Tuesday, January 29, 2013

My Friend Loves Me, and I Love Her


One of the sweetest things about my life in Christ is the friendships I've been blessed with. These are not the kind of friends who always tell me that I am right, or who are there for me only when I have something to offer. These are friends who display the very real character of Christ, through encouragement and perseverance and steadfast love in the good, bad, joys and sorrows of life. I've learned so much about the Lord's perfect love for me, through these friends. I could literally dedicate this entire blog to the stories of friendship.


The Coffey and Cosper Kiddos, pre-Ehren. There are not enough ways to say "precious."

One of my blessings is Sarah. As soon as I met Sarah, I knew I loved her. And I felt that she loved me. When I started attending Sojourn in 2002, there was a certain insecurity I dealt with in wanting to establish friendships that were my own, and weren't based on my status as Lachlan's girlfriend. But with Mike and Sarah the history with Lachlan was more a comfort than a cause for me to be self-conscience. I love that Mike and Lachlan have been friends since 3rd grade. I love that Sarah and Lachlan were theatre geeks alongside one another and prom dates. I love the confidence Mike and Lachlan have as brothers in Christ, that allows them to speak truth, and fight and get mad and be like--well brothers-- with no fear in ever losing one another. I love that they were all apart of God's plan in starting this crazy thing called Sojourn in the living room of an apartment, with 9 other people. I also love that I got to work with Mike for a year and a half--and refuse to clean his stanky bathroom in that nasty apartment we tried to pass off as an office. I love that we got to receive pre-marital counseling from them, and were served communion by them at our wedding. I love that I borrowed Sarah's necklace to walk down the isle in, and that Mike was standing next to Lachlan, promising to fight for our marriage as we took our vows. I love how our first born girls are just 10 weeks apart, and that we get to chat in the waiting room of dance class each Thursday, watching them grow-up together. I love that Mike sometimes cooks gourmet meals for us, and that they brought us wine after Ehren was born. I also love that they've showed us how to suffer and love each other in the midst of it. We love the Mike and Sarah rule, that if you are sick, the other spouse has to go get you anything to eat that you want. We also love their rule on allowances for each other. And so we stole both of them.

 Lachlan and I are so very thankful to both journey alongside the Cospers and be led by them as well. Sarah is soft spoken and gentle, and I have so much to learn from her in how she speaks to and respects others. Mike is hands down one of the smartest people we know. Sarah has gone before me in the realm of suffering from an autoimmune disease. Her symptoms and suffering are beyond what I have had to endure. And I hate it for her--but I'm thankful, too. She kinda blew me away last night with a lovely letter that was addressed to me, but is applicable for all those faced with specifically Celiac Disease, but also other autoimmune sufferers or those with gluten allergies and sensitivities. Here is her post. If you are now, or have to go gluten free, this will be a good read. If those things don't apply, read it anyway and learn about going gluten free, and how much my friend loves me.

Here's praying you have such friends who love you as well as my friends love me!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Ehren's Room: Before and After

We've been in our home for just over a year. My sweet husband is a complete slave driver when it comes to settling into a home. The man cannot sleep if there are boxes unpacked. I was 5 months pregnant with our third child when we closed on this house and I had just come out of severe "morning-sickness" which required home health care. I was exceedingly huge for being 5 months along, extremely tired, with an aching back and insomnia. Not to mention a 4 year old and 21 month old.



 
Me, just after we moved in, and my crazies, loving the laundry shoot feature.

Lachlan painted 9 very large rooms in 3 days. We arranged furniture and unpacked boxes. As hard as those first 2 weeks were, I was happy to be (mostly) settled. One of the only rooms we put off was Ehren's room. Ellory Sue and Ezra had completed nurseries months before they came home from the hospital, but I just couldn't decide what to do in Ehren's room, and I was preoccupied with the rest of the house. The other issue is that I am cheap ya'll. It's one of my best and worst qualities. I have expensive taste, but I just can't bring myself to pay over $20 for almost anything. My wedding dress cost 100% more than my prom dress, and my prom dress was $20. It's a problem.

I ran across this amazing blog, and decided to loosely base my design on this. If you need inspiration for a nursery or child's room, you'll get lost on her page for hours. Remember, however,  that I am cheap--thrifty, I had set a basic budget of $200 for everything I needed for baby three. I'm talking layette, diapers, nursery items, the whole kit and caboodle. Here's the results. It's not design blog worthy, but I love it, and I'm learning that things don't have to be perfect. It's the smallest room in our house, and one of my favorites. It's been a precious place to rock and nurse my baby. 

 
Isn't he adorable?
 
 
Before:


After:
 
 
 
Black bookcase: Target, we bought this for Ellory's nursery. ET was his Christmas gift: eBay.  Wire E we've had forever, I bought it on clearance at Urban Outfitters.  Jimmy Eat World/ Taking Back Sunday print: eBay. Frame: Michael's. Vintage radio: Yesternook, for about $4.  "etc" is from Target, it was $20, I think I could have waited for it to be clearanced out, but they are his initials, and I didn't want to miss it. Robot tote: 31Bags, it was gifted to us by our sweet friend, Emily, and must be retired, because I can't find a link. 
 

