Last Night in Our House

Burning images into my memory tonight, of this little house that has been our home for the past 7 years.  This marks our last night in a house that is the only home our children have really ever known.  We moved here when Emma was only two and Chloe was just five months old.  It's hard not to feel that the place itself is somehow sacred and to feel a bit of grief at leaving.  But as my heart has been pondering it, I realize that a house of wood and drywall, of all the materials that give it it's form, is merely a backdrop for the home created within the four walls.  Don't get me wrong, it's a backdrop I'm truly thankful for in a world where owning a home is a tremendous privilege.  But I guess what I'm saying is, when we leave our house tomorrow, our home is coming with us.  It will find it's place in a new location half way around the world, it won't stay here.  So while I'll miss the cozy backdrop that we'll only hold in pictures now, I can celebrate this new season fully confident that the people I love will continue to define our home, not the walls and roof that hold us.  I took pictures of each of the kids tonight in their rooms, one last shot of the places that have sheltered my sweeties during these precious childhood years.  Pictures really are worth a thousand words, words I will treasure in my heart with gratitude. Goodbye little house on B Lane!  You have been a beautiful backdrop, a warm and dry one too, for which we are so grateful.  If we never live inside your walls again, it will be okay, because God is writing our story and each chapter has it's beauty and purpose.

Update in random

- It's the middle of March and we've had a week of unseasonably warm weather, I'm talking mid-70's all week!  Did I mention this week has also been our spring break?  It has been positively perfect!  I even let the kids have the wading pool out one day (I know, call me crazy:)!  We filled it up with hot water from the kitchen sink and they were in heaven.  It's been a summer dreaming kind of week, filled with park dates and sun-kissed skin.  I sigh a happy sigh:).  Yesterday Travis took the day off and we went to the museum.  They had a live lizard and snack exhibit, which was a huge hit.

- As happy and warm as the week was, I'm tired.  As I sit here this evening, all the kids in bed and Travis out with some friends, the silence is golden.  Spring break is a good reminder that a plan, some sort of loose schedule, is a must for the summer. Last year I had a more structured morning for us and then let the afternoons be more free, it worked really well and the kids thrived knowing what to expect each day and keeping up on school work helped them stay ready for the following year.

- I'm feeling a bit restless.  Perhaps it's a bit of spring fever, but I just have this feeling that change is coming.  Not sure what kind of change, but sensing God moving our lives in a new direction soon, hmmm....

- Some fun trips are coming up, a women's retreat for me next month, our anniversary trip in May, then a trip for Autumn and I in June for my cousin's wedding, and a family road trip to see my brother and sister-in-law and to meet our newest nephew (due July 8th) at the end of the summer.  I love to travel, kids or no, it just does my soul some good to see new places and break up our routines a bit.

- Needing more time in the Word, longing for it.  Have you been studying any particular book the Bible lately?  How bout Bible study books that have been great?

- Autumn is finally sleeping all the way through the night!!!  I think four nights in a row can make it official right?  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to sleep an entire night through til daylight:).  Thank you Lord!

- It's time to edit some pictures before my eyelids get any heavier.  I recently took pictures of an absolutely adorable 8 month old!  I'm planning on getting back in the saddle on my photography blog soon, I have SO many pics to get up there!

- I am blessed, no if's, ands, or buts about it!  Nighty night:).

This and That

Cohesive essays are overrated... or at least I'll say that to make myself feel better about these random bullet points. 
- Just did my workout video!  I feel so good after I'm done, but I'd be lying if I said I thoroughly enjoy it while I'm doing it.  Jillian Michaels doesn't play around... but she IS giving me some awesome muscle definition, so I'll stop complaining.
- Valentine's Day is coming up, and this is my first year to try to be homespun about it and make homemade valentines with the girls.  I can't take all the credit though, I got the idea from Pinterest.  What do you think?

- I've been reading Organized Simplicity, great so far! Creating an atmosphere of peace and focus, what a gift to our families and ourselves! Still very much in process, but taking steps, it feels good.

- I'm ready for a vacation!  Just me and my man, some beautiful balmy weather, sleeping until my body naturally wakes up, eating delicious food, reading wonderful books by the water.  Our ten year anniversary is coming up in a year and a half and we're hoping to make this dreaming a reality:).  Perhaps a little weekend away can happen for our nine year too, fingers crossed:).

- My baby girl is turning one in just 12 days.  Nope, not ready for this, not in the least.  I've decided she will only ever be months old, not years, because after all you're still a baby when your age is referred to in months right? Here are a couple of her one year pics I took about a week ago.  Oh the preciousness!!!

- Travis needs a new car.  And when I say "needs" I really mean it.  He has a 1986 Buick that we inherited from a great Aunt upon her passing.  Free car, no payment, exactly up our alley, but it's on it's last leg.  It dies at random intersections, emits an awful smell, so the windows always need to be cracked, and the girls only have lap belts in the back seat while riding to school in the mornings.  Time to start a craigslist search...
-Do you want to know what I think about at about 5:30am every morning?  "I wonder how much one of those temper pedic mattresses cost?  I wonder how long we'd have to save for one?"  Yes, our mattress set of 8 years is starting to give us aches and pains each morning:(.  My back aches so much that it wakes me early each morning restless and unable to go back to sleep until I finally give up and get up before the alarm:(.
- Emma just had her hero project at school, she picked Jesus:).  She had so much fun making her Jesus figure and doing her research.  She was especially excited to tell her friends about Him in hopes that some might ask Him into their hearts.  It makes a mama's heart sing to hear this kind of excitement about sharing the good news!

- Chloe is reading! Such an amazing skill to master and she's doing so well so far, getting faster every day it seems.  And boy is her confidence growing at school, I'm so proud of my little sweetie:).
- How's my "one plan" going you might ask?  Well, pretty good I suppose, although I certainly haven't done each of my "one" things every day, but just being aware of what I'm aiming for, a reminder to be purposeful has really been growing some new habits in me, all praise to the Lord!
- I'm wondering if Sawyer might have some speech issues.  He's 3.5 and talking all the time, just seems to have trouble with the initial sounds of some words and stutters quite a bit when he's trying to say something he's really excited to say.  Going to make a call to our local school district to see about getting him evaluated.  I'm guessing these are things he will outgrow, but I'm hoping to get some tips for how I can help him overcome these obstacles at home.
- It's Friday, horay! Oh how I love me some weekend, whole family together for two days time!