house tour~ kitchen & laundry room

welcome to our kitchen!

as usual i've got somethin' cooking in the "rock-pot!"
{cuz i'm too lazy to cook for real}

so you not noticed...

someone loves her some mary engelbrite.

my ME kitchen makes me all kinds of happy
{well, when it is clean anyway. which is rare}

we upgraded the builder's grade  cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms 

to shaker style. we painted them white.
we also upgraded the florescent box that comes standard in this model {WHY?!?}
to canned lights.
 

lindsey gave us this black butcher block island

she no longer needed

{it's awesome getting lindsey's "junk"}

it's a tight squeeze, but provides additional storage, 

and prep space. 

this mailbox sits on top of the refrigerator.
it was painted for me by my m.i.l. as a housewarming gift.

i love it big time!
{she's awesome. there is more of her talent to come}
it houses special letters & cards.

********************************************************

the laundry room.

this room makes me happy too,

and that is CRUCIAL!

{God knows i spend plenty of time in here}

unfortunately  fortunately we had a leak that ruined the original builder's grade linoleum

so michael installed these b/w linoleum tiles in a checker board pattern. 

{b/w checkers are my favorite color AFTER b/w polka dots}

this floor never looks dirty. 

never!

{it loves me}

guess who found this broken legged chair in the trash,
fixed it,
ME painted it,
then surprised me!?!
yes,
my mother in law!

she loves me.


do you have a favorite artist/designer?

do you hate me because i have crazy-talented-generous in-laws?


tomorrow i'll take you into the guest bathroom
{should be the kids' bathroom, but for some reason we all use mine}.

house tour~ family room

welcome to our family room
{which is caddy-corner from our living room}

i love suitcases!

{you'll see a few more throughout the house}
they are decorative and so useful at helping me keep things tidy.
individual suitcases store; blankets, dvds, wii games & controllers,  c.d.'s, 

school supplies, dress-up clothes, puppets, 

and hair accessories.

the hope-chest above is josie's {her 1st b-day present. we give lifelong gifts for 1st birthday}

it was made by michael's favorite childhood teacher/principal, mr. shennan. 

it contains baby keepsakes & my wedding dress. 

someday it will house josie's children's baby keepsakes and her wedding dress
{i promise, josie!} 

pictures are my favorite form of artwork. 

seeing our entire family on the family room wall is a daily blessing. 

red phone. oh how i love pops of red!

you'll notice the same print of the family room rug in another room in a few days

{flores, by potter barn}

the amoire was a wedding gift from michael's parents...

it was made by his dad!!

WE LOVE IT.

it stores the t.v. & such, as well as books, family games, and other treasures...

when noah & emilie were little the bottom shelf was filled with their toys,

that is until they shoved them aside and crawled in beside them.
{emilie 9 months old in the amoire. awe, sweet memories}.

the red doll on the bottom left was a gift to me from my dad.

i hope this amoire will be a family heirloom that my children and grandchildren will treasure.

do you have family heirlooms in your home?

what treasures do you have from your childhood?

what pop of color do you have/like in your home?

see you tomorrow in the kitchen!

house tour~ living room

we have lived in this 1650 sq ft ranch style home

for 6.5 years.

it is the first home we have owned. 

we've enjoyed finding creative, economical ways to make it our own.

the pew above was found outside a friends home. 
michael restored it. 

it's a perfect place for visitors to drop their things.

teacups & saucers were a gift to me from michael's granmother's collection 

 when this house was under construction we invited a 

small group of friends over one evening for dinner & graffiti. 

together we graffitied the house in scripture, hymns, and praise songs

{you could say we took deut. 6 literally}
in the spot where the piano is i wrote
"worship the LORD with gladness... home of our future paino"
we didn't have a piano,

couldn't afford a piano, 

but since i was a child i'd wanted one, and longed for my own children to learn to play. 

2 weeks after we moved in, out of the blue,  a women i was acquainted with called.
she had a piano she was going to sell, BUT then i came to mind, and
she said if i wanted it i could have it!!

michael picked it up that day. 

he restored it.
the kids and i have all taken lessons. 

the piano reminds me of all the words graffitied on this home

which were prayers offered as great hope for our family.

it causes me to believe that God is faithful to answer every one.

this buffet is on loan to me from my s.i.l lindsey. 

she gave me permission to paint it what ever color i wanted.

i'm so glad i went with RED!

{read this post to see the green frames i painted and added to the buffet}

 the last thing i want to share with you in the living room is 

the window/mirror at the entrance. 

a few weeks after we moved in michael assembled this for me
{michael is awesome! the house tour will show how he 

makes my little dreams big realities}
shortly after he caulked it, our inquisitive josie {2 1/2 yrs old}
pressed her little fingers into the setting caulk.
micahel {knowing that i am o.c.d., and NEED perfection}
asked me if i wanted him to redo it. 

the Spirit had a quick talk with me, urging me to leave it!

