Here's Looking at You, September

It's Thursday, or Throwback Thursday in the land of social media.  I'm throwing it way back today, to the month of September.  I've already shared ad nauseam about all the house projects we've lived through but I thought I'd walk through some pictures from the month to document what else we were up to.  Grab yourself a snack and enjoy, I've got a lot of pics coming your way... 

 In his noble quest to make outdoorsmen of our minnesotan children, Trav took us all fishing over Labor day weekend and it was hit!

 But seeing as how it was labor day weekend, we did indeed labor.  September was the month of painting every last minute thing before the new flooring got installed.  

 Also, soccer kicked off in full swing during September and thus began the weekly tradition of me hauling every last thing on an off the soccer fields of the metro.  Ava and Carter had a grand time with their new friend Bella and these two girls were a crack up every.single.game. 

Carter did pretty well this year, he only ran on the field once, although he danced on the line more than a few times! This is a throwback to the cutest haircut ever and the airplane I had to buy him to get him through it.  Before you judge me, just don't.  Until you've lived through an almost 3 year old boy lose it over a haircut, you have no idea what it's like.  This $7 airplane bought me peace and quiet and the best haircut we've had in months people.  Worth every penny.  

 September was the month of back-to-school shopping for Miss Ava!  

And she did not disappoint in her preferences and quirky taste! 

Found this funny pic on my phone, Travis rode a mechanical bull at a volunteer appreciation event.  Why not?

 At the request of the said bull rider, we visited Minnesota's Largest Candy Store, which was something to behold.  Bliss for our children.

 They had a whole section in the "Bacon Shoppe" that about did me in.  I think we all need to just relax and take a deep breath over this love of bacon craze, alive and well in this country.  Jim Gaffigan, I'm blaming you.  I'm not against bacon or pigs, I just think bacon mints???  Really???  Baconnaise???  I don't even want to know.

 Our Church hosts a huge Family Fun Festival every Fall and we had a great time this year.  As you can see, the kids were not lacking for exciting options to explore!

 It's hard to find him with the yellow shirt and blonde hair, but yes, Carter is on that slide!

What festival would be complete without pony rides??  Especially pony rides that last forevvvvvvvveeeerrrrr?????  We were begging the operators to end their turn as we both got seriously nauseous from all the round and round we went.  First world problems, for sure.  

 Ava and I went to meet her teachers, which was hilarious and unbelievable.  September ushered in the grand growing up of our girl! 

 She was nervous at first and then quickly smitten.

The next day we went back for her first day and she was ready!

 Carter, however? 

Not so much.  Sweet little guy cried his eyes out.  September was a month of transition for all of us!

 Rain or shine, warm and cold, we parked ourselves faithfully on those sidelines and cheered Trav's team on to a great season! 

 We did a campfire night one Friday night in September.  

It was fun for everyone!

 We had a quick surprise visit from Aunt Jennie and Uncle Dave and met them for dinner before they drove back to Iowa.  The kids were in rare form at the Outback that night and it was *memorable.*

 Ava happily jumped out of bed every school morning to hang with her buddies at preschool.

 While Carter and I hung with each other and had our own fun!

Just when I thought the painting fun was almost over, two more bathrooms stood in my way and would not go away without a fight.

 Daddy and Ava became carpool buddies every Wednesday morning...

 ...and Carter and I adjusted to our new routine that involved driving back and forth, day in and day out.  

 We watched this little girl blossom in September.  Preschool fit her beautifully and everything about it was pure joy.  

 I got a new camera in September! It was monumental and the blog has never been more thankful! 

 Travis and I managed to sneak in a date on Lake Minnetonka one windy afternoon, thanks to Leanna and Jared and kids!!!  We went stand-up paddle boarding and it was fun!  Also an incredible workout when paddling into the wind.  We had fun and would love to do it again!

 Much of our interaction with Trav this month was from this view.

 But even across a field from Daddy, we were incredibly proud of his impact on us and his team.  

 Our house gradually got torn up...

 And we lived to tell about it.  Snacks helped when toys weren't always available!

 I listened to Travis marry two sweet friends...

 ...and we managed to turn the Groom's dinner and the Wedding Reception into two date nights...

 ...even if we were both working like dogs the whole weekend!

Picture day came for this cutie and she was beyond words for this Mama...

Carter even embraced the opportunity for a photo opp!

