15 East - Just a House

I know many of you have wanted to see before and afters of our 2nd home we renovated on Central Ave.  I wasn't the best at documenting the process.  I know, as a builder's wife/designer you'd think we would have had play by play photos coming in for marketing purposes...but, truth be told, it's just a house.  An old home, that probably should have been burned to the ground.  We bought a 2 family rental.  We weren't looking to sell our previous home.  We were super comfortable.  It had so much curb appeal, and the best neighbors in town.  But, there was no denying that God had another family planned for that space...we needed to let it go.  Honestly, we've moved enough, letting it go was not difficult. It too was just a house.  But, Central was our home, it was where we were planted.  We looked all over Zeeland for property.  Nothing felt right...so, we ended up purchasing the most delapidated home on the block...it was the only one on the street for sale at the time...

Yah, pretty nasty, right?  I was more focused on where God had landed us during this process and was way more excited about taking pictures of this...

Who gets the opportunity to live on Lake Michigan during one of the snowiest winters!?  It was amazing!  The view, the snow days, the fire in the fireplace, the sunsets, having the kids and really no one else around...why in the world would I want to be over documenting the process of our house...this was an incredibly restful place to land for 6 monhts...I barely thought about the new house, and just enjoyed the kids, the hikes, walks...it was heavenly.  it felt like a sanctuary...I found great rest...

The kids and I would make periodic stops to the home, but John was the one really working away...for someone who likes the design process, I was having a really hard time getting into this one...John would ask me what about this, what about that, I really didn't care inside, I just gave ideas and hoped it all worked out.  It had to be frustrating for him...but, how in the world could I focus on this?!...

...when the kids and I were enjoying this!?

It became a really long winter...the kids and I super content.  John becoming wrestless with the mountain that was before him...but, as with any "breaking" point in our lives, God has a way of allowing us to get to the edge, but, never fall of the cliff... we press in to Him, He always has us, always!  Slowly the snow began to melt and the sun began to shine...

And this old home that was falling apart slowly began looking like a home again...

With the long rough winter, and John having to maintain his other clients and keep them happy, we didn't meet our own deadline, this too, was God, as we had the opportunity to live on Mona Lake this summer and enjoy some special time with my parents and good friends, Glenn, Tanya, Evan, and Ava...this was a treat for each one of us!  

And some sweat friendships grew between the V and Z kids...

And with John working so much, Grandma and Grandpa were just the encouragement and influence our kids needed as they were missing their daddy's presence...

Little Marta and Silas really blossomed in their home...

...and I am very grateful for the 8 weeks we shared...memories that will go with the kids for a lifetime....

So, back to our house.. this experience will go with us for a lifetime.  The lakehouse experience let me sit quietly at the feet of Jesus, no interuptions, no distractions...I know my kids better...Central is a fun place to raise a family, but, it is a location that has a revolving door of excitement and activity, constantly...it's truly Central in our community, and therefore, it should be a place of hospitality and friendship!  John was stretched further than he would have liked.  He is a builder, a better builder today.  He cares about the end product and satisfied customers...he really does have the tools to get there, no matter how difficult the project!  And some how God gave me the mind to create (I had lost it out on the lake, literally, I think He took it from me for a period so I could really engage as a mom)...

So, now we are settled in...we didn't use the most expensive products on this home (yes, we even put vinyl siding on it).  We were about function and praticality-I love this about Zeeland, families are simple...as a small business builder, we knew we needed some curve appeal, but, it couldn't be everything...going simpler, a little more space, and still having high quality craftsmanship was our goal.  

A few ways we cut cost, for those who don't want to break the bank...we did not sod, we just threw grass seed down, save hundreds...takes patience, but, it is peaking through the dirt!: )...

Recovering a chair with soft and cozy fabric and wrapping it in a stripe adds a unique punch to a room, and is surpisingly cheaper if you find the right fabric.  Finding solid fabric for curtains and color blocking it is an inexpensive way to add color, too...

I love a colorful front door...one of the very few things we could save on this old home...remember if you add color to a door, glaze it so it's not so shocking...

Marta really does well sharing a room with her big sis...Dirk, one of our subs built this great stair of drawers and bunk bed...building up is a great idea when you need floor space...

As long as there are legos and American girl dolls in the house, it's really nice to build up and have the clutter out of the way...so instead of putting trusses up, stick build the rafters, this saved us money up front, but, was probably a wash once we had to finish the space, this was not a savings in the end, but, I love not having to worry about stepping a piece of legos or having to put away their toys...

