heat for the cabin

It's getting colder here in Minnesota, which means Rory needed to find a heat source for his office in the woods. It actually was a bit of a dilemma because the cabin is off grid, 10 by 12 feed large and most wood burning stoves must be three feet away from any wall...which would put the stove pretty much smack in the middle of his office. And would also mean he'd basically be working in a sauna.

So with some searching, he found this awesome stove. It was created by two former Marines, designed for fish houses, deer stands and other small spaces. Perfect for the office in the woods.

Now that he has a heat source, part of me is worried he might just move into his little cabin for good. It's a good thing I have the food and the toilet in the big house...

But if I see him building an outhouse, I'll know there's trouble.

on the Mississippi

Rory and I took the kid's to Marlene and Madison's early Friday morning so we could have a little get away. We went to Lake City on the Mississipi where we ate ice cream cones out on the pier. We were blissfully happy to discover this cute little water town just one hour from our house. The day was warm and windy and the sailboats clanked loudly, sort of like wind chimes. I love Lake City.

Then we drove to Wabasha and read our books under the bridge. I spent some time in a bookstore, at the eagle museum, and walking around the town while Rory happily kept reading. We had only been gone a few hours from our home, and we were so fully on vacation it amazed me. The whole day and a half we kept saying, "this is perfect. this is such a great trip."

Rory and I made a list of the things that have to be present for me to feel like I'm "on vacation." There must be a large body of water nearby. Lakes are great, but this trip the mighty Mississippi was perfect. We must get ice cream cones and eat them while walking near the water. And we must take a drive that is pretty enough that I roll down the window several times, with my camera flapping wildly in the wind, as I attempt to take pictures in front of the windshield. If those three things happen: water, ice cream and passenger pictures, I'm having a very good time.

We crossed the river and saw signs for Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthplace! The house is a replica, but this was the place where she was born. These were the Big Woods she wrote about. We were so excited!

Then we drove through Stockholm, the cutest little town of adorable shops. I cannot wait to get back there when the stores are open...

We had our anniversary dinner in Pepin at the Harbor View Cafe. It was awesome. I remember going there when I was little girl and being blown away by the lasagna. Two decades later, and the lasagna did not disappoint. It was amazing.

We stayed in Wabasha at the AmericInn and I got my fill of HGTV. It was glorious. We woke up and read some more, then reheated our leftovers for lunch. The day was rainy and slow and we drove back to pick up our teething daughter and active son.

Thank you so much Mimi and Papa for taking the kids! The 30 hours we were away were magical.

Elsie walking

Elsie walking from Becca Groves on Vimeo.

Well, sort of walking. She's really close as you'll see. And really proud and impressed that she can push this little cart on her own. (She's pointing at the chickens when she yells and gets so excited...)

the sunny room: part two

Monday we painted. Tuesday they prepped for tile. Wednesday they laid the tile and we painted the first coat on the base board and casing (starting at 9:45 pm...). Thursday they grouted the tile and installed the trim, base board and casing. And today Elsie put the base boards to good use as she rammed her little blue cart into every wall. 

We wanted something nice and light for the walls. I told Rory I wanted a blank canvas when we were done, ready for colorful quilts, bright book shelves, fun throw pillows... The color I first found and liked was called File Cabinet. Seriously?

This color is called Antique White, but if I were naming tape I'd call it Masking Tape. Because if File Cabinet can be a name, so could Masking Tape. And it's that exact color (we know that, unfortunately, because I was too hasty and didn't want to go back to Menards to buy blue paint tape. Big mistake. Lesson learned. Don't do this. Your husband will have to go inch by inch with a razor blade to get the tape off the wall.

Our contractors were awesome. I wish there was a National Contractor Day because I'd send them flowers. They were great with our kids, and would not cut corners. Even when I didn't really care one way or the other they'd say, "we're doing it this way, or it will just look shoddy. And we don't do shoddy." They left today and I'm going to miss them!

Next week we'll paint the door, the insides of the windows, grout the nail holes in the trim and give it another coat. We'll put the ceiling fan up and hook up the outdoor light. We'll change the socket covers and plug them up for safety.

And then we'll wait six months until our funds replenish and we can buy furniture for this lovely, sunny room. :)

lately we've been...

I've always loved Elise Blaha Cripe's posts called Currently. They're a quick and easy way to get a little glimpse into life at that very moment. Here's my version.

Lately we've been...

walking outside again to get from our kitchen to our bedrooms as we wait for the tile to set.

crawling into bed by 9 pm. It's my new self-imposed bedtime and I must be in bed. I can read as late as I want, but I must be in bed.

cheering for Elsie as she walks across the room pushing her grocery cart. She's so, so proud. And we are too!

loving a sweet little 2nd grader as she spends a few nights with us.

finishing Rory's office in the woods: installing a little wood burning stove, finishing the siding.

drinking a morning cup of coffee. This is still pretty new for me. And one of the new joys of my life.

swatting lots of flies when Ivar is out of the room. "No, don't hit him! He is nice! He is a nice fly!"

watching the workers. Ivar is in love with our contractors, Mike and Tom. The rest of us are too. Their work is quality, they are hard workers and easy company to have in our home. I am so grateful for them.

marveling at how our kids sleep through the nail guns, circular saws and hammering.

picking up Beth Moore's Jesus the One and Only for the umpteenth time. If you're looking for a personal devotional workbook, I recommend this one with my whole heart. It takes about fifteen minutes and day and always leaves me feeling filled up and grateful I took the time.

comforting Ivar in the night after bad dreams.

planning our trips through Menards so as to avoid the Halloween displays. They are terrifying. When did Halloween become so terrifying? I miss the animated ghosts and happy pumpkins and this new level of scary is really awful.

laughing through season one of Arrested Development. Thank you library for having this dvd set in the mix.

reading How to Cook without a Book. Wish this book had been our home economics text book.

eating fanny farmer chocolate bars I purchased from Mara and Sonna. What a delicious way to support my nieces and their school.

listening to Rory comfort Ivar, "oh Ivar, that is such a scary feeling. you hit your solar plexus. that means you got the wind knocked out of you, and you couldn't breathe. your solar plexus is right here, see?"