what a year

Brett is now 30! and my blog has moved:

For the last year I've been posting at thegracebook.wordpress.com and what a year it has been! We paid off my student loan and our Portage only to get an equity loan to purchase an acreage in the country! When we sell our red house we hope to pay off both the equity loan and Brett's student loan. We are also certified with Safe Families for Children and had our first hosting for two weeks this fall, and then Brett started a new machinist job at Bosch - his first job in Owatonna in the five years we've lived here! Our minivan's transmission died and God provided a car with better gas mileage. We got a new puppy named Saga and I got to take an online writing class over the summer. Norah can now ride a bike without training wheels and is in first grade. Our lives have been full of grace. Come and see!

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways,

Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:1-6

BRD is 29

A few glimpses of Brett's 29th birthday at the Portage.

Brett has a freakishly long eyebrow hair.

My mom sent a package from CA which arrived today!
Norah fits perfectly in the box.

Brett's breakfast burrito.

Norah

Reagan

putting up lights in below zero temps

voila!

the crowning present: a new band saw

birthday peppermint fudge

Mission Trip: Minneapolis

At the end of our four-day trip, our team of five filled out evaluation forms and wrote ourselves letters recounting what we experienced while it was still fresh on our minds. Two weeks later we were able to give our group report to our church body and share a slideshow of pictures. However, there are many more who supported us personally through prayer and giving who have not yet heard the story. Following is my brief attempt to recap our short-term mission trip to inner-city Minneapolis, Fri July 26th - Mon July 29th, Anno Domini 2013.

Our trip was a whirlwind and yet so full of grace. Not only did we deepen our relationship with the Lord and with each other, but we learned about some great mission opportunities and devoted disciples less than 75 miles from our front door here in Owatonna. We were all challenged in different ways and we were each given the opportunity to use our own gifts and talents.

Friday we helped with cleaning and maintenance projects at Akina Community Church, which is made up mostly of Ojibwe Native Americans. Saturday we met an InterFACE worker who was serving Nepali-Bhutanese refugees in her neighborhood, and we helped survey refugee families, learn about their needs, and provide resources for them and their children as they adjust to their new homes, jobs, and language. Friday and Saturday nights we participated in Street Level evangelism downtown and were able to share the gospel and engage in many conversations about Jesus. Sunday we taught children's Sunday school at Akina, went on prayer walks for Tibetan families, and sorted clothes and served a meal at the Marie Sandvik Center for homeless and needy. On Sunday night our amazing Bethany Global Team Leader, Alison G, introduced us to several people groups compiled in the book Operation China, and some missionaries and students she knew personally involved in reaching these locations. Monday we helped at the Salvation Army day camp where many of the kids spoke Spanish, doing gospel-oriented crafts and helping construct their VBS set. Throughout the trip we were able to eat several delicious ethnic meals, hear the testimonies of wonderful brothers and sisters, and mutually encourage one another.

You can view a few photos from our trip here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i68tzp8y7cd84wr/4nVWZjI_uP

I cannot help but love learning, especially about other cultures and people. I must confess the incredible glimpses of the Nepali/Bhutanese families--from the jovial grandfathers to the hospitable new mothers to precocious six year old Nischal--held me rapt and goaded me to petition God for Linda's work to be fruitful. I don't really have words to convey the beauty and receptivity that these people have. I'm just struck by it. I'm struck by the magnitude of diversity that exists in our world, and the magnanimity of Christ's people serving Him in the alleyways and front porches and living rooms, around the world and right here in Minnesota.

heat wave

Cicadas are in full swing and the tomatoes are ripening. We leave for Battle Lake (Viking Camp) tomorrow. It's finally summer, just in time to turn to fall ...AKA The Best Summer Ever. My mother sent me an apron kit for my birthday, and today I finally got around to sewing it together. Norah obligingly took my picture, then wanted to wear the apron her nana once gave her so we set the camera on the window sill. I messed up one of the pockets--actually just made it too small--but I may still add it, along with a few real buttons. Bring on baking weather!

365 til 30

Now has begun the final revolution of my twenties. I am incredibly excited! A lot because of how close we are coming to being debt free, which is such a huge orientation of my life now. Simply reflecting on the past five years is enough to give me pause: anything could happen in the decades to come. Greater grief and deeper joy. I'm not guaranteed another day, but I am still resolved to seize the moment every day that I am given, be it sweet or sorrowful, messy or marvelous. ordinary or extraordinary.

July 17th was abundantly blessed.

the lay of the laundry

Last Saturday we scored some sweet deals at a local city-wide garage sale, but I think the front loading washing machine will go down in the record books.

We thought we'd hit one last sale before leaving town, but as we meandered up the driveway the people having the sale began to box things up (good sign #1). I cut my finger looking through a box of picture frames, snagged a few vintage shoelaces, and dug a tall green mug out of the free box. Then Brett came up to me and pointed out a washing machine that I had barely even noticed, with a masking tape price tag that said $50. “What if we offer them $25?” Brett said under his breath (good sign #2).

I considered the idea. I'd always wanted a decent front loader. My machine at home worked perfect, I'd underpaid for it, so I could probably sell it for at least $50 and come out on top. What did we have to lose? (The Kicker: Nothing.)

the reason they practically gave it away

We drove home a few minutes later with our new maid/entertainment. We plugged it in and realized the door latch (striker) was broken, but Brett quickly ordered a replacement part for $7.50 + shipping. The piece came five days later, and we sat down to watch our steal of a deal in action.

I love my low-cost life. Wasting money/energy drives me nuts, superfluity baffles the heck out of me, dryer lint is dumb, technology tends to confuse me, the sun's rays and oxygen delight me, low utility bills mean more money for books, Laura Ingalls did it, there is so much gosh-darn S P A C E in this house for clotheslines when it rains, and the smell of summer breezes is basically heaven. Go jump in your piles of steamy, industrially-dried clothes; I'll take the sweet scent of fresh cut grass, backyard bonfires, juicy garden strawberries, and bare feet.

colorado = red

It's the First Day of Summer and our first day back from our trip to Colorado. In the car on the way home Norah sang "Mary had a little baby and Jesus was his name" to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb - and I had never before considered the implications of that song before! Brett really helped me brainstorm and process my story plot and we listed to some good music driving across the plains.

We saw some awesome sites, heard good teaching, tasted delicious food together, and shared tears and laughter with most of my siblings and my dad. Now to catch up on housekeeping.

Norah at Red Rock Amphitheater