TYLER - this is for you.

I know you are as tired of hearing about this house as I am of writing about it. this all consuming project is pretty much all I have blogged about for months. moving, waiting, watching, and moving again. I am tired of focusing there. but my brother has asked for the virtual tour, and I feel compelled to oblige, since that is what has been our lives. so this will be my last official post about this house. from this time forward you will find stories that unfold within our HOME on this blog. and with that fresh perspective,

I give you... our mostly finished abode.

the reading "loft". there is a bench and some great views here at the top of the stairs.

the "lounge" great for bedtime stories and family prayer.

the unfinished master bath and a peek at the master bedroom.

the family room/TV lounge and "jungle gym" (more on that later.)

dining and entry.

living room, where we would LOVE to sit and visit with you for hours on end as soon as you choose to make your visit. see you soon?!

here I am....

literally. most of my waking moments revolve around this room. not a bad room to frequent - especially if its clean. it's a nice place to live. and the crux of my story is that I am happy I'm here.

I no longer feel the stress of our "adventure", or dread my daily grind. normal is settling and it feels pretty nice.

don't be mislead, I still have several boxes to unpack (as evidenced in the picture) rooms to organize (with pleasure and anticipation of guests) and several touches to apply (oh, to hang something artistic!).

I am realizing that it's not necessarily the pictures on the wall that make it feel like it's home. it's the buzz in the air of feeling comfortable and happy in the place we reside.

happy we are.

our daughters adjustment was instant in this place. no sleepless nights or fretting moments of newness. we really came home.

I've taken my time to unpack and organize, and now that time is past. I now understand it is the new constant for us. the time has come for friends and family to fill our home with fun and love. so with that - come one and all to visit! there are no pictures on the walls, but the welcome mat is at the door and we look forward to seeing you grace our door!

so glad to be back - home.

love notes

birthday celebrations June 2008

I love that you are so young at heart.

I love how my heart melts when you smile at me with those deep "smiley" eyes.

I love how giddy you get over snowfall, even though it means you will be with me less.

I love the conviction of your testimony. though I have rarely heard it in words; I see it in action.

I love that I still get butterflies when you gently take my hand, or guide me by holding the small of my back.

I love the way our daughters light up when you FINALLY get home from work.

I love that you call me to shoot the breeze when you're driving to meetings, or on your way home. I love how you stay on the phone until you've walked in the door.

I love the details about your day and the way you wrap me up as you say hello.

I love that you enjoy your profession, and that you are so talented at what you do.

I love that after 12 years of marriage, I still can't fall asleep without you holding me close until I have slipped into dream land.

I love that you are mine, for all time and eternity. along with the beautiful three we have brought into this world together.

I love to be close to you, even after a long day, when nothing is said between us.

I love that you are the person I most want to share things with. my closest friend and confidant.

I love to see you smile and interact with our girls. I love to see how in love with you they have become.

I love that although life is rarely perfect around here, you are happy. and that makes me happy, too.

perspective

so I did it, five boxes on Friday and three trips to the D.I. trailer up the street. AND we had two play dates, we got the car washed, purchased a birthday gift, went out for dinner and the dishes were done at the end of the day. not bad for a Fridays work. feels good. it is liberating to realize that if I take just one thing at a time I CAN actually make headway.


and to make myself FEEL like it truly was progress I began packing up all the little nifties I would have liked to save for last. so now it LOOKS like we are moving and not just faking it.

no worry, the little girl didn't fit in the box.
packing up these shelves did make me wonder a little. this is where all the craft items I have hoarded for the girls to play in and with for these past five years have been stored. and in the past five months I have pulled out very little of it. either we don't really need it or I need to do a better job of letting them USE it. it is for their benefit I hoard feathers, and beads, stickers, crayons and glue and scissors and itty bitty pieces of tissue paper in a variety of colors. and it is, I know, for the sake of saving myself another mess to clean up I keep it hidden behind these doors. where are my priorities in this?

and this is one of the spots I would proudly display their faces next to ours. but where are the pieces of art work created lovingly by us together? makes me stop and think that as we take on this new adventure and begin again in a new home my priorities need affecting. in so many ways. we get to spend these next few months camping out. the bare essentials plus one or two things. determining what goes with us has been challenging. weeding out what we need verses what we MIGHT want is not easy. but this affords us a chance to really enjoy what we have, and not the unnecessary wants that bog us down.

so, that said, I am excited to spend a grass roots holiday in our tiny apartment; keeping things simple, cooking light and easy and sharing lots of laughs over side walk chalk and bubbles. John and I realized that we should really be moved by next Saturday. we have a ways to go on that front, but it will come. what's more is that as I think of this summer and what it might be like for us; I have reflected that what I REALLY want is smile time from my ladies, and based on some new perspective I am sure we can make it all I could possibly ask for.

reason #3

we are moving.

if you haven't already heard. and not a typical get all your stuff and go kind of move, so it's a little tricky. we are popping the top on our house - putting up a second story.

