Where to Start...

Life. It has a funny way of slipping away from you and before you know it a year has passed since the last time you wrote. In many ways I needed a break. A lot has happened in the last two years and I've needed to process and reflect on what has happened around me. In many ways not knowing where to start and the thought of blogging terrified me. However, enough time has passed and I am in a much healthier place these days. I'm ready to blog again and document our life this way because I do so love being able to re-read where we have been and where we are headed. Please, bear with me as I shake off the dust and clear the cobwebs. I've got to find a rhythm for posting again but I promise to get back on the bandwagon. I'm sure I'll post some on what has transpired over the last year but I don't really want to set expectations on that for myself. We'll just see when and where my heart goes with all of this. Without much further ado here's where we are headed...

Home
We are still living in our same house. It's hard to believe that we've been here now for over 7.5 years! Time moves so quickly. This past summer one of our old trees in the backyard split in half and in order to take it out we had to remove four additional trees. Our once super shady backyard is now very bright! The upside to this is that the mosquito problem that we've had for years is now virtually non-existent. It also means that for the first time since we've been here I'll be able to have a vegetable garden this next spring.

Andy
We are elated to announce that Andy will be starting a new job in different industry next week. He has been working in the tax industry since we met. We've prayed for a long time that something would come along that would allow him to switch gears and move out of it. And in the last two months God brought about an unexpected opportunity. It feels odd to be walking in uncharted territory and yet we are at peace with where we are being led. I'll share more about this and how we got to this point in another post because it is most certainly something I want to document.

Me
So many things to say here. :) The biggest change for me in this last year is going back to work. I absolutely love my job, what we do, and the people I work with. Again, I plan to document how I got to where I am because it is worth documenting in another post.

AG
Five and a half and getting closer to six every. single. day. He started Kindergarten in August and is thriving at school! We decided to put him on campus at Berry Elementary and have felt deeply affirmed that he is in the right place over the course of these last two months. He amazes us daily with all the different things that he is learning. He continues to be all boy and a sports fanatic just like his Daddy. Once again, he's playing soccer this fall and Andy is coaching his team. I'm not sure who enjoys it more but I absolutely love watching the two of them on the field together.

Avi-Kate
Our sweet and sassy mess as I affectionately call her. She's got a lot of spunk and reminds me daily of my sister, Caroline, when we were growing up. In August, she started school at Berry at the Child Development Center and she is blossoming right in front of our eyes. She loves being a 'big girl' who has her own friends and gets to do fun things like paint, play, read, and sing. Her only disappointment with school is that she can't ride the bus every day like her older brother. Ha. We remind her daily that her time is coming.

Samson
Middle age in dog years and likes his routine. He's living the dream lounging around the house and in the backyard. And always enjoys a car trip when it takes him to the farm where he can roam to his heart's content.

Running
Many a post on this subject coming up in the next few weeks. I'm still doing it and learning a lot along the way. Andy and I have some pretty ambitious race goals set for this next year and we are currently training for a half and a marathon back to back. We've got our race schedule for 2015 for the most part set and I'm really excited about what we've got on the books. Two of which are really big runDisney accomplishments.

College Family
Lots of transition here! We had a huge wave of our students graduate this spring so we are in the process of regrouping. Our group had become quite large and it should look much smaller this year due to our senior class this spring. With everything in limbo the last two months with Andy's job we haven't done our usual dinners to kick off the year. However, now that we know what the next few weeks look like as Andy transitions to his new gig we are excited about starting things back up with our students.

There you have it. A surface level post but hopefully it sets things up for me to dive back into this in the coming weeks. Back again soon...

I'm back!

Well, after a much needed blog sabbatical I'm back. Whew.

If you are still here...thanks for sticking with me. I needed some time to process life and focus on what has been going on around us. Life has been moving at warp speed but I'm ready to jump back on the blogging bandwagon.

Randomness and slightly all over the map thoughts from today:

~Today is my half birthday. Normally, not a big deal but six months from today I turn 30. Somewhat surreal to think about. I've been quite contemplative all day about all that has happened in the last ten years of my life. Ten years ago I didn't know Andy. Since then I've met the love of my life, graduated from Berry, married Andy, bought and remodeled a house, had two children, 'adopted' a house full of college students, and become something I never thought I'd be...a runner who has completed two half marathons. And that's just a few of the high points. What really amazes me is to think where we will be ten years from now...AG will be 14 and Avi-Kate will be almost 12!

