OUR ADVENTURES Archives - Page 3 of 7

AROUND HERE: OCTOBER 2018

Around here, we have been…

EXPERIMENTING with different things. Apparently {M} wanted to try to see what it might be like to be a hairdresser. She grabbed a scissor and cut a big chunk right out of the front of her hair!

It’s crazy to think that even though we have 5 children and have been parents for nearly 12 years, this is the FIRST time we have had this issue. One of the boys went through a phase where he would cut small holes in his shirts and pants, but never his hair! Luckily, we can easily cover {M}’s little whoopsie with a strategically placed bow or hair clip!

RECOVERING from a scary accident. Unfortunately, {L} got hurt. It was a strange twist of events that caused him to break the pinky finger on his right hand and sever one of the tendons in the finger. Craig took him directly to the ER, where they needed to do emergency surgery. The tendon was stitched back together, as was the skin. All told, he was given over 10 stitches. Because the bone in his finger was exposed, he needed to spend one night in the hospital to receive antibiotics through an IV.

A few days later he was put in a cast to protect his finger. He chose purple, for the Vikings of course. They were able to cast him so that his pointer and thumb where left out. This allowed him to be able to use his right hand as a ‘helper’ and to write! The cast was on for two weeks, during which time {L} learned to do many things left handed, including throwing a football.

New X-rays were then taken which showed that the finger is healing nicely. He was given the option of a new cast for 2 weeks, or a removable sling. He chose the sling.

This has all been a lot for a seven year old to take in, and honestly, he still has a little bit of post traumatic stress from the incident. He doesn’t like to talk about it much at all, and refuses to look at his finger when the wound is exposed. We don’t blame him. He has been so brave though, and we are all happy that he is on the road to a full recovery.

PRACTICING with the big boys. After finishing the season completely undefeated AND without any points being scored against them, Craig and {D}s team was pumped. In the final game of the season, they felt confident enough to kick field goals during the game itself.

From what we understand, it is the first time that a field goal has been attempted in 6th grade football history in our community. The first kick {D} tried was blocked, but the second, from 25 yards, soared straight through the uprights! It was such an exciting moment and the perfect cap for a great season. Though coaching definitely took Craig out of his comfort zone, he gained hours of special boding time with our oldest son, which is something he will cherish forever.

{D}’s kicking practice caught the eye of the high school football coach, who was able to put him in touch with a former college kicking athlete from the U of M. He has been training {D}, as well as the high school kicker, on proper form techniques.

This is such a great opportunity for him and his form has already improved! We don’t see his love for this sport going away anytime soon. In fact, he has been mentioning summer camps that are available and can be seen in our backyard for at least an hour every day, kicking.

PREPARING for Halloween. We have decided to take this year off from trick or treating, and will instead hang out at home with our favorite candy and a movie. Carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds is also on the agenda.

Though we aren’t dressing up, the boys still wanted to try on some things at the store. This ape mask was a hit.

We are considering this a bit of a ‘transition’ year. By this time next year, we will hopefully be in our new house. Those who don’t want to go out trick or treating can stay home and pass out candy, while the others will be able to walk around our new neighborhood. Having lived in the country for over 4 years now, we are looking forward to that!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

ANTIQUE CABINET RESTORATION

In this post, I describe the steps we took during our antique cabinet restoration – taking a beat up old cabinet and making it look new again!

Last winter, I happened to be driving through a nearby town and noticed an antique store I had never been in. I decided to stop and have a look around.

It was packed with all sorts of treasures, which made it a bit hard to see individual items. I get a little claustrophobic when I am surrounded by things. And so, if i’m honest being honest, I was walking through the shop quickly. Just as I was getting ready to head out, I spotted a pair of antique cabinets in the corner.

They were so wedged in that it was hard for me to determine their condition. I asked the store owner to pull them out a bit so that I could take a look. She did the best she could. However, it was impossible to see all sides of the cabinets without rearranging a ton of items.

She told me about the cabinets history, mentioning they had been salvaged from an old house during a recent remodel. The notches on their sides indicate where they had been built into walls. She also informed me that she would only sell the cabinets as a pair. And that the one in back wasn’t in great shape.

