And we're off!!

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Command the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to is borders.'" Numbers 34:1-2

This marks the final post for awhile. Later today, our computer gets packed away for probably a month. At this point, we have no idea what internet service we'll use. There are not many options in the wide-open spaces!! We plan to leave WA Monday as soon as the PODS are carted away. We'd like to travel south to the redwoods in CA, then across to Arches Nat'l Park in UT. We've also heard the CO Monument is quite stunning. Wanted to do the Grand Canyon, but there's just not enough time. If you lives close to any of this and wants to grab us as we pass through, please phone me at 253-951-9485. I'd love to see you!! (Sue, how close are you to the redwoods?)
Here's an aerial view of our 80 acres in KS. The pond is larger than our entire piece of property here in WA! Eric and I walked around the property the other night and found more sand plums than I'll know what to do with. Take jelly to all my neighbors, I suppose!! It was late evening about an hour before sunset and the weather was perfect. So peaceful and so quiet. We are very anxious to get settled. We truly see this as our Canaan from the bountiful hand of God.

Happy blogging! I'll visit when I have internet connection again!!

Filling the holes

"...After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters." Nehemiah 3:30b
This is what my walls looked like when I was repairing nail holes (in virtually every room of the house). Apparently, we had many more items on the walls that I realized. Because the wall color was so light, I marked each repair with a sticky flag. This eliminated guessing where I needed to touch-up later!!

Why are there so many holes above the arch, you ask? That's from nailing a blanket over the doorway during several days of no power. We wanted to direct the heat from the fireplace back to the bedrooms rather than out to the garage. Doesn't everyone do this? :-}

Moving everything!

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Remember when we had big plans for our yard? Well, moving kind of put a kink in our plans! Now, what to do with the remaining supplies? Hmmm. What about Craig's List? Never tried it, but I'll give it a whirl.





















Listed our supplies and had responses almost immediately. One guy purchased all the flagstone and two others purchased all the timbers.Because I was selling to the public, I was a bit concerned about what kind of people would be coming to my house. You see, Eric moved to KS about two months ago and now I'm here by myself. He moved the href="http://homesteading-in-the-nw.blogspot.com/2008/02/ok-how-much-is-this-going-to-cost.html">weekend my brother flew in to roof the house.

However, God was my Protector and sent very nice, seemingly-upstanding people. One man even brought his wife every time he came for a load. I appreciated that. Now everything's gone and my dear, sweet neighbor helped me clean the yard. Except, we still have no grass! Oh well, that will have to wait for another day - or another owner!!

Brilliant colors

"The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst." Revelation 21:19-20
Amazing, isn't it? The colors were even more brilliant in person. Everything you see is blown glass which has been turned, twisted, spiraled - you name it. It cascades down from the ceiling in the mall and can be seen from all levels which allows for some pretty amazing photos. The colors simply take your breath away.
This fountain is on the ground floor of the same mall. More blown glass. Notice the wall of water? It, also, starts from pretty much the ceiling and flows down several stories. I'm not sure how many pictures I took, but it certainly was a challenge selecting only two! (PS - I'm quite sure the head band is not part of the display.)

Here's a photo of the entire hanging sculpture. Incredible!

(PPS - these photos were taken at Lincoln Square in Bellevue WA during Thanksgiving weekend.)

Our little piece of Canaan

"And I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Genesis 17:8
Here's a sneak peek of our land in KS. Eighty acres of wonderfully rolling ground: 40 acres of tillable land (currently planted in wheat), 30 acres of pasture, 3 acre pond, a house, and a quonset shed. The pond is larger than our entire piece of property in WA!! If you notice, it's been dammed at the north end to capture water from the running creek. Eric thinks it stocked, but we're not certain. We are really looking forward to working this place. Get some chickens running around. Add small animals such as goats, sheep, pigs. Throw in a few ducks & geese. Let's not forget about the fish!! With the water running through, we truly feel this land is our little piece of Canaan.

Currently, there's no basement under the house - seems a bit odd in tornado country. However, we're not too concerned as we have plans to demo the house and rebuild. We are thankful, though, to have residency on-site until our new house is complete.

Our dream is to inspire our family to accept God's magnificent grace & mercy through life on the land with hopes that they would pass that awareness onto their families.

Move date is scheduled for the last full week in April, but who knows when our stuff will actually get there. We've rented a PODS unit and having it transported from WA to KS. We'll keep you posted!

Creative packing materials

"And those slaves went out into the streets, and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests." Matthew 22:10

If you've moved before, you know full well that not all items fit into a neat square/rectangle box. Sometimes, we have weird spaces left and simply cannot find the appropriate item to fill it.
Unless you shop at Sam's and buy in bulk!! See this empty space? Take a guess at what I filled it with. Rather than going into the streets, I went into my storage closet...

