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The Living Room [Little House Series]

Welcome to our Little City House, as we call this home. :)

It’s been a year and a half since we moved from the Small Town Deep South to Big Northern City, so it’s been quite the change. Besides culture, changing churches and communities and moving almost a thousand miles away, another change was our house. Our little Cottage was a hard thing to leave behind, but it was just a house, and a home is really where my family is rather than what a particular house is like.

But first, let me just dispel a myth that people may think about bloggers:

Myth: Bloggers think they have the perfect house; that’s why they post about it and take pictures and put them on Instagram and blog about them.

Truth: Some bloggers may think they have a perfect house, but most live in a less-than-perfect place. The struggle to compare is real, wondering what we have to offer compared to someone else, but the reason I share is because, I’m learning. Contentment is a thing I’m constantly learning, maybe just like you. But I’m also learning joy, and how if we wait until things are perfect to share our lives, well, then we’ll never share. And if we try to be like someone else, we’ll never be the person God made US to be, and we’ll never share the gift of who WE are to the world around us. As a friend recently said to me, “The world is striking, but I know it’s more about having eyes to see it than anything else.” So so true.

So I share because of the journey, because we’re all on it, and because I’m cheering for you – whether you’re in a house you love, or wish you’d be someplace else, or have other challenging circumstances in life: I’m cheering for you. It takes a village, you all. We’re not meant to be alone. A blog is a very very small part of what a village is like because it should never replace real-life community, but if you’re here, then our villages interact and intersect, and I wish you all the best! Let’s have eyes to see the beauty that is around us.

So, after all that, welcome to our little city house! :)

I say “little” because when you step in the front door, you’re exactly 12 steps from the back door. It’s really not that big: downstairs are two rooms: Living Room and Kitchen/Dining Room. It’s skinny, tall (three stories high) and narrow. But it’s home! When we first moved in, I was thinking, “Six months. I can’t live in a place this small more than six months!!” It’s already been a year and a half, and although I don’t see this as a fit for us forever, I’ve found myself thinking recently, “You know, I actually kinda like this little place.” ;)

So now for the little tour… The living room is the front room, and through it is the kitchen. The stairs to the 2nd and 3rd floors go off the living room also. It’s a busy room, and basically a thoroughfare to everywhere else in the house. :)

You step in the front door, turn to the right, and here you are:

The function of the room is simple: it’s where we hang out, it’s where we sit with our friends when they come over, it’s where family life happens before school, after school, and on evenings and weekends. We needed a place that is very functional, practical, but because I like pretty things, I also wanted it to be beautiful. Another thing that was important was that it wasn’t a cluttered room. I like cozy and hygge (favorite word of the year), but because our house is small, it feels overwhelming if the rooms are too busy.

 

So keeping it neutral felt like a good choice. We painted the walls, sanded down the floor and restained them, painted the trim white, and painted the front door black inside and out.

Navy and Gold are new color crushes, so I found pillows at various places (Goodwill & Target mostly in those colors, and added some toss blankets to cozy it up. Pillows are such a fun way to change up a look – and I have some florals that I can’t wait to put out for spring and summer!

Our living room is just that: a living room, not a formal place at all. I’m one that likes to sit on a couch and pull up my feet, and then have a blanket to cozy up with, especially on chilly mornings as I sit with my coffee. I’m a mix of wanting things clean but also wanting the cozy factor – which is basically what Hygge is. (Such a fun thing to research, if you haven’t already known about it. The Danish people are inspiring.).

Oh, and let me tell you a story about our couch!!! The gorgeous tufted one with nailhead trim? Yes, that’s the one. :)


Soooooo, we purchased a sofa and loveseat when we first got married, and it served us well for almost 11 years. We used them hard, the kids used them hard, and we had one certain spot we’d sit on the sofa: the left side by the armrest. Every. Single. Time. It was as if there wasn’t even more room on the couch, because we’d always sit there if we could. Finally, it was getting to the point where I would have a back ache if I spent more than 15 minutes on the couch. Granted, it might have had something to do with the fact that I was pregnant with my 4th baby, but still…. ;) All the more reason for a couch with great back support, right?