THE CABINETS

Undeterred, I texted Craig this photo and asked for his consent to purchase. This is the cabinet that was more visible. I loved the glass door, and the size of the cabinet seemed to be good for a variety of purposes

Though he was skeptical on what we would do with them, he has known me long enough to realize that once I fall for an item, it is pretty hard to shake it from my mind. He agreed that the cabinets could become ours. A couple of weeks later, he went to retrieve them.

Upon arriving home, Craig announced that the second cabinet was basically falling apart, and that it probably wasn’t worth salvaging.

The ‘nice’ cabinet was given a spot in our rental home. The ‘ugly duckling’ cabinet was left in the garage.

the nicer cabinet, in our dining room

THOUGHTS OF RESTORATION

Sitting in the garage, the cabinet was something we saw every day. Perhaps Craig became annoyed seeing an unfinished project, or perhaps he began to see it’s merit. Either way, he eventually decided to take it on as his personal restoration project.

I was all for it! If he was going to do the work, I certainly wasn’t going to get in his way!

Unfortunately, I didn’t take many good pictures before he started the antique cabinet restoration. I can tell you though, it was in really rough shape. The door was barely hanging on by it’s hinges, the glass was broken, and some of the wooden grilles were missing. There was a large crack on the top, and a broken piece on the side.

ANTIQUE CABINET RESTORATION

Craig spent many long hours in the garage sanding, gluing, and sanding some more.

There sure was a lot of sanding and gluing to be done! He mostly used an orbital sander with varying grits of paper. For the finest details, he used a sanding block.

Craig took pieces of the cabinet apart…

… then put them back together

REFINISHING THE ANTIQUE CABINET

After literal months of very hard work, the cabinet was once again standing tall and ready for it’s finishing. Once the sanding was complete, it was much easier to see all of the beautiful wood grain details.

The lighter wood pieces are replacements. Although they are the same wood species, they are not aged in the way that the rest of the cabinet pieces are.

CHOOSING THE STAIN COLOR

It was a difficult decision on what type and color of stain to use. The cabinet is made of 100% red oak – but some of it has a tighter grain, while other parts a more loose and wavy grain.

We had some samples made up at a local Sherwin Williams, then brought them back to the house to look at for a while.

Ultimately, we agreed upon a Minwax stain called ‘Dark Walnut’. We felt that it gave us a nice deep color, which would help to neutralize the grain a bit. The Sherwin Williams associate suggested a Minwax water based urethane in a semi-gloss finish. Popular Woodworking has a great post about how to properly apply stain.

The cabinet absolutely soaked up the stain. The wood looked amazing, but wasn’t quite as dark as I had wanted after the first coating.

Cabinet after one coat of stain (sitting in the garage)

As you can see in the photos above, the newer wood pieces were still pretty obvious after the first coat. We waited a couple of days, and then applied another stain coating. This time we had success with the color. We brought it indoors to dry for another two days, and then added two coats of the clear semi-gloss finish. The spar urethane really made the cabinet shine, and darkened the color a bit more.

Finished cabinet with lower door open

Detail of cubbies. Might be perfect for sorting mail!

Detail of the molding and repaired cabinet top

The original writing on the side of the cabinet – which indicates the part number, and the early 1900’s homeowner.

FUTURE FOR THE ANTIQUE CABINETS

Now that the antique cabinet restoration is complete, we are dreaming about it’s future. We love that this historic piece will be given a prominent spot in Arrow Hill Cottage – to define our entryway from the living room! You can read more about our first floor layout in THIS POST.

We are also very excited to see how the ‘nicer’ cabinet turns out. And to see BOTH of the cabinets, together once again in the new house, will be such a thrill!

PIN THIS ANTIQUE CABINET RESTORATION

If you enjoyed seeing this old cabinet become new again, be sure to follow this blog to see the other restored!

AROUND HERE: SEPTEMBER 2018

Around here, we have been…

CELEBRATING birthdays for both of the girls! {K} turned 8 and {M} turned 5! Last year we celebrated their birthdays together, but this year we decided to have small family parties for each of them separately.

{K} had a ‘magic pony’ aka unicorn party. We even bought her a a unicorn headband so that she could pretend to be one herself. She received many art supplies and creative tools, which she loved. Her biggest wish, though, was to unwrap her ‘stinky present’ – her purple arm cast. ha ha! That wish was realized about a week after her birthday, and she is now cast free!

{M} had a confetti/ celebration themed party and received gifts that included a magnet learning toy, drawing book, and a wooden pizza party set to use with her play kitchen. She soaked up all the attention, especially at school with her friends – while passing out cookies and listening to them sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to her.

