Friday Favorites: House Progress & More Previews Edition

This week has been a wild one! We've had 3 doctor's appointments for various family members, 1 vet appointment for our canine family member, lots more unpacking of house stuff, lots of packing up for the beach, 1 huge furniture delivery, and the usual shenanigans that come with life with 3 little men. =) 

In spite of the craziness it's also been really productive! Things are mostly cleaned up from the move now and mostly completely unpacked. We've also been able to finally fully enjoy our great room. Yay!!

Here are my favorites from our 1st week home...

*We've been enjoying our island/bar so much! This is where the big boys eat breakfast and where they sit to play games. Layton has even made an appearance or two up here as well. =) It is a definite favorite of the whole family! (And here you see a preview of the great room before furniture...)

*Kitchen reveal! I mentioned in my last post that this is my favorite room because I'm totally in love with it (duh)... but it's also because it's shared with the great room/family room/living room. It's such a blessing to be back in an open floor plan after 11 months away!! The door you see to the left is a closet but just to the left of this closet is our master bedroom and just to the right is our laundry room. The door leading out to the garage is to the right of the laundry room.

*This huge, open, kitchen window has also become a favorite for the whole fam. We just took down the curtains that were left here and put up a valence we had that actually fit! As long as we can figure out a way to keep the windows cleaned and as long as the sun doesn't pour in and shine right in someone's face while we're eating meals here, we're planning to leave it totally bare like this. We just love it.

*Wednesday afternoon a thunderstorm came through and the boys sat here for a few minutes and watched it rain. I love that we'll get to watch the weather here and see the seasons change.

*This little man has done great adjusting to his new room and our new house. He is especially loving having his rocking chair back... which used to be mine. =)

*Our kitchen table came in!! Our first kitchen table since our 1st year of marriage! Haha. Our kitchen in Covington didn't have room for a table so for all 7 years we were there we had to eat every meal in the dining room on our nice dining room table. Now, our dining room table can finally be what it was made to be... a dining room table! Yay for eat-in kitchens!! Side note: Layton also upgraded to a booster. =)

*About to enjoy our 1st ever meal at the kitchen table! We had a good lunch and a great 1st experience. =) The chairs side by side are for mama and daddy by the way and our 6th chair we're thinking about just sitting in the corner over to the left. We also moved the boys' table so it would be against the wall to the right of our table.

*I had to wake this sweet boy up from his nap yesterday and just couldn't resist a picture. He has slept like this for almost 2 years now... covers up to his chin, flat on his back, and hands over his head. Presh.

*Our deck view from the windows in our living room. Another favorite. =)

*The big boys love sitting at the bar and playing games together. And when they aren't fighting over the rules or something else game related, it's perfection. Uno has been the favorite choice as of late. And as you can see... furniture was finally delivered!!

*We didn't get things quite situated until after the boys went to bed so the lighting isn't the best, but here's our living room. (The frames will be filled with pictures of people we know soon. Haha.) We are planning to paint this room shortly after vacation, plus decorate and hang things and get some curtains, but as for today, it's perfect. =)

That word in the middle sums it up. We are blessed beyond measure. 

We've enjoyed our first week home lots! Now we're gearing up for our week away. Ahhhhh. Our annual vacay to the beach. I haven't been counting down and longing for it like I have in summers past due to the big move and all we've had going on.... but now that it's almost here, I'm super excited and super ready! Bring on the sun, sand, ocean! 

Have a wonderful weekend, a great week, and a very happy 4th of July!!

Home Sweet Home

Well we are all moved in. =) And we are all LOVING our new home! It truly is home sweet home and our absolute new favorite place ever. We have experienced God's favor in a HUGE way with this home (going all the way back to last Fall leading right up until today) and I'll hopefully share more of that story later on. For now, a little update and preview will do. =)

Terrell and I got a great start on the move Friday after our closing. We were able to clear out almost all of the non-furniture, un-boxed items Friday afternoon and evening. You know those odd items like lamps, pillows, door mats, large, odd shaped toys, etc. It gave us a huge jump start to get all of that done on Friday so come Saturday morning bright and early we were ready for the movers to come pick up our furniture and my dad and Terrell's dad to help with all 5,000 boxes we had packed and ready to go.  