I’m an avid Craigslist fan, so I searched from time to time for a “tufted sofa with nailhead trim” but something to match that rarely came up, and if it did, it was always so expensive. As in, a thousand dollars more than I wanted to pay.

But one night, late, I did a quick search and saw something pop up. I looked at it, and it had only been posted 15 minutes before. I sent her a quick message, telling her I was interested, and thought to myself I’ll talk to my husband in the morning and see what he says. ;) (note to other wives: this only works when you’ve already been having conversations about these sorts of things ;)) 

Next morning, Ben said it looked like a great deal, and if we sell our current couch (because it really was in decent condition, I just really wanted a new couch ;)), then it will come out almost the same in the end. So, long-suffering husband that he is, drove me the hour and a half to pick up the sofa, just days before Jack was born. And there it was brand new in the packaging: the person who had purchased it hadn’t measured her space, and so when it got there, it didn’t fit. So instead of returning it, she sold it for $800 less than she bought it for (I know this because I saw it for sale on Overstock ;)).

So there’s my couch story. You know how there are certain things that happen that you just KNOW God was caring about you, even if it was something almost silly? This was one of them. God cares about tufted, nail-head trim couches, because He cares about me.  I’m super wowed.

Both of the girls take piano lessons, so making room for a piano was important. We are re-homing our baby grand piano (so sad), but knew we needed something that was space efficient for our home.


My husband was super honored his European mount deer head made the cut for decor.

Also, our kids are never the nosy neighbors in the block.


And just a couple of details…




// Home is wherever I am with you –  my motto when we moved. Home was family, not just a house //

And let’s talk practical for a second, since small spaces can be challenging.

Right inside the front door we have a large basket, where everyone takes off their shoes when they come inside. The basket is a collection spot, and it gets emptied by the kids regularly and the shoes taken to the proper rooms.

Also, just inside the door is a very small closet, the only closet downstairs. We use this for winter coats (changed out to lighter wear in the warmer months), & vacuum cleaner. This winter I actually kept a lidded laundry basket inside the closet and it’s where we kept all our gloves, scarves, and winter hats & beanies. It was a great solution to the layers that need to be gotten out all winter.


We have one bookshelf in the living room too, which holds books, Bibles, kids’ books, and two small baskets of toys for the baby and the 4-year old.

And that wraps it up! Happy weekending from the folks at the Little City House.


 
Sources:

Wall Color: Fossil, by Benjamin Moore
Trim Color: Simply White, by Benjamin Moore
Front Door Paint Color: Grey Metal, by Behr Marquee
Coffee Table: West Elm Outlet
Jute Rug: Overstock.com
Sheepskins: IKEA and Target
Gold Bell: Amazon
Tufted Sofa: Craigslist, but originally on Overstock.com
Gold and White Print by the stairs: Aimee Weaver Designs

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A Resurrection Garden for Kids


I’ve seen the idea around of a Resurrection or Easter Garden, but this year my kids were at the age that I knew they would love actually putting one together. There are some great ideas online, so I compiled my favorite ones and headed off for the greenhouse.

We have so many greenhouses locally, and they are like therapy just walking into them, and smelling that fresh-plant smell! Perfect Pots is a favorite local place, and and where I got my supplies for this gardening project. They are super helpful with my questions about which plants would work best for this, and so I’ll pass on those tips too. :)

A Resurrection is basically a miniature of the Easter Story; the three crosses, the tomb. While it has a more sobering meaning, it is also inexpressibly beautiful, and speaks of True Life and Power. And letting my kids have hands-on experience of this is something that will speak to their little hearts of the beauty and glory of Easter.

 

Supplies needed for this project:

-Planter Tray, or shallow planter
-Small Pot, for the tomb
-Larger Stone, for the tomb’s entrance
-1-4 small plants
-Potting soil
-Sticks for crosses, and hot glue to make them

Optional:
-Small pebbles
-Moss or grass seed

We met with another sweet family for the day and made these together – and I think Jolyn and I had as much fun making them as the kids did! :) I wasn’t expecting the finished project to be so pretty!! :)

Step One:
Gather Supplies.

