Nerves of Steel? Not This Girl.

Although, I am pretty good at faking it.

I fancy myself the "adventurous type", but in reality I am a bit of a homebody, lovin' my "comfort zone", living vicariously through the adventurous ones who flow in and out of my life.

And, of course, there's my dearly beloved husband....who has broaden my horizons over the years.  Together, we've shared some unique "adventures" that I never would've even considered had my answer been "no" that fateful evening over 22 years ago - ha, ha! 

So, I guess there must be a hint of that risk-taker's spirit deep inside me...a tiny piece of "traveler's heart", maybe?

Which is why, on and off through the years, I have prayed, "God, send me."


Although we have prayerfully and financially supported folks in the mission field, a little piece of me has always wanted to experience being a missionary, ministering to people in need somewhere else in the world....I never really wanted an overseas vacation, I wanted to witness, firsthand, the nitty-gritty of another lifestyle and culture, and have the opportunity to connect with people who lived far away from my relatively comfy life in the United States.

His answer seemed to be, "Not now." every time I brought it up.  I know He knows what is best for me, but I was a bit envious of those in my various church families who traversed  to all kinds of interesting places, meeting needs and sharing the love of Christ with folks far away, whether for a couple of years or months or even a week.


Well, finally, back in September 2017, while I prayed about our church's involvement, hopefully a long-term partnership, with this little village in Guatemala, God said, quite clearly, "Go."  Not, just to me, but he stirred Grace's heart, too.  Maybe, because the two of us tend to find strength in each other?!

Now that the trip is only two weeks away, I am getting very nervous about leaving my comfort zone!!  Oh, boy!  This one is going to stretch me, for sure.  I feel so ill-equipped.

The native language is Spanish, and I recall very little from my high school Spanish lessons.

We're supposed to be building a little school, and I am not very handy at all.

With so many other expenses in our lives right now, should I really be spending over $1,500 on this?

I am not a "traveler"; I have some minor, annoying physical health issues that may get in the way...

... I really want to take two full suitcases, but that's not allowed.

I mean, how the heck am I going to fit everything I could possibly need for a whole week into just a carry-on and and backpack?  What about my hair products?

(LOL, right?!)

I know....I'm ridiculous.  God gives me the opportunity I ask for, then my brain goes into overdrive, coming up with a thousand reasons why I should back out of it...


...I'm not going to, though.  I'm very glad to be sharing this experience with Grace.  We named her "Grace", not just because it happens to be the name of Don's great-great aunt, but because I considered her my "undeserved gift from God".  Here I was with healthy, active twin boys, and I desperately wanted a little girl...

I'm anticipating the wonderful ways she will grow through this experience, too!

On the homefront:


Don and the crew gathered a bunch of things from the storage unit last weekend, including our fave artwork and my farmhouse kitchen cabinet!

The two glass shelves of the cabinet suffered damage on the journey from New York, apparently, so Don promised to replace them as soon as he can.  I'm looking forward to pulling my pretty teapots and dishes out for display.


Don was finally able to at least begin "terra-forming", moving dirt to extend the driveway and grading the slope on which the house sits.  With great anticipation, I visualize the new grass growing and the flowerbeds we'll create come springtime!



And, this weekend, he and Nate will start on the girls' rooms.  Yay!

I'm lovin' how my great room is shaping up!  It's a comfy, creative space.  I bought these old apple crates about ten years ago for book storage, but I think they tie in nicely with my "farmhouse" theme, so we're using them as end tables and storage for our extensive movie collection.  We're hoping to find more crates at a local orchard or vineyard to build a unique coffee table, too!



I'll show you more in an upcoming post!





It's gonna be a busy few weeks, but I'll be sure to post pictures and share....especially about our trip to Guatemala!


Enjoy your weekend, Friends!

A porch on the front and a mudroom on the side will change the exterior look.  Watch for it this summer!

Living in a Construction Zone...

Handmade basket by my talented dear friend,
Andrea Rowinski!

........Is better than living in the camper!  Amen! 

...Is muddy!  And, a bit frustrating.  And, a serious test of patience.

I LOVE my new, adorable abode.  Even more so, now that we have set about sprucing it up and making it "homey".