We are blessed to have these two little girls as part of our family and pray that the year ahead of them is filled with favor.

GETTING our exercise. Before the very cold weather blows in, and the snow begins to fall, we are trying to pack in as much outdoor time as possible. Both {D} and {L} continue with their football programs.

Being the first year for {L}, he is still very much learning the rules – along with his teammates. It is sometimes funny to watch them out on the field. That being said, we are proud of {L}’s hustle and his ability to follow instruction.

Craig is coaching {D}’s team, and reports that they are a great group of boys. As of the writing of this post, the ‘mean machine’ (team name determined by the kids) is undefeated, and have yet to have any points scored against them! In his free time, he is still living and breathing field goal kicking. Through a series of events, he was able to match up with a former college football kicker – who is willing to give {D} private kicking lessons!

This Fall has found {I} doing a lot of running, and he seems to really love it! His first experience with distance running was the elementary 1 mile fun run, which is an optional event for all 4th and 5th graders in our school district. Though he was hesitant to sign up, Angela took him on a practice run. Once he realized that it was possible for him to go the distance, he was all in! He finished his mile race with a time of 7:47! Since the race, he has run with Angela a few different times – up to the distance of 3 miles! He is always trying to beat his time for the mile, and now has a PR of 7:25. Perhaps he will have a cross country career in his future?

WORKING our jobs. This month, Craig took a work trip to Philadelphia where he was able to take in some of the famous city’s historic landmarks, such as the Liberty Bell and the ‘Rocky steps’. He was also able to eat a classic Philly Cheese steak sandwich.

Angela began her new part-time work venture – as a para/ aide in the Preschool room at our kid’s school. She is now with {M} for half of her school days on M/W/F. She loves the position so far. Because it is part time, she is able to run errands in the afternoons on those days and ‘recharge’ on the days between.

CHANGING some of the design aspects of our future house. While doing a bit of fine tuning and simplifying, Angela somewhat stumbled upon a major planning change for the new house. It adds so much value, including an attached bathroom for the main floor bedroom. We are really excited about that!

We will soon be contacting the bank and getting our preliminary estimate/appraisal done. At that point we will also work with our contractor and excavator to determine the house position, and begin to cut down some of the main trees that will need to be removed. The large trees, we hope, can be milled into boards that we can use for furniture pieces in the house.

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: AUGUST 2018

Around here we have been…

HEALING. {K} had her follow up appointment to see how her hand is healing. The doctor was very happy with how things looked, but decided that it could use one more month in a cast. She was a bit bummed at the news, but we trust the doctor’s recommendation. If she were to fall on her wrist or thumb before it was completely healed, it could mean more surgery.

She chose a purple cast this time – for the Vikings.

MAKING memories with family. All three boys, Craig, and both grandpas were able to attend a pre-season Vikings game in Minneapolis. For both {I} and {L}, it was their first time at an NFL game. Sadly, the Vikings lost to the Jaguars and didn’t seem to play their best.

That didn’t seem to matter to the boys. They had fun all the same and came home with huge smiles on their faces.

ENJOYING the last days of summer. It really is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. It is going into the record books as one of the most enjoyable breaks we have ever had as a family. I was trying to figure out the reason it has been so great, and have come to the conclusion that it is likely because we have had no major life events this year. No moving to a new house, no adoptions, no adding of new family members. Just us and the gorgeous weather.

We have been spending the last couple of weeks at the Fireman Cabins here in our town. A stay there is a perk of the Fire Department. Craig had signed up for our stay before his retirement, so this – our 11th year – will be our last official stay.

We have always loved our time at the cabins. There is something so peaceful and relaxing about the setting.

PREPARING for the start of school. This school year, six of our seven family members will be spending time at school. Angela accepted a position as a part time pre-Kindergarten classroom aide. It just so happens that miss {M} will be in her class, something they are both pretty excited about. Angela has been doing training with her colleagues in preparation.

She has also been sorting through school supplies and divvying them up among the kids. It’s amazing how many pencils we have! Back to school open house was yesterday, when the kids were able to meet their teachers, find their lockers, and see where they will sit in their classrooms. They are probably most excited to spend more time with their friends, and not so much looking forward to the extra work load that is sure to come.