I took the supplies to our back porch and spread an old blanket over the table. Potting soil can make a bit of a mess, and having it all on a blanket made clean-up so easy afterwards.

Step Two:
Lay out the design.

Basically, you just want the tomb and three crosses to be the main focus, and then I had several small plants so that it looked like an actual garden.

 

Step Three:

Put in potting soil and fill in around the small plants. I added soil until just a little lower than the top of the planter tray, for watering purposes and for the moss on the top. And then mounded the soil over the top of the small pot.

Step Four:
Add Moss or Plant Grass Seeds

I chose to go with moss because even though grass seed would be a fun thing for the kids to see grow, other people have said it can look messy and you have to keep cutting the grass back, which then doesn’t look so good. Moss was inexpensive and added a very pretty touch. I love how it made the tomb look like it was in the side of a hill.

The neat thing is that each planter can look so different – the placement of the moss, of the types of plants, it’s all so unique and I love that.

 

Step Five:

Add your final touches – little pebbles, if you want to create a pathway, the three crosses, and the large stone to cover the entrance of the tomb until Easter Morning!


Finish off with misting or lightly watering the moss and the plants, being careful not to over-water the succulents, if you use that type of plant. *

And pictures of the kiddos with the finished projects!


So if you’re on the lookout for a fun and meaningful project to do with your kiddos this weekend, this might be something you enjoy! It’s create and inexpensive (around $20 for the planter), which are two things I love!

What I love about this is that it’s a visual reminder for us and the kids of this meaningful season, and it’s beautiful! We have it on the counter in our kitchen, and the kids take special pride in misting it and caring for it every day. :) This would also make a meaningful gift for someone, if you’re the gift-giving type on Easter.

Have a lovely Easter Weekend!

*Perfect Pots was very helpful with plant care for this project – I told them what I wanted to do, showed them my plants, and asked what would work best. I wanted a mixture of succulents and other indoor plants, and they explained that succulents work best with a particular type of soil, and with being misted rather than watered.

Because this is a temporary garden, lasting only a few weeks, they said it’s fine to plant all the plants together for a short amount of time until they can be properly planted separately, but be careful with the watering/misting right now.

Also, the planter tray I used is very shallow, only 2 inches deep, so that would also not be ideal long-term. So when I transplant them after we’ve enjoyed it for a few weeks I will make sure the succulents get planted in their proper soil, and misted, and the other little plants can get their proper treatment as well. :)

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Decorating with Neutrals

I am honored to be collaborating with Daughters of Promise, and contributing to their blog this week with an article on home design!

Here is an excerpt:

I believe that God – as the Master Designer – created each of us in His image with an inner artist, and that comes out in so different ways for each person! For some people that comes out in the way they serve their family with food, arranging and preparing the meals with great love and care. For others, it could be the way they can set work aside and play with their kids, investing their time and energy into creating fun things together. Another woman may love to see what she can design and fashion for her kids to wear, enjoying the process of styling and putting outfits together. Someone else may be an incredible artist with words, writing beautiful things that are rich or lighthearted, and that bring life to the people around them. There are endless ways, really, and the various ways artistry is shown is so beautiful and fascinating!

The artistry of decorating my home, and more importantly, making it a place where my husband and four kiddos feel welcome and safe, is a passion of mine. I don’t even think I’m the best at it – but I love to make my home a beautiful place, a reflection of the beauty of God. I don’t think there is just one right way to do it – even within décor there are so many various styles that people are drawn to, and that also shows the beauty of uniqueness in the way God created us!

I want to talk about a current design style that I’m enjoying right now, and that’s one of a neutral palate. When I was first married I loved colors on my walls, and various themes through my house. Perhaps it’s the combination of my own tastes changing, being influenced by the Southern, or even the soft Coastal culture I lived in for almost ten years that has changed what I prefer. Or maybe it’s even the fact that I have four kids, and when they are bustling and loud and bursting through the house, I like to have my surroundings at least be serene and restful.

