiving dinner dish?



At the Meadows Thanksgiving event, the most asked for side to Dirk's famous smoked turkey, is loaded mashed potatoes, followed by Erin's to-die-for stuffing, and Katie's new asked-for-often recipe, cheesecake squares (minus the nuts).     This year we get to sample Abbi's grandmother's corn casserole.   Can't wait!

So?  Tell us.  What is your favorite Thanksgiving food or side-dish?

Number 19

We gained a daughter-in-love on May 29 this year.  Abbi is now a Meadows, bringing the ManyMeadows' number to 19!

We joke that I hand-picked her for my oldest son, Andrew....and maybe it's not really a joke.  I knew her before he did!



She's an artist...he's a cowboy. She took him to his first art show, he took her to her first rodeo.   She loves New York, he loves home and being outdoors.

And they deeply love each other.



She's a great  5th daughter and a wonderful 2nd mom to Andrew's daughters, Sierra and Mesa.



Check out her blog, and her creations.

She's quite a girl and we're so proud to have her in our family!

(We now have more members in our family!  I'll introduce you to them soon.)

~Robin

I had it Backwards

No, not my shirt, but I’ve done that before.  You know, half-asleep, or in the dark, you slip your shirt over your head, and it just doesn’t feel right.  And then you realize, Goofy... you put it on backwards.



Just today, after a very long time, I figured out I was doing something else backwards….in my thinking, in my heart.



I discovered yet another way I get offended.



‘Bout time, you say.



Well, thankfully, He isn’t through with me, yet!  I’m still learning.



I discovered that I expect other people to treat me the way I would treat them.   I know.  A revelation, huh?



When someone, especially someone I expect to know better,  does or says something to me that I would NEVER do or say to them, it is offensive to me.  I take it personally. I get a little bit indignant.



Self-righteous of me, don’t you think?



You know the scripture.  “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.” (Luke 6:31 NLT)



I just can’t find the one that says “Others will treat you as you treat them.”



If you find it, will you let me know?



Otherwise, I think I’m just going to have to let Him change my backwards thinking, my backwards heart.



And stop being offended.



~Robin