A little preview for Michelle...

This afternoon I got to go over and take some pictures for a good family friend, Michelle. She is going through rush at KU next year and needed a couple good pics to send off with recs, etc. We met up downtown by Allie's (now that I think about it, I should have gone a little early and gotten something to eat...yum yum yum!) and took a few pictures there and then headed down to Carey Park. Of course, as soon as we left to go to the park it started raining. But Michelle was a great sport, just grabbing her umbrella and making the most of it! It only rained for a little bit and made for some pretty cute pictures. I thought I would put a few pictures up so Michelle could see a little preview of what's to come! :)

She didn't let the rain bother her one bit! :)

This black and white of her laughing is one of my favorites! We were laughing about how she had a good hair flip in the picture above and then I caught this one...which I liked even more than the hair flip one! :)

She's barefoot again!

I loved how she would just kick her shoes off whenever she felt like it...that is my kind of girl!

It's coming together...

Slowly but surely I am starting to see our house come together! Yesterday some of our new furniture arrived bright and early. We were told delivery would be between 8 and 10 am and so of course I assumed it would be closer to the 10 am side if not later considering it was coming from the Kansas City area. On a normal summer day I would probably still be in bed, but I had decided to get up and run with Robby that morning before he left for work. Thank goodness...because they rang our doorbell at 8:03 am...and said we were their 5th delivery of the day! Those people don't mess around!

Luckily for us, we didn't need a lot of new furniture to fill the house but we did choose to pick up a few pieces. We treated ourselves to a new king sized bed so that we could use our old bedroom set for the guestroom. We just bought the bed and are using some hand-me down furniture to round out the room. I am excited to try and make our own headboard and re-finish some of the other pieces to try and bring it all together. But more on that later. We were able to outfit the basement with some of furniture from my parents' and it came together really nicely as well. I will do a basement post once I get some pictures on the wall. So really, the only areas we really NEEDED some furniture, was for upstairs. Robby's parents wanted to give us a piece of furniture as a wedding present a year and a half ago. At the time we were living in a rental in KC and I just didn't know where we would put anything new and I didn't want to invest in something that might not work in our next (more permanent) house. So we waited. And I am so glad...because we were able to pick out a dining room table that is perfect for our new space!

One of the great things about not having to work in the summer is all the free time you have. I literally spent my morning in my pajamas adding furniture pads to all the chairs....then setting the table just because I felt like it. Because it is prettier when it is set. And because I had nothing else to do (at least nothing else that sounded as fun as staging the dining room table for a few quick pictures).  I love summer. :)

Robby and I both liked the look of a little bit taller table for this area...and we went with black because we (I) was nervous about picking a wood that was either too matchy matchy with the floor or so opposite that it looked strange. I think the black looks pretty great!

I have some plans for that left wall there. I love that painting...but size wise it is just too small. I'm keeping my eye out at antique stores for a buffet I could refinish in some fun bright color and I'm thinking I might do a gallery wall of sorts above it. If I don't stumble across a buffet here before too long, I plan to just go ahead with the gallery wall to help fill up the space.

Looking in from our living room...once our last piece of new furniture gets here I will post some living room shots and share a little bit about our plans in there!

Looking in from the entry way. If you look close you will see that we are missing one white bowl. It was in the dishwasher...and I was too impatient to wait 30 minutes for it to finish the cycle, so I just photographed without it. :)

Those two little paintings over there may or may not become a part of the aforementioned "gallery wall." But for now...they fit so perfectly on that tiny little wall space.

And lastly, here are a few pictures from the weekend. First up, a picture from Father's Day! We were able to steal Ted away from a WMW Wichita outing for about 45 minutes. It was so good to see him! :)



And here is a picture I took on the way to Hutch. It has literally rained every night we have been here except for two. Despite all the night rains...we have had some beautiful, sunny, blue-skied days. This was one of them! :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day everyone! I hope you all (all seven or so of you :)) have had the chance to talk to your dad today....or even better....hug them! Robby and I are headed over to my Grandma and Grandpa Bear's later today for a little Father's day BBQ so I'm excited to get to spend a little time with my Dad. In honor of this day I thought I would write a little something about three of the best fathers I know! :)