~ The kids were in a wedding this weekend and they were absolutely precious. I've known the bride since we were little. We were campers together and she was a few years behind me at Berry. Her wedding was gorgeous. She is so detail oriented and there were details every where you looked. I'll post pictures this week and more details.

~We had a picnic today in the park after church and it was wonderful! Despite the pollen it was a beautiful spring day. We had a great turn out...probably one of the largest church events we've ever hosted. The kids played non-stop and between the wedding festivities and today they are beat. They sacked out pretty quickly this evening.

~Avi-Kate is going to be two in less than two months. Nuts. Seems like she was born just yesterday. Since she had surgery I feel like she has grown a ton. Her vocabulary has finally taken off. It is sweet music to our ears to hear her little voice. A few weeks back she started piecing together simple sentences, that you can actually understand what she is saying, and I about wept tears of joy. It also has made Andy and I realize just how bad her hearing was and how much her tongue being tied hindered her ability to speak. I'm extremely grateful that we were able to address those issues and that she is doing so well.

~AG has become such a big kid. I'm amazed how much he has grown and changed since starting school. I'm even more amazed that he has one more year left of preschool before he is in kindergarten! Everyone always talks about quickly time passes but it really does amaze me how quickly our children change before our eyes. AG is all about his sports teams and becoming a farmer. A few weeks ago his teachers did a week long unit on farms and he was beside himself with joy! He's quite happy that baseball season and the Braves are back.

~My house is a complete wreck at the moment. (From all of the hustle and bustle this weekend!) I am hoping to regroup this week. At least before hosting my ladies bible study on Wednesday night.

~My sweet mother-in-law is here for a few days and I'm hoping we can get out in the yard tomorrow and get some stuff planted that I bought at the Berry plant sale two weeks ago.

~Andy is still looking for a job and we are faithfully walking through this new season in our lives. He has applied for some things and we are hopeful that something might happen soon. In this season of uncertainty I've taken great comfort in knowing that God is sovereign. In all things.

~What an emotional week it has been for our country as a whole. As someone who runs Boston hit me on a deep, personal level. We had friends that were there running but thankfully they are okay. And then there is the plant explosion in Texas. Which hits home as well...my dad's only sibling, my Aunt Joy, lives in Texas. Not too far from West where the explosion happened. I'm grateful that she, my uncle, and my cousin are all ok. My heart hurts on so many, many levels. And again, despite all of this I'm grateful for God's sovereignty. What happened in Texas is tragic. What happened in Boston is heinous. I have lots of thoughts running around in my head and I'm not sure if I'll share those things here...still mulling over that.

~Lastly, I'm in the process of starting a side business selling stuff I've made. This is something I've wanted to do for years and finally have the opportunity to give it a go. I'm really excited about it. Andy is currently building my website but we do have a facebook page. Feel free to take a peek at what we've been up to. I'm also working on getting a 'store' on Etsy up and going. These Southern Roots is what we've named it. I'm not really sure where it will go but I'm excited about the possibilities.

I'll be back soon with pictures and posts of what we've been up to.  Here's hoping this week is better than last.

I'll be honest...

...I'm in somewhat of a funk when it comes to blogging. I love blogging. I love being able to look back at what I've written over the years. However, this year has been quite the roller coaster ride so far and it doesn't look that will be changing any time soon. Due to the things that have happened I've become quite reflective over the last three months and spending way more of my time processing things internally than processing them on the blog like I've done in years past. Neither way is right or wrong...but for this season this seems to fit where I'm at. There are lots of things I want to say but I can't seem to express things the way I want. There are several posts that have been started and not finished just because I get frustrated. So, I leave it and tell myself that I'll come back to it and never do. (Sigh)Anyways, that is where I am at. I'm okay. I really am. I'm amazed daily by God's faithfulness and the way he continues to hold my hand whatever the circumstance. Hopefully, one day I'll be able to put everything to paper the way it is in my head.