…

The end goal is not to have the most fashionable house,
or the most popular Instagram pictures,
but rather to create a sanctuary
for you and your family.

And you can read the rest of of the article here, including how to choose Paint Colors and Finishes, Adding Textures for Warmth, and How to Make Your Own Design Board. :)

Head over to the Daughters of Promise blog to read the full article. :)

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Little City House in Autumn

brunch

Happy Monday, you all!

It’s one of my favorite days of the week, and today included a brunch with friends then office time while the boys napped and the girls were at Monday School. It’s my at home day this week, and I love that – feeling like I can get organized for the week ahead. Especially when it’s a busy holiday week, and the next few days are extra busy!

I’ve done a little bit of “fluffing the nest” for autumn, as I’m sure many people are also doing with Thanksgiving coming up! Next week that’s going to change into winter décor (yaaaaay!!) but before it does, here’s a little peek at my house this week.

It’s that time of year when the weather suddenly turns chilly, and all I want to do is curl up with a cozy blanket and sip a hot drink! :) We’ve had an unusually mild autumn, and it’s been wonderful to still be in short sleeves and have the kids play outside, but now that winter is coming I’m so excited about that too. Namely, about snow. My snow-loving heart can’t wait!

It really can be the simplest things in decorating; a candle burning, a cozy blanket, a pillow, some mugs set out for hot chocolate, a little spot that invites, “Come and sit!” But the main thing for me about fall décor is to make it cozy and inviting. Spring and summer need to say, “Be refreshed! Be energized!” And fall and winter need to speak, “Rest. Warmth. Cozy.”

Autumn decorating to me is pretty simple – adding lots of neutrals and whites, plush throw blankets in the living room to snuggle up while we read books or watch a movie, changing summer floral pillows out for a more wintery look. I don’t do a lot, or any actually, with orange and brown – I just keep it neutral and buy a few white pumpkins to add in for seasonal effect.

For the living room I added a cozy white blanket, fur pillow, and navy pillows to the sofa area. I kept the gold pillows that were already there, just added and changed out a few around them. Gold is my favorite neutral right now! I can hardly get enough of it, and it will be a sad day when it’s not as fashionable anymore. I’ll need to find a new crush.

plushy-throws-around-the-living-room

autumn-living-room
[Yes, that is a tufted sofa, and yes it came from Craigslist! My forever BFF.]

With four kids in the house, it’s not going to be perfect. And that’s okay. I don’t want perfect – I want a home that my family feels like is a place of rest and of safety, and I want it to be beautiful. That’s my criteria. :)

Another favorite thing for me to add for the cozy factor are furs and sheepskins. On the back of a sofa, on a piano bench, across a bench at the kitchen table… Because my house has mostly neutrals, it needs to have a lot of texture to make it look cozy, and furs and sheepskins do that well!

 

throws-and-sheepskins

add-fur-to-various-places-to-soften-up-the-room
And just a bit of cozy in the kids’ bedrooms as well.

Girls’ room ~ fur pillow, flannel sheets for those cold nights. little-girls-room-for-autumn

Hudson’s room:
Buffalo plaid pillow, cozy bedding.

little-boy-room-for-autumn

And of course there are some amazing inspirations online. I perused Arhaus on Pinterest because they are just so beautiful, and found these images that I just love.

Tufted sofa in navy (my new color love).

arhaus-3

 

Soft pillows. Everyone can always add more pillows. To comfortable sectionals, accent chairs, you name it. arhaus-4

Adding some woody touches, one in brown, and the other in gold.

arhaus-7 arhaus-6

And I was super honored to find my Thanksgiving table idea pinned on their site!

arhaus-8

It’s a busy week for us, and I’m excited about seeing far-away family and spending time with those I love so much! Enjoy your holiday, friends!

