Oh, the Lord's Been Good to Me...

Contentment can be a slippery, little sucker. Wouldn't you say? I think, ah, things are so good; I feel so blessed, and then I feel discontent pushing at the back of my mind. Trying to be continually grateful certainly helps. But, there are some areas where I know I just have to learn to live with it, take it as life's bittersweet. 

No situation brings this to the forefront more quickly for me than being with my parents and siblings. It is so fun to be with them. I just miss them so much. All the time. We find ourselves asking--Why do we all live so far apart? Why can't we see each other more? But, here's the thing--I feel so blessed by my life in Colorado right now: Jose loves his job, we both adore our new house and neighborhood, we have two healthy, vibrant boys and we're awaiting the arrival of baby number three in January. Life is so good! 

And, seeing my wonderful family in Indiana was so incredibly good. It does make me miss them more, but I wouldn't trade anything for the joyful time spent with them. If only Whit and Ryan had been there to complete the team...

Cousin time at the park (I would let Jayden and Julia team-babysit my kids, seriously)

One of the most patient uncles ever!

Oh, meeting Della for the first time!! She is the sweetest.

So much outside playtime in the lovely, unseasonably cool weather.

Lily--isn't she a beauty.

Altogether!

It was a delight to meet Torrence--sweet babies everywhere!

After Skippy picked sweet, crunchy Stuckey Farm apples for us, we had to do it too!

Such special time with my parents. They are unendingly generous and loving to our family.

Nothing like a Stuckey apple!

And, Jose crossed into Ohio. We visited Miami and watched some great tennis.

Juan Martin del Potro (Sorry you lost!)

Serena--killing it.

Life is truly sweet. I am blessed to have so many people that I love. And, as much as I might like to see all of these people every day, these special occasions are one of the best things to look forward to. I wouldn't change a thing.

Faster than a speeding bullet...

We're in the thick of the superhero phase over here. Griff quickly shifts between SuperGriff, Batboy, Spiderboy, and Fireboy. Since Diego is emulating Griffin in just about every way, Diego is completely fascinated, as well. The first song he learned to sing was "nananana Batman!" Which is kind of funny because neither of them has watched Batman. 

We recently took a family hike at Lair of the Bear. It's a very family friendly trail with lots of trees for shade, and mini-trails for exploring. It was the first time that Diego hiked and he loved the freedom. They've both had major changes recently...including Griffin starting to draw people. 

I love these beginning people drawings! Little treasures...

A Little Facelift.

The last task that we were rushing to do...that had to be checked off the list...was painting the exterior. Paint was peeling off the trim and we couldn't stand the colors. We really were itching to get it done. Like many of our changes, we went back and forth in our decision-making. We talked about painting the brick, not painting the brick, dark trim, light trim. When it comes down to it, you just have to go for it. We're pretty excited about the changes! Take a gander...

Before:

Paint selection...

After: 

Oh, and we're getting rid of the spherical light, don't worry!

Our New Home!

We spent a couple months standing on the verge of deciding. One day we'd be sure we weren't making it to closing, doubting that this could be our house. The next we'd be so fired up--the house was ours and we'd totally live in it. It's been a whirlwind and we've been in a bit of a haze, but we feel like we're finally coming through to the other side. Not only did we make it to closing, but we survived ten days of insane renovations and the following days of more work, projects, and shopping...lots of shopping.

We've had serious parental assistance working our way through our projects. And, it's really starting to look like a home. I keep saying, "This is my favorite room." Each time we finish a project, I change my mind. Yesterday, the coat closet, so organized, was my favorite. For just a minute. But, really, I think the master bedroom is at the top of my list. So, without further ado...

Before:

Master bedroom ceiling. (The room was just brown and plain, other than the ceiling!)

After:

Before:

After:

My parents worked like maniacs while they were here. I can't believe how different the place looks because of their hard work. And, they still took us out to dinner. How great are they?! 

Building up some closets.

Griff's first time fishing.

My mom and Jose working hard in the yard.

 Dinner out at Delizios on Main Street.

Nest.

 So we bought this house...

It was a foreclosure. It needed a lot of work. And, our underwriter (I think) generously gave us ten days to do a month's worth of work...at least. Now that we're nine days in, it seems possible, likely even, that it will all get done. And, we are just so excited to live here.

Work so far:

Before...

After...

Before...

After...the dragons and pegasus are gone as of today. Photos to come!

The boys are already loving the backyard. Whenever we're there to check on progress or get some work done, they don't want to leave. I literally drag Griff back to the apartment.

And, I have to say, we would not be nearly this far with Jose, Joe and Georgia spending the entire Memorial Day weekend at the house working like crazy. While the boys and I missed having the family time, I am just so grateful for the hard work.