We're all alive! I promise... :)

This is a post for all of the people (maybe my Dad and our Granny Yost?) who randomly check in on our blog.  We are alive and well and so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas soon. 

 

Here are some pictures that our wonderful friends at Studio 517 took...thanks Andy and Laura!  We are so pleased. :)

 

Life is full...which is why our blog is so neglected. ;)

Family Update

Oh, hi there.  Remember us??  I know, I know...we haven't been keeping things updated here on the 'ole blog, but we've been too busy living our LIFE!  I know, crazy...huh?  ;)

Here is an update of what's been going on in the past 2 months...bullet style...

*Our house was on the market for several months, and after 3 agressive price drops and no interest, God has provided a way for us to STAY here while we build the other homes!?  We are so grateful.  It's off the market for now...but as we've learned the hard way, we'll hold this home with an open hand and let the Lord have His way...

*The first of our 3 additional homes to be built on our newly subdivided property is currently being worked on!  It's taking shape quickly and the roof is going on as we speak!  I love the floor plan of the new house.  Now let's pray for a buyer for it soon!! :)

*Hailey and Owen have spent several weeks of the summer in swimming lessons!  Hailey has passed level 3 and is now working on her crawl stroke!  It looks more like a doggie paddle right now, but she's working hard on it! ;)  And Owen...he started the lessons so terrified of the water that the teachers had to rip our screaming son out of my arms.  Just 2 days ago he got in trouble for jumping into the kiddie pool by himself when it wasn't his turn. We'll take the progress!

*Our family got the amazing priviledge of serving up at a Freshman camp at Rockridge Canyon, a YL Canada camp in Princeton, BC.  It was amazing!  Lots of work and very little sleep for me, but it was such a treat for our kids...and such fun watching Todd be "Mr. Mom" for the week.  He was a trooper!!

*We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new niece OR nephew...Christy is due any minute day now and we are dying to find out what the baby is!?! I also just booked tickets for Hailey and I to visit next month...and she promises that she'll do diapers. ;)

*My children are such fun right now...they play together so well (most of the time ;) and are getting so independent! Love those kids... :)

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment, but I promise I'll try to be better about updating the blog...and I'll do my best to put some pictures up soon too.

Mother's Tea

My sweet Hailey invites me to a tea at her school this week. It was such a fun morning! The kids sang to us, the teachers read letters written to us by our kids, and served us treats and punch. Hailey was so excited that she came bursting into my room at 6:30 in the morning wearing her Easter dress! And she made, er, um...asked me to wear a dress too. ;)

All in all, such a special morning. The highlight was when the kids got up to sing I'm a Little Teapot and her teacher informed all of us that they'd also be singing the second verse that Hailry taught the class!! She remembered it from her old preschool... ;)

Before & After

We purchased these 6 chairs on Craig's List for $70 and then bought this fun fabric for $20 and some scotch guard for $7. For under $100 we replaced the chairs at our kitchen table. Not bad! :)

The process of re-upholstering these babies was far easier than when I did my two in the dining room...I just in-screwed the seats, stapled the new fabric on, and Todd re-attached them. Easy-peasie!!

Shhh...

You didn't hear it from me, but Sweet Pea had a little work done... ;)

Let me back up a bit...nearly 2 years ago Hailey made Sweet Pea at Build a Beat. She's been loved on and played with daily since then and let's just say she was getting a bit...ragged. We asked the kind folks that work at Build a Bear and they unofficially said that should she find herself "un-stuffed" and run through the wash in a lingerie bag they could re-stuff her and see her back together free of charge! So nice.

She spent one night in the "ICU" (Hailey's baby crib) in a flattened state and now today she's good as new!

We are so happy to have her good as new and smelling fresh as a daisy. ;)

The Lord Giveth...

...and the Lord taketh away.

Nearly 6 months to the day after moving into our new house we're putting it on the market.

