Officially in St. Louis

Life has been weird lately. Over the past 2 months since arriving in America, we have traveled back and forth between Nashville, Seattle and St. Louis. It has been fun but very tiring. We took one last road trip down to my parents house outside of Nashville. It was a busy weekend as we shopped for furniture and then painted it all. It was a lot of work, but we are SO happy with the outcome. Plus, you couldn't have beat the prices!


We did most of our work while Eli was napping. He also had his meals outside so we could get more work done. He loved being in the middle of things.

Mom and I just getting started. This picture makes me laugh so hard, because I am my mother. Of course, wearing her painting clothes helps me to look MUCH more like her. Oh, and I also love how my little sister is trying to get in the picture, too. (look behind my mom)

So what did we get and how did it turn out? With lots of gray paint, red and black spray paint, I think we did pretty well.

Before: This was a $10 vanity/desk. It had water damage on the top, loose joints and woodwork coming off. My dad did the gluing and tightening. Dan peeled the top layer off and mom and I painted the desk and the handles.

After: My new craft/sewing table! Sadly a little bit of the paint scratched off during the move, but it gives it a distressed look that I kind of like.

Before: White night stand, water damage on top, paint peeling, fake metal brackets on corners, rusty old drawer pull.

This one was our cheapest find: FREE! It has a drawer, too.

Before: This is a good solid dresser for $40. It had been painted a strange pink color and then painted again in a brownish green.

After: A sturdy gray night stand and dresser with matching chunky drawer pulls. I LOVE these.

Before: A rusty green kitchen cart on wheels.

After: A bright red retro kitchen cart. So useful and cute!

I do not have a before picture of the dining chairs. We got a set of 6 from the thrift store. They are strong and in good condition but were very ugly. Just imagine old gross black and red flowered embroidered upholstery on the seats. They were gross. A staple gun, cheap Ikea fabric and a few hours later, they look like this!

This little metal stool was $14 and very rusty. It cleaned up nicely.

We did work hard, but made sure we got to play, too. Eli cuddled up with Grandmarmie and Grand diddy after a hard days work.

Eli testing out his new stick horse toy that Grandmarmie got him from the dollar store.

After a fun weekend with the fam, Dan and I packed up the U haul trailer and then drove back to St. Louis with my sister and my dad. Eli played with the dogs while we packed up.

It was fun hosting our first guests in our apartment. My dad and sister were so helpful while they were here. Dad spent time sanding down doors that wouldn't close, hanging up curtains and helping Dan pick up our craigslist washer and dryer. Abby was the official diaper changer/baby bather/babysitter.

Since being back in St. Louis, we have had more time to get to know our new city. Eli loves the zoo. Actually, we all do. It's the coolest zoo I've ever seen and it's free!



The penguins were my favorite. There is an inside exhibit that is REALLY cold! Sorry Seattle Zoo, but these penguins are so much cooler than yours!

The butterfly exhibit was my second favorite. We watched one come out of a cocoon. Sadly, there are no pictures.

Eli tried to catch a butterfly that landed on our stroller.

Eli and I explored the park across the street in our radio flyer wagon. It's similar to Green Lake in size but it's not a lake, it's a park. There is a great toddler playground and wadding pool inside this park. Very fun.

Besides getting to know the city, we have enjoyed unpacking and reconnecting with all of our belongings. It feels like Christmas opening boxes that we packed over 2 years ago.

Decdorating our apartment has been so fun for me. After this experience, I would love to write a book on how to decorate/furnish a home on a thrift store budget. I love the challenge of having limited cash but real needs to meet while not skimping on style. For those of you who have been asking me for pictures, here you go. For those of you who don't care about interior decorating, just skip this next part.
Living room:

Thrift store chairs. The storage ottoman and rug were both on major sale at Urban Outfitters.

Yes, we have two couches. We bought the cream one on craigslist for $40. The next day, we came across one of the gray couches that I had dreamed of owning. That dream ended when Dan's bike was stollen in Malawi and we no longer would have the money for a couch. Anyways, the gray couch was there and it was on sale and then half off of the sale price. We couldn't beleive it. By the end of the night, we were the proud owners of two great couches for under $200.
Coffee table was $10 at Salvation Army. Side table was $15 at an antique store and the lamp was a craigslist find.

Eli's room. The rug is Urban Outfitters, shelves are still on sale at Target and the orange storage baskets are $9 for two at Wal-Mart.

