We've Moved!!!

Finally, after 9 months, we sold our house, packed up, and moved to our new home!

God is good. His plans were completed in His time, and for that we are grateful. He knew what was best for us...which home we would end up purchasing, and you know what? We love the home He chose for us!!! We are settling in quite well. We have most of the boxes unpacked, but there are still some in the basement and in the garage. We'll get there though. This new home has the same square feet as our old home, but there's a lot less storage space (mainly closets), so it's been an adjustment for us. We're getting rid of things we no longer 'need', and it feels good to clean out and live with less!!

The truck was enormous...the biggest 18 wheeler they had...and yup, we filled it up!


It was amazing how hard they worked, and how well they packed the truck!




They were picking up boxes and furniture like it was nothing!


This is my Lane hope chest...my wedding gift from Edward. Alone it's heavy, but it was FILLED with things, so it was extremely heavy. Poor guys!


Check out how they carried the boxes. Ingenious! No back pain that way.


Sweet-Pea cried ALL day long. She was going to miss her room a lot. She's fine now, she loves her new room, and those tears are a thing of the past...but I'm glad I captured them on film!


Lionel was glad to leave his room. He outgrew it, and was looking forward to a newer bigger room with 'real' walls and a big closet!


This was our living room...but when we purchased this house initially, it was the garage. We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this home and we had many happy years here. We WILL miss it, but the memories will be coming with us...along with a gazillion photos. =)


Hallway from the dining room leading to our school room and the in-law apartment where my Dad lived when he was with us.


I think this is the room I'll miss the most. This was the kitchen I designed myself. I loved this kitchen...it had all the bells and whistles in such a small space. It had decorative shelves, places specifically designed for my backing needs, 2 huge pantries, a work station (just past the fridge) and lots more.




The stairway leading up to the bedrooms and tons of storage space.


The master bedroom with it's big closet.


The in-law kitchen. This was the perfect size for my Dad. We took the fridge with us as an extra. =)


In-law bedroom, looking into the in-law living room.


That was a wonderful home, we loved it and yet we were ready to move on. As Edward says...since the house was 50+ years old, he is excited to be walking away from all the 'little' projects that need doing on an older home. Our new home is brand new, and Edward has traded in his tools and paint brush for a hammock! =)

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Our closing was the day we moved out. The kids slept over at their grandparents' house that evening, so Edward and I had time to hang a few curtains and clean out a bit before the movers arrived the next morning...bright and early. Unfortunately though, we had to sleep on the hard floor since we had no furniture. Ouch!! We should have taken advantage and slept in a hotel, but we had so much work to do, so we figured 'why spend the money'?!? Between the hard floor and the excitement of moving in, I think we got about 3 hours of sleep that night!

The first thing I did was put this verse on the wall of our home..."As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I hope we can live up to it...it's a great reminder as we pass through this doorway EVERY day!


We hung the curtains in our living room...I ironed them, but they weren't perfect. They're much better now after hanging there for 2 weeks. =)


The dining room curtains also got hung up thanks to Edward!


Early the next day look what arrived at our front door! The truck was packed FULL to the brim and I'm surprised that after opening these doors, everything didn't simply fall out! Not one thing broke in the move, incredible huh? That's a sign of good packing and great movers.


Our living room the morning of the move...


Moving in. I didn't get many photos since I had to direct them where to go with each box and every piece of furniture. It was exhausting but fun. These movers were SO MUCH FUN to work with...great guys!


A few days later we brought our dog home from the spa. Cody is slowly adjusting to life in the new house and I think he loves it almost as much as we do.


The only room that's mostly done is the living room, so for now that's the only photo you're going to get. =) We have lots more to unpack, lots of things to hang on the walls etc. In time I'll add photos. For now, that's it.





We are so excited to be starting this next chapter in our lives. We are truly blessed and we Praise God for these blessings!!

To my family and friends...if you're in the neighborhood, come visit and enjoy a cup of coffee with me. I'd love to see you, and share our new home with you!!

Fun with the family!

Yesterday we had lots of fun in the sun...which is rare around here lately due to all the rain we've been getting! The family got together for a picnic...food, fun and pool time! It was lots of fun - as it always is getting together with them!!! Since the death of my Dad, it even means more to me than it used to...family is precious, and I value every minute with them.

