It's not the walls, but what's inside them

It required careful planning. It required a lot of saving. It involved worry, scheduling and in-depth conversations about want vs. need.

We didn’t know if our dream would come true in the timeframe we selected. We had no idea what financing would be possible, and to be honest, we had no idea if that dream of a new home would ever really happen.

It was, after all, just a dream.

We just knew that six people, including four very active little boys, were quickly outgrowing our 1,200-square-foot abode. That was becoming painfully obvious on rainy days, friend overnights and through winter storms.

Hubby would just look at me and say, “Boy, we need a bigger house.” I’d reply, “What did you say? I can’t hear you over the wrestling grunts, truck sounds and your football game!”

Our little home doesn’t bother me. It’s my sanctuary. It is where I belong, and surrounded by quiet woods, most days there is no place I’d rather be living. But our home was increasing wearing on hubby, who desired something larger – built with his own hands – that he could be proud to call his.

So here we are. Land purchased, developed and now featuring a long drive and a giant hole. There’s not quite much there to see these days, but we see our dream coming alive.

On Saturday, we signed the construction loan paperwork for the biggest loan amount either of us have been responsible for, and the first time we secured financing together during our marriage.

And at some point this week, likely by Friday, we’ll have a concrete basement, patio and front porch slab where that big hole now stands.

Come September, hubby will begin driving in nails and securing screws, building our home from the ground up.

What that means to me is imaginable. To think of living in this house, one I could only dream of, with the love of my life and the most precious pieces of my heart, watching them grow with love and respect within the walls that I watched go up, is amazing.

People say building a house is the most stressful thing a couple can experience. They talk about layout, colors, space, light fixtures and cabinets.

I’ve never lived in a home I designed, so I know nothing of the sorts. I only know that as long as I share that space with the five guys who make my heart sing I’m going to be happy.

Sure, the house is nice, but I’ve always known that what lies within those walls is truly what’s important.

Greetings from Krystal!

I'm sure a few of you have received unexpected greeting cards from me in recent weeks. A few of you have not. Don't fret. It'll come when you least expect it. God has planned it that way.

You see, I've tried something new. As you may have read (see previous blog entry), I've given up Facebook in an effort to reconnect in a more personal, less electronic way.

I hope it's working for you. It's certainly working for me.

Each week, I get my greeting card box out of the closet. I have dozens upon dozens of all-occasion greeting cards. I pick them up during the kids' fundraisers, at the farmers' market, or whenever I get a chance. I love cards, but until a few weeks ago, the box just kept getting more and more full. More cards were going in, and few were coming out.

No more, my friends.

When the box comes out, I grab a pen and sit down for some quiet reflections. Whomever God puts on my mind gets a card from me, complete with a probably too-long, hand-written note. It's my way of telling my friends and family just how much they mean to me, and it gives me a certain amount of peace within. I love doing it.

But the best part of the process if how God is involved. For example, I sent out a card a couple of weeks ago to a female friend. She came to my mind. I didn't know it at the time, but it was her birthday. Reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, the first paragraph of the book talks about how society is forgetting how to communicate without social media. And a recent pastor talked on the radio about how God, if he came now, could connect with more people, but he came then because he desired a more personal relationship. I think all of this is more than coincidence. I'm meant to keep going, keep writing and keep sending.

It's personal for me, and it's helping me grow my faith and hopefully become a better person, friend and communicator.