Finding some pretty ceramic pots "on clearance" last weekend, we re-potted several house plants - always makes me feel better this time of the year!



Unfortunately, the weather, sickness within our family, other time commitments....did I mention this weird weather?...has thwarted our plans to both do the grade-work around the outside of the house, including the driveway/parking area, AND start the girls' bedrooms on the second floor.  While my girls are generally patient individuals (more patient than me, usually, anyway!),  they have been expressing some frustration - they've been waiting to have their own rooms for a few years now.



Don and I cannot truly empathize with them, since we both always had our own bedrooms, him being the only boy and oldest in his family, and me having only one younger sister.





In our family of four children, Grace and Rosie have shared a bedroom since Rosie's birth.  They have a great relationship, and each considers the other her best friend, in spite of...or, maybe, because of ...their quite different temperaments and preferences.  And, I believe they are much more prepared for future roommates and sharing space with others than I was when I went off to college.



That said, about 3 or 4 years ago, they began anticipating the day that both of their brothers would move out so that they could spread out and have their own space.  Space to quietly meditate and create, space to express their individual style, space to share with close girlfriends individually.

Pretty new pot!

We hoped to be able to make that happen in January.  But, here we are, in the middle of the month already, and we haven't even been able to start.  Ugh.  This also means that much of our belongings are still in our storage unit...including my three favorite pieces of artwork and my farmhouse-style china cabinet, as well as all of the girls bedroom furniture.


Today, it is snowing, but it sounds like our weather might cooperate for moving forward this weekend.  I sure hope so!  Would love to get out of this holding pattern!






One of the most challenging things about working in the salon industry, for me, at least, is working weekends. It means I often don't get to participate in this part of the progress. So, here's hoping Don and the girls, with Nate's help, will be able to work with what we've got this weekend.  Here's hoping it doesn't rain or snow, again!  

Our other beautiful find!

We definitely have our work cut out for us - Nate and Brook have expressed interest in having a country-themed wedding, outdoors...on our little farm! 


And, they'd like to have it in September of 2018!  Yikes!  That'll keep our farm renovations moving, eh?

Our recent visitors

Satine and Tilly with soft, fuzzy winter coats

Grace completed her high school requirements in December, so we've graduated her from the Westbrook Academy of Home Education on December 30th!  She is my third graduate.  Woohoo!  Such an intelligent young woman, wise beyond her years, full of creativity and wit.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for her next!



For the moment, she continues to work at Esposito's restaurant and explore her many interests.  Wisely, she doesn't want to rush into college too quickly wasting time and money.  She's doing her research, asking questions, praying, and being deliberate about her next adventure.  And, Hallelujah!, she passed her driver's exam recently, therefore...



...Her graduate gift from us, this yellow VW beetle, is like a little ray of sunshine sitting in our driveway!  Isn't it adorable?


Since it is manual transmission and Grace is still getting comfortable with that, I get to drive it around some days - LOVE IT! 😍

 I really don't need a big ole' "mom" car anymore, do I?  Heck!  My youngest, most strong-willed and determined child plans to have her license and a job by mid-May this year, sooo...

...Maybe my next car will be a VW beetle, too??  Hmmm...




In less than four weeks, Grace and I traverse to Guatemala with a team from our church, Timberline.  As a church family, we adopted an impoverished village.  Our church is working in conjunction with World Help ministries.

While we are going to serve others and equip others and build relationships, I am sure God has so much to teach me through this adventure.  I am praying that Christ will meet me (and Grace Olivia!)  where I'm at spiritually, emotionally, physically...wandering heart, distracted as I can be, lately...and grow my faith and my character as a woman of God.

Stay warm, dry, and safe these next 36 hours, Friends!  Sip your hot cocoa and watch the snow gently fall from your cozy home.  That's where I'll be!  Probably making lasagna, too.  

I'll post an update in a couple weeks...

Making a "House" a"Home"....

...That is our feminine calling...our innate desire.  Am I right, Ladies?  That desire comes naturally to all of us, yet is unique to each of us.  We each approach the task in our own special way.

No two homes are alike!







