Thursday, February 28, 2013

Our Two Layered House - Month 3

It is hard to believe that we've been in our new home for 3 months today! Time is flying! I must confess that this has been a difficult month for me. Maybe it's reality setting in... perhaps the honeymoon is over?! Maybe it's having to share a tiny bathroom as a family? Whatever it is, I'm feeling it. But, God is so good to gently remind me of His great love for me... that this house is just a "thing"...that He's going to use it in ways I can't even foresee...to mold me into a better person - a better wife, mother, neighbor...for His glory. So, I better just unfurl these fists of control and give it all to Him. I am so thankful that He rescues me from me. (I'm thankful for chocolate and cherry limeades, too.)

So, what have we been up to at the house this month? Well, Day 1 of this month started out great! The concrete perimeter was poured around the house, and a new step was formed for the front porch. This completed the work we hired out...which began in early December. Woohoo! (Vantage Construction did an incredible job! We praise God for them and for each member of their work crew.) Somewhere during month 3 we learned that we are going to have to rewire the house soon. Bummer. However, we will be glad to know it's done one day...and that we won't be melting any more electrical outlets. Hopefully.

We also continued working on the upstairs bathroom remodel. After digging a little deeper into some of the problem areas in there, we realized that we really needed to remove the existing sheet-rock and tub surround. In its place, there will be is new drywall and soon - a tiled tub surround. Brandon also carved out some built-in shelving areas between the studs for some storage. He is doing a great job! This project feels like it's close to being done, but we aren't sure quite when it will be through.

I do have to give a huge shout out to the people who have gone out of their way to help us this month... Thank you Kenny, John, Jacob, Dave, Ryan and Jennifer! We are so grateful!

Demo-ing the upstairs bathroom.

Oh, yeah... Brandon built a table for our bathroom, too!

We all helped.

Do we need a rewire?

Cement being poured...stucco patch waiting to be painted.

Taking a break to play, fly kites, and run!

Because sometimes you just need to lie back and relax...

Clara flying her kite so high!

Take off!

Brandon and Jacob installing a vent to the upstairs bathroom...Maybe we'll see how it works by month 4! :-) #Hopeful
Anyway, even though we are on a time frame to get several major projects done, we know that this house is a side thing. Well, I'm learning that... I think. ;-) Ministry, homeschooling, directing Classical Conversations and volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club are the other (main) things that keep us busy. Taking time to put the trampoline up and  fly kites is important, too!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Pastor's Wife (in)couragers




If you are a pastor's wife and have found your way here, welcome! I'm thrilled to be co-leading an (in)courager community group this session for a brand new group for the wives of those whose husbands serve in any ministry capacity (not just senior pastors' wives). Or more affectionately known as "The Pastor's Wife".

If you're not a pastor's wife, don't leave!! Read on, Click on! There's an (in)courager group for nearly every woman on the planet...truly, there is something for everyone. Just click on any of the the (in)courage linkies to find your way over to register for a group made just for you. Registration is ongoing throughout this month. And people, this is a SHORT term commitment. So, no worries, right?! 

Here's what all the hoopla is about. Trust me, it's good hoopla. :-)

What are (in)courager groups?
The (in)courager community groups exist to build safe, Christ-centered, welcoming, small groups for women through the (in)courage website and social media. With a variety of topics to choose from, the groups and your co-leaders are here to serve you, just as you are and where you are, in this season. We invite you to find a place that feels comfortable, where you can kick off your shoes, snuggle into the comfy couch and share your life with like-minded, Jesus-loving women around the world.
It’s a place where you can grow in your friendships with other women and be encouraged to deepen your relationship with God. (in)courager groups will be led by a team of women who have a heart for serving. They aren’t experts, but have a willingness to walk with others and (in)courage them along the way.

Now, please let me introduce you to a dear sister in Christ and fellow wife of a Pastor. I am so blessed to co-lead this session alongside her! Meet Wendy who blogs over at Rockin' What Ya Got!

And, I'm Kristen.

I blog here at Our Home Joyful Home. My hubby serves as a Children's Pastor, and my dad also serves as a Senior Pastor. I am so blessed to walk this road alongside my husband, and I am ultra privileged to have a mom who is an AWESOME pastor's wife! 

