This is Us: Kennedy

I started this blog because of this kid - and now she's all grown up🤯 Here are a few fun facts about our sweet big girl.

Fave food: Soups in bread bowls

Fave restaurant: Panera (duh, because of the soups😆)

Fave drink: a White Chocolate Mocha coffee

Fave colours: light blue/turquoise and grey

Best friends: Savannah, Krista, Kayla, Ellen, Clara and Grace

Fave Movie/Show: Sound of Music, Hamilton, White Collar, Psych, Corner Gas

Best Advice? "Don't tell your brothers where any of your valuables are, or they'll take them"

She's memorized all of 1st Peter, and is working on 1, 2 & 3 John...Memory work doesn't come easiest for her, but she's persistent and gets it done with lots of practice and recitation. She's "piano" in the family band, and getting good at chording and playing along. She excels at motivating the boys to complete chores and behave - I'd say 75% of the time those "motivations" come by way of her excellent baking skills. The worst thing that can be said about that, it is she frequently forgets to mention if she's used up an ingredient, and I have to think quick on my feet to discover my intended dinner will be made without flour 😂 She's completely the #1 fan fave of baby sister, even though we all try our best to bribe Vale and oust her for that position.

She's got her boating license, and will get her learners permit this Spring, Lord willing. She is taking a college course, for audit, this semester (Spring '21) - we'd like to dual enroll her, when she's old enough, and this is an easy way to de-mystify the whole ordeal and get her used to writing papers and such, when Brian and I can still help her out and guide her. She's got braces because Brian and I have terrible genetic material to pass on in that department - and we're paying dearly for our shortfalls 😂 Here's an interesting tooth-fact about her: one of her "baby molars" is the only one she's got - no adult tooth is growing to replace it. So if she keeps it healthy, it's the only one she'll have for her whole life!

Smart, funny, practical, dramatic. She's turned into a lovely grown-up kid - which is really no surprise, given how lovely she was as a little kid.

This is Us: Brian & Darla

Let's see if I can condense this into a readable synopsis - We started dating long distance in 2002 from the Toronto area, and Albany NY area - We got married in 2003, and moved from the Rochester NY area to the Virginia Beach VA area in 2004 - where we've planted some roots and decided to stay put. It means us Northerners are raising Southern babies, and trying our best to bring them the best parts of each culture. Okra has not made the cut.😏

Over the years, we've collected multiple homes, and use them as rentals. I have a love/hate relationship with being a landlord, most of the time I love it. But the day to day falls on my plate (finding renters, collecting rent, dealing with the issues that come up), and it seems like everything goes wrong all at the same time. It has been a blessing, truly of the Lord, as, looking at the bank account back in 2003, I never thought we'd own 1 home, and it genuinely is a gift to get to deal with, even the problems, of several tenants/rentals.😊

We remodel. A lot. I also have a love/hate with that process. So does Brian actually! For all the work we've done, which has been a lot, I am still not sure I could identify a circular saw or a hammer drill with out some heavy descriptors - like the exact colour, shape, and last location used. I'm so useless😂 But Brian is the handiest, and puts up with the shoddy assistance well.

Brian has been in construction since our move to VA, and for the past 12 years has been in commercial contracting - and most days, he really enjoys it. There have been some serious bumps in the road, and times when it seemed like another profession might be a better choice, but in the end, it's working out. We'll see if God keeps us on this path - but it seems like for now, this is the way He's choosing to provide for us, and we are grateful.

I have had a few jobs over the years, mostly pertaining to childcare. More recently though, I went back into office-life with a job outside the home. It is very part time, and very much enjoyed. Life has presented various difficulties in various stages - but I've definitely seen God's hand in each of them. I love Young Living essential oils, everything homemade and DIY, and I'm terrible at doing hair.

We are grateful to be doing what we do, and grateful to be doing it together. It's been a wild ride, to say the least 💕

Screened Porch Remodel

Well, here we go (again!). Another remodel, and not wanting to exhaust my IG feed with all the details, and yet wanting to chronicle the journey, I decided to figure out how to get the pics off my phone and onto my blog! The last time I blogged "full time" I had an actual camera and uploaded from there, not a camera phone. The times, they are a changin' - haha! ANYWAY. I'll have to go back and find pics of the old space in it's original condition. But I'll start here for now...

Our house is really practical and I like that. But we do like to have a lot of people over, and one of the biggest drawbacks to open concept is not having a separate place/room for kids and adults to separate. It's made a little better with the additions of tv's in our bedroom and upstairs (at least movies or Nintendo Switch can be done elsewhere than the main room), but all in all, our only "complaint" is that we could use another family room. This house is a ranch, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, just over 1800sq ft. Something not included in that square footage is our screened in back porch. We've thought of finishing it for awhile now, but it's taken awhile to be able to afford it - it's a lot of "little things" that add up in cost. Some needed, some wanted, but still - all with the desire to do it "right", and when we could afford to do it all at once, instead of over years as we saved up etc. So now is the time!

We will close in the porch, HVAC the space, requiring a mini split unit that connects to the main unit. We will build a deck, and re-side the house - It really needs it! It's old vinyl siding and a recent storm upending our trampoline into the side of the house was the final straw with cracked pieces. The time is now. Siding will be delivered in 4 weeks! We picked a blue colour called Harbor Blue - actually, I think it's about the same shade as we painted the shed (and currently have our shutters & exterior doors painted too). ANYWAY. I'll talk you through the pics, and then update here as we go under the label below of Porch Remodel

Our 3 set of double french doors were delivered this week!

The side facing the shed will be just solid wall (as you see here). The back side will be 1 set of french doors (the hole), and 2 windows beside.

