Things to Consciously Work On

Unpacking, though tedious, can be surprisingly fun. Especially the digging through boxes that have long been in storage and finding places for each item. Over the course of the last week since we closed on our house, some aspects of the unpacking has even felt like Christmas!

"I totally forgot about that!"

"I didn't know I still had this!"

"I don't even remember writing this!"

I have been rediscovering so many papers and journals of my past that I have been enjoying coming across. I love having record of so many little pieces of my past. They've all shaped me. I am no longer the person who wrote in the moment (just as I am not the person I was last month or even last week) but, compiled, they make up my biography.

One such interesting find was a list I made one night back in December of 2003. I believe I was reading the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren at the time, and for whatever reason, I felt I needed some personal, visible accountability in my life. I recall thinking I would scribble up a list of 10 things to work on, and I just kept writing, and writing, until I covered an entire notebook sheet front and back! And I know I could certainly add to the list!

I wanted to type up this list before I lose it one way or another because, if not a standard, it is a good guidline and reminder. I let Jeromy read the list the other day and he said it sounded like a list for anyone.

Many aspirations in this list sound lofty and unreachable (and they are), and a couple of them even contradict one another(!), but I remember being absolutely serious when I wrote out each one. It reveals how God was working in my heart during that time. And maybe once again, now that I've stumbled upon it!



The list is entitled, "Things to Consciously Work On"


-telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but

-selflessness/others-minded

-thinking rationally, logically, and thoroughly before acting or speaking

-honoring my parents

-speaking my faith to believers and non-believers alike

-community with God through prayer consistently

-having a good attitude

-patience and trust when in a hurry or when disappointed

-contentment

-dependence on God - not feeling like I have to seek what I want, knowing God does what is best in His timing

-uplifting and encouraging others in various forms

-dedicating each day to God and living the day in light of that prayer

-Bible study - quantity and quality

-doing everything and living every moment for the glory of God; doing my best with whatever task God has given me to do - any time and any size

-loving others unconditionally when annoyed or rejected

-good stewaredship with my money

-good stewardship with my time - focus on what is really important; don't waste a moment

-stop and reflect on blessings with gratitude

-work on social/conversational skills

-drive safely and aware always of surroundings (ha ha! love this one!)

-not being envious of another's gifts, such as: singing or writing skills and exposure, connections with famous people, spiritual walk, relationship, career, family, friends, motivation, etc.; I need to be thankful for the provision and portion God has graciously given me

-budgeting time and energy (balance); don't get consumed with just one thing, even if it is a good thing

-give full attention and devotion to responsibilities

-stewardship of my body the Temple, including healthy eating habits, exercise, sleep, loud music, etc.; I can't be used by God with a broken body

-stop worrying; give God my fears and concerns instead

-think on Philippians 4:8 things, especially what is real and true; don't dwell on the past or daydream about bad things that could happen in the future, even good things that may or may never happen, as none of these things are true now; focus on the present and take opportunities God provides daily - preparing for future responsibilities, ministry opportunities, etc.

-memorize Scripture, especially reviewing salvation verses so that I am equipped when I need them

-don't allow even good Christian music to run my life - is it becoming a god?

-live so that Christ is my Lord. Seek His will upon decision making

-trust God to help me do something I don't want to do or don't feel qualified to do

-learn how to cook, take care of a car, sew simple things, use a check book properly; education myself about insurance, simle plumbing and housekeeping strategies, equipment, and products so that I am well prepared to live on my own or become an adequate helper for a husband someday (yeah, I was lame for not knowing how to do these things!)

-don't be afraid to fall in love

-don't write to impress others, but because I mean it

-stop being a perfectionist

-obey right away when God directs

-let others know they are loved and appreciated

-don't get distracted easily - stay focused

-go the extra mile in everything (ha! but don't be a perfectionist, how does that work??)

-live above reproach; Christ is the example and goal

-sacrifice and surrender what I want for the good of others

-live for Eternity; don't get caught up even in good things, as this world is not my home. God is my prize.