{K} worked very hard this summer to get through the list of sight words her teacher had given her. The goal was that if she was able to learn them all, she would be able to get her very own library card. She did it, and was all smiles!

The kids are also starting their school related activities. {D} is signed up for football again this year. He is excited to have Craig as one of his coaches! They look forward to a fun season of learning together.

It has been one full year since the ‘Around Here’ feature began on the blog – take a look back at August 2017’s happenings. There are a lot of similarities this year!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: JULY 2018

Around here, we have been….

CELEBRATING with family. The fourth of July holiday has always been a special one for my family. Growing up, it was tradition to visit my grandparents and take in all of the small town festivities – parades with lots of candy, sparklers, and of course a ton of barbecued food. Now, going home, it’s fun to watch our kids doing some of the same things. It was wonderful to see both of my sisters and their families. I cherish these moments.

This year, my hometown was having an all school reunion the same weekend as the 4th of July festivities, and so I was able to catch up with two of my best high school friends, and meet their kids. It was a blast to wander around our old high school and bring up all of the memories (both good and bad) that were had there.

RECOVERING from surgery. As part of her arthrogryposis, some of {K}’s joints formed in unusual ways. The hand specialist she sees in the Twin Cities evaluated her left wrist and thumb and let us know that there is potential for both of them to be more functional, which could help her gain more independence. However, he also mentioned that the window of opportunity to improve these joints is limited, and that if not done in the next year or so they may be permanently stuck in the stiff and awkward position.

We did a lot of talking with {K} about what she wanted, and ultimately, though she was scared of having the surgery, she wanted to have it done so that she could have the best possible function. She also wanted the surgery for aesthetic reasons. Our little girl was very brave and although after her surgery she was in quite a bit of pain and discomfort, she is now is back to her happy self with her bright pink cast, which will be removed in August.

TRYING new things, and trying old things again. We gifted {D} a flight lesson coupon for his 11th birthday last November. He saved it, waiting until the weather was perfect to take to the sky. He had a wonderful experience and is excited to continue on his training.

Craig finally got his hands on a box of King Vitaman. It was his absolute favorite cereal when he was a kid, and he wanted to try it again to see if it was everything that he remembered. The cereal is still in production, but in very limited quantities. Buying it online is an option, but an expensive one that we were too cheap to invest in. His sister and her husband bought him a box as a birthday present, and he was pumped! See the video of his reaction to the first bite HERE.

STARTING to cross things off of the never-ending project list. Being renters for nearly 4 years, we haven’t had much to do in the home improvement realm. It’s been a nice little break, but as we are preparing to build Arrow Hill Cottage in the not too distant future, our thoughts are once again turning to DIY. I organized a list of projects that I want to tackle for our new home.

I have to admit it feels pretty good to be getting my hands dirty again, and the kids have even gotten into the action. We will see if we can finish all of these tasks before we break ground!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: JUNE 2018

Around here we have been…

GETTING USED TO SUMMER. The routine of each day has shifted. The kids are sleeping in longer and some days still in their pajamas until almost lunch time. They are enjoying the extra time they have to explore their own interests, including the building of a wooden roller coaster in our yard. We are hopeful that this obsession will end soon and that no bones will be broken in the process.

Summer camps are also in full swing. Our school offers quite a few activities, as well as a free lunch program for kids 18 and younger. We are there almost every day. The girls participated in dance camp and had a blast with their friends, and {D} attended a camp that focused on electricity.

All the kids are making new friendships at the playground as well!

SMILING at the memories of the fun Anniversary road trip we took at the beginning of the month. We celebrated our ‘Sweet 16’ Anniversary with a surprise (and kid free!) trip that Craig had planned all on his own. We drove through Iowa, a bit of Missouri, and finally ended up in Marion, KS- a super small town that now holds a piece of our heart.

I wrote an entire post about our experience, which you can read HERE. The grand surprise was an outdoor concert featuring the amazing Christian band, Unspoken. Craig even arranged for the two of us to meet the group! This is definitely a trip that we will cherish!

GIVING Craig the credit he deserves for being an amazing daddy! Father’s day was celebrated at our home, and just as we do every year for Mother’s Day – we made sure to line everyone up and take a few photos. We love looking back on these memories and seeing how much the kids have grown. It won’t be long before Craig will no longer be able to manage this particular pose:

This year, we invited Craig’s parents over for a Father’s Day brunch after church, which meant that he was also included in the photo blitz. As we get older, it is easy to forget to take pictures of the grandparents with their adult children. That makes the times we do remember to do so even more special.

