Moving, Part 1

It's been a while!

This house-buying/moving season has been a crazy whirlwind for us.

First there was the short sale that was taking longer than we were hoping.

Then there was the landlord, who, since he knew we were going to be moving, decided that he wanted to rent out our apartment before he went to Arizona for the winter.

Then there were anxious days, wondering where we were going to live for a couple of months while we waited for our house to close, followed by an answered prayer through some friends at church who needed to rent out their condo.

A huge provision and blessing! Far beyond what we truly needed for our short stay, we have thoroughly enjoyed our two bedrooms, washer and dryer, numerous closets, and lovely back patio area where the kids can get outside often.

Moving day was an eye-opening affair. Seeing the enormous pile that was our belongings was overwhelming. How did we fit all of that into our little apartment? We try to live simply and don't buy a lot but somehow we had amassed a disgusting amount of stuff. We spent quite a bit of time purging, followed by a garage sale that earned a little money to put aside for a larger table, as we are definitely outgrowing ours!

Most of our things have stayed in boxes, since I didn't want to have to pack everything back up again. I have enjoyed having less stuff around and expect that when we unpack everything in our house, I probably will trim down even more!

The short sale on our house was officially approved at the end of September, and we are now in the middle of the loan process, so the plan is that we will be moving again the second weekend of November! We are so excited to be settled in our own house. We have been on an emotional roller coaster ride these past few months but have been blessed and encouraged by God's blessing, provision, and grace that we have experienced. Onward and upward!

Sometimes...

the best way to be organized is to not be organized at all!

For a long time I thought the best way to organize my plastic lids was to keep them with their corresponding container. That way, they were right where I needed them. But lids are awkward and they were always getting in my way, or falling out of the cupboard, or something. It really wasn't the best way!

Then one day I had a brainstorm. What if I put all my lids in a drawer? They wouldn't be falling out of the cupboards or getting in my way, but I'd always know where they were. I had already packed some kitchen stuff up, so I had an empty drawer. All my lids are in one place, and I just dig around for the one I need. I've been doing this for a couple of months now, and it is one of my most useful organizing ideas ever! It really makes my life a little simpler!

A Busy Month...

Seth just started his Master's degree, which meant he was gone for 10 days. We're still waiting for approval on the Short Sale house we're trying to buy, but we have to move out of our apartment at the end of the month, which means boxes...everywhere! Life gets crazy sometimes, but we're thankful for a God that always provides, family that is always willing to help, and the fun little things that make every day special!

Like:

Freshly dried lavendar

The start of homemade healing salve (calendula infused oil)

A trip to the zoo

The laughter of children

Lots of love

Projects getting closer to completion!

Around our Home

We have been enjoying:

Fresh Summer Fruit

Since I rarely buy plastic wrap or foil, I thought I'd try using one of my fabric bowl covers on the watermelon. It worked great - if you go a couple of days without using it, the edges can get a bit dry, but that's not a big deal, and it stays securely on the watermelon, unlike foil!

Playing in the Closet

This makes the perfect little hideaway!

Fresh Sprouts

Using a bowl to prop up the jar is such an obvious solution, I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

Ezra's Cute Smiles

That's the best picture I've been able to get so far!

A Trip to the Beach

I was lucky enough to grow up with grandparents who lived right on the beach. I have so many memories of spending summer days (and days during the rest of the year, too) on their beach. And I want my kids to have some of those memories, too. So Saturday we drove up to visit my grandma and enjoy some time on the beach. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day (rare for us this summer), and the kids had a great time playing outside.

These Days

When Benjamin was a baby, I remember being a little overwhelmed with taking care of a baby and a home. I just didn't seem to have time to get everything done. I remember mentioning to my mom that I didn't know how people were able to care for a baby and older children - and I especially didn't know how they were able to also do things like crafts!

Thankfully, things have gotten easier since those baby days. Thinking about that, it's kind of funny that I now have a baby, two other children, am usually able to get most of my housework done, and am still often able to work on craft or other projects!

And I'm not trying to say that I have it all together (because I certainly don't), or that we don't have bad days (because we certainly do), but for the most part, our days run relatively smoothly. Somehow new babies just fit into your life (and they're much easier when they're not your first!). Having Joanna, I remember, was a bit of an adjustment as I learned how to take care of more than one child, but since I already have that down, Ezra has just kind of fit right in without too many ripples. I am so thankful for that - another example of the fact that God doesn't give us more than we can handle!

Fresh from the garden...

The first spring I was married, our apartment had a community garden that I was able to take advantage of to grow some of our own produce. Since then, I have been limited to container gardening on our deck, and it hasn't gone well.

This spring, though, my parents offered my brother (who also lives in a condo) and I garden space in their back yard. We took them up on it, and so this year we have been blessed with our own fresh produce once again!

My two garden spots have done quite well, and several times now we have come home with a heaping bag of lettuce, peas, some spinach, carrots, and even a little broccoli! We only got a little spinach and broccoli because the few really warm days we have had this summer caused both to bolt and go to seed quickly. (On a positive note, broccoli flowers are actually quite pretty and made it into a lovely bouquet I also brought home with me!)

I also have beans, tomatoes, onions, and peppers that are still growing - hopefully those will be fruitful as well!