Little Owl House in the Country

I'm participating in Kelly's home tour this week to cover all rooms because we're just moving into our house and we haven't really made it "our own" yet. But the carnival was just too fun not to participate in at least once! :)

BTW, I am looking for inspiration wherever I can find it - especially for the living room - so I am especially excited to to sneak a peek at everyone's photos this go around! So fun!

















I have yet to write a single post about our new adventure, so I'm sitting here until it's done!

After 2 1/2 years of married life in Southern Maryland, we have just packed up and moved six hours West. (Still, closer to Minnesota!) In March, Jeromy accepted a job in his home state of West Virginia, and we are now finally closing on a house this Friday! For several months Jeromy had been looking into jobs in several states, with no success. We would never have thought to consider West Virginia, what with engineering jobs (or much of any other job, for that matter) normally so sparse out here. Then, lo and behold, a friend from church steered us to a tiny branch of the large company he works for, and here we are.

In the middle of relocation mayhem!

I have to say, it will take some getting used to the slower pace of life in West Virginia. As in the snail. The turtle. A lot of businesses are still considerably old fashioned in their methods and practices. I sense that patience just might become my life lesson from now on!

For instance, today I walked into the post office (which, by the way, reeked of smoke) to get a money order. Once I whipped out my credit/debit card to pay, the little old post lady was like, "Oh, no. We don't take anything but cash or check. We're not computerized."

I was like, "Wha?" And then she pointed to the huge neon colored poster boards on the wall in back of her. (I have no idea how I missed them!)

"Cash/Check Only"

"NO CREDIT CARDS"

"Sorry," she said. We're old fashioned." Those exact words, my friends!

Really.

However, the interstate is not bumper-to-bumper traffic at 6am as is the norm in the DC area. And strangers actually take the time to chit chat! I like that!

And of course, I absolutely love living among rolling hills and distant mountain views! It is annoying to have to pop my ears every day, but that's a small price compared to living along such gorgeous countryside! And the air! The air is so much drier than Southern-Maryland-sticky-peninsula-steam. Can you believe I am actually looking forward to summer weather this year?! I might be the only West Virginia resident ever to dislike sweet tea (don't hate), but be certain I'll be sitting on our back porch sipping a sweet something!

For the last month we have been staying in a hotel in Morgantown, approximately a 45-minute drive to Clarksburg. Not fun. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

We have attended a couple of churches here in town, but the church hunt has really yet to begin in Clarksburg. We look forward to getting involved in a great work and connecting with other believers. The sooner the better!

A couple of weekends ago our hotel got smoked out by a cigarette fire that started outside on the landscaping. Evacuated from our room, we hit up Starbucks to pass the time. As we sat down I noticed a girl crocheting in the seat across from us. I asked her about her project, and throughout the flow of conversation found out we are both Christians. Her husband attends WVU in Morgantown as a law student, although they are from the Clarksburg area. And it turns out the couple is part of a church plant in Fairmont, another neighboring city. Renovate Church meets every other Saturday night, and we are hoping to catch up with them at their next service. What an interesting encounter!

Jeromy is getting situated in his job, but I have yet to find work. There are a few full time positions within Jeromy's company network, but I would really prefer 30 hours or less. And the majority of part time jobs around here involve retail, which I have long proclaimed I would avoid like the plague.

I applied to one position to work with autistic children, which sounded extremely promising! Yet the hourly pay was less than I what made in high school, and included a 25-minute commute to boot. Husband calculated that after fuel and taxes, I would bring home a measly $49 check each week. As neat as the position sounded, there are easier and less time consuming ways to save $49!

So the search continues. We really do live in Podunk, so prospects look grim. But maybe it will just take a little time. Meanwhile, all things "new house" will surely keep my hands from becoming the least bit idle.

