Celebrating THREE amazing years on August 12th!

This Show Us Your Life - Wedding Dress Blog Hop is probably one of the most fun of all Blog Hops/Carnivals! What girl (married or otherwise) doesn't love to drool over other girls' wedding gowns?! Thanks, Kelly, for a chance to share and yet another great way to end the week in the blogosphere!

(Note: The photos are less blurry if clicked on to enlarge.)

1) When was your wedding day? August 12, 2006

2) What day of the week was it? Saturday

3) Did you get married in a church? Yes, Leonardtown Baptist!


















Here my beautiful bridesmaids are helping me get situated into my dress. This was an Eden gown. Very reasonable prices with great variety of styles to choose from and stunning quality!

I originally thought I was going to go with a ball gown (and tried on several), but when I saw this dress online, I knew it was more me. We didn't have an absolutely huge wedding since neither of our families lived in Maryland (my family in MN and Jeromy's in WV), plus it was mid August so I thought the more A-line option might be a little cooler than a poofy Cinderella dress. And of course it turned out to be 70 degrees with no humidity. In Southern Maryland, that's pretty much a miracle!!

4) How many in your wedding party? three bridesmaids (Jenni, Christina, and Elizabeth), four groomsmen (Brad, Dan, Matt, Chad), and my flower girl (Ally)

5) Where was your reception? Bryant Avenue Baptist Church in MN (a week later) and Webster/Bolair, WV (two more weeks after that). Everyone who attended the wedding was invited to the Coffee Quarter after our wedding for a dutch lunch. Things would have been different if we didn't have a far-away wedding!

6) How many guests were invited to your wedding? Whoever wanted to attend! The whole church!


















For some reason, the sanctuary shots turned out kind of yellow. Maybe playing around with Photoshop would help but we haven't tried yet.

7) How long did you wait to Tie The Knot after your proposal? 5 months exactly. March 12th to August 12th

8) Who did you hire as your photographer? Joe Pelletier

9) Did you have a DJ or a band? we didn't have a traditional reception


















Sort of blurry shot of a dad giving away his daughter. (He could sleep through literally anything - ha!)

These next couple photos are very special to me, especially now that my dad has passed away. I am so very grateful he lived to see both of his children married and well taken care of.

10) Did your father walk you down the aisle? YES! Thank you Jesus!

11) What color were the bridesmaid dresses & groomsmen vests? cute strapless black cocktail dresses with a few big periwinkle flowers from Ann Taylor Loft. I though they were SO adorable!

12) What was your first song? The congregation sang "How Great Is Our God" and "In Christ Alone (My Hope is Found)", and Dan, a groomsman played and sang an amazing song he wrote just for us!!! Called, "All the While".


















13) How long did it take to plan the wedding? 5 months

14) What type of limo did you get? how about a rental SUV

15) Where did you go for your Bachelorette/Bachelor Party? Jenni planned a fun little girl party the night before the wedding. We had yummy food and some crazy gifts! Jeromy and the guys went out for dessert and hung out at his place.














16) What type of wedding gown/tux did you two wear? Eden A-line strapless, not quite empire waist, light embellishment down the front and an extra half overlay with lace trim. You'd have to see the picture, I'm not great on dress terminology! :)

17) How was the weather? Can you believe it was a cloudless 70 degrees, NO humidity, in Southern Maryland IN AUGUST!!! That never, ever happens!

18) Where did you go on your Honeymoon? Sunny Seattle! (we actually got sunburned!) We spent a night in a Victorian B&B in Annapolis first

19) What was your favorite part of your wedding day? wearing the gown, saying the vows we had written ourselves

20) How long have you been married? It will be three years next month!


















21 What was the worst part of your wedding day? my literally ghetto up do. I wish I had chosen someone else to do my hair. I could have even done it myself!