I love bold high contrast colors...don't be afaid to use them...but, you need to tie it together with accessories/art/frames or it may feel a bit like a circus...

If you love a color, even if others tell you your crazy to use it...go for it, if you love it, you will always love it...this peri blue is the one color that has been with me since I've been married...if it's too intense, white wash the walls...this gave it a denim look...still going to have a friend stripe it to tie all the colors together...

If stuck...a nuetral wall always is best...

Oh, and friends, this is my favorite room...do not be afraid of wallpaper!  I wish all our clients would use it in their homes at least on 1 wall...and when my brain was on "shut-off" thank you Alison for telling me to keep the old vintage sink...the best save in the house!

I love it when homes feel personal...you can't see it, because it's not done, but, adding a huge wall of chalk board, cork, and magentic will let you display all those favorite art pieces your kids come home with, Bible verses or inspirational quotes, etc...

Just a house...but it's where God wants us today.  He wanted us to have this experience.  It was another hard one, not for me, but, for John.  So, why did we do it?  Because God told us to...He made a way...guided and directed...we didn't know what we would run in to with every wall that we tore down.  I had no idea my creative juices would shut off for a few months so I could experience a sweeter time with Jesus, and enjoy my kids in a way I have never enjoyed them...it's good to be back into "normal" but, this really is just a house...there are things way more eternal brewing on my heart...stay tuned...

Grateful

My heart is full as I ponder celebrating our 2 little girls tomorrow and their special adoption day! 

I'd love to tell you this has been the easiest year of our lives!  That would not be accurate!  It has been a year of experiencing the fullness of His grace, drinking in the Living Water!  Yup, that's way more accurate! So my heart is grateful as I sit and reflect on all that God has done and is doing among us!

It would be fair to say that I have stopped blogging because so much of my thoughts are what we experience day to day, and what we experience day to day, and the relational and spiritual growth of our family comes from the mess and "hard" of what was, and to share that would be to share some of my kids stories, and they are their stories...for them to share...but, I do have some things to share, coming off of Adoption Awareness month, knowing so many of you are in the "what if we adopted?" thought process...here's just a glimpse into what we've encountered in the last 3 months of yet another refining, exhausting, rich, full, amazingly beautiful year! 

I don't want to forget the details of what Caroline and I shared tonight, so, I will share a glimpse into her heart...she is so very tender...my pleaser and joy filled almost 6 year old!  Tonight I was reading to her, she began to cry, and had a "flash back" moment of her first familia in Colombia, her first casa...this is painful, obviously, she has lost her familia, her culture, thankfully not her first language, and even though it was "hard" there...she still grieves it...it's a loss...and I am so grateful that she is now safe and secure enough in our home to share her little heart with me!  She expresses herself sooo good!  So, after a minute of weeping, yes not just tears, she starts singing, and her face begins to glow "Here I am to Worship" and joy over took her, and she said, "Mommy, it's time! Time to ask Jesus into my heart...well, I know He's with me...I love Him so much!"  This is my bundle that wept over the cross the first time we read the story to her!  YES!  Give me "hard" Jesus!  If it draws my family closer to you, give us "hard!" Sometimes she still feels darkness, memories are too painful, but, praise God, she has entered in to the Kingdom of Light! My prayer is for her to "be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you wherever you go!"  John and her continue to grow...it takes time with an older child who is so tender...and in John's testimony he has shared, "God knew I needed her more than she needed me!"  You see, when you encounter darkness, your own sin is revealed, and it's ugly and you want nothing more than to fall before the throne of Grace...and this little bundle has brought our family to our knees...and He is so gracious!  And I am so grateful...

Marta, let's see, in the last year I have encountered being hit several times through out the day, spit on, shoes thrown at me while I'm driving, yelling "owie!" like I'm hurting her when we are grocery shopping...yes, I know, a caseworker would be the first to say, "oh...yah, you are dealing with attachment issues!"  Really?!!!! I can't begin to tell you how much I love her, she has a huge part of my heart...it aches in knowing the causes of this...but, God is so good!  I have some amazing sisters in Christ who have prayed over her, I am giving her to God first thing in the morning praying scripture over her...and yes, God is dazzling me through my baby girl!  Her speech is delayed and she processes words slow...but, not prayers, not scripture...the power of speaking scripture is unbelievable...I encounter it every day, and she is now, in the middle of her rages, saying "Mama, pray, pray Mama...I need God!"  Yes, this is the longest sentence she speaks, and God hears...life is getting much easier now that prayer is such a big part of my little 3 1/2 year olds life!  Another victory...give me "hard" Jesus, give me "hard!"  Oh I am grateful...