So with all that said, welcome to our new home! After seeing more than 25 houses in the Clarksburg/Fairmont areas of West Virginia, we decided to put an offer on the very last one! As first time home buyers, we had no idea what we wanted at the start. If we had purchased a couple years ago we may have considered more of a fixer-upper, but we realized we would really just like to move in and get settled right away. Especially in this buyers market and a state with a cheaper cost of living! But by the time we found this home we had realized what specific things we were looking for - and what we were not looking for.

We looked at several different styles of houses, but we absolutely love our final choice. The only complaint is the lack of a basement. I suppose if that becomes a problem, then it's time to pare down the "stuff"! As for practical storage, we will hopefully add some custom shelving in the future. (Any organization tips are more than welcomed!) This is a new construction, so we are starting from scratch. But for the time being it's more than enough space for us.

We think the front of the house looks like an owl.

















C'mon, you know you know it does. Hoo hoo....
































Some views of our front yard. This really is the country! Especially for this city girl!










































Love, love, love the neighborhood! It's funny, our Realtor actually lives just around the block! We had no idea where she lived until we asked to see this house! I don't know if this will be a good thing or a bad thing, but all in all, she is pretty nice lady!

Also, there is this bluegrass-singing family in our neighborhood - The Vaughns! Check out their tunes on their website! I can't wait to hear them live!
































The foyer and dining room. None of the furniture in this house belongs to us. The contractor staged it with his MIL's stuff. It's going to take some time for us to nicely furnish and decorate this place after living in a simple 2-bedroom apartment for almost 3 years! But we are looking forward to the process...slowly but surely.

At first I wanted to paint right away, but I think now we will wait until we purchase big furniture items like a nicer couch and dining table, to figure out our color palate.

So, I'll be on Craigslist if you need me. :)

















I would like to get a cute bistro table like this one, or perhaps an island with a couple stools. This corner off the kitchen needs something.

















Voila, our galley kitchen! We have ordered black appliances, which are being installed as I type! We thought about stainless steel (or even the stainless "look") but didn't want to have to deal with dents and finger prints. And there are flecks of black in our counter top, so it was just the best choice. Plus, our contractor only gave us $2500 for appliances, and we had none but a microwave, so it saved us from having to spend too much out of our own pocket.





































This is the laundry room, and in the distance you can see the utility room. Additional shelving would be nice here eventually.

















And the living room. I'm definitely not a fan of the furniture choices or placement here. I would like to get a nice couch to divide the room horizontally so there's not as much dead space. At first I thought, we must cover the living room with carpet (it's all I know), but after many comments and opinions of others, I have softened to the prospect of using area rugs. I will need a fairly large area rug to satisfy my preference for coziness, but I'm gaining confidence that this living room will turn out lovely one day.
































I wish I could keep that desk!
































And, of course, the master bedroom. We are ok with the carpet, although we wish we could have picked it out ourselves as we did the appliances. We'll work with it. Owning a matching bedroom suite like this would be so nice, but it's definitely not in our budget!


























































One of two closets in the master, but this one is a walk-in. Definitely could use more shelving here! How in the world am I going to organize shoes and belts until then??

















Master bath with jacuzzi tub. It doesn't have heated jets though.
































Bedrooms 2 and 3.










































Hallway with Jeromy and the inspector. Just outside full bathroom #2.

















Not huge, but it's got everything you'll need! :)




















































A couple views outside the master bedroom window. One of our neighbors has horses!!
































See???

















Backside of the house. The contractor has since built a white railing around the entire porch, which looks beautiful!

















Backyard.

















0.5 acres front and back combined. And it's a FLAT LOT. In West Virginia. That is nearly impossible! We looked at a lot of places with 1-2 acres, but most of the land was a steep grade so we are grateful for this!

However, I will miss living 2 blocks from the nearest (non-convenience) store! Try 15-20 minutes!




I will post updates as we personalize our home. I'm hoping we'll still get a garden going this Spring. There's certainly enough space for one! We're excited to be home owners, even with the maintenance that comes along with it. We can't wait to have people over, so if we know you are you're in the area, let us know! We promise you won't have to sleep on the hard wood floor!