Confessions of a Non-Blogger

Unfortunately I have come to finally realize that I am, alas, a self-titled "non-blogger." At least for now.  I may have been a once-in-a-while blogger once upon a time, but that was about nine months or more ago, and my blog has been in quite a coma since.  Yes, this sounds dismal, but as the famous saying from AA goes, the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting it, right?  I have to self-consciously admit, I imagine myself a prolific writer at times.  I think up fascinating stories to tell you all that simply never make it here.  Why?  I suppose because I've never had a "set time" to blog, and have convinced myself over and over that I have too many other things to keep up with - like a wonderful husband, and a house, and a job, and church and social responsibilites - yes, even facebook and email.  But I've stepped away a little from both of the latter lately - more to curb an addiction than to express my lack of interest in them.  And I'd love to blog.  BUT, I don't want to get your hopes up... I think I've already done that a few times, only to let you, my poor readers, down once more.  Like when I announced I was going to share with you about my exciting trip to Australia, or when I said "Awake, O thou sleeping blog!" last year in August.  But here's to sharing a simple hope with you... A hope to once in a while surprise you with a "front-porch visit" to 'my ole Kentucky home.'  I'd love to give you some Crick news once in a while, or share a stream of thoughts on some intriguing subject, or let you in on a rare creative idea or two.  How does that sound?  I hope I don't let you down.  Meanwhile, keep enjoying your own blogging.  And as far as blogs go, just know that all along, I've always appreciated yours. :)

Awake, O Thou Sleeping Blog!

This blog has had too much of a summer's nap, and I think it's about time to catch you all up on what's been happening over here in the quiet countrysides of Kentucky... and beyond!  Well, I'll be starting with the beyond, because at the very end of May, I (Joanna) set off on an adventure of a lifetime to visit the amazing state of Tasmania!!!  For anyone with that puzzled look on their face right now, this is an island right under the mainland of Australia.  It is also where my sister Martha, her husband Terry, and their family live!  The trip was a total of 26 days, including travel time, and was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  The only downside was not having my husband Curtis along with me... I am so grateful to Martha & Terry for allowing me to be a part of their home for the month of June - it was a complete privilege!  And I can't wait to share all about it with you... So stay tuned!

Home Improvement - Landscaping

So here are a few snapshots of the work we did on our yard so far...  

Isn't it fun to fix up a place and make it "your own?!"

Before.... and in the dead of winter...

After... in the beauty of spring! Curtis made two tree rings!
I can't wait to plant the flowers I just bought for inside of them.
We also put down the stone border surrounding the house.




This is the front of our home before...

And right now those big bushes are in full bloom
with deep-magenta roses!  We added the five small shrubs
in front of our porch, and put a lot of mulch down in
the area between the house and the stone border.

Facing the house, this is the right side before...

...And after, when the stone border was put down. 
Later we also added some new mulch for that area where the
hose is, and where the flower garden is on the
right side of the picture.






Left side of the house before...

The left side with the border and mulch!  Since then,
we've also planted 40 sunflower plants here, and hope
to put in some strawberry plants and a blueberry bush!
The dirt area is the beginning of our big garden! :)




The back of the house before...

And after!  I fixed the stone steps that were there.
Also, since this pic, we filled in the area where that small 
tree is on the before pic with mulch, along with a few flowers.  
We also continued the stone border up to the back porch on
either side, and we finished it right before the BBQ we had on Saturday!

Just a few more touches we added to the home and outdoors... two small trees at either end of our driveway, and a little welcome decoration I put together (with fishing line!) for right next to our back sliding door.  I've always loved little trees at the end of a driveway... you?  And there's got to be a way to invite guests into the home besides a kind word or two, in my humble opinion! :) 

Maybe at some point after this I will put up pictures of when the flowers
are more in full bloom, especially the ones I'm planting in the backyard!  

I LOVE SPRING!!!!

Home Improvement - The Main Bathroom

The main bathroom really didn't have any big issues.  The main issues it had were the older floor & plastic sink, and the fact that it was just too white!!!  This is the before look of our bathroom.  

We have to admit, we did love the blue curtain... but the room needed a little more excitement... 