Now that we've been in this house for over a week, getting familiar with the space, the sunlight in each room as the day passes by, emptying some boxes into cabinets, moving a bit more furniture inside, I have begun the process of transforming this simple cape cod "house" into our cozy, inviting, long-term home.

Added a medicine cabinet and towel bar to the master bath!

Thankfully, I've had several days away from the salon this week with no other pertinent appointments to chop up my days, so Don and I have finally been able to purchase some needed items, and hang some things on these barren walls!




It's amazing what a little organization and décor can do.  It was looking a bit...sterile...institutional...in here that first week with NOTHING on the walls, no window coverings, and very little furniture. 

Window coverings for the bedrooms.

Better already!

Hall closet is way more organized!

Monday evening, on our drive home from a New Year's Day luncheon with extended family, Don, Grace, Rosie and I reflected upon the many...many... lessons we've learned or "re-learned" in 2017 through this move:



  >We've all grown in our ability to extend grace and forgiveness to one another, most importantly, since we've seen each other at our worst several times these last 7 months.  But, also, to those in our expanding sphere of influence.


     >We recognize God's helping hand over and over throughout this year, mostly through the people...the spiritual family He's provided us, that has uplifted and encouraged us, and also met many of our physical needs.  Sometimes, these folks would just show up during an hour of need... before we'd even realize we needed help sometimes!



      >We've learned the importance of not judging another based upon outward appearances alone.

      >We have a better understanding of "NEEDS" versus "WANTS".

      >We've learned how to find joy and pleasure in the little things, and in those commonplace, "everyday" moments.

      >The importance of laughing together has been reinforced over and over.

      >Creating positive memories with the ones you love, even in difficult situations, is paramount. It builds up your "reserves".  And, someday, that may be all you have.

     >  My girls are PROS at making difficult situations more bearable; finding that silver lining in the cloud!

    >  And, when all else fails, "Fake it 'til you Make it!"

We've also learned that restaurant food and fast food gets really old, really fast...

That the showers at the gym may SEEM really clean, but protect yourself from athlete's foot with rubber flip-flops anyway...

Always keep 3 or 4 gallons of fresh, unfrozen water close at hand...

And, there's a couple of tricks to keeping those camper potties working properly..,. (I won't bore you or gross you out with THOSE details!)

Little hooks help tremendousl

Turning a house into one's home does not happen overnight.  Nor is it solely about what one hangs on the walls or sets about the floor space.  There's MUCH more to it, as many of you know.

In the "physical location"- sense, this is home # 8 in 23 years for us (not counting the campers!).  Once upon a time, about three moves ago, someone said to me, "Don't you think its time you and Don put down some roots somewhere?  The kids need roots."

Well, quite honestly, they've always had "roots"...WE"VE had roots... all along - we are deeply rooted in our faith and our spiritual family.  We are rooted in our relationship with God and our relationships with each other, in our values... in our sense of purpose.





And, each house that we've made our home holds special memories.  At each one, we've made special friends that we never would've met had we stayed in the same spot, way back at home #4.  Many life-changing lessons have been learned from each move, and opportunities for growth, new experiences, and new beginnings presented themselves because of our changes of location.

Has it been easy?  Heck, no!  Has it been worth it?  I believe it has.  I believe I am stronger and wiser and more resilient from it.  I am more aware...more sensitive to what and who is around me.

Look who claimed real estate under the king-sized bed!

Nate asked Brook to marry him on New Year's eve.  Wow!  He bought a gorgeous ring, got down on one knee, and everything!  It is surreal to me: It just doesn't seem its been that long since we celebrated our twins' first New Year's eve - I'm sure we didn't see midnight that year! Probably headed to bed ASAP, thanks to "new parent exhaustion"!  




Are they really ready for this at only 21? Then, again, is anyone ever truly "ready"?  Well, I  was 21 and Don was 20 when we got married....only 23 when I had the boys...

...More reflections on that later!  I need some more time to process it!!

...2018 will have plenty of excitement of it's own, it seems!









Hope you all enjoyed your New Year celebrations, and I'm praying you all have a blessed, healthy and joyous year!

Watch for an update later this month...

Life is Messy...