22. Did you see your husband before the ceremony? No, I was hiding in the nursery. We did pictures after the ceremony.

23. What kind of flowers were in your bouquet? blue hydrangeas and white roses. The girls carried calla lilies.

24. What were your "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue? Didn't really care about this but...
Old -- Diamond earings from my great aunt
New -- everything else I was wearing!
Borrowed -- Sandi Riggleman's tiara - thanks again!
Blue -- bouquet :)


















White roses and blue hydrangeas. Perfect. Nail polish color choice, not so much....

25. Did you light a unity candle? Yep, while Dan sang. We made our own. Tip: Try to buy the least amount of wedding "things" as you can. Most of them, you can find a way to craft them yourself.

26. Did you cry during your wedding? No, but I cry at everyone else's wedding! It's the adrenaline. You're in "go" mode.

27. Where did you buy your wedding gown? At a small bridal shop in Vienna, VA

28. What flavor was your wedding cake? We had three different kinds at our Minnesota reception. I think two white and one chocolate, all with different fillings like almond, raspberry, and I think lemon. Cake was our one big splurge. We went with Queen of Cakes in Edina, who is spectacular! She's been featured in Brides magazine for a spice cake before.

29. Did you smash cake in each other's face or were you "nice"? I think we tried. It wasn't our actual wedding day so there wasn't as much pressure surrounding the day, but we were wearing our wedding attire so we were careful. I LOVED getting to dress up twice!!!



















30. Did you freeze the top layer of your cake and eat it on your first wedding anniversary? Yes we did! We didn't even take it out of the box, just threw it in my parents' chest freezer and then ate it when we flew home about ten months later. It's not like we could have taken it with us on the plane!

31. When did you open your wedding gifts? When we got back from our honeymoon and reception. And absentminded-me left my little notebook with our "thank you list" in it on an obscure shelf in Target! I was so mortified and I hope our relatives are over the generic thank you's they received. DON'T DO THIS!

32. Did you have a bridal shower? Yes, at The Tea Room in La Plata, MD with Heather Lanham, Danielle Fields, Amy Morris, and Barb Darden. I wish I had known more people at the time!!!


















A week after the wedding we hosted reception in Minneapolis, MN in a stuffy church gym with no A/C. Of course that day it was muggy as all get out. But still a wonderful day, and free of pressure since the ceremony had been the previous week. The reception also happened to fall on my 26th birthday, which made the event even more special. I'd never had such a big to-do birthday party in my life! And I probably won't again until I'm over the hill! :)

The best perk of the day was that I got to wear my dress a second time. Not many girls get to do that! Plus I did my own hair that day and I liked it better. Go figure!

This is us and my best friend from my childhood, Jamila (who just married this past February, I might add!). She and her parents lived two houses down from my house, and we met when we were two years old! My mom just sold her house on that street not two weeks ago, or our parents would all still be living "two doors down"!

33. The night before your wedding, did you sleep much? Not really. I would have taken a sleep aid if I had one!

34. Did your bridal party deck out the get away car? Couldn't, since we were driving a rental up to Annapolis that afternoon!


















35. Anything special about the day/time of year you were married? We originally planned on an October 21st wedding - exactly 1 year after we met. But circumstances changed (like my host family moving and Jeromy's 6 month lease expiring) where it was better to move up the wedding. So August it was! I had loved the idea of a Fall wedding and since I am not a lover of summer, so God was extra gracious to give us perfect weather! Our anniversary is a week before my birthday, so I have mixed feelings about that!

36. Words of wisdom? A. Always give your spouse the benefit of the doubt. You know who they are. B. Budget monthly/weekly personal spending money for each of you. No questions asked!

What I Learned in Kindergarten

The other day I was thinking of a funny kid story of mine from kindergarten. Hubby and I had been watching America's Funniest Videos when one of the clips prompted the memory. Just the whole idea of laughing at someone's expense.

Why do we get so much glee from the sweetly ignorant things little kids say and do? They never seem to run out of ways to entertain adults with their quirky antics. (Unless, of course, the antic falls into the "naughty" category. But even then it tends to attain a few laughs after the fact. Or, at least, after the mess is all cleaned up.)

