Category: OUR ADVENTURES

AROUND HERE: MARCH 2018

Around here we have been…

WISHING Spring weather would arrive!  We have had small warm ups; but after each warm up came a large temp drop or inches of snow a few days later. There are rumors going around that another storm is on it’s way, and that the first half of April is expected to be colder than average. It is frustrating, but we know that warmer days are on their way.

In the meantime, the kids have been making the best of things – creating snowmen and ice skating on puddles that had melted – and frozen again.

the kids with ‘Jeff’ the snowman

 

ice skating on a frozen puddle

 

GOOFING AROUND. This long, drawn out time indoors has given us a touch of cabin fever – and we aren’t afraid to let our true crazy shine!

Yes, we are weird sometimes… and we like it like that!

 



 

EXCITED about {L} turning seven years old!  He is our little athlete – one who is constantly on the go. {L} is always ready for an adventure, and can add humor to just about any situation. He loves hamburgers, super heroes, and Imaginext toys.

some of his birthday gifts

 

With his big smile, and handsome brown eyes – we know he will turn heads some day; But for now, he has his mommy’s heart – and is quick to proclaim that he is the ‘baby boy’ of the family. For always.

such a handsome 7 year old!

 

CREATING all sorts of projects at school. The kids seem to be coming home with a new project every other day. In an effort to keep the clutter down, I have been documenting these projects by taking photos of each child holding their work. At some point, I want to get all the pictures arranged in photo books – one for each kid.

It has been fun watching them pose with their creations. They are so proud!

 

PREPARING for Easter. As Christians, this is the most important holiday we celebrate each year. Without Jesus dying for our sins, and raising from the dead three days later – we would be lost and condemned. We are so thankful for the grace of our Lord and Savior.

the kids on Palm Sunday

 

Each year our church acts out a Passion Drama – with scenes including the crucifixion. It is sobering to experience, and difficult to watch at times; But we attend as a family, as we feel it is important for even our young children to understand the true meaning of Easter.

 

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!

 

100TH BLOG POST!

Ten months ago I started this blogging journey with my first post.  I was excited, and very very nervous.

It began as a way to document the design process of our family’s future home – Arrow Hill Cottage – and as time went along I realized that I loved educating my readers about all sorts of aspects of home design, decorating and upkeep. In October, I organized the website into three major post categories: DESIGN your home, LOVE your home, and IMPROVE your home.

I have had the joy of featuring reader’s homes – and helping with their design dilemmas through the Makeover Takeover series. The connection I have made with my audience has been one of the most amazing and unexpected benefits of this journey so far.

I’ve learned some tough lessons, and made some mistakes. I’m still learning how to be a blogger – but I’m excited to continue doing what I’m doing here, in my own little corner of the internet.

We will find out soon if we will be able to build our cottage this Spring/Summer – and in anticipation I have been doing a lot of work behind the scenes in preparation. I have a ton of content just ready to hit the blog!

To be sharing this journey with all of you is a privilege. Thank you for encouraging me through 100 posts!

 

A TOUGH LESSON LEARNED

I had an entirely different post prepared for today, but I need to take a moment and acknowledge something that happened this week, which will change the course of how I blog going forward.

I started this website in July 2017 without much knowledge at all of what I was getting myself into. Sure, I took a few free online courses and read a ton of material about best blogging practices, but nothing quite teaches you the ropes of blogging than a tough lesson learned.

On Thursday afternoon I had just laid our youngest daughter down for her afternoon nap when I heard the doorbell ring. The postal lady was standing there, certified mail in one hand and a digital scanner in the other. I immediately got the feeling that this was bad news. After signing for the package, I said “I’m nervous to open this!” then closed the door and walked over to my dining room table.

Inside, just as I suspected, was bad news – a letter from the legal counsel of an online presence with proof that I had infringed on their copyright with a graphic that I had used in one of my posts. They requested that I remove the graphic immediately and send them a large monetary damage settlement.