My first baby quilt. It still isn't finished, but you get the idea. I loved the idea of having bright orange and teal together, just in case we have a girl next.

The bathroom.

Hanging out on the front porch.

Eli's favorite part of the apartment is the mail slot. He sticks all sorts of stuff in there.


Eli and papa on the couch.
Update on Eli:
Eli is almost 15 months old. He is constantly walking. He loves to walk so much that he sometimes will walk in circles for a long time. He is almost weened which is sad for me, but I think it's time. He sleeps so much better now and I am thankful for that. No more night time feedings! Oh and he talks too. Besides all of his animal noises he makes, he also says "all done" pretty clearly.
Eli's new favorite thing to do is parade around the apartment in his towel after bath time.

We are definitely more settled now. St. Louis isn't home yet, but it's not nearly as strange as it was. Dan begins school next Thursday and he couldn't be more excited. Please continue to pray for us as look for jobs and set up.

Nashville & St. Louis

We have been back in America for 3 weeks now. We've spent some time with my family in Nashville and then packed up our little Honda and drove NW to St. Louis, our new little home. Now we are in Seattle for the next two weeks. When I think about how much we have done in 3 weeks time, I get overwhelmed. I'm also just shocked at how much you can do in one day here in America. Everything runs so smoothly!

We had a blast hanging out with my family in Tennessee. Eli got to know his cousin Amos, his grandparents, great grandma and great aunt and all his aunts and uncles. He loved having 2 fluffy dogs to play with and also loved the thousands of toys that live in a big closet at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Sadly, I do not have a lot of pictures as I was just enjoying myself too much to get the camera out. If you are really curious though, visit my sister's blog for a very detailed update on our time in Nashville.

Elijah with Aunt Abby

Eli enjoying the toys at grandma and grandpa's house

Going to St. Louis was a strange feeling. I felt emotional but excited to start our new life there. We spent the first 4 days running around looking at 5 apartments a day. I couldn't believe how many wonderful apartments we had to chose from. It was a difficult choice, but I know that God provided a great place for us. We are so thankful for His provisions!


We also managed to spend time with our friends who also just moved there from Seattle as well as other friends who had been there longer. We are so thankful for God providing a community that we can really just enter into. It was hard only being there for 10 days as we were ready to start our new life. Still, I am glad to be here in Seattle and have one more vacation before life as a poor seminary wife takes off.


I feel like Eli has really grown up this month. Since returning to America, he has decided he is done with crying at nap time. As you can imagine, this has been a huge gift to me! No more stress at nap time! Also, he has taught himself all sorts of new little tricks and is becoming a much better walker. Oh and he loves to climb!

Eli figured out how to play with the Jensen's dog while also eating his snack

Getting to know our neighborhood park, Tower Grove.

On Tuesday, we packed up our belongings...

and got on yet another plane to Seattle

We are in Seattle until Aug. 5th. We will be staying with Dan's family as well as good friends. We have been well taken care of by so many people! I am excited to have these few weeks to soak up as much of this city as possible. Eli has been reconnecting with his best friend Ezra. The last time they saw each other, they were very very little.

Now they are big boys chasing after one another.

We had lunch at our favorite restaurant in the University District called Thai Toms. It was voted best Thai in Seattle this year. It's a hole in the wall with only 20 seats. Dan and I often walked there for date nights in college. Eli loved the Phad Thai with peanut sauce and I was so proud of him!

So far, our time in America has been great. It feels so familiar and comfortable. At the same time, I find myself to be very emotional. Not about anything in particular, but just ready to cry at any moment, especially at church. I think it is a good way for me to measure how I am really doing. I have a tendency to just push through and put my thoughts and emotions on the back burner until I have time to deal with them. But in the quiet moments it all spills out and lately, the only quiet moments I have had are during church services. I think it will take a while to process all that has gone on in the last month. We have been traveling a ton and have had so much to do that I think we are on survival mode. I look forward to life becoming slow and normal again. I want a schedule of some sort and a place to call home. It has been so fun though reconnecting with family and friends and we are trying to enjoy every minute of it

Now, I will leave you with pictures of our apartment in St. Louis, for those of you who care . This is the front door. I love the stained glass in the living room.


Here is our dining room. Eli's room is the door to Dan's left. Dan is walking toward the kitchen. The bathroom and our bedroom is also toward the back. I love the layout.

Bathroom to the left, kitchen straight ahead, and our bedroom and office to the right.

This is our bedroom. The office/sewing room will be in the sun room through those French doors that is actually part of our bedroom,