Decking material has been delivered and stacked/spaced for staining prior to install

This whole area will be a deck. From the porch, all the way to the edge of the house. It'll be a HUGE deck. Huge.

This whole area will be deck. I think it'll be 4ft off the back side, then down to the end of the house. 2 more sets of french doors go here!

 

One set of doors, INSTALLED! We got the kind with the shades built in to the glass, yay! It was end of day though, and it was SO heavy. We'll do the next two another day.

There is so much work to do. Whooooooweee. But it'll be so nice once it's all done!

Door, installed!

This is the side that faces the lake, so we'll have a nice deck off this space, and a nice pretty view.

Yah, we still have lots of demo clean up to get rid of. Not getting a dumpster this time, so we have to take it out by the truck load in Brian's truck.

Our shed is here (door open) to the left. Our kitchen has a little "nook" kick out, with 3 windows. 1 of the windows goes into the screened porch, and one of them faces the shed side & HVAC units - 1 not needed, and one without a view, so we're taking them out and reusing them in the porch. The the center window in above pic will be the only one that stays. We had all the windows replaced in 2019, so as not to waste them, we'll use them on the porch.

There are the windows from the inside - the side 2 will go away.

We took down the ceiling, because we will be putting in a barrel vaulted ceiling. It feels so spacious compared to our regular 8ft ceilings in the rest of the house.

Brian will be/is replacing all these trusses with rounded ones - he has wood for a rounded ceiling left over from a job, so it's going in here!

Can't wait to update with more pics!!

Christmas Decor 2020

It's no secret I love setting up for Christmas. We like to do so in November, I've decided solidly now, that the weekend after Vale's birthday will be the go-to time. I have tried in the past to leave it much closer to/right after Thanksgiving, but I feel like we are too rushed and unprepared for our advent traditions to start on time. The past few years it's worked nicely to slow roll every thing out mid November. There is no pressure to finish it all in a day, and that works best for me so I feel rested and not hurried into the season of celebration.

The angel on the top shelf is affectionately known as the "Headless Angel", Brooks' gift to me from the Awana Christmas store in 2013. "Here, I got you this, but the head fell off" Thankfully it's made of a resin, not glass, and I was able to reattach the severed head😂

The letterboard sign is just one of many "signs" or pictures that I like to decorate with, because I feel like it properly orients my heart for the meaning of it all - Can you imagine the weight of glory, holding a newborn baby boy - the King of Creation?

I made the canvas sign - A double meaning for me, but the lyric to a song, Noel by Lauren Daigle. All who are weary and worn, Come and see what God has done, in the incarnation of the Son. And also, friends, come and see what God has done in His rescue and redemption of me.

The painting I purchased - it's women in the family tree of Jesus - It's Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. I could write more about them, but I won't take the time in this post. Suffice it to say - they aren't who you'd expect. They were wronged. They were bound to a life they never would have picked for themselves. They were sinned against. They weren't even all Jewish! They knew what it was like to be in desperate need of rescue. To want nothing more than to be provided for, to be...chosen. And they were chosen. They received the rescue they were waiting for, and they never would have guessed what would happen long after their stories were ended in a little town called Bethlehem, with the birth of a little baby - their many many many times Grandson! I love that picture because of all it represents to show God's faithfulness to those he will call his own.

Part of a lyric to Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice. I traced it off my computer onto "table paper" from Ikea. You've been promised, we've been waiting. That was true of those in the days of Jesus birth, looking forward to his 1st coming, and it's true of us now, looking back on his 1st coming, and looking forward to his 2nd coming. Sometimes it feels so far away, and so impossible, and ...could it really be true, because it doesn't seem likely...and I bet that's what it felt like then, too. And so we wait, with great anticipation for the day we know is coming - the heavens will be rent, the sky will open, and our King will descend to reign and dwell and live with us forever.

A pretty little advent from Gracelaced (Ruth Chou Simons), I put the cards on a christmas card holder from Ikea, and it looks so great!

Hung a wreath on the barn door!

Some art by Gracelaced.

Some art by me!

My nativity set

The Joshua Tree

All delecate/breakables/truly precious ornaments have to stay off the big tree, because we have animals, and they've knocked it over more than once😡

The Jesse Tree...and our stockings

I love the mantle! So pretty

The Jesse Tree is part of our advent traditions.

Vale is loving this Playmobil nativity - so it always looks like this

We love Charlie Brown

A baby nativity set. 

But Vale is very upset that Jesus can't come out of his bed, she is quite bothered by the fact that he's lying down. She tries to pry him out and even bite him out😂 But she always sets him up like this😂😂

Small festive touches

Kenna made that wreath in 2019

Adding a few lights to regular items makes things looks more Christmasy

Outdoor decor. I love it!

Lights added to the planters😆

 And where is my pic of the big tree?! Lol. Well, I guess it looks the same as it always does, actually😉

Christmas Day Desserts

Before dessert, meet Melchior, Baltazar and Gaspar😍 Made by Lauren and Meghan out of Dale's old shirts!

Meghan dazzled us by taking on the desserts for Christmas Day. They were truly phenomenal!! This cheesecake (cranberry white chocolate) was one of the best I have ever tasted. The recipe was spot-on.

The mushrooms. THE MUSHROOMS!! They are so cute I don't even know where to start! They are made out of meringue

 

Family Picture Day 2020

We squeezed in our picture day this year, about 10mins before the skies opened up in torrential rain, and when Vale was already about an hour overdue for her nap. She was a little crabby, but you can't tell - the pics turned out so well. As with every year, I am just utterly shocked at how grown up they are.

Lyric in Pictures

We added a new ornament to our tree this year.

Toast to the ones here today.

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way.

 We miss you Luc.