Home for the Holidays

See that? It's our first Christmas tree in our new home! The day after he got back from his latest trip to Texas, Chris put it up with Rachael while I was at a doctor's appointment! Before we picked up Gracie at school, we took a trip with Rachael to get some decorations, then after getting Grace, we had the girls pick out which star we would put on top. (They picked the same one!) Then while Rachael was napping, Chris and Grace did some decorating!

Today, after the rain finally stopped, Chris was busy outside. Not mowing this time, though! We have deer courtesy of his parents, and Gracie and her friend, Noah, named them all...

Meet Princess, Austin, Rudolph and Kiki!

The girls are big fans of their Frosty, greeting folks as they come to our door!

Earlier this week, the girls cooperated just long enough for one of our friends to take some amazing pictures of them! He did an excellent job with them, and I can't wait to put these up, give them to Chris to put up at work, use them for gifts, etc., etc.!

Hope your holidays are starting out happy!

Before and After, Part II

So Chris and I spent last Saturday clearing this:

Until it looked like this:

And then Chris spent all of today making it look like this:

What a difference! He did a great job!!

Before and After, Part I

Chris is very fortunate to have every other Friday off from work. It is very rare that he actually takes a day OFF, though. The man is always working on something. And now, of course, with the new house, there are plenty of projects to keep him busy. The first thing on his list was the landscaping in the front yard. I posted a picture of the house before, here (scroll to the bottom). Looks nice, doesn't it? Although the tenants took excellent care of the inside of the house (it was basically immaculate), this is what the area in front of the left window looked like when we got here (I took this yesterday):

After a half day (of his "off" Friday) and basically a full day of work, here is Chris' finished product, and this was taken earlier this afternoon:

Chris is my hero!

As for next weekend?

First Post from THE NEW HOUSE!

Oh, how I wish I had some pictures to offer you! I tried to take some photos the other day, but I just don't have a gift for getting the right perspectives and everything! I hope to get some though, especially some before-and-after shots of the work in the yard that Chris will be doing! He's already made some vast improvements! The yard is in great shape, but there are a bunch of weeds in the landscaping, and he wants to make some more changes. He'll be great at it!

The week before last, I had a bunch of wonderful friends that watched Rachael during the mornings (while Grace was at a VBS at the church where she'd gone to VPK), and I packed away! The next week, Grace was at dance camp and I was helping with the arts camp (helping lead the drama class, what a shock!) at our church. That FRIDAY was closing and that weekend we had our plans to move!

Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., Chris and I went to sign a bunch of papers (that's us right after with our keys -- can you tell we're happy??), while his mom took Grace to dance camp and watched Rachael. Right after closing, I headed to the church for the last day of the arts camp. The performance for their families was at 11:30 a.m. While I was there, Chris and his mom started moving a ton of stuff over to the house! We took some more stuff over when I got back, and Chris took the first shower in the new house (without hot water, the breaker for the a/c and hot water heater was turned off!), then we rushed over to the dance studio for Grace's performance. WHEW!

All weekend I was in awe of the help we had, it was incredible! So many people came to lend a hand, and we were so appreciative!!

We still have a long way to go, of course, but we can take our time! IT'S OUR HOUSE! Yay!!

Grace has made herself right at home, she loves it! (Check her out playing her current favorite, Mario Kart.) Rachael took a little more time getting used to it, for a few days she kept asking when we were going to "the different house." (She's checking out a bagworm that was right outside the front door.) They both LOVE the space they have! We've already had a couple of their friends over for a visit, and it makes such a huge difference! I think Snickers is still getting adjusted -- she is definitely not acting like herself, but hopefully she'll realize that this is HOME, and she can get quite a workout speeding around the house! I really want to take her for a walk around the neighborhood, but she quits before I do in this heat! However, I will have more time soon since...

THE GIRLS GO BACK TO SCHOOL! Well, Grace goes back, Rachael is starting! Grace's first day of kindergarten is this Thursday (we meet her teacher and she has her assessment tomorrow), and Rachael begins preschool at the church two days a week next Tuesday! (We will also go to her open house tomorrow, right after we leave Grace's school.) I am praying that Grace will adapt this year as well as she did last year -- her first day of VPK, she didn't know anyone at all. Even though some familiar faces will be at the same school, so far I haven't talked to anyone that has the same teacher. I am excited for her, though! Rachael is READY! She has been asking to go to school! I know she's going to have so much fun!

So many changes in such a short amount of time! But so many positive changes, and so many blessings!

Just keep swimming!

There was one week between VBS ending and our swim lessons beginning! We kept busy during those few days by having friends over so their moms could get to appointments, and I even managed to survive a couple of days with my personal worst nightmare: PLAY-DOH! As much as kids love Play-Doh, I fear it! The texture, the smell, everything! I wash my hands everytime I touch it! But Rachael had never played with it before, and I wanted to give them something fun and creative to do, so out it came. (As did the wax paper to put over the dining room table.) Amazingly, there was hardly any on the floor, and none of it went in anybody's mouth. Even when Rachael's idea of playing with it turned into this:

Swim lessons began, and Grace is still a little fish! She has some technical issues to work on (blowing bubbles while she's under water, mostly), and Rachael... Well, Rachael has to work on not screaming, crying and basically having the biggest fits EVER during lessons. She's happy as a clam when she can play on her own in the shallow part, but the minute we bring her in further to actually learn something, she goes nuts! And it's not that she's scared -- she just doesn't have control, and she hates that! (Oh, how I look forward to the teenage years!)

Here is Grace under the water (she's pretty fast!), and then Rachael, who's pouting. She wasn't allowed to play with some of the toys until she tried to blow some bubbles, or at least kick from the side of the pool. She managed to kick a few times in order to play!



Aren't these towels adorable? The girls got them for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa and I waited until now to break them out! They love them! Grace's is The Little Mermaid, and Rachael is obviously a princess! ;-)

We have two lessons left, then another week that we've already got some activities planned, and then Grace will go to another VBS, followed by a dance camp! That's going to be a good little practice for school (for both of us!), because she'll be there from about 9:30 am - 3:30 pm!

I can't believe how fast the summer has gone by already, and how much we've actually had going on! It's been so much fun, and I've really enjoyed my time with the girls! I know we still have a little over a month left, but I honestly thought I would be longing for August to come around and that's definitely not the case! I'm so excited for them to start school, but I think I'm going to miss them a little more after this summer!

Oh, and one more thing... Grace and Rachael aren't the only ones keeping busy this summer! We ask that you keep praying for us as we prepare for...

Our move into OUR NEW HOME!!! Our closing date is set for July 31st, and we are definitely asking for prayers that as we come to the end of this process everything will go smoothly! Including packing!!

Thanks to those of you that have been praying as we've been looking -- it's been a learning and growing experience, and I wouldn't trade any of it! Well, I'd probably go back to fix my attitude in the beginning, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing! ;-) Thank you so much for lifting us up, we have felt your prayers!

Obviously there will be more to come! We'll keep you posted!