Fall List Complete!

A couple months ago, I made a list of fall activities that I wanted to do. I completed that list over the weekend when Nate and I carved pumpkins! Here's what else was on my list:

• Make a Pumpkin Pie - which I did with my friend, Amanda
• Participate in a Donuts on a String contest - which I did at a group event at Elaine's house
• Take a Ski Lift up to view the fall leaves - which I [sort of] did at Elk Mountain
• Go to Iron Kettle Farm - a childhood favorite that I did with Nate and our friends, Ryan and Amanda

Now it's time to start thinking about a Winter To-Do List!

The During Phase

 Remember this? Our home when we first went back inside? This was BEFORE. Now we are in the DURING phase! Check out the progress we have made on our front room:

We passed our electrical and insulation inspections this week and began sheetrocking! All of the sheetrock is hung, and the taping and spackling will be done shortly. We hired a team to work on the sheetrock, and they have been moving fast!

Our home is looking more and more like a house, and now we have recognizable rooms! Keep checking back for the AFTER picture - that will be very exciting!!

Making Progress

We passed inspection! The insulation and electric were both inspected this week, and we got the "Okay!" to continue the rebuilding process. The sheetrock was delivered recently and has just been waiting to be hung. Well, that all got started today! Our house will soon have recognizable rooms and should be completed some time next week.

Our next steps include:

• Purchasing Appliances - We still need to make a decision on a stove, dishwasher, and microwave.
• Install Flooring - Carpet? Tile? Wood? Linoleum? We still have a few decisions to make...
• Kitchen Cabinets - They will be ordered this week, and then we have to install them.
• Paint Colors - Hopefully we will paint soon after the sheetrock goes up. The question is...what colors?

We built an addition onto our house about ten years ago. Sometimes I think the fact that we did that has been beneficial throughout this rebuilding process. My mom was very involved in the stages of the addition, so she now has a good idea of what needs to be done each step of the way. She has put a lot of time into working on the house and making decisions about it, and I know her efforts will pay off when we are able to enjoy our home again!

Girls Weekend

And the bride wore..cowboy boots?! Yes! I went to West Virginia for my friend, Sarah's, wedding. In high school, I never saw her in cowboy boots, but I guess West Virginia has gotten to her. She has actually even started picking up the southern accent. It was fun to be a part of her big day! Sarah and I have kept in touch since we graduated high school together. I enjoyed supporting her and seeing her so happy with the new life she has begun in West Virginia. She was a wonderful bride, and I'm glad I was there for her special day!

I decided to make the most of my trip to West Virginia - I visited three other friends on the way there and back. Driving through Virginia is beautiful this time of year! It was a little crazy to be in the car by myself for that long, but I was able to find things to do to pass the time.

It was great to see Heather, Christina, and Audrey! I was thinking about it, and each friend I spent time with is from a different season of my life. I knew Heather in elementary school, Sarah in high school, Audrey in college, and Christina after college! So neat to have friendships in so many stages of life - and I've appreciated staying in touch over the years!

I definitely had a lot of girl time this weekend, which was great! Four days, four different states, and four great friends - I loved it!

22 Hours and 1200 Miles

I'm heading out on a road trip tomorrow! I will cover 1200 miles and drive 22 hours and see 4 friends along the way! Here's what I'll be up to:

Virginia - I will spend the night with my friend, Heather, on Thursday. We have plans to go shopping, do some baking, paint our toe nails, and other girly stuff! We always know how to have a good time, and I'll meet some of her friends at Bible study that night too.

West Virginia - Sarah, a friend from high school, is getting married, and I am a bridesmaid. I will travel there in time for the rehearsal on Friday, and then Saturday is the big day! It's always fun to celebrate with friends.

Virginia (again!) - My friend from church, Christina, lives near Liberty University. I'll head there after the wedding and spend the night Saturday. I love seeing where people live and getting a sense for their life away from Binghamton. I'm looking forward to spending time with Christina!

Pennsylvania - Audrey, a friend from Rochester, moved back home to Lancaster, PA after graduation. I'm stopping by on Sunday to have dinner and catch up with her. She just moved into a new apartment, so that will be fun to check out!

It's going to be a whirlwind of a weekend, but I'm looking forward to seeing lots of good friends!

Overflow with Hope

Nate made something for me the other day. He gave me a decorated envelope that said, "Your Verses for Encouragement" and inside were several verses written out on elephants he had cut out! I read through them all and have been taking a different one with me every few days to think about and try to memorize. I'll share one here:

Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love that! The God of hope is the One providing hope, and He does so by allowing joy and peace to be evident in our lives. It has been so encouraging throughout this flood experience to have family and friends comment on my attitude. They have seen joy and peace displayed, and it's not something I am having to work at doing - it comes naturally, from God! I do have a hope for my future, in this life and in the life to come, so I have joy and peace now as I work through this more difficult time.

