Tuesday, February 07, 2017

home







Living room before
 Living room after!!












 (Kitchen Countertops in process)

We are getting more and more settled in our new home every day while the snow and ice still swirl and crackle outside.  We had a whirlwind of a week before painting and redoing countertops and then a day with many friends getting our stuff from the barn where it was stored the last few months. Then came a flurry of opening boxes and finding homes for long lost treasures - favorite books that were packed away, special decorations, furniture.  Next up is several months of reorganizing and figuring out where things actually work best.  It's amazing to move into a home with plenty of storage, having come from first a small house with few closets, then from 600 square foot studio-type home.  We are stunned regularly by the view all around of the Cascades and foothills.  The snow is deep and beautiful in our pasture and yard and now as I write more flakes are swirling down.  I tramp to the chicken coop with boiling teakettle and then tramp to the woodshed to bring in more wood, snow crunching under my winter boots and I wonder if spring will ever arrive.  I now long for the bright green of spring when it arrives and for the nourishment of the sunshine and Rosie looked at me today as we read Hi, Mister Robin! and said, "Mommy!  I'm tired of the snow too!"  Hard to believe, since we usually wait and wait and hope for a snowy winter.  But here we are wishing for the flowers to appear.

Jesse created new countertops for our kitchen and they are very pretty as you can (kind of) see from my pictures above.  Before they were a yellow formica that was probably from the 1970s, and he applied a concrete polymer, called Skimstone, over the top instead.  Less expensive and simpler than true concrete countertops but with a similar look and similar hardiness.  My one hope is that he will reseal them with a more effective product, since the Skimstone sealer allows coffee stains to seep through and remain no matter how I scrub.

We are so thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness to lead us through the entire process of selling our home and buying this one.  There are so many little details that I wouldn't have ever really hoped for that are already here - fruit trees, shade trees, lilacs, a big garden, chickens, raspberries, a gorgeous view, really lovely living space for having others over, extra bedrooms in case our family ever grows, closets and storage, a pasture and (ramshackle) barn, a workshop for Jesse, and other outbuildings... the list goes on and it surprises me a little every time I begin to recount the ways this house is what I hardly dared hope for at the beginning of the journey.  I am thankful.  I am thankful to be surrounded with the loveliness of His creation and eager to see how He uses this home and property to bless others - our children, our families, and others in our community.  

3 comments:

  1. so glad you are settling into your new home, which looks fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ohh.. Sarah!!! Everything is so gorgeous. I can't believe the transformation you are already making in that space, and.. your pictures of the landscape around make me feel like i can breathe deep, just via your pictures. i simply can't wait to see you guys continue to make this place your own and see what comes in spring! :) i guess with all that snow its as good a time as any for unpacking. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous11:21 PM

    God's provision is wonderful! Your house looks lovely - what an amazing place to live!

    ReplyDelete