If there ever lived an ignorant child, I was her. I always seemed to ask questions none of my other peers had, which often made me feel foolish and dense. Nevertheless, my lack of common knowledge as a child certainly must have afforded my family and teachers many a chuckle in my expense.

Now that I am an aunt, however, I realize a lot of it is provoked, because Jeromy and I frequently provoke our 4-year-old ultra-gullible nephew, Isaac, for a few laughs! Poor kid, he has no idea!

It was Springtime in Minnesota. Spring is always a big deal in the barren tundra land that is my home state. The buds are popping. The air is warming up so that you can safely put away your winter coat in favor of the glorious windbreaker. (Well, almost safely. I have experienced many a late-April blizzard in my day.) The birds are returning with bleached feathers and Southern accents, the lakes are crowded with runners and rollerbladers sweating out their Spring Fever on the paths, and the school year is quickly vanishing along with the last traces of dirty snow.

During the long-awaited Spring Thaw, Minnesotans are ever in a collectively unshakable good mood, even on Mondays.

If you cannot tell, I have been reading Garrison Keillor. Forgive me. :)

This such Spring of 1987 was much like any other. Except that the Twins would actually play an amazing season that year, but that's irrelevant to this story. Ha!

As Spring is given to the theme of "new life", our teacher decided to teach us about the life cycle of the butterfly. We learned about how a butterfly begins as an unsightly caterpillar, then perches on a leaf and hides in a cocoon until he develops wings and breaks out and flies away. What a perfect Spring unit for kindergarten!

For an object lesson, Mrs. Provart had us each craft our own little cocoons to display around the classroom, using what resembled (and probably was) homemade play dough. We were excited! First, we threw on our jackets and headed outdoors to find a twig, on which to attach our makeshift cocoons. Getting to go outside during non-recess time was always the best treat!

I have to say, I probably would never have remembered this project at all, since I was only 6 years old, if not for the incident that ensued.

I don't know if I thought I would recognize a twig when I saw one, but I looked and looked all over the school yard and found not one little twig. All my classmates didn't seem to have the same problem as I, snatching up their finding from the ground and promptly running back to get in line at the door. I was too busy looking for my own twig that I never bothered to look at what the other kids were picking up.

Finally, every last student had found a twig and was lined up to go back inside. Except for me. My child mind simply did not know what a "twig" was. A slight desperation came over me. My teacher noticed me, head down, nervously pacing under the big tree in the yard and came over to see what the trouble was.

"Did you find a twig? We need to go back into the classroom now."

I felt like crying, I was so embarrassed. I didn't know why I couldn't figure this out but that all the other kids could. Not wanting to admit my uncertainty, I exclaimed, "I can't find a twig!"

Mrs. Provart furrowed her brow. Of course, there were twigs everywhere underfoot, but I didn't know it. I have no idea what she was thinking when I told her I couldn't find one, but she bent down to pick up the first twig lying in front of her, handed it to me, and said, "Ok, let's go - it's chilly out here!"

Was I ever dumbfounded, holding what was, apparently, a twig, in front of my face. I clearly remember thinking, 'Why didn't she just say she wanted us to find a stick?'

After getting inside I noticed that my twig was smaller than everyone else's. It also was broken, barely holding together in the middle. But it was too late to go back out to find a different one. If only I had known, I could have found the best twig for my cocoon!

This was probably one of the first times in my life I recall feeling ridiculous and being resentful about it. 'How come I didn't know a small stick was a twig? Why didn't anyone ever tell me? Why didn't Mrs. Provart show us what a twig was before making us find one by ourselves?' Though apparently, I was the only one in my class in the dark. How silly! I remember feeling bothered at the thought.

That day I learned what a twig is. I also discovered that there was much to know in this big, wide world, and that the learning might not always come easily or naturally. I learned that sometimes you will even feel foolish in the process, but that those are the lessons you never forget.