I have spent the better part of last week applying for and researching lines of credit. (with much help from my sweet friend DeeDee - Thank You so much!) and this week, having pretty much tied up the financial questions we will now play that waiting game with the underwriters. so my efforts and attention have turned to how high can I really stack the boxes into this room.

and where I can get a hold of more of these items without actually paying for them - bubble wrap is pricey stuff! and determining what should come with us, what can get stored, and what should just get chucked. it is a little comical, if you think about it, that I have to move out of my house so I never actually have to move away. but they say to be careful what you wish for, so I guess I'm learning that lesson now.

you see, after we moved in to our non discript run down little house and got nice and settled; I turned to my architect husband and said, "I am never moving again. so if you decide we need more, you better make it happen at this house." I was sure my constitution could not handle moving our little family. (and it must be noted that the request came in many tones of whining and pleading, not in ultimatum form -this home was scheduled to get flipped a year after we aquired it and three years later we were still sitting pretty. HA!)

so we got to work. the basement came out, new plumbing and walls went in. a new roof, and some new siding, new cement work, step after step of updating and rebuilding a tired old place. all on the premise that we would sell. then gratefully John got attached too. granted it took him three years to my three minutes, but it happened. at least that is what I believe. it could just be the realization that if we did flip, we would end up in the very same situation we would be leaving. a tired new to us house that needs work.

some where the wheels began turning and once in a while we would talk "what if"s" and apparently, then John would sit down at his computer and draw those conversations. suddenly the idea of those house dreams got closer to possible realities. and today I am packing up my 2400 square feet of stuff to live in a 900 square foot rental down the street during these next months. we will be out of our house by May 18th, and our home will literally be missing it's roof by then of the third week of May.

talk about butterflies - that back country race has no comparison here.

who knew Johns grand dreams of architectural bliss, and my dreams of being rooted in one spot, would become the new reality we will live ( or try to live through - not sure how to put that).

but right now my reality is that I have A LOT of packing to do.

I am hoping that by sharing my final reason for being so distracted will bring lots of advice of how to survive it. as if life wasn't too much for me to handle every day already, I guess my constitution is gonna get a work out - I'll keep you posted on that goes.

a little potty talk

when we bought our house, we knew it was OUR house by three tell tale signs.

1. it was blue. various shades of the same blue all through out the house,

and blue trim with out.

our first house had many shades of blue that we spent years replacing and updating

2. it was outdated, way over due for a makeover

(still is in many ways)

the perfect clean slate for John's creative mind.

and

3. it felt like home in a way no other house had thus far.

so we made it ours and have done what we can to put our stamp on it.
The latest in a series of upgrades actually began late last summer/early fall.

one afternoon the city water works paid us a visit to inform us our water consumption was through the roof.

(no kidding the guy actually purposely came to my door to talk to me. amazing I know.)

WHAT? US? we only water twice a week and never wash our dishes by hand! we own a front load water efficient washing machine and heaven knows I don't run it THAT often. how can this be?

but sure enough while inspecting our meter, with me present, it was obvious water was constantly running somewhere within my otherwise stagnant house. upon further investigation, not much to be sure I knew where we were headed, we determined it was a constantly running toilet.

a gloriously OLD fabulously GOLD noticeably dirty spectacle that perched within our upstairs bathroom. the joy and the horror.

John and I determined to replace said toilet and moved on with daily life. for the time we cut off the culprit until the cash was in place to yank it from service. weeks passed. months passed. some research was done. set backs occurred, but finally this!

a thrown to be envied. a lieu to lust for. in my house, my very own water efficient and even better FLUSH efficient porcelain god.

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the TOTO AQUIA dual flush toilet.

now about the rest of this bathroom........