The days of rainbow leggings will likely be short lived, but as long as I can get away with them I will!  

Cubbies started back up every Wednesday night for Ava...

...and Carter started Puggles!  It's a good thing for everyone on Wednesdays to be busy!

September was eventful and our worlds were turned upside down while we lived through renovations and a jam-packed schedule. 

Sometimes that led us to sucking applesauce through a straw, off a plate in the Church basement, but hey, we survived!  I look back at these pics and realize how thankful I am that our kids are go-with-the-flow kind of kids.  We threw a lot at them and they handled it well.  September was an experience this year but full of fun and some sweet moments too.  Here's looking at you, September!  I wouldn't be lying if I said I was hoping for a much quieter version of your back-to-school-self next Fall! 

Day Thirty-One: What's Next?

Ahhh, finally wrapping this series up with the 31st post.  Strangely I am pretty chill about the fact that I didn't get this all in during October.  That's growth people, the old Stephanie would have lost sleep over it because it's something that didn't fit neatly in a package, tied up with a bow!  But I'm grateful I've taken my time through this and now that I have 31 posts about our home to go back and read down the road.  

I thought it would be appropriate to answer the question we get all the time, which is "Now what?"  Now that we've done all these updates and we're still bursting at the seams, "What's next for the Armstrongs?"  

 When we look back at the last few months, we can see how beautifully the Lord has woven all of this together.  He really impressed on my heart back in the spring that He was about to do something and this Fall needed to be open for me to follow Him.  That didn't make a lot of sense to me then except that I can't explain how over and over I heard Him put that same thought on my heart and I just felt so sure, I wanted to obey Him with an open schedule.  After He made that clear to me, He began lining up a series of things that indicated to us to go ahead with some of these plans we've been thinking about for years.  With a generous gift and so many "coincidences" that I've shared in this series, He really laid out for us the ability to do a lot of work in a few months time.  All along the way we've prayed about what this all means for us.  Do we rent this out?  Do we rent ourselves?  Do we try to buy another property while renting this one?  Is it possible for us to sell this in the near future?  I can't say that we have crystal clear answers yet, but so far the way that He's worked in this is to give us just enough light for the next step.  We try to look ahead and predict the future and it seems like we're staring down a dark tunnel with no idea of what's on the other end.  I keep thinking it would be so much "easier" for Him to just send me an email, or a quick text that says "Here's what I'm doing, work to make this happen!"  Ha ha!  Wouldn't that be nice??  But instead He is requiring us to keep knocking at the door, to put all of our faith in Him and to trust that He is very active even when it may seem like we're walking in the dark.  He keeps faithfully shining a little bit of light when it's time for us to take a step but that's all He's giving us right now and I know that is totally for our benefit.  It's been a very good exercise of faith to walk in obedience and to trust Him.  I can't honestly say I always feel this great about it, I have days of discouragement too or times when I feel like I'm not sure whose side He is on.  But those are the days when I have to let truth dictate and my feelings indicate.  When I get those backwards it's not pretty.  

We still have a desire to move on, to get some more space to grow and stretch out as a family.  At this point, selling doesn't seem to be an option yet, but we have high hopes that a few months from now the situation might look brighter. The market is improving and we are seeing other condos in our building with improved pricing on the market.  That is a praise!  It's been so dismal and discouraging for years now, to see some signs of recovery and health again is very promising.  Renting this out isn't outside the realm of possibilities but we aren't seeing as much fruit there as we'd like to make that step of faith.  More discouraging however is finding a rental for us that affordable.  The rental market is crazy expensive right now and we have not had success at finding something in the area we'd like to stay in, at an affordable price, with any more square footage than we already have.  We aren't giving up but right now it feels like the Lord is giving us pause to move in that direction.  Buying another property in faith also feels like a huge risk that on paper, doesn't seem wise.  The well is not deep enough to make a big mistake and absorb the loss, so we are proceeding with a lot of prayer and caution while trying not to live in fear of the unknown either.  

