Going Boldly: Atlanta or Bust!

The Hubster and I are moving tomorrow. 
The first move of our married life. 

We've been waiting, dreaming, and praying for tomorrow for over a month (and in some ways, longer). 
He'll be taking a new IT job, I'll be back to doing child care (in addition to Etsy), and we'll be closer to my family and many of our friends.

The Burrow is almost packed. I'm hiding out in our room as I type because it's the last semblance of order in our home. There are boxes and spreads of the last remnants of packing everywhere. 

This move is our dream.
But it's a little heartbreaking to leave our first little love nest. 
We spent our wedding night here. 
This was the first place we welcomed our parents to our home. 
Friends have come up from Atlanta, over from Covenant, down from Cleveland...
More than once faces have lit up in surprise at how often we have company...and just how many people you can fit in our little home! 
John painted these walls and built our furniture with love and care, turning a (very) humble mobile home into a sweet little cottage. 
We grew veggies in the summer, filled wine bottles with flowers, and hung succulents in the windows. 

Obviously we'll still do many of these things in Atlanta, 
but there's something about the first time. 
Our first home.

Woven in all these things are our friends, especially all the lovely ladies I've had to tea. 
One of them, probably the Burrow's most frequent visitor, asked me yesterday how it has been saying our goodbyes this week. 
Honestly, I've been trying not to think about goodbyes.
We're all grown up, and Atlanta isn't far--that means there will still be visits and teas...
 
But I'm going to miss hugging JE and NS almost every day, swapping chocolate chips with SS in the library, whispering in class with KR and MK, Sunday afternoons with our small group...

Then I look forward:
Meals and games and walks and talks with Mom and Dad. 
Tea and coffee with MD, MH, S&FtP.
The Reelets--who are growing up way faster than I care to admit. 
Meals and homework and life with A&AS. 
Breaks and holidays when "my girls" come to town, and we go to the Forum or out for Mexican, or a night in at our new apartment.
New friends that we don't even know yet--other newlyweds, young families, small groups, John's coworkers...
Visits from out of town friends--and a guest room to host them!
Perimeter.
My favorite bike routes.
The luxuries of Target and Trader Joe's. 
A sunroom-studio that I am determined to transform into arting heaven. 
An aquarium--and eventually a cat and dogs, too. 
The Someday Knightlets.  

I hope we'll name our new home...and all the homes yet to come. 
It's an old tradition that delights me. 
I can't put into words the rush I got when I realized that everyone was catching on to calling our home here "The Burrow." It still thrills me. I smile every time. 

So, we gather our skirts (proverbially), our belongings, and our courage and go boldly further south. 
We are blessed. 
We have been blessed here, and blessings won't stop with a move. 
We will grow--in wisdom, love, experience, relationships, blessings, and grace. 


"The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen."  (Philippians 4.23)

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Christmas Time is Here

"Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer

Fun for all that children call

Their favorite time of the year 

Snowflakes in the air

Carols everywhere

Olden times and ancient rhymes

Of love and dreams to share 

...Christmas time is here

We'll be drawing near

Oh, that we could always see

Such spirit through the year..."

~Charlie Brown Christmas

Christmas started while I was still at my parents' house for Thanksgiving, and it continued yesterday as the Hubster and I decorated our Burrow.

 I tried to study today, I really did, but I just keep getting lost in twinkle lights and wrapping paper. I've had my Christmas playlist on repeat, much to Hubster's amusement (I take Christmas a bit more seriously than he does. :-) ). There's already a pile of presents under our tree, plans have been made for family and friends to visit, and I've had a reading list a mile long since July to tackle over break. And all those things are good--wonderful, really--but they're not the point. Part of the point, but not all of it. I'm reminded of some wise words that were said to me about 7 years ago:

"A lot will ring empty here this time of year because it is empty. 

Delight-- TRUE delight-- is other worldly."

~Steve Bennett

I said a moment ago that loved ones, gifts, and enjoyable past times are part of the point. These things reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. And those things are other-worldly. They ring true because they come from Truth. 

My friend Brenda will be delighted to know that the Carpenters are winning my vote for current favorite Christmas album. I've always loved them because they're classic, but, this year, one song really caught my attention:

It's Christmas time and time for a carol
Time to sing about the little King
To fill the bowl and roll out the banel
Have ourselves a fling

We greet a friend or welcome a stranger
Let him sing on cheer him on his way
And celebrate the child in the manger
Born on Christmas day

Good cheer for you and for me
With pleasure and glee to share
Oh, we're so happy to be together
On yuletide square

It looks like snow and falls like snow
Take a moment, take a look about and say
As snowflakes fall
Merry Christmas to one and all

~"It's Christmas Time"

That's what it's all about. Not gifts, not a break, not the hokey-pokey. It's all about the Child in a manger who was the Savior of the world. 

I'd like to share a few words that help me to remember why this time of year is so special to us. 

Emmanuel- God With Us. After millennia of prophecy, each and every one was fulfilled by a child born of a virgin. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14a).

Ichthus- In Greek, this acrostic means "Jesus Christ, Savior." The baby grew up and became sin for us so that we might become children of God and heirs to His kingdom. 

Agape- Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). God himself died on a cross and rose again because of His perfect, overwhelming love for us. 

For some of you, these words ring true. But for others, you're skeptical. You might even think I'm a bit kooky, even uneducated. Hope is out of fashion these days, and cynicism is all the rage--I get that. But we all believe that Christmas is a time for hope, kindness, generosity, and love--why can't we believe that every day of the year? What if our "Christmas spirit" is a lot closer to the real deal than our work-day cynicism and exhaustion? What if we were made for true, other worldly delight? 

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

  

Fine Art and Mistletoe

It's been a busy day, y'all! I've worked on three very different projects, and I've had so much fun. 

WIP 1: A custom order 5x7 watercolor. 
It's still in the sketch stage (left), but in the next few days I think it'll develop nicely. I'm trying very hard to highlight as much as the house as possible and "erase" those middle trees. It's getting there...slowly.

WIP 2: Wire Mistletoe Christmas Decoration/ Ornament
Okay, I admit, I stumbled on this one. I was searching Etsy for some faux mistletoe to hang in our Burrow, but I just couldn't find what I wanted. I saw some wire, paper, and bead mistletoe for doll houses, and it occurred to me--I have green wire, pearl beads, and red yarn floating around, and I could make what I've been looking for! So I did, and I loved it so much that I made another one to put on Etsy! It's a bit different from anything else I found, and, well, viola!

Check it out on Etsy here!
(Remember: all domestic shipping from my shop is FREE!)

 WIP 3: The Mystery Project
The challenge is still on, y'all! The Prize: A coupon code for 20% off any purchase of $25 or more in my Etsy shop! Leave your guesses as a comment below. The first to guess wins. Here's one hint: it's a women's accessory. The deadline is Tuesday because the coupon expires on Wednesday. Cast your guess!

There they are, y'all! I hope your Saturday was as fun and productive as mine! I'd love to hear about it. 

Adventure well; Live Fully. 
HAK

The Burrow

We call our home the Burrow. Isn't that quaint? 

For those who were wondering, yes, it's from Harry Potter, home of the Weasleys:

 

We chose it because it's fitting. My little Etsy shop is run from our own humble Burrow:

As you saw in the "Fun Facts" post, we have a lovely little library, and we also have lots of great food. Sometimes, our windows are pretty like this, too:

 It's not much, but it's home, and I think it's Brilliant. :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK