Remodel: Before and After

It’s time to keep my word on updating Our Homeownership Story with some of our projects.

We have been blessed with a home that was constructed VERY well. We really like everything about the layout – except for that unusual 20 foot deep closet.

Remember this picture –

The original entryway- narrow with lots of storage.

 

Well that closet is no longer, but the story of the closet will go on; so before I share the after pictures here is one more short story that makes this even more a “God Story”.

The first time we walked through the house and found this closet, there was a family member close behind- to explain that ALL the tables and ALL the chairs you need to entertain will fill that closet. I love the idea of entertaining large crowds, but we don’t have and probably won’t be buying THAT many tables and chairs. To tell the truth, I was pretty impressed anyone owned that many tables and chairs. THEN I heard this…

In the 90’s, the previous homeowners were not just working on building plans for this house. They were also working on building plans for a church. Until the church was built, they met HERE in THIS house! How cool is it that there were large groups of people worshiping God here in this home?!

NOW, that closet makes more sense to me (as well as the very open layout and kitchens upstairs and downstairs).  While the closet is no longer, I’m still looking forward to meeting in small groups and large groups, with family and friends in this house AND continuing to give God our praise.

Now here’s our first and only remodeling project –

 



The original coat closets are knocked our and the new closet doors are cut out.

Getting the flooring ready.

The opening for the little closet has been closed. It's time to finish the space.

 

The space is complete! The original coat closet doors and jams were reused. The crown moldings were adjusted. The floors were laid. Now, we're ready for a group!

 

 

 

So we may not have a big, long closet full of tables and chairs – but we have expanded our entryway and we are ready for guests.  J

Our house: BEFORE

Over a month ago we became official homeowners!

 ... still... letting... that... sink... in...

Well... a month later we have checked many projects off our wish list and we are looking at setting a move in date for the end of the month!

 BUT - before we reveal all our fun projects - You must check out the before!

 Here are some of the pictures we took the night we got the keys. Enjoy! Haha.

This is the entry from the big garage. Lots of storage in this house!

Looking into the kitchen from the dinning room.
(Yes. Those are pink laminate counters.
Is the back splash matching? Yes. Yes it is.)

Looking to the dinning room from the kitchen. 

From the living room to the dinning room.
The hallway leads to the master and the laundry/ mud room.
The french doors on the left go to the large covered deck.

View from the dinning room to the living room.
There are 3 bedrooms and a bath on the other side of the house.

This is the narrow entryway.
The small door in the middle of the wall measures about 20 ft. deep.
It was for storage of tables and chairs. 

This is the master. Complete with pink carpet and wallpaper. 

Attached master bathroom. 

Second bedroom. Off the living room.
We will use this as an office/ guest room. 

Third bedroom.
I couldn't help but start "cleaning" within moments of entering. 

Full bath between bedrooms.

Fourth bedroom upstairs.

After vacuuming, I was on to removing curtains... 

and the top layer of wallpaper.
It seemed to make a huge difference at the time-
although much bigger changes have been made since.

Basement "kitchen". 

Open basement floor plan! 

VERY pink 5th bedroom. 

(with a matching full bath)

Lastly - the laundry room with a full bath and red
(thank goodness they're not pink) counters.

I think it would be safe to say that the amount of time you spent looking at these pictures was close to the amount of time we spent in the house before we bid on it. What a crazy - Only God - story!

If you missed our story of homeownership, click here and read all about it!

Thanks for "stopping by". Look for updates in the coming weeks as we finish more projects and start to make it home. What a blessing!

Our Story of Homeownership

For the last five years, Nick and I have been diligently saving to build a house with cash. We were about 2 or 3 years from that reality when we began to look at house plans. Somehow we both seemed to have the same “tastes” in building plans and easily found a starting plan for a future home.

Nick’s family has been blessed with a farm that has plenty of acreage to build upon; however an exact placement to build was something Nick and I always struggled with. About a year ago we decided to open ourselves (again) to the idea of buying instead of building.  