More than all of those factors though, we are just TRUSTING the Lord with all of it.  I can get lost in a headache of low interest rates, deals out there to be had, impulsive choices, etc. and before I know it I am a wreck of emotion feeling like we need to do something and it has to be now or we'll miss out.  That's such a ploy from the enemy and I'm so grateful that the Lord keeps reminding me that He doesn't work on deadlines and He is greater than all the details that can trip me up.  Interestingly, I realized a long time ago that I can be the impulsive one in these situations and gratefully, I'm married to a man who is a good voice of reason and wisdom.  He is not a fast mover with big decisions and I think that has saved us time and time again from making choices that aren't from the Lord.  We both feel a lot of peace in just taking a break through the Holidays from all of this and just resting in the Lord, enjoying the fruit of all of our remodeling and praying about the future.  I also have been convicted to not live in this perpetual state of waiting for what's next, hanging my hopes on that.  I miss out on a lot of life and daily graces when my eyes are always straining to see a future I can't predict.  There is joy in the here and now and I have to say, we are both really content in our condo right now.  This is my favorite time of year to settle in, to enjoy the coziness of a warm place as the temperatures start to plummet outside, and to just be together.  Our kids don't know any of this struggle or "what if" that can keep their Mom and Dad up at night, they're just loving life and are grateful for the new, soft carpet to play on!  They each tell me that very thing about once a day, ha ha!  Who knew kids could appreciate carpet as much as ours seem to??  

Life is good, God is better and we are thankful for this home.  I've loved this series and taking the time to write about the graces of God here.  He's not abandoned us yet, nor will He in the future.  I still pray almost daily for a miracle because I know He could move mountains to get us out of here but I have a feeling He doesn't see us being "stuck" here with the same eyes that I often do.  His blessings come in all sorts of ways and sometimes the very thing that causes you to struggle the most is His greatest blessing actually, because it requires a dependence on Him that might not have come otherwise.  

Thank you for reading along with me, for letting me process "out loud" and for the many ways you've encouraged me or shared what the Lord is teaching you about your home too.  I've been blessed by every word, even when I forget to reply back!  I won't lie and tell you I'm sad to be done, I'm actually pretty relieved.  I have a million pics of my kids that have been tabled for the last month and I'm ready to write about lighter, sillier things too.  I'm wrapping this up today in a quiet house, with Ava at school and Carter getting a little time with Daddy this morning.  As I look around at the piles of shoes, the leftover dishes from breakfast and Trav's keys on the countertop I'm struck by how gracious God has been to me, not only because He's met my needs over and over again, but also because He's given me three of the best blessings I've ever known in the people I love the most who share this home with me.  They are HUGE gifts of grace and I hope I never lose sight of that.  We could be without walls to call our own, closets full of clothes, and toys spilling out of every corner and STILL be the richest family because of what we have in Christ.  There is no greater gift of grace than Him and He's got my heart forever, just as I pray He has yours.    

Happy Wednesday, friends!  

Thank you for sticking with me this past month (and few extra days, ha ha!)...

Day Thirty: Contentment

You my friends, are kind, letting me take a month to share so many things about our little home.  I am ready to move on after my last post and get back to posting about life again, but I do appreciate your feedback and all of the ways you've encouraged me over this month.  There is something about the discipline of writing on a single topic and feeling like you've been able to really explore it inside and out.  In many ways, I feel like I don't have anything else to say on this topic, but actually there are treasures yet to be mined in this area and someday maybe I'll go digging again.  

However, if there is a single thing this home has taught me that I'd be remiss not to share, it's the virtue of contentment.  I'm not sure I would have said that was a struggle for me 10 years ago but as I've grown up and my own sin has become more ugly to me, I see how often my heart strays and envy rears its' nasty head.  I feel it when I drive around my community, I feel it when I spend time in bigger homes, I feel it when my kids are climbing the walls, and I feel it when I start daydreaming and I realize I'm always dreaming about more.  And it's disappointing.  I don't want to be a slave to envy, there's no joy in that and it leads nowhere good.  This condo has really been a gift from the Lord because it's been a six-year refinement factory. It's been the one thing that just won't go away, a piece of the puzzle that feels off, a headache that only grows with time.  

And yet...

I don't regret the heartache and the journey.  I know God saw my struggle with envy and He wanted more for me.  Not in the way of square footage as I would have preferred, but in the way of putting off my old sin nature and putting on my new life in Christ.  He wanted me to trade in the longings and instead choose contentment in Him.  He wasn't satisfied to leave me in my former way of thinking, He wanted to help me see that there is a better way and that way isn't dependent on circumstance or want.  He is the better way and He is all I really need.  Living in this condo year after year, season after season, without kids and with them, has helped me flesh out my faith in real time.  I can talk contentment all day long but until I live it, it doesn't mean much.  And here, within the confines of these walls, He's helped me live it.  I've cut my teeth here, somedays limping through and other days victorious.  