We hope we are raising our boys to be great fathers too.

PARTICIPATING in a fun football camp. The Minnesota Vikings, our favorite NFL team, collaborated with Hyundai to offer a youth football camp at their brand new practice facility in the Twin Cities. As soon as the registration became available, Angela jumped on the computer and signed all three boys up! There is a limit of 300 participants, and the spots filled up fast!

Craig and the boys spent the weekend at the house of one of Craig’s best friends from college. His family lives close to the practice facility, which was really nice. Their two boys were also able to participate in the camp. All of the kids were able to have their picture taken with Kyle Rudolf, and practiced drills led by some of the best coaching staff from the area. We are thrilled that they were given this FREE opportunity. They haven’t stopped talking about it!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM MY FIRST YEAR OF BLOGGING

The official ONE year anniversary of this blog has arrived! On May 29, 2017 I ‘penned’ my first blog entry – taking a step onto a path that I was unfamiliar with. Frankly, I wasn’t really sure where it would lead me.

My guiding force was to document life – the mundane and extra special moments alike. In addition, I wanted to chronicle the process of designing and building of our family’s ‘forever home’.

A couple of months into the journey I began to understand why the average lifespan of a blog is only 100 days. It’s work. A LOT of work. I will admit that during these past 365 days the idea of throwing in the towel crossed my mind more than once. When those thoughts crept in, I had to dig deep to continue. I’m glad that I did. Sitting on this side of a year, having not given up, makes me feel proud. I’ve learned a lot about blogging, and about myself, in the process.

I ENJOY WRITING AND DOCUMENTING

I have never been one to write in a journal, but am finding that I actually do enjoy keeping record of what our family has been up to. I take notes on the adventures our family has, and compile them into a monthly AROUND HERE posts. I also shoot plenty of photos and video to use in our WEEKLY TIMELINE VLOGS. These posts and vlogs have been so much fun for my family to look back on. On more than one occasion we have said out loud “When was it that (this or that) happened?” – and then realized that we could look at the documentation that I was careful to preserve, and find out. What a blessing!

RESEARCH IS TEACHING ME NEW THINGS

As it turns out, I enjoy researching topics for upcoming blog posts. I try to fact check all of the information that I put out, so that I’m not misguiding anyone. This fact checking often leads to more interesting information that I many times see as being valuable enough to include in the post as well. Even though I have a five year degree in my field of study (architecture), and have been practicing in that same field for many years, I am finding that there is always more to learn. Through blogging, I believe that my expertise on a subject that I already felt quite competent in, is improving.

THERE ARE PEOPLE FOLLOWING ALONG

At first, I was a bit dismayed that my family and close friends were the only people who were finding the blog. Slowly though, maybe around the six month mark, the site traffic began to pick up. I check analytics at the end of each month, and have found that the website steadily receives about 50% of it’s traffic from people who have never visited the site before. That means that somehow these people found the website – either through word of mouth, a google search, Pinterest, or social media – and thought it may have something to offer them. To me, that’s exciting news!

And for this reason, I have been trying to be more diligent about making sure the content of the website is consistent. If someone happens to stumble upon the blog and finds an article interesting and helpful, I want to make sure that there is even more for them to enjoy.

Our house designing process seems to be especially useful to readers, which I love. I enjoy following other blogs that document the house designing and building process, and am thankful that I can help to encourage others in that regard.

I CAN MAKE MONEY

Blogging is most definitely NOT a get rich quick scheme; But there is money to be made by doing it. I know that there are a lot of other venues I can consider in the future, but for now my primary income is from the advertisements that I put into my blog posts, and affiliate marketing posts.

Many bloggers are able to earn additional funds by offering courses or selling products. These are things that I will be thinking about as I move forward into year number two.

A YEAR ISN’T ALL THAT LONG

It is amazing to me how quickly this first year of blogging has gone. The saying ‘the days are long but the years are short’ is just as relevant to blogging as it is to raising children. Though the effort I put forth on a daily basis at times has felt overwhelming, the days have literally flown by. This mindset will help launch me into year number two – by realizing I only need to put one foot in front of the other, and be consistent, to make progress. The days are going to pass no matter what, so I may as well make use of them in some productive way.

