B.L.E.S.S.E.D.

Asking the Lord to renew my mind daily has brought about so many revelations on my current days. Being surrounded by boxes full of belongings, my soul can't help but offer up thanksgiving and praise. God in His goodness, mercy, and grace has chosen to shower us, in wealthy America, with good gifts. Extremely blessed. . .

The chaos of sorting through these everyday - multiple times. . .

Turns into thankfulness for soap, shampoo, make-up (amen!), toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, perfume, and hair accessories.

This (although barren to some). . .

turns to praise for cozy carpet and cuddle time as we all crowd into one chair.

The inconvenience of cooking and eating utensils being packed away turns to thanks for family and friends that have us over for dinner, drive-thrus (you know you agree), and easy to fix meals (BLTs, tator tots, and spaghetti - woohoo!)

Toys packed away prove that a five year old CAN be content with just a few simple things.

Lord, you are revealing much and growing our family in the grace and knowledge of you. Thank you for making Yourself known to us through these days. . . may we be quick to praise when we glimpse your Glory.

Pure Sweetness

Seriously peeps. . . could he get ANY cuter?!?!

You've mastered the art of sitting up by yourself these past few days. It's so odd, yet wonderful, to walk around the corner and see you contently sitting, playing with your toys. Growing up so fast. . . savoring these precious moments.

(yep, that Snoopy is from my childhood days)

Almost There!

You are soooo close!

Rocking back and forth then falling back flat to roll and maneuver your way to what you want. You'll be on the move soon sweet boy!

(I'm secretly hoping you'll wait until one of our first days/nights in the new home to debut this milestone. What fun that would be!)

Everyday. . .

Bucket of markers

Alphabet Stampers

White printer paper

You ask for these every morning and sometimes after nap as well. You always draw sunsets (aka all the colors in long 'scribbles' across the page) or a stick person with crazy hair.

You also love to mix colors and especially love the 'pop' sound made by the marker lid as you remove it. I'm sure I hear "Listen Mommy!" at least 20 times as you create :)

Getting Ready

Hard to believe that Halloween is only two weeks away. Where has this month gone?

Ever since Cole was 11 months old, we've taken him through our neighborhood to 'trick-or-treat' (aka say hello to our sweet neighbors and let them oooh and ahhh at his costume :) ) and attended community fall festivals on Halloween weekend. Kinda sad to think that this will be our last trek around this neighborhood, but excited to make new memories in the years to come.

Costumes have always been a fun creative avenue, and Cole has loved helping me with my ideas. I usually begin searching out suggestions in September and have enjoyed adding a homemade spin in the past. Always thought that put together outfits from home were much cuter (and less expensive) than the ready-made store bought ones.

* I'm sure I'll be changing my mind when one of the boys wants to someday be a cartoon character or super-hero. . . oh boy. . .

Here's a glimpse of former costumes - get ready for some cuteness!

Scarecrow - 11 months old, 2007

Taped raffia to the insides of his shirtsleeves, overalls, and hat. A few patches from an old bandanna finished out the look.

Train engineer - 23 months old, 2008

Train made from cut-up cardboard boxes - my favorite :)

Indian - almost 3 yrs old, 2009

Vest made from a tan pillowcase - Cole helped me decorate. Fringe made from a paper bags and safety pinned to pant legs. Headdress and tomahawk were gifts from Papa and Gigi when they visited Cherokee near the Smokey Mtns.

Doctor - almost 4 yrs. old, 2010

Rolled up scrubs with added touches from his own doctor kit

2011 - coming soon!

Wanted an idea that would correlate well with BOTH boys this year. Let's just say "Giddy-up!"

Feelin' Like Fall

I absolutely LOVE fall.

Football, bonfires, chili, crisp nights, cool breezes, pumpkins, scents of cinnamon and spice, changing leaves. . . doesn't get much better.