First up, my Grandpa Bear! My Grandpa Bear is my Dad's dad. We have always called him Grandpa Bear because when we were little they had a big old lab named Bear and we always wanted to go see "Grandma Grandpa Bear." Apparently my sister and I liked to leave out the "ands" and eventually it just became Grandma and Grandpa Bear, even after that lovable old pooch was gone. I've never been a big "big" dog person...but I loved that dog. Probably because all it did was lay in the corner on a big fluffy pillow. Anyways, back to my Grandpa. A couple fun things about Grandpa Bear....he picks out some of the best birthday cards! I tend to keep almost every card I ever get...some call it unnecessary or hoarding (Robby) but I like to randomly find them in drawers because they make me happy...even years after I get them. There are some I have gotten from G & G Bear that I have been very intentional about keeping because they have such great pieces of advice in them. I love that. My Grandpa Bear is one of the genuinely happiest people I know. He always starts prayers out with "Thank you Thank you Thank you"....he never fails to tell us how blessed he thinks he is and I love that about him. Another thing about Grandpa Bear is that he makes the best fires ever. Ever. One of my favorite places to be in in their living room, plopped down in front of a crackling fire. I love the sounds, the smells, and just that whole room in general. There is usually golf or football on the TV...snacks on the table...stockings along the whole mantel (at Christmas!) and lots of family every where. Love it.

 I thought this picture was appropriate for Father's Day...me dancing with my Grandpa, and Bets dancing with my Dad (with my veil on...haha...I'm pretty sure she wore it most of the night.) This photo and the one of my Grandpa and I dancing up above were both taken by the WONDERFUL Annie Werner!

Next is my Poppy. It makes me tear up even writing this because I miss my Poppy so much. Poppy is my Mom's Dad and I grew up thinking that he pretty much walked on water...I still do. Probably in part to the way I have seen my Mimi, my Mom, and my aunts look up to him and love him. Poppy grew up around ladies (three sisters, one brother!) and then of course my mom is one of four girls....so him living in a house with five ladies for so long made him one of the most understanding people ever. I laugh at the story when my Dad first went out to Stockton to meet my mom's family and all the ladies were just running around trying to find something or get ready or just get out the door (they are loud and chaotic at all times and while that can result in some high stress moments, I love it) and my Poppy told my dad that he learned long ago just to sit in the car and wait...they will come when they are ready. So they just sat in the car and waited. :) Poppy was a small town doctor and farmer. He had pictures of us up at his clinic and I always felt famous because he would say "Charlotte, everybody asks about you when they come here...they all think you are just the prettiest little girl and I tell them, 'Well of course she is.'" The idea of "all" his patients seemed like so many when I was little...even though Stockton's population is only around 1,500. I have wonderful memories fishing, flying kites, and riding in my Poppy's old black and brown SUV (Was it a bronco, Mom?). About three months before Poppy passed away, Bets and I decided to take an impromptu trip out to Hays to see him while he was in the hospital. We left Lawrence at around 5:30 and didn't get to Hays until about 9:30. We surprised Poppy at the hospital right as he was getting his late snack. He asked the nurses to "find more cheese and ice cream for my roommates here." Bets and I couldn't stop laughing. We spent the night there, sleeping on a tiny pull out twin bed in his room. We spent all day Saturday hanging out with him before having to head back. I loved that time with just my sister and my Poppy. And finally, one more memory....family reunions...my cousins and I loved those family reunions! Poppy would bring rolls and rolls of quarters so we could play the video games and ride on the little airplane thinger-ma-jig at the Salina Red Coach Inn. And when we would go ask for quarters we would have to say "YA-HOOO"....I know you can't hear me saying it over this blog...but I am. Poppy always said "YA-HOOO" in the coolest way and he "taught" us all to do it, too. :) Just like the rest of my family...I miss my Poppy every day!

At Poppy's clinic!

 Just missing baby Joe!

The Mauck 8 with our Mimi and Poppy. 

Christmas 2007...Poppy loved the color red!

