The Promise of the Lilacs

 

The lilacs at our Dear Old House were blooming last Sunday when we stopped by,

and I just had to snip a few to bring home.

 

 

 

Though we do still own the house,

it looks like new owners will have it soon, if all works out.

I knew they would not move in time to have the lilacs, and so,

 a few just had to come home for us and also a few for our daughters,

since it was Mother's Day.

 

 

The Pillow on the porch chair says,

Home Sweet Home.

 

What a perfect day to bring home to our new house

 a little remembrance from our old house.

 

The Dear Old House will soon be filled with the activities of a new, young family,

and I thank the Lord for bringing them to this wonderful home.

The rooms will come to life with the warmth of furniture and toys,

and the voices of those who now call this place home.

The yard will come to life with summer fun, perhaps a child that will grow

to love climbing the crabapple tree in the center of the backyard,

or swing on a swing set and dig in the garden dirt.

And next spring, they will smell the delightful smell of the lilacs

that were growing there long before us.

 

Spring is like that, full of promise of the things to come.

Just as the lilacs were a promise to us that spring was here

and the flowers, vegetables, and lawn were coming to life,

our God promises us life.

 

Life in abundance.

 

 

 

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it more abundantly.

                                                                                                                     John 10:10b KJV

 

Eli turns 5!

Our sweet grandson Eli turned 5 on March 22nd,

with a new bike from his mom and dad,

 and all the fun a 5-year-old can have!

 

 

 

 

Eli chose Angry Birds as his theme, which I had heard of, but am quite clueless as to what it is all about. Even now. Even though they tried to explain it to me. I call it Nana TMI (Too Much Information). So the cake is a replica of the Angry Birds thing, and the cousins even made an Angry Birds thing in the basement and shot at it via a large slingshot and balls. They loved it all!

 

 

Happy Birthday to Eli,

Happy Birthday to you!

Five candles to blow out!

 

 

 

 

Eli and Maya literally had a ball rolling in the giant "Hamster" ball!

 

 

 

 

Jack and Ben hung out together; they have a mutual admiration for each other...

 

 

 

Here is a collage of our daughter Erin, son-in-law John,

and sons Jack and Eli, and a few snaps of the big day.

 

 

 

My dear Eli, it is hard to believe that you are already 5 years old, and that you will go to kindergarten this coming fall, but I see it in the way you walk and the way you smile; you are growing up and heading off to school next year, even if I am not ready for that to happen. But for now, please allow me to hold you a little closer, sneak in a few kisses, and ruffle your hair as a preschooler.

 

The training wheels will come off soon enough!

 

 

 

Believing

I read  a lovely post today at Emily's blog, Jones Design Company,
entitled, "Sometimes the Beauty is in Believing."
Emily describes herself as,
"...a wife and mom, a blogger, a business owner,
a teacher, a self-taught graphic designer and artist...
Above all, I know I was created to create."

 I hope you will click on the link to visit her blog,
learn a bit about Emily and her family, read the post,
 and have a look at the designs she creates.
You won't be disappointed.

 

Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via emily on Pinterest

The Story of Easter

I saw this giveaway on Pinterest this morning...

 

 

 

and I know my grandchildren would enjoy it.

You can read about it at the blog Gretchen Louise .

 

I think I will purchase one, just in case, you know, because the chances

of winning are small, and it would be nice to have one on hand.

 

This is the first time I have visited this blog, and I must say,

I like it! Gretchen Louise describes herself in this picture:

 

 

If you go to her blog, be sure to click on her link and read about her.

She has a heart for Christ and describes herself on Pinterest this way...

 

"I'm a follower of Jesus, wife to my farmer, mommy to our little ones

& webmaster of Kindred Grace. I love dark chocolate & old books.

But I have a penchant for pinning aprons, laundry & pink houses."

 

Happy Spring!

 

 

 

March

 

Yep, that was today!

 

Perfectly Imperfect

I found this photo on Houzz recently, and I was drawn to the paint colors that were used.

The way they flow from room to room even though the colors vary.

The white trim ties it all together beautifully.

These paint colors remind me of what we used in our Dear old House.

 

Contemporary Hall design by Burlington Architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC
(click on photo for Houzz post or on the architect information for that site.)

 

I have a story to tell you.

 

When we sold our DOH, it was on a lease-to-own agreement for 1 year.

To shorten this part of the story, it didn't work out, and we have the house back.

I really don't mind, because I wasn't done with it yet

and it wasn't done with us.

 

No, we haven't moved back nor will we, but we are doing a bit of sprucing up,

getting it ready to sell again. Lauren has been putting in countless hours of repair,

redoing and repainting. I have joined him when I can.

 

Last weekend, we were there and the sun was shining in to each room,

bringing the warmth and light that has always been one of the best features

of this house. I was painting doors with the traditional white paint that is used on all

 of the trim and doors, a job that can be a bit tedious, to be sure.

 

But as I was painting, noticing each little chip and scrape, the worn hinges and the patina of the brass doorknobs and plates, it came to me;

 

This old house is becoming

perfectly imperfect.

 

In the years we have had it, we did our best to revive it and give it back its personality,

removing that which did not belong in a 1908 house, at least as far as its basic design and layout. We made her into a warm, sunny home, and now we are finishing her the best we can. Lauren has repainted some rooms in the colors we had used, similar to the house in the photo above.

We changed a few colors to give her a fresh face in rooms that needed it.

 

I told Lauren that the house wasn't done with him, that it wanted him to put a few more finishing touches on her, to make her more 
 perfectly imperfect.

 

This Dear Old House is quite plain in her design, but the old hardwood floors,

wavy windows and wide trim and baseboards have a story we hope will always be told,

to a new family who sees her for the beauty she has.

 

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 1:6; it is one of the first verses

God gave me when I came to Christ. It reminds me that I am not finished,

that he is not done with me yet, that He is continuing to do a good work in me

so that on the day Christ comes, I will be ready and complete.

 

Until then, I am perfectly imperfect.

As we all are.

… He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Benjamin Carson's Amazing Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast

This was a wonderful speech. If you don't have time to watch the whole speech, start at about minute 18. I caught the last hour of a movie on Dr. Benjamin Carson's life this week, (Gifted Hands) and it was wonderful. What a humble, godly man.