Thanks to a team effort from my sister, my in-laws, and my parents the boys were shuffled around and well taken care of all day on Friday and Saturday while the craziness happened. We are blessed with the BEST family ever!! I can't express in words what their support and help meant to us. We couldn't have done it without them!

Thankfully the move went really smoothly and thanks to all the help we had we were able to get almost totally unpacked. On Saturday! It was like a moving miracle. We were thrilled with the progress and state of the house come Sunday morning. This was the 5th move we've made in 10 years and I think this one went the smoothest! It was our most organized for sure. Of course things were still chaotic and crazy at times plus a huge mess, haha, but overall we unpacked and cleared out at record speed. Woohoo!!

While we still have a long way to go... mainly with decorating, some painting, getting things hung on the walls, and doing something with the tons and tons of windows in this house, we are ecstatic with our progress 3 days in and are already feeling totally at home and settled. It's such a peaceful feeling being home. Knowing another move isn't in the plans. Knowing this is where our boys will grow up and where so many family memories will be made. Such a sweet, sweet feeling. 

Before I get back to taking care of house needs, I have a quick little preview. It's not much but will have to do for now. =)

My favorite room in the house is the kitchen... which is also part of the same room as the great room. I'm in love. Seriously. Cooking in there is amazing. =)

Another room I'm loving is our laundry room! The location is my favorite... around the corner from the kitchen and next door to our master bedroom. In the rental house the washer and dryer had to be in the basement and in our house in Covington you had to go through a pretty small laundry room coming in through the garage (or going out), and it was next door to the nursery. So this one feels perfect! I love the cabinets above the washer and dryer too.  

And... we have this neat pantry closet in the laundry room too! So far I'm storing paper products in here along with party supplies and vacation stuff, AND making it the boys game and craft closet. The games are on the bottom shelf and the paper, markers, crayons and other crafting supplies are in the bins under the games. 

Our living room is mostly empty right now (our new furniture is being delivered later this week) except for my new wicker chairs and little accent table. Which I'm loving so far! The red curtains were left here but we'll be taking them down eventually and replacing them with something new. These large windows look out onto our deck and the backyard. They have some type of shades on them that you can raise up and down... and those are really growing on us. We like that we can have the windows bare whenever we want and enjoy our view. =)

Here's the stairs going up. Haha. I'm not a fan of the green color but because it goes all the way up and gets pretty high I'm doubting we'll be painting it anytime soon. The boys' bedrooms are upstairs and I think we're all adjusting great to them being so far away at night. 

The previous owners finished the basement themselves and we are thrilled to have this extra space! There's a living room, bedroom/office, and bathroom down here. I'm actually coming to you live from our office in the basement. Ha. 

This is where I'm hoping to spend my days during the school year while I'm keeping babies. I'm calling it my baby and preschool station. =) Eventually it will probably be Terrell's man cave. 

The basement bathroom...

Our favorite shower in the house! It will probably rarely be used but it sure is nice!

Our UGA alumni computer desk. =) Terrell got this all set up and decorated last night. 

And.... Just keeping it real. Ha! Shortly after this was photographed we cleared out all the empty boxes... but it's still messy in here. The office is probably our last priority at this point but I know it will come together slowly but surely.  

And that's a wrap! Hopefully I can give more previews and show more pictures as we get things situated. =) For now we're busy enjoying our new home to the fullest and thanking God for these blessings! 

Happening Now

We're moving!!! After 11 rather long months in a small, old rental house, we're moving!! It's hard to believe it's finally here. After our journey to closing took waaay longer than we anticipated and after thinking our "forever house" didn't exist (yet) and then after thinking it could slip away at any time, it's here and it's happening!! And we are super duper excited! =)

Thankfully half of our stuff remained packed up the whole time we were here in the rental because there just wasn't room for it... so that makes this move feel way easier than our move from Covington to here. We're a little less overwhelmed and a LOT more excited! Because while we were thrilled to make the move back to the hometown, it was a stressful move. The timing was crazy with school starting back and with us having to find a rental home so fast and with downsizing big time and moving before selling our house, etc, etc.

The timing of this move is really perfect. Even though we definitely would've loved to move sooner, moving during the summer is great for us. No busy schedules (we just wrapped up All-Stars) and I'm off during the summer. A big necessity for this move since I work from home. We no longer have the burden of our Covington house and instead of downsizing, we're upgrading! Woohoo!

