the good, the bad, the wonderful

The good: We are homeowners again.

The bad: We are no longer debt-free.

The wonderful: We can begin making this house our home. And it's Friday. And it's supposed to get warm.

the big o

ORGANIZE!

I love organization...I do. My heart races when I see a well-organized pantry, closet, workspace, anything really. It does...it really does! Is that strange? In my mind, I assume everyone else is the same. I'll go on believing that... I think it all goes back to the scripture about your body being the temple of the Holy Spirit. Granted, I know your home should not be your temple, but your home does hold you. So, in essence it is your temple's temple. So, it is my pursuit (and hopefully not an obsession) to keep it warm, welcoming, and tidy.

I've been researching online how to decorate the girls' new playroom and I stumbled across Martha Stewart's website. Granted, I'm not big on Martha Stewart, but I do love what she does. I'll share just one picture, but tis a glorious picture.

Is that not lovely? Ahhh...it makes my heart happy. Let's see if we can do that in our new home. Let me point out a cool little detail: she used chalkboard paint on the pantry door to use as a list making device. Isn't that neat?!

ahh...well, this post is being interrupted by a girl awaking from naptime

home, part 2

We move into our new home soon. We are thrilled. We simply can't wait to unpack (finally!) and make someplace our home.

I think what makes me so excited is just dreaming about what is to become in our new home. What will unfold for us? What will change? Who will we have over? What room will we have the most laughs in? Will we really use the treadmill more on the 2nd floor (or is that wishful thinking)? Will the girls love their very own play room? How long will be there? Where will we enjoy drinking coffee (or tea for me)? Will we welcome another child (or 2 or 3 or 4) in this new home? Where will enjoy our quiet times? Will we like our neighbors? What dreams are next for us?

Lord, please bless our next home and just let us glorify You in it!

Jesus Wants the Rose

not so big

I don't know how many people know that I have a huge passion for architecture, specifically house design. I love, love, love houses!!! I think I started designing floor plans around the age of 8. There's something about them...it's like writing a story for someone to live in. It's just amazing to see a house come together. However, it is not an easy task. To look at a floor plan and envision living in that space is complicated. How will you feel in this space is a mystery, and that mystery is what is intrigues the heck out of me! I think I chose architectural engineering to study because it had the word architecture in it! Ahh...I just love it...I read house plan books like they are the best books ever written.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling on my love of houses and share my favorite architect with you. Sarah Susanka started the Not So Big House revolution and I love it. To sum it up, her theory is that modern day houses sacrifice design for space. And we are not happy living in a huge space with no character. She intricately designs certain elements of houses to make it feel like a home, not a museum. And it makes perfect sense.

If anyone out there loves house design, you must check out her books on Not So Big Houses. Or check out her website. It's a different way of thinking, and in my opinion, a renewed and necessary sense of thinking towards house design.

simple thought

I know this is a completely simple thought that everyone knows, and I'm mainly writing this more for a friendly reminder to myself...

But, you know when you have a task that you simply hate doing, and you put it off, put it off (for me, one thing I HATE to do is cleaning out the fridge) and then finally you make yourself do it...you realize that you spend more time dreading doing the task than you do just doing the task. And the satisfaction of FINALLY doing the task is so worth it!

So note to self, DO IT, DON'T DREAD IT! GET IT OVER WITH. Make room in your mind for happy thoughts.

Ok, back to your regular programming.

my favorite things

This is a few of my favorite things this week....

Our new home...

we simply cannot wait to move in and make it our own (and finally unpack all the boxes!)

The Beco Baby Carrier...

With 2 kiddos, this is one of my necessities! And I love that it's cute!

Hot Tea (White, Red, Green)...

I love on a cold day, a hot cup of tea can be so comforting. I try to avoid caffeine so this is my compromis and I love it!

A Neobulle Woven Wrap

I love to carry our babies, and I've heard such amazing things about woven wraps...so I am checking this one out now!

thought

We cannot have a drive-thru relationship with God and expect to behold His glory.

~Beth Moore, Believing God

I feel like this is what my relationship with Him has been like lately.

home, part 1

Home has been a huge ongoing theme for our lives lately! Even our church is doing a sermon series on "Home". Between moving from our home to making Bella feel like our temporary home is a home and to what this post is about, homebirth, the word "home" is going to be used a lot!

I just wanted to share a bit on our experience with homebirth. I'm not going to include our birth story...if anyone is interested, please leave a comment, and I'll email it to you. I just wanted to keep this simple.

When we became pregnant, I knew I wanted to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). The first time around, I felt like we did everything we could do to prepare for a natural birth. Circumstances occurred and I ended up with a c-section. I could write a whole post on my feelings towards this, but I'll spare you! So, with VBAC on our minds, I set out to find a doctor/midwife who was supportive. Boy, was that an adventure! My doctor who delivered Bella was extremely VBAC friendly. However, the hospital she worked for was not friendly to her. Again, I won't expand on that...except to say, I didn't want to deliver there again (even though it is probably one of the most natural friendly hospitals in our area).

I talked to a local doula/birthing instructor and she was an amazing resource. We still felt most comfortable delivering at a hospital. So we toured one hospital that had a group of doctors/midwives who were pro-VBAC. I was very turned off by this hospital. Feeling defeated, I tried a doctor at another hospital. We went to see her and she told me what I can only call lies...she said, "1. Your 2nd baby is always larger than your first. 2. If we see the baby is big, we're going HAVE to do a c-section." Again, I felt defeated. And we went back to the drawing board.

Homebirth. Really? If you would've told me a year ago, I would have considered a homebirth, I would've told you that you are crazy! I mean, I am very supportive of mamas who choose this option. I have a dear friend who had one, but me, well, I'm a little more conventional...or maybe, I'm not.

We met with a homebirth midwife and she was completely confident of VBAC. She didn't share the views of the medical profession, that once you have a c-section, you always have a c-section. She was positive, she was confident, she was experienced. We went home that night and chatted about it. I talked with my dear friend who had a homebirth, and we made our decision!

And that decision changed my life forever. Labor and birth felt completely natural in our home. I was able to labor anyway I needed to. Everyone felt comfortable. I was able to see Bella. And when it came time to actually deliver Genevieve, it was the most amazing experience of my life. It's so hard to put into words what it's like to see a life come from you. And to know that I worked so hard, and was able to climb the mountain and accomplish something I didn't know was possible! All the while, everyone there knew I could do it. I was surrounded with hope, love, strength, and faith, not only from the Lord but also from my amazing husband, wonderful doula, and awesome midwife. I am forever changed!!!

All I can say to those who are considering their birth options is to please educate yourselves. Just because your doctor says "this is best", don't be afraid to question them. Explore what's out there. You most likely will be surprised what you find. This is YOUR BIRTH, YOUR LIFE, and YOUR CHILD'S LIFE. Not theirs.

A Different Kind of Christmas Story