My children are both napping right now in our new home, which we have, as of today, been in for a month. I can’t believe it’s been month!
 |
| My friend, Vicky Ras, gifted us her time photographing our family in front of out new home and a framed photograph (not the one pictured) of our old home and new house. She is so talented and we LOVE her so much. |
It was quite the summer full of ups and downs. The sale of our old home initially falling through, and us subsequently losing the contract on the new house we thought was our dream and forever home. We got through stolen (and recovered) phones and safety concerns, and the death of very dearly loved family members. We prayed through inspections and appraisals and praised through won bidding-wars and ultimately closed on both homes on Aug 31: selling the house where my children first learned to walk, speak, play, and where I first saw their smiles, and buying the home where my children now run laps, swing, climb flights of stairs and giggle giggle giggle (my favorite sound in the whole world). We are so blessed.
 |
| All packed up and ready to go! |
 |
| UNDERDOG!!! The kids playing on their new set in the backyard |
Maddie started 4-year-old preschool a couple weeks ago and is thriving. Her teacher is incredible and gives Maddie so much attention. Mads has become so active and has perfected the art of climbing up mom and flipping while I hold her hands. She does a mean summersault, too, so think gymnastics is in her future. She is quite the story-teller, too, and I just adore listening to all she has to say, especially while we are in the car. She is developing a love for photography and is actually really good at taking pictures. Hopefully we can foster this talent as she gets older too.
 |
| My cutie patootie on her first day! |
 |
| Meet the teacher. |
Gillies (as Maddie calls her), AKA Sarah, is such a silly-gilly girl. She has an infectious laugh and her vocabulary is growing beyond belief. She keeps up with conversations and the two girls can actually talk with one another. Sarah has taken a liking to repeating just about everything that Maddie says, which I am sure Mads will love as she gets older (ha!) and tries as hard as she can to keep up with her big sis. I adore watching the two of them play together.
 |
| Beauties (another moment captured by Vicky Ras) |
Recently, they love chit chatting on their play phones. Maddie will tell Sarah something as they are walking around on their “cells” and Sarah will say, “Why?” and Maddie will answer and then say something like, “ Hold on a sec. The phone is breaking up.” Adorbs.
 |
| Our final family picture in front of the house I brought my babies home to after they were born. |
All four of us are just so pleased to be where we are: we are sleeping soundly from day one and feel so safe, secure, and have a true sense the this is exactly where God wants us to be. Our furniture fit so perfectly into each room, and our artwork on the walls. Neither Sarah nor Maddie had a minute’s trouble adjusting and Sarah even surprised us by naturally weaning herself from her pacifier with not more than a few minute’s of crying only 2 days after we moved.
 |
| Pacifier-free before her second birthday -- Show off. |
My sewing corner is set up, our boxes are unpacked, I found Phil’s childhood blankie!!!!, both Phil and I are doing well in our respective jobs, our marriage is just SO SO GOOD, Maddie loves her school, Sarah has been seizure-free since January, and I know I said it already, but we feel SO BLESSED.
I’ll leave it at that.