 So excitement is what we gave it!  This color is called "apricot smoothie," and I was going for more of a pretty lighter orange... Well, it does look like it turned out rather yellow!  But actually the look in real life is somewhat of a yellow-orange, and more on the orange side.  It's vibrant and we actually love it!

 Here's my friend Megan!!  She helped me paint the room.  I quickly found out that applying the tape on alllllll the edges was the hardest part, at least to me.  But it was so much more fun doing the whole job together!

  

Here's a pic of most of the room, as you look into it from the door!  The changes are: 

1. New, white edge trim everywhere (courtesy of my talented husband Curtis!), 

2.  Fancy trim around the little glazed-type window above the toilet and around the mirror above the sink, 

3. The new, soft-on-your-feet floor!  (We used to have a peeling, old, white linoleum one).

4. The new light/fan fixture on the ceiling we decided to put into this bathroom as well!

5. A new sink (to replace the plastic one) and new faucet.

6. The new white corner shelves Curt added to the walls near the sink area!

7. New brushed-nickel towel bar and toilet paper-holder.

 This gives more of an idea of the actual orange-ish color.

A close-up view of the sink area.. yes, this is our "tropical room."  The fish picture on the right is from our honeymoon in Cozumel, and so is the fish ceramic piece on the shelf.  On the right wall are vibrant nature pictures from our honeymoon as well (you can just barely see them in the mirror)!

Hope you enjoyed our overview of the updates to our main bathroom... next up is landscaping! :D

Home Improvement - The Master Bath

After coming home from visiting family late January, we found out we had 2 water leaks (in both bathrooms), and a rather large water bill!  After fixing one leak rather quickly in the main bathroom, we realized that to fix the other leak we had to tear up a small part of our master bathroom!  So we decided to go ahead and remodel the whole bathroom while were were at it!  We figured this late winter/spring season was a good time to do some home improvement projects anyway, since things will be REALLY busy in the summer!  So we're thankful to God that we've got done a bit already. 

Here are some before pics of our master bathroom.  Unfortunately they're so old, they date to before we even bought the house, when we were looking at it!  I just hadn't taken any since, I guess...so the stuff in each of these before pics is not ours. :)

The leak was under the jacuzzi tub; so we tore it up, gave it to Curt's sister, and in its place decided to put in our first and only full bathtub/shower.  I was probably the one most sad to see it go, but Curt wasn't a huge fan of it, and we only used it a few times in 2010.

The sink area - the sinks were plastic and had some pretty old faucets! 

 There was a very, very tiny shower in it, so that you could barely turn around in it without bumping your elbow!  Also, the removable shower head simply would not stay in place, so you would put it up, and it would fall down and knock you in the head as you showered! :( Needless to say, we almost always used the main bathroom for showering (unless we had guests).

Here's Curt after the whole room was gutted!  He's working on putting up the sheet rock.

Dad Crick and Curt putting in the tub

 Sanding, sanding, and more sanding!

 Our living room turned into a work station for several weeks!  Dust was everywhere, but it was the area with the most open space, close enough to the bathroom, and a place we wouldn't get snowed on or rained on as we worked!
Here I am painting the trim.

 Here the room is painted with our favorite color - blue! :)  

 Next step was trim and floor!  And the new light/fan fixture!  (This was Curt's invention: to take this light, drill holes in the base, and make it into a two-featured device - light and fan.  It worked really well!)

 Now the vanity is put in, the mirror/medicine cabinet (one of my favorite features), the toilet, 

and the shower rod with plastic shower lining.

 Joanna added the black curtain, the towel/magazine rack (we love how close it is to the shower!), and a few decorations, and Curt added the towel bars!

 Instead of the tiny, almost useless shower, Curt put in a new closet!  Yay!  It's directly to the left as you walk in the door, before you come to the sink area.  We don't have an attic, so the more closets the better!  Hopefully soon we'll put in shelves.

Here's a picture of the vanity and mirror more up close!  

I love all the drawers and amazing amount of medicine cabinet space (behind each mirror)!!  

Hope you enjoyed walking through our master bath home improvement journey with us!  Let us know what you think, or if you have done some recent remodeling in your bathrooms or elsewhere in the house!  

