a fish named miley.

it's been a gloomy-rainy-foggy-stormy last few days. i have to say, i kinda like it. with the sun always, always, always shining its 100+ degree rays, it's nice to have a 'cold front'. however, with that said, it's not as easy to have a break from this {it's not exactly a brilliant idea to swim with looming thunderous clouds overhead}:

{taken sometime last week}

they have been playing so well together in the pool. i love when jess carries miley around as they spin and dance, sing and splash. they play 'ring around the rosie' and then go under water together, coming up with a face full of giggles.

a couple of sundays ago, we were at the hubby's uncle's house bbq-ing and swimming with his lovely family. ever since then, miley has been a fearless fish in the water. she loves swimming back and forth between two people, face fully in the water. she loves pushing off the swim ladder and finding her way back under water. she spends endless amounts of time bouncing off the pool stairs and swimming back to the top.

last summer during our move down here, we stayed at various koa's for the night, which all happened to have pools. since then, we have been dunking her under water with us and i guess you could say it paid off.

she's a fearless fish named miley. and nemo just happens to be one of her favorite movies.

living to tell about it.

hello friends. it is so good to be back. as i sit here in our new home, looking out of the twelve pane window at a landscape filled with snowy pines and hillsides with grazing deer, i am reminded of His ever present blessings. it has been a hard week. i was telling myself that i had no idea what moving was until this big move. and this is only the half of it. i have five months to breath until we're at it again. but for now, i will soak in the peace that this environment brings. the serenity out here is quiet. still. wide open. it is truly gorgeous.

sunday and monday were the hardest days. in my little hopeful mind, i figured we'd have everything moved on sunday in about two trips and have the rest of the late afternoon and evening to {start to} unpack and clean our new place. we already had monday planned to clean the old house. i am completely laughing at myself and my outlandish high hopes. everything was way more than i expected. my ideals were a wee bit off, to say the least. don't you get so disappointed when that happens? as you sit that night barely able to breath because you're so exhausted and mad at the fact that you didn't accomplish nearly what you thought? yeeeah, that was me. so monday's sun came up and we were back at the old house with still more to move (because remember? sunday wasn't completely accomplished). we cleaned for twelve hours. TWELVE. and probably still didn't get to every detail that i would have liked. on a positive outlook, the girls did amazingly well with hardly anything to play with in a cold and empty house, with parents on the fritz of squeezing cleaning life out of every minute. and the hubby was a masterful sanitizer. he rocks at cleaning. and to think, we lived pretty clean lives. i had no idea what lurks behind things. and way up high. and way down below.

on the way home super late monday night, i was having a conversation with myself (it was late. don't judge.). it went something like this:

me: "i locked the doors for one last time. i'm feeling a bit emotional, but okay with it."

me: "yeah, but you just spent twelve hours cleaning that joint. don't you think you're a little tired of looking at it?"

me: "ah ha. light bulb moment. that's why you detail clean before leaving...so that you're completely annoyed with the place and it's not as hard to leave. i completely get it now."

okay, so this conversation wasn't audible, just floating around in my overly tired brain. but isn't that true? not that i despise that adorable little house, but i seriously needed to step away after those exhausting two days. and it was good to take those giant steps. funny story: on monday when we left the new house to go to the old house, i had the girls with me in the subi and as we turned on our old street, jessa says, "no mama, not this way. we have a new house now." and that totally sums up her attitude with this move. another amazing blessing has been her excitement to be here. she loves it out here. both the girl's transition has been smooth. both have been sleeping very well at night. and both have been enjoying the new environment. out of the blue jessa will shout out, "we have a new house! yessss!" i am also happy to be here, trying to capture the same excitement my little one has. isn't it great when they are role models for us?

