A Paint Job...

I've been meaning to post these for awhile now.  We've done some updating with painting some of the rooms/walls in the new house.  It really has given the space a needed facelift.  And I'm loving the colors!  I haven't included rooms where we haven't painted in this post.

Living room, this color is also painted in the foyer and hallway.

Living room window wall- you can't see the color if I include the LARGE window in the shot.  I like to call this color 'Fifth Day Bruise' - its a brown/grey/green hue. 

Bathroom

Other wall in the bathroom with me and the towels in disaray.

Accent wall in our bedroom (this is the only wall we painted in there) with boxes left to unpack/store.

Can you see the difference in the accent wall (left) and the original room color (right)?  I am LOVING IT!  Thanks Mom!

Original color in our room with some pictures hung.

Picking up where we left off...

Well, you may or may not have noticed a brief hiatus.  There are many reasons-
One is that ever elusive balance of a life as a stay at home mom and homemaker. 
Two is that I haven't hardly been able to make it though a day without a nap this pregnancy.  So when the girls go down I've been going down and then have to manage, supper, laundry, tidying and cleaning while they are awake which seems to perpetuate a cycle as I am more tired in the evenings...do you get the picture?
Three could be that there just has been a plethora of other things to do and keep busy with around here.  It is our first summer here and I must say I have tried to enjoy every minute of it.  Each day seems to bring a new discovery (most of which have been out doors). 

Regardless, you're due for an update from our life on the Mississippi....

The garden is in full bloom.  And with Kurt's encouragement and perseverance on both our part is it the best looking garden we've had yet!  Weeds be gone! 

The Trumpeting Vines are announcing the beginning of June!

Everything in the landscaping has got at least a year to prove/show itself.  These massive trellises of Trumpeting Vines were a big question mark but they look BEAUTIFUL full of flowers.

Our orchard was spared frost this season and the apples, pears and plums are coming in like CrAzY!  With the mild winter and early spring here we'll be harvesting before we know it! 

Parties interested in helping with the harvest will be paid in fruit!

And in the fruits of the fruit...this is the beginnings of something old

Being made 'new'

Kurt purchased this cider press for his birthday while we were in MI and is in the process of restoring the basket and a few other pieces.  We were in awe of the size and are excited to see it evolve.

The idea is something like this but more on the antique scale.  I'll try to have a few more updating posts...I've had some painting done.  We've been to the zoo, MI, MN and celebrated two birthdays and an anniversary since I've last posted!

Preparing for Apples

 This weekend we had a friend come and help us trim our apple orchard (how many trees qualifies an orchard?  We have 18 or 19).  It was a learning experience for Kurt and me though with the girls in tow he hopefully came out with a more fruitful learning than I did.  (Haha fruitful learning!) 

 I did learn a 'famous' apple trimming saying of the orchard's previous owner- "You can kick a cat through a well trimmed apple tree."  I like it.  And I must say after all the trimming the guys did the trees are looking ready for cats. ;-)  Or at least much better and hopefully ready to bring on the blossoms.

 Here are the little stick haulers.  Kate ended up getting sick later in the night...she and Kurt both have high fevers today and are couch buddies but hopefully the fresh air did them good this weekend those colds will be kicked in no time.

This isn't even all the trimmings. You'd think we'd cut down a couple trees with pile we made.  We're waiting to do that after a year and we see what we get.  Then perhaps next spring we'll be adding a few new trees to the orchard to replace a few of the ones that aren't fairing as well.

On a side note:  Another request answered by God in our new home!  I have been asking Kurt for a lilac bush (my favorite flower) since we've been married.  It will be 5 years in June.  Well we discovered at least 5 in our backyard beyond the apple trees!  Thanks Kurt!  God certainly provides in abundance!

Christmas, New Year 2012 and Moving Letter

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush; anxious for greater developments and greater wishes and so on; so that children have very little time for their parents; parents have very little time for each other; and the home begins the disruption of the peace in the world.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta

January 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

For the whole month of December I was working at practicing the virtue of peace.  As you may suspect with two small children, an upcoming move and the hustle and bustle of our culture around Christmas—this was at times just a worthy goal.   There have been a few moments when it seemed nearly impossible!  However it has been helpful for me to recall who the source of all peace is and how important this virtue is to cultivate! Our hope is that you have peace in your home this holy season and always even in the midst of your busyness.

And boy have our lives been busy this past year!  We were blessed to have a year full of visits and reunions of one form or another.  From the many house guests that have graced us with their presence- family from near (WI) and far (CA) and friends from far (Italy, NE, MN) and near. To the numerous road trips to the Shrines of Our Lady of Good Help and Our Lady of Guadalupe (to meet with classmates and teachers from my masters program), Brewers vs Twins @ Miller Park (instigated by a college friend),  and Winona, MN, too.  I was also blessed to attend my dear friend Bente’s wedding in Oslo, Norway this fall. My parents and Julia and I made the trip over the pond for the event and what an event it was!  And we spent time in AZ just before Christmas getting some R&R.

Beyond travel our home lives have been full of activity.  This summer we gutted our kitchen/dining room to do some updating. The result was beautiful and made cleaning up spills pure pleasure after having carpet under the table for so long. However, that joy was supplanted by another when God placed in our path an opportunity to buy a home a little bit larger for our young family.  And so, this fall, we began plans to move three miles closer to the river (Mississippi). 

Our new home has been FULL of God’s handy work from the beginning.  The three bedrooms and full basement have offered plenty of room to grow, the yard with extra space to run has the girls excited for spring, the location just down the road from friends and particularly a farm has Kurt ready to putz on projects in his spare time and the view I just can’t get enough of it!  We are so grateful for the help of many people who assisted in our transition here!

The girls continue to grow up in front of our eyes. Katie, 3, has started preschool at home traveling the Alphabet Path.  We are learning so much.  She enjoys reading, practicing her letters, pretending,the Brewers and getting out of the house to socialize as much as possible (which she comes by naturally).  Julia, 1, is no longer a baby.  She is our daring daughter unafraid to scale great heights and seek out the realms of the forbidden cupboards, table tops and drawers.  Her vocabulary continues to grow.  She will parrot most anything.  JuJu is also quite proficient at shape puzzles and tormenting her sister who she would like to be just like most days.  I continue to enjoy life at home.  Kurt’s been perfecting his smoking (meat) and baking. We have happily been taste testers!  Please consider this an open invitation to stop in for a beer, coffee or drink of choice and visit of course!
Love and Peace,
Kurt, Angie, Katie and Julia

(Let me know if you need our new contact info!)

Coffee with a View

I hope to never not appreciate these moments.   How could this view ever get old?