We'd love to hear from you! 

Finally... the remodeling pics!

For a while now some of you have been asking to see pictures from our recent remodeling and work around the house! Since we do live so far away from many of you, and you can't simply stop by, I will oblige you! ;) I hope you enjoy the pictures! We're so grateful to God for what He's helped us accomplish!


I will post the pictures in a few separate posts, so you don't get overwhelmed. :)
Outlined here is what order they will be posted, as well as what order they were accomplished in!
1. Master bathroom (February)
2. Main bathroom (March)
3. Landscaping (March and April)
4. Garage (April)

Thoughts on "My Story"... looking for your thoughts, too!

Dear friends and class-mates!

I’ve so much enjoyed taking a class with several of you these past several weeks - you know who you are! ;)  Time really flew – I feel like we practically just got started, and then classes were over already!  Did it feel like that to you?

Ok, so I promised you I’d share a little of my life story with you!  I tried to make it a little interactive, so it’s easy for you to comment about things.  There are three parts - I decided to post part 1 last - it's at the top - so it's easier to read the whole story all at once (just scroll down for part 2, and then part 3).

I hope you enjoy reading "MY STORY."  Leave your comments about it!  I'd love for you to share just a tidbit (or however much you want to share) of your story as well!  Nothing fancy, and it's certainly not necessary to be anywhere close to as long as mine!  Lol!  Just a mini-version of "your story," maybe, in a comment?  And if you'd like to, answer this question, too: where are you at in your spiritual journey?  You definitely don't have to "have arrived" at some destination spiritually in order to share!  I'm very open to hearing whatever you have to say! :)       

Thanks for reading & thanks for sharing, too (in advance)!! 

Love,

Joanna

MY STORY - Part 1

              I was born in Wisconsin, the oldest daughter and third child in our family.  I came after my 2 brothers, and after me came 5 more siblings, so yes, we have a 10-member family! J  As you can imagine, having a growing family wasn’t easy with my dad’s teaching income, especially since he was teaching in a small, private, school.  But my mom was a coupon-cutter, financially-savvy person, garden-grower, home-made food and hand-me-down type of person, so we ate enough and ate healthy, and even had plenty of clothes!  (They just weren’t Disney or brand-name, but who notices that around age 5?!)  Then, after I finished the second grade, my family (there were 8 of us at the time), moved to Michigan, because my dad believed God was calling him to be a pastor.  So after 2 years of working and saving in MI, my dad entered a new seminary, PRTS, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  During this time, I struggled to make friends at school, being naturally shy as well as being the “new kid” at school.  I also had a lot of fears when I was young – not just fears of not being accepted, but fear of the dark, fears of terminal illnesses, fear of death, fear of the unknown – you name it!  I remember being “dumped” from friendship by a girl in 6^th grade that I had so much fun with for a small, but blissful time.  She simply told me, “We just don’t have anything in common anymore.”  I never could understand this, and it devastated me, since I felt like with her I finally had a real friend in school I could have fun with.  Have you ever experienced this before, or been let down in a big way by a friend?  At such a young age, it’s amazing how much it affects you, isn’t it?!  My parents decided to home-school me in 7^th and 8^th grade, because they wanted to try it out, and also because they knew I was struggling socially in school.  Besides, my class was considered one of the most notorious ones in our school at the time (or so I’ve heard), because for some reason as my class grew up, they got more & more rebellious!  So I got taught at home a little Hebrew & Greek by my rather intellectual father, a thorough bit of grammar including sentence diagrams, as well as the rest of the subjects a middle-school kid generally gets. 

 However, it was at this time that my life took a turn down-hill, because as I hit puberty, I hit a stage in my life that my fears became the most real thing to me.  I was most of all afraid of dying.  You see, I had been brought up in a Christian family, and knew very well that if I died without Jesus as my Savior, I would go to hell.  I was scared-stiff of that.  Also, because of various growing-pains, all my fears became larger-than-life, and I would regularly get panic attacks and have crying spells in secret.  The main problem was that I knew I needed God, but I didn’t know how to get to Him.  I had been brought up in a Christian family and in church, but I just didn’t understand how salvation worked, or what it really meant to “believe.”  I knew my life had a very large void, an emptiness I couldn’t fill, and I knew God was supposed to be there.  I was empty, I was lonely, and I was very afraid.