i still have some cleaning to do out here because after all, no one has lived here in quite awhile. {side note: there is a deer staring at me through the window right now. and five more meandering through the lawn. and about fifty running through the trees at the top of the hill. wow. very cool.} most of the unpacking, for now, is done. mostly some clothes and my scrapbook stuff still lay in piles, but for the most part, i'm feeling good at what has been accomplished in two days. i had to put some weekly activities on hold or else i would have gone mentally insane. "town" is now thirty minutes away (the "town" that i'm familiar with) and i've had to go there three times already this week to tie up loose ends. this blogging break is like a nice big deep breath.

pictures are coming soon. i have to upload them to my computer which doesn't have internet yet. we had to go through at&t's communication manager for internet out here. it's the only coverage we could get and even then, we have to sit by the window to make it work. it's just a blessing to have access. could you imagine? me? without internet? scary thought as shivers run down my spine. and movies have been a life saver. we don't get cable (which is great with me) and the local channels are hard to pick up. so jess has been watching her movies while i stay busy. yay for mindless entertainment.

well, i think that is enough for now. i think this could very well be my longest post to date. i can't wait to catch up with the rest of my blogging people. you are still out there, right?

blessings on your week!

it's all coming back.

ah. now i remember. it's slowly coming back to me. i remember why i had mentioned {in the past} that i enjoyed packing. you know, the process of moving. it all came flooding back as i actually had two extra hands and another adult to converse with today in the house. we decided to postpone the haul down to tc with all of our belongings due to my feeling a wee bit overwhelmed from being sick all week previous. i had actually accomplished quite a huge dent despite all of us girls feeling very much under the weather, but i was a little frazzled with my organizational achievements. with this big of a task, i like to have a little more control being organized. having jacob home was that much needed breath of fresh air.

we've had a very fun afternoon. wrapping pictures in bubble wrap. laughing. joking around. patching walls. filling more boxes. more laughing. vacuuming. making lunch. taking down the surround sound. reconfiguring our tv. taking care of, still, two sick girls. laundry. and more laughing.

it really was all quite thrilling. especially when you have someone to share in the process. i've missed my two extra hands this week.

tomorrow will be errand day. i'm hoping that the fresh snow air will be soothing to stuffy noses. maybe a little home depot. a drop off at the thrift store for donation. maybe a bite to eat out as a family. starbucks? yes, yes, i know i said i was decaffeinating my body this year, but it's still early. and i don't want to go wasting good gift cards, do i? that's what i thought. oh, and probably a successful trip to good 'ol wally world. and then home to more packing.

life is good.

on why i have a passionate dislike for fog.

mostly because it was almost the death of me tonight. of course. on the one night that i drive out to the middle of nowhere (a wonderful nowhere), i am lurked upon by a massive embodiment of fog. i was meeting some very lovely ladies for a very lovely dinner party hosted by a lovely friend from my lovely MOPS group. and mr. foggy mcfoggerson had to almost go and ruin our lovely kind of fun.

i was feeling quite confident of my mad driving skills as i weaved from one highway lane to the next. as soon as i took that one turnoff, it was all over. my confidence almost turned into a big muck of tears on the steering wheel as a one-head-light driver almost took me down. i gently eased to the side of the foggy lane to let him pass, praying i wasn't sending myself down a cliff on the other side. he zipped by and quickly disappeared.

i gunned it back into gear and started, once again, on my way. by this point, i was wishing it was daytime so that i could enjoy the seemingly beautiful views of trees and mountains. at least, this is what i anticipated surrounding me. as oncoming traffic loomed its way towards me, it brought the fog to a new level of creepy. it hovered in the sky, crashing down with a swoop in a pool of blindness as cars whizzed by. for a split second, i couldn't see the yellow lane markings. i couldn't see the direction of the curve of the road. i could see black and the haunting gray of the looming fog. that's when my foot switched pressure to the break. this happened a handful of times. gas. break. break. gas. gas. break. this is precisely why i was late to my destination. and why fog and i don't particularly get along. it's deceitful. daunting. and a bit scary.