In other news, Avi-Kate's appointment went really well week before last. Her hearing is improved and she is doing much better. They are pleased with her progress in a month and we'll go back in the fall to follow-up. AG is fully healed and back to his normal self. His voice is higher than it use to be...but he doesn't snore like an old man anymore. (Hallelujah!) Today I went to pick him up from school and both of his teachers were out with strep and it dawned on me that we won't have to worry about that anymore with AG! Kind of a surreal feeling. We go back in a few weeks for his follow up appointment but we don't expect any problems. He did phenomenal and only took one dose of pain meds the whole time. (It was a week after the surgery and that night was the one and only time he asked for it. Initially, we asked him constantly if he wanted some and after a few days of asking we gave up because he was quite adamant that he didn't want any.)

Avi-Kate's birthday is starting to creep up on us and I can't believe that she will be 2 in June. She is quite obsessed these days with Ariel from The Little Mermaid aka 'Ya-Ya'. We are thinking about having an Ariel themed pool party...I need to start working on details because it will be here before we know it.

Finally, last week our world was turned upside down. Andy was laid off due to budget cuts along with pretty much everyone in his department in the Rome office. Lots to process on that front. Lots of decisions to be made. Lots of prayers being made. Lots of opportunities for communication. And yet, we take great comfort in knowing that God is in the midst of this latest chapter in our lives. He hasn't left us and he is faithful. One day at a time.

Like I said, there is a lot I want to write and can't seem to put to paper at the moment. Hopefully, I'll get some pictures uploaded here this week. Off to work on some re-organizing/spring cleaning. Happy Monday.

AG's big boy room...

...it dawned on me that I, in my pregnant state these last few months, forgot to post what we did to AG's room this spring. (Sigh) Anyways, it still needs a few things done to it but overall it looks pretty good. We painted it grey and AG picked a shade known as 'Mickey's Shadow'...how appropriate. He wanted to help and so we suited him up in an old onesie and let him go to town. Later, Andy finished it all by himself. He then built, painted and installed hanging shelves for the wall along with two new bookcases. I've decided that there are very few things in this world that my husband can not do. He's quite talented. I still need to do something on the windows, get a bunch of prints framed and hung, and decide what to do with the shelf over AG's bed. Oh, and find a rug. Now if I could get Avi-Kate's room finished...

Dining Room Update...

...well, we've done a few projects in the dining room over the last few weeks. Here's some of the highlights:

Andy and I opted to just rehab our 90's brass chandelier. With a quick trip to Home Depot to pick up supplies Andy was able to take our chandelier from this:

To this:

Here's what we used:
-Rustoleum spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze
-Replacement sleeves for the arms (x8)
-25-watt bulbs (x8)

We opted to replace the old sleeves in a cream color instead of bright white to help soften the look. We also liked the look without the lampshades so we took the wattage on our lightbulbs down. I didn't toss the shades because it's highly possible that at some point I'll want to change it up. :) Anyways, this project was super simple. Andy took down the chandy, we cleaned it up, sprayed it, and then re-hung it. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I'm all for a thrifty but fabulous redo!


Next up would be my fabulous benches courtesy of my quite handy husband. I discovered a fabulous website, by Ana White, that has great FREE! plans for building your own furniture. Andy mulled over several possibilities before settling on this plan. If you know my husband you know that he is meticulous and a perfectionist when it comes to projects. So, tackling his first furniture building project was no exception. Here's how they turned out:

Finished and ready to be sanded, primed, and painted. Photo via Andy's iPhone.

Finished. I LOVE them.

To go with my new fabulous benches Andy's mom gave us these two old chairs. They were originally Andy's great-grandmother's and were residing at the basement at the farm. They are extremely old (I'm thinking 100+ years) and in desperate need of some TLC. They aren't done but here's a sneak peek of how they are coming along:

Fixed, patched, sanded, and primed...

Lastly, we have the table. Andy started refinishing it this fall and then the weather got bad and he hasn't been able to finish it. We are waiting for the pollen to die down and then we'll haul it back out to the backyard to finish it up. One of these days we'll redo the china cabinet but till then it works for now.

The table with one of two leaves in it...

One of my next projects on tap for this room and the whole house in general is window treatments. I'm still mulling the possibilities. For now the dining room is coming along and I'm quite pleased with the progress. On to another project, right?! Of course, there is always some sort of project to be done around here...

Update on the new table...

So here's a picture of our new dining room table without the two leaves in. We bought it a couple of weeks ago but I haven't had a chance to post any pictures. Andy sanded off the stain and then we had to haul it inside because we were hit with several days of rain.