...And, I mean that both figuratively and literally...broadly and specifically.

Specifically and literally speaking, our transition into a new house is every bit as challenging as the 7 months in trailers because our belongings are still "here, there and everywhere" at this point.  While we've gathered many boxes of dishes, clothing, towels and kitchenware into the house, we still have no dressers, shelves, racks or bars up to keep all the little stuff organized.  Our clothing is stacked in bedroom corners right now. 

Don hung a few coat racks for us yesterday so at least those aren't taking up space on chairs.

This house is configured quite differently with a little less square-footage than our last home, too, so this very visual, concrete brain of mine is struggling GREATLY to see how we might configure our furniture to keep us organized and flowing...ya know, find our "feng shui". 




Like I mentioned before, I want to downsize the amount of furniture taking up floor space, and utilize our closets better, maybe add some wall shelves, too. 

Right now, the intense level of visual clutter is getting to me, though!  And, sadly, with this cold/sinus thing that seems to be making another round in our family, plus opposite work schedules, plus this nasty cold weather, Don and I haven't been able to productively join forces and "Git 'r done", like we have with most of our other moves.













Tension is running a bit high at the moment due to all this.  Hence, the figurative "messiness"!  Priorities differ.  Ideas clash.  Hurtful words unintentionally escape mouths...I'm sure ya'll have been there, though the circumstances looked different.

We are still not quite through this adventure, either - we have to complete the second floor, which is two more bedrooms and a small bathroom for Grace and Rose!  Hoping to start that in another week, as the meteorologists are calling for a nice little warm-up (upper 30's, at least) for the week of January 7th!  Nate is close by to help with this and Will plans to visit for a long weekend in mid-January, so here's hoping that project goes smoothly and swiftly!

Christmas was very nice for us, spent with all four of our kids and our extended family.  It was great to celebrate with everyone, and take a breather from...well...everyday life!

We experienced another little break from life this week with a visit to Longwood Gardens and dinner with Don's parents!  It was lovely, though bitter cold. 

And, I had to the opportunity to catch up with one of my best childhood friends, Jen.  We spent tons of time together from 6th grade through high school! 

Thanks to Facebook, we reconnected about 8 years ago, and it was so great to have dinner with her!











Here are a few of my favorite images captured at Longwood on Wednesday evening:

2017 has been fraught with significant challenges for many of us, family and friends! 

It started off rough and raw for our family with the loss of our beloved labs, then the difficulties surrounding our move. 

As 2017 comes to a close in just a few days, we plan to sit down together and reflect upon the lessons we've learned and how we've grown...changed.

My hope is that 2018 will be a year of hope and joy.  Maybe, more smooth-sailing.  A time of peacefully "settling in"...less turmoil...less angst.

We have so much to look forward to, after all!  Grace and I have our mission trip to Guatemala in just 6 weeks.  Yikes!  I'm both nervous and excited for that. 

Don is growing in his career.  And, he'll begin to explore our "beastie's" racing potential (with Rosie, of course) later this year.  Maybe he'll be more than just a pretty lawnmower!

My career and skills of my trade are going to grow exponentially in 2018, I just know it. 

Grace graduated from high school this month and will be pursuing her career interests in the coming year.

Both Grace and Rosie will be getting their driver's licenses in 2018.  And, much more...

Just as we did in New York, we bought a property with tons of "potential" requiring lots of creativity and elbow grease on our parts.  I think I'll continue my regular blog posts for another year, since much will happen 'round here over the next 368 days!

Watch for my first post of 2018 early next week!

Buckle Your Seat Belts! You're In For A Bumpy Ride!

The last 8 days or so have been...chaotic...to say the least.  But, after some tears, grumbling, and a tad bit of cursing (Fart-knockers!,  Bulshivick!, Craptastic!)...we did what we always do - adapt and overcome.

Spotless windows, thanks to my father-in-law!

Once securely set on its new foundation, the Patriot Homes "set-up" team went to work finishing the siding and drywall, installing doors, and completing the trim work both outside and inside. 



Meanwhile, Don, along with our chosen professionals (one, a close friend of ours, literally, sent by God during our hour of need!), set about hooking up the electric, plumbing and such.