...that is filled with - yep, toilet paper.

It was a perfect fit! Plus, it provides cushioning!!

And there's more where that came from.

Rolls of paper towels, packages of toilet paper & napkins!!

I've even used sweaters to wrap glass platters and such.
Works just fine!

Glorious sunshine!!

"'Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.' So the sun's shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which it had gone down." Isaiah 38:8
What a beautiful day to roof a house!! The sun is shining, the temperature is in the 50's, and there is no rain in the forecast. Please keep in mind it's late February...in the NW. This kind of weather at this time of year is quite uncommon. Another instance where God has imprinted His mercy.

(PS. No arguments accepted!)

OK. How much is this going to cost?

"And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell." Isaiah 58:12

The week before last, Eric received a call from our realtor suggesting we replace the roof on the house. We were not entirely surprised. The existing roof was already two layers thick and we figured it would come up in the inspection, anyway. Here's just one way God has chosen to display His magnificent coordination of events.

Two days after the realtor called, Eric and I hit the road headed for KS. Eric was moving and I was tagging along for the ride intending to fly back. Just one hour north of Wichita KS (2 1/2 days later), I called my brother Michael to feel him out about roofing our house. He's a framing contractor in KS so we were confident in his knowledge and ability. It just so happened (ha, ha) that work was slow for Michael. He stated he could fly to Seattle that day, if need be. What? That same day? OK. What about the next day when I'm flying back? Yes. Fantastic!!! Eric and I would look at available flights and call him back. In the meantime, Michael called a buddy of his living 1400 miles from KS to see if he could help. This buddy (Brian) used to be on Michael's framing crew before moving. Guess where Brian lives now? Only 1 1/2 hours from our house in Seattle!!!!! So, long story short, Michael and Brian are on my roof right now nailing down new shingles. If anyone chalks any of this up to coincidence, you'll have a fierce argument with me.
Here's a photo of the four of us kids. Poor Michael: the youngest and the only boy! (I'm in the middle.)
This is Michael and his sweetie, Jessica. They've been married just a little over a year. She was very practical in the matter stating, "I don't care if he goes as long as he's making money." However, they miss each other terribly. She wants him to come home and he's ready to go home. Completely understandable and expected. Just a few more days, newlyweds.

Simple solution

"In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, 'HOLY TO THE LORD.' And the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the bowls before the altar." Zechariah 14:20
OK...here's the scenario. Three kids who can't go outside because the house is getting a new roof + chocolate chips & sugars & oatmeal that need to be used + cookie sheets that are already packed = using the skillet to make cookies! It worked perfectly!! The kids thought it was a novel idea and kept calling it a cookie cake. Plus, it added just a bit more seasoning to the skillet.

PS - The three kids belong to a friend helping my brother re-roof the house, 1 yr/3 yrs/8 yrs. Quite a handful since I only had one child of my own and he will be 21 this year. They really behaved very well, but I'm just not used to it. When they left last night, I stayed awake two more hours just to enjoy the peace & quiet!

Dancing, dancing, and more dancing!

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." Psalm 30:11
Even though the girls are gone now, this photo is perfect to describe how God is working throughout our move. Every time we come up against a dilemma, He gives us the kind of answer that takes our breath away! Solutions we would have never imagined come to fruition so quickly!!

I know I said I was going to share realtor-suggested changes, but phooey on that idea. You've all been through a move so there won't be any surprises. Instead, I'm going to share the incredible solutions God has brought our way.

One being the previous post. We knew the goats needed a new home, but really hadn't thought too much about it yet. Then, this man from Boeing needed a remedy for all the brambles on his property. God put the two of us together and - voile! A perfect match!! His children absolutely love playing with the goats and the goats are having the time of their lives. Now, who could have put that together so quickly? Only Him!!

Stay tuned for the next unimaginable solution!

Good Night, Ladies!

"And the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field..." Genesis 2:20a

Alpha

Bravo

This afternoon we said good-bye to these sweet ladies. A man Eric worked with thought they could conquer 2 1/2 acres infested with brambles. Since the goats love berries, it was a perfect match. But what made it even better is that this man has two children (2 yrs & 4 yrs). How perfect is that? All four kids will have an excellent time!!

Note: As long as we've had these ladies, I've tried to get a good close-up. Wouldn't you know they'd wait until the day they leave to stand still. :-)

On the road...again!

"Now the Lord said to Abram [Eric], 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house [Wichita KS], to the land which I will show you [Seattle WA].'...So Abram [Eric] went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot [Paula] went with him." Genesis 12:1, 4a

That was
May 2006.
We sold the house,
the farm land,
and relocated.

Let's fast forward
to December 2007.






