I'm Rich!

 

I follow a handful of RV travelers on Instagram, and one of them (@shaylaasmith) shared a multi-slide post the other day that started with “I’m Rich.” Each slide proceeded to offer a reason she feels like her life is rich: her dog, the beauty she gets to see each day in her travels, relationships, etc.

                It made me think about my own life and the things that make me rich. It’s an exercise we could all stand to do, really. In this world that makes us feel like we most certainly are not enough and do not have enough, we have so much that makes us rich. Today I celebrate the reasons I’m rich, and I hope you’ll do the same!

                I’m rich with the love of my sweet husband…who goes above and beyond every single day to take care of me, to make me feel special and chosen, and to lead us well. He prays for me, tends to all the icky household chores, and always makes time for conversation and joy.

                I’m rich with a beautiful and loyal puppy…who makes us laugh every single day. Her mannerisms, facial expressions, and personality are also rich, and I’m so glad she’s ours. Who would have ever guessed that the tiny little peanut with eyes still newborn-shut would end up becoming such a blessing to our lives?

                I’m rich with a warm and cozy home on a lake…a dream I never could have imagined would actually come true in my lifetime. The views, the quietness, the comfort are all exactly what I would have imagined lake-life would be like, and it really, really is.

I’m rich with so many little things that make life friendlier…all first world luxuries that I too often take for granted. The fuzzy blankets and full wardrobe, little kitchen gadgets and a cupboard full of tasty food, electricity and heat (and air conditioning in its season), a comfy couch and equally comfy bed…how many people wish for these things?

I’m rich with a job I love…after so many years of struggles to find the place that fit me best…that I fit in best. I love the staff I get to do life with every day, I love the things on my job description, and I love how every single day looks different.

I’m rich with a robust library…filled with books that have enriched my heart and some that are yet to enrich my heart. While the reader in me finds a robust library a life necessity, I also know it’s really not, and to be able to own so many books is a gift.

I’m rich with memories…captured and preserved in my photo albums. Ryan often thanks me for taking so many pictures and taking time to do something with them, because we both appreciate the richness of the memories before our faces.

I’m rich with friends…who take time to encourage me, send me happy mail, and do the dailyness of life with me. Moving around like we have done so frequently in the past five years has changed up the dynamics of most of our friendships, but I’m grateful for each one, regardless of how often I do or do not get to see them right now!

I’m rich with family…my own and those I’ve gained by marriage, who have shaped me into who I am today. Learning from them has provided me so much that I need to live the life God has created me to live.

I’m rich with words…and have been reminded multiple times lately that writing them is a gift that not everyone enjoys. I can’t imagine a life without words spilling everywhere, and I am freshly thankful for them.

I’m rich with abilities…that I too often take for granted. I might often pick on myself for my lack of strength at the gym or my inability to run distances, but I can move around freely in ways I know many others wish they could, and for that, I am grateful.

I’m rich with resources…to learn and to live in ways that didn’t exist not that many years ago. For all that is readily at my fingertips, I am thankful and hopefully thorough in how I use it.

If your days feel long and heavy, I encourage you to make a list of the ways your own life is rich! You might just be surprised at how quickly the list grows!

What We Would Change...

 

Yesterday I celebrated the joy of living two full years in this house, and indeed, we do celebrate so much about this little spot on the lake. Even with its quirks, it’s a delightful little home that fits us so perfectly. But I would guess everyone has a thing or two they would change about their home if they could. Even people who designed their own homes come to find things that don’t work quite like they hoped.

                A couple of weeks ago I watched this video from a tiny home dweller I follow on Instagram. She designed her tiny home, and it is truly one of the best and most practical I’ve seen. She loves it, but she made the video to share the things she would change if she could start over now – after living in this space for four years.

                I enjoyed hearing her thoughts and decided I would borrow her idea. What would we change about this house if we could? (Some things are adjustable – and with time, they will be adjusted. Others are just character building. 😊)

                For fun, I asked Ryan to join in this one with me and share what he would change, too!

Dining Room – The only thing I would change in this room is our front door. And hopefully one day that will happen! Unfortunately, I am deeply in love with front doors that have rounded tops, and we won’t be changing the structure of the house to make that happen. I did find an idea of one that fits into a normal door frame. WAY more than we can afford, I am sure, but I can dream. Realistically speaking, though, I hope to one day get a front door and storm door that let in significantly more light than we have right now. 

