Let’s start at the very beginning…

Let’s start at the very beginning

A very good place to start

When you read you begin with A-be-see

When you sing you begin with do-re-mi

Julie Andrews, “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music

Well, I’m not going to start at the very beginning, but we will start from July of last year. Just as you need the basics to read and sing, I hope to give you the new basics of what this revised site is about as you read, write, and engage with me…but definitely not sing.

My last post was on my brother and sister’s birthday, and a lot has transpired since then. Let’s do a quick run-down of highlights, so you can be even more confused!

July 2018
Project “From the Cabin to the Cottage” was well underway (for a couple of months at this point). House hunting in town had officially stopped being fun, but we did put a backup offer on an adorable red house in College Place.

We visited the beautiful Palouse Falls with the intentions of one day kayaking the Palouse and Snake Rivers…even if it means strapping one of my crabby children to my back.

August 2018
At Harris Park in Oregon, I learned that even though it’s 108 degrees outside Walla Walla River water is still ice-cold.

I learned that if my husband can install a pallet wall at church, then one in our new home was definitely in his future.

Still house hunting…

September 2018
A group from our former church in SC came to visit us. Our first official visitors!

Carter started Washington Connections Academy (online public school), and the classes are no joke! He gets a good challenge especially from his gifted and talented classes.

Soccer was well underway for Carter and Cade which meant a lot of driving around for practice and games. Clint was Cade’s coach….that’s all I want to say about that.

Carter turned 10!

Some people at our church showed off some serious skills when we went out bowling. And others? Well, uh, thanks for coming. (Me.)

Still house hunting…

October 2018
My wonderful friend, Val, visited us and experienced the ONE torrential rain we’ve ever had…during a soccer game. (That’s probably why she’ll never move here.) At least she will always have fond memories of the corn cannon.

We were finally under contract! No, not the red house but the blue house BEHIND IT! (We liked the blue one better anyway…HA!)

Seeing the hot air balloons dot the skies around town for the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede made me feel like a kid. Now that I think of it, I am really thankful I didn’t get into a car accident during that time.

November 2018
We moved into our new cozy home that is perfect for our family—except for Mom and Dad not having their own bedroom yet (yay!)

I went on my Walk With Christ which was an amazing time of spiritual refreshment and reminder of God’s promises!

Dia turned four!

December 2018
We got a dog! Her name is Noelle. Dia loves her TOO much. Clint is obviously her favorite.

Our church had a wonderful Advent season that prepared our hearts for Christmas. Our Kairos family is a treasure that we are so blessed to have in our lives! With the vast amount of personalities, quirks, and ages represented, I have never been prouder to say that a church family was truly my tribe–through thick or thin and as the Spirit stretches our hearts!

January 2019
I went rock hounding by the Columbia River with a friend from church. Unfortunately, this was when I had to get honest about possibly having rheumatoid arthritis like my mom. My changeovers at work were becoming more difficult. Flare ups were more prevalent, and I started wearing a stupid, lame-o brace.

We kept three of our original nine chickens that came with the house. The kids named them Dia, Cade, and…Jim Bob.

Dia started gymnastics! She loves the uneven bars and is a pro at wiggling and hopping around non-stop while staying on her 12” x 12” carpet square when her coach is not working with her.

A heron ate one of our koi fish. Clint assembled a crude wire and wood barrier that is tetanus waiting to happen.

Clint turned 56…I mean, 38! (Get it right, Cade!)

I got my very own pallet wall in my living room!

February 2019
It finally really started snowing…and snowing…and snowing. For being a notoriously, horrible driver, I am actually rather proud of my winter weather driving skills.

Work and the cold brought on more stiffness and flare ups. Gloves helped, and with the brace, I kind of looked like Luke Skywalker. I went to the doctor, and we started testing.

Clint got hired part-time at a local home improvement superstore that I’m sure you have all heard of. It is a six-minute walk from our house which helps big time with our crazy schedules and having one vehicle. Being a bivocational pastor was always the plan. No need to worry; our children have enough to eat.

March 2019
I got kind of obsessed with making my own sushi at home…especially since I do it better than Clint.

For Lent we decided to give up…wait for it…disposable plates and spoons. (I know, how millennial is that?!) I’m going to be honest–washing more dishes has actually given me more time to contemplate about God’s will, meditate on the Word, and count my blessings.

My test results came in, and I had to go back again for even more tests! (“No, nurse, I can’t look; just tell me when it’s over.”) The results showed I was high-risk for both rheumatoid arthritis AND lupus. I am referred to the big rheumatology practice in Tri-Cities with an appointment scheduled the following month.

I started my paver driveway project. My wrists, ankles, and knees are on fire each time I do it, but because the pain is variable, I am persistent in this being MY project. (My husband has done so much already around the house that it would be nice to complete a project on my own especially one he doesn’t want to do.) Clint gave me “rules” and “quotas” about how often I can work and how many pavers to dig into the earth each time. Whatever…I mean, thank you for caring about my well-being and loving me so much.