Although autumn has officially been in swing for almost a month, it's just now beginning to feel like the season. The temps have dipped in the evenings with cooler days around 70 degrees - lovely.

This past week, we enjoyed our first outdoor fire one evening at my parents' home.

We dined next to the warm flames and talked the night away. Such a nice, relaxing evening with those we love.

Happy Half Birthday!

Sweet Cade,

We've reached the 6 month mark - your half birthday!

Weight: 17 lbs. 2 oz. (41%)

Height: 27 inches (69%)

Head Circumference: 17.5 (50%)

Your little personality is quite hilarious to watch. You are the sweetest, smiliest thing, but are NEVER still. You rarely cuddle (unless you are ready to rock to sleep) and are constantly on the move. You find a way to scoot and roll to what you want. . . even making your way to Cole's room from the den. WoW! I see crawling in our very near future. . .

You don't miss a beat and want to explore everything - which the majority of the time ends up in your mouth :) We read books, but you'd rather drum on the pages and eat the corners. . . what a contrast to your older brother!

We tried out a jump-a-roo when visiting a friend and you LOVED it! So much so that I got Cole's down from the attic for you enjoy. You bounce and swing all over the place!

You are so close to sitting without support. I think you would have it down if you would just stay still long enough to balance :)

Mr. Drools could easily be your nickname. Not sure if more teeth are coming through, but you soak outfits in less than 5 minutes without a bib. I see us investing in many more of those this go around!

We've tried sweet potatoes and pears - your scrunched up nose said it all. . . yuck! I think they were too sweet of a contrast from the cereal and oatmeal you love. Green beans are next on the agenda

Your brother has taught you how to blow raspberries on command and make the "brrrr" sound. Maybe I can get him to teach you Ma-ma?

You've begun taking a few longer day naps for mommy, but cat naps are still your favorite *sigh*. You've also been waking during the night which I believe is either from a slight, stuffy nose, teething, or growth spurt.

You truly smile for the camera. I can say, "Cade! Say cheese!" and you instantly grin. Love.

Your most ticklish spots are under your arms and chin. That precious belly laugh is contagious!

You chuckle the most when Tank chases the laser, when Daddy 'swings' you, when Cole dances, and when we play "ride the horsey"

We transitioned your bathtub to a sitting position. Although you still need minimal support, you LOVE being able to play and splash in the water.

Love. you. to. pieces. So blessed to be your mommy!

Neighbors

Along with the excitement moving to our new home, we have the added joy of being so close to quite a few friends and family. This past week, we enjoyed some time with Elizabeth and her two girls at their new place - in just a few weeks, we'll be down the street neighbors!

Cole and Abigail enjoyed a morning of painting pumpkins and indoor play

Cade tried out Caroline's jump-a-roo and LOVED it!

(got ours down from the attic when we got home. . . I know, I know, stop UNPACKING Adrian!)

Precious babies - just a week apart :)

Pumpkin Crafting

Our pumpkin carving party is coming up next Friday, so for now, I thought we'd stick to some pumpkin crafting. I used to do a project similar to this when I taught, but had completely forgotten about it. Thanks to Laura Kelley, I was reminded and it was the perfect art project for Cole this stay-at-home morning. Better yet, it's super simple and you will probably have all the items needed already on hand.

1. Gather supplies (drawn out pumpkin, paint, paintbrushes, wax paper, sharpie, glue)

2. Paint pumpkin (or color) and let dry

3. Cut out and glue to another piece of paper (Cole's cutting skills are greatly improving!)

4. Tear a piece of wax paper and staple to the top of the pumpkin page.

5. Using the Sharpie marker, draw your favorite jack-o-lantern face. You can also substitute dry erase markers to make multiple faces.

Pumpkin. . .

to jack-o-lantern!

Our (Soon-To-Be) New Abode

Watching the Lord's hand move through this home selling/buying process has been truly amazing. We've had many glimpses of His goodness through our lives, but never could have imagined things progressing so quickly and smoothly. Here's a small taste of our journey over the past month. . .