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Main Bathroom – We have never liked the shower in our bathroom – and it’s the only thing we didn’t change about that room before we moved in. I’m pretty sure that years ago, it was a tub/shower combo and somewhere along the way, the tub was removed to make room for a walk-in shower. I don’t mind that, but the quality of the shower surround they chose was terribly poor, and it’s impossible to keep clean. This is on our short list of projects, but we can’t quite land on the perfect replacement. (Part of the problem in choosing the perfect replacement is our very limited space in that room. We don’t have much wiggle room – literally and figuratively – so options are few.) Ryan has spent, and will probably continue to spend, many hours researching solutions for this someday-change, but so far, he’s not found something he loves.

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Kitchen – There isn’t anything about our kitchen – from a durability or functionality perspective – that we would change. We were so grateful that when we bought the house, it was one of the most updated rooms, the materials were high quality, and the layout worked well. That’s the good news. The bad news? None of it is our style. The room is very, very brown and dark. It isn’t a deal-breaker (obviously) but if we were dreaming, I would choose to paint the cabinets (at least the upper cabinets) a much lighter color, and I’d put down a lighter-colored floor. One day, down the road, we will probably make some adjustments to it, but it works just fine for now, and we have made a lot of beautiful culinary memories in this room!

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Bedrooms – Both our bedrooms are working well for us. We overhauled them significantly in paint and flooring before moving in and still love the looks of both rooms. We’ve adjusted the study to be more of a study and less of a guest room, and that’s been a good choice. I think the only change we would make would be to enlarge the window in our bedroom to enjoy the view a bit more.

Living Room/Great Room – Our whole walkout basement serves as our living room (and workout space). This is the room I would probably make the most changes in, though the changes I want to make are all cosmetic in nature. I adore all the natural light in this space and love how light and bright it feels. That is a real gift in a walkout basement.

The room does have a drop ceiling, as many basements do, and I know some companies sell ceiling tiles that lean more toward pretty and less toward second-grade-classroom. I feel like a change in that area would make a HUGE upgrade in the look of the room.

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A previous owner installed a fireplace in a strange (to me) spot, and if I could go back and change something big about the house, I would put that in a much more usable location – one I could build a whole room around. It’s functional and keeps us warm, which I appreciate, but it’s not at all logical for crafting a gathering spot.

The other major change I would make – and will, years down the road – is to get furnishings that better fit the space. Our couch and TV were purchased for a previous home that had a lot more space. They fit in this room, and we will use them until they wear out, but when they do need replaced, I’m voting for smaller options that fit this space more appropriately.

Garage – Truly the only structural change I would make to this house if I could (and I can’t) would be to attach the garage. Ironically both Ryan and I lived the bulk of our adult years in homes with detached garages, so we know how to do it, and it’s a first-world preference, for sure. I’m thankful for the years we had in Kokomo and Bluffton, where we did have an attached garage. And you know, in Grabill, we didn’t have a garage at all, so this is quite an improvement over that. But when Indiana is being all icy and snowy, we sure do miss our attached garage.  

Two Years Home...

 

                Two years ago today was a STUNNING (and freezing) Saturday that served as our moving day into this little house on the lake. 

                My goodness, how we have come to love and appreciate this spot and all the memories we’ve made in a short time. We’ve invested a lot of time and resources into honoring this home that had been neglected a bit in the world of updates. We sure think it’s awfully pretty and cozy, and we smile every time we come home.

                I wanted to honor this day on the blog by celebrating our home, and I decided to pull from this post for inspiration. I decided to answer the same survey questions the couple in the post answered! (The link is also a fun post to read with pictures to peruse if you want!)

Our Style: Is Farm/Lake Thrift Store a style category? I’m honestly not sure that any decorator or designer could categorize us definitively, but I think we lean toward something in the coastal/farmhouse category with a little eclectic thrown in for good measure. We have always said we want everything in our home to tell a story, and over the years, I think we’ve done a good job of curating our belongings to make sure each one tells a story from our life together. Whatever that equates to in the land of style…that’s our niche.