 

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The Little House Series [Introduction]

 

I blow the dust off this blog, look over a few things, and smile. This has been a place of meeting such great women, of new friendships birthed, of a few stories and a bit of life from my family shared, and it’s special. It’s been a good break, this year and a half of hardly posting at all, of months passing without me even logging in. Sometimes stepping away is the best thing we can do.

august-flowers-023 august-flowers

 

It’s been a season of incredible change for us the past 18 months. Selling our much-loved cottage, moving 800 miles, renovating a little city house, having our 4th child… I wasn’t sure if blogging was still something for me. Maybe it was over, just for the season of our life at the Cottage, and since the Cottage is gone, blogging is gone too?

But I’ve still been writing. Journaling, writing down thoughts for myself, even if no one else sees them. Writing is just part of me, whether or not it’s public. I expect it’s like that for a lot of people.

And lately I’ve been wanting to resurrect this blog again. Not in the same way that I blogged before, with an old cottage, our “dream home,” of DIY’s and projects, but rather coming from a completely different perspective. We’re in a temporary house right now, small. It’s cozy, but challenging for the size of our family. It’s not our forever house, but we’ve been here a year, and may be here a while yet.

 

rainbows-of-color

The blog-world is filled with stunning homes, people’s dream homes. Their forever homes, where they have everything exactly as they want it. And I’m happy for them! Don’t we all wish for that? :)

What’s been on my heart to write about is different though… What if we aren’t in our dream home? What if we struggle to make the space work? What if a room gets rearranged 5 times and I cry tears of frustration because I just can’t make it work?! What if there are 12 steps from your front door to your back door, and your master bedroom is on the 3rd story and your laundry is in the basement? hashtag legs of steel

summer-zinnias

All of this has been me. Sometimes still is me. But I am determined to find a place of contentment, of not just enduring, but of thriving, right here and right now. I’m guessing there are probably a lot of other women in the same place, who have amazing strength and have chosen joy and have thrived in places that others have overlooked. Women who make a tiny space a sanctuary, where sunbeams dance even in the smallest of homes, and hearts sing and are glad because of the peace that is found in the heart of the Homemaker. And there are others who have a hard time, who wrestle and struggle, and think happiness won’t come for them until they are in the place of their dreams. Or at least, a place that has a yard bigger than a postage stamp, or more than one bathroom for a family of 6! Or maybe you’re perfectly contented, and wonder what all the fuss is about. ;)

Wherever we find ourselves, I’m wanting this to be a place of encouragement, of linking arms and encouraging us to BE the women that truly make our homes what they are.

What I’ll be doing the next few weeks, perhaps months, is what I’m calling “The Little House Series.” Things I’m learning about small spaces, both in soul and practically, and sharing real parts of my own journey of choosing joy and contentment. Looking forward to chatting soon.

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Master Bedroom Before & After

I think this is the only room in the house I haven’t done before & after pictures of, and I wanted to document this yet before we move! :)

The master bedroom seems to be the hardest room to pull together. Often it’s the most neglected room because it’s the least visible to guests, and so the focus goes to the room that are seen more easily.

But I wanted to make this room be a restful place, a room where we could walk into and feel that it’s a sanctuary. For us women, sometimes we tend to make it look a little too feminine, and I didn’t want my husband to feel uncomfortable in his own bedroom. :)

master bedroom in whites and blue

 

Living in an old house gives some great bones to work with. When we first started working in this room, it was covered with old 70’s paneling on the walls, and with sticky tiles on the ceiling. We were going to remove the sticky tiles and paint the wooden ceiling underneath it, but were going to leave the paneling behind and simply paint it. But after tearing out a small section to work on an area, Ben discovered beautiful old boards behind the paneling! So of course the paneling came down too.

Master, before:

March 2010 017

February 2010 036

So, we painted the ceiling a bright white, and I love it.

We painted the walls an off-white creamy color, and then sanded the walls to expose the grain.

IMG_7523 IMG_7525

Isn’t it lovely?! Some people have asked if the walls are just primed and need to be painted, so perhaps it’s a little rustic for some people. Our furniture is a bit more traditional and formal though, so I think they work together well.