it was no different on the way home. actually, a little worse. i was more tired. susceptible to tears a little quicker. but none came cause we know that doesn't help with blurry vision by any means. i was tail-gated by, yet another, one-head-light driver. i let him pass in his hurried attempts and then tried my best to follow his little red tail lights as they became more and more faded in the distance. by now, i was talking to myself. out loud. come on, keep up. don't disappear. the fog became heavy as it lowered itself to the ground, covering any tracks of previous traffic. i was doomed.

but i survived. and i thrived. i could say that i'm a more confident driver now, but we all know Who's hands were really on that wheel. and i thank Him for His leading and keen sense of direction. *wink.

loving accomplishment right about now.

this morning has been a little better than productive. already. wait...i have to dwell in this moment of rarity. {insert completely boring, random, but strangely soothing background music while you wait}

ok. whew. why, you may ask? why am i basking in my own glory of accomplishment? why am i unhealthily proud of myself? why am i totally deserving a coffee right about now? why?

because i attacked it. the closet. my bedroom clothes closet.

dumdum duuummm.

i seriously, very seriously, just weeded through and am donating half...yes half, of my clothes and shoes. it was time to be strong. to let go. to believe with my whole heart that i won't be fitting into a 'xs' anytime in the near future. close or far away. i have to be honest with myself that my metabolism plans on slowing down, not speeding up as the years trickle by. that my mommy hips are very much staying there, no matter how many few pounds i may loose. and that i will be thankful for what they mean. always. always! {insert my attempt to believe myself} i have to understand that when those comfy shoes or slippers are hanging on for their dear life, it might be time to let them peacefully pass into shoe heaven. the pain is too much to bear. hold me.

i'm planning on impressing the husband. he better drop his jaw or all of this just might not be worth it.

where's those m&m's?

it's done.

it's officially official. our house is now en'titled' to a new family. no pun intended - okay, maybe a little. i think i was skeptically looked over as i walked into the title office with a camera swung over my shoulder. i made a few professionals a bit nervous. call me sentimental. call me emotional. call me the paparazzi like my own husband does. call me whatever you will, but i was going to capture this moment.

it was pretty hilarious when the closer said, "uh, oh. yeah. i was kinda wondering why you brought a camera." i assured him it was merely for capturing the moment, and not for legal reasons. jacob then filled him in to my obsessive picture taking habits. and then everyone had a good laugh. on my account. good times.

i want to be able to look at these and be reminded, yet again, of God's faithfulness and provision. His timing is impeccable. His outcomes are rewarding. He supplied our every need. someone reminded me that it goes to show that our path is lined up to His will. He is working to make this move possible. it's a comforting thought knowing we are doing the right thing. and just to add, it feels pretty awesome being completely debt free. yay God! *smiles.

jessa thought someone needed to be reminded to smile.


congratulations happy homeowners. oh...and thanks for buying our house. *smiles.

teachable heart.

it's not everyday, and certainly not at every workplace, that you can find the greatest rewards by laying down on the job.

our theme this year for MOPS is 'adventures in mothering'. some of the key points that were hit on today that brought encouragement to my heart were...

your attitude will determine if you enjoy the ride.
make a purposeful choice to provoke positive change {in your attitude}.
use the Lord as your safety harness during the roller coaster ride called motherhood.

i picked up my name tag this morning as i walked through the doors and saw that i was placed at the 'zipper' table. zipper?, i thought. i immediately thought of the device used to snuggle up in warmth. zip myself up? uhh...then i noticed another name tag of a friend who was placed at the 'tilt-a-whirl' table. ah-ha! theme park rides...i get it. adventures in mothering. carnival theme. rides. i'm quick. the zipper happens...or should i say happened, to be one of my favorites when i was a kid. you couldn't pay me enough to get on one of those rinky-dink-i-was-put-together-by-a-wrench-and-a-bolt-slap-some-grease-on rides now. mmm...no thanks. but it's the memory of the good ol' days that counts.

the morning was good. enriching. encouraging to be greeted by big, beautiful smiles and warm hugs. and the women who watch our children so that we can dive into fellowship? absolutely wonderful! i hope they receive extra jewels on their crowns for giving, yes i said giving, their time to us. because there are many, many, many children that pass through their doors.

