Gettin' Crafty!

So, I've had the crafty bug (much thanks to Mom & Allie), so here are some pictures of some projects I have completed in the past week:

1. Totally Cool Fabric Wall (Sorry the picture is so small - it really looks awesome on that big wall!)

2. Pillows to match my wall after I someday have cool black/white chairs in the room :-)

3. Christmas stockings that I cut out with Mom & Becca LAST YEAR and finally sewed together this year (4 new ones)

4. Delicious Pocket-Pies that are so scrump-diddly-umptious!

FUN FUN!!! What's next?

The Sun's Out! Hurry & Take a Picture!

I had to take advantage of the sun coming out - it's been raining for several days. The sun makes me feel happy and warm, even if it is only 50 degrees.

The colors are so warm and 'autumny' in these pictures, but I honestly had to fight and guilt-trip Sabrina into wearing the orange shirt. That girl and her clothes - she KNOWS what she wants to wear!

We've moved! . . .

We're alive . . . BUT DANG COLD!!! I admit that I am whining the most about the cold, and funny enough I'm the only one in our family who actually grew up with real winters! But I tell you the chill is going right through me - I have been southernized!

People up here say "it's colder a little earlier this year, but don't worry . . . it only gets worse from here." I'M DYING!!! (p.s. Snow flurries on Saturday!!!)

We are working hard to get settled and grateful to finally be out of the "transition" phase that has been the source of so much stress the past few months.

Paul has jumped in with a big woodworking project (11'x7' Entertainment Center), which is really fun to plan and work on for both of us. I'll post pictures whenever I can find my camera charger in one of the 40 boxes in our storage room. :-D

The girls are adjusting well. Every once in a while they'll share something they miss, or they'll re-realize we're not going back, or they'll act surprised when I won't let them wear shorts, or it will occur to them that they can't see their Johansen-cousins because they are too far away now . . . They do love having their playroom in the basement, though - oh the fun of running all around the house! All-in-all we're happier to be settling in to our new life.

It will probably take me longer to get over North Carolina (if I ever do), but I feel so blessed, and I'm so grateful that Paul is such a hard worker and great man - it makes it so much easier to follow him wherever he goes.

Love you all, and miss you!

Alexis

Minority wins!

How do I say this . . .

For all those who didn't believe; for the few believers who never gave up . . .


WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!


Sabrina was the lucky girl to accompany me to the sonogram, as Paul was out of town. When the technician said "It's a boy," Sabrina said, "But I thought it was a girl - I still think there's a girl in there."

"Where are his clothes?" she later asked? "What clothes will he wear?" I told her, "Pink and purple unless we can buy some new ones!"

Paul is ecstatic about the news. "Really?" He said. "I was right! Of course I thought it was a boy all four times, but this time I'm right!"

We're all excited about this new addition, and it's fun that we get to introduce a little prince to this mix of princesses. I have no doubt this boy will get "dressed" up for many occasions!

Really Quickly!

Okay, if I don't do this really quickly, then it probably won't happen so here's the best I can do for now:

UPDATES:

1.) After driving a little red saturn with no AC for SEVERAl Summers, Paul finally got his truck - WAHOO!!! We're really grateful for his sacrifices for our family, and for the many hours of hard work he puts in for our family. He LOVES driving around in his truck, and started using it for hauling projects the day after getting it.

2.) Foreman Sammie kept us on our toes while cleaning the house for putting it on the market. She inspected all our work. She was really our comic relief during this very stressful time.

FYI - Our home is on the market, and we have found a new home in Iowa. We'll be moving sometime right before/after September 21st, so it's coming fast. Eeek! We're praying the rest of the puzzel pieces fall in to place "just time time!"

3.) This is our flight to IOWA to find a home. After a whirlwind of 3 weeks of massive cleaning, it wasn't hard to fall asleep on the plane.