On day 2 of this process, we had a mini-catastrophe which many of you heard about...our girls' camper had an electrical short that fried all the power in it, nearly catching it on fire!  Thankfully, Don was close by when it happened and was able to contain the disaster.  The girls didn't lose any of their belongings, but, now, where do we all sleep?  Oye!!









Ultimately, Rosie stayed with our good friends for three days, Don stayed in our camper, and I took Grace, who had just come down with a terrible cold virus, to a hotel nearby.  Keep in mind, the three of us still had to go to work each day, and of course, I had taken evening hours thinking we'd be moving our things into the house during the day.  Who knew?

The set up took about 5 days altogether.  Only a day longer than our GC at Patriot Homes estimated.

Determined to be together, again, on Day 5 we managed to get a few important things, like our kitchen table and beds, some clothing and toiletries, into the house so we could all stay there.

Next day, some friend came up from Lancaster County to help me get somewhat organized since our new living room furniture was to be delivered...

...And delivered it was, but not without more shenanigans!

My helpers this week.  Love you guys!

First, the furniture store sends Don a text that our purchase will be delivered at approximately 9am.


9am came and went.  Forty-five minutes later he gets a call from their dispatcher, "Well, our drivers say that they can't deliver because a power line is down across your driveway."










What??  (We've had all kinds of large trucks and equipment come down the lane the last few days with nary a problem.)

"Nothing was down when I went out the lane at 8:30 this morning", I told Don.

What we finally learned, thanks to our neighbor who witnessed the whole thing, is that they tore her cable line down when they came barreling down our narrow lane at 9am.  Then, they backed out quickly, waited until they arrived at their next delivery, then lied to their dispatcher that the line was down when they got there!

Don, now very angry, told the store manager and dispatcher, "If my furniture isn't delivered by noon, I am canceling the whole order and will buy my furniture elsewhere!"

Forty minutes later, Rosie and I directed the furniture truck down a "back" entrance to our property.  But, instead of parking their truck up on the firm ground and carrying the furniture an extra five yards, they decided to pull right up to our back door...where the ground was beginning to get soft and shmeary from the warm sunshine.  DUH.

After slipping and sliding, throwing mud everywhere while their tires spun furiously unable to get a grip, almost sliding sideways into the corner of our new house - Rosie, with the help of our siding guy, Titus, awoke our tractor with a jumpstart and pulled the furniture truck back onto the solid ground, so they could get out.  What a day!

Rosie's friend, Sarah, summed it up perfectly.  "This is a day I'll never forget!"

To top it off, after her heroic feat outside, Rosie was sorting through some boxes of kitchenware inside when she dropped a cookie sheet on her foot!  We are pretty sure her big toe is broken.  She's staying off of it as much as she can, and we're watching it carefully.  To go to Convenient Care or not, that is the question???

The mud was already slippery, hampering our moving process, but then....RAIN.  Lots of rain. 



Now, the mud is ATROCIOUS.  So, moving the rest of our furniture into the house right now is out of the question.  We have the essentials.  Don and William are hooking up the washer and dryer as I write. 

We can live quite comfortably without the rest of our material possessions for another week if necessary...

...Actually, I'm thinking we have more furniture than we really need, so some might be on Craig's List very soon.  We opted to build a more modest-sized house, instead of over-indulging, spreading ourselves too thin, financially.  Besides, in a few short years, our girls will probably move out as well, bittersweet as that is!

I'm excited to see our artwork and family portrait on these naked walls, though!  Don's parents have them all safely stored at their mountain home.  Hoping they can bring everything down here very soon!

Nate is in the process of moving in, too.  He and Don are modifying the camper to make it "winter-proof", so that Nate can have his own space, while saving money and searching for a new apartment for himself.  God-willing, he will have his own place in just a few months.


We have each other and all four kids are here this weekend.

My heart is happy.







I have Christmas gifts wrapped and ready for tomorrow morning, and I am trying to get my heart and mind focused on the true reason for our celebration tomorrow:  the birth of my Savior, my Redeemer.  Everything else pales in comparison to that.  Without Christ I am nothing.  In Him and through Him, I am whole...I am daughter of the Most High, and I can rest, finding peace in that understanding.