 

This felt like a punch to the throat.

 

Here I am, less than a full year into my blogging journey – being dealt what felt like a giant blow. It took me a second to really wrap my head around what I had just read. It was true. I HAD used their material in my post, there was absolutely no denying that. In fact, I hadn’t even tried to hide that the material wasn’t my own.  In the post I had included a link back to the original source of the graphic, which in my ‘baby blogger’ mind was what I was supposed to do in order to be sure that nobody reading my post thought that the graphic was my own.

 

That was naive reasoning, and it bit me back big time.

 

My next step was to get in touch with my blogging friends, and ask them if they had ever been through anything similar or if they had any advice. One friend pointed me to this blog post – which scared the living daylights out of me.

I immediately removed the graphic from my blog, then contacted the email address listed in the letter to beg for forgiveness. I’m thankful to report that they agreed to show me mercy and reduced my fine significantly. The check is in the mail.

 

So, what dos all this mean you might ask?

It means that I spent a good portion of Friday scouring through my past 93 blog posts and picking out the 14 that have material that could be considered questionable. It means that I will be spending the next couple of weeks contacting the owners of these images/graphics and asking them for permission to use them on my site.

It means that from this moment forward I will be strictly using my own photographs and graphics, or paid stock photos from reputable sites. Be expecting a lot of original content from this website from here on out!

It means that I have learned my lesson. And as tough of a lesson that it is to learn, I am actually very grateful that this wake up call came now – when my blog is still establishing itself – and not in the future when I have 993 blog posts to sort through instead of a mere 93. Goodness, I’m grateful for that.

 

I hope that my mistake can be a lesson to you as well. Do your research and know the rules.

Behind every image on the web, whether a photograph or informational graphic, is a person who worked to create it. They made the effort, and they have the right to choose where it is shown and how it is portrayed. And as I work to add more original content to my website, I will want the same protection and rights. Lesson learned.

 

 

AROUND HERE: FEBRUARY 2018

Around here we have been…

CELEBRATING {I} and his 9th birthday! It seems like just yesterday this little man entered our lives. He is a kind, gentle and committed friend, a brother who is always willing to lend a helping hand. He is our little inventor and has a very mechanical mind – spending large amounts of time taking things apart and putting them back together.

We love watching the story that God is writing in his life!

 

ENJOYING what will hopefully be the last portion of winter. We finally got a big snowfall at the end of the month. Those 11 or so inches gave us more accumulation than we have seen all winter long! The kids are now able to do a bit of sledding and snow fort building, and they are thrilled.

 

WORKING hard at school. In February, the kids celebrated their 100th day with some fun activities. They continue to bring home colorful art projects, and good grades. We have parent / teacher conferences soon and are excited to hear how they each have grown academically over the school year. It’s hard to believe that there are only about 12 weeks left until summer vacation!

 

FINISHING up the basketball season. It has been a lot of fun to watch {D} progress through the games. He has gone from looking confused on the court, to taking initiative and making plays. He really shines on defense and is able to out-hustle his opponents regularly. When the weather warms up this spring and summer, I am sure we will see him and his brothers honing their skills with the garage basketball hoop.

 

DESIGNING Arrow Hill Cottage, our future house. We made a big jump this month and began talking to a banker about loan options and visiting with a contractor about pricing. We are getting the house design buttoned up so that we can get some accurate cost estimates and see if it is at all possible to break ground this spring! We have been thinking all along that we would build the spring of 2019, so this would get us into our new house a year earlier than planned if it all works out. We are excited about that prospect, but are also willing to be patient another year if the timing (and pricing) isn’t right. You can follow along with our home design here.

 

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: JANUARY 2018

Around here we have been…

WATCHING {D} as he learns to play basketball. He was nervous going into the season, not having any prior experience; But he has grown in confidence and skill. The moment he scored his first ever two-pointer he was beaming with pride. We are proud of the hustle and persistence he shows out on the court.

