Showing posts with label living away from parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living away from parents. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Welcome to our Home!

As promised via facebook, here are some pictures of our home. 

Let's start with an outside front view.


Featuring New Mexico's fine architecture! 

We have a cute entry way with a lovely view opposite our house. 


Opposite our house is extensive open Air Force land.
Who knows what they do over there...believe me, there are theories.


The view really is more than we could ask for. We've had a few gorgeous evenings where we've sat outside wrapped in blankets watching the sun set and the stars come out in all their glory. One particular enjoyable night with our friend Rose we were all three wrapped up in the same blankies together when a coyote came strolling beyond the fence right in front of us. Of course we named him and called for him to come back and bring his family and friends. Our coyote-like howls did not work to bring him back, though he did stare at us for a while. I think our howls were convincing. Maybe he was just laughing at us...He didn't come back. 



Here's our upper living room. Filled with furniture left over from Nanny,
 and a recliner and TV given to us by loving members of our church.


This is a view from the top room looking the length of the house.

We call this area our Book Nook.
We love to sit here and drink tea or coffee and read or write together. 


Kinda like this :)


Sooo lovely and inviting.



To the left of our Book Nook is a shelf of sorts. It was just extra space that wasn't going to get used. So we came up with a pillow shelf! We bought several pillows and came out with this.



It's awesome for extra sitting space when we have lots of people over.


I hope you're not bored yet. We only have a few pictures left. 



Our dining room with an awesome, hanging too low chandelier!


At the end of the house is a sliding door to an outdoor patio. It's the perfect size for two people and still great for having people over. We had a grill out party and had plenty of room for people at two tables. These pictures don't really show size, but do highlight our pretty fall colors. 






If you were here with me, we'd sit at this table and you'd be in this chair surrounded by lovely fallen leaves sipping your hot tea. I'm sure we'd have lovely conversation. We'd be encouraged and I'm sure we would solve all the world's problems. All on an outdoor patio, sipping tea. 





We'd probably be able to spot a bird or two or 50 in the bushes on the patio. Seriously, they hide very well in there. Usually we only spot them when they fly away in droves or when they decide to sit on top of the wall, like this!





Aren't they cute little fellas?






Random, but have I mentioned I love welcome mats? 






Well, ladies and gentleman, this ends our tour of La Maison Grise. (For explanation of the name of our abode, please see my previous post. here --http://disappointed-hope.blogspot.com/2011/10/la-maison-grise.html) Although the circumstances around us living here are very strange, we are really grateful for this time and the ability to live here!

If you noticed a lack of pictures of the bedrooms and kitchen, it's not because they don't exist. (Though I could easily sleep on the love seat in our book nook.) I think they deserve a post for themselves, plus I think you've probably seen enough pictures for one day. I've got you hooked and you're just waiting for more, right? 

Monday, October 17, 2011

La Maison Grise

Change can come faster than you can say "I feel so comfortable here", or "Man, I wish my life would change and I could have a little adventure". Seriously. Four years ago I never thought I'd be living in Albuquerque. One year ago I never thought I'd be living in my deceased Nanny's house. I mean...wow.

So much has changed in a few years and a few months. Friends and friendships change, friends move away, new friends move in, some friends come back, people change---I change. I've spoken with several friends and we all agree. This is a huge time of change in our lives. We're figuring out who we are, who the Lord's made us to be. He reveals paths, we follow them. (Hopefully obediently.) Even in our hardships and our pain and even in our disobedience, the Lord is there. But I'm getting carried away. :)

My sister and I moved into our Nanny's house two and a half months ago. We're calling our house "La Maison Grise", which is French for The Gray House. As I said, this is a time of great change and growth for us. The Lord is revealing so much of our sin, pride, and selfishness. Things that we thought would be great fun (hosting parties for example) have revealed themselves to be much work! And expensive! I've learned that I really don't love people as much as I thought I did. I thought I liked to serve and I do, but the Lord is revealing more of my self-motivated heart. In the times that I do serve out of love, it is only by His grace that there is any good in me at all.

Moving out has caused us to learn many "grown-uppy" things.
...Like cooking!

My Paula Deen Cookware fresh out of the box

And modeled by yours truly
And in use for the first time

And producing yummy food
...

Can you tell I was and still am excited about my pans?!

And now back to seriousness.

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This is why we are naming our house, La Maison Grise. For in the words of my sister Katina, "Gray is black becoming white". (Or white becoming black, but hey is your glass half empty or half full? Hmm?) We are in this period where so many questions are being asked and we have this hope that they will eventually be answered. We are being shaped and molded as clay. (Gray clay to be exact!) Gray is all the colors mixed together. The possibilities are endless. There are symbolic valleys to forge, and in Albuquerque, actual mountains to climb in this period of gray reflection, thoughtfulness and growth. (And who knows...more adventure could be just around the corner.)

;)