Two Years at Home.

It's a little hard to believe, but as of yesterday, we have lived in our home for two years.  Time moves slowly while you meander through it and many times this 'settling in' process has felt like walking upstream.  There's so many little paint jobs left, little things that have broken before the newness even wore off….and yet memories are being made, the walls are filling up, and the joy having a warm place to watch the evergreens toss in the wind and rain is nothing short of wonderful.  I really love it here….creaks and faulty doorknobs, mail slots and laundry shoots and all….

I've been thinking a lot lately about beauty. Not physical-human-beauty so much as the experience of wonder we daily encounter with a good meal, a budding tree, a kind word, a view of the ocean, a song that continually brings me to tears (or….a clean, decorated home:).  I'm reading a book right now called "Eyes Wide Open" by Steven DeWitt about God's purpose for stirring our hearts so often in these ways…..and it has been so marvelous to think of God's great kindness to draw us to Himself in these ways. Not only are these all ways to enter into worship, but they are also meant to stir us to imitate & create.

It's almost too much.  

Of course, the standard for all beauty is God and ultimate beauty is found in Christ Himself, who laid down His life for us.  To think that the very nature of spending eternity with the One who made us will be exponentially greater than our mini-wonder-experiences here….

Again, almost too much.

I have more thoughts on the subject, but before I get too windy on a house post….I'll just share some pictures:).

I will say that owning this home and having any resources available to put time, energy, and money here has been in and of itself like a walking alongside the goodness of God….not so much because of the resources (they are quite finite and could disappear in an instant), but because He gives at all.

A few before + afters:):

  

For a more complete (but older) tour, you can click here.

Life + Levi's Room Tour

Life rolls on quickly.  The seasons are really changing here (fin.all.y.)....and a fresh sense of life abounds as the trees keep blooming and the sun makes more of an appearance from the looming Oregon sky. Anniversary, vacation, visits with family, June's exit from babyhood (i.e. she turned 2....ancient, I tell you). (More on that later).
We are all learning, growing, changing....living in the tension and mystery of this walk, day by day.  I often try to imagine these days from God's view....how much more they must be accomplishing than I can even see or know.

'Oh, my God
I feel it in my blood
the warming of the winter
the coming of the flood

Springtime song
born without the words
waiting for a flower
longing to be heard'

-Denison Witmer, one my ever-favorite songwriters....his newest is fresh off the press.

But, anyhow....I digress.  I really just got on here to post a link to APARTMENT THERAPY.....because I just love that site and because Levi's room was featured there last week:).  If you haven't been there and you give one iota about decorating, carve out a few hours (or days) before you proceed....and do so with caution....it's so inspiring.

Head over there to see a few more pictures and words about the space.
And let's be honest, most of the time (read: almost all of the time)....his room looks far more like this:

:).
Have a great weekend!

On House + Home.

We have lived in our new home for over six months now.  Being in and caring for my home brings me a lot of joy, so the (albeit slow) process of settling in and nesting has been so fun.  I really love the decorating part.  Over the years, I've experienced a lot of confusion pertaining to how valuable or worthless this enjoyment of decorating is.  Obviously, in the scheme of things, it's pretty superficial and not of great eternal value!  My wise husband has encouraged me in conversations along these lines to develop a more robust theology of the matter and thoughtfully consider what place it has in the Christian life.

I hope to include some things I learn regarding this, as well as house pictures/decorating ideas, as time goes on.

I found this prayer about a year ago and have not forgotten its wise words.  So, let's start here:

Lord God, our home is among the most precious gifts we receive in this life.

We realize this all the more as we remember our Lord Jesus. He set aside home and family. Having no place to lay His head throughout His ministry, he chose to sojourn among those He came to save. We prayerfully invite Him to dwell in our earthly abode even as He continually invites us by Word and Sacrament to dwell forever in our heavenly home, which He prepares for us.

Make us ever grateful for this shelter from life’s storms.

Keep this house always the home of comfort, joy, peace, and forgiveness.

According to Your will, protect this home from the spiritual assaults of Satan, but likewise make our home a fortress against the calamities of nature and the wickedness of sinful man.

Grant us the virtue of hospitality, the joy of harmonious living, and the blessing of gathering around Your Word and bringing our families’ prayers before You.

May all who dwell in our home be blessed by Your presence and Your peace,

and may all who go forth give thanks for the grace they receive from You, through us, Your dear children

We receive Your loving kindness in our home as a reminder of the eternal home we inherit through Your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.
        Amen.

DIY Bench

Since I read this post almost a year ago, I haven't forgotten the idea of this reclaimed wooden bench. Dave loved the idea, too, and mentioned it to my awesome-carpenter-brother-in-law last fall. Sooooo guess what we got for Christmas? A beautiful piece of maple planed and cut to size! We added a cheaper version of those hairpin legs to save a little money, and love the final product. (Our legs came from HomeDepot.com if you are interested.)

Saying Goodbye...

I snapped a few pictures of Eadie Cate & her girly room this weekend before we make another change and she shares a room with her brother. In so many ways, I feel like we were just painting this room to get ready for her arrival...

But now it's time change things up....and create a space for these kids to share. I can't wait to see how they do together and, although there will probably be less sleep for everyone involved, I hope they make some fun memories together.

Oh dee oh.

Have you heard of ohdeeoh.com? It's a division of apartmenttherapy.com and showcases real nurseries and kid rooms across the country (and world, I think). I have loved looking at their site for the past couple of years for ideas that are unique, thrifty, and a great mix of old and new.

I just found out that my friend and neighbor (Stacy) is FEATURED there, too, so go here to check it out:).

Bedroom B & A

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of our bedroom "redo." There is (obviously) nothing groundbreaking here, but it was a fun little project to focus on our room and try to make it a relaxing space for me and Dave. As you may be able to tell from the "before," our room had become a dumping ground for the whole house and hodge-podge of random furniture and knick-knacks.

It's amazing how easy it can be (for me, at least) to let a bunch of random junk fill up a room....and how refreshing it can be just to paint some furniture, weed through the junk, and simplify.
Here is a print that I made for our room...thinkin' 'bout my love....and how I'd go anywhere with him. (oh. so. true.)
The whole thing happened over a couple of months, on a tiny amount of money, but it makes a nice retreat at the end of the day that I am more motivated to keep organized and clean. Hope you enjoy!

Babies and Bedrooms.

Someone has a real bed now.
And she is pretty happy about it.
Here's Levi, because I just can't leave him out....he's turning into a big eater these days.
And here's a "sneak peak" at my bedroom. I've been decorating it (for the first time ever really) on a tiny little budget and its been fun. Hopefully, I'll get it done soon and post some before and after pictures.