He told me to embrace her little fingerprints now, 

that i would love them later. 

oh! how He was right!

the piano & these fingerprints are my favorite things in the room.


i'll see you in the family room tomorrow!

hang'n out at my house

it's house tour week here at victory rd. 

i have enjoyed "visiting" the homes of those that give house tours here in blogville.

to be honest i've allowed myself to believe my home wasn't blog worthy.

i've seen many spectacular homes here in blogville, 

and mine looks nothing like any of them.

but then i realized something...

my house doesn't look like them 

because 

it looks like me

{really us}.

and i LOVE it!

{chalkboard on an easle in the front yard}
 

so 

WELCOME!

i hope you enjoy your "visit"

i'm looking forward to having you here.

wiww @ casa de pleated poppy & finally meeting linda!

yeah, you read that right! 

this weeks episode of wiww is coming to you 

you from casa de pleated poppy 

{which is no where near casa de fruta...

though i did consume a healthy amount of fruit while i was there,

which might be why i am thinking of casa de fruta}.

outfit numero uno

top~ maui {you'll have to go there to get one} 

jeans~ kohls.
flops~ uhhhh, where are my flops?

outfit numero two-oh
{apparently i speak "spanglish" today}

top~ kohls
shorts~ old navy
necklace~ lisa leonard
flops~ flojos

outfit numero three
is on video!
{gracias to my camera crew, señora lindsey.
stacy & clinton from "what not to wear" should be very afraid of tlc's next hit, wiww!}

i never know what to wear when i am meeting blog people.
{i've met 8 blog people so far. meeting lots more at blog sugar next month!!}
however, i've "known" linda in blogville for 3 years...
i knew when it came down to it we didn't care what the
other person was "wearing wednesday,"
we really just wanted to finally
SEE and
WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND
each other!

linda, it felt like we were long time friends.
what a gift our time together was.  
can we have a meet up every week? please!!

i promised linda, i wouldn't video...
i lied.

pop over to linda's at thoughts on these things,
say "hello" and tell her denise sent you!
you will love her,
i promise!

VIA CON DIOS!
{go with God}

today was one of those moments

facebook

Denise 

first day of school here in jonesville with an 8th grader, 7th grader, 

and 4th grader. you should have smacked me upside the head when 

i didn't believe you {when mine were little} that "it goes by fast." 

you were right. 

Comments 

 Karen All the smacking in the world could not have driven the truth home.
It just hits you in the heart at moments down the road.

Denise hits you in the heart hard. today was one of those moments.

first day of school photos taken after the traditional first day of school breakfast by our resident photographer.

*******************************************************************

some fellow home school bloggers share their curriculum plan at the beginning of the school year.
i am always inspired by what you are doing and often find ideas for my own children.
here is what we have planned so far for this school year.

Math~ Teaching Textbooks
Noah- Algebra
Emilie- Pre-Algebra
Josie- Book 5
Language~
Institute of Excellence in Writing {IEW}
U.S. History Based Writing. Vol. 1
101 Way To Love A Book {various writing prompts & activities} 
Writing & Art Go Hand in Hand
Reading Together~ Narnia Series
{the girls and i read Little Women last year.  What a blessing!} 
History~ The Story of the World 
Volume 3: The American Revolution - Volume 4: The Gulf War. 
Science~ Physical Science
{weekly class with a teacher who LOVES science.  phew!} 
Spanish~ Rosetta Stone
Music~
Noah- guitar
Emilie & Josie- piano {& hopefully violin}

Plus a whole LOT more!! 

{btw- this is our first year using I.E.W.  if you have used it please tell me 
do you think we need spelling or grammar books in addition to the IEW curriculum?}

we're coming to america {part 3}

50th anniversary party!

the decorations

hydrangeas are the flower of the azores islands.

our island, flores {flowers in english} is breathtakingly covered in hydrangeas.

red, white & blue to honor america.

each table's centerpiece shared memories from my family's journey as well as historical facts from 1961.

{btw- we discovered at the party that it was not corn husks that were used in place of t.p., it was the corn cob! ewww}

photos from the 50 years in america were printed in sepia, and hung on twine by clothespins, to create  banners throughout the house.

what a blessing to see our family that began as 8 now be a whopping 53!

more stories were shared as we poured over the family photo albums together.

the food.

with the portuguese it is ALL about the food.

feeding someone well, and their enjoyment of their meal, is an expression of love.

when speaking of my grandmother i often say, "the way to HER heart is through YOUR stomach."

this was the first time the second generation got to feed {love} the first generation. 

i think we fed {loved} them well!

f.y.i. the "portuguese dip" sandwich could easily be mistaken for the french dip sandwich.

the familia {family}.

thank you God for these 50 years!
may You be glorified in the next 50.

do you come from a large family or a small family?

are there any traditions your family has 

when you gather together?

{thank you mel, from the larson lingo, for inspiring the r,w&b  decorations}.

We're Come'n To America {Part 2}

This is the story of my family, the Teodosio family {isn't that a cool name}, and how they came to America. 


My grandmother Josefina Greves was one of 17 children. My grandfather Antonio Teodosio was one of 12 children {11 biological and 1 adopted sister}. They lived on the westernmost point of Europe, on the Portuguese island of Flores.  A beautiful, but poor island.