If this first year has been one of learning, I am hoping for the second to be of growth and confidence. Soon, I hope to fine tune the website and blog so that it even further reflects the information I want to share with all of you.

As always, I appreciate each and every one of you who has chosen to hang out in this space with me. Let’s see what YEAR TWO will bring!

A SURPRISE ANNIVERSARY ROAD TRIP

We aren’t the type of people who go ‘all out’ with milestones. Sure, we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events – but it is never expected that we will give (or receive) any extravagant gifts or accolades. A simple acknowledgement is just fine, thank you very much.

However, it seems that Craig got a wild hair a few months ago. That wild hair put the wheels in motion on one of the best memories we have experienced during our time as a married couple. A ‘Sweet 16’ Surprise Anniversary Road Trip. He told me only this: “We will be driving for about ten and a half hours.” Not much of a clue, and I didn’t push for more. The element of surprise was part of the excitement!

After making arrangements with both sets of grandparents to care for our five young kiddos, we began our journey in our rusty 2002 Chrysler Town & Country van – on the cloudy drizzly afternoon of May 30th.

The halfway point brought us to Ames, Iowa. Craig had been there before on a work trip and he knew of a restaurant that served great food at a reasonable price. Hickory Park did not disappoint, with its awesome atmosphere and yummy barbecue.

Hickory Park Restaurant Co.

Cy the cardinal – Iowa State University’s Mascot

Finding a place to stay did prove to be a bit more of a challenge. We looked on Expedia and other hotel sites, and it seemed that there were not many rooms available. We even pulled into a unique B&B establishment, set in an old fraternity house – on the campus of Iowa State University. It too, was full.

Eventually, we were able to secure a room at Loya’s Little House Bed and Breakfast. Though we were initially a bit skeptical, as the location of the B&B was a ways outside of the city, we fell in love with the peace and quiet of the setting. The hosts were very friendly and personable, and the breakfast was second to none! We are considering bringing the entire family some day!

The interior of Loya’s B&B is peaceful and clean

and filled with fun art – all by local artists!

The property features a well manicured country setting with over 5 miles of private trails

From Ames, we headed South on the Interstate. I still had no idea where the end of the road would be – but that didn’t stop me from trying to guess. It turns out that I am a terrible guesser though, and I had no clue at all until we were literally pulling up to the town.

And that little town? It was Marion, KS – population 2,300.

Never heard of it? Neither had I! In fact, neither had Craig before he planned the trip. All sorts of questions were rolling through my head as we made our way through the brick paved streets. “What are we going to do here for two days?”, “I don’t see a single restaurant!”, and… probably the most important… “Where in the world are we going to SLEEP? Surely there is no hotel in this little town!”

And then we pulled up to it. The most stunning little hotel I have ever seen – with a beautiful stone facade and wrought iron veranda. The sign at the top read ‘Elgin Hotel: 1886’ and I was intrigued. Stepping inside was like being transported into the past. The elaborate lobby was beautifully decorated with red velvet chaises and crystal chandeliers. The intricate wood staircase in the corner of the room was inviting us to explore.

The hotel owner was friendly and welcomed us right away, giving us a brief tour and showing us to our room. Craig and I were both impressed that such an old building was in such great shape. And even though it was over 90 degrees and very humid outside, the interior of the hotel was a very comfortable temperature.

My hopes about this venture were improving, yet I still didn’t believe we would travel such a long distance to stay in a historic hotel.

And that is when Craig pulled out the ace in his sleeve – revealing that we would be attending a concert featuring my absolute favorite band, UNSPOKEN. Not only that, but we would be allowed to meet the band! My excitement then went through the roof!

this group is so full of energy

amazing acoustic performance!

Chatting with the band members was amazing. Everyone was so personable and welcoming. And the concert – despite the miserable, muggy weather the concert was incredible! They are one of those groups whose live performances sound just as good, if not better, than the recorded versions! The lead singer even gave us a shout out regarding our anniversary – which prompted a round of applause from the audience. We like to joke that we are now famous in Marion, KS.

Speaking of the town, we were very impressed with it as well! Despite it’s small size, there was plenty going on. It was easy to see that the citizens have pride in the place they call home. Everyone was very welcoming and kind to us. One of my favorite aspects of the town was the amount of incredible old buildings it has – many of which were constructed of stone. The courthouse is a real stunner. Isn’t she gorgeous?

