HOUSE TOUR: WINTER LIVING ROOM

Well here we are, Monday morning after a nice, long Christmas break. It's been great, but it also feels like it's time to get back to a new normal. Especially new for us, as we're still transitioning from homeschool to part-time and full-time traditional school. Oh, and finish moving in. And then have a baby. (!!!!!)

This was the very first house we looked at when we decided to put our home on the market last summer. We liked the house right away but were concerned with "the bedroom situation," meaning that we're down one, and the sizes of these rooms are smaller, so completely impossible to share two of them. After touring what seemed like a thousand other houses and never finding one that felt like home the way this one did, we moved forward. Being geniuses helps, too, because we came up with some great solutions for the sleeping arrangements. Ha Ha

We've been here three weeks now and it already feels so good. We never had any intention of staying in our last home more than 3-5 years, but we plan on staying here for the long haul. It does make a difference in how we view certain, well, design challenges. We've got time to do whatever we want, no big rush this time around.

Here is our living room so far. There are some changes we'd like to make because the room feels both too country and traditional (is that even possible?) for our tastes, but this is how it looks now and I do like it. The seating arrangement has also posed some challenges, but until we alter the huge fireplace/mantel and put the TV on the wall overhead, this is the only way it works. We're okay with that for now. =)

 (obviously haven't quite finished with the poor shelves...)

I nearly broke my neck parading around the snowy backyard for those snippets of greenery, so I think they look especially lovely!  ;)


Anytime I want a glimpse of what I know this home can look like, I come out here and soak it all in. The owners added this sunroom last fall and I looove it. This is what I want the whole house to look and feel like!

If you follow me on instragram, then you know we went bedroom furniture shopping because my mammoth dresser didn't fit on any wall...and I was tired of having to hoist myself up onto that high bed, ha! I shared a quick pic there, but I really like how the new furniture looks and fits, so I'll write up a post about that soon. Have a super Monday!

It's a ...

... sweet baby BOY!

I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I'd be shopping for baby boy things again and I just couldn't be happier! We are beyond thrilled and grateful to be adding this precious baby boy to our family!

Christmas in Our New Home and a 25 Week Update

So I'm late to the party. Again. At least I've got a great reason excuse. =) Just wanted to share some pics of our house at Christmas so I'll always remember our first year (or rather, two weeks) here. I hope you and your loved ones had a lovely Christmas!

 a quiet moment after the {happy} blur and commotion

 a rather blurry shot of early Christmas morning

even though I was exhausted, I'm glad I set the table the night before so it was ready to go

I've never used this color for the settings and I loved it, especially when the sun came out...it has been a dark and dreary month!

our greeting for family and friends in the entryway (I'll share some pics of this space soon- my washer and dryer are out here, plus two-2!!- closets. We've never had that kind of efficiency and storage before and I'm kind of in love with it all.)

our traditional New England Cape aglow in candlelight

oh hey! I look tired...and HUGE! Well, I am tired and huge. How on earth is this bump going to grow for the next three months?!?! Sleeping is still hit or miss, and while I have no major aches or pains, I feel like I'm always ready for a nap, or just to lay down "for a minute." I don't really care about any of that stuff, really, because I'm so happy and so thankful for this sweet little baby! I was 25 weeks this past week and my doctor says everything looks and sounds perfect! God is so good and faithful.

If you're anxious to know whether we're adding a boy or a girl to our family, you can check my instagram feed where I shared the exciting news yesterday. I'll post something on here this week!

What an eventful December!

This December, in the midst of celebrating the birthdays of our two youngest, we also packed up our home and moved. Whew. I mean, whew! Moving is stress-free and totally awesome, said NO ONE EVER. Moving while six months pregnant... don't think I need to even go there. It was pretty miserable, but we got through it thanks to some dedicated friends and our parents. (Plus, these boys of ours are strong now, so they were a huge help!)

I know I haven't written very regularly over these past several months, but I'm looking forward to jotting down my thoughts a bit more. I really don't want to forget the details, and this is such a great way of recording all of them. Yet between homeschooling, morning sickness, the stress of keeping the house show-ready and then having to leave for hours at a time at random times, it was impossible for me. And speaking of school, everyone has been enrolled in our new local schools for several weeks now and they are loving it. We all are. It was exactly what we'd been needing and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I miss them all during the day and I have fond memories of the special things we've done, but they are happy, and I am happy. I've definitely had my moments of guilt, but after much prayer and reflection, this is the path God led us to and things couldn't feel better for us right now.

It's been a little crazy trying to decorate for Christmas at the same time as unpacking boxes and organizing things around the new house, but this move has been a smooth one. It hasn't been filled with angst and regret like our other move three years ago. We feel so thankful to be here.

I have to go say goodnight to my little boy who is not so little anymore. I'm so glad he still asks me to come in and tuck him in and say prayers together. Here he is graduating from Basic Training, top in his class! We're so proud of him and so happy for him- he's been talking about serving in the military and flying planes since he was a really little guy! What a joy as a parent to help him achieve his goals and dreams.

Here are some pics of all our happenings...