Pictures and some ramblings

I promised you some pictures of the house, so here they are!

This is as you come down the driveway.

This is the house from the west side.

Part of the yard and woods. The 2 car garage is in the corner.

Here is the cross that you can see from the living room window. We drove over there and found out that it is an old cemetery. It's a reminder to me of who gave us the farm!

I will post more pictures later, as the place needs some work! Don't get me wroong, it's a beautiful house, it just need's some updating and so forth. We have to tear down a couple of buildings and repair another. Some of the carpet needs to be riped out. The kitchen is carpeted, so that must go! The living room and dinning room are both carpeted with beautiful wood floors underneath. It needs paint, a good cleaning, and us!! :o) We only have 11 days to get certain things done like paint, rip out carpet, etc. before we move in! We are going to be extremely busy, so I hope you will understand if I don't write that often!! I will do my best to keep you all updated on the whole process!! We have to start packing today, which I am very excited about!We have moved 22 times since I was born, so my mom calls us expert packers. My mom can get the whole house decorated and have it feel like home the weekend we move in! She is amazing! (Of course, she has had previous practice!! :o)

I know this is completely of subject, but I thought I would tell you. The puppies are already 11 days old! Their eyes are starting to open and their learning how to walk! They all weigh about 2 1/2 pounds!! They are fat butterballs, but we love them!! We have to take pictures of them, so I will post some new ones when I get the chance.

Good News!!!!

We made an offer on the house yesterday afternoon. Well, they counter-offered and we accepted!!! We got it at the price that my Dad wanted it at! God is definitely in this! We are now the proud owners of a beautiful farmhouse on 6 acres! ( we found out today that it is actually 6 acres and not 5!) The seller is going to put in a new septic system, which is excellent for us! They are not the cheapest things to put in. The house has a brand new well pump and a newer furnace. The only thing we are really going to have to provide is a water softener, which is the lowest cost item out of all the new updates! We are all praising God for leading us through this storm and bringing us to the place that He wants us to be. We close in 19 short days and the house will be ours! It needs some painting, carpet to be riped out, and a good cleaning, but we are all excited to do it! It also has a beautiful spot for a garden, flower beds and beautiful landscaping! We are just amazed at what God has lead us to! It is better than anything we could imagine. Of course, I should know by now, God did it and not us!!


I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for praying for us as we have looked at over 100 houses over a 1 year time period! We now God is with us and will continue to guide us through the rest of the process! We are going out to the house on Saturday and we will be taking a LOT of pictures. I will post them as soon as possible!

Thank you all again for praying for us and I pray that God will richly bless you for praying for fellow believers of the faith!

Something Exciting!

Yesterday, we drove out to the house we were going to purchase. Well, upon arriving, we all felt uneasy about the whole thing. We went downstairs to the basement and found water. My mom is highly allergic to mold and mildew, so even if the basement is just a little damp, it effects her. So that was a big indicator that this was not "The One."

Well, my dad found a house online yesterday that was on 5 acres. It's an old 1934 farm house that is just beautiful! It has beautiful wood floors, a wood burning stove, a built in, and a HUGE deck. The lot is just gorgeous and it would be perfect to have a wedding! I have always wanted to get married at my house. It has a few outbuildings, and two of them are in good shape, just needs a little repairing. One of the buildings is going to have to be torn down, but the wood can be salvaged. As you drive down the road to the house, if you look up on this hill right across the field, there's a cross! It is absolutely breath taking! We have all fallen in love with this house and are praying that God would lead us through this if this is the house for us. ( Although having a cross right out the big picture window in your living room is a pretty good indicator for me. It was like God was saying this is it, home.) I would like to ask you all again if you would pray for us as we are seeking God's will and are now pursuing this house. I will post some picture of the house when we go out there again. If you want some more detail, my mom's blog says more!A Lil' Bit of Country.

An Encouraging E-mail

I got an e-mail yesterday and at the bottom of the page, I found this: "Don't tell God how big your storm is. Tell the storm how big your God is!"