We attended a couple open houses, went to a couple auctions, picked  a couple prices we would feel comfortable paying and decided we would thank God if something worked and move forward if it did not work.

Upon returning from Africa, in August, we browsed through the local paper and saw a house that would be for auction at the end of the month. It had 5 bedrooms, was built in 1995 and had a FANTASTIC view. Nick checked his schedule and saw that he would be in Cincinnati that day for work. Oh well. Maybe we’ll see something next week.

 Fast forward about a week. The school day is over and my phone is vibrating. I look. It’s Nick. He tells me he will be home in time to “check out” that auction if I want to. “Okay. What to meet me at school?”

Nick picks me up and we drive about 9 minutes to the house. There are people everywhere. There are a couple auctioneers selling the contents of the estate laying around the house for all to see. People are sitting on the couches. Others are digging through random boxes. Family members must be walking around thinking about all the memories they have collected over the years.  We say hello to a couple people and decide to go in to take a look.

Woah! This is huge! I didn’t imagine such an open floor plan. Do you think our house could fit in this living/ dining room? Nice bedrooms. There is storage everywhere…  Ahh! THAT is a pink kitchen. OOOoo… Pink carpet. Interesting.  HAha… Pink paint and wallpaper and boarders… I’m seeing a theme. We strolled through the first floor liking a lot and talking about the changes we would make.

“Excuse me. If you’re not family, we need you to leave. This is not an open house.” 

(I guess we just got in trouble!?)

We were slightly stunned. Aren’t they trying to sell this place? “Okay”, we said and tried to respect their wishes. We quickly walked downstairs to see the finished walkout basement before we were “escorted”.

Now we are standing outside trying to discuss how interested we are and what low price we want to choose. People stop to chat with us occasionally and encourage us in bidding.

Finally, we decide to ask an auctioneer to unlock the house and take us through. We both feel a sense of peace and pick a price.

We walk outside minutes before the auction starts and I begin to feel like this is all happening so quickly. I’m not sure if it is right.

Bidding starts and I turn my back to the auctioneer. Nick is nodding his head occasionally and I’m really not sure what is going on.  The auctioneer stops and takes a couple minute break. Nick says that we have it at $185,000 (slightly under what we had agreed to). Part of me thinks we are crazy. Another part of me thinks someone is still going to bid over our agreed amount… but a huge part of me still feels some kind of unexplainable peace.

The auctioneer starts again. Someone else bids. Nick nods his head again. There is a pause. The auctioneer is trying to encourage more bidding. Then I hear “going once” – WAIT! Does this mean we are buying a house! – “Going twice” – Is that us? Do we have the highest bid?! – Congratulations Nick. That was a great purchase. The house is sold. – WHAT?!

I turn to Nick and say, “Did you just buy a house?!” He says to me, “How many foster kids are they going to certify us for now?!” We both smile and hug and put on goofy, dazed faces that stayed for a couple hours… maybe even days.

And that is how we became “homeowners”.

We met up with the auctioneer and admitted that we didn’t have a dollar on us to put toward the 10% down that was needed. They said we could stop by the office the next day, but we needed to do some paperwork first. An hour later, papers were signed, we took a few pictures with my phone and we walked out of the house for what would be over a month until closing and receiving keys.

That was almost two weeks ago…

Now we are thanking God every day for giving us such a gift, for knowing the desires of our heart, and for trusting us with such a huge responsibility. We look forward with joy to how He is going to use this gift and we are in awe once again of His wonderous love.

What Wonderous Love!

Here's a quick pic. More to come! 

Media Month

For almost a week two weeks three weeks… I have been trying to process our Media Fast (see this blog if you aren’t sure what I am talking about), so take these disconnected thoughts with the understanding that God’s not finished with us yet.

Instant Messenger, Facebook, text messaging, Words With Friends, Blogs, Pinterest, Face Time – OH MY!

I have been blessed to have connectedness with many groups of people, close bonds with many families, and genuine friendships with a handful of people for the large majority of my life… spending hours and hours together sharing, laughing, crying, exploring, even vacationing.

