New to the Family...

We have a new immediate family member.  After much thought and flip-flopping back and forth we decided to take the plunge.  Into puppy-land.

We've had a dog.  I mean, who could forget this?  Or this?  Man we loved that dog.  It's been close to two years since we had to put Odie to sleep because of old age and failing health.  Odie was enjoying middle-age life when he came to live with us.  And we like middle-aged lazy dogs.  


 
They're the best.


So puppyhood seemed scary.  And impractical.  But sometimes scary and impractical conjure up the best parts of life.

Meet Nelson.  

He's a 15 week-old Red Dapple Dachshund.   And I hate to even type it out loud, but he is super, super good.  He's crate trained, which means at night and while we are away from home he's in the crate and hasn't had an accident yet.  During the day, we've been taking him outside all the time and he hasn't had an accident since the very first morning he was here.  (and that could be blamed on three boys who I will refrain from naming.)


He's gentle, and soft, and loves to snuggle...and give kisses.  

We found him online and he was fairly close to our area.  He was also half the price of most dachshund puppies.  Score.  And by the time we finally got around to make a decision on adopting him, his price had been reduced even more.  


It was meant to be.


Lucy is warming up to him.  She may have been a little intimidated since she's been the littlest and cutest in this household for the past two years.  It's hard to share.  We've reassured her she's still the cutest....except when she's throwing a fit, because then we totally hand that title right over to the puppy.


Welcome to the parsonage family little guy.  Don't make me regret you.  *wink*

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Holding On While Letting Go

Two.  

It's a little bizarre, realizing how fast two years can wiz by.  I'm realizing I deal differently with Lucy growing up, versus the three boys growing up.  At each of the boys birthdays, I get a little sentimental...a little sad that they are growing.  Which is dumb, I know, because the are meant to grow.  It is a gift to watch them grow, but in the growing is also a knowing that with each year that passes they become a little less mine, and a little closer to becoming someone else's.  

And that's a good thing.  A beautiful plan...that those little boys are growing (so very fast) and becoming young men...handsome young men, who will one day capture the heart of a girl.  And though that young girl won't replace me, she will take over that young mans heart, the heart that now belongs to his mama alone.  

I think that's what makes being a mama to boys so very special, so unique.  

With Lucy, it's different.  It seems easier for me to approach each stage with a simple joy.  With each new crazy thing she does, it's just fun to watch her.  

I love her two year old self...but I don't long for it to last.  I didn't feel weepy over how fast it's going.  Instead, I can just enjoy her...and even anticipate what's to come as she grows.  As a girl, I know that our relationship as mother and daughter will deepen so very much.  I mean, after all, I'm a pretty great grown-up-daughter friend!  I'm sure I'm way more fun than when I was two!  

Lord willing, Lucy will grow up into a beautiful young woman...and a handsome young man will capture her heart someday, just like her daddy did to mine.  And when I think about that, I smile.  Which is funny, because when I think about girls capturing my boys...It's more of a furrowing of the brow, that crosses my face.  


Anyways.  You see the difference.  


With Lucy, I don't have that sense of her "slipping" away from me as she grows.  (Poor Ben will have to deal with that one. ;)  And as I watch parents around me, who have children who are grown, I realize that parenting is always about enjoying the moment, and of holding on while letting go.

I am so thankful for these four amazing little people that God has created from Ben and I.  Please God, help us survive the teenage years that will approach far too soon...and please help Lucy not to have a sassy mouth like her mother.  Amen.

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Only a Day Away

Someone is going to be two tomorrow... 

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I Have a Favor to Ask...

Generally, I don't wildly advertise in internetland my exact location.  Instead, we call it tiny town...because darn it, that's just cute.  And vague.  Because there are axe murderers out there, after all.  But statistically, I'm more likely to be harmed by some weirdo that's already in my life, than by a stranger.  


And there are fruit trees on the line here people.  So I'm out of hiding...for fruit trees.  I'll explain later in this post, don't worry.


We moved to tiny town in 2005.  In 2008, you may recall that we had an EF5 tornado go through the edge of our town.  Two weeks after the tornado, we had a flood that covered most of the town that had not been devastated by the tornado.  You can read about it here.


During that time, I wrote this post.  And of the 800 some posts I've written, that is the most significant to me.  I remember the ache I felt for our town.  And I so clearly remember God speaking that truth to my heart.  And since then, it's a moment I go back to...when I need to remember how big my God is.  When I need to remember how He brings beautiful things from ashes.  


Tiny Town emerged from near ruin, and God is showing Himself here. I'll admit, the general observer from the outside may not catch it.  We don't impress by what we have...but by who we are.  And sure, there's plenty who have some great life struggles here...but where can you go that doesn't?  Manicured lawns, and fancy stores look great from the outside, but on the inside...it's all the same struggles.


