Well, 2016 is in full swing, holiday vacations are over, and it’s back to the grind. Somehow, two and a half weeks have passed since I last posted and I don’t know where the time went.
Author: Rachel
Why I’m hitting the “pause” button on my involvement in Christianity
This post is hard for me to write, but it’s a long time coming.
I’ve spent the last several years on a spiritual journey, and I’ve ended up in a lot of dark corners, dead ends, and places that feel suspiciously like Knockturn Alley (from the Harry Potter universe.) I always enter a new part of my journey hoping with a sincere heart that, this time, I might find the answers I seek. So far, though, I only end up with more questions or, as I’m facing now, total disgust in the journey itself.
I’ve made many posts about my spiritual journey (here, here, here, and here just to select a few) so I’m not going to rehash all of it. To boil where I’ve been so far down to a single sentence, let me just say that I’ve been from one end of Christianity to another and, through all of it, I have continued to try to be a good Christian because that’s what’s expected of me. I’m from the Midwest, where conversations about Jesus flow as frequently as discussions on corn prices and the state of the summer crops. Being a Christian is expected. Asking someone where they go to church is as normal as asking about the weather. However, the reality is that I’ve reached the end of the line now and it’s time to make some changes. To put it simply: I’m out.
My dining room is complete!
Slowly getting this new house decorated. Ever since I bought the vase now sitting on my new dining room table, I envisioned a maritime theme for my dining room. I went to Olde Central Antique Mall down the hill in Port Orchard today and came home with the decorations I needed to complete my theme. I love it! Next to finish is the guest room, which will be done in a Pacific Northwest theme.
Come check out my dining room!
My kitchen is complete – come check it out!
One of the reasons I fell in love with my new house was because the kitchen was so uniquely vintage and adorable. We’ve lived here for 3.5 weeks had have most of the rooms done, but my kitchen is the first to be 100% complete. I’m very proud of how it turned out!
Check out the photos below:
“To dos” and gratitude
In our two weeks (plus one day) of home ownership, we’ve already learned a few things. Mainly, how to do stuff. Last night, I watched my husband, who was convinced just six weeks ago that we would need to hire someone to do every little repair around the house, fix a toilet that wouldn’t stop running. He spread the instructions to the replacement parts out on the sink, got out his toolbox, and got to work. An hour later, the toilet was working correctly and the satisfied, proud grin on his face made me laugh.
Back from my hiatus – and as a homeowner!
We are officially homeowners for the first time in our lives, and after almost ten years of marriage! We closed on our lovely little house in Port Orchard, Washington on 10/27, took possession the next day, and moved in Thursday.
Our new town! When we’re standing in our driveway, we can hear the seals barking down on the waterfront (of Sinclair Inlet, which is part of Puget Sound), which is about a 1/2 mile away.
Clean out the Cupboards Cabbage Soup
We are (prayerfully, hopefully, God-willing) closing on our house a month from tomorrow, which means it’s time to pack. It also means that I need to use up everything in my cupboards, fridge, and freezer, because even though we’re only moving 50.4 miles away, I’m not moving our food. Continue reading
DIY – Getting rid of that ugly dining room table
My dining room table is an object to both love and despise. It’s a bar height table, which makes it an easy workspace as well. It’s sturdy. It’s still in great condition. And it is uuuuuuuuuuugly. I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it, but I have faux marble. Yuck, yuck, Y-U-C-K.
See this fake marble?? It’s gotta go. Continue reading
Life on Wild Hare Farm 