And last but certainly NOT least! My own father...my Daddio. Hands down, best father I every could have asked for. My dad is the peacemaker in our family...maybe because he argues and negotiates for a living, I truly think he has the most rational way of looking at things sometimes. I can remember fighting over clothes with Betsy in high school (a fairly regular occurence) and my Dad would come out and work us through our argument in this rational way that annoyed me because half the time I realized I was being ridiculous (the other half of the time it was Betsy...well maybe 60% of the time it was Betsy:)) and I hated that he had just proved me wrong in the most rational and understanding of ways without even raising his voice. Not that he never raised his voice....haha...just ask any of my family about Christmas Break two years ago (Robby's first with the family!) and Tedder's little jail break. My dad definitely raised his voice...although we laughed then and we still laugh about it now. When I was little I would take turns going to work with my mom and dad a couple times a week. Probably one of the coolest things ever since my mom worked at the Cosmosphere (private movies in the planetarium...yes, please!) and my Dad was city prosecutor at the time. I would hide underneath the judge's desk eating my snack listening to him work. Like with my Poppy, I thought my dad was famous and felt famous by default. Clearly as a little girl my family led me to believe I was some sort of super star. :) Even though if I had really been listening I would have realized not everybody in that courtroom loved my Dad like I did....the city prosecutor isn't always the most popular of people. :) But alas, I was blinded by a little girl's love for her dad. In between cases I would play "waitress" and run around with my little pad of paper to doodle on and take people's orders. Again....felt like a super star. But that is the great thing about my Dad...even now...when I KNOW (or kind of know) that I'm not famous or a super star...he makes me feel like I am or should be. :) One more quick, kind of funny memory that I don't think I'll ever forget. Right after my Dad walked me down the aisle, we are standing at the front of the church and I'm trying not to cry or be too emotional (which is tough...I'm emotional...both my mom and dad are, too...so really I'm double emotional if there is such a thing) and my Dad leans over and says "So did you hear KU lost today...darnit." And I just started laughing. It totally took the edge off and helped me to relax and enjoy the rest of the ceremony. I doubt he even meant to or realized he did that...but he did...and I love him for it.

Not too long after the KU football line...I love that we are smiling back at my Momma, that Rob is smiling at us, and that Alan is smiling at him. Love me some smiles. Thanks for such a great picture, Annie Werner.

 Even though I'm not looking, I love this pic...my mom looks so beautiful, and my dad looks so young.

What? Is Betsy pouting? That's weird. :)

 

 Just realized I don't have any pics of my dad with the boys...oops...oh well. Love this photo...I wonder if Betsy and I had already helped ourselves to some candy. :)

 Back when I used to actually want to do yard work. I'm sure I was a huge help. :)

Needless to say, I am a pretty blessed girl. I have grown up with the best father and grandfathers anybody could ask for. And not a day goes by that I don't thank the good Lord for choosing me to be their daughter and granddaughter.

We're friendly people

    Hi there! So while I am trying to heed the advice of others and not make too many changes too fast, there was one change I knew needed to be made right away. Well...there are a lot of changes that I feel that way about, but most involve paint, new furniture, or my Mom's help. This was one I could do all by myself!

    So our house came with a pretty great back deck. It looks out on to the green space right behind our lot that from what we understand can't be developed on (at least not anytime in the next ten to twenty years). The people that lived here before us did a lot of changes to the deck. The added a tin roof to it and blocked off the sides with privacy fences. While the tin roof might not be the most beautiful of structures, I don't mind it (love the sound of rain coming down on it...and since it has rained every day since we got here, I've been able to enjoy that a lot!). However, the privacy fences had to go. I like to think of Robby and I as friendly people who want to be able to "yoo-hooooo" over at our neighbors when we are out enjoying dinner or a drink. So two nights ago, while Robby and his dad were inside fixing a broken toilet (happened two days after we moved in...it was the first time we couldn't just call a landlord!) I went outside with the power drill and got to work on taking down the fence. I quickly learned  that using a power drill isn't as easy as my Mom makes it look (my mom loves power tools...much more than my dad :)), but once I got a rhythm going it came down pretty fast. I got one whole side down, then Rob and Robby came out and played around with it a little bit and took down a couple more slats. While we were doing this, we saw one of our neighbors out, got to chatting from our porches (the whole point of taking down the "privacy wall"), and ended up putting down the tools and heading over to meet them. We ended up chatting for a while, until it was dark, then decided to finish up the next day. The next day it only took about five minutes to get the rest of the nails out (it was like we became power drill experts in our sleep...it seemed so much easier!) and voila!