When I was in high school AOL Instant Messenger became very popular. I remember spending hours talking to my friends in the evening – because, of course, I didn't get to see and talk to them enough at school, during after school activities and at church.

Later in college, Facebook became popular and I found it to be a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family members who were far away.

But at some point in time the use of these inventions got carried away...  

Last month… our month of Media Fasting… put these modern “ conveniences” in perspective. While many recent technologies allow us to feel “in touch” with many friends and family members, they can also give us a false sense of connectedness.

Our media fast helped me understand the depth of the current relationships I have with friends and family… as well as the friendship I have with my Savior. I had a couple hour conversation with a High School friend (which was long over due). I enjoyed (more than normal) a monthly dinner meeting with friends from college. A three hour Saturday morning coffee meeting was a feast for my soul... but more often last month... I called many friends and they responded by text message. I left voice-mails in hopes of getting a call back or to schedule some real face time and weeks later I found Facebook messages apologizing.

This made me feel empty. I missed the everyday communication and feeling of being “in touch” and at the same time I grieved the days of spending hours together in genuine community. But, EVERY SINGLE DAY Jesus was there. He listened and loved and guided and reassured. He helped Nick and I grow in our marriage. He revealed opportunities I wonder if I would have missed had I been checking Facebook, Pinterest, Words With Friends, blogs, text messages, etc…   

So what now? Well, I have to admit… three weeks later I am using Facebook, texting, Gmail Chatting, blogs and Pinterest to reconnect with friends and family members – BUT -  I am more intentional about making plans and spending real face time together. I'm calling long-distance friends instead of just sending them the little " Miss you. Let's catch up soon." notes.  I’m leaving my phone on silent and trying to be more present when I am with a group of people. And I am thanking my Savior for the opportunities he continues to provide us with – especially those which lead to genuine community with others.

Try a week long fast of text messaging or Facebook or whatever it is that is a competing distraction for you.

Give it a try and be blessed.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

Mutiny Month One- Clothing

If you haven't read an earlier post titled, "The Freedom You Find When You Leave Things Behind" then click here first!

Here is how our first month went... 

1 - the number of days per week that I used to do laundry

2 - the number of buttons I lost on my dress shorts

3 - the number of times we made an exception

4 - the number of shirts we had to choose from each morning

5 - the number of times I wore the same thing two days in a row

6 - the number of people on the “waiting list” to read the book that started this journey

7 - the number of items of clothing I could go through in one day in the past

8 - the number of times I wish I had a cozy sweatshirt

9 - the number of days our dryer worked this month (irony?)

…and finally the “magic” number…

10 - the number of items of clothing we chose to wear for one month

In a little nut shell, that was the month of August for us - our first month of “an experimental mutiny against excess”.

So where is that journey leading us now? 

Well into a Month of Media Mutiny…

- No Facebook

- No Pinterest

- No Words with Friends

- No Dish Network

- No Netflix

- No Hulu

- No Wii

- No Blogging

- * No text messaging

- * No personal email

* (we will respond to a sent message, but we will go back to the “old fashion” phone call or face to face communication this month)

So, while I haven’t done a very good job sharing this month of all the ways we have seen God’s wonderous love... I will be journaling this month and can’t wait to share in October where He is leading us!

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in knowing more – 

give me a phone call! 

See you in October! 

 

Ugandan Wedding - Church Ceremony

At Rock Foundation School, we also have a church. Our school director, Christine, is also a wonderful God-fearing pastor.

Christine looked beautiful in her purple dress for the wedding. A second wedding pastor is seated next to her. 

The ceremony was to start at 11am. Around noon the girls were still getting their hair done by the beautician who was to go to the bride’s house next to help her get ready. Therefore, I think the wedding started after 3pm. That’s how time in Africa works, but it was a blessing to have some time to walk to town and visit with a few students! 

This little boy is dressed traditionally for the wedding. I found him (or maybe he found me) on the way back from our morning walk. 

People started gathering in the church around 11, where music/ entertainment was provided. Many of the people from the church choir were in the wedding party; so many others gave a song or two. The wedding processional was very similar to an American wedding, except for the pace at which the wedding party moves. It took about 8 minutes for them to make it down the aisle! As they moved through the church, during the ceremony, they walked in the same fashion. I love the way every moment is savored.