Inspiration: I pull a lot of inspiration for our home from the blogs I follow, Instagram, and Pinterest. I never want to fully duplicate anything I find online, but I do pull from ideas I see and tweak them to fit our space and style. Before we moved in, I began a whole secret board called “Lake House Dreams” and then made a sub-board for every room.

I think my favorite inspired change from the past year was when I set up our Hoosier Cabinet as a coffee bar. I love how it looks!

Favorite Element: My favorite element of the house was – and still is – the location. Life on the lake has not disappointed in ANY way. When we bought the house, one of our dreams for the future was to redo the patio area beside the lake to make it larger and more usable for outdoor entertaining – and for our own everyday use. We didn’t imagine that would happen for several years, but the project unexpectedly moved up to last summer after we learned we needed to add drains to the backyard. It was an unplanned project in terms of the timing, and it was certainly frustrating in the moment, but the end result was gorgeous, and even we were surprised by the difference it made for our daily lives and our entertaining abilities.

Biggest Challenge: This is a hard question to answer, because the fair answer is…none. We don’t find the home challenging, and it works really well for us every day. But if I had to get nitpicky, I’d say that when we have company, the layout of the house can be a bit tricky. Our main bathroom is off the dining room, which is fun when we have people over to eat. We only have one FULL bath, so when people come to spend the night, we have to coordinate showers and sink/mirror time so everyone gets a turn. We don’t have an ensuite bathroom, so when people come over, we don’t have any bathroom private just for us. And we have main rooms on different floors, so when older people come over, it’s sometimes tricky for them to navigate the stairs. But those challenges are only occasional, and we absolutely love this space for daily living.

What Friends Say: Can we move in? I guess that proves that even the biggest challenges don’t seem to bother too many of them. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback from friends and family who have come to see us. They all love the tranquility of the lake. They love the views from inside and out. And now they love boat rides!

Biggest Embarrassment: I don’t feel embarrassed about anything. I love our home and am proud of it, quirks and all. The closest I come to embarrassment is when we have overnight guests and offer the air mattress. No one has ever complained, and we are more than willing to sleep on the air mattress (or couch!) so they can have our bed if needed. We are adamant about living in the way that makes the most sense for the 99% of the days when we are the only ones here, so not having a full, real bed set up all the time IS the most practical solution. But it’s true that when guests arrive, I sometimes feel a twinge of guilt about that air mattress.

Proudest DIY: I’m proud of ALL the DIY projects we’ve done in this home since we’ve owned it. But if I’m picking my proudest one from the past year, it might make you laugh. I love the bed risers we put under the island we brought from Mom and Dad’s house. The island was custom made for Mom, and she’s several inches shorter than I am, so it was hard to use without bending over unnaturally. I asked Ryan if we could find a way to elevate it, and he came up with the idea of buying a set of bed risers for it. It was an affordable solution that brought the island up to the perfect height for me.

Biggest Indulgence: I wish they would have used the word investment instead of indulgence, because I feel like that is really what it was for us. The patio we installed after the drain project was a true investment in the life of the home. We went for quality that would last for the rest of our lives, and I believe we got that. Our friend from church installed it, and he does excellent work. We love how it turned out. No regrets, even though the timing of it all was a big surprise.

Best Advice: Our home is our home, and we choose everything we do for it/with it based on that foundation. We don’t make choices based on resale value. We don’t make choices based on current trends. We don’t make choices based on what works every now and then when company comes. We make our choices for what works every single day for us as the full-time, permanent residents of this home. We choose the things we love to see and use. We choose things that work well for the daily – and if they work well for company, too, that’s a bonus. But if we must choose between what works for daily life and what works for every now and then, we choose daily. We choose what reflects our life and story, and that makes home a cozy and comfortable place to be!

                Happy two year house-aversary, Ryan! I’ve loved sharing each of our homes with you, but this one is special beyond words. I’ve loved transforming it into home…with you!

Our Valentine's Celebration

 

This year’s Valentine’s Day felt very unusual to me, but it was still a sweet and meaningful day.

                We both had to work on Valentine’s Day, but before he left the house, Ryan found a beautiful ambient music channel that paid tribute to Valentine’s Day and turned it on for Lexi and me to enjoy. (He also put the space heater by my desk, because it’s been a little chilly by the window lately.)