The real challenge with this move will come in the unpacking. Ahhhh. I'm feeling desperate to get everything unpacked and situated and settled and where I want it and things hung up this summer. So that when school starts back and we're all exhausted and find ourselves busy again, we don't have tons of work and decorating and more unpacking hanging over us... we're instead just enjoying our new home. (Hopefully my expectations aren't too high!) The home we've dreamed of and prayed for! The home God has so graciously provided specifically for us. =)

We're down to the bare minimums left un-boxed right now. We've got just a few dishes out to eat on, just a few bath essentials and just a few food items... and that's all I can think of so that's about it. Ha. Every other thing is boxed up and ready for the big move. Terrell and I will be kicking off the move tomorrow afternoon after our closing and then we'll have lots of help come Saturday morning and all day long. It's going to be a totally crazy Father's Day weekend. Hopefully we can make it up to daddy since he'll be busy working and moving all weekend long. Although that's part of what makes this Father's Day so special. We're getting him a HUGE present in a new house! Hahaha.

Hopefully I'll be able to check in sometime early next week live from our new home. =) Then, we're counting down to leave for our beach vacation! We'll be home for a week in our new house and then away for a week in our beach house. Talk about back to back big and fun things happening! Haha!

My packing break has lasted long enough... time to get back to work! Happy Father's Day Weekend!!

All-Star Weekend

All-Star weekend was fun, tiring, and HOT! Which means we were pretty much gross and sweaty all weekend long. Haha. =) The 5/6 all-stars are still hanging in there... we came away with one win and one loss this weekend so we're heading back for another game this afternoon. It's a double elimination tournament so if we lose today, we're out and if we win today we play again Wednesday. It's been a wild experience but we're super proud of our all-star and his tough little team! 

We started our weekend on Friday evening with the night off! Yay!! A break from practice and a night at home meant lots of outside time for the boys and daddy grilling us a delicious meal. It was a treat to have a somewhat normal Friday night!

Layton loves being pushed in his car... and watching his big brothers' every move. 

Saturday morning came bright and early. We had to meet everyone and get on the road by 8:00 for our 10:00 game. And everybody was nervous! Including mama. And this is just 5/6 year old T-ball. Ha! I can't imagine how I'll feel once my boys are older and playing on much bigger "stages"!

Our team and coaches!

Pre-game warm-up. =)

Invocation and National Anthem time. It seriously felt like the big leagues. Getting more nervous by the minute!

We lost the coin flip so we were the visiting team and had to bat first. Which means my baby had to lead off to start off the biggest game of his young career. Which means he was soooo nervous and kind of dreading his at bat. Which means I felt my heart outside my body. Gracious. He got a solid hit and did great though! And thankfully my parents were able to come to the game so I had help and extra hands and eyes for my littles. I couldn't have done it without them!

Our team in the field! My 2nd baseman in his ready stance before playing his best defensive game ever! He made the most outs on the whole team and didn't let a ball by him! He rocked. =)

Unfortunately our nerves got the best of us and we had some tears shed and experienced some discouragement we aren't accustomed to. When you're used to winning and never getting out and always being better it's tough to come up against someone just as good. We fought hard but lost our 1st game. The boys' attitudes were great though and they came back ready to play Sunday afternoon!

My favorite coach with our favorite all-star. =)

Sunday afternoon the heat was brutal. Thankfully they had some bleachers in the shade in the outfield that made our 2:00 game bearable. We didn't have a close up view of our babies but at least we didn't pass out while we cheered them on!

Garrison Cade's biggest fan! I've been amazed at how attentive and into the games he's been. He's like the team mascot cheering them on and watching the scoreboard like a hawk. =)

This little man on the other hand is a different story. He just wants freedom to walk and go and do whatever he pleases. This is my view when I have Layton duty. Haha. 

Sunday afternoon we lost the coin flip. Again. And my baby had to lead off. Again. I think his nerves were just a little more steady for the 2nd game. My weren't however. Can you say stressful?!

My #1 leading off from 1st base ready to run. 

And in the field. =)

Our 2nd game was another hard fought one. We were down by 7 runs at one point but we came back to win!! Garrison actually scored the winning run. =) We held them to no runs one inning and then we scored the max runs the next inning. The final score was 30-22 if you can't tell from the scoreboard. =)

Our team chant after the game was pretty priceless. They've all worked so hard we were pretty excited to come away with a win! Even though we would've been proud no matter what we were thrilled they got to experience a win this weekend instead of losing 2 in a row.   

