Bluerprints for Welcoming Neighbors:

I lived in one house from the time I was a baby until I was eighteen years old.

There I spent eighteen years, in one place, and I can't tell you those neighbors' names. (Aside from the one my mom babysat for)

The temporary place that Matthew and I are living in is surrounded by people we have either gone to church or karate with. We know all of them. So when we move into our actual house, it will be my next chance to step out of my comfort zone and introduce myself as the kind of neighbor they can get a cup of milk from when they have none.

Sounds dramatic, right?

Mine and Matthew's future home is located next door to his mom and dad's house and our three wonderful dogs are currently in their backyard until we get to live up there. Needless to say, I'm at my in-law's often.

We were checking on the dogs and then saw a family looking around in the yard. I asked if I could help them with anything and comes to find out, they were looking for their momma cat, which was a cat I had grown very attached to and didn't know it was theirs! We found her and I told them that I had been looking forward to the cat having her kittens and I asked if I could see them at some time. They invited us other right then.

I got to see the adorable kittens and then they offered to give us one when they get old enough! I looked at Matthew and beamed (he's still not completely sold). We had to get going, but the next day I was off from babysitting and after some house cleaning, I baked a couple of cakes and took one to our future neighbors and they seemed genuinly happy! I've never done the thing of cooking for the neighbors to welcome them, but I have to say I really enoyed it.

Blueprints for welcoming neighbors: Bake them cake!

I've gotten crazy good compliments on the apple cake that I make, I'll post the recipe soon. Happy Friday!



http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x4505476/close_up_of_woman_holding_heart-shaped_cake



First "Hello" and a Mobile Home

Hi! My name is Faith.

Can you say...pale? Haha :]

Meet my husband, Matthew.

Matthew underneath the garage of our house.

These are pictures are from the day that we loaded our 1500 sqaure foot house onto the back of a truck to haul it ten minutes down the road. Well, what was usually a ten minute ride turned out to be an over two hour trip.

Matthew and I had been engaged for seven months when we bought the house and a month after purchasing our future home it rolled onto our property and then is when the slow realization begin that we were not going to be able to live in it when the next eight months closed in on our wedding date.

Due to the insanity we've come face to face with, the house has only been on a foundation for a matter of weeks...and the house was delivered a year ago as of this month. But now is when the real progress begins and I can barely wrap my head around the excitement!

A wonderful couple in our church family is letting us rent from them and living in a place that is not my parents' house or my future home has helped me figure out a lot of things I want to do in our house that I would have NEVER thought of before! It has been a great experience with an extra dose of learning since this is the first time me or my husband have lived away from our parents. The transition has been smooth and sweet and I've loved the whole adventure. I look forward to being in our house, living with all of our pets in one location, starting the farm and garden, and so on, but before I can even touch those things, we have to get passed blueprints, remodeling, repairing, and decorating and I couldn't be more giddy about it!

I'll be sharing my contemplations and revelations along the way; everything is so new to me right now and it's being such a fun time in life. I can't wait to share it with you. :]