Archive for the 'Moving' Category

Hello friends…
Time is just flying by right now. We have not had ANY Internet connection at our apartment for a few weeks now due to technical difficulties. We’ve been going to coffee shops and the library every couple of days. So just in case you were wondering where I went…I’m alive and well, just not connected. Luckily, we will be moving again in a week or so, and we have free high speed wireless at our new location.

They’re moving again?! Yes. We have decided to cut our housing expenses in half and move to a much smaller place even closer to downtown. We’ve been busily painting, tearing flooring out, painting some more and sleeping hard. We’ve also had out of town guests and more out of town guests and dinner guests, so we have been B-U-S-Y!

You can see the “before” photos here and read more about the apartment. In the coming weeks, I will take the “after” photos and you can see the progress! We’re having a blast making it our own and I am ecstatic to be moving into a smaller space again.

Some of you have asked how we stay on the Compact while moving and remodeling. Luckily, our landlords have said they will help with much of the costs of the renovations. We have been buying most of the remodeling items new (paint, tile, etc). If it was my own home and we were paying for it, I would probably buy used. It’s proving very difficult to find some household items used…but we are doing our best and having a great time! The thing that helps me the most is to have PATIENCE. I am usually able to find what I need or something that will work if I just wait. eBay is my new friend. I’m learning a lot about my character in this process because I am definitely not naturally a patient person.

I have many new topics to write about and discuss with you…but my blogs will be on hold for just a bit longer while we finish the apartment, move, and get settled.

Blessings…and stay warm!

This Christmas, we will be heading to Bozeman, Montana to spend time with Matt’s sister, Mindy, and her husband, Ryan. Ryan is the Director of Lion’s Ridge, a retreat center that is nestled in the mountains just a few hours north of Yellowstone National Park. We spent last Christmas with them as well and fell in love with Bozeman…the town, the scenery, the adventures! We felt God calling us there…and had a deep sense that we would eventually live there, but we had so much to take care of before that could ever happen. We work for my family and Matt runs a significant portion of the company. At that point last year, we owned a house, had so much debt, and not much free time. Our dreams of a simpler life were still far away.

Well, a year later…God has opened doors for us and we will be making the trek to Bozeman for Christmas again, but this time we will be pulling our entire life behind us in a 4 x 12 trailer. Yes…we’re moving! Our last day in Des Moines will be December 15. After that, we will spend a week in Brainerd, MN with Matt’s family and then we will all head out from there. We will spend a couple weeks at Lion’s Ridge in the cabin you see in the photo above…and then will travel to Boulder, CO to visit our best friends for a few weeks. When we return, we will know more regarding a job opportunity in full-time ministry there. I will share more with you as things become more finalized. What we have realized is that we need to be back in ministry, paid or unpaid. We know that Matt has been called to that…and we want to be obedient to his calling.

We have sold all of our furniture (yes, even our bed, kitchen table…everything!) and our bus and have only kept the things we love. That made for a much easier move! We are looking forward to starting fresh and trusting God to provide fun, “new to us” furniture and such when we arrive. It’s definitely been a growing experience as I learn to release my earthly possessions and focus on where God is leading. We feel so light and free!

God has been so good to us…and we are so excited to be starting a new adventure. We have much to look forward to.

• A wonderful church with which we are already acquainted with.
• God-ordained friendships (a crazy story for another time!)
• Family…Ryan and Mindy are so much fun, I am excited to have them so close!
• Shops and restaurants galore!
• An amazing co-op
• Mountains!
• A slower lifestyle

So now you understand why I haven’t been posting as much lately…I’ve been busy packing! We moved out of our apartment a few weeks ago and we are spending these last days in Iowa with my parents at their house. Please bear with me during this transition, I’m not sure how much computer time I will have. But I am so excited to share every step with you all…telling of God’s amazing provision as he leads us WEST!

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

The stats:

From 1667 square feet TO 478 square feet
From 3 bedrooms TO 1 bedroom.
From a table that could seat 8 TO a table that seats 3.
From a 2-story house TO a 3rd floor walk-up.
From 5 closets TO 2 closets.
From $230 a month utility bill to $21 a month.
From a large, adorable, high mortgage house TO a little, adorable, cheap apartment.

We are blissfully happy in our new apartment. The smallness. The ease. The togetherness. We love it. We have gotten rid of so much WEIGHT this last year. Debt, belongings, household responsibilites. Every time I walk up 3 flights of stairs, I am reminded of our choices and how happy I am about it. Even with a 27 lb. toddler on my back. Now that’s happy. Another great thing is that Matt is completely on the same page and loves it as much as I do.

Things I LOVE about living smaller:
*Everything has a place.
*It forces me to be creative with our use of space.
*I donate things regularly to clear more space.
*I don’t have to wonder where Bella is.
*I don’t have to yell downstairs to Matt.
*I only have things that I love around me.
*I feel light and free.
*I am not overwhelmed with housework.
*I have a smaller ecological footprint.

Things I LOVE about our apartment:
*The sound of the wind through the trees outside our windows.
*The feel of community. I have great neighbors.
*Old brick building = great sound barrier.
*Brand new laundry machines in a bright basement.
*Everything is bright.
*We are so close to everything.
*It’s a beautiful historic neighborhood…great for going on walks.
*It’s so fast to the freeway.
*It takes less time to get to my parent’s house on the other side of town.

Ok, c’mon Sara…you can’t love EVERYTHING! Fine…you’re right, there are a few things that I wish were different.
*I can’t paint the walls.
*Sometimes if people are smoking outside, you can smell it upstairs.
*My shower needs more water pressure.
*There isn’t an easy recycling option.

That’s it. I pretty much love it. I even love the on street parking. Don’t mind it a bit. It’s fun…and I never have to park more than a 1/2 block away.

I’ve created a little photo tour for you. There are lots of notes on the photos. you just have to “mouse over” the image to get them to appear. You can also leave comments (hint hint…I love comments). SO…come on up to the third floor and have a cup of tea with me!