Farewell to Our First Home

In the fall of 2008 I moved into a quaint little Cape that nestled itself against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From August to October of that year, I painted and prepped that little house for what would be the first chapter of my upcoming marriage. In October 2008, we exchanged vows, I changed my last name, and we began a life together in that little house.

 Photo Credit: Realtor April Bailey

Much has happened in and outside of those walls. We survived storms of all sorts. We hosted friends, family and strangers. We reaped the harvest of a modest garden and hiked the surrounding apple orchards. We watched sunrises and sunsets. We made that little house a home.

Some of our fondest and saddest memories to date have been made in that house.

It is the house that we brought both of our babies home to.

 It's where G began to love cooking and baking...

It is where we spent countless hours outside with each passing season...

It was where we got the news that my father and grandfather passed...both in 2012, just months apart.

It's where birthdays and holidays were celebrated with such joy.

It is the home where I would fall in love with my husband over and over again.

It was my sanctuary at the end of a long day.

For 8 years it was the place I called "home".

We tested the vows of marriage as we took on renovation projects…some of which were only finished because we put the house on the market.

Why would we leave such a strongly built, memory containing, scenic spot? Simple. We had another dream. About 4 years into our marriage we decided that one day we would build. We loved the idea of starting with a blank slate and creating a house that encompassed all that we’d like in a house. A couple years ago we were blessed to purchase 28 acres. The view is stunning and the location is ideal considering my husband and I work in opposite directions. We are hoping to finally break ground by the end of February or early March.

 This is a dream we have had and to see it all start to come together is overwhelming in the best way. God has shown us his favor through this whole process. It began with the land purchase. It then began to come together even more when we were able to rent from my in-laws and move out in order to finish some projects and leave the house empty for sale. Within about 3 weeks of being on the market, a couple fell in love with the location and our little house and as of this week, the ownership was transferred from us to them. Everything has come together beautifully and we could not have asked for a better outcome for all involved.

I look forward to sharing this next part of our journey as it unfolds. Until then, I’ll leave you with some of the sweet memories that made our first home so dear.

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When It Snows...

It's a well known fact among my circles that I love snow. Most folks call me nuts and I'm ok with that. I've loved it since I was a small child growing up in northern Indiana. Even now it all seems so magical.

This past December was unseasonably warm and I desperately wanted to share some snow play with my littles. We've gone through January with a couple of dustings...that was until Friday. As predicted,  winter storm Jonas hit our part of central Virginia. We were stocked up with food and wood for the woodstove. We were ready to be homebound for a few days.

As I mentioned,  the snow began Friday. School had been canceled in anticipation of the storm. It was the perfect opportunity to make homemade hot chocolate and play in the fresh falling snow.

It came down so quickly.  We were gaining 1-2 inches an hour.

My little lady did not want to come in but the increasing winds eventually forced us inside.

Saturday was spent inside. The wind and snow were fierce. 

Sunday was much nicer. Our roads were not safe so we stayed home from church. My hubby had gone into the fire department on Saturday night so it was just me and the kids. The sunshine was such a welcome sight so we took full advantage of it.

N's first snow

Monday was more of the same, except we made our way down the road to the grandparents' house for some snow fun.

G built her first snowman (she added hair).

She also had her first sled ride.

Overall it has been a blast. I wouldn't trade these moments for anything. 

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Baby N: 6 Months

How could this have happened?! You are now 6 months old! We blinked and the first half of your first year of life is gone.

Weight: 18lbs  1/2oz

Height:  26 3/4in

Clothes:6-6/9 months

Eat: 7-8oz every 3-4 hours. You continue to enjoy trying new foods. We've moved you into eating various combinations of fruits and veggies and you seem to like everything so far. You occasionally snub peas but that's okay. You're sister was never a big fan either.

