Tea for two, two for tea!

I always wanted to have cute newborn photo's, picture perfect yearly birthday photos and well, life happened.

For months I have been dreaming about a photoshoot with our girls. One that was whimsical, child like and captured them perfectly. One that they probably wouldn't be willing to do in just a few years time...

A tea party!

 I was originally bummed to not have the golden evening light that was in my vision. But the colors and composition that were captured on this cloudy morning were perfect. Thank you Cassie Fortman of Yellow Bird Photography for giving me such beautiful memories!

Lace table cloth (it's actually an old curtain panel): $2 at New Horizons Thrift Store

Tea cups and plates: $0.99 each set at New Horizons

Fruit tray: A gift from the girls great grandma DeBekker

Sugar bowl: From the collection of Grammy Reed

Red tea pot: A wedding gift Tim and I were given 8 years ago

Headbands: Gift from Aunt Alyshia

Dresses: $12 on Amazon

Shoes: Hand me downs

Shoes she was really unhappy about wearing in the sand: Hand me downs.

My favorite of Alexandra.

 This is my favorite of Karoline.

 This one is in the running for the large canvas print.

This is what was happening between shots. It was rather chilly when the wind blew.

Excavation, buried treasure.

The Builder's Wife Chronicles...

We started excavation on the lot Monday (June 11, 2018). There was much excitement leading up to this monumental step in our build. Tim was like a kid on Christmas. He hardly slept, didn't take a lunch break and subsequently may or may not have been tired for the next three days.

*Shout out to High Country for financing our build.

We stopped by shortly after they started and were surprised to see the hole was already rather large!

At the end of the day the progress was impressive.

Unfortunately on day two we ran into buried treasure. Sometime around 1950 Fireman's Bluff development was a dump. When it was decided this would be a residential neighborhood all of the trash was to be removed and the area back filled. Unfortunately they missed a spot. A big spot, right where our house is going to stand. 

Our excavator spoke to whom we bought the lot from to see if they would assist in the payment of over digging and backfilling the lot. He was greeted with a big, "No." When we bought the lot we were given a soil sample that said everything was good. Sometimes tests aren't foolproof. 

And do not complain as some of them did. - 1 Corinthians 10:10

That night I read the girls their devotional. This was the headline verse. The body spoke about choosing to see the rain or the rainbow. 

I am proud that neither Tim or I got mad about the finding of trash during excavation. While yes, this is a large addition to our budget. It's just money. Money is a tool. And thank the Lord this is something we can fix. We choose to see the rainbow.

Now we know it is all done properly. Our house will be safe, sound and ready to sand for years and years to come. 

A big thank you to Anthony Lippis of Lippis Excavating for quickly and efficiently making sure our house will be on solid ground.