I am able to say that I am richly blessed because I am and that's the truth, not because I have everything I've ever wanted.  I have peace, I have joy, I have endurance, I have patience, I have hope and not because of me or any effort I put forth, but simply because I have Jesus.  Because of WHO He is and what He did on the cross and in the grave, He's already given me everything I need in Him and He's even given me his Holy Spirit to live within me, giving me counsel and helping me all day long.  I'm human and my sin still rears its' head and it will until the day I die, but I'm not powerless and I'm not without hope.  I have to turn to Christ to remind me that there is more to life than houses and bank accounts.  I have to turn to Christ to believe that His ways are higher than mine and that His plans are good.  I have to turn to Christ to remember that He's already given me everything I need and certainly more than I ever deserve.  

And it's hard.  Don't misunderstand me, I have to fight for contentment, it doesn't come naturally.  I have to choose to live with a heart that is settled in Christ or I'll die from defeat.  I'm just as worldly as the next girl apart from Him and there are days that I don't respond well to the challenge.  But He is gracious and I know that our time here?  It's really a gift to us.  It's working out hard things in us, refining our character and building maturity in our faith.  And that is a worthy pursuit.  Contentment rarely comes when everything is well and overflowing.  It's pretty easy to be content when you want for nothing, right?  Contentment is the opposite of envy and it's born out of a struggle for less when all you crave is more.  I am a work in progress for sure, but truly I am thankful for this big lesson we are learning and for the grace of God who is allowing us to learn it one day at a time.  

And that is what I love most about this little house and what I want you to know as I wind this series down. 

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."  Paul- Phillippians 4:12-13

Day Twenty Nine: A Home to Season in.

One of my favorite things about the Lord is that He never changes.  Everything in life is brings change, but not Him.  He is the steadfast One who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Isn't that gracious and kind of Him?  When we are grappling with days that are up and down, He is a trustworthy source of stability.  

Sometimes the passing of seasons bring joy.  When a Minnesota summer fades into Fall, my heart rejoices with every changing leaf.  I love Fall!  The cooler temps, the brilliant colors, the watercolor sunsets and a return to a school year routine, all things that are welcome in my book.  But the transition from Fall to Winter??  Not quite so romantic.  

My Mom always made an attempt to change things up in our home as the seasons changed outside.  I loved the familiarity in knowing that the apple stuff would come out in September, the pumpkins in October and the snowmen in December.  She had spring flowers in baskets and Easter wreaths on our front door.  It may be just how God wired me, but I always loved knowing that another season was on it's way and no matter how much I loved (or hated) the current one, there wasn't much I could do to stop it.  I am thankful for the little ways my Mom feathered her nest (and still does) from season to season. 

 It's something that I do too, no matter what the temperatures are outside.  I suppose it helps me embrace the season we've been dealt and allows me to highlight the things about it that I love.  Like pumpkins, and candles, and colors that are warm...

Some years I go all out, some years I don't.  This year I didn't have much in me to do a lot of decorating, on the heels of all our remodeling I just couldn't bring myself to get more boxes out and turn things upside down, again.  Although it's my favorite season, this year I kept it simple.  

 I got out the turkeys that my kids love...

 ...and we put out some of the gourds we chose at the pumpkin patch.  I added a few little things here and there but basically that was it.  Simple and sweet. 

 Some years I would have felt badly about my lack of effort, but this year, not so much.  This year I am just praising God for His many blessings and taking the chance to be simple, to give away what I've got too much of, to keep the clutter at a minimum.  I want to have these traditions with my kids, not so we're dependent on "decor" to make our seasons sweet but so we can take the time to embrace what we're walking through and celebrate where we can.  Seasons come and go, some fly by and some drag on for what feels like an eternity, but in each case we always have the choice to be thankful and to celebrate something.  

I'm thankful for this house of ours that has seasoned with us.  We've learned so much here and have had many opportunities to celebrate and to mourn.  Through each change the promise of a new day and a new season always awaits us and while I love that perspective, I also love knowing that there is ONE in my life who NEVER changes and NEVER leaves me wanting.  And for that I am grateful!