It actually was quite hot outside, but it was nice and breezy under the tent in the shade. Edward is in the yellow t-shirt on the right.


Sweet-Pea playing with her 2 cousins from Wyoming.


My cousin from WY and Lionel, enjoying the pool.


Sweet-Pea in the pool...she's part fish! = )


Lionel, lost in a pile of tubes. I think there were 5 or 6 piled up.


Sweet-Pea


Farmer Sweet-Pea...headed out to plow the fields behind her. =)


Lionel, Sweet-Pea and their 2 cousins.


Just havin' a bit of fun with my macro...these flowers are gorgeous aren't they!?!


This pretty Monarch butterfly was perched on the bush just waiting for me to snap a photo.


Lionel, captured in a more serious pose...I love this photo of him.


Sweet-Pea playing a game with grace and beauty...all due to years of ballet lessons. =)


Well, now that we've had our day of rest and relaxation, it's time to WORK! We move in just 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! The house is packed except for a few last minute things. Cody heads for the doggie spa tomorrow morning, and then we wait patiently for the big huge truck to come and pick up our 'stuff' on Tuesday morning. We've already begun to say good-bye to our neighbors, and our list of to-do's is getting smaller. Yaay!!!

I probably won't be able to post for a few days now. Lord willing, the next time I'm on here, there will be photos of the move and news that we're settling in.

Only 1 more week!!!

Can we get through this next week without getting too excited? Probably not. One week from today we'll be moving out, handing over the keys to our old home and signing the papers on our new home! We can't wait!!

I haven't been able to sleep much these days, partly because our mattresses are on the floor due to us taking our bed apart, and partly because my mind keeps racing...thinking of what needs to happen before we move. It's not easy moving...I honestly don't know how people do this often. I know some families who have moved 10 or 11 times. No thank you, not me!! I want to move once more after this...out to Colorado, then I'm done moving!! If my family wants to move again after that, they can move without me! ha ha (OK, maybe not, but they can do all the packing!)

I'm more worried about how Cody will adjust to his new surroundings. He will be at the Doggie Spa for a few days (nah, he's not pampered), but when he gets home, it'll be at the new house, not the one he knows. He's never been there, so it will be quite the surprise. He must know SOMETHING is going on, our house never looked so awful...boxes all over, furniture taken apart, window coverings down, things off the walls. He probably just thinks we don't know how to decorate. Silly dog!



We're headed out shopping again today. We purchased our curtains the other day. I'm not saying what we got, I'll just post photos once we move and they're up. If you don't like them, I don't want to know...we spent WAY too much money on them and my husband won't be pleased. ha ha They are pretty though and I think they'll match the furniture beautifully. We'll see.

It's amazing all the little 'stuff' you need when buying a new home though. Curtains, curtain rods, shades, all new shelf paper, garbage cans (inside and out since ours aren't worth moving), light bulbs, shower curtains, groceries (since we can't really take most of the cold stuff with us), cleaning supplies etc. I'm not complaining though, I LOVE to shop. =) It's just amazing how much we need to get to make our house a home. Having to leave certain things behind that we know we'll need to buy again isn't easy to do....curtain rods, certain light fixtures, bathroom accessories etc. Things that are attached to the home that we can't take. The new owners will probably not even use what's here, but we still can't take 'em. Go figure.

Well, I need to go make my list...we're heading out soon! Have a great day.

Happy Father's Day

This is the first Father's Day without my Dad. It stinks, but knowing that he's been reunited with my Mom and especially with our heavenly Father, makes it easier to accept. I really miss him a lot and have been thinking about him lately more than ever. He was a special man who touched so many people in such a wonderful way!

Lionel, Sweet-Pea and PaPa


...And my dear husband...thanks for being such a wonderful daddy to our children. I love to see you interact with them...you know when to be a kid again, and when to be a father. You have such a fun playful side to you when you're around them which I love. Not many Dads know how to do that. Also, continue to be that strong shining example they need, to grow and mature into a Godly man and woman.

Daddy and Lionel


Daddy and Sweet-Pea


This is an old photo, but it shows the 'silly' side of Daddy, don'cha think!?!