"Then the Lord said to Jacob [Eric], 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives [Wichita KS], and I will be with you.' Then Jacob [Eric] sent and called Rachel [Paula] and Leah [yeah, right!] to his flock in the field." Genesis 31:3

Notice the
red stars
didn't change?

Exactly!

We're
moving back
to the same town and
will be closer
to my son
and our extended families!!


Eric will travel back and forth for the first 90 days, then be there permanently. I will stay until the house sells (however long that takes). Of course, we are praying for a quick sale, but the market is definitely favoring the buyer right now. It's comforting to know He already knows how it all plays out.

The blog will stay current until we move. Once settled, I plan to start a new one or change the existing. Can't exactly use the same title once we leave the NW!! Stay tuned for realtor-suggested changes on our property! One hint: all the trees are staying. :)

Hills of iron & copper

"...a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper." Deuteronomy 8:9

This is the one of the final two drains along the patio drainage system. Above you'll see the rock frame around the grate which was brought up 1-2" higher to avoid weight from other rocks. We chose rocks with irregular shapes to contour the drain pipe. Extra weight on top affects the grade of the slope; hence, defeating the purpose of even having a drain!

After a few more rocks (large and small), it's finished. Compared to the other drains, this rock area is quite a bit larger. We did this because we are not expanding the patio this far and the drain was so close to the house & retaining wall. It reminds me of a dry creek bed. Our intent is to plant grass around it.

Where did we get all the rocks? From the hills, of course! (Actually, from our front yard.) There certainly is no shortage of rocks in the soil. I am convinced you can grow rocks here!!

Dangerous Boys & Daring Girls

Welcome to Kelli's “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item. Be sure to let her know you've joined the group!!

"And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets." Zechariah 8:5
Both of these books were recently purchased at Sam's Club and quickly became favorites. Each offers a practical, well-rounded education pertaining to each sex: science, math, grammar, games, Scripture, etc. There's even a chapter in the boys' book on girls! Let me share the essential gear suggested in each book.

Boys...
Swiss army knife, compass, handkerchief, box of matches, marble shooter, needle & thread, pencil & paper, small flashlight, magnifying glass, band-aids, fishhooks.

Girls...
Swiss army knife, bandana, rope & twine, journal & pencil with a back-up pen, hair band, bungee cord, flashlight, compass, safety pins, duct tape, deck of cards & a good book, patience.

Even if you don't purchase the books, you should at least run to Sam's a read a bit of it. My bet is you'll end up brining it home! In fact, I purchase two of each: one for our library and one for my niece & nephew!!

Blogging with a purpose

"Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full." 2 John 12

Congratulations to Julie @ Three Fold Cord. She has just been awarded Blogging with a Purpose! In return, she chose five other bloggers to bless with this award - and I was one of them!!

Eric Novak came out with the Christian award “Blogging with a Purpose” in late April of 2007. With so many secular awards around, Eric thought it would be a good idea to come out with a Christian award.

Rules:
1. Awarded parties must nominate five people who have not received the award.
2. The blogs that receive the award must serve some purpose.
3. In their post about the award they need to link back to this entry.
4. Awarded parties must post the award banner on their site. The banner must remain linked to this site.

So, my picks are...

1. Petunia's Garden
This is my neighbor who introduced me to blogging. Way back when, she stated she blogs in order to keep track of her gardens from year to year. If other people enjoyed reading about it, all the better. She and her husband were also our unofficial welcoming committee when we moved to WA. They invited us to go places, told us about different sites in the area, will swap animal care during vacations, and continue to be wonderful neighbors & friends.

2. Down On the Farm
Marci is a new friend I met through blogging. Her faith is quite evident and I appreciate how she shares her heart through her posts. She never ceases to amaze me with her knowledge of practical, everyday living.

3. There's No Place Like Home
Kelli's sweet spirit is quickly realized. She shares her life while displaying His grace and mercy through everyday events. She has such a way with people - even if she's never met them!

4. Savvy City Farmer
This gal is so fun! Her blog is oozing with her energy and spunk. I appreciate her family tributes and how she brings sunshine to world-wide web. And she has a knack for decorating, too!

5. Anna's Photo of the Day
This is one blog I've checked quite often, but rarely left a comment. I was staying current with Anna more for moral support than anything else - and she didn't even know it. When we moved to the NW, I had such an awful time adjusting. Anna's perspective on His world around her was such a blessing for me. At the time, she lived in the UK which experiences weather much like the NW. She could relate to the rain (endless rain). Her photography is an incredible display of the beauty He has put around each of us.

NOTE: Julie stated she enjoys reading the Scriptures I select to compliment the activity of the post. Today's Scripture expresses my desire to keep journals/records of events, but the world-wide web is not paper and ink! Julie, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoy the content.