Harper Joy in (RED)

The view from my loft at 7:30am ~ MUST paint before it rains! LOVE this man!

Ladies night in the loft

Boys night in the loft

Jason and Norm building my bathroom walls

with paint and kitchen installed

We painted the town house RED! Daddy and I (read: mostly Daddy) painted the tiny house on wheels this week and she is looking very sassy! Plumbing has also been started, shower installed, and kitchen moved in. Thank you Jason, Aaron, Bekah, Joy and Randall for coming up for this project! Jason worked on plumbing with Norm while the rest organized Norm's garage. I have the best friends a girl could ask for!

We had some slumber parties in the tiny house too. My sister Tanya and I divided and conquered (or told ourselves that is what we were doing). She took the girls and I took the boys one night and then we switched off. My loft sleeps 4, when 3 are little people anyway :) My loft has been christened, cereal is smashed into the carpet, Capri Sun spilt, and one fall from the ladder. (Hannah is okay, no battle scars from the incident!) I'm sure there will be many more memories made!

I am in awe! As this tiny house on wheels starts to look more and more like its tiny version counterpart, I still can't believe that this journey I decided to embark upon in September 2009 has turned into my little home by April 2010! I look at it each time I am there and can't believe its mine. I can't seem to comprehend that all these wonderful people love me enough to share their time, talents, and treasures. So many people have put their mark on my house, in so many ways. The memories that I have made during the last 6 months will be with me forever. Each time I walk into my Harper Joy, whether she becomes my full time residence, summer house, guest house, or Maine house, I will be enveloped in love and memories of the time I spent planning and building her with faith, family and friends. Thank you doesn't seem like enough, but I sure am grateful and appreciative of all who have given this special gift to me.

You see, my Harper Joy is so much more than just a little house on wheels. It represents success, self worth, love, community, faith, and hope. The verse from Psalm 23:5 "my cup runneth over" is pretty much how I can describe it. I just think about all I have been given in this life, and I am blessed. While so many people don't have some of the simple things I have, I recognize I have been blessed with so many complexities! I have wonderful and sustainable relationships with extraordinary people and multiple resources at my fingertips. I could not have build this house without them.

Dear God,

You know how I always tell you that your plan is better than mine? Here I am again Lord, and its still true. You have amazed me again with your intricate plans for my life and the people in it. Thank you for putting me in this place, with these people, and in Your timing. Thank you for my tiny house, the hands that built it, and the seeds that have been planted. Please help me to foster these relationships and be to them what they are to me. Please keep me centered on Your plan and in Your timing. Help me to see the opportunities past the obstacles and focus on You.

I hope you have big plans for my Harper Joy, and I will be happy even if they don't include me.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Like Father Like Son Daughter!

In 1973, my Dad and Mom used this tiny house on wheels for camping! My cousin found the picture in my grandmothers albums. He has since turned 3 other van/buses into tiny campers. I love this man and I am honored to have him helping me with my tiny house on wheels! :)

I was gonna save these for Wordless Wednesday...

But a VERY funny story now accompanies the photos. And, well, the story requires words!

So I have been planning a trash the dress/try out the new camera with my photographer brother-in-law Ben for sometime now. The Saturday before I left for Aruba (more to come on that adventure soon) it all came together and we had a photo shoot. We went to a consignment shop and bought the white dress for $30 and the veil for $10. Before we went home to put some make-up on me and style my hair, we stopped at Shop'n'Stop for $6 flowers. We then headed to the beach, playground, train tracks, church, and a candy store. Let me tell you the ways as a bride, yes a make believe marrying myself bride, can get hit on! I got beeped at, whistled at, told I was beautiful, complimented on my stained/snagged wedding dress and $6 bouquet and proposed to! Who knew? It was so much fun, I mean what girl doesn't like getting all dressed up sassy and going places?! We celebrated Tracy and Ben's birthday with a marvelous sushi dinner (the reception) and I left for Aruba (my honeymoon) early the following morning. You'll see where I am going with this momentarily.

On Friday morning, almost a week after the photo shoot and I headed to Aruba, my Dad walks into the country store in my little small hometown in Maine. He sees an old acquaintance who starts raving about what a beautiful bride I made. Confused, my dad asks what he means, and said acquaintance takes out his cell phone, (signs onto Facebook) and shows my Dad eight photos with me in full bridal gear! My dad is dumbfounded to say the least. Keep in mind that I am his last single daughter and he knows I am in Aruba. All kinds of things are running through his mind now. Why wasn't I invited? Is she on her honeymoon? She said she was going with friends. Who did she marry?

Poor guy! He didn't mention to anyone all day while he stressed and tried to make sense of it. Neither one of my parents are technologically savvy, and especially not my Dad! When I was studying abroad in England during undergrad, he attempted Instant Messaging me, and this is what it looked like - hitarshahowareyouimissyouhopeyouarehavingagoodtime, which took him over a minute to type. But I digress. While the photos were enough to cause a small panic attack, he did remember seeing Corey Pro on the photos. He decided with four other daughters who always spill the beans, it simply couldn't be true. He called Tracy and giggling he said to her "I just went by some train tracks where my daughter got married." When Tracy was confused, he explained his story of seeing his last daughter married off in pictures and the toll it took on him!