When Cell Phones Gets Wet

Amanda at Mandi Girl Muses recently lamented an incident where their dog ate her husband's Blackberry. Chewed it all up, and right before a business trip! The post reminded me of the time something somewhat similar happened to me...

Still a nanny up to a week before we got married, I helped my host family move from North Carolina to Kansas while finishing up planning for our wedding. I took the family's 1.5-year-old on lots of afternoon walks around the neighborhood, always drawn to the lake around the corner (being the MN girl I am!).

On one such outing we parked ourselves on the dock and I placed my cell on top of the stroller (stupid, stupid me!!) while I went to sit down. Not 5 seconds later I heard a "plop" and it took a moment to register that something fell into the lake. Immediately I was like, "What was that?!" and I looked to see my poor cell phone sink to the muddy bottom of the lake.

My only connection to my directory, quick access to my groom-to-be and everyone involved in the wedding planning -- in just two weeks! Though I was no bridezilla, a girl has only one wedding and she relies on being able to coordinate at a moment's notice.

Lets just say the next few minutes (or maybe hours) were not my most shining moments. Yeah, major freak-out.

Turns out the neighbor across the street (an engineer - glad I married one myself!) attached a magnet to a long stick, retrieved my phone (I have no idea how he found it!), then took it apart and air pressured it so that I could use the first two columns of numbers and access my directory. When does that happen to a drenched cell phone?!

I could have hugged him!

The whole thing was innocent enough. Samantha was simply wiggling in the stroller because she, the little fish, would have dived into the water head first if she could. With her shaking in the seat, my phone must have fallen into her lap. And since she couldn't go for a swim, I'm certain she thought it would be fun to at least throw something into the lake, and so she did. All in a matter of seconds. Poor girl didn't know any better and I was unwise for taking along my phone in the first place!

Since the incident I've been trying to take things in better stride and act instead of react to my circumstances. As much as I would like to control every detail of my (and, what the hay, everybody else's) life, I can't. And what's more, God won't let me. (Well, and how else would I have anything to blog about??) These frustrating little happenings prove that over and over.

So I'm screaming like banshee (figuratively speaking!) and He's like, "Woa, it's really ok! Breathe! See? You're not dying. The sky is blue. And you'll get through this just like every other time."

Thank His goodness God didn't matter-of-factly state, "It is still very possible to plan a wedding 1000 miles away without a cell phone." Although, He very well could have! I'd have burst into tears!

I had this little saying I would often whisper in my head while stressing over some or other college deadline:"If I can get through this, I can get through anything."

For some reason that little phrase seemed to help carry me through the task (possibly all-nighter). And then with a sigh of relief I would look back over the difficulty and thank God for His help and pat myself on the back for my sticktoitiveness (as my dad would say).

Sometimes I still motivate myself with those same words; for instance, when I'm on the treadmill and feel like quitting. Although, more often I tell myself, "Just two more minutes." And when the two minutes are up I say it again. "Two more minutes." Sounds better than reality, which is usually 46 more minutes!

I think, in circumstances where I feel most helpless and desperate I need to remember the verse in Lamentations 3 where it says that God's "compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness". Just wait for it. There's always something around the bend to lift us up, whether after the slightest drizzle or a swirling hurricane. It won't always mean complete restoration of what we've lost or broken, but God will find a way to somehow encourage our heart.

Even be it a mere reminder of how fortunate we are in this country to own a cell phone. Or to wear a beautiful white dress on a wedding day we for so long planned. Or how much more meaningful it is to dwell on what really matters in life rather than the "stuff" that often clogs our lives. Getting to be someone's bride, someone's nanny, and perhaps someone's good example of what calm, sustaining trust in a faithful God looks like.

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!

through the years

Hard to believe we lost you one year ago today. But what is time to you anymore? Keep on singing in that signature off-key way of yours, and be sure we will drown you out on the second verse!



















"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV).


*turn on the volume*

Did I mention I am sentimental? (Feel free to add your own!)

Oh the little joys of childhood!