Anastasia & Sabrina stayed with their cousins in Rock Hill, SC while we house-shopped in IA. This was a much needed break for them to be able to play like little girls, rather than restricted to "don't make a single mess!" :-) (Thanks Joseph & Becky for watching them!) (Oh ya, and Anastasia lost her first tooth the day before we left - EXCITING AND EARLY)

4.)Cute Picture of Samantha looking out the window when we flew home to NC for likely the last time before we move . . . Maybe someday we'll get to return.

5.) And last but surely not least, ANASTASIA'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

I had wanted to prepare for this moment with Anastasia, but after the chaos of preparing to move, the first day was there with VERY LITTLE preparation. This was a life changing day for Anastasia, and for the whole family, because from now on SCHOOL RULES! :-)

Ana had a great first day. We all missed her, especially Sabrina. Sabrina did pretty good the first few days, but by Thursday & Friday she was asking if it was time for Anastasia to come home by 9am. "Sorry Brie - still several more hours until 4:30!" Saturday, Sunday, & Monday (Labor Day) was PLUM FULL of those two playing together. I'm talking about hours of play - we're glad they love each other!

p.s. And as for an update on me and "the baby" - I FINALLY have my first doctors appointment coming up, however I will be 20 weeks by the time I'm there - sheish! Not my fault/intention - promise! I'll be getting a sonogram a couple days after, so maybe we'll know soon what we're having . . . :-) Girl, girl, girl, boy?...

Raising the Shelf . . .

Well, after 3 years of having to arrange my bowls "just so" (stacks of 2, with staggered placement in 4 spots) in my cupboard so they fit, telling myself each time I put dishes away, "I really need to raise the shelf above my bowls so they will fit better - Oh, I'll do it later . . ."

I HAVE FINALLY RAISED THE UPPER SHELF! Oh my goodness, my bowls fit!

Why do we wait until we are moving out of a home to arrange it just the way we like it? I know it's to impress the people looking at the home, but seriously, why not have enjoyed my spacious cupboards for the three years I've owned them?

Sam, maybe you have some philosophical answer to my questions, and can write a clever article on this phenomenon that I know we all are guilty of indulging in. Am I wrong, or is this solely my failing?

Back to perfecting my home for someone else. I hope on my next "break from the chaos" that I'll have some fun responses to read to distract me from the looming TO DO'S.

Too many updates . . .

I know I haven't posted anything for a really long time. I was ready to post that Paul had graduated, we did a major yard project, we celebrated at the beach, and we were simply enjoying that he was finally ours to keep!

Though this is all true, there was so much MORE going on in the background . . .

Now all the "background" stuff is out of the hat all at the same time, and we find ourselves in the middle of great change and unknown results. I am pregnant with #4 (currently 14 weeks), and we are moving from our beloved North Carolina and moving to either Iowa or Illinois for Paul's new position at Deere as a Mechanical Engineer.

We found this out while in Utah, when we could do nothing about it. Timing is all crunched together and we’re under the gun. We have to have our home on the market two weeks ago, but we just got home LATE Sunday, so we’re working like crazy this week to pack stuff up and de-clutter. Next week Paul’s mom is coming to help us paint, and we have two realtors coming on Monday to evaluate the home for market price. We HOPE to have the home on the market by next Friday, because we’re leaving the following week for a home finding trip to IA/IL.

Paul will be gone-a-week/here-a-week starting the last week of August, to finally stay up there by September 21st. Anastasia is suppose to be starting school that last week of August, and I just don’t know what to do about that – Go to school in one school for a few weeks, then pull her out to go to another school? Worst case scenario puts us up there in October, which I feel would be a little late to start her in school, but we might be staying at my in-laws in SC while we’re waiting for the home to sell, so I might not have a choice. The timing is out of our hands because it all depends on whether our home sells quickly/slowly, and whether we find a home we love & can afford.

There are so many unknown factors, that this is a great opportunity to exercise faith in the Lord. There is more to do than can be done, but we’ll do our best!

So there's an update, and it's back to work!