Memories

I got home from work today and started cleaning my house for premarital counseling tonight. As I was cleaning, memories began flooding into my head of all the things that have happened in this house. This has been happening a lot lately... especially since its getting closer and closer to us selling it and moving to St. Louis. I usually don't have too much of an attachment to things, but this house is different. I have a strong attachment to it. I think it's because this is not only the first house we have bought together, but its also the first house we fixed up and worked on together (for before and after pictures, click here). We put a lot of work into this house, and have a lot of memories before we even moved into it. There have been many more memories since moving here and I'm definitely going to miss this wonderful house.

Not the best picture of the house, but our first one. This was before we bought it and for some reason the screen was taken out of the window? We were going in to plan our updates :)

We have some friends hopefully lined up to buy it from us. This house was rented out before us by some guys in our church and then we bought it as soon as they moved out. If our friends buy the house from us, it will stay in the church. I'm hoping and praying that it will work out to where they can buy it from us.

There are SO many memories of group get togethers, hang outs, babies playing, counseling sessions, leadership meetings, sewing adventures, movies watched, and amazing conversations made in our comfortable homey living room.

Sometimes I just sit the couch and look out into the living room from this exact perspective and think about all the times I had with Asher and Dallas. I really miss staying at home with them. I can't wait until God gives us children of our own that we can make tons of memories with.

SO many memories of great meals cooked, wonderful desserts baked, feeding babies, more counseling sessions, meetings, and talks, and many many dinners with guests that have become incredible life long friends all happened in this kitchen.

What I'm beginning to miss most are the memories of Suzanne and Dallas being here. As many of you know, she moved out from upstairs to live with her parents. A lot has changed in our relationship with Suzanne over the past several months. I've probably felt every emotion possible towards the situation, and now I'm really beginning to mourn over them being gone. There really isn't any communication or friendship left there, and it breaks my heart. For a while I've been angry about the things that have happened, just like I was the last time she moved out (January). However, this time it's different. I'm not so sure she'll actually come back this time, and we're moving. So the fact is, we may never see them again. What really breaks my heart is we've spent so much time with Dallas, and we love her so much as if she were our own. We still often quote Dallas' sayings and envision her running around the house playing with Leo or in her little red chair (pictured above in the living room). But in a short while she won't even remember us anymore. It almost feels like a dream now. All I have left to do is pray and trust God in all of this.

I know that as it gets closer to us leaving its going to get harder, not only leaving the first house we bought together, but also leaving our church family. But I'm also super excited to go where God is leading us and I know we're going to make many great new memories there too. God is good and He loves His children.

Our Home Before and After

I've been blogging around lately looking at different people's blogs and have found some really cool ones on decorating. It's neat to see how people decorate their homes and all the different ideas they have. I thought I would share our before and after pictures of the work we did on our house.

Our Tiny Bathroom: Before

After

Before: Notice the yucky floor, it's hard to see but it was gross!

After: Notice the floor and new toilet! Brice did such a great job! We are actually going to re-paint this bathroom and sand color that sort of matches the floor.

The Guest/Hallway Bathroom: Before

After

The Guest Bedroom: Before

After

Before

After

Our Bedroom: Before

After

Before: Looking from the hallway into our room and to the kitchen

Same view after without Brice standing there :)

The Kitchen: Before into the laundry room, and no dishwasher

After: Door on the right goes into the laundry room, and there's the new dishwasher! Brice and his dad did a great job!

Before

After: Brice put new laminate on the counter top and installed the new sink and faucet

Before

After, again without Brice

Before: with the old stove and old hot water heater

and overhanging counter top next to stove

After!

Dining Area in the Kitchen (notice the nasty floors)

After! Notice the new beautiful floor that was underneath the nasty floor!

The Living Room

After

Before

After: Didn't really get a good picture of this area after. It looks different now anyways.

Before

After

So that's our home! I have some before pictures of the laundry room and third bedroom, but I never took after pictures since they were never really decorated. They both still need some work. It was so much fun doing all that work to the house and turning it into something beautiful!