I'm adding a few of mine to the list (disclaimer - they are pretty 80's and 90's driven but not all):
























-scoring tokens at Circus Pizza (even though you cheated and let your little brother help you smack all those crocodiles!)

-digging large holes in the backyard

-riding your bike down a steep grade with no hands

-learning how to french braid on Barbie

-jumping through the sprinkler and getting grass stuck all the way up your legs

-hanging upside down on the monkey bars

-"markering" in paint-with-water books

-playing school

-camping out in the backyard with your friends and staying up all night drinking Jolt and telling ghost stories

-sleeping on the bus on the way to school (oh to not have to drive in morning traffic!!!)

-buying mood rings at Claire's

-making sweet jumps at the sledding hill

-spinning the crap out of your friends on the tire swing

-view finders!

-getting treated to a box of Barnum's Animal Crackers for going grocery shopping with Mom

-trading stickers!!! (At 28, I still have my old sticker books!)

-setting up a lemonade stand in front of your house (and being tickled when when the mailman says all he's got on him is a buck - oh for JOY!)

-still playing out in the fresh snow well after dark (because the snow makes the sky look bright and red)

-library book sales, especially on "bag day"

-collecting pogs!

-sucking on giant candy cane sticks or gnawing till your tongue is raw on huge layered jawbreakers

-requesting Bette Midler songs on Radio Aahs (only Minnesota children will recall this!)

-Four Square, jump rope, and Hopscotch!

-making sweet forts out of blankets, pillows, and chairs

-spending hours ice skating and then wobbling back into the warming house to play knock hockey during drink breaks

-writing stories and drawing pictures with friends (maybe a girl thing!)

-going to see the Teddy Bear Band with your family (or Club Fun TV)

-carrying Pez dispensers around in your pocket like it was gold

-drawing pictures on the bulletin during church service (although, my brother still does this!)

-or how about getting away with sleeping in church - ha!

-finding a comfortable tree limb on which to sit and read

-wearing cheap, plastic costumes to go Trick or Treating

-mastering the game "Simon"

-spinning in circles as fast as you can to feel dizzy

-tape recording you and your friends being silly (this is the one I had)

-dumping your bulk stash of Legos on the floor - the sky's the limit!

-getting a PINK PANTHER POP with bubble gum eyes (and other treats) from the ice cream man!

-singing the entire Animaniacs song on the top of your lungs with your sibling(s)

-feeling like you're in heaven when you walk into KB Toy store

-playing neighborhood games like "Annie Annie Over", "London Bridge", "Hide and Seek", and "TV Tag"

-standing at the kiosk for over an hour at Target, playing the new Super Nintendo (and begging your mom to get it for Christmas!)

-sneaking around the house in December and finding said NES, feeling guilty and ecstatic at the same time

-riding on your dad's shoulders and shivering with a fear of heights, yet laughing with glee that you can touch the ceiling

-school supply shopping (I swear this will be the reason I have kids!) There is nothing better than a fresh box of Crans! (Crayons, for all you non-Midwesterners!)

-chewing an entire pack of Hubba Bubba at one time (or half a pack of Bubble Tape)

-BOOK IT!! (and scoring personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut, plus a Land Before Time puppet!)

-lying under the Christmas tree and staring up at the lights

-playing Candy Land with the family (with real candy for the prize) on Sunday nights and eating stove-top-popped popcorn

-having tea parties using water and saltine crackers, and feeling it was pretty real since you didn't have to pretend to swallow

-sweeping under a large pine tree to make a "house"

-getting to lick the batter bowl (ok, so that's not exclusive to childhood...but being given the privilege to lick the bowl is!)

-flying my Rainbow Brite kite at the park

-saving the cereal marshmallows for last so that they get squishy and sweeten the milk

-earning AWANA bucks/shares and bringing home a bag full of bouncy balls, plastic bracelets, and tootsie rolls

-getting your mom to let you ride the carousel outside Red Owl grocery store

-being scared to tear the tag off the pillow after watching this

-rolling down a steep, grassy hill (and running back up to do it again!)