This is so true! Right now we are going through a difficult time of trying to purchase a house. Sometimes, it's difficult to go through the storms and you don't know the reason why. I have just had to keep reminding myself of this verse: " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

We have learned a lot as a family. It's has brought us closer together and to God. We are still praying that we will know God's will in this matter, and I would really appreciate if you would all join us in prayer, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20.

Early Morning Surprise!

Wednesday night our lab, Angel, was acting strange. My sister and I have been taking turns sleeping on the couch to keep an eye (and ear :o) ) on Angel. Well, at about 11:00 p.m. she started nesting on her blanket next to the couch. When I woke from her racket, I told her that she couldn't have her babies on her blanket, next to the couch! So, my dad and I brought the kiddie pool from the basement into the kitchen, so I could try to get some sleep, but still keep an eye on her. Well, she was nesting all night in her pool with shredded paper in it, so she wasn't all that quiet! I got about 2 hours of sleep. When I woke up about 7:00 the next morning, I went into the kitchen and sat next to the pool, reassuring her that I was there. At 9:45 a.m. she had her first puppy! ( My mom had informed her last night that she had to wait to deliver until after 8:00 a.m so she could get some sleep! She follows orders very well!) From start to finish she was in labor for about 4 1/2 hours and had 9 puppies!! 6 girls and 3 boys!!

Mom and puppies are doing great. Angel is a wonderful mom! Thank you LORD for everything going smoothly!

A Touching Passage...

As I was reading this afternoon, I came across this paragraph from "In My Father's House: A Vision for Daughters", a book which I highly recommend. I had to share it with you all. I hope you benefit from it.


"The fountain of all sympathy is Jesus our Lord. We may go to Him, as to an inexhaustible well, ever drawing, never knowing disappointment, but always receiving refreshment and health. Too often we keep on depending on ourselves, on our own shallow streams, which, unfed by celestial sources soon run dry. Surely part of the daily prayer should be that we may remain large enough and loving enough to care for objects outside of ourselves, that we may keep the freshness of the child-heart and its springing enthusiasm over small pleasures, and new discoveries; that we may live in other lives not exclusively in our own."

"Art thou weary, art thou languid,

Art thou sore distrest?

"Come to Me," saith One, "and coming

Be at rest."

Hath He marks to lead me to Him

If He be my guide?

"In His feet and hands are wound-prints

And His side."

Is there diadem, as monarch

That His brow adorns?

"Yea, a crown, in very surety,

But of thorns."

If I find Him, if I follow

What His guerdin here?

"Many a sorrow,, many a labor,

Many a tear."

If I still hold closely to Him

What hath He at last?

"Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,

Jordon past."

If I sak Him to reveive me

Will He say me nay?

"Not till earth and not till heaven

Pass away."

Finding, following, keeping, struggling,

Is He sure to bless?

Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs,

Awnser, "Yes."

If anyone knows who wrote this poem, please let me know. I think it might be Ruskin. If anyone can confirm this, please do!

Misc. Musings

Well, our garage sale went great this weekend! We sold almost all of it. The rest that we didn't sell is going to the thrift store in town. Thank you all for your prays! The LORD has truly blessed us!

I think we will be having an early spring! Oh, how I long to go outside to watch the sunrise! To go out to the garden and start weeding just as the sun peeks over the horizon! Speaking of gardening, I wait with bated breath to plant it! I don't think we are going as big as we went last year. But I know we are having tomatoes. Lot's of tomatoes! We must make salsa, spaghetti sauce, and stewed tomatoes.

This is a picture I took from my bedroom window this past summer.


Still no puppies! I slept on the couch to keep an eye on her. I thought for sure she was going into labor last night. So let's just say, I lack in sleep! We all don't want to go anywhere just in case she has them while we are out. So, therefore, we are home bound!

My sister and I hope to go riding today. It is a gorgeous day! I beleive the temp. is supposed to be 47 F! That's a Minesota heatwave! I will post some pictures of our horses when I gat a chance!