You see, I knew in my heart that basically not just this world is full of sin and evil, but my heart was, too.  I was born this way, and so is everyone else – we simply all have an inclination to do wrong instead of right.  A lot of people argue this, but they forget that our motives are often the hugest factor in what makes a right-looking action, actually wrong.  You see, God sees us with His perfect standard of goodness, because He IS completely good and perfect, and this is what He sees: “There is none who does good, not even one!” (Psalm 14:3).  The most basic measurement God has given is in the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20 – it’s like God’s 10 commands for human life.  We may think we do well, until we realize that these commands not only apply to our outward behavior, but our hearts, thoughts, and motives as well!  For example, when God says not to commit adultery, Jesus reminds us that when someone looks on a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart! (Matthew 5:28).  Wow!  With this kind of heart and thought-searching according to each of God’s commands, each one of us finds that we are all completely guilty!  Those that sin against God in any way are worthy of His punishment.  This punishment is in hell, because God’s justice goes way beyond ours: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."  (Revelations 21:8)   Hell is real, and I knew it!  And who of us can claim that we’ve never lied, never been faithless, never been cowardly, or never been immoral in our thoughts?  We all deserve God’s just punishment in hell.  (Some people say that hell isn’t fair, but they forget that we’re not the one who calls the shots on what’s fair – we don’t make the standards – God is the Creator, the Standard-Maker, and ultimately, the just Judge of the universe.  He’s the One that makes “fair” fair!  He knows complete fairness as well as complete goodness, because He is the epitome or height of fairness and goodness Himself.  And He always operates in complete fairness & goodness, consistent with His Person!).  So we’re in a predicament – we don’t want to go to hell, but that’s what’s coming to us, unless something drastic happens!

MY STORY - Part 2

And something drastic did happen, in history, as well as in my own life!  After several months of fear, crying, and utter misery as an emotionally & spiritually troubled preteen, it finally happened.  What happened?  God changed my life.  How did He do this?  Well, it started when I read a little book titled “Around the Wicket Gate,” by Charles Spurgeon.  Suddenly God helped me realize how I could get to Him, and have someone come between me and God’s just wrath – that wrath that I deserved to endure in hell, because I didn’t measure up to God’s fair standard of goodness.  I broke all of His laws, especially in my heart.  But God showed “the Way” to deal with this.  It was crazy-simple, but it was just as crazy in how amazing it was!  You see God has provided a way for us to be delivered from our sin, and saved from hell.  He gave us a Perfect Substitute who suffered for sin on the behalf of anyone who would believe in Him, and take Him in their hearts as their own personal Savior!  This Substitue-Savior is Jesus Christ, Who God sent to earth about 2,000 years ago.  He was the Son of God, but was also miraculously born as the human son of the virgin Mary (just as was predicted earlier in history, see Isaiah 7:14).  He also lived a perfect life (since He was the Son of God as well), and died a completely cruel, shameful death on the cross by the hands of the Romans.  God allowed this so that His Son could pay the full price of physical suffering, as well as spiritual torment on the cross – so that WE wouldn’t have to pay this in hell!  This substitution & salvation was complete with Jesus’ own words on the cross: “It is finished.” (John 19:30).  And not only does Jesus “purchase” for us a substitution & salvation so we don’t have to suffer God’s holy wrath against sin in hell, but He also purchased for us eternal life in heaven with Him, after we die physically!  He clearly says in Romans 6: 23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Wow!  And not only that (as if that weren’t enough), instead of being a natural heart-enemy of God, wanting to rebel against God’s ways and go our own way, constantly living in sin in our thoughts, words, and actions, we are changed around by God’s power to “become the children of God,” (John 1: 12) desiring and doing what is right by God’s grace and help.  Yet although we really are a “new creation,” (2 Corinthians 5:17), we still battle our “old nature” which remains until we are perfected in heaven.  This means we still sin at times, and have to repent and confess sins to God.  But we are encouraged in 1 John 1: 9 that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Wow, our faithful Father is always ready to forgive us because of Christ who’s already paid for those sins, in whom we believe with all our hearts!  And the truth is, even though we still deal with some sin, God gives us a completely new direction & focus – living for Him!  Instead of being a slave to sin, we are free in Christ to do what is right and truly good, and we want to do that!  Since we’ve transferred our trust from self to God, we have a solid foundation for life, a “paid” stamp on our long list of sins that we would’ve had to pay for ourselves in hell, a new First Love & Director in our lives, a kind & caring Father who promises to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28), as well as a sure hope of heaven. 