My grandmother's grandfather Jose (pronounced "juh zeh") Greves had come to the United States, lived, worked, and obtained citizenship, and returned to the Azores.  In the early 1900's her father also Jose Greves, followed in his father's footsteps and came to America.  When he returned to Flores, Azores he married and began a family. His wife Marie Amelia, had no desire to leave her home, and so they lived the rest of their years in Faga Grande, Flores.


I wonder how a village on an island so small could hold a man who had seen so much of the world.  I am sure that he spoke of his adventures to America. I believe his adventure ignited a passion in his daughter, Josefina, to one day live in America. 

My grandparent's story isn't a fairytale, they grew up along side each other, and married in 1947.   They had 6 children; Violet, Marie, Victoria, Vera, Joe, and Hilda {These are their American names, changed when they moved here. Btw- with exception to Violet, all of my aunts first names are Marie}. They continued living in Flores for many years, but my grandmother wanted more, and they made plans to move their family to the Unites States.

On March 19,1961, 4 days after her 35th birthday, my grandmother, Josefina, arrived in California.  She entrusted her husband and sister to care for her 6 children (ages 12-4), so she could go ahead of them and establish a home in the U.S.  Upon her arrival she stayed with her uncle and aunt who helped her find work in a cannery, and loaned her money to send for her family.  In the meantime, my grandfather, Antonio, aunts and father, traveled from Flores to Sao Miguel to wait for their passports and airfare.  
The family was reunited 4 months later on July 31st  {the day after my grandparents 13th anniversary} in San Francisco, CA.
 
I once asked my grandmother what it was like to go to the San Francisco airport to get her husband and children.  She laughed and told me she had been advised to fix herself up as the American women do.  She wore a pretty dress, fixed up her hair, and painted her lips with red lipstick.  When my grandfather saw her he was livid.  After 4 months apart, he wouldn't speak to her {I think he may have been more upset that she left him with 6 children}. My Aunt Violet, shared that when she got off the plane in S.F. and saw her mother she didn't recognize her, "she was so beautiful."

After their arrival in America the entire family went to work picking peaches, and quickly paid off every borrowed cent that brought them to the U.S. 
My grandfather {42 years old} obtained a job at a dairy, and a few years later my grandmother at Hunt's tomato cannery {where she worked for 25+ years}.
 
My grandparents have been generous with their lives. In addition to raising their 6 children, my grandparents also raised my sister and I.  

Their family of 8 is now a family of 53!!! 

The newest member of our family was born Monday. Welcome, Ian Silva!!

In September of 2005 God took my grandfather, Antonio Teodosio, home and made him new. 
{for the last 10 years of his life he slowly faded away from us as he suffered from Alzheimer's}.  I miss him terribly.

The name Josefina, comes from Joseph which means "May God add." God has certainly added so much to our family because of my grandmother.

I feel blessed to be a Teodosio.  I am honored to be part of a family that pursued a dream; a family with courage.  

My grandparents have given me a rich heritage, a deep value for family, and were the first to model victory {overcoming obstacles} to me. 

I praise God that He wrote me into their story {tears}.

My gratitude is expressed by living a life that honors them and Him. 

**************************************************************************

Photos:
Top: Family photo at Aunt Violet's wedding. 
top row l-r: Marie, Violet, Victoria, Vera
bottom row l-r: Joe {my dad}, Antonio, Josefina, Hilda

Middle: My grandfather kissing me at my wedding reception (My grandfather gave me away}.

Bottom: My grandmother, sister Toni, and I



 

We're Come'n To America {part 1}

On July 31st my family celebrated the 50th anniversary of their arrival to America from Flores, Azores!

  A Festa {party} was thrown by my cousins and I, to honor my grandmother and aunts, and the journey that began 50 years ago. 

 
This week I will share with you a bit of my family's history.

But first, let's get this party started!!!

Ten on the 10th

10 pictures on the 10th day of the month!
{Document a snapshot of your life & find beauty among the ordinary things in your day!} 

after spending the evening with these girls

i drove 1hr towards home and crashed at my lil' sister's casa

{thank you "toni bologna full of macaroni"}. 

i left her casa early to make it home before michael left for work.

chai tea latte for rachel for the drive home
{rachel is my sbux name.  see, wendy, i have heard of sbux}.

when i arrived at home my jr. highers {how can i have jr. highers!?!}

could not wait to tell me all about the fun they had youth group the night before. 

eggs were involved.  clothing doused in egg yolk was waiting for me in the washer. 

they also played a game which involved letters on the soles of their feet...

 see.

i worked on my blog post {vlogs take forever}

 watched the girls go through an obstacle course they created in the back yard.

yes, emilie is wearing a life jacket and hula-hooping
{my girls are easily entertained}.

 an hour later the girls were inside 

and everyone was in noah's room playing legos
{they're playing legos now.  i love you legos}.

 

black bean salsa for lunch

{i could eat this every day}

chillaxing with my friends in blogville

 cleaned the "church"
{Church is the brand of our toilet...
i "go" to church a few times a day}.

general hospital {don't judge.  

jason is in critical condition, jax kidnapped jocelyn, and lucky is

missing!!} 

 

my kids shared wendy's last cake pop

{i may or may not have had a little nibble too}.