-devouring a 9-piece Chicken McNugget drenched in BBQ sauce (I can almost taste them - but am sadly done with them forever)

-Getting to "play Santa" by passing out all the presents at Christmas. Such an important job!

-laughing at everything, no holding back

-having Big Wheel races with the neighbor kids

-listening to Wee Sing tapes on your Walkman

-making intricate friendship bracelets and feeling so accomplished!

-fighting over the middle back seat and "round spoon" (this one's for you, Justin!)

-NO CABLE OR INTERNET!!! (love/hate of the worst kind)

-experimenting with baking and making up recipes with your friends (Oh, so cake needs leavening!)

-twirling unabashedly in a dress

-making (and wearing) dandelion crowns

-kiddie pools!!

-getting to bring a toy/stuffed animal everywhere you go

-having somebody cut up your pork chop/pancake/baked potato for you

-Pin the Tail on the Donkey

-playing "Don't Touch the Ground" in the basement, in the dark

-getting your hair braided at night so it's crimped in the morning

-cartoon lunch boxes, backpacks, notebooks, and folders

-library storytime

-getting to "eat over" at a friend's house (or a friend eating at your house)

-watching CBS Storybreak

-footy pajamas

-showering every other day (or every few days...)

-inviting your whole class to your birthday party

-playing dress-up and getting into your friend's mom's makeup

-coming home dirty every summer night

-being amazed by card tricks

-when a year seemed to last forever

-eating Spaghetti-O's for lunch and Pop Tarts for snacks

-wearing pigtails and ribbons

-writing real letters to pen pals who live all across the country

-being blissfully ignorant your family never had much money

-getting measured and seeing how much you've grown by comparing it to the last marking on the wall

-wearing clip-on ties or hook belts

-being so excited to go to the park that you skip the whole way there

-going on field trips to the nature center or science museum (especially when your mom chaperoned!)

-finding "secret passage ways" through your neighbors' yards

Spring Has Sprung in Southern Maryland!

Truth be told, Sammie could live outside.


























(Go check out the other entries for the I Heart Faces contest this week! Theme: "Easter/Spring")

Siblings at Easter, a Generation Apart

Minneapolis, Minnesota; 1945

























White Bear Lake, Minnesota; 1987

Awaiting the final Resurrection

A thank you to Desiring God Ministries and Bethlehem Baptist Church one year later...


Dear folks at Desiring God,

I attended the early Easter service at Bethlehem last year. I had recently flown in from Maryland to spend a few last days with my father before he went on to his heavenly home just three weeks later. Colon cancer of the worst kind. It was my dad's last Easter, and God graciously let me be with him on what turned out to be an amazing, special-in-so-may-ways day.

I went to the early service because I always like to “stop by” when I’m in Minneapolis, and because I had planned on attending the “service” at my dad’s care center later on that morning. I was alone and sat in the back, but the whole service ministered to my grieving heart. I had never heard that song, “The Power of the Cross” before, and the choir sang it ever so beautifully. What an impacting message set to tremendous music!

I was not only able to take a sweet Easter lily back to my dad’s room after the service, but also the encouragement of the Resurrection.

Turned out that due to cases of the flu in the care center, the service was canceled last minute. I was kind of discouraged because my dad hadn’t been to church for two whole months, and rarely left his room, much less his bed. I desperately wanted to bring some sort of hope in the middle of this horrific disease, which was consuming his life at such a young age.

The dear people at Desiring God graciously donated “The Blazing Center” to bring some of that hope to him. I am forever grateful. Since the service was canceled, I took out the first DVD and I sat on the bed with my dad and watched/listened to Pastor Piper talk about acne and telescopes and God’s glory.

A few minutes into the DVD my dad’s roommate rolled his wheelchair up close to watch with us. So precious. I will always hold that memory, and I praise God for allowing the service to be canceled so that we could share this time together.