                I knew Mom and Dad were going to be honored at the Swiss Village chapel that afternoon, so I wrapped up work early so I could go watch! They honored all couples married longer than 50 years, and of course, Mom and Dad have been married over 70 years!

When Ryan came home from work, we went out to eat at Fulton and Main, which is a new(ish) restaurant in Berne. We had a gift card, which made it even better! Ryan had eaten there once before, with his work crew, but this was my first time.

                I felt bad for the server, because I think she was the only one working, and the place was full (with a line standing there waiting to be seated). She did a great job with us, but she was hopping the whole night! Ryan chose smothered chicken and a baked potato, and I ordered a grilled tenderloin (and skipped eating the bun) and salad.

                We were both pretty wiped out from the week, so we elected to spend the evening watching a movie we’d wanted to see – and of course, we exchanged gifts.

                I gave Ryan a sock hat with a head lamp built into it – something that came in awfully handy the next day when the power went out – and a couple of tools for cleaning the car. (Cleaning the car is one of his favorite things.)

                He bought me a throw blanket I had on my wish list. I’d read about it on a blog, and it promised to be lightweight and perfect for warmer days. Sign me up!

                It might have been one of our lower-key Valentine’s Days, but we both enjoyed it. (And I enjoyed my flowers, too! Still enjoying them, actually. They are parked right in front of me here as I write to you.)              

Sunday Snapshots: Memorable Moments from the Week

 

                This month is officially half over now, and it has felt long and strange. I have been so grateful for our little home (which I’ll be talking about more this week) and my sweet husband who keeps our driveway clear and the gas tank full. My mind and heart are in full please-hurry-spring-and-summer mode, and fresh flowers in a vase on our coffee table have only enhanced that warm-weather dream.

                Even so, we’ve had some good memories to fill the week, and I have a few to share with you today!

Last Sunday was a strange one, because we didn’t have church (thanks, ice!) that morning. By the afternoon, the roads were safer, so we did attend a Bible Quizzing competition to support the kiddos in our church. We saw a big improvement in their confidence since the last meet we went to, and we were so proud of them! Also – major conviction for how much I need to learn to be able to answer some of those questions!

Did I mention I’m weary of ice and snow and snow and ice and ice and snow? Yes, I know those are natural byproducts of living in Indiana. But for all the schedules they change and danger they bring and weariness they produce, they also are kind of pretty in the right light. I’ve done my very best to remind myself to appreciate how pretty winter is on the lake. It is an upgrade from winter not on the lake, for sure.

Sometimes you have to appreciate a little spot of humor whenever it comes. I had a question for Google this week, and here were the autofills it gave me, none of which were even close to my actual question. I did appreciate the variety, though. A little Bible, a little history, a little pop culture, a little humor…

This week may not have been my best boot camp performance, but I am still thankful for the ability to attempt to grow stronger and move around in ways that I know some people wish they could. I may be getting stronger, but I don’t think I’ll ever be friends with burpees, mountain climbers, or makers.

I found my new favorite drink at my favorite coffee shop, and I loved it so much that the owner just put it right in the notes so the whole staff will know exactly how to make it for me going forward. (Pausing here to appreciate local coffee shops who do little things like this…) What is this gem? An Americano with a little almond milk and some sugar free caramel. Perfection.

I wanted to take a selfie with Lexi to send to Ryan at work, and she yawned at the perfect time. Isn’t this adorable (of her)?

Ryan tried his hand at making Americanos for us at home one night. (After I raved about the one at the coffee shop, he decided to work on his craft.) I was impressed with the result and told him he’s welcome to make them for us every single night. 😊

I’ll tell you more about our Valentine’s Day adventures next week, but for now, I’ll share this (borrowed) picture of my parents. They were honored during chapel at Swiss Village for being married longer than 70 years. One of the staff members took this picture, which I think is really, really good of the two of them! Ryan and I were both there for the festivities, but we definitely didn’t get the best pictures. This one wins!

We came home from Lexi’s morning at the spa to discover a long power outage out our house. We never did figure out what caused it, but three cheers for a generator that kept our fridge and coffee pot in business. What a day!

                Here’s hoping for a slightly less weather-driven week!