The Last Days

Our last days in South Bend were bitter-sweet. You know you have good friends when those who want you to stay the most are the ones who help you leave. It was hard to leave such friends behind, knowing that only via the computer and occasional visits would we get to keep in touch. Weekly play dates, beach visits, or card games would not be the norm any longer. Although, on the upside, perhaps my desire to eat a brownie every Sunday can be squelched since those I'd eat them with aren't there anymore.
We had a good time eating ice cream on the floor (for some, actually ON the floor...others where bright and kept it in their cups...) of our home. We had just gotten our power back, so it was pleasant to sit in the air conditioned room.

We also had a potluck with friends. I would have gotten more pictures, but I was busy getting hugs instead. Personally, that works for me.
Nadine! My talented, beach loving, Fernwood going, wood cutting, book reading (list could get longer, so I'll stop), friend. So many good memories were made.
Golly, Cheryl, you'd think we never spent time together from this photo! Quite the contrary, actually. We'd go yard saleing, running, shopping in Shipshewanna, have play dates, experiment with food storage ideas (remember those instant beans we made from black bean flour?), sing, stay up later than we should, and sometimes just go to the park.

I'll see you all when you come visit me in NC!! I'll be there, fluffing the towels.

Moving Day

The big day has come and gone. Our home is now for sale (click here to see the listing!), and we've started our trek to North Carolina. We're going about it in quite the round-about way, however. From South Bend, to Idaho, to Utah, to Idaho to Ohio, to North Carolina. Yeah, we'll get there eventually. There are just so many wonderful people to see (and meet--new babies in the family definitely deserve a visit, don't you think?).
Here are the kids in the empty moving truck. They played and played while we got things ready...and then filled that sucker up! Who knew that having a family and staying in one place for just four years would cause a person to collect so much? Of course, I have to admit that about ten of the boxes were totes full of our food storage--wheat, rice, beans, etc. I should add that the elders quorum in NC wasn't thrilled about helping move wheat up to a second story town-home. Sorry guys! I'll bake bread out of it when we get there!!!

Zachary and Stephen trekked out to North Carolina without us to put all the stuff into our rental. I have no photos of what the girls and I did while they are gone, so you'll have to use your imagination. First, I had two WONDERFUL friends take my girls while I painted every room in the house. Then I hired cleaners to come and scrub all of the rooms and tidy up the mess I'd made from painting. During this time, our power was gone due to wind storms that had 90 mph winds blowing down trees and everything else you can imagine. Funny thing is, our trash can was still standing in the end, and that thing blows over with the smallest of storms. I decided that must be one of my little miracles--not having to clean up another mess.

Sadly, I forgot to dig up my irises before I left. Perhaps I can swing through and get some...OR, maybe I'll just have to deal with it. Plus, where would I put them in my apartment?

So Much To Do!!

We have been very busy the past week or so. I've tried to upload photos, but it just isn't working. So, dear friends, when this trip is over, there will be thousands of posts to read, all with photos.

Here are a few things we've done that I'll expand upon later:

• Introduced Payge to farm animals.
• Zachary helping Grandpa T. prepare the farm for morning.
• Payge feeding calves for the first time (with those huge baby bottles that are the same size as she is!)
• The kids meeting Grandma & Grandpa Browning's new dog (a white boxer--who is still a pup but is taller than my kids) named Yeager-Meister. Yes, like the drink.
• The twin calves each sucking on one of Payge's hands. She was a little weirded out.
• Letting the calves use Zac's fingers as pacifiers while they waited their turn for their bottles.
• Water fights with cousins.
• Teasing all my teenage nieces about their "teen droppings" (ie. the ipods and cell phones we found all over Gma&Gpa Browning's house before the water fight)
• Visiting with old neighbors, and letting them meet my children (so fun!).
• The girls helping with yardwork by riding the lawnmower with Gpa Browning.
• Taking Yeager-Meister on a run with me, and finding that this huge dog is afraid of cattle.
• Payge singing EIEIO every time she sees an animal.

My Ode to 1018 Portage

Dear Future Owner of 1018 Portage,

I've planted enough annuals that you should never be without color. I've staggered them so there is never a week without something in bloom. Before winter ends, the crocus will poke their heads through the snow, in shades of deep purple and yellow. It's a welcome sight after months of gray. In the early spring, the tulips and daffodils will come into full bloom--yellow, orange, red, pink, and my favorite black tulip. As the blooms begin to fade, the irises will shoot up, bringing you more than just your usual purple. White, peach, a purple/peach blend, and different shades of lavender fill the front with eye catching surprises. During this, the phlox is growing in bright pink, like a carpet under the other flowers' feet. The peonies (Indiana's state flower, you know!) will bloom pastel pink. As those fade to green, the lilies come out in all their glory, getting taller each year. Red and white. As they are finishing their reign of the garden, the gladiolas are opening up. By fall, you'll have mums.