Isabel and Silas are seem to be thriving!  But, best of all...the bond between siblings is getting stronger and stronger day by day!  I am so proud of Silas, his rages are over, he, too, is a tender hearted bundle of personality, and continues to love life and people!  Sometimes the conversations I have with him are way over my head...he's a deep thinker and articulates whatever is on his mind so well!  It warms my heart when I hear that he and Caroline "look out" and help each other out on the playground if there is ever an issue...they have come sooo far!  Isabel, although a little "peanut" is maturing, and acting more like a "tween" than a little girl...it's such a fun age!!!  So grateful....

I have found myself in a sincere place of contentment in the last year.  From our home (have I said before living downtown Zeeland is amazing?!  I could see us tackling another "fixer upper" but, Central Ave. is our home,) to feeling that our family is complete.  I get asked all the time...so, when are you adopting again...seriously, the first thing that goes through my mind is "do people know how crazy expensive it is?!"  And then I get this whisper in my head, "I've done it before, why wouldn't I take care of you again!") I said to John..."we are done!"  He is in full agreement...I don't know why I say these things, because it seems like everytime I do, God rocks our world...let's just say, Silas wants a little brother in the worst way, my heart will always be in 2 places (yes, Colombia has a piece of it and always will)...and this mama could give in real quick to that desire...but, John leads...and I trust him with my life...I did tell him I'm praying about it...he said I am supposed to discuss these things with him first, I said "yup, discussing it right now!" :)  On paper it seems impossible...but, we both know if God was calling us to that, He would move mountains to make it happen...

2 years ago...our world was rocked...in an amazingly beautiful "hard" kind of a way...today my arms are wide open...one day at a time...so so very grateful...

Remembering...

Love these little bundles...

Today, 2 years later...

It's been a Year...We love you Caroline and Martita!!

I haven't been much of a blogger since we've arrived home from Colombia last February, life has been so full!  Tomorrow we are celebrating 1 year that our little girls joined our family...my mind and heart have been going back to our time in Colombia ( l love that land and people), and all that God has done since then...it really is overwhelming when I slow down and let my mind go back...

Adoption can be full of surprises...it's funny what goes through your mind when you receive pictures of your children before you meet them.  I can remember feeling so much joy when Tia Isabel emailed me the below pictures, days before we left to travel.  I would look at them and remind myself not to set expectations...but, still thought, aww...Caroline looks so sweet.  She must be a little chubby 3 1/2 year old, quiet, gentle, and shy. It's easy to put an image in your mind and assume that is how it is going to be...and Marta, poor baby, I need to get to you...being "institutionalized" really appears to have affected you!  Reality is Caroline is not the shy, chubby  little girl...although, very cute and gentle, she is outgoing, happy, and as petite as they come...I was correct with Marta.  Living in an institution has really effected her.  I soon learned that her arm up in the picture shows that she was very stressed out just having her picure taken...but, it did not take long and we discovered a very expressive (even though she has few words) stubborn, strong-willed baby girl...and has a personality that catches more attention everywhere we go...she is such a fun lover, and I did not see that in the pictures.  Some surprises with adoption are incredible...others can be painful...

Marta at 19 months

Caroline in November 2009

These below photos of Caroline were taken random at her orphanage...had I seen these before we adopted her...I would have seen a totally different girl...

Funny, what a little stinker and social butterfly she was there, and during our time with her in Colombia...

I've said it over and over, Los Pisingos is an amazing foundation...but, it is not a home.  Just the other night Caroline said to me..."Mommy, I didn't like bath time at Pisingos.  The Tias pushed me into a freezing cold bath and I cried and cried."   It wasn't the Tias fault...they had to push 30 little kids through the baths, and of course, warm water was not afforded at the orphanage.  Amazing how flashback memories come up periodically throughout a typical day...

