finger painting

I'm sure many have heard the story, but it started with one contract after another falling through and ending up without a home, and wanting to move forward with our family and life. So we entered through that door. Sunni took a few steps, a sniff of the place and walked out. I continued with the "potential/visionary" glasses on. I can only say that it must be a God given gift, because with the amount of "sight" needed to view this house as a home was significant. It really is funny to think back over the last year. At this time in 2008, I was stroking Sunni's hair and saying, "It's going to be ok. Really?! We will do a little work and it will look gorgeous...one day".


And after this last weekend... approximately one year from when we put an offer on this fixer-upper... ...we are still married ...we still love each other ...we still laugh at the process ...we know there is still more to do

...soon and very soon...we'll paint the door. (and patch the hole on the other side of the light:)

These are some of the illustrations on the pages of our story. Look forward to seeing yours.

Almost a year old

It has almost been a year since we began this adventure called home ownership. A fixer upper can be any house. It can be large, small or somewhere in between. On the whole, I think we have been ridiculously lucky in our venture. We have been blessed with friends and sales that have kept us afloat and smiling. We laugh more than we cry, and we even take pride in what we have done. We continue to make small improvements as the days go one. Most important, we have made this our home. We love our neighbors and the surrounding area. The joys of using this house to form and enrich relationships has been well worth the sweat and tears.

THEN: August 1, 2008
NOW: July 17, 2009


Our CURRENT Adventure: I have spent the last few days prepping the house for a full painting. I am sorry for those who have grown accustomed to locating our home by the faded mint green siding. From now on you will just have to look up and be guided by those ridiculously ugly eye-sores, also known as solar panels.

Never too young!

(You will need to turn the monitor 90 degrees, sorry).

The joys of being an uncle. Just think of all the videos we will be able to post up here over the years?!

Gender Neutral Baby Stuff

As we journey through the adoption process we are learning, enduring and growing. How do you plan and make goals when you have little knowledge of what you are getting yourself into??? You don't...you simply take one step at a time. With that in mind, the nursery begins to get a face lift.
Thank you to my (Ryan's) mom as she begins working on the bedding for the baby-to-be. During a recent visit, we did the quilt shops, debated and chose colors. A boy? A girl? We don't know. So...greens, yellows, browns...the world of neutrality.


This is the beginning of the quilt. (The swatches and background.) The finished product will have a bunch of little blocks surrounding the large patches...We'll show you a picture when it is all done.
Soon and very soon...

God's canvas...(Cannon Beach, OR)

Vacation!

We just spent the last week on vacation. One would assume that after a week away from the typical "grind" of life, I should be rested, rejuvinated and ready to resume the several hats that I wear. I guess I would agree with that...that is until I spent a week with my beloved nephew. This little 19 month old spitfire kept the activity in our vacation. Sand castles, ocean water, playing with a new tent (from his favorite Uncle:) ), feeding the geese, blowing bubbles and running everywhere. What a character?! Oh the Stories?!