Christine's children were the flower girl and pin boy (ring bearer).
The bride's brother walked her down the isle. Poor girl! She had that huge shop light on her almost the whole time to help with the pictures and video. I can't imagine how hot she felt! 

During church they exchanged rings and vows. There were two pastors (like our wedding) and they both gave messages. Instead of a kiss, there is an embrace. Instead of walking out of the church and making a reception line, the bride and groom stood at the front of the church and the guests went to congratulate them. Then they went to take a few photos as guests moved to the reception.

The groom showing off the ring! Can you feel the love?!

The reception was held at the “playground” behind the girls’ dormitory. There were three tents sent up once again, with a long aisle and small tent with many cakes underneath. The bride and groom entered the reception just like they entered the ceremony. Then they made their way to their seats and had a blessing, before they went to cut the cake.

Entering the reception.

Shortly after cutting the cake, it started to rain. Through the rain the bride and groom moved to two chairs facing one another.  It looked like the “garter removal” that some Americans do at their wedding. Instead, in Africa, the bride and groom loving feed one another cake and a drink to show how well they will take care of one another. It was very romantic… till the skies opened up and it started to pour.

Look closely and you will see the bride and groom facing each other.

We sat in the tents for about an hour, working together to lift out the water that was being collected. They moved the food tables under the edge of the tents and tried to form some sort of an assembly line to get everyone fed. Then the MC got our attention and told us there were cars here to take us home. Cars!? We are a short walking distance from the guest house. Well… that’s African hospitality for you. They picked us up at the tent and dropped us off about 100 yards away at the door. I’m so sorry we missed all the singing and dancing. I can only imagine the celebration it could have been, but in Africa it is a blessing to have rain on your wedding day. I’d say this couple has been more than blessed. The rain didn’t stop till the next morning.

One of the boys that danced before the bride and groom arrived.  I  wish  we would have been able to see all the dancing and songs! 

Ugandan Wedding Celebration- Traditional Ceremony

There are three styles of marriage in Uganda: Traditional, Court and Church. We were blessed this trip to witness a Traditional ceremony and Church ceremony. I will blog about the church ceremony another evening... 

During the Traditional ceremony there is a tent for the groom’s family, the bride’s family, and friends. There is an order and tradition for everything from the time of arrival, to drinking soda, to the music, and dance. Some of the rituals include: a dowry for the bride’s parents, a war of words, and a parade of eligible women.

We waited for 2 hours in the rain for the ceremony to start.
I was so thankful  for Michael to keep me warm.  

The dowry for the bride’s family includes: cows, goats, chickens, rice, beans, fruits, soda, small gifts, vegetables, and money.

The line of gifts went on and on.
Family members and friends provide the gifts. We gave a bag of rice and three chickens. This helps the family have a reception after the church wedding.  

The war of words is between members of each family to make sure that everything has been thought-out and will work well.

The men did the talking and sat on couches in the front of the tents.
They spoke in the local language and some of the guests translated poignant or humors remarks for us.   

The parade of eligible women starts with younger girls, and then the next two groups get a little bit older. When they come out the groom says no “the one” is not there. Then finally when the bride is in the last group he “chooses” her and gives her a necklace. Then the celebration continues.

This is the youngest group. Most of these girls are from Rock Foundation School. 

The second group also included many students, as well as many of the bridesmaids for the church ceremony. 

Woohoo! The "one" is in this group!!

The groom’s face was full of joy. It was a blessing to be a part of such a special occasion. 

His face was priceless! Pure joy!!

We always feel like family when we are in Masindi. That day was no exception. 


Look for a blog next week about the church ceremony.

The Freedom You Find When You Leave Things Behind

 

We are home safe and sound and BLESSED!

During our July mission trip, we tried to have a few morning devotionals as a group. One morning our group leader played the song “Things We Leave Behind” by Michael Card. I will share some of the lyrics with you, but encourage you to listen to the song by clicking on this link.

