Ask GapGirl Pt 2.

*** Ask GapGirl Pt 1 post can be found HERE ***

Dear GapGirl,

How many bedrooms do you have and how do you do it? We have 3 but 2 are really tiny with no bonus room. Does all the stuff take over?

Dear GapGirl,

What do you do with all the toys and other things that come in? No one wants to give anything up and I am drowning in a sea of clutter.

Well, first let me put this BIG DISCLAIMER... Our home is under construction. I have been busy painting, room switching, re painting and all that fun stuff. Since Im trying to do this with a new baby AND while homeschooling, many pictures will show half-painted walls, and half decorated rooms. I do it as I can.

I live in a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home which is a bit over 1800 sq. ft. We picked it out and built it to our liking during the end of 2007. It was a COMPLETE answer to prayer and I give God ALL the glory for blessing us with something so beautiful. Its big by NY standards but small by Southern standards but for us, its just right!

Our Master suite is on the first floor and all other bedrooms are upstairs along with a full bathroom. The first 2 bedrooms are cozy to say it nicely and our 3rd is our bonus room but when we were building we knew it would be a bedroom and had a closet built in. Noah has the smallest room and he is by himself along with the fish tank( and the tv and wii) . My 2 oldest girls just got switched out of the bonus room and into the 2nd largest bedroom. We have not bought them bunk beds yet but will in the next month or so. And the 2 little girls now have the bonus room with ALL of their toys. Penelope is currently staying with us downstairs but as soon as she sleeps thru the night she goes straight up to the little girls room. So there will be 3 girls ages 6 and under sharing that room. (thats why they got the biggest)

I am a firm believer in sharing rooms. After all, when in life do you really get a room all to yourself??? Not in college OR in marriage. Plus it teaches them basic skills like sharing and getting along.

I also am not a big toy person. My kids get toys on birthdays and Christmas and that is it. Maybe a treat once or twice a year... a SMALL treat but unless the grandparents spoil them or we get something that someone is handing down... we never make random trips to the toy store. We just can't afford that and to me, 95% of toys r us is a waste. I am always giving stuff away. I keep what they need and what they use most. I also don't ask them if they want to "give something up or get rid of something..." because suddenly it becomes their favorite toy. I do it when they are not around and they never ever miss it!! I refuse to let clutter control my life or take over. I get insane if it does. This is not a natural thing, its something I have learned thru the years. I am a natural pack rat. I love my home and walls filled with things. I still do. But its a neat cozy. NOT a cluttered mess.

Now, before this house I lived in a 2 bedroom 700 sq ft house with 1 teeny weenie closet. And we did it! Its all about the attitude. Use what you have and don't keep what you don't need.

Upstairs hallway (noticed unfinished foyer paint and pile of clothes I was taking down with me to wash?=p)

Kids upstairs full bathroom.

Noahs room. Also home to the tv (no cable hookup) and dvd player and the Wii!!

The 2 older girls room. Im still painting and decorating. Both of these beds will be replaced with bunk beds and a dresser and bookcase will be added.

Dear GapGirl,

What kind of role does your husband play in caring for the kids/ maintaining the home?

Were you and your husband raised in a Christian home?

Do you schedule date nights? or take them as they come?

Do you and your hubby miss Military life?

Do you have a home decorating budget?

A fav knitting book?

My husband has a BIG role in taking care of the children. I can't do it alone. I do most of it but rely on him to handle the things I can't. Baby #6 really changed things in our house. Especially since Penny is a bit high maintenance.

For instance. He puts the kids to bed every night. To me, thats MAJOR!! By 7-7:30 im done like toast so to not have to go thru the bed time ritual is a SANITY SAVER!! I give kisses and then send them off upstairs to hubby who tucks the 3 littles in, deals with the questions, prayers, one more sip of water... while I decompress downstairs and turn to my 2 oldest girls for their time. Penny is usually asleep by this time till 10 pm.

He also takes out the garbage, mows the lawn and does any other job that I can't or that is too big for me, but im not afraid to roll my sleeves up and get dirty.(but I do try and pass the dirty work to him)

I was raised in a Christian home and my husband wasn't. For me, a Christian home is defined by a mom and dad who raise their children to love Christ, put God first in all they do, attend church and place great importance on biblical living. My husband was saved in 2004 and I praise God that he is saved. We strive to give our children a loving, stable non-disfunctional home where Christ is center!

We don't have formal date nights very often and would love more. We take them as they come. Date nights for us are close at hand though as my oldest is just about babysitting age. Then we will probably go out bi-weekly for dinner.

But really we have date night every night. The littles are in bed early and the bigs are upstairs no later than 9. They stay up later but are given orders to NOT come down. We then hang out, watch our nightly tv shows and just chat. On weekends we buy special snacks to share or we might buy steaks and grill them for a late evening meal. We have fun on our limited resources! We NEED that time and look forward to it.

We don't miss Military life now but had a HARD time the first 3 years we got out. Adjusting to civilian adult life when all you knew was military adult life is a rough adjustment. If you live on base or have an active duty hubby, then I would expect a bit of rough seas. Being in the military is HARD! But there are some things you get used to... and their are great benefits. The military provides a great cushion. Its a whole different world, a world only YOU know about. When you get out, you feel abandoned... and a bit vulnerable. You don't have the comforts of the base and all they offer and that feels WEIRD but in retrospect im glad we adjusted to civilian life and got out. We would not go back in... No sir but we TREASURE every moment we were in and appreciate the experience. But you can keep the deployments...

I don't have a home decorating budget... but hubby might disagree. Im always picking something up every week but its always something that in very inexpensive or on sale for a great price. If its something major then I call hubby and ask him and he usually gives me permission to buy. He is very nice to me.=) He understands my need to shop!! Often... he also knows that when I say im off to Hobby Lobby its certainly not to window shop. Ha!

I learned to knit and crochet right on you tube. I watched videos at night over and over and over and over until I learned what I wanted to learn. Im not good learning from books.

I hope that answered most of them. I have ALOT more I will get to tomorrow so stay tuned!!!!