come in for a visit?

We've been in our new home for nearly seven months now and I've been meaning to post house pics to share with you for most this whole time!  Since photos were taking me forever... that is, waiting to get altogether beautiful pics of a totally clean and put together home.... I've decided to finally get the job done by taking some very average pictures of our not sparkling clean home and invite you in anyway :).

In just about six weeks we'll be back in the states and we'll get to see loved ones' much-prayed-for new-homes, but they won't get to come here for... well, a long time, at least.  So, we're throwing open these virtual doors to share our sweet home with you.  We are so soo grateful for this wonderful place!  Come on in....

Might as well start with the kitchen right?  It is the center of a home!  And this lovely little kitchen has countertops high enough for me to do dishes without near-kneeling.  First time in China to have high counters!  We are so grateful for this GIFT!

No closets means for some eye-sore coat racks but it works... the front door is between the table and the living room, by the shoe shelf and coat rack. 

windows, light, and just the right space to cuddle, wrestle, read or sing....  we love coming home to this home.

When we were getting ready for the move we made this past spring, the kids were grieving hard for all the friends they'd have to say good bye to and it felt like a mama's hard privilege and joy to try to find a prize at the end of the moving journey that would cheer up these stellar mover kids.  And this was it....  they moved from all four in "the kids' room" to having a girls' room and a boys' room.  I planned and saved up for a few special pieces for well over a year.  And I'm so grateful for how their rooms turned out...

The Boy's Room

There could not be a finer banner for this tent.  Thank you wonders Great Grandma Marian for contributing your talent to make Peter's war tent (for his battle against Miraz, you know) so perfect.  "For Aslan and For Narnia!"  I admit, I still have to figure out how to attach the banner long term....  it's just so precious, I'm hesitant to hurt it!

that little "lamppost" was needful in the boys' Narnia room...

I love the quotes on their wall...  "Courage, Child:  We are all between the paws of the true Aslan" and "There are no accidents.  Our Guide is Aslan."  are my favorites.  

The Girls' Room

I checked online occasionally for more than a year to find just the right bed covers for our girls.... something they will hopefully still like a dozen years from now.  I loved this one before I even saw the name...  It's Pottery Barn's "Vivian" duvet so I clearly had to buy just. this. one.  Thanks to Auntie Heather for the coupon code!  

I'm sure we're not alone in having gone through more than one copy of The Jesus Storybook Bible.  The loose pages of the last spine-less book made beautiful banners to bless our girls.

So crazy grateful for my talented friend who sewed this perfect princess tent for our girls.    Thanks T!

~ upstairs:  two rooms and a bathroom ~

The School Room 

the very real view of our school room (and laundry drying rack) and the boy who loves to pitch plastic balls at the wall all evening long...  Oh!  And those are storage closest up above!  How wonderful is that?  No garage, no closets... these storage cupboards are so fantastic!

(from the double doors behind the drying rack.) Our room is just behind the white-board wall.
Nothing is on the walls... still... yet.  The white board (and a few more treasures) will be hung beautifully one day.  

Our room...  and yea, that's the whole in the ceiling of our 8 week old room where our builder guy is trying to fix a leak that drips (flows) right over our bed.   (We just finished this addition so we could use the schoolroom for school and matt could have an office at home).... That's my baseball guy watching the last (sad) game of the World Series during work hours.  How else does a baseball fan cope with the 15 hour time difference!?

 And for bathrooms... the magnificent news is that we have two of them.   Two baths is a real treat here! They match (meaning they're the same, not that the colors within match).    And they're not just any old bathrooms... our sinks would beat any other bathroom sink in the world for St. Patty's Day festives.  And just in case you think you might be able to pull yourself away from this pic without being jealous of our bathroom beauties, let me tell you this:  they sparkle (not like sparkly clean, but with glittery sparkles inside.)  Vivi's proud.

One little trouble is that we've been without water for about 2 weeks total of the past 3-4 months.  And it's true, we're big fans of flushing, but we're adjusting our plans and learning to go with the no-flow days.  We've got huge buckets of water stored for flushing necessities and I'm perfecting my too-many-days-without-a shower hairdo.

It is a wild and crazy privilege to come home to a place that we simply love being in.  We've never lived anywhere in our married lives that feels so much like a home that suits our family, our tastes.  This home is a gift that we are so grateful to have received and to have for the season that the Lord allows us here.... and we so loooong to share this gift with friends who will come and enjoy meals, tea, laughter, stories, popcorn and learning here together with us.    YOU are most gladly, warmly welcome to come anytime!