Sleep: It's been a little crazy but you are now sleeping in your own room. You and your sister are currently sharing but it is our hope that the two of you will have your own rooms in the near future. You are sleeping from 7pm until about 4am. You still tend to wake up once during the night, sometimes to eat, sometimes not, but readily go back to sleep with little fuss. These night time waking moments are slowly becoming fewer. You roll over to sleep on your tummy, and while I'd prefer you on your back, you are quite happy to stay that way.

Play: You are constantly on the go. You are always moving! Sometimes you are bouncing. Other times you are scooting yourself across your play mat. Your big sister is still your best friend and I love to watch the two of you interact. The bond between the two of you is one that I hope continues to grow. You grab things with no problem and have been seen switching things from hand to hand. You love your toes and grab your feet any chance you can get. You've also started really getting into bath time. You've discovered that you can splash with your feet and it gives you the biggest thrill. Your laughter is contagious and your smile is so big! You truly light up our lives.

Odds and Ends: You are now rolling from back to tummy. I'm certain you can do the other if only you'd try but you seem pretty content for now. 

There is definitely no leaving you even slightly unattended on any surface. One hand is on your little body at all times. You are also sitting up much better. You are still quite wobbly but you are getting stronger everyday.

You are SUPER ticklish!

You celebrated your first Christmas with family and friends. We loved watching you become delighted with all the sights and sounds around the house.

New Year's Eve was just like any other night. You were in bed by 7pm. You did ring in the New Year by waking up for a midnight feeding.

This year is going to be amazing, if for nothing else because it has you and your sister in it.

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With Love at Christmas

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Romans 15:13

From our family to yours,

Merry Christmas! 

Countdown to Halloween Link-up: Finale

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I blinked and October is gone! I'm glad, that despite the weeks of sickness we've had, that we finally got in some good fall fun before it was all over.

Here are the remaining highlights of our October...

Buckeye Brownies

I was wanting a yummy fall snack that didn't involve pumpkin. I am a fan but it was time for a little something different. Thanks to Kristyn at lil'luna, I now have a new favorite. These brownies are not meant to make your waistline smile, but they will make you happy. I do suggest that you have multiple people to share these with (or not). I bet you can't eat just one!



Trunk or Treat

The church down the road from our house holds a Trunk or Treat each year. It's wonderful to see our friends and watch G play with her buddies.

CBC's Fall Festival

Our church throws a fall festival every year. It is a wonderful way to outreach to our community. G decided she wanted to be Rapunzel, which was fine since N had outgrown his football outfit (she was originally going to be a cheerleader) that I bought him two months ago. It was way too short decide buying it much larger than what I thought I might need. We has a wonderful time with our church family and others in the community. G loaded up on candy...which we will all enjoy lol.

N's face cracks me up as he gets some snuggles from our pastor

Reminiscing

On October 20th, our friends adopted their son. He is perfect in every way and we are so excited to get some snuggle time with him soon!

October 24th marked 3 years since my grandpa's passing. It's always so bittersweet. I am so thankful that he is with Jesus and no longer suffering. However, I know he would adore his great-grandchildren and my heart wishes that he had been able to meet them.

October 25th marked 7 years of marriage.

On October 31st, 2014, we found out that we were expecting baby #2. It was truly a miracle that we will forever be grateful for.

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Countdown to Halloween Link-up : Week 4

We're finally all on the mend. N appears to still be teething and G may be getting a cold but overall, this is the healthiest we've all been for the last 3 weeks. We finally got in some good fall fun.

On Saturday G and I met up with our friends to participate in our local pregnancy center's costume 5k. Not only was it awesome fun, but what a wonderful cause. The money we raised will go towards helping those facing pregnancy learn about options that will promote the health and life of their unborn child. We had a blast!

On Sunday we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary by going out to eat after church. We opted to try a restaurant that catered our friend's wedding. We were not disappointed.

We got in a fall craft and later that evening we went to a local church's Trunk or Treat. My computer is on the fritz so I'll have to post those pictures later. We have a few more things coming up this week that I'm looking forward to and will share next week. Until then I'll leave you with a swert little pic of sweet N enjoying the fall weather. Happy fall!

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