My crazy week and HUGE BLESSING at the end. What kind of crazy person decides to peel old, cheap wallpaper (i.e. not the kind that comes right off, but the kind we’ve been working at getting off for 10 years) off the kitchen walls and patch, paint and wallpaper and border them 2 days before 19 people come to Thanksgiving dinner. Yep, that’d be me.

My Father God and my dh, and many others (my bestie Julie!) BLESS me all the time. But just to give added Thanks this ThanksGiving week, I share this week’s blessings.

This past week I decided I just really didn’t want to go through another holiday with the kitchen as it was. Dh had repainted the cupboards for me sometime in the last year but those walls were continuing to drive me nuts, ripped wallpaper on some walls, wallpaper removed on some, leaving plain white, or painted stripes, or leaf stencils, – in my least favorite color – all randomly scattered.

With 8 of us currently living at home, and 4 grown daughters and their families (8 grandchildren) that come and visit, I and the older children spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It really should be somewhere inviting and cheery to be in. It hasn’t been for the 10 years we’ve been here. It’s been a depressing disaster. It was time to do something. And when I decide it’s time. That means NOW!

So on Tuesday and Wednesday, when we should have been doing on the pre-prep for Thanksgiving dinner – food, cleaning, and setting up – the boys helped me strip the rest of the paper, and I headed out to look for new wallpaper – because I don’t like to paint. I found one pattern in stock that would go with my kitchen – almost the color of the paint we’d bought to put on those walls. Wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do if it didn’t match the border I’d bought 10 years ago (to go with the paint) but thankfully it matched! My bestie, who likes to paint, but not paper, said she’d come help me.

All was going well, until we came to the places that needed primed, as to not show through the paper. Out come the paint brushes and rollers. Then their were the holes to be patched. I did great at the small ones. Then we got to the big one – just about the time dh came home from work. “Please, could you do just one thing for me for this project.” He chipped it out and put about a 16″ square of drywall patch in it. TY! Wednesday evening found us finishing. But with that primer still out, I’m thinking. The rest of the walls (top half) could really use a fresh coat of paint. And away I went. And that antique cupboard, while I’m at it. 1 a.m. I finally finished. And I love it!

The children had gotten things pretty well cleaned around here, but nothing was set up and no food started. Thankfully, I had remembered to ask one of them to get the turkey out of the freezer Tuesday night. But God redeemed my time, – must’ve been the cheery atmosphere I had to work in – and all the food got fixed, and everything got set up and finished before guest began arriving.

In the meantime, the younger children had been working on preparing a play to present the story of the Mayflower and the ThanksGiving feast of the Pilgrims and Indians. The play was a hit, and dinner with 19 of us, (12 were unable to make it,) was a wonderful family feast. We were blessed indeed to all be together. Thankful of so many blessings – including 2 little ones, yet to come next year.

I think it strange, after spending a day giving Thanks for the bountiful provision of the Lord, we go shop till we drop buying more, more more! Yes, I understand getting gifts and winter needs when prices are super cheap, but it still seems strange. I don’t think whoever dreamed up Black Friday was a great Thanks Giving person.

Anyhow, after preparing and cleaning up from all of Thur. I slept in on Fri. while grown dd’s hit the early morning Door Busters. They are great about picking up whatever I want from the super sales for me. Then I go out later in the morning for the “common” things that are worth buying at the great prices, but not things that fly off the shelves – like kid’s boots and coats, and dh’s jeans – and a new stove!

Yep, after 2-3 years of looking, the stove that has all the features I want was on Door Buster Sale (and since our Sears is not a full one – very small, tools and appliances only – and has never stocked this one, nobody else had taken the 2 allotted per store and they were able to order it in for me at Door Buster price! They said it’ll take a while to get it in, like 2 weeks. I said, “I’ve waited 2 years, I can wait 2 more weeks.” It will be nice to not have to deal with fickle burners, uneven heating oven, and broken pan drawer. And to have GAS burners, YEA!!, FIVE of them – with oval griddle burner.

Just blessed beyond measure. New kitchen walls, family time, and now a new stove coming.