    A much more friendly looking deck that let's in lots of light and is all around more enjoyable. We still need to decide what we are doing with the shelf like thing you can see in the picture. I want to try and leave part of it, to serve food off of maybe, but can't decide how I want to go about doing it, so we just left the whole thing. Part of my "waiting to make some decisions" plan. :)

We've moved!

This weekend was a busy one for sure! On Friday we finished packing up the house and Saturday we loaded the truck and headed down to Newton! After this weekend, I can honestly say we have some of the greatest friends and family anyone could ever ask for. Well, I could have (and I'm sure have) said that before...but I can't help but look back on the weekend and feel pretty darn blessed so many people came out to help us. This post is going to have lots of pictures, mostly so I can show my Momma in Africa.

First up, an update on the hardwood floors! They are BEAUTIFUL!!! If you know me, you know I love all things old and my dream floors would be 50 year old hardwood floors with pegs and lots of character. Since those weren't an option (maybe the next house!), we did the best we could to get some what close to that. And I absolutely love how they turned out! They are dark (but not too dark) and wide (but not too wide) and have lots of little scrapes and character marks built right in! Here are a few pictures (plus for those of you who haven't seen the house, you can get a little bit of an idea of how the living space is laid out).

 View out to the back porch.

 View into our dining room.

And the kitchen. Please ignore how dirty the floors are...we opted to wait to clean them until after everything was moved in and put away.

And here are some moving day pictures! Mom, I know you are reading this....check out how well the truck got packed in that second picture! We had all the furniture in except for the gray couch and armoir and still had all that room. Yay us! (And yay for the nice men from KC Metro Moving who came over and helped us "jigsaw" everything in our truck...I highly recommend them! Who knew you could just hire them to help load the truck!)

 Robby, Rob, and Alan trying to figure out a game plan. Robby has issues keeping his eyes open...even for candid photos.

The truck almost completely loaded!

Once we got to the house it only took us about an hour and half to unload the truck and get everything to the right room (or close enough). Between my family, Rob's family, and a bunch of Rob's friends who were in Wichita for a wedding shower for Jeff and Carey, there was never a moment that passed where something wasn't getting carried off the truck!

 This is only a fraction of the people there helping us!

Hi Katie!

After everything got unloaded, my Dad and I quickly took off for Westminster Woods Friends and Family night. Betsy met us there, dessert in hand, so we could spend a little quality time with Tedder catching up on how his summer is going. Bets and I both worked at this camp as well, and this is the seventh summer in a row that Westminster Woods has had a Dower on staff! Tedder is of course thriving out there, growing in his faith by the second and doing all that he can to spread the good word to others. I found myself tearing up about every thirty minutes, and I know my Dad and sister felt the same way. Here are a few "incomplete" family pics from that night. Mom, Joe Henry, and Rob were definitely missed!

 Our little "Baked Po-Tedder" in his sweet chapel socks!

 So many beautiful photo ops out at the woods...thought I would play around with a little out of focus bokeh.

 Hanson energizer! Let it be known, that 2006 Sr. High Week Cabin Five girls made that up! Yes, that was my cabin and yes, I am still incredibly proud of them. :)

 Tedder and Betsy...the peanut butter and jelly in our family. :)

Love a little worship session. Live worship everyday was one of my favorite parts about being out WMW.

 

 Typical. :)

 He is exactly one foot taller than me...I wish I could steal just two or three inches from him!

I love the Woods for many reasons, one is that you are guaranteed a beautiful sunset every evening.

 The road into the woods...the first couple years after I wasn't on staff any more, everytime I would turn onto this road I would just start crying. I know Bets felt that same way this year...something about this place.

Well, I should probably get back to unpacking. As you can see...we still have a long ways to go despite the progress we made yesterday and today.

 Rob, taking a little break from unpacking.

Just some of the boxes we have unpacked already. We are looking forward to actually being able to park in our garage.

And real quickly, I wanted to share a couple of pictures from tonight. Robby and I were sitting in the living room eating dinner when the clouds opened up and it started pouring rain, despite the beautiful sunset already going on. I rushed out to take a few pics and just soak it up. This is something I have definitely missed in KC...wide open fields and gorgeous sunsets not hindered by houses or hills. Loved. It.