The Pastor's Wife group will be meeting over at Facebook. We'll have a secret group in hopes of ensuring everyone's privacy within our group. You can email Wendy at thepastorswifeincouragement@gmail.com to get all set up to access our group. Once you're in The Pastor's Wife Facebook group, please check your notifications for updates and to stay connected with everyone. 

If you haven't already registered for our group at (in)courage, you'll need to do that, too. 

Wendy and I are so excited to be sharing with each of you pastor's wives. We each walk a unique road, and it will be awesome as we (in)courage one another along the way. We've been praying for you!

Wendy and I will be hanging out today over at The Pastor's Wife. So, be sure to email Wendy thepastorswifeincouragement@gmail.com and get yourselves all set up! Can't wait to meet you!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Our Two Layered House - Month 2

We are loving our new home! There is so much hard work happening all the time, but we have certainly found time to sit down and relax, too. One thing is for sure, home-ownership is not for the weary...especially owning a house built in 1936.

Month 2 started out with a bang... You remember me mentioning about giving Brandon a garbage disposal? Well, he began installing it on Dec. 29, and it turned into a 3 day project. I've learned so much about plumbing! It was hard work, but I am so pleased to that Brandon was able to get the job done. He's the man! We're both seriously loving having a basement with such easy access to all the plumbing. I'm not sure how many trips we took to various hardware stores around here. Although, the girls may have kept count.
;-)

Another major thing Brandon was able to do was install an exterior door in the "breakfast" nook. (Maybe we'll be able to eat in there one day.) The door opening presented several challenges...let me count thy ways.   But, hey, it's in. That's what counts, right?

Other than that, we've been busy trying to organize the house better, chip mortar from the salvaged bricks, clean up and clear out the overgrown yard, demo a bathroom, paint a wall, paint bookshelves and headboards, fix a leaky roof spot, do life, etc. I really do love it. I love how all the work makes us more connected to our community as we meet new people at the hardware stores, shop at the smaller stores around us, meet new neighbors, borrow tools from friends, talk "home talk" with others at church, etc. Oh, I also am thrilled to live closer to church! It's such a central part of our lives, and it makes things easier than I EVER thought. I might should also mention that I am learning how to better trust my very capable husband. You'd think I had that down after nearly 12 years of marriage. :-) If he says he can fix it, he can... he will. He has the patience of Job when it comes to hard, meticulous work.

About new neighbors... we live next door Mr. Mack. He has got to be one of the best neighbors! Often, I will find he and Brandon chatting over the fence. I think he is like our Wilson from the old TV show 'Home Improvement'. He has given us marriage advice, shared food with us, lent us tools... he even came over and cut down a dead tree for us. He rocks! We praise God for him.

Here are a few pics in no particular order. I'm so glad to have snapped some. It makes me realize several things that I had forgotten we've done this past month. On to month 3! :-)

Brandon made some attic access to work add a new vent pipe for the plumbing.

Enjoying (I think) a ride at Home Depot.

Pretending to blow things up while waiting on mom and dad at Home Depot.

A new faucet and new reverse osmosis system!

Libby helping paint old bookshelves. Clara helped a lot, too.

Clara's version of protective eye wear and head gear! LOL!
Scraping weird texture off a bathroom wall.

Out with the old!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

(in)courage

Have you ever had a friend grab your hand and drag you along on a new adventure? Well, that's exactly what Wendy has done to me! She has shown me the world of (in)courage. :-) It's so great! It's kinda a word I've seen around the www for awhile, but I didn't really know what it was. So, go ahead and click on over to (in)courage to see what it's all about. Trust me... good stuff there!

Today's post over at (in)courage happens to be about (in)courager groups. This is one of the things that has me so excited about the whole thing! Wendy and I will be leading an (in)courager group session that begins on Feb. 12. There are lots of groups forming, and it's sure to be a neat way to be encouraged and supported by your fellow sisters in Christ. I hope you'll stay tuned and find a group that's the perfect fit for you. Just click on those linky words... Can't wait!