and i was reminded that raising my children is the best job in the world. parenting, it is by far the greatest gift given. my little munchkins are worth every tear. every second of lost sleep. every rushed minute. every hour spent cleaning. and cleaning some more. i am convinced that my hubby agrees. that every hard earned penny and hour he works makes it all the more sweeter to come home. and each and every day, we wait with open arms.

clean sheets, anyone?

i did the most remarkable, the most amazing, the most well-accomplished thing today!

i actually washed the sheets. all by myself. like the big girl i am.

pretty sad and pathetic when a moment such as this brings pride to the day. jacob usually does this daunting task that usually gets pushed to the bottom of the "to do" list. mostly because i avoid the stairs lurking down to the dungeon at all cost. i ignore them like a deadly plague. i just think my clothes magically appear in a laundry basket clean and smelling pretty next to the sofa for me to fold and put away. they some how make their own way down, jump in the washing machine and put themselves in the dryer to fluff. talented, i know. i just turn and look the other way.

okay, so it might not be that bad because hey, i did venture down there today and it definitely wasn't the first time.

*dallas update

it's officially official. we WILL be packing up and hauling our family to dallas next year. we were officially accepted into dallas theological seminary today. i was sitting with the fam at panda express having lunch and checked my phone for a message from my brother, jake. i noticed a text message from DTS. we set up the program for a text to be sent to our phone every time there was a change in our application process. my tummy leaped as i saw who it was from and opened the message. it read:

sub: app update
msg: congrats! you were just accepted to DTS!
with joy, josh, dir of ADMS.

i let out a small gasp and handed my mom the phone. i was speechless. it felt surreal as i tried to put words together. all i could muster was, "i think i'm going to cry." i completely meant this in a joyous way. even though my mom said it was exciting, but sad, i totally understand what she means.

i immediately wished i was with jacob to embrace him with this great expected news. i called him after we left lunch and it was awesome. he just started laughing and said, "we did it!" i told him, "of course you did." i told him he might want to call our guidance counselor, eric, and ask, "what now?" now that it's official, there suddenly seems to be so much to do. it gives us permission to continue to the next level of planning and moving forward. time to call the realtor...

the serenity of stormy skies

so i just caught up on every one's blogs. had some good laughs, some ahh's and some moments of contemplative thought. i love learning and growing from other women who are more knowledgeable and trained in areas that i crave to be more experienced in. thanks for sharing your hearts and lives with ones like me who need more skill. :)

now, onto my week. holy moses, it felt like i built an ark this week. that room makeover i mentioned? it turned out pretty incredible, i do say so myself. it was three packed days of wall paper tearing, paint layering and interior decorating (the best part) i have ever done in that amount of time. for the couple of days before our big takeover project, we went shopping for the goodies and like i said, i do believe i reintroduced thrift shopping to the right lady! we had a blast scouring the aisles for treasures to fill their new room. heidi came to town for the fun part and joined our shopping team. it was great to have them there for a night.

i'm excited to post pictures of the after room views. totally didn't take one before because i didn't think the glorious 70's kick-back mint green palm leaf wallpaper would show up in the picture. now that it's done, i'm kicking myself for not attempting. i'm sure you can picture the disaster it was just by the description. i give myself permission to be nasty in the details because it was in no way my sister's choice. it came with the house and oh-how-lovely of an addition to the mortgage. if i was them, i would have asked for a discount. trust me...it was that bad. the dark bedroom transformed into a lovely, relaxing retreat of sand walls and simple, modern espresso furniture and decor pieces that compliment the space with serenity.

while we were busy with our week, my parents and brother, along with their team, were in louisiana on their own adventure rebuilding houses in new orleans. for two weeks, they were plastering, sanding and painting the interiors of people's new houses and making dreams come true. they arrived safely home sunday morning, after an overnight delay in denver. it was pretty appropriate for my brother to come home to his surprise after doing two weeks of similar hard work. more intense for them i might add. i am so excited for him to enjoy and relax in his new space. and i feel blessed to have had such quality time with my sister this past week. working with your hands in close proximity brings two people together in a way that bonds deeper. it's true. and it's a true blessing.