The strawberry plants will fruit in June. Take note how the plants that have crawled their way into the compost pile are five times larger than the first plants we put in. Keep the compost turned and you'll be forever grateful. In the front, there are two apricot trees that bloom brightly in the spring. So white that you can't help but sing, "I looked out my window and what did I see?!? Popcorn popping on my apricot tree!!!" each day for about a week. Or at least I couldn't.

There is also an array of herbs, so you won't have to pay those insane prices at the store. Mint, sage, oregano and chives.

In the backyard, the patio was built from brick we saved from destruction when one of the brick roads in our neighborhood was being paved with asphalt. Navarre Street to be exact, when the hospital was expanding.

The floors in our home are original--the two tones showing the simple frugality of its builders who used fir in ares they knew they would cover with rugs, and oak for areas they knew would show.

Our windows are custom made. Don't break one! It'll take four weeks to get another. With wood on the inside, and the protection of aluminum on the outside.

Although these are the same walls that have stood here since 1907, we have filled them all with insulation, so you'll be warm in the winter, and stay cool in the hot humid summers.

Though it sounds cliche, love your neighbor. They will love you back, and will help you through all sorts of things. They'll mow your lawn when you just can't get to it, they'll bring you meals when they find out you need relief, and they'll come over and say hi when you're weeding your flowers.

Walk frequently along the riverside trail, and enjoy the ducks, geese, and turtles. It's so close, and so wonderful to be able to have such an experience on a regular basis. Travel by foot along the riverside trail to the farmer's market. It takes 45 minutes, but will make you feel like a million.

Last, but not least...use that porch swing. Drink cold drinks on hot nights and watch the sun go down. Stare at the garden, and in the summer--catch the fireflies.

Enjoy,

The Tuellers

P.S. If you listen closely, you might be able to hear the histories of the families that lived here before you, perhaps even the joyful laughter of children and the sound of their tiny feet running across the hardwood floors. Perhaps, you'll even hear ours.

Chayce-isms

Ahhh, kids. Their point of view can be so refreshing, can't it? Chayce has been my source of entertainment lately...

While listening to a love song (because, if you know me, you KNOW that 80's monster ballads and anything else from that time is my favorite...plus a little bit country), the singer stated that he'd really like to "sweep her off her feet." From the back seat of the car I hear, "Well, that isn't very nice. Sweeping her off her feet. That would hurt!"

During the storm that took out our power for three days: "I think God is following the prophet Adam, during the time Adam was being disobedient. God needs to follow a different prophet, and end this storm."

Stephen and I were standing in the kitchen talking--and our kitchen isn't huge. Chayce needed through. After the " excuse me Mommy & Daddy" she added in her growly voice, "Why did you get in my way in the first place?!?"

When Stephen got home, I exclaimed, "Oh! It's my savior! Saving me from loneliness!" Chayce replies, "No Mommy. There is only ONE Savior. Jesus is your Savior."

French what?

Last night we ran out of boxes and ran to get a few more. On the way back we picked up some fries and sundaes. All the way home we heard "ice ceam pease!!!!!!!!!" and "cackers pease!!!!" from Payge. She is so polite. She started to get agitated, so we took out some fires for her. "Payge, this kind of cracker is call a French fry. Can you say French fry?"

With what I am sure was a flabbergasted look on her face, she blurted out "fench fa-cakker, peeeeease!!!!!"

Using Up The Pantry

Ahhh, crazy times!!
We're having fun throwing things in boxes around here. We tried to pack the kids, but--well, that didn't go over well. I don't have photos to put up, because I haven't taken any. We still have our camera, though!

I did throw together an impromptu meal the other day with what was left in the cupboard/fridge, and must say that it was a hit.

Enchiladas con Fusión (trying to get fancy here!)

1 Can cream of mushroom soup
1 can red kidney beans
1 can white kidney beans (NOT navy beans)
a few handfuls of fresh spinach
about 7 tortillas (more or less)
1 can enchilada sauce (or if you are cool and can make it with chili powder, do so, it's yummy...but I didn't...using up cans here)
Cheese-shredded.

Mix beans, soup and spinach together. Spoon into tortillas. Roll em up. lay them in a pan. Pour sauce over the top. Sprinkle cheese. Bake til hot. Dinner took 30 min. TOPS start to finish. Nice.