Some of My Favorite Things

I live in a little yellow house on the top of a hill.

It's not a fancy, elaborately built house. It's warm in the winter (except for a draft around the baseboard on the north side), and cool in the summer. It has wood paneling, which I've gradually been painting over the year that we've owned it. I've lived here for seven years. Six of them we leased it and just last September, we were able to purchase it and the 50 acres surrounding it. 

I try not to place great value in material things, as one day they will all be gone, as well as I. However, I do want to take care of the things we have, the things God has blessed us with while we are on this earth for the duration of our lives. 

Almost our entire house has been furnished from the kindness of others. Grandparents moving and passing on their items, a church giving away it's older piano. I sometimes just sit (I have to rest a lot more now with this baby getting bigger) and thank the Lord for all that He's provided through the generosity of others. I thought I would share a few photos of some of my favorite little places in my house. 

I love pictures of family. I love my parents. I love my grandparents. My great-grandmother, Jennie Tobiassen, traveled from Norway to New York when she was 19. She worked as a maid in the city and then eventually moved to Chicago, where she met my grandfather, Karl Jacobsen, who was also from Norway. He used to drive up to Wisconsin to purchase eggs from farmers and then he'd sell them to restaurants, grocery stores and families in the Chicago area. My grandmother, Shirley, grew up in NW Chicago with fields of wildflowers on it's edge. Those fields no longer exist as they now exhibit homes.

I love fresh produce ripening on my counter.

I love my little boy and how much he loves to snuggle and play with Sock Monkey. They are the best of friends.

This wooden cabinet was found in an old school house on my property. It used to be a hideous shade of turquoise. I've found that I very much enjoy taking old pieces of furniture, (or making something new from reclaimed wood I've found) refinishing them and using them in my house. I've fixed up a hutch and made a headboard for our bed, a coffee table and an entertainment center. 

On top of the cabinet sit a little blue vase my sister made in college and a green vase that displayed the most beautiful flowers from my husband. A good friend gave me the wine rack, which is another of my favorite things. It all makes much kitchen give a little flavor of Tuscany.

I love watching my little boy play. He loves his tractors. The green ones. Only. Any other tractor different than John Deere is cursing in this house. :) He imitates everything that Dad does. He loads "haybales" of wooden blocks onto his little flatbed trailer. He would do this all day if riding in the tractor while Dad actually does it wasn't more fun.

Everyone in this house has a hat. I love them. They make me smile. The cowboy hat is such a great piece of American history, yet still alive today.

My flower garden didn't do so well this year. The grasshoppers and the heat really beat us down. My husband has helped keep it watered and flowers are coming back and blooming! I feel like it's spring all over again! 

I planted watermelon for the first time and thought I wasn't going to get anything, due to the heat and grasshoppers. It's not the middle of the summer anymore, but we'll be eating watermelon! 

Although sometimes he appears gruff and mean, this is the first dog I've ever had and I love him. Bo. He's been with Marty for 12 years. He has arthritis. He was hit by a moving vehicle when he was young. As a dog, he has a right to be a little grouchy. He's loyal. He's lovable and no matter what kind of mood I'm in, he always wants to be scratched. 

This is Silver. She's a blue heeler, too. Bo is a mix of blue and red. She's very fluffy. It's not very common for her breed. She's a great dog. Very happy and loyal. She like skunks a little too much. 

This is my little boy. He's a great helper. He loves working with Dad. He also loves cooking with Mom. We love him. We'll keep him. I'm very proud of him. I think I love him more and more each day. We laugh and play together a lot. Mostly tractors.