We are thankful for his teammates, some of who are much more experienced in the game, for their encouragement.

 

COMPLETING puzzles. For some reason January tends to be puzzle month in our house. It is probably mostly because of the cold temperatures and the fact that we spend much more time indoors. Every weekend this month we have had a puzzle going, with the kids contributing their help now and then and the adults working diligently after the kids are in bed.

A couple of the kids also enjoy working on their own smaller puzzles. {I} and {K} will sit down and complete a 150 piece puzzle in one sitting.

 

SICK. A bug has been going around at school, and a couple of the kids were struck with it – as was Craig. Tis’ the time of year for sickness, and we only hope that it passes quickly. Being sick is no fun.

 

UPSET by the ending of the Vikings football season. They had a good chance to play at the Superbowl, which is going to be taking place this coming weekend in Minneapolis – their home turf. They lost the Championship game to the Eagles, after winning on a last second touchdown the week before. Kind of a heartbreaking end to the season.

We know that it is ‘just a game’ and although we feel disappointed, we are thankful for the entertainment this football team has given our family. We look forward to next season and hope they can make it all the way!

 

FREEZING, but still participating in winter activities. January was a very frosty month, but we still managed to spend time outside. Craig had a couple of very cold fire calls, and ended up with a frosty beard.

There is still not much snow, but the kids have been taking what they can and have built a small snow fort in the yard. They were also able to go skiing with school.

 

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!

 

NEW YEAR | NEW GOALS

Happy New Year everyone!

The kids are back to school after Christmas break, and the house is very quiet. The frigid temperatures over the last couple of weeks kept them indoors, and it is safe to say that we were all going a little bit stir crazy. You would think that having this stay-at-home mom gig for 11+ years would mean that I could handle the chaos better. While it’s true that some things have gotten easier over time – the kids are much more independent and also are able to entertain each other well – there are other aspects that have gotten more difficult with the addition of each child… like the noise. So much noise when we are all together.

Looking around right now, I see a peaceful, simple and calm space. The Christmas decorations are put away and everything just looks so clean. I am realizing more and more that my soul really craves order and simplicity. As I am designing Arrow Hill Cottage, that thought is definitely in the forefront of my mind.

Though we are only a few days into the new year, I am happy to say that I have already reached one of my goals! For a very long time I have been wanting to open up an Etsy shop that reflects my love for simplicity, order, and design – and I’ve finally done it!

As I have mentioned before, I have a degree in architecture. I have been designing and drafting buildings for well over 12 years now. And while I love the profession, there are often restrictions that limit full creative potential. And I LOVE being creative. My absolute favorite aspects of architecture include 1. determining spatial relationships and 2. building architectural models. These are two things that I could do basically all day/ every day without getting bored.

And so, I have decided to combine these enjoyable aspects and apply them to an art form – my newest creative endeavor – Arrow Hill Studio

I see a world of possibilities ahead for this little shop. For the moment, my medium of choice is bright white card stock. I create patterns using geometry, then cut them into the card stock. When the individual pieces are layered they form a unique, three dimensional textured look.

I love the simple, minimalist vibe of the pieces I have created so far, and also the fact that when the designs are rotated they present a completely different look.

You can visit the ETSY SHOP for details on each piece, and follow my behind the scenes design process on INSTAGRAM.

I’m excited to see this dream grow a bit more in 2018!

AROUND HERE: DECEMBER 2017

Around here we have been….

DRESSING WARM and bundling up for the season. The temperatures have dropped significantly over the past month. The ground is now covered in snow, and the thermometer  rarely reads in double digits. In fact, today it is foretasted that the high temperature will be -15! That’s not including wind-chill!

Despite the cold weather, {D} and {L} continue to make an effort to get outdoors and practice their football skills. They are forming a special bond over the sport, which is really fun to see. {D}s favorite is still kicking, while {L} enjoys throwing and catching best.

SINGING in celebration of our Savior’s Birth. {D} performed at Jingle Bells once again, both in a duet with a friend and with the school choir. You can listen to the performances HERE. It was a beautiful evening filled with music and talent, and all for a wonderful cause.

The rest of the kids participated in both the day school and Sunday School Christmas programs. Each of the day school kids had to remember quite a few lines for these programs. They did a wonderful job and it was fun to see them sharing the Christmas story together. {M}’s Preschool had its own program, which was adorable.



ENJOYING CHRISTMAS BREAK at home. We had such a wonderful, fun filled Christmas! With it being {K}’s first Christmas home, we wanted to make it extra special. The house was decorated in bright colors and accented with photos from our year and the special events that took place – including our trip to China to make her a part of our family. You can see all of our decorations in THIS POST.

We kept the gift giving very minimal for the kids again this year. With five little ones under the roof, they already have plenty of toys and games and actually tend to have the most fun playing with one another. We purchased each of them an activity book (paper airplanes, brain puzzles, seek and find, etc). The girls received some fun new things for their play kitchen, and the boys received micro brick sets. They are sort of like Legos, but smaller and more challenging. The largest gift of the season went to {I}, who finally got a ‘high performance’ drone.

REMINISCING on all that has happened in 2017 by watching our family videos. We are thankful that we started the new tradition this year of organizing our family photos and videos each week into mini ‘timeline videos’. Each year in the future, during Christmas break, we will take time to sit down as a family and relive the past twelve months. Since we started in July of 2017, we only have six months to review this year.

If you’d like to see these videos, and get a closer look at all that our family has been up to, you can see them on our YouTube Channel: ARROW HILL FAMILY.

Blessings to everyone for a happy and healthy 2018!

AROUND HERE: NOVEMBER 2017

Around here we have been…

CELEBRATING eleven years with {D}! What a fine young man he is becoming! He is still very obsessed with all things airplane, and we splurged a bit on his gift by buying him a flight lesson at our local airport. It includes half an hour of instrument instruction and half an hour of flight time. He is very excited to learn more about flying, but has decided to wait until the spring for his lesson – when the weather is better.

{D} is also still passionate about field goal kicking and continues to spend hours outside most days practicing his form. This video compilation shows just how far he has come over the past year. Another exciting milestone the big eleven year old reached was the retiring of his glasses for a pair of contacts! Though they were difficult for him to put in at first, he is now a seasoned pro. He feels much more free without worrying if his glasses will fall off or get broken when playing sports.



EXPRESSING our thankfulness for all that we have been blessed with. We celebrated Thanksgiving with extended family this past weekend and it was so great to catch up on all that has been going on in each other’s lives. The kids really enjoyed playing with their cousins as well.

PREPARING for the busy Christmas season. As part of our Thanksgiving celebration we exchanged presents. Angela, her mom, and two sisters were able to go on a little Black Friday shopping spree – lots of memories made.

{D} will again be performing for the annual ‘Jingle Bells’ telethon. He has a guitar/vocal duet with a friend from school and also joining the school choir for a couple of songs. The telethon seeks to raise money for families who are less fortunate in our community – to provide them with baskets full of food, toys and gift cards for Christmas. It is a wonderful event.

You can see a clip of {D}’s audition here.

The house is slowly starting to look festive for Christmas as well. The tree is now up and the kids had fun adding the lights and ornaments. Angela has posted about Christmas decor ideas here and here. Be sure to follow the blog if you would like to see photos of our home decorated for Christmas.



SADDENED by the loss of three of the feral kitten who have been living around the farmhouse. The mom cat also looks to be at the end of her life. While we aren’t completely sure what is going on, we are thinking that a virus of some sort has been spreading among them. We aren’t holding out too much hope for the two remaining kittens, one grey and one white – but we are making sure they have shelter, food and water. These two kittens are quite friendly and allow us to pet them on occasion. We have enjoyed watching them grow and will be so sad if they also pass away.

