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We have a floor!
As I predicted, since we had the walls poured visible construction progress has slowed down. That’s what happens when you work full time jobs and don’t have a crew to help you get everything done. Still, we’re making headway, and that’s the important thing. This house will take time, lots and lots of time, but in the end it will be completely worth it. Don’t ask Emmett if it’s worth it because his answer might not be the same as mine 😀 After the walls were poured, Emmett had to dig in the basement floor to install drain lines. This had to be done before the slab could be poured.…
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The Foundation
Finally, after so much waiting, we have the foundation of our new house! It’s taken a lot of work and planning just to get here, and I know this is only the beginning. Emmett is already overwhelmed and we have barely scratched the surface. There are very few things that we are contracting, and the basement is one of them. We started with a driveway, which seems like such a simple thing but I was pretty excited to see dirt being moved. It was interesting to see that the driveway was not where we had expected it to be, but we trusted the crew putting in it and they placed…
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Building a House, From the Beginning
If everything goes as planned, in less than 2 months I’ll be able to start blogging about our experience of building a house. From the ground up. On a strict budget! For years I’ve dreamed of building my own house. Or to be more accurate, having it built as I have zero construction experience. But for many years it just didn’t work out. When I married Emmett he asked me if I wanted to stay in his current home or look for land to build a new one. I didn’t even have to think about it. The dream to build a house had always been there, and if it were…
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Amish Country Getaway
Today is a good day. It’s Friday, dreary January is coming to an end, and our annual Amish Country Trip has arrived. This will be our fifth year in a row maintaining this tradition. Five years ago Emmett arranged a complete weekend getaway, including child care for the kids. When I got home from work he told me to pack my bags and we would be on our way. I was a bit leery of not having control over everything, worried that the kids would miss us, but also so very amazed that my husband had arranged this astounding surprise. When we got there it was getting late but we…
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A Second Wife
When I was a little girl I didn’t dream of being a second wife. It’s just not something that I ever wished for. I’m not sure it’s something anyone wishes for. But free will intervened and here I am, living my life in a second marriage. Playing a game without an instruction manual. And there are many, many days that I feel like I’ve failed at a game that I really don’t even know how to play. It’s hard, harder than I ever thought it would be. When Emmett and I met we didn’t know each other, we had never known each other. We weren’t friends that hung out that…
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The New Year
I really dislike the ‘New Year’. There are so many ads to help you change your life. Want to lose weight? Make a resolution! Eat healthier! Want to have a simpler life? Declutter! Start in the new year and collect less stuff. Or buy these tote boxes and label everything that you store. Want to be more organized? Buy these planners with stickers and colored pens and you can make all of your dreams come true. It sounds so easy. To get everything you ever wanted you just need a notebook, some tote boxes, and eat some trendy healthy certified organic produce. But those of us who have been through…
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Siblings
As I’ve gotten older, I have been able to see puzzle pieces start coming together. Pieces that I thought had been lost throughout the years, or ones that didn’t have a place in my life. They are finding their way to a more complete picture. It’s awe-inspiring to see how God works in the most minute portions of your life, even when you don’t see it happening at the time. Gwen was born when Hunter was 16 months old. I brought her home on Thanksgiving day, and I remember being sleep deprived and already exhausted. Praying that Hunter would be okay with her. For sixteen months he had been the…
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A Miracle
Sometimes I forget what God has done for me. It’s easy to get lost in what I don’t have, and stuck on the prayers that haven’t been answered the way I wanted them to be. But on the way to church last night I was watching the glow of the Christmas lights against the crystal clear sky, suspended in those silent moments between sunset and nightfall. We passed the stalks of long dead corn and I was reminded of Indiana, and a long ago time in my life when I had cried out to God. It was another December car ride 17 years ago. We were traveling to the hospital…
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I Married a Fireman
With a failed marriage behind me, I’m not an expert on love. Not even close. But I know that God is, and when I found myself ready to start looking for someone to share my life with again, I prayed. A lot. However, I did not expect to marry a fireman. Someone who works hard for not a lot of pay, isn’t home every night, works 24 hour shifts, and leaves me to manage everything on my own. I had enough of that the first time. But God knows me better than I know myself. I remember the first time I visited Emmett at the fire station. We were still…
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Pinterest Jealousy
As a wife and a mother, I love Pinterest and Instagram. I follow people I look up to, accounts that make me aim for something higher. Browsing through their images is inspiring. But at the same time…these accounts are so grandiose. So beautiful. So perfect. I look around at my life and realize how imperfect it really is. How messy, chaotic, disorganized. I don’t know how they do it, those moms with the picture perfect houses, decorations up well before said holiday (I took down some valentine’s signs that had been in my hallway bathroom just before Halloween). They cook these gorgeous meals in these massive perfect kitchens, where everything…