Can you identify with any of these things?  Have you experienced this transformation in your life?  Have you transferred your trust from self to God, and have been changed by God from serving yourself, to serving God?  You see, heaven isn’t for everyone!  What’s going on in heaven?  All those who’ve been redeemed by God are singing His praises for what He’s done in their lives to save them from their sins, and give them new spiritual life!  They’re singing His praises at what a great, holy, just, but also merciful (especially shown through Jesus!), kind, gracious, magnificent God He is!  No one that hasn’t had a first-had experience in trusting their heart, soul, and life with this God will be there!  No one that really doesn't seek after God and want to know Him better will be there!  We need to have Jesus Christ as our Savior to be there in heaven!

MY STORY - Part 3

So why did I share all this?  Because THIS is exactly what transformed my life at that fearful preteen state I was in, and also what characterizes my life now!  I live by these truths, and believe them firmly in my mind, heart, and soul.  And all these truths are found in the archeologically-tested, prophecy-confirming, self-sufficient, historically-accurate, and God-preserved words of the Bible!  My life changed then from fear to faith, from panic to trust, from misery to joy, all because God opened my eyes from spiritual deadness to see what spiritual life in Jesus Christ was all about, and He gave me faith to believe in His Son-Substitute, Jesus Christ, and receive Him into my heart!  God was my caring Father now, I had no need to fear disease or unknown, for He was in complete control of my life, and would work all for my good as He promised.  God’s Son Jesus was my Savior now, so I now longer had to fear death and hell, because He had took that on Himself for me.  And God’s Spirit was always with me, so that I never had to be afraid of being alone, because He promises that His Spirit dwells within us when we believe in Him (John 14:17, 1 Corinthians 3: 16).  What an incredible change in my life!

So my life went from being characterized by fear, to being characterized by faith!  Later I found out that even my sisters noticed a definite change in me at that time!  After moving to New Jersey around the 8^th grade, I attended a small Christian school for a few years where I did make friends (even though I still had to battle my shyness).  God somewhere along the line broke through for me in this area when I was in high school, when I started noticing some women in my church that I wanted to be like.  They were selfless, giving, out-going, and thoughtful, and I wished I could be like them!  So I decided finally that I would do my very best, relying on God’s help, to be more out-going and others-focused.  I also found a new way to get over my shyness: I would try to find other lonely, shy people and go up to them and talk to them.  This way I could help them by trying to be a friend to them, as well as help myself in trying to be less shy and more others-focused. 

After a few years at that private, Christian school in NJ, my parents decided to home-school again, and I finished my last years of high school at home, as well as at the local community college.  I got fascinated with Human Biology when I home-school, and decided to make it a two year course, because I wanted to soak it all up!  So I ended up deciding to go for nursing in college, which I majored in at the Ramapo College of NJ, and graduated in 4 years with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Spanish minor.

Then, after a year and a half of working as a nurse on a cardiac floor at a hospital in NJ, I married the love of my life!  I actually met him at my brother’s wedding, so I suppose, as they say, “love was in the air!”  We married this past year on April 24^th, 2010.  During the year of 2010 I helped my husband on the farm we rented, did some visiting of our families in various states around Christmas-time (see “Holiday Highlights”!), and then started a home-improvement kick.  We have since remodeled our two bathrooms (the master bath completely), and we’re currently working on some landscaping.  We hope to finish with putting a cement floor down in our garage, and refinishing a piano to move into the house as soon as it’s done!  Curt hopes to attend state police academy (he was just accepted), and in the meantime I will be starting a full-time job again as a nurse, Lord willing!  All in God’s timing!  We’re excited for the plans He has for our lives, since He promises us He plans our future in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  And all His promises are “yes” and “amen” in Jesus Christ, our Savior! (2 Corinthians 1:20).  Praise God!

