A Year Of Change

Do you ever feel like God is silent when you are most hoping for a change to come about? Once you let go of that desire and decide to wait upon Him, and for me (even forget that I had a desire for such a thing in the first place), all of a sudden He brings it out of nowhere.

Once you realize it could turn into a reality, you begin to fight it because you have become quite comfortable and content in the place where you are. Maybe I am the only one who has experienced this situation, but I sort of doubt it.

While adding Bennett to our twosome, has been quite an adjustment in itself this year, that is not the change of which I am speaking.

We have felt the Lord opening the doors and leading us to relocate to my hometown in Indiana. Seriously...I can honestly say that I never would have predicted this happening. We knew that someday, we may want to move closer to some family. Once we were expecting Bennett, the thought entered our mind again. Thinking about our little boy never growing up near grandparents, cousin, aunts, and uncles made us a little sad, especially since that was something special to both Nate and I.

When we first got married and thought about the future, we figured that we may not always living in Paulding, Ohio. It seems like people do not stay in this town unless they have a family connection of some type. Indiana is close enough that Nate will continue at his current place of employment.

It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to our church family, close friends, and the first house we have owned together, but we also know that there is beauty in change too.

I have mentioned it before, but it has been a blessing to depend upon each other as husband and wife, especially when you start out in an area with no immediate family nor friends to speak of. Those friendships have come though, we have grown in getting to know this community, and we have loved our little neighborhood. There were definitely seasons when I wondered if God was planning to have us in this area of Ohio forever and always, and I could have been alright with that.

Our church family has been very understanding. They realize the importance of family, as most of them are surrounded by their relatives. They wish us the best, and that sincerely means so much to us.

We made this decision this past August, and we do not plan to move until Spring of next year. It still seems like a ways off, but I realize that the year is just about over, and March will be here before we know it.

It may sound like I am switching subjects, but bare with me. Being the youngest in the family, there are certain hand-me-downs that get passed along from sibling to sibling. During my younger years, I would come to gain my brother's old bike or roller blades which he outgrew. As we have aged, it has become buy-me-downs. I purchased his SUV a few years back and now we are purchasing his house. Apparently I agree with his taste or something, as does Nate in the house category.

Life takes interesting twists and turns. When I married my sweet, Ohio-resident husband, never did I think that I would ever live closer than 30 minutes to my parents. Try walking distance!! That is right!! We will be neighbors!!

Switching communities, churches, and friend groups will take time, and we are just fine with that. We have grown accustomed to stretching ourselves and making an effort when it comes to building new relationships and finding our place. We have each other and most importantly we have the LORD by our side. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What a true comfort!

Four houses in less than four years of marriage. This will be the biggest move yet, not only in distance but also as far as the amount of stuff.

House #1 (rental)- We were barely here two weeks after being married, but it still counts.

House #2 (rental)- We rented this house for almost a year before taking the plunge to buy our own.

House #3 (current home)- This has been a good house for us, and we have enjoyed making it our own. Let us know if you know of anybody interested in this updated ranch in a perfect, quiet housing addition. (look at me sounding all real estate agent like=)

House #4 (future home)- We look forward to being in the country, and so much more about this house.

This is sure to be an adventure. Hoosier state here we come!!

Christmas Decor Takes Over The Zollinger House

We cannot deny that the Christmas season is quickly approaching. I have been much more motivated to decorate our home this year, especially compared to last year. During this time last year, I was just thankful to be feeling well, seeing that I was half-way along in my pregnancy.

For a couple years now, I have been wanting to make a "JOY" sign for our front porch (if you can call it a porch?) I whipped this up one evening and called it good enough. A leftover piece of wood, some paint, a piece of sandpaper, and here you have it.

Lately, I have been trying to use the items I have around and incorporate those into my decorating, instead of buying new. I have these rustic frames that I like to change out from season to season. You can find all types of free printables online and customize frames to go along with whatever the season may be.

How can I write a blog post without previewing my little helper. I am so excited to celebrate this Christmas season with Bennett in our lives. He is a bit young to get excited about all that is going on, but he does seem a bit intrigued with the Christmas tree.

This year we placed our tree in the front living room. Since this is where we spend the majority of our time, we have had a greater chance to enjoy it.

I do not always get around to changing my chalkboards to Christmas sayings, and although I wish I would have written this phrase a bit larger, it is still a good reminder as to the true meaning of Christmas. "Joy to the world, the LORD has come!"

I placed some leftover items on our table. These little glass medicine bottles came from my grandma, which is special. I snipped off some remnants from our Christmas tree to add a little greenery.

You might notice that I am very much into the macrame/chenille texture. I think it adds a neat element. I am not sure what possessed me to wrap a gift in leftover chenille scraps, but I guess it blended in with the rest of the decor.

That is all for now. I enjoy putting my stamp on our home and making it feel cozy. I will enjoy the decorations "staying put" as long as Bennett is still in the rolling phase. Like I posted on Instagram...next year may be a whole different story. I will keep you posted=)