note to self:  moving is a pain in the ass.  and setting up shop at a new house comes with a lot of no fun little things – getting cable and internet after days without, dealing with unforeseen house issues, and tending to projects that need quick resolution – but we are so so happy to be here.

before i go any further, let me pause for a moment and tell you how instrumental our families have been during this process.  we couldn’t possibly say enough thanks for the time, energy, and sweat they have donated to us.  they are amazing, and family, i’m publicly worshipping you for all you have done!

let’s start at the beginning.  we moved 12 days ago, on the only day in months that we have had torrential downpours.  thankfully, mother nature seemed to let up at the right intervals for loading and unloading, but it was a little challenging and messy to work around.  it was so bittersweet to leave a home that we absolutely loved and had put so much into, but we know this next house will be good to us and we will be able to create memories here for many years to come.  we are slowly getting settled in, and while we still have a lot of packed boxes, our main living spaces are somewhat in order.  i’m really looking forward to never seeing a brown box again and getting to a place where we can think more about decorating this new home – the fun part!  as i mentioned before, it’s pretty beige around here right now.  can’t wait to take you along for what we have planned.

the two i was most concerned about, beckett and miller, have adjusted with flying colors.  i think that since their toys have reappeared here, they are fine with the relocation.   miller still has a great yard to romp around in, and beckett (and we) couldn’t be more pleased with the outdoor situation – a swingset that was already here, and a nice flat driveway for bike-riding, basketball-playing, and bug-catching (yes, he is a boy through and through).

here are a few scenes from around the ‘new’ gray house.

{finally got the keys!}

{b pops up over this board and yells, ‘oh hi!’}

{new obsession:  ‘crains’}

{oh, how i love this little monkey}

friends, i’ve been keeping a secret.  i’ve been working on something…really big…but pretty darn small too.

it’s a baby!  i’m growing one!

you’ve probably noticed i’ve pretty much fallen off the face of the earth.  to be perfectly honest, i’ve felt like butt.  i think it’s been a little harder this time since i’m running after a toddler who is 100 mph all the time.  when i was pregnant with b, i was sitting at a desk all day – far different from my current situation.  i feel much better now, but still not quite 100%.  i’ve gotten back to my yoga classes, which has felt so good.  i didn’t even feel up to doing downward dog there for a while.

we are beyond excited to be growing our little family, and this new little person should arrive in late january.  right now, this little booger is the size of an avocado, which seems big already.  things seem to be going much faster this time around.

this is a truly remarkable look at conception to birth, which is a process that never ceases to amaze me.

{i can’t believe we’re going to be doing this…}

{and this again…really soon.}

i recently stumbled onto this blog, and rubyellen has a ton of darling kid’s art projects.  oh my good lord, they’re cute.  she has four little girls, and i love that she’s constantly doing art projects with them.  we are looking for some inside activities considering kc has barely dipped below 100 degrees in what seems like forever.  i think there are even a few projects that b-man could get a kick out of.  here are a handful that i’ve flagged for a test run around here, and here’s the link to all her projects.

{colored tape art}

{no- sew bunting}

{a-frame tent – this is actually the template i used to make beckett the tent we (i mean, santa) gave him for christmas.}

{watercolor bubble art – my favorite, we’ll have to try this one soon}