i am currently sitting on my parent's big comfy couch with the door open listening to some ginormous thunder rock the house. i'm not even looking out the window and i can still see the reflection of the lightening as it bolts across the darkened sky. the smell is wonderous as it seeps through the screen door. if it wasn't for missing my hubby, i would be in one of the happiest places. papa holding miley. grammy making spaghetti. jessa giggling at sister. visiting with big brother. listening to God's beautiful creation. enjoying the peacefulness of the powerful storm. oh...i can't forget...monday night football-preseason playing in the background.

ok...now i really miss you, hunny. can't wait to see you tomorrow!

off to change some stinky pants. i think the big boom of the thunder literally scared something out of her! :)

am i alive?

unbelievable. i am exhausted. i seriously have to convince myself that i'm still breathing on my own and blood is successfully pumping through my veins. this weekend was extremely tiring, but very profitable.

the yard sale was large, to put it nicely. it was crazy. it was busy. but it was also a huge success. it's encouraging to see four numbers on the left side of the decimal point in our total made. and honestly, one of the best parts of the weekend was meeting some pretty cool people. several neighbors walked down the street to pop in and say hello. you know...the neighbors you see in passing that live a few blocks down. you recognize their kids, their car...even their smile from a distance. but never seem to have a moment to sit and chat. one of the families that we had a blast with live about four houses down from us. they had their whole kit and caboodle in town for a funeral. we got a knock on our door at 9:30 pm last night. it was them. the owner of the house had been showing her aunts, sister, grandma, and probably even dog, some shoes that she picked up earlier in the day at our sale. well...that was the end of it. they were flying out their door and literally running down the sidewalk to our place to check out what we had left. we still had everything out in the yard because we continued the sale for a few hours today. jacob just simply uncovered all the tables. these seven women were fighting over things...trying to make bids and auctioning off our belongings to each other. they stayed until 10:30 pm loading their arms with boxes and bags full. even though i thought i was going to die at that point, they were so much fun to visit and laugh with. at that moment, laughter was {almost} better medicine then sleep. :) fact of the day: red pumps will send seven women flying down the street at ten o'clock at night. believe it!

so i did try to take a nap today, but i think it made me feel even more drunk (i technically don't know what that feels like, i guess). but thank you Jesus for spell check. this blog entry wouldn't make a bit of sense without that sweet invention.

my house went from looking like i was a pack-rat to my yard looking like a store and now only about four boxes labeled ARC for pick-up on the porch. i call that victory!

all credit goes to the Lord for bringing the right people, on the right weekend, with the right weather. there was a graceful breeze throughout the whole day that kept us cool. He blessed us real good! :)

embrace an early start

i reluctantly, but confidently bounded out of bed this morning at a time these eyes haven't seen in awhile. the crusties weren't apparent this early dawn, so i thought i would take advantage. having better discipline of my time is a personal challenge i am trying to overcome and achieve. i was showered, dressed, got half of my face put on; baby m was fed, changed and back napping; little j was fed, half dressed and a happy little camper; i made my pot of coffee, picked up sparsely (this does not include the yard sale mess, that will unwillingly be there until saturday), went through my full email box and am now blogging. all before 9 a.m.

for this girl, that is a major achievement.

however,

i did not mention that i tried to shave my arm pits with my toothbrush in the shower. this is exactly why i don't do early mornings. maybe i should be rethinking this whole managing my mornings thing. sounds like i'm much more productive with my head on a pillow and drool sliding out the right side of my mouth.

then again...maybe not. embrace the change!

she did it!

With only 2 hours and 50 minutes left of this year...little J did it! She went potty on the big girl toilet!!!!!!

It's amazing the things that make you excited and happy when potty training is at stake!

Whoo-hoo little J! You're a big girl! :)

And now it's time for you to go to bed!