This is just a glimpse of 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: OCTOBER 2017

Around here we have been…

WATCHING the change of the seasons. The weather the last few weeks has been absolutely gorgeous. Fall in the Midwest is one of the most beautiful scenes to behold. The leaves slowly turned bright colors, then fell to the ground. The temps are now dipping and we experienced our first bit of snowfall, although it melted quickly.

LEARNING new things. The older two boys and Craig have started taking Greek lessons, and are enjoying the challenge. Even though they need to wake up early on Wednesday mornings for their class, they are not deterred.

{K} and {L} are both working on their reading skills. It has been fun to see their grasp of vocabulary blossom. {L} has even taken to writing books of his own!

{M} is getting into the groove of preschool, and has been bringing home plenty of art projects that showcase the fun she has been having! She has made some new little friends, which has been wonderful.



PLAYING outside. As the weather cools down we are taking advantage of every spare moment we can before the deep freeze sets in. The girls really got a kick out of the fallen leaves, and labored over making them into piles that they could jump into.

There is also plenty of dune buggy riding going on. Craig even gets in on that action!

Even though the football season is now officially over, {D} continues to show his dedication to kicking and can be seen in our yard most days practice his form.



DRESSING up for Halloween! We went with a minion theme this year, which was pretty fitting. Many times Craig and I feel over-run by the chaos these little people exude, but we are so blessed by them!

DECORATING for the season. Angela has had a lot of fun this season getting the house festive. She has been pulling bits from nature to make decorative table centerpieces.

This is just a glimpse of 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: SEPTEMBER 2017

Around here we have been…

STARTING a brand new routine.  The kids are back in school, four of them all day long and little {M} a couple mornings of preschool a week.  I’m happy to report that they are all smiles at the end of each day, and that things are going well. They sit down and do their homework right away, and practice their instruments without much reminding. We have been experiencing lovely Fall weather, which means that a lot of outside play time has been happening in the evenings.

Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as well as Saturday mornings, are currently all about football. {D} was given the positions of quarterback (offense) and strong safety (defense).  I have to admit that although he is on the smaller side for boys his age, I have been impressed with his skills on the field.  Though he still says he wants to be a kicker, they do not offer that position in 5th grade football.

With the kids occupied during the day, I now have quite a bit more time to focus on other things, such as fine tuning this website! I’m excited about the direction things are going and have been enjoying the ability to write content that can help others. Check out THIS POST to see all that is in store!

RECOVERING and rehabilitating.  Craig’s knee surgery was a success and he has been diligent about attending physical therapy at least twice per week.  He now is able to bend his knee around 115 degrees, and can almost get it into full extension (straight).  He was thrilled when he graduated from having to wear the heavy leg brace at night, and after four weeks off the road, he was also quite pumped to be able to be given the go ahead to drive.  Though walking is going well, it looks like running or jogging may be out of the question for at least a few more months, which is disappointing. We may find ourselves using our YMCA membership quite a bit throughout the winter months that are quickly approaching- walking the indoor track or riding the stationary bikes.

CELEBRATING some exciting moments.  {K} was Baptized into the Christian faith!  It was such a special time for our family.  Her Baptismal sponsors are the foster parents who cared for her during her last months in China.  They are Americans who were living in China, and have since moved back to the States.  It was incredible to see our sweet, joyful girl with a huge smile on her face, receiving the blessing from our Pastor.

Both girls also celebrated their birthdays during the month of September! {K} is now seven and {M} is four.  Their birthdays are just a couple of weeks apart, and with the busyness of the new school year we decided to combine their party.  One cake.  One present opening. Simple. The girls are truly best friends and actually seemed to really love having their celebration together.  It is something we may consider doing in years to come.

This is just a glimpse of 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!