So that's the story of my wedding and honeymoon, I mean my photo shoot and 10 year friendship anniversary vacation with Jaimee! But to my Dad an outsider who only sees a few photos, its a whole different story!

5am Part II

I went to Maine for a Job Fair (class project) on Tuesday night and then had regular class Wednesday night. I always jump at the chance to spend a few minutes with the ones I love, so I went to Tanya's house ASAP after the job fair ended. I found Drew waiting for me in the window. He was at the door by the time I got to it and I got some much needed LOVE!! He was chatting up a storm and checking out what I brought. I had some candy from the Job Fair and I couldn't say no! This is the difference between the children I nanny for and those little cherubs back in Maine. I can give them candy and gum, because that is part of my job as an Aunt, especially one who lives away now! :) We spent some time together and then I opted for an early bedtime, knowing what the Smith household is like BRIGHT and EARLY. My babies didn't let me down either. I woke at 5:30am, which is practically sleeping in for their house, but early for me none the less. I had two children all over me with lots to say. We ate breakfast, colored pictures and had our showers. Then I took Hannah and Drew to breakfast with Papa (my Dad). Turns out there was some construction next door and Drew spent the entire time standing in the window watching a bucket loader and dump truck clear a space. This couldn't have been planned any better. Hannah tried one bite of her pancakes and said with a puckered up nose, "These are not like my mothers." Did I make her eat them? No, of course not! This is another job an Aunt from away gets to do, throw some of the rules out the window. I ate them and shut my mouth! :)
Then as we left, Papa and I used all of our quarters to buy the kids a ball, sport stickers (after all it was Team Spirit day at school) and gum from the machines! Yes, a big gumball from the gumball machine at 8am! It was great! I laughed right out loud when I loaded these children into the car to deliver them to daycare and school with gum in their mouths! I cannot do this with the children I nanny for and I so enjoy doing them for my very special niece and nephew. I didn't get to see my 2 other special nephews, but I do get next Friday with them!

"But Tarsha, you have Papa!"

In March, I cancelled my wedding. I called the florist, the photographer, the band, the cake maker, the caterer, the church, and much to my dismay, the Party Booth company, to cancel the reservation I had with them for 08-08-08. It was not meant to be. I realized it was much easier to cancel a wedding than get a divorce, something I never want to do. After ending the engagement and then the relationship altogether by July, I found myself doing a lot of explaining. I got a lot of apologies (people are uncomfortable with endings) and questions. I was, and still am, OK with the whole thing, but others seem a bit leery, including the littlest people in my life.
For the past year anyway, when the kids would see me, it would be accompanied by a smile and "Where's Owen?" I would then explain that he was working, at his parents, or joining me in a little while. After the breakup, which I and their parents explained, "Where's Owen" didn't stop. I would show up alone - "Where's Owen?", my cell phone would ring, "Is that Owen?"
After several weeks I decided to explain to my niece Hannah about being single. She is very smart, so I leveled with her. "You know how Mommy has Daddy, Tracy has Ben, Tricia has Matt and Trina has Rob? Well Aunt Tarsha has nobody. I am single. I don't have a partner or a boyfriend or a fiance. Owen is not going to come with me anymore because I am not going to marry him and he isn't my boyfriend either. It's just me now." Well she didn't miss a beat and came back with "But Tarsha, you have Papa!"
She's right, I do have Papa. I have lived with my father since going back to school for my Master's Degree and through my year of service. I am very fortunate to have my Dad's support. He's a great housemate and friend. He keeps tabs on my car maintenance - I balance his checkbook. He washes the dishes - I pay his bills online. He brings home Thai food, and well I help him eat it! :) Thanks Daddy!
Hannah's comment got me thinking. Not only do I have my earthly father, but I have my Heavenly Father too. He is with me when I show up to a place alone where everyone else is paired off. He is with me when it seems no one else cares. He loves me and He has a plan for all of my days. As a matter of fact, I'm sure he's got a bigger plan for me than I could ever imagine.

Dear God,
Thank you for my health, my family, and my friends. Thank you for my opportunities and my trials alike. Thank you for guiding me through these past few months and for letting these past few months happen the way they did. I could not have come out so changed without you Lord.
Please keep an extra close eye on me in this next few weeks as I journey to a new home, new job, and new adventure. Please give me the energy to play, the wisdom to make good choices and the patience and understanding to work with my new friends Aliya and Matthew. Please also give them patience and understanding with me.
Please be with my Dad as he learns to semi-manage his checkbook without me. Please be with my family as they adjust to various changes in jobs, childcare, and life in general. Please keep them safe and happy.
I know you have a plan for me Lord and I long to walk in your way. Please make me aware so people will see you when they see me. I want to serve you Lord and your people.
In Jesus name,
Amen

P.S. If you are taking requests, think Africa and Guatemala! :) I would love to serve your people there Lord!