Holiday Highlights are over!

Dear family & friends,

Holiday Highlights are over!  I hope you enjoyed getting a taste of our holidays in Kentucky, Arkansas, and New Jersey and seeing pictures of our family members...

As promised, sometime soon hopefully I will post a "2010 in Pictures" and will give you a mini picture album of what this past year was like for Curtis and I.

Upcoming now, though, I have a 3-part post called "my story" that I've promised to certain of you! ;)  I hope you all enjoy reading it!  I decided to post part one last, so it's easier to read with the first part being at the top of the page.  Enjoy, and don't forget to leave your comments & thoughts!  I'd love for you to share a little of your story as well!

With love,
Joanna

Holiday Highlights #6: LAST ONE! :D ...A New Year in New Jersey

 Punky-Gerto, as she's fondly nick-named (don't ask! haha), 

with the baby-doll she got from Curt & I for Christmas!  Adorable sweetie-pie with those little pig-tails I put in her hair! :) :) :)

Ok, so I forgot how much it can snow in New Jersey!!! So this is the mid-western born & bred girl that I am, speaking right now, but I have to say... I miss it!  (Not the shoveling & driving part, just the fun of it all and the vast beauty of God's creation of snow!!!)  This was a crazy blizzard that came just a few days before we were supposed to leave to drive back to KY!

So this is an almost completely buried car!  I pity the owner - the plows just kept pushing the snow on that side again & again, no matter how much the neighbors on that side of the street shoveled!  Poor guys!  

 Ok, so this is the totally buried car, minus that side-view mirror!  (And no help, except on the side from snow-plows)!!!  Crazy, crazy, crazy blizzard!

 Ethan could barely walk in it!!!  

But there he was, determined to help with his shovel, along with the rest of the guys!

 Curt & Peter shoveling out Mom Crick's van.

 Mandy & Adrielle - aren't they just so stinkin' cute?!!

 Awww, just look at that smile - caught this moment candid as Adrielle played with her Uncle Dan.

"Ok, you're turn!"  Adrielle let's Uncle Dan take a turn on her cell phone conversation.  :) Adrielle LOVES talking on the phone!!! She's been known to take the phone from Momma Mandy or Auntie Lyd and blabber away - she always has so much to say!!!  

 Mandy & Pete eating at Chili's with us!  Delicious!

 I liked this pic of Mandy & Pete inside the glowing chili pepper!  It's actually not a neon sign chili pepper, it's a painted red chili's napkin holder that lit up with the setting I used on the camera!!

 Uncle Curt, Auntie Jo, and Adrielle at Chili's!!

 Our gorgeous sister Mandy & lil bro Ethan!

 Bottle-time with Auntie Jo before nap-time - soooo sleepy!

AW!  I think the lil punkin just woke up here!  At least she still seems pretty happy 

to be with one of her babysitters - Auntie Jo!

Andy, Trish, Olive, and Eden Gruswitz - awesome friends of my family, and great musicians!  They even have their own music teaching business in NJ, and you can find it at http://www.olivetreemusicstudio.com/!!  

We had such a fun jam session that night, 

complete with Andy's guitar, Trish's violin, Pete's clarinet, and our voices! So much fun!  

I miss being able to hang out with these people terribly!  

But they're truly awesome friends!!

 Ethan & Olive - they had so much fun together!

 Mom Crick with Ethan & Adrielle - can you feel all the love?!

 I think we were actually playing Boggle in this picture!  (Mandy was just using the Taboo box to have something to write on).  Apparently it went something like this:

Mandy: Bwahahahahahahaha!

Curtis: Hahahaha - Gotcha sister!

Pete: I'm not sure what to think about this.

Adrielle: I'm leaving!

Ethan: What is going on here?!

 Curt & Adrielle together... this was our last night in NJ, 

and Adrielle was obviously very sad to have to say goodbye! ;)