Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to wish you a happy Thanksgiving from the Chandler/Barnett clan!

Birthday!

Today I turned 28.

I love birthdays. You could skip the party and the cake and the gifts, and I would still love birthdays. I think that I will still love birthdays when I turn the big 30 or the big 40 and find my first wrinkles and gray hairs. To me, what makes birthdays special is celebrating God's faithfulness. My favorite birthday tradition is writing a long entry in my diary about what I am grateful for from the past year and what I am hoping for in the coming year.

27 was an unforgetable year. It was the year that I said "I do" to my handsome, loving, and all-around amazing husband, Ben. Life was good as a single girl, but it is even better with my best friend beside me.

I am looking forward to seeing what 28 brings. Hopefully I will become a better wife and a better piano instructor and a better cook and a better Sunday School teacher, etc., etc., etc. It will be interesting to see what kinds of adventures God sends my way.

Even though my favorite part of birthdays is reflecting on my many blessings, I have to admit that I enjoy the other stuff, too! Ben surprised me with pizza at "Old Chicago" in Iowa City and ice skating at the Coralridge Mall.

 

 

And I love my birthday present from Ben--word magnets so that we can write love notes to each other every day on our kitchen wall!

Tomorrow the birthday festivities will continue at my parents' house. Tonight I will drift off to sleep, knowing that a homemade Italian cream cake is waiting for me!

Welcome to our Home

Cozy. Compact. Cute. Quirky. Yes, this is our house! Welcome to one of the most unique houses that you will ever find in eastern Iowa. My husband built it. Eventually he plans to build a bigger house on our property and turn this structure into a two-car garage, complete with a workshop and a guest apartment. Meanwhile, we love living here. To use a word that I learned recently, I think that our house is totally "splendiferous!"

 
This is a view of our side yard, where someday Ben will build the "real house." We have pine trees that frame most of our property.

Enter the front door and step inside our living room!

Ben built a bookshelf for me to store some of my books.

 

I like using the space for a few things besides books, too (like our special clock from Ben's grandmother, our "Sweet Honeysuckle" Yankee candle, and my favorite engagement photo with our feet on a railroad track).

 

 

 

I love my piano. Chopin used to perform on "Pleyel" pianos, you know. And I am blessed to have one! Hurray.

 

 

Walk through the hallway and come into the kitchen. On your way, notice the beautiful cards and photos from friends and family that we like to display on our wall.

 



 

Ben built our kitchen cabinets.

 

 

He built our kitchen table, too.

 



 

I firmly believe that every household needs a calendar. And not just any calendar...an attractive one. Haha.

 



 

I also firmly believe that every household needs a properly-working bathroom! Well, of course. And I forgot to mention that many features of our house are giant-friendly. From the tall cabinets to the high countertops to the handicapped toilet, my 6-foot-7-inch husband is very comfortable and my 5-foot-5 1/2-inch self has learned to adapt! 

 



 

Okay, you are almost done with the tour of our house. You just need to come upstairs and see the bedroom area! Even though the upstairs is one room, it is probably about the size of three bedrooms. In the north corner we have a guest bed with a gorgeous handmade quilt from our friend Amy.

 



 

In the south corner we have a computer desk, big enough for two people to sit down and surf the Internet simultaneously.

 

 

Finally, in the west corner we have our luxurious Tempur-Pedic California King bed. Congratulations, you have completed the virtual tour of our house! Now you just need to come and visit us in person!