Since 2008, many in our community have worked so hard to bring restoration and healing to a a town that needed it.  Right now, our tiny town is in the running to receive a fruit orchard.  But we need help.  We're tiny...and we need votes.


If you would be so kind, you can go to this website and register (it's fast and easy, I promise) and vote once every day.  


How fun is an orchard?!?  FUN.


So, you can go HERE and vote for New Hartford, IA.  That's right, New Hartford aka Tiny Town. (see I told you tiny town sounds cuter;)


You'll also get a coupon from Edy's, who is sponsoring the orchard.


THANK YOU!!!

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Pictures of Remodel

I am one terrific procrastinator.  It's one of those things where I'm just good at it, ya know?  Like, I don't even have to try.  Lucky me.


After flipping through this blog, I realized why I keep getting emails about wanting to see pictures of the parsonage...I haven't posted any!  


My bad.


So today I'll start the tour.  The remodel is done.  It has been for weeks.  Two weeks ago the carpet guys finally came, and now the bedroom switching extravaganza is complete.  Each kid has their own room now.  They like to celebrate this fact by opening and closing their bedroom doors approx 350 times per day.


Let's start upstairs...this is the view of the new addition as you come up the stairs.  Lucy's room is on the left, our room is straight ahead.

This (below pic) is the view standing in the new bedroom doorways, and looking into the old part of the house.

 Lucy's room:

 Then our room, which is huge.  It swallows up our lack of furniture, but after living in a teeny-tiny little room, we're totally happy with the barren feeling.  This is the west side of the room, it will eventually house my sewing stuff (which is currently crammed into that little cream cabinet, along with my fabric;)...

Our bed is in the middle of the room, it's a Queen size, I promise...even though it looks like a twin here.  Ignore the laundry.  

And this is the East side of the room.  

And this is the view sitting on the bed.  Closet to the left, and then bathroom.

And now, for my favorite part of the whole addition...the closet.

 And the master bath...which makes Ben and I remark ALL THE TIME that it feels like we live in a hotel room.  So very nice.

Ok, so now we're going back down stairs.  This is the view from our old dining room, looking through the old kitchen into the new addition.  The old kitchen used to look like this.

The old kitchen will get torn out sometime this Summer.  It's a big project, because the floor, being 100+ years old is very un-level.  So it will entail leveling the floor, and completely re-doing the ceiling and walls.  Side Note:  The flooring will be the same wood/laminate as in the new kitchen and we're not quite sure what will make this room into yet.  I'm picturing book shelves along where the cabinets currently are and some over stuffed chairs for reading.  Dreamy, no?

I'll catch ya up on the rest of the downstairs next time. I also have some thoughts on our gigantic parsonage...which I'm sure you're just dying to hear all about. *cough*

Happy Weekend Bloggy Friends!

               

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His for Mine

I know technically Easter is a once a year holiday.  But around here, for me, Jesus and the cross...it's a daily thing.  Because what He did, and my faith in that, makes me who I am.  I can't separate from it.  


Remembering what He did.  Why He did it.  Where I'd be without His gift...His life for mine.  

A faith, and relationship with God...who is very much Alive.

So once a year, we get dressed up extra special for church and we take pictures.  Hunt eggs and gorge on chocolate...but the real celebration of the resurrection is so much more than that one day.


Side note:  Turns out I've been enjoying the Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs almost daily as well...that relationship needs to end...and least that's what my jeans-that-are-too-tight are trying to tell me.

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Before & After

We are all about hand-me-downs here in the parsonage.  We love them...like reallllly love them.  


There's something about broken-in stuff that is just...easy.  I mean, the fact that it's free helps....but there's something about the fact that it's already broken-in that just makes my family love it more. This winter, I bought the boys new coats...and then a few weeks later they received hand-me-down ones from my cousins.  Guess which ones they wore all winter?  Not the new ones.  


We're weird.


Whatever.  Back to my story.


My mother-in-law has furnished a vast majority of our home with her extra furniture.  When we first got married, we "borrowed" some stuff, ya know, to use until we got around to actually buying furniture.  Portions of it we've been borrowing for close to 14 years now.  


New is terribly over-rated.  It has no story.  No past.  No memories.


Unlike these beauties:

They are my mother-in-laws.  But had been living at my sister-in-laws.  And then made it back to my mother-in-laws and then she offered them to me.


And of course you know what I said.  


And after a little paint and a clearance curtain panel from Target, they look like this:

There's four of them in total.  Two have found a home at the dining table and two others are hanging around the rest of the house.  


Adorable, right?

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