The Little Things | November 2021 (Week 3)

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We had a delightfully busy week with grandparents and snow and birthdays and building things. Click on the photo to enlarge and scroll through.

Schmearing the Brick: The woodburning surround is done and the stove is in! Yay! Be sure to go read the post I wrote about the process!

Spicy: One of the projects of the week was organizing our spices in pretty bottles…Lucy loved putting the stickers on and lining them up in rainbow order.

Mama: Every morning when my mom is here, we go to the office and read our Bibles together. We’ve been reading through the Old Testament all year, and then the New Testament…and then Zooming with our sisters and sister-in-loves each week to discuss. It’s been SO good.

Snow: Our very first snow came in with a roar! We had 50 mph winds and a few inches of snow…just enough to get the sled out and make it pretty for awhile!

Kale: Despite the snow, my kale was still kickin’ under our covering. It’s on it’s last legs, but I love having greens in the cold! Next year I’ll built a proper cold frame closer to the house.

Sage: We dried the last of the sage for tea and spices!

Churchy: On Sundays, we gather in our basement with my sister’s fam and watch Athey Creek. Love our time together! Pastor Brett is a fantastic teacher who teaches expository style…straight through the Bible book by book with no added fluff. I love the prophecy updates he does once a month as well.

Goodbyes: We said goodbye to Nana and Papa after their week here…but we’ll be seeing them next week in Nashville for Thanksgiving…we’re loading up the RV and we leave on Sunday!

Hello: A few hours after they left…Ama and Grandpa arrived for a week’s stay! We had back to back grandparent visits and it’s always so fun! This is high on the list of reasons why we moved to SD from TX…to be closer to family. So when I see them pulling in the driveway, it makes my heart so happy. I grew up seeing my grandparents all the time, and it was such a special time.

Tour: Of course we had to give them the tour of all the work that has been done since they were here last! Matt’s Dad has helped with all of the shiplap and so many other projects around the farm. It’s such a blessing to have him visit and work alongside Matt. This week they did the woodburning stove, and 2 ceilings with shiplap. Matt’s mom is so encouraging and lovely…and she always does a puzzle with the girls when she visits. Which is wonderful because I am NOT a puzzle person. ;-)

Climb: Bella is LIVING at the climbing gym these days…and having SO much fun. Every time she comes home she has a new friend. She’s so excited to move to Des Moines next year to be even closer to an even bigger gym!

Birthday: The 18th was my 45th birthday! It was a restful day…full of audiobooks and bird watching and special gifts and meals. I felt extremely loved. My sister’s birthday is just 2 days before, so we went out for dinner to celebrate! Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes!! I wrote about my 44th year and all the changes it brought to my life…check it out here.

If we are faithful to God in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life. - Hudson Taylor

Let's German Schmear the Brick!

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In my years of Pinterest perusing, whenever I would come across a brick fireplace with the German schmear technique…I would fall in love again and again. I think my first exposure to this idea was on Fixer Upper…when Chip decided on a whim to schmear the fireplace. LOL! So when it came time to build our woodburning surround in our sun room, I knew exactly what I wanted!

This method dates back centuries…and it turns out different every time, much like a unique work of art. And because I want my house to look like a quaint European cottage, this was the perfect choice. I love the distressed, rustic look…and I’m so glad we did it!

But before we could schmear (and yes, that IS a word…even though some people may say “smear”)…we had to BUILD the surround first! We headed down to Hebron Brick in Sioux Falls and picked up some thin brick from their Americana series. We chose the Bell Tower color because we wanted a little variation in tone.

We wanted to try something fun…and decided to do herringbone on the floor. It turned out so fantastic…Matt amazes me every time with his endless skills! Oh, and do you see the front windows completely covered in ICE?! It was a sure sign that this warm little corner is highly necessary in South Dakota! :)

The most stressful moment occurs when you’re putting the mortar on for the first time. Ok, Matt wasn’t stressed, I was a little stressed. After watching 29 tutorials…he was like “just let me do it babe”. LOL!

Here is the finished product! So perfect! The floor turned out with more coverage than the wall, but over time it will wear down as the wood is piled up. You can see that we also got the pine put on the celing and the dry wall is starting to get finished. All that’s left now is to finish the trim and paint! We’re planning to get that done in early December so we can decorate our very first upstairs room for Christmas! The hardwood will go in sometime in the spring.

And just a peek at what it looked like when we moved it!! Lots of changes and many more to come!!

Our first fire…just in time for my birthday! The stove is a Blaze King Ashford 30…and we got it on marketplace for $500! It’s a super high quality stove that will heat our entire first floor if we would ever lose power in the winter. Hooray for self-sufficiency!

I’m so excited and thankful to have the glow and cozy warmth of a woodburning stove this winter. Be sure to scroll through the process photos below and ask any questions in the comments!

The Changes of Year 44

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Today was my birthday! And I have to say…my 44th year on this earth was remarkably different than ALL the others. Priorities shifted. Thoughts changed. Relationships deepened. It felt a bit like this planter…restful and content, with a bunch of new thoughts flowing out of my head! Here is a little walkthrough of what happened…

I stayed home. A LOT. And I liked it. Which felt super strange after spending the last 8 years in constant travel mode. Even with our home in constant construction, it’s still a cozy and peaceful haven. The farm and the surrounding land has a powerful calming effect…the combination of trees, nature, animals, and the distance from town makes it irresistible to me! It’s quite common that I go to town only once a week…which would have seemed intolerable just a few years ago!

In February, I decided to read through the entire Bible this year. And then later in August, I knew that I was to lead others in a New Testament study as well. Nothing has ever molded my faith and my life in this way. It was transformational. Because of this intense time of seeking Jesus, I let go of many things that were holding me back. Possessions, ideals, habits, and even people. It was sometimes a painful pruning…but I can’t imagine life any other way now. You cannot encounter Christ on a daily basis and walk away unchanged. I’m going to be leading a study of the entire Bible starting in January 2022…so be on the lookout for those details if the idea of that lights up your heart!

I came down with Covid in late May/early June…and while I didn’t know it at the time, it would dramatically slow down all the plans I had for the rest of the year. I’m still working through the after effects…aka “long covid”, with cardiological & neurological issues popping up occasionally, along with crazy fatigue if I overexert myself physically or mentally. I am working with a natural practitioner and finally feel like I’m turning a corner with it…but it’s been an interesting and humbling 6 months. Rest has never been high on my priority list, and this season has an element of forced rest that I’m learning to embrace and now enjoy.

During this resting time…we created a magnificent garden! It was exactly what I needed…healing to the soul and rewarding beyond my wildest dreams. I have MUCH to say about this process and I’m writing it all up in a different post for you. The gardens will play a big role in what we are creating here at the farm for years to come.

During my 44th year, I felt much like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. There was an unmistakable metamorphosis that took place. And while I may look the same on the outside, I have been truly transformed on the inside.

In my 45th year…all of these experiences and transformations will have words put them them here on my blog. I hope you’ll continue to come back and read about all of it…I’m excited to share it with you.