This last year has definitely been the most challenging and rewarding all at the same time for me.  Don't get me wrong, Isabel and Silas' journey's bring back so much "warm fuzzy" wonderful times...they were so easy, and the love and joy they brought in to our home is indescribable!  We just had our post-placement visit with our caseworker, and I told her I could do this again.  (I don't know...we are not pursuing it anytime in the near future...it will always be on my heart...) I told her if I ever were to do this again, I would not pursue a little baby, but, an older child.  There is just something about having Jesus meet you in the "mess" of these little bundles past...and slowly watch His redeeming love break through, bringing light and hope where there was once darkness and pain.  It is real stuff, and it comes with a cost. We have been pruned, refined, tested, exhausted...overwhelmed...and yet, I still continue to be dazzled by God's goodness in my life!  Everyone always hears my perspective (simply because John doesn't enjoy being on the computer)...but, he would be the first to tell you this has been one of the most difficult years he has ever been through-much harder on him than myself...but, our God is so good and pursues us in a way that we need to pursue each other...Caroline and Marta are His kids, a gift from our Makers hand!  God has used them to keep our gaze on Him, to abide in Him each day...and to experience first hand the power of His love! How could we not experience all of this?!  His heart is for the orphan, and I am continually amazed that He chose me to have a front row seat into their lives! We (John, Isabel, Silas, and I) are all better because Caroline and Marta are a part of our family! 

"Oh Happy Adoption Day!"

Back to School

Summer was ...a much needed time be together and grow together as a family!  It was not always easy...some days were really difficult.  But, by the end of August it felt like we had turned a huge corner and our family life feels much more natural (or normal-if there is a normal) than it did in days previous! 

We did not anticipate sending all 4 kids off to school this fall, but, after a few evaluations on little Marta, and realizing how much Caroline thrives in the classroom environment...we are in full swing...and it could not be going better!!

Below, Isabel's first day of 2nd grade with Maestra Koop!  She is off to a wonderful year...loving being immersed back in the Spanish language, reading like crazy, and enjoying her friends at school and being a big sis at home! Wow...has she grown up in the last 10 month! 

 

Silas was very happy to start Kindergarten with Maestra Zondervan!  He is so social and has turned a huge corner since school started! His teacher is a gift in setting a godly example, having strong expecations, and encouraging him to be the best he can be!  He is thriving and has come so far since this past spring!  He loves hanging out with other little boys, and has informed me that he has begun talking to God about having a little brother!  Ay!

Caroline continues to amaze me!  She has adapted and bonded to us so well!  She is such a joyful little girl with an eagerness towards life!  The big question was do we send her to an English or Spanish preschool.  Given the fact that as of June, she has lost all of her Spanish, we decided to enroll her back into the El Puente program as she has picked up English so quickly.  Her English comprehension is still not there, but, it's just preschool, so, we think having both is a win for her eagerness to learn!  She is blessed to have Maestra Schrotenboer and Rodriguez.  The 2 teachers compliment eachother so well...and Caroline is thrilled to be going 3 afternoons a week to the same school that big sis and big brother go!

And Martita! Out baby!  2 and half and still one strong willed baby girl!  We met with Early On and have been so blessed.  We had a speech therapist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist visit a few times this summer...and it had become clear that Marta is definitely delayed in all 3 areas, specifically her speech...so, she too, is off to Early On 2 mornings a week!  This program is a gift, and already we have seen Marta grow in so many areas!  Her speech is still a big frustration for her...so, we anticipate this being a year of making great strides with her language...we are hopeful anyways!



Having 4 kids under the age of 7 is a big undertaking!  But, for me, it has brought nothing but great joy, total exhaustion, and lots of blessings in the last 10 months!  God continues to show me that His mercies are new each day, there is no other way to live than surrendering each day to Him, and when the Spirit gives me that nudge, I better move, because I would never want to miss out on all that He has planned for my life!

Obviously, our 4 kids are a result of listening to that "nudge"...even when it just didn't seem to make sense...and so is El Puente at ZCS!  And God continues to provide and confirm the His ways are perfect even if they don't always make sense! It really has been amazing to experience!  So, being back into the swing of homework, routines, field trips, carpooling...and all that goes along with having our kids in school...it has been wonderful!  I think I was meant to be a "mom on the go!"  Not that I don't enjoy a quiet Saturday afternoon at home, I just appreciate it more now that our weeks are so full!  It's good to be back in school!  I have great anticipation to see what God has in store for this year! 

It's not going to be one of those big years where we are pursuing an adoption or selling a house...nope...our plate is full...and we are very content to just "be" for this period in our life! After almost 12 years of pursuing our family, having to look ahead... we finally feel complete!  But, I've learned long ago...never say never...so we continue on...not looking to far ahead, but, taking one day at a time!   

Family Photos taken in August

Thanks to my in-laws for giving our family the gift of these family photos by Melissa Diekema Photography!