Another great 'Dad' is my father-in-law. (A.K.A. my father-in-love) He has always been there for us and is a great help in so many ways to us and to our children. My prayer for him is that he comes to know Christ in a personal way.

Grandpa and Lionel


Happy Father's Day!!!!
With love,

The Countdown Continues...

Packing has been part of our daily routine. Yesterday we completed Sweet-Pea's room. She now only has an empty dresser, an empty book shelf, the horse barn she likes to play with, and her mattress...which is on the floor. It's pretty empty around here these days!!

Here she is, helping to take her bed apart. She was a big help and actually thought it was exciting to pack up everything in her room.


She'll miss the ballet bar and mirror we put up, but it just means we'll have to be as creative in our new home.


Look what FINALLY got added to our 'For Sale' sign!!!! We have been waiting and waiting to see this sign hanging outside, but it never appeared. Today, Edward came home from work and said to me "Why didn't you call me to say it was up???" I said "What was up?" and then he pointed outside. I practically screamed with excitement. It's SO REAL now!!!!! God is good!



Of course, being the avid (yet amateur) photographer that I am, I had to take a gazillion photos of the sign in front of the house. This is one of my favorites...


Now that we'll be moving...we are thinking about what needs to be done at the new home. First order of business....a mailbox! Yup...gotta make room for those bills that will be pouring in once we move in!!!

Here's Lionel and Edward getting ready to put the pole in the ground.


Edward's Dad came over to help us. He's very good at this sort of thing, plus he loves doing it!


Checking to see if things are level. Perfection at it's best!


Done! Now it looks like someone lives there....well, almost!

Only 11 days!!!

Wildlife...too close for comfort!

Well, it's a good thing we're moving!!! Check out what just moved into our yard and under our shed....







Yup, they're adorable, but they're still SKUNKS!!!

They must have been born recently. We only noticed them 2 days ago. One was wandering around the back yard around the pool area. He seemed to be lost. All of a sudden, 4 more popped their heads out from under the shed and made noises as if to call the lost one home.

That was yesterday.

Today they started all coming out and walking around our yard!!!! It's a bit creepy. During the day it's not a problem to walk Cody (our dog) because we can see them (even though they're quite small), but at night...LOOK OUT! I just hope none of us get sprayed. Yuk!



Only 13 days until we move...let's hope the new owners find their 'neighbors' very friendly! What a welcoming committee they have, huh? =)

Opinions wanted...

We went over to the new house today. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to be there knowing it was going to be our home in just 16 days! Did you hear me? 16 days!!!!! Yahoo!!!! I'm sorry, I'm just a tiny bit really excited about it.

I'm not the best decorator in town, but I'm not the worst either...yet I would love your opinion on something. Here goes:

Here is a photo of our living room...


Here's a photo of what it will probably look like once we paint a darker shade of brown on the fireplace wall...


It's very pretty, but the windows on that wall aren't easy to work with. They are pretty tall, and yet they're at the shorter end of the room. The ceiling is 9' where the windows are, and it goes up to the top of the 2nd floor as it comes towards the front of the photo. (It's a saltbox style home, higher in the front, shorter in the back.) I need advice on what style curtains to put there. I could use just a valance, yet it would most likely look pretty sparse. I could use tiered swags on either side, but again, not sure how it would look. My thoughts were to just use tailored curtains on either side. I'm not a huge fan of plain 'ole curtains, but I think it would actually look pretty on these tall windows.

So, I had a bit of fun playing around on the computer with the living room photo tonight. Below are 2 photos I came up with. Believe me, I know the details aren't great, but I did it quickly, so I apologize for the not-very-professional photos...the Thomas Kinkade picture isn't at the right angle and the curtains are all funny, but it's just to get an idea of what it'll look like. We are going to hang our Thomas Kinkade picture over the fireplace and put candle wall sconces up, but they will be straight and of the proper scale. =)

Image #1:


Image #2:


This is what our sofas look like...they're a sage green.


So, do you like either of them? Do you think the plaid is better? Plain is better? Neither? Got a different idea for me? I look forward to your responses...thanks for your .02 cents. Every opinion counts and I'm just not sure of what will look the best. Thanks!!!



P.S. The curtains will go down to the floor most likely...I just didn't do it that way in the photo...for whatever reason. =)