But taking down the paneling exposed this beautiful brick fireplace! It’s the backside of a fireplace in the music room, and was covered with chipping grey paint. Ben worked so hard to get the paint off of it and expose the original old brick.

IMG_7511

The wooden floors were sanded and restored, and then stained and sealed.

Master bedroom, after:

The sheer panel above our bed was part of our wedding service, as two banners that two boys ran down the center aisle during “Chariots of Fire” processional. I love having it in our room, remembering that special day.

master bedroom

The room is simply decorated, but I added a few personal touches, like framing our wedding invitation.

framed wedding invitation

master bedroom vignette a chair to catch it all

side table

monogrammed pillow

It was last year before I finally decided what to do with this blank space about the two doorways. I wanted something very special, something to do with marriage, but couldn’t decide what. I finally chose to write the traditional marriage vows on a long piece of luan wood, and I loved how it turned out. Marriage is such a beautiful thing, and I wanted the beautiful but practical reminder to love, until death parts us.

wedding vows in the master bedroom

for better or for worse

desk with decor

wooden wall, and candlestick holder for jewelry

 

This has quite possibly become one of my favorite rooms in the house. I love the clean feel it has, the hardwood floors, and the wooden walls and ceiling. It has so much texture, and I love that!

But mostly, I love that it feels like a retreat, a restful place. This room I try to keep the cleanest of all; no extras or  junk that can easily pile in other places of the house.

I’d love to hear from you! What is it that makes a master bedroom special to you all?

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The Fellowship of Community

We are entering a time of much transition and change in our little family. God is directing us, and we are following.  A big move is in the not-so-distant future, and we are saying goodbye to our little cottage and to the people who have made Georgia home for us.

There are so many bittersweet emotions I hardly know how to process them. We are sad about who we’re leaving, and we’re excited about what we’re moving to. But Southeast Georgia has been home for my husband nearly all his life, and home for me the past nine year – almost a third of my life!

morning coffee

I have reflected a lot on the past 9 years of my life (yikes, that makes me feel old when I think back 9 years!!), and realize what a gift I’ve been given in this time. What makes a place Home is not the house or the location as much as the people in your life. Relationships are what make life rich and meaningful, and without them, life is lonely.

When I moved to Georgia as a bride of one year, newly-wedded, I remember the pounding heart within me. I was scared to death because I knew no one. Ben (my husband) had some family who lived nearly, but I had only met them a few times and really didn’t know them at all. And other people I knew even less. I recognized a couple of faces, but that was it. I was terrified!!

It’s hard to sum up those first few years. I grew up as a northern girl, enjoying the city and classical music. When I moved south, it was small-town and country music. The differences were not wrong at all; as I learned while on a mission trip in my teens or early twenties, “Not good, not bad, just different!” However, I was not prepared for the cultural differences I would face. A culture that I’ve learned to love, and that I will miss tremendously. But I wasn’t expecting the United States to have such different cultures!

These nine years have brought an incredible amount of change. I arrived a young girl-bride: I’m leaving a woman, married ten years, and mother of three precious children. We purchased a cottage over five years ago and turned it into home, and in less than a week, it will no longer be ours.

Bittersweet emotions!! Whew.

mantel greens

But I’ve been reflecting on the people that I’ve learned to know here. People that have impacted my life, that have shown me community, that have taught me so much. I’m not going to name them because I could never give enough of credit to people, but I want to tell you some things about the people here. I’ve changed, and become a better person because of them.

I grew up in a family of three sisters and two brothers, and let me tell you – that is the BEST thing in the world! I feel so rich, and absolutely love my family!

But the move south took me almost a thousand miles from anyone in my family. And for someone who spent a lot of time with my sisters, that was a big adjustment. Like, HUGE. I’d ask my sisters’ advice on outfits, and we’d talk about anything, and we just did life together. And when I moved away, we’ve still kept in touch and only grown closer, but the reality is, you need people with skin on right where you are.

front porch boxwoods lovely boxwoods

confederate jasmine

And that’s when I began understanding more of the beauty of community, and experiencing it for myself. I didn’t have my  family close by; my community became my family. I didn’t have sisters to do things with; but my friends became like sisters.