I am thankful for the God of hope and for what He has provided for me during this time. I also love that word overflow. God has given so much to us that is should cause us to overflow. I pray that I am overflowing with the goodness of the Lord as He fills me up!

Waiting on Two Things

We now have lights on the first floor! The electric is coming along, and before we can sheetrock, we have to have the electric officially inspected. We have lots of new electric boxes, and we were able to turn on lights and ceiling fans tonight! It's funny to remember that we used to have to look around with flashlights, and now that it gets darker sooner, the real lights will be very helpful!

The second thing that has to happen before we can sheetrock is having the house dry out. We have a moisture meter that we have been using, and the house needs to reach a certain level of dryness before we can do the sheetrock on the walls. The garage is a little further behind than the rest of the house, but we keep a handful of dehumidifiers running and are hoping it comes down soon! We have been using a lot of gift cards to Walmart lately, and Mom was able to buy this dehumidifier there today. That gift from a friend is helping us reach the next step in the rebuilding process!

If you are keeping us in your prayers, here are two specific steps you can pray for: the electric completion and inspection and the moisture level to come down. (And patience as we wait for these to happen!) Thank you for your continued interest in my family and our flood recovery - we are still moving forward with energy and enthusiasm!

Replacing What Was Lost

It's not just for brides and babies any more! My mom and I went to Target the other night to register for household items. We titled our registry "Flood Recovery" and scanned in items that will begin to replace what we lost. My parents' church is planning to throw us a shower and wanted to know specific items we would like.

Mom and I registered for lots of kitchen items, office supplies, handy items, and family games. It was a little overwhelming to make so many decisions, and there were items we did not even put on the list because we have not been able to think that far ahead.

We have received much encouragement through the gifts from family, friends, coworkers, and church families. Our new home will be made up of the love of so many!

Views from the Top

Before I even met Nate I had wanted to find a ski place that let you go up on the chair lift to see the view from the top during the fall. After we started hanging out, I mentioned this, and Nate said he had done it before and that we could plan to go in the fall. Elk Mountain has a whole weekend of festivities and the chair lifts are open during the day. We made plans to go on Sunday after church.

Nate's dad and brother, Ryan, joined us for the afternoon trip down to PA. Shortly after arriving, we were climbing up a black diamond ski slope - yes, climbing! We did not take the chair lift, but I joined in the traditional hike up the mountain. It was a hot and sunny afternoon, but after a few rest stops, we made it to the top! The leaves haven't been too spectacular this year, but it was still a neat view with ponds and rolling hills. It was a nice day to enjoy the sunshine, and we got quite a bit of exercise!

One Giant Hug

Our house is coming along, and we are starting to purchase new items to go inside of it. So many family and friends have offered to buy new appliances or other specific items. In fact, my parents church wants to throw us a shower like you would have for a bride-to-be. This means my mom gets to go and create a registry at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or wherever else - that will be fun!

I am picturing our new house and the many hands that will have a part in making it a home. I can't help but imagine feeling like I'm surrounded by one giant hug coming from our many family and friends that have helped us to rebuild.

We have been blessed in so many ways and have been loved and supported during this whole process. Today marks one month since we were evacuated from our home - one more month and we might be moved back in!

I smile every time I think about our new house, and I'm looking forward to receiving that giant hug when it all finally comes together!

The Fun Part

I had some time to kill, so I stopped by the paint section in Walmart today. It will be some time before we can paint the rooms in our house, but it's fun to start thinking about! My mom had been stuck on this country blue for years, and now with that sofa gone, she has agreed to let the blue go too!

Before we pick paint colors, we will probably find furniture we like. It's been fun to dream about what we want our new house to be like! We're thinking about one of those L sofas for the back room with a flat screen TV and room for a computer desk. The front room will have a piano and a love seat or two reading chairs. Without the basement as our family room, we'll need a new place to relax away from the TV in the back. The kitchen and dining room will be similar to what we had before. We haven't talked about the bathroom yet, but my mom has been shopping for a washer and a dryer!

My mom has done quite a bit of appliance shopping and has her vacuum and fridge picked out. We will receive rebates for many of our bigger purchases, and it's crazy to think that just about everything in our house will be brand new!

It's been a long process, and not too fun at times - try bleaching the basement walls when it's 85 degrees down there! - but looking forward to our new home has been pretty fun!