over a month ago.....

we went to the plano balloon festival.

so fun. kind of chaotic, yes. but fun. it was beautiful weather which made it even more crowded!

so glad we got to go.... we hadn't been since b was a baby.

home.

 
so. we've moved.

we have all made the transition to our new house.

and, it has been a lovely one, albeit a tad chaotic and extremely QUICK.

our new house might be smaller and older than our old house, but let me tell you how the Lord has seemed to step into the role of Provider in our new house:

it is home.

already. and i can't really describe that since after two years in our old house, it just never seemed to quite 'fit' us. don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful house. we brought charlotte home in that house. we had christmas parties in that house. we had wonderful neighbors. a pool down the street. we were close to jeff's parents' house. we had space. too much space.

it was a great house.

but i never felt quite 'settled', if you will. and there was no reason for me not to feel that way, i just didn't.

and already, after two weeks in our new house, even with boxes still hanging around, nothing on the walls, no draperies hung, i already feel settled. there's something effortless and easy about this house. there is something wonderfully woven in this house to where it is home. to all of us. i don't know this is an attitude change on my part as to what's 'important' or the feeling that this house evokes, nevertheless it is so nice to feel home.

even this morning, on the way to school, b. told me, "mommy? i really like the new house. it's a nice home." *smile*.

the Lord has answered our prayers in a huge way when it comes to our kids. life has changed dramatically in the last two 1/2 months, but it hasn't seemed to affect brady or charlotte. praise God.

i am slowly adjusting to this new pace of life. the Lord has made it completely clear that I will need to seek Him DAILY to make it through this journey in one piece. and He's made it clear that seeking Him does not have to mean sitting down for thirty minutes with my bible. which i'm so thankful for.

sometimes i'm able to do that. and it's such a blessing.

but sometimes all i get to do is dwell on memorized scripture.
or sing praise songs in the car.
or pray.
or talk about Noah with brady. {his favorite bible story. of course it is.... }

i've broken out of the mold. i've been freed of what my walk with the Lord is supposed to look like. and it has been rejuvenating. i've stopped beating myself up when i don't have time to write in my prayer journal. or sit by myself.


and i'm thankful. 

so - onto the pictures!


i took the kids to the arboretum on monday with some friends. it was beautiful! the day started out foggy which actually was nice and cool, and then the sun came out as soon as we got there. yay!

the change.

so.

if you are a friend of mine of facebook - and let's be honest, since going private, if you're reading this you probably are.... then you know.

the change was 'revealed' last night. 

for all of social media to see.

and later on this week, it will be revealed for all of texas to see.

it's weird. definitely weird.

to see it all coming to life.

but, at the same time, totally refreshing. to hang it all out there for everyone to see. to be an open book. to stop talking about what's wrong with our country, our state, and start doing something about it.

yup. refreshing is the right word.

i've been dying to share with you. how this all came about. what my thoughts are. what the decision process was like. all the ins and outs to it.

and i will.

but today i'm going to soak my babies in. and our new home.

and try to still my heart. {before the rangers play, of course!}

God is faithful, y'all.

Oh. So. Faithful.

and although there is going to be a long road ahead for my precious family, the hubbs and i know that the Lord has called us to this journey.

and there is peace.

so today, i'm going to leave you with this song.

a precious hymmn that has comforted my soul in the past two months.

orange beach. and more of 'the change'.

this morning i woke up 'full'.

i guess a cup of pumpkin spice coffee will do that for you.

we've had a few "big ticket items" looming over us in regard to the change i spoke about last week.

one of those big ticket items is moving.

yup. we're moving. and it had to happen quickly.

and i was so sure that the Lord would make it happen in MY timing. but, as i was so clearly reminded with each passing day, with each yucky house after the next, His ways are higher than my ways... and His thought higher than my thoughts.

ugh.

i should tell you that i wasn't being picky. i wasn't. in fact, jeff & i had both settled on an unkept house {that could be super cute with a little money and a little love, i might add} because it was down the street from two of our best friends. and when i say that it was unkept... i mean an INCH of insulation in the attic. an overgrown back yard and front yard... a plastic yellow 'chandelier' in the kitchen with white clouds on it. all the interior doors had been 'touched up' with paint that was five shades different than what was actually on the door. {actually, it might have been a totally different color.}

but i was willing. so was jeff.

my criteria were safety & function. that was it. i'm serious.

and yes, i was a designer for four years before having brady... and yes, i like pretty things, but in this case... the Lord has been teaching me what's TRULY important.

and with the loudness and clarity of this call on our lives, i was willing to sacrifice 'pretty' for His plan.

anyway... this house fell through. on saturday evening. and it was... to be honest... confusing. i questioned the call on our lives. i didn't understand... i wasn't, i thought, being materialistic. i wasn't trying to get the nicest house out there... i wasn't. so why, would a house that had been on the market for 90 days suddenly be taken off - for no reason - as soon as we go for it?

like i said, His ways are higher than mine.

and boy, did He have a blessing in store for us.

so thankful to serve a God who's knowledge is Infinite.

anyway -------- onto a more blog-friendly topic.....

over a MONTH ago {that's how behind i am} we went to orange beach, alabama with jeff's family.

just in time for the tropical storm!!

we had a great time, though. it was a very very nice change of pace for us... staying in our jammies all day... eating like kings... and doing little bits of nothing all. day. long.

loved it.

when we were getting off of the plane, the pilots asked brady if he wanted to come and sit down with them. {the hubbs thought they were talking to him at first and got super excited.... then realized they were talking to brady....}

we made up fun games to play.

this was our version of 'minute to win it'.

another wave of the storm.... seriously. i can't imagine what HURRICANE force winds would be like.

it was opening weekend for college football. yay.

uncle bubba is a huge 'fighting irish' fan.

too bad he's had a rough start to the season....

that's all i have for today. maybe actual BEACH pictures tomorrow next week?

happy monday.