About an hour later my mom and a few other relatives showed up after their own church services. My uncle had driven with his family from Nebraska to spend some quality time with my dad, and was about to make the trip back after saying goodbye one more time. There was not enough room in the small room for eight people, so we wheeled my dad into the lobby and chit-chatted for a while. When my extended family got up to leave my uncle asked if we could all pray together.

Everybody stood in a circle and held hands. My uncle prayed first, and nobody expected this, but then my dad spoke up and started to pray! With the sturdy confidence in his voice, you would never have known that he was living with a disease that was killing his body by the minute. Everyone started crying when he thanked His Lord for his life and acknowledged God’s plan in this cancer. He prayed that God would use him, even in his suffering, for His glory. It felt like my dad was reciting everything he had just heard on The Blazing Center!

We were all so proud of my dad. We were touched to the core by his submissive spirit and amazing God-given strength, amid such languishing weakness.

I am grateful for every single one of the ministries that comes out of Desiring God. You truly have a passion for the supremacy of Christ, for you certainly have spread generous amounts of it to my family. I am encouraged with hope that my dad is at this moment experiencing the answer to the courageous prayer he prayed on that beautiful snowy Easter afternoon.

*****

Today on this Good Friday I can't help but meditate on these memories. I am overwhelmed with gladness that my dad is yet alive and well a whole year later, and is worshiping his Savior in His very presence. This year I especially cling to the HOPE of the Resurrection when we all will be reunited in great joy!

Relish in it!

*****

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
“Finished!” the vict’ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

The First of Many Disappointments

My husband Jeromy has been dying to submit this photo for the contest, and here is the perfect week for his entry! Over the course of our courtship I cared for this little girl in her home. Yet I dare say Samantha preferred Jeromy over her own nanny! There is something about the way a man can make a little girl giggle like she's never giggled before!

However....

When, for safety's sake, Jeromy institutes tough love and steals the pit of a perfectly shaped cherry out of the hands of said little girl, all trace of happy giggling diminishes. It may have only lasted a few moments (until he swiftly replaced the cherry with a fresh, whole one, that is), but I have yet to encounter a pout of this degree since that incident. You'd have thought all love abandoned her with those real crocodile tears!

It's so hard being little!



(Go check out the other entries for the I Heart Faces contest this week! Theme: "Pouting")

Carly Kay

Jeromy and I flew to Minnesota at the beginning of February to use up a canceled ticket from last year. (Or maybe just for the fresh chocolate chip cookies on Midwest airlines, but don't tell!)

It happened to be a somewhat mild few days during our stay, which nixed any plan to snow tube, but since warmer weather in the middle of winter is like heaven on earth to any Minnesotan, we weren't too bitter about it. At any rate, it is always the visiting "out-of-towner" who gets the blame for any unseasonable shift in weather, right? Which means they loved us. And sure enough, as soon as we returned to Southern Maryland, the cold winds picked right back up!

While in Minnesota we were able to surprise my mom on her birthday, which made the short trip extra special. We enjoyed a wonderful couple of days playing Scrabble, getting out to see "New In Town" (we had to since my brother lives in New Ulm, which is the setting of the movie), and doing little else. Just some visiting with a few relatives and a couple of friends. Nothing says "vacation" better than a light-to-nonexistent schedule. We absolutely savored this unusually relaxed visit home.

Of course the star of our family is my sweet niece Scarlett. Little Carly Kay celebrated her first birthday just a couple of weeks after our trip to Minnesota. So many things about her had changed since October when we had last seen her in person. It's just plain hard for an auntie to live 1,000 miles away from her niece! So of course I ended up snapping a bunch of pictures while we shared some "Scarlett time". I have to say, that girl wears a million faces! Every photo seems to display a different emotion - happy, curious, silly, mischievous, mellow, cheesy - just to list a few.

And here is one of them, and Scarlett is almost serious. Contently looking out at the quickly melting snow. And with the afternoon sun shining in those baby blues!
























(Go check out the other entries for the I Heart Faces contest this week! Theme: "No Flash")