The Remodel

So I promised some photos from our remodel. These really don't do it justice. You can't see everything that's been done!  I have tried to document at least the living room - from the way it looked when we got it, to what it looks like now.  We still need windowsills (hoping to get those next weekend) and it still needs hardwood floor layed. The floor won't happen until everything else in the house is done.



As it looked when we got it - frayed paneling, leaky windows, dirty ceiling



This was sometime in February. Ceiling slats have been screwed in, new windows (and more of them) installed, and everything insulated.

Sometime in March. Ceiling is now painted (and believe me, it was hard work!), everything has sheetrock & working on mudding & taping.

How it looks now. All the walls mudded & taped, painting all done. Just waiting for windowsills (we even already have our shades) and flooring later on. And yes, the window is opened crooked - didn't notice 'till now.

     Megan's room is all done except for flooring & windowsill too.  Caroline & Laura's room is the same way. My room isn't even begun yet. We'll start an add-on after this is finished & we're moved in. (I'll be bunking somewhere in the meantime. Haven't quite decided where yet - perhaps in the huge closet <smile>)The kitchen is getting there. Pretty much everything done now except for plumbing & cabinets. Should get those sometime next week. <Super Big Smile>

Megan's Room - looking rather messy right now. We're putting up a light fixture today & then after cleaning it up, it only lacks a windowsill & carpet.

The Kitchen - floor looks horrible right? Can't wait 'till the hardwood is laid. Windowsills, trim & cabinets should add something as well.

Our best "helper" Amelia

She's in Caroline & Laura's room here - hard to picture their room just now, it has so much stuff in it!

We've been busy.....

     Did I ever mention we're remodeling a house? Yes, and it's a lot of work. Of course we knew it would be. This won't be the first time. ;) No matter how many times you do it though, it always takes much longer to finish than you want it to --  or think it will -- or could ever imagine it dragging on!  Anyway, this particular house is not a rental property as it most usually seems to be. It's actually our house - one for me & my three sisters. We're super excited - just a little impatient!
     I was hoping to have pictures of our remodel - but we're busy preparing for company this weekend, so I've had no time. So in the meantime, here're internet pics we're using as inspiration.



Love this alcove bed - unfortunately we don't have
enough room to do this in our house




I want to do this in my room - love the look of
paneling/bead board with paint up above.




The color on these walls is about the color of our living room





Caroline & Laura are doing this look in their room with
the white iron beds and very white look all around




Their walls will be this color turquoise though,
we're also doing this color in the kitchen

      The colors we're going with are Cream, Turquoise, White, Coral & Tan. The bedrooms are going to be carpeted, but the living room & kitchen will be hardwood. We even have a big old antique tub for our bathroom (thanks a billion mom & dad!). So far, the bedrooms & living room are almost done.... finished. The bathroom has a lot of work left (still stud walls) & the hall & walk-in closet are not close to being done either. The kitchen is getting there. Aaron is trying to get the cabinets installed next week and after that the kitchen will be pretty much done except the floor. So, hopefully I'll have pictures coming soon of the real thing!

To All My Readers Out There



Taken at IPS in 2011 by Benjamin Derkin


     Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by. I love blogging and do so whenever I can, about whatever is going on at the time.  I love showing life through pictures. It's always been a passion for me to "make my pictures speak". Not just for me, but for everyone else too. So that just by looking at a picture, you can see a whole story. Like these books. For that reason, I will probably keep on blogging no matter what. However, I had also hoped to connect with you, my readers, through my blog. I love meeting new people! I know there must be quite a few readers out there who visit fairly often, but I have no way of knowing who you are. So, here's an invitation to introduce yourself ......Leave me a comment - or drop me an email (rachel@silhouettestudios.net).  I hope you all will take a few minutes to let me know who you are and why you stop by.  Looking forward to hearing from you soon.....

~Rachel

Passion Week & Resurrection Sunday

     We spent the past week studying, pondering & discussing the week of Christ's death, burial & resurrection. We read passages each day of that days' happenings so long ago. It really brings home the magnitude of all He accomplished not only in His death & resurrection, but in the events leading up to them. Then of course we had a wonderful celebration yesterday! What a wonderful, loving, God we serve. Praise His blessed name. (I really didn't take many pictures, here's the few I did take.)

At church

With her new duck

The last of those at church visiting

Not the best lighting, but the dog was being hard to deal with and I just snapped

He just licked her face :)

The two of us

Contest Entry

     Last weekend I entered this picture into an online photography contest with an emphasis on missions. Each entry had to have a caption. Mine didn't make it into the final 5, but I enjoyed making it. This is a picture of Abby - a little girl who lived at the Galilean Home when I volunteered there in 2009. She was still there when I went back for a visit in 2011. She finally went home with her mommy in 2012. I think about her quite often and all the experiences we had together.

Through the Years with my Sisters




Megan, Laura, Caroline & Me - May 2008

     For so many years there were just four of us girls - 15 years to be exact. Rachel, Megan, Caroline & Laura. We liked to compare ourselves to Meg, Jo, Beth & Amy of "Little Women" as well as Mary, Laura, Carrie & Grace of the "Little House" books. (In fact, my mom & Laura Ingalls' mother must've really favored the same names. Out of the 11 names that make up our first & middle names, and the 8 that make up the Ingalls girls' names, we have 6 in common!) It's a little funny how our personalities actually match pretty well with the girls in those books. I guess it just comes with the territory of your place in line. :)

     And then along came little Amelia - making us five in number. Life was so different & so fun! And our lives (and pictures) were never the same. Over the years we always made time for "Sisters" pictures. All the ones of just us four are on film as I didn't get a digital until Amelia was about 2 years old. All these posted here (excepting the first two) were taken with it, but they're all a bit blurry as I copied then from an online storage site.

These two are from my film camera - Fall 2007



Amelia's Shirt says "Little Sister" - we all wore pink to match her :)

Easter 2008



October 2008

Our 2nd Annual Christmas Concert - December 2008

Just before Jacob left for Iraq - March 2009

At Silver Dollar City just 2 weeks before I left for Kentucky - April 2009

At SDC right after I returned from Kentucky - August 2009



Standing proud under our Scottish Clan's flag at the Scottish Games in Tulsa - September 2009 (Amelia was not there)

Independence Day 2010 - after singing at 3 different events



Vacation at Ft. Gibson - August 2010



All in plaid for Christmas - December 2010



Fourth of July 2011



At our 5th Annual Concert - December 2011



Vacation June 2012 - Rogers, Ar

At our Cousin's Wedding - June 2012



At our 6th Annual Concert - December 2012

Country Churches

     Here are a few more pictures from my snow-covered days in Pennsylvania. I thought I would post a few more since we're still technically in Winter. (However, yesterday our high was 82 - lovin' it!) I took these on the drive back to my room for the night after the wedding. My hostess was so kind and stopped several times for me to get these pictures of churches, houses, etc. I was fast losing light, so some of these are a little dark.

I've never really been one to take my own pictures, but played around with it here, and was fairly pleased with the results.