The chorus goes as follows:

Every heart needs to be set free,
from possessions
that hold it so tight
'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own,
It's the power
to do what is right

[…]

We can't imagine the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind

Well, I don’t think the “things” we found in Africa can be contained in one blog post… however; Nick and I have decided that we don’t want these “findings” to wane as we return to our “American” life. So, August 1^st we started our personal “experimental mutiny against excess”, inspired by my cousins Dawn and Derek Zitko who lent us the book “7” by Jen Hatmaker.

“7 is the true story of how Jen took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.” (http://jenhatmaker.com/)

We are going to take the next seven months and seven areas of excess… but make ten simple choices to continue to be set free from possessions that hold us so tight..

“'Cause when we say 'no'
to the things of the world
we open our hearts
to the love of the Lord and
it's hard to imagine
the freedom we find
from the things we leave behind”

This month we are “leaving behind” all items of clothing aside from the 10 simple choices we made. Here are the ten clothing items I will be wearing for the next 30 days.

For those of you who “traveled” with us on our July Mission Trip to Masindi, Uganda – the trip doesn’t stop here. Now we have the challenge of bringing two different lifestyles and cultures together- keeping God in the center!  

Working in Uganda

While on our mission trip, we have completed many projects! 

Building a veranda around the new baby and top class (preschool and kindergarten) buildings-

Check out one of the local mason workers that was leading the project. He doesn't have any shoes on! Talk about tough!

Planting bushes in the courtyard-

Oopsies! Forgot my gloves!
(At least it was night and I couldn't see how messy we were.)

Adding fascia boards on the buildings, so that gutters may be added-

Nick got the brilliant idea of painting the boards, one evening, before they were hung. Too bad they  had never done it that way and went for the extra (unpainted) boards first.... But, in the end, all the boards were used and all of them were painted one way or another.  

Putting in two 5,000 liter tanks in to catch the rain water from the gutters-

Just after the "boys" tank was set up on the pad.

Passing out shoes and dresses to over 40 students-

Eleven girls, who were needing clothes the most, modeled the dresses very well.
I wish you could have seen their smiles as we dressed them! 

Distributing over 200 pairs of reading glasses to people in the community-

( I may have to learn how to add pictures later... unfortunately I was at another school handing out dresses when this was happening. Just imagine many parents and community members putting on reading glasses and looking at a beautiful book as if it were the first time.) 

We have supported all of the projects, but the credit should go to the hard working people of Uganda; without them, none of this would be made possible. Although they may not move quickly or do things on time (like in the US) – they definitely work very hard! 

I feel like I am forgetting something, but I will be sure to fill that in once I am able to pour over our thousands of pictures and really reflect on what God has been doing while we have been His hands and feet in Uganda. 

WOW! God has really blessed the work that has been done. I hope that He is blessing your work as well. 

Go Where There is No Path

One of my second grade students, from the 2011-2012 school year, shared a leadership quote from her dad that says, “Go where there is no path”. I couldn’t help but think of that as we traveled over 12 miles through “the bush” this week enjoying the countryside and wildlife.

Enjoy some of our pictures…

These women put our walks through the hills to shame.
They are carrying bags of charcoal on their heads!

Our shoes were already pretty wet becuase it had rained the night before, but none of us really wanted to walk through the streams. Be careful Liz!
 (David is viedo taping- just incase you fall in.) 

One of the many baboons we got to see and "play" with. He would jump and shake the branches and hit the tree limbs trying to scare us. Then we would jump around and encourage the behavior.

This is David... he is one of the local guys we met that kindly volunteered to lead us on this adventure!

Check out these houses! I just can't get over the way they build their homes!
 (and I love that so many people plant crops on the rest of the land they have - no growing or cutting the grass here)

We were still in the middle of nowhere when we saw a group of men making bricks. They were very welcoming and showed us all the hard work they put in to make bricks. We decided that we might look like this guy too, if we did the kind of work he does everyday!

Well, that is an abbreviated version of our adventure.
Hope you enjoyed it!