So, Merry Christmas to all of you!  Thanks for following our adventure!  Check in next weekend to see our progress in making this house our home...

Unconventional.

Someone I spoke with recently described our...situation...choices...that way.  We've done quite a few things "unconventionally" during these twenty-some years. 

Don has a knack for thinking outside the box, and, in fact, several folks who've come in and out of our lives over the years have encouraged us both to do just that. (Whether they meant to or not!)

So, unconventional or just plain nuts, I'm never quite sure!  

But, here we are.

When discovering the "crumbly" condition of the existing house's foundation, we had to think outside the box if we were to be living in our own house before Christmas.  We opted to buy a modular home, as you all know!

Nothing has been simple or easy about our journey back to Pennsylvania-living this year, and the last week, the 11th hour of our adventure, has presented its challenges:

Snow...

Frozen water lines...

Several days of bitter cold temps...
Propane tanks running out of gas in the middle of the night...

Toilets not working properly...

Did I mention "Snow" ? 

As pretty as it can be, it is NOT ideal or even remotely easy to be living in a camper when it snows. (Plus, all of our snow gear is buried in the storage unit 15 miles away!) But, at least we can now say we've "camped" in EVERY type of weather!  As my sister-in-law put it, "Ya'll have certainly earned your wilderness badge!"

After much ado, and 7 looong months of living in campers, our new house finally arrived this week!  

When they first pulled in, I thought that the company had mixed up our house with someone else's because it looked like a very long ranch-style house.  However, it turns out that they had simply attached the two halves of our house to comply with transportation rules!  The following morning, as we cleared the snow out of our 4 ft. crawl space and away from the foundation, one of the construction guys literally sawed our house in half!  Yikes!

Then, just like a beached whale, this large crane lifted each half of the house off of the trailer and set it on the foundation.  It was so cool to watch!  Much as I hate to admit it, the below freezing temperatures last week were a blessing in disguise - the ground was rock hard, making it much easier for the large equipment to maneuver around our home site. 

But, c'mon!  I asked ya'll to pray for DRY ground, not FROZEN ground - ha, ha! 🤣

Once the house was securely attached to its foundation, the set-up team went to work raising the roof. The exterior crew worked hard all day long on Friday to finish the siding, roof and such.

The propane company came out, promptly so the workers would have some heat inside!  Don is closely monitoring the work being done, ensuring that Patriot Homes is living up to their promises.  So far, so good!

Yesterday, Don and our friend, Tim, worked on hooking up the plumbing and all. Today, an electrician is coming (He's here now, in fact!).  Tomorrow, Don hopes to wrap up the septic system.  And, the most exciting part for me right now...the interior crew should come back tomorrow to finish up with some drywall and flooring and clean up!  By Tuesday afternoon, we should be able to begin moving our furniture inside!  Yipee!!

Here's a sneak peak of the inside:

We had hoped that both the exterior and interior crews could work their magic on Friday and Saturday, so that we could begin moving our belongings out of storage and into our new abode today, but it simply did not work out that way.  Apparently, this is a super busy time of the year for modulars - lots of people want their new house for Christmas, I guess!


So, today I will begin packing up the things in the campers that will be moving to the house in another 48 hours.  Fortunately, its not all that much since we bought the camper fully stocked.  The majority of my actual kitchenware is in several boxes in the barn, as we speak.

Still struggling with no running water in the campers at the moment...its been 3 days already.  Hoping that today's warmer temps thaw us out a bit, then Don can put those incredible problem-solving skills of his to work, so it doesn't happen again!

I think we'll do some shopping today, too - I'm ready to choose an area rug and lighting fixture for my new living room...and, possibly, a new comforter for our bedroom?

Yes...by this Wednesday, after 7 long months...we will sleep, eat, do our laundry, shower!...in our new, adorable cape cod home....Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!

I LOVE this bank of windows that overlooks our hay field and upper pasture.  This house is so bright and airy - makes it feel larger than it actually is!

master bathroom

Watch for more interior photos...and more of my thoughts on this "unconventional" life...next weekend, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.