Things in our business have been very challenging (to say the least) since moving in here and we can no longer afford to stay in this house. There is definitely some sadness in leaving this home that we poured so much of ourselves into. What a blessing this home has been as we've already hosted many family dinners, birthday parties, and playdates here...but at the end of the day it's just a house. Our family will be in tact wherever we live. That's what matters.

When we finally reached this conclusion (after much prayer and tears) I found myself with a twinge of sadness and a huge sense of peace and relief. God is going to care for us. No matter what.

What's next for us? Well, to be honest your guess is as good as ours. We have many different options. We could buy something cheap and renovate, we could rent somewhere for a while and look for a less expensive lot and build smaller, or maybe even cozying up with our folks at one of their houses?? Wherever we end up, we'll be just fine.

When in the midst of deciding what to do, I was very worried about what moving again would do to our kids. I mean, they anticipated and helped in the building process too and have loved it here. I asked Hailey, "So, are you going to be sad if we end up having to move out of this house?"

Her reply was, "Nope. Can I bring my chandelier??" Sure Hails...or maybe we'll even spring for another one. It was $40 at Ikea afterall. ;)

Then came discussion of whether or not she could handle sharing a room with her brother...

"Sure! It'll be like camping!"

Love that girl.

The best thing that's come out of all of this? I've never clung on to my Jesus so hard for every drop of energy, hope, and peace.

I'll be honest...the thought of moving again (maybe even twice) for the 3rd time in just over a year is exhausting to me. I'm literally tired just thinking about it, but I know that when my energy runs out His takes over and that's just a good place to be...

Yep...that is my kid.

Owen gets more wild and crazy by the minute. He's...mischievous, let's say...he locks doors when he's not supposed to, has poured his cup of milk into my bowl of soup while I wasn't looking, and has overflowed our master toilet (to the point of the water traveling down the exterior wall of the house).

BUT, at bedtime, he holds me so tight, kisses my face all over, and whispers sweet things like, "wuv you mommy" and "you sweep in my bed?". Sweetest.thing.ever. Makes the exasperation of my day just melt away.

Some of my favorite Owen-isms are "push the bunt" (push the button), "zhup" (yup), "I really guck" (I'm really stuck), "faffle" (waffle), and my newest favorite is that he thinks Case lives in "fun lolly" (Sun Valley). :)

(and no, I didn't put him in the laundry basket... ;)

Books!!

We've had an Ikea Expedit bookcase in the playroom for a while, but it never looked very appealing because the books were always disheveled and you couldn't see all your options. We came up with this brilliant idea so the books would be facing out and look more inviting! :)

We just used some picture ledges from Ikea and Todd had the last minute idea to stagger them on the wall. I LOVE it! We have some really cool books to show off thanks to lots of generous grandparents, aunts, uncles...that sort of thing, but the majority of the collection comes courtesy of Todd's auntie Beth! Over the years she gave Todd more cool books than I can count, which of course got passed on to the kids.

Here's to hoping the playroom book wall stays like this! ;)

Little projects

I bought this table for $10 at a garage sale over the summer, intending to paint it a funky green or maybe a mustard yellow. I finally got it out of the garage and put it in the spot that I wanted it and started looking at color swatches.

Then it hit me...leave it alone, Jessica! It looks so rustic and is the perfect table right by the door to the garage for dumping our keys and such on.

Yay for $10 garage sale finds!! :)

My baby girl is 5!! :)

She woke up feeling sick, but after a little medicine and some rest this morning she's acting more like herself... :)

How did this happen?? She's getting so big so fast! :)

Par-Tay!!

Today we had a little party to celebrate Hailey's upcoming 5th birthday. It was so fun!! We limbo'd, played balloon volleyball, scavenger hunted, ate cake, and had the best time! It was the most simple, but most fun birthday party yet!

We love you Hails!! :)

Thirty-Three!

Happy 33rd Birthday to my hubs!

We love you, Toddler! :)