I turned 36!

Our rabbit (remember him?) finally has his outdoor run. We put Kit back in his indoor crate for the night, so that means I have to chase him down each evening. I can only do that by having our dog corral him over to me. It’s fun for us to watch–yet probably traumatizing for Kit. I’m sure these two animals will become great friends.

Our van which had no AC and shook violently was literally going to die any day, so we bought a new-to-us, pre-owned vehicle. (The guys at the dealership seriously wondered how on earth we got the van to the lot without it falling apart.) My only request in a new vehicle was to have all-wheel drive for accessing hiking trails, but that doesn’t help with the crabby children that I will have to strap to my back on the actual trail.

April 2019
Considering different options for next school year and praying about how God is preparing me as a mother with each season of life, we have decided to put Carter and Cade in public school come August. Here at home they are incredibly bright and hilarious boys, but I know they crave more social interaction that even organized sports and occasional field trips do not offer. Since we finally bought a house after a decade of constantly moving, we want to fully establish our roots here. The first day of school will be ROUGH for me. (Thankfully, Dia has another school year to go.)

I went to my rheumatologist appointment, and the doctor looked over my previous results. She felt comfortable ruling out lupus (thank You, Lord!) but not rheumatoid arthritis. I gave more blood for another multitude of tests and headed over to the hospital for x-rays of my hands, feet, and chest. I was prescribed a calcium channel blocker for my Raynaud’s syndrome that has yet to be filled. Having been on one a few years ago, I am not a fan since they make my heart feel like it’s going to explode. My follow-up appointment is in a month where my results will be reviewed and a treatment plan will be provided.

My friends, you are officially caught up!

And now, what is this whole new desireemccullough.com about?

I was seriously considering shutting this whole thing down. I couldn’t define the catchpenny ambry brand. Was it going to be a vintage resale/history lesson site? Was it going to give church planting updates? Lifestyle blog? Online shop through a third party? I love research, but would constantly get lost on rabbit trails. I love vintage thrift interior design, but I didn’t want to deal with the inventory and storage. This all bogged me down, and I found it easier to avoid the site altogether.

Trying to figure this thing out and going through a depressive season due to it, I asked others for input. A number of people reminded me of my love of writing. Ever since I was a kid, I would create lavish stories in my already busy head or on the unfolding journey of fresh paper. I got good at handcrafting hardcover books with meticulously measured and cut cardboard and decorated jackets. I was probably the only sixth grader constructing softcover books with the library’s long-arm stapler. I would relish in creative writing assignments which seemed more like opportunities to discover new corners in the maze of my ever-daydreaming mind.

But what kind of writing? In 2012, I took off the semester Cade was due from seminary but decided to take a non-credit, continuing education online creative writing class from the local community college. From that, there were some realizations that still stand true and are even louder to me today. I know I like to write shorter fiction works. (I very much prefer descriptive over narrative.) I enjoy the research that goes into a substantial devotion or study. I think expository works (seen in periodicals) with humor are clever and can make the boring into something that you want to become an expert in immediately. Children’s literature will always make my heart sing. I enjoy interesting, mind-bending, and short (“Let me get started already! Enough instruction!”) writing exercises and see them as a great tool for anyone whether they have a love for writing or not.

While in that class, I bought a recent copy of Writer’s Market and perused publications, details, deadline and…did nothing. (I know, so proud.)

Well, let’s just fast forward to now (Cade is almost seven, by the way), and these are my “do-somethings”:

• Continue organizing my new site.
• Let this medium serve as my amateur writing portfolio with categories organizing my specific writing as mentioned above….and maybe more.
• Update on our church planting/revitalization journey.
• Get Writer’s Market and use it. (So scary.)
• Stay active in Ruth Soukup’s (Yes, the Elite Blog Academy lady) Do it Scared community.
• Enroll in another online writing class this summer.
• Progress in a number of wellness and smart-living practices that we tend to slack on when life gets busy (exercising, healthy eating, budgeting, etc.).

So that’s the current leg of this crazy journey. And where do you fall in all of this? Well, I just need people to hold me accountable, so I very much encourage you to push me (i.e., don’t “mom” me with phony compliments, give me suggestions that give me various perspectives, let me know when my clarity is off).

ALSO…I would really appreciate some participation on the weekly writing opportunities located on my sidebar. (If you are reading this on a mobile device, it will be under this post.) Don’t worry, they are short…and you get some extra time this go-around. I will submit mine under a new page and would love to post some of yours too. Submit them through my Contact page. I’m sure they will spark some creativity in your life as well!

As always, thank you for reading and spending some time with me. I’m very much looking forward to this new fresh blossoming (ewww) revived (yes!) beginning of sorts.