Putting our house up for sale didn't go without much prayer and sought after direction. Michael and I have toyed with the idea for years. We would get the itch, look at homes online to purchase, and meet with our realtor friend, Sandi, but would never have true peace about taking the plunge. Looking back, we now know that God had so much more in store for us than we ever dreamed. . . He was waiting for the chance to display His Glory!

This fall, we felt the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit and finally put the For Sale sign in the yard. It was bittersweet and we settled in for the long haul. With Michael working in real estate, we knew the market was tough and weren't prepared for the miracle that was soon to follow.

* Which, let me interject, was a total lack of faith on our part. We knew we had followed the Lord's will for our lives, but still were relying on the strengths of this world and not the faithfulness of a Heavenly Father. We should have been anticipating the great acts that were to come - not surprised by them. . . lesson learned!

House was listed on a Friday and we had our first showing the following Wednesday. We cleaned and staged to our hearts content and I headed out to iMom with prayers of "Lord, let them love it as much as we do". Well, love it they did and wanted to come out the next day for a second look. Two days after our first showing, we were sitting with Sandi Sagaser (best. realtor. ever.) signing a CONTRACT and NEGOTIATION papers. Surreal!

The new buyers wanted nothing specific - no crazy requests or requirements. They negotiated a fair price and even waived the home inspection (who does that on a 14 yr. old home??). Just more evidence of the Lord's provision over our family.

The greatest thing was that we prayed for a Christian family to move in that would continue to minister to our unchurched neighbors. Remarks made from the buyers about the Scripture and Christian references in our home led their realtor to believe they were indeed Christ followers. AMEN!

Now on to the new abode for us (kudos if you've continued thus far. . .)

Because our home sold so quickly, we didn't have another ready to purchase. We had our eye on one, but it received a contract the night before we received the offer on our home. Is that God closing a door or what?! Needless to say, we spent many a night browsing RealTracs, cruising through neighborhoods, and touring homes. We looked at new builds, foreclosures, fixer-uppers - you name it, we considered it. Although we felt hurried, anxious, and simply tired at times, the Lord's strength was enough and we knew He had the perfect home for us. . . we just had to find it!

Late one evening, I was searching the internet and came across a home that I didn't remember seeing in the past. It had been listed for 111 days; not quite sure how we missed it :) As I looked further and took a 'virtual tour' online, I began to get little butterflies in my stomach. Could this be it?! I wanted to wake Michael, but he was sleeping soundly and I knew he needed his rest. So. . . I went to bed with my mind spinning and immediately showed it to him first thing the next morning. He loved it as well and we booked an appointment with Sandi.

As we entered the home with family on a Saturday morning, oh the peace and joy that filled our hearts. Words don't adequately express what we felt. . . we just knew this was the one for us. It had every detail on our 'would-love-to-have' list and a few extras to boot :) By that evening, we had submitted an offer and waited two LONG days to hear back from the builder. After a few negotiations (that again were miracles in themselves. . .) we came to an agreement and signed the papers.

Excited to think that Lord willing this is where our family will grow and new future memories will be made

We appreciate continued prayers, as we hope to close on both homes October 31. So excited to see how the Lord will continue to reveal Himself through this process and bring glory to His name. . . so thankful. . .

Life Lately

Cade man in his sweet monogramed shirt. . . thanks again Ellen!

Celebrating a friend's birthday - what better way to end a Thursday evening than with Baskin Robbins ice cream cake?

Micah loves Cade almost as much as he loves his sweet sister, Hayley Beth :)

Enjoying a GORGEOUS Sunday afternoon with family at Don Fox Park.

I asked Cole to show me a peace sign and this is what I got. . .

Cade and his great grandmother just a swingin'.

Precious.

Finding joy in the simple moments. . . it's those graces that make life so sweet!