I’ve learned so much from my friendships and community her, I think it would be impossible to sum it up and give due credit. But I want to tell you about some things that have made life rich for me. I don’t even know how to begin talking about this one. But friends have become family, and they mean so much to me.

We’ve picked strawberries together.
We’ve baked Christmas cookies together.
We’ve babysat each other kids while we gone on dates.
We help each other pack up when we move and help to paint.
We’ve done picnics at the park and beach days together.
We’ve done ladies’ nights out and howl with laughter at the stories we tell.
They brought me freezer meals because we’re moving and eveyrone knows that freezer meals are a mother’s love langue, and made me cry, because they know exactly what helps the most in a busy season.
When we have babies, we bring each other meals.
We love on each other’s kids almost like our own nieces and nephews.

There are ways they’ve cared for me, that have made me think, “Why haven’t I ever thought of that?!”

lilies and crystals

I’ve had friends who have brought me homemade cookies, fresh baked muffins, Frosty’s from Wendy’s, Strawberry Limeaid from Sonic, Blizzards from DQ.

Friends who have brought food, friends who have given gift cards for restaurants… Food isn’t just the way to a man’s heart; it’s also the way to a mama’s heart. :) (And especially to mine.).

I have a friend who have packed little travel bags for my kids when we had to travel north suddenly for a tragic funeral, and I was numb with pain and grief and couldn’t think to do anything myself.

I have a friend who, during a busy day of moving, offered to come get our bedding and wash it. That was five years ago and I still remember it clear as day, because it was SO thoughtful and helpful!

I have a friend who is extremely talented in photography, who has been so kind to me. She knows so much about photography, editing, and pretty much everything picture related. And she has answered questions, taken time to show me things on my camera, explained the edited program in great detail when I was completely lost… I credit so much of what I know about photography and editing to her, and to her kindness in teaching me, whether she realized it our not!

There are friends who are a few years older than I am, but that have taken the time to include me in their life. They have walked similar journeys but are ahead of me a bit in life, and I have loved learning from them, from their motherhood, from their walk with Jesus.

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Some of them have been transplants from other communities, left their families and mamas and knew what it meant to say goodbye to all that they knew. It has meant to much to me to be able to learn from them, and to hear what helped them adjust and adapt. They are the ones who asked me “Are you okay?” when I first moved here, and when I burst into tears at the question because I was so not okay at the moment, they were not scared of my tears. And even hearing what has been hard for them is comforting, and been a safe place for me to sometimes shed some tears on their shoulders. I am so grateful for their friendship.

I have friends who are neighbors, who have involved me in community life, in things like amazing Christmas events such as Lauren’s gingerbread-house-decorating-party that has gone viral on Pinterest because it was just SO gorgeous. Friends who have invited me to local events and helped me to get to know people in the community, who invited me into their world, their circle of friendships, even though that took time and effort. I’ve so appreciated the way they have taught me more about the southern culture, about what is considered proper and culturally correct just by their gracious example.

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People ask me if I’m sad about leaving my house, this little cottage that we’ve spent a lot of time working on the past 5 years. And yes, I am sad about leaving my house, but it’s just a house. What I’m really sad about it leaving people. Leaving relationships that have been years in the making, that have so much richness, so many memories, such love and care and support. While I am anticipating what is ahead for us, the reality also is that leaving is hard. Saying goodbye is hard.

And so I want to say thank you to these people in South Georgia that have made this home for me. That have been patient even with my cultural blunders. That have laughed when I didn’t understand their southern drawl, and liked me anyway. That have accepted me and welcomed me into their world, and let me be a part of it. I am a rich person for knowing all of you, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to live here with you to learn to know you beautiful souls. I will miss you so much.

And so it’s not goodbye, but an “until next time.”
I love you, South Georgia!

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