Shortly after naptime we'll be leaving for our 6:00 game tonight. It's crazy how much time the games require because of travel time and having to be there so early. Concession stand food is on the menu for supper tonight. Ha. While we aren't necessarily favored to win this game we're hoping our players do their best, play hard, and have fun! 

All-Star weekend and the passion-filled team chant after the games have just about made all of our practices, sacrifices, and craziness of the past 3 weeks of preparation worth it. =) So proud of this team and their awesome coaches. Go LC!!

Friday Favorites: Counting Down!

TGIF!!! Whew! This week has been a long one. After our wonderful anniversary weekend full of so much time together and just pure newlywed-like bliss, this week came with craziness, exhaustion, and pretty much no time together. Ha! Nothing like jumping right back into reality to wear you out and test your newlywed-likeness. =) 

Unfortunately we've been pulled in different directions all week and the 5 of us have had very, very little time together at all. I'm talking 5-10 minutes every morning and 5-10 minutes every evening. So that's what's made for our really long week as well as my very worn out state. As well as my recurring temptation to go to my room and cry. Sigh. The All-Star commitment is a HUGE one, especially being married to a coach (double whammy), so this week we've officially started counting down. And it's lifted our spirits and kept us going. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Yaaaaaay!!

We're counting down to wrapping up this All-Star experience, counting down to closing on our new house and making this long-awaited, much anticipated move, and counting down to our week at the beach! We're almost there! Wooooohooooo!

Here's a look at my favorites from our week of craziness, stretched-thinness, and counting down...

*On Monday afternoon the boys and I, along with all the other kiddos in our small town, made our way to the library for a meet and greet with Iron Man and Elsa. Plus Tony Stark was there too. Haha. Other than the huge crowd, long lines, and steering a stroller through the madness, it was a success! At least I'm pretty sure it was worth it. =)  

Austin was super nervous about meeting Iron Man so mama had to be in the picture too. Layton was watching from the stroller. =)

*This little love put on some more dance moves in the big boy room. Actually all 3 boys had a little dance party in there together. Of course the big boys' moves couldn't be captured. Can you say wildness? Haha.

*Garrison lost his 2nd tooth this week!! He was nervous about having it pulled but when I wiggled it just a little it came right out in his mouth! He has several other loose teeth so we'll see how busy the tooth fairy is coming up. =)

*The big boys asked to put on their baseball pants this week so they could "practice sliding". No boys were harmed during "practice" and it turned out to be a huge hit! I'm all about some good, safe, fun. =)

*Waking up my littlest man is still a favorite. It's rare I have to wake him up so it's always a treat to watch him sleep for a minute when I do.

*The boys have been asking to go swimming all week and we haven't had any success with being able to go yet. We have to go before lunch due to our All-Star schedule and the weather just hasn't been our friend. Hopefully today is the day! So we decided to head to a McDonald's playground this week while it was wet and cloudy out. They had a ball!

Layton climbed a little, watched a little, and walked around like he owned the place a LOT. =)

*I took Austin and Layton to a couple of Garrison's practices this week. Even though it was crazy keeping up with Layton it was good to get out of the house and to watch Garrison and daddy. At least the 5 of us were at the same location a couple of evenings this week.

*All of my babies are officially sleeping late this summer! Yay!! Layton was the last to come around but he's finally sleeping past 7:00 every single morning and my big boys are sleeping til about 7:30 every morning, sometimes later! Summer sleep is some of the best!

*Yesterday was another day we struck out going swimming so I took my little men on a lunch date and then to a jumpy place. We were all exhausted afterwards but had a super fun time together!

*Favorite read of the week: On Raising Kids and Chilling Out. This was a timely read for me and so good. With me spending all day everyday with my 3 guys this summer I needed the reminder to take a chill pill and let some things go. The truth is, I do have a tendency to come down on everything... especially with my oldest because he's old enough to understand the why behind almost everything discipline related. But this post is so true and so right. And something I'm pondering and praying over. We want our kids to obey out of love, not because of the threat of punishment and not just because of the law. It's a good read. And God knew I needed it this week. Take a minute to read it mamas.

This weekend is All-Star weekend for us... plus have I mentioned it's almost time to move? And go on vacation? It's going to be a busy one for sure....but we're counting down so it's all good! =) Happy Friday!!