The courthouse is an impressive stone structure constructed in 1906

This clock tower tolls on the hour

I had to laugh at this little stone detail

The library is situated in an old train depot. We went inside and were happy to see that they had photos on display of how the old building was configured and information posted about the history of the depot itself. We thought it was a clever reuse of a building whose original purpose was no longer necessary.

Train depot turned library

unique exposed structure

And of course, as a lover of all things house related, I convinced Craig to walk with me – street after street – to document the residential architecture. There were plenty of quaint bungalows!

The town also had antique stores and an architectural salvage yard. You KNOW that I had to check this place out! I ended up finding some turned table legs that I hope to incorporate into our future farmhouse table.

When it was time to say goodbye to Marion, we were both a little sad honestly. So many fun memories were made there.

We really hope to bring our entire family back again some day.

The drive home found us in Sioux City, IA and a couple other smaller towns along the way – once again checking out some interesting old houses. These are some of my favorites:

What a refreshing trip! It was fun to take a bit of a break from our everyday routines to explore. We now feel ready to tackle summer!

If you’d like to see the interior of the Elgin Hotel, or hear a bit of the UNSPOKEN concert, you can watch THIS VIDEO on our family YouTube channel.

AROUND HERE: MAY 2018

Around here we have been…

FINISHING SCHOOL. It is hard to believe that the end of the school year has already arrived! All five kids have worked very hard in their studies and are ready to move onto the next grade level. The end of school year activities – school softball games, class field trips, and programs have been keeping us very busy.

RUNNING AND JUMPING at track meets. May also kept the kids in good shape. There was a 5th grade District meet, in which {D} participated. All of the kids, besides {M} were also able to take part in a track and field day for Lutheran Schools in Perham. Angela helped with the school track club and was able to assist in the track meet that Zion school put on for 5th – 8th grade Christian schools in our area.

As parents we are very happy with how hard our kids tried at their events – and even that they were able to come in in first place in some of them; But more importantly, we are proud of the sportsmanship that they displayed with their teammates and other athletes.

CELEBRATING Mother’s Day. Each year, Angela requests only one thing – pictures with her clan. This year the weather was absolutely gorgeous, and so we set the timer on the camera and lined up. The pictures turned out better than we ever imagined – in fact, we love them so much that we are considering having them printed to hang on our gallery wall!

GETTING the yard summer ready. After a long winter of shoveling snow and avoiding ice patches in the yard, we were excited to get the lawn mowers out, trim the bushes, and to plant a few flowers. Angela is happy that have the landscaping project from last summer behind her. It feels great to be able to enjoy the outdoors without being all bundled up! Soon there will be beach trips and water balloon fights!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: APRIL 2018

Around here we have been…

REMINISCING on an entire year with {K}. We met in China in April 2017, and spent two weeks in country before returning home. It is really hard to believe that we have had a full year of adventures with this sweet girl already!

{K} home one full year!

Days after meeting {K} in China – April 2017

Throughout the year, Angela has interviewed {K} – asking her about her favorite things. It is amazing to look back on these videos and realize how much easier it is for her to communicate with us now. Her looks have changed quite a bit also! If you are interested in the videos you can see them here: 4 months home, 9 months home, and 1 year home.

Easter, April 1st, was the very last holiday that we had yet to spend as a complete family of 7. We had a wonderful celebration.

WATCHING the snow melt. Spring weather has finally reached the Midwest! Though the last snowstorm created a muddy mess of things, we couldn’t be more excited to be outside after such a long, cold winter.

RELAXING on our days off. With the warmer weather of Spring, the after school activities and sport camps are beginning to fill the calendar. The days we have to just snuggle up at home are precious. The kids always seem to find new and fun ideas to explore.

CELEBRATING Craig as he retires from the Fire Department. He has been a volunteer fire fighter for eleven years. We are so proud of him for the selfless sacrifice that he has made through those years. He finished off his duties by coordinating a beautiful memorial service for the firefighters who passed away this past year in the state of Minnesota. It was an incredibly touching program that included a vocal solo from {D}. We found it symbolic that {D} was just a newborn when Craig got accepted into the department and that he was able to help his dad to end his service.

We are absolutely overjoyed that we will be able to spend more time with this incredible man. Wonderful memories are yet to be made!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!