 Vintage Metal Dresser: Yard Sale, it and the nightstand were in Ellory's room at our 2nd house, and were $60 for the pair. They are HEAVY and my favorite! Crib: gifted by our amazing friend's the Lewis Family. Bumper: gifted during a collaborated yard sale by our friends, the Eubanks Family, Sheets: Target, no long available. Mobile I made from a wire wreath form I spray painted, guitar picks and thread. The thread has been a complete tangled mess, but fishing line didn't work. We still love it. I bought the guitar picks at some random place on line, a huge pack was about $5. Art, Lachlan has owned since before we were dating.

 
Headphone art, I made by painting a canvas, and a decal from Uppercase Living, Changing Table, bought from a friend, $10. Changing pad and cover: Little Treasures Consignment Sale, less than $10. Pillow, Target, clearance from Ezra's nursery.
 
I originally bought an amazing mid century rocker for the nursery, but the back wasn't high enough, and it wasn't comfortable to nurse in, so we bought this recliner from a friend for $20. Sunny Day Real Estate print: eBay. Frame: Michael's. Lamp; Yesternook. (I spray painted) Shade: Target. Nightstand: vintage, yard sale. The beautiful quilt was handmade by our talented friend, Sarah Cosper. The embroidered pillow I made for Lachlan for our first Christmas when we were dating, although he tried to tell Ellory Sue that he made it in high school. (Wha?!) The Orange pillow was an old Target clearance.
Close up of the beautiful quilt.
 
The wall color is Benjamin Moore, Colorado Gray.
 
 
I realize that you can't get a good idea of the layout, but my ET is sleeping, so no more pictures for now.
What do you think every nursery needs?
 
 

 

 



 

 



Sunday, January 27, 2013

Graphic Art






















I've had my eye on these prints for a while. Our friends Scott and Emily have the one representing Germantown, and I'm drawn to it every time I'm at their house.  We bought the same print for our very missed neighbors and best friends, the Paces for Christmas. You'll see Nord's Bakery is featured, the place that inspired the poetry in my last post. I then bought and framed both the Germantown and Highlands print for me, I mean, Lachlan. We've spent most of our adult years in apartments and houses in the Highlands and Germantown neighborhoods in Louisville, KY. We are happily settled in our Indiana home, but a piece of me will always long for a little camel back or bungalow within walking distance of a coffee shop, countless local eateries, hardware stores and gift shops. We have them in our dining room, and every time I catch a glimpse, my heart is happy with all the memories it stirs up. It's like a snapshot of home.

The prints are by Madpixel, and can be purchased at one of our favorite stores Why Louisville, for $25.


We are still deciding if we like the casual "lean" of the prints, or if we are going to hang them. What do you think?







Saturday, January 26, 2013

Going Gluten What?

On New Year's Eve I had some blood test run. We were trying to figure out why my usually controlled hypothyroid condition has been unable to be regulated, and why I've felt like I've had mono for the past 9 months. The blood work showed that there were high celiac antibodies, and that I am probably suffering from Celiac Disease as well. Two uncontrolled autoimmune diseases and 3 children under 5 make for one tired Momma. I'll be having an endoscopy on Friday to have a biopsy, to confirm if the blood work was accurate.

Celiac Disease is controlled through a gluten free diet. And. I. Am. Being. A. Big. Baby. About the prospect of the complete lifestyle change.

Lachlan has been a great encouragement in reminding me that our God is good, and Sovereign, and that though this will be hard, I have much to be thankful for! I'm getting there. I suppose because I can't quite remember what it feels like to have energy and feel "good", I'm wondering if I'd rather just remain miserable while enjoying beer and brownies.

As I begin to wrap my mind around my new diet, I've started a pinterst board with gluten free recipes. I'd love to have you follow along. Assuming this goes down, you'll be finding lots of reviews and thoughts on the recipes and the lifestyle here in the future. Until then, you'll find me stuffing my face with french toast, drinking the growler of meade I bought from Cumberland Brewery last night, and writing poetry to and about Nord's Doughnuts.

 
Crispy, salty bacon on sweet maple glaze
Your custard filled round sets my heart a blaze.
 
Perfect dough, cold before fried
No other doughnut will ever be tried.
 
You were not my first, but you will be my last.
You are the sweet taste of my Germantown past.




I'm bring blogging back....what?!

I think the reason I keep putting off starting this thing back up, is because I feel like I have to update all 6 of you with every detail of our lives from my last post. I'm an "all or nothing" kind of girl, and I need to stop it. Stop.

This time-to-blog thing is good for me. It's good for me to record the important and mundane that make up our journey, and it's good for me to have to think through it all.

Previously, our blog was almost solely devoted to updates on our adoption. Although we are currently considered "in process" with an agency, for a variety of reasons we are not actively pursuing paperwork at this time. I'll continue to give thoughts and updates as they become available.

In the mean time, I'm just going to use this as a place to share about our family and friends, about places we visit and products we love and don't love. I want this to be a record for our family to look back on. I want it to preserve memories-- joys and heartaches. I want it to make my kids laugh when I review the products that are completely outdated by the time they care to read this. I want our family to see the hand of our Sovereign God as we look back over the story of our lives.