Andy put the leaves in and laid down our drop cloths and got to work. He did a coat of primer and then a coat of black paint. We then hauled it back outside so that Andy could sand it down again. It now has a second coat of paint on it and it is waiting for another sanding. I need to take pictures of it with the black paint...I just haven't had a chance. Stay tuned. This is Andy's largest furniture project to date. I can't wait to see the end result...I'm already in love with it.

A change is gonna come...

Life and change. These two things go hand in hand. When you experience one the other follows. Over the last two weeks we have been trying to decide what to do about Andy's job situation. For those who don't know Andy's company is relocating to Kennesaw in a week. From our house this is about a 45 minute drive. We've known that this would be a possibility for about two years so when they announced it we were not surprised. However, as we've prayed about what to do these last few months we knew two things. One, that Andy would stay with his job. He's done really well for himself there the last six years. And at the time we didn't see anything else coming along. Two, we don't feel like our time in Rome is up. Meaning that we very much believe that we have lots of work still to do here. (Funny, because when I graduated from college I thought we'd be here two years. Max. The longer we stay the more we never want to leave.) We've established roots here and because of that we opted for Andy to commute rather than relocate our family. For months we had been content with the fact that God was going to continue to provide for us and that there must be a reason for all of this.

A few weeks ago Andy was informed that one of his company's competitors was looking to establish an office here in Rome. And they were looking to do it ASAP. Wow. Well this was a curve ball we didn't expect or see coming. Andy inquired and was given more information. He summed it up like this, "I'm not unhappy with my current company BUT there are things about this new company that are very intriguing to me." He was asked to interview with one of the vice presidents last weekend. It went well. Very well. They extended an offer and Andy accepted it on Tuesday afternoon. The whole thing was a whirlwind. 

So what does this mean for us. Well, it means Andy doesn't have to commute every day to work. He'll now have to travel some but I'd rather have some travel as opposed to a daily commute. He actually can telecommute which brings lots of new opportunities and possibilities. It means Andy has the opportunity to flex some different "muscles" when it comes to his job. New opportunities to grow. And thankfully this change also allows us to stay in Rome. There is something about Rome. We love it. It's an amazing place to raise a family and that's one reason why the longer we stay the more we never want to leave. We are excited. We are grateful. The Lord continues to provide and continues to show us how his timing is perfect. 

Bits and Pieces:

We've said good-bye to several of our graduating seniors but it doesn't really hit that they are gone till the upcoming school year is upon you. This year is no different. But with a new year comes new students and that is exciting. We are excited to see our returning "college family" and we are excited to add some more faces to the mix. I can't believe that they'll all be here in two weeks. I'm ready. However, my art project for the kitchen is not. Andy and I are working hard to get it done before they arrive.

My art project for the kitchen is being created with our students in mind. All last year I wanted to have something in our kitchen to showcase them. Why the kitchen? Because whenever they are over here it usually involves food. :) When we have family dinners they all come early and hang out in the kitchen while I cook. It's where they gather. Also, we take lots of pictures when they are here. I have TONS of photos of them but needed a place where they could be rotated in and out. I'm  looking forward to having this project completed and being able to put it to use right away! So far we've got the doors sanded and prepped. Next comes the painting...which will be involved due to the multiple applications for the chalkboard and then having to paint the area around the chalkboard. After that all we'll have to do is hang them. I better get cracking!

In other projects I painted the guest bedroom headboard earlier today with a crackle glaze and top coat of paint. I'm thrilled with how well it turned out. I've got to let it cure for three days at least before I put the clear coat on top to protect it. I can't wait to get it all together and in the guest bedroom. It makes me want to "crackle" something else. Ha. Pictures to come, I promise.

Lastly, in the midst of all of this, plus AG being sick, I had jury duty this week. And I was actually selected to serve. First time for both. Quite interesting. I feel like I might need to do a post on this by itself. 

So that's us. It's been a wild week. I feel like there is something I'm leaving out but at the moment my brain is fried. When I remember I'm sure I'll post it...

Four years, really?

Four years ago we tied the knot...

To celebrate I thought I'd share four photos that are significant to our lives or things that I'm proud of...

First, would be our house! Wow. We bought it after we'd been married a year and we have almost completely redone the whole thing. No small feat. I'm proud of what our home has become and what we've learned along the way.
Second, would be our students. Over the last four years we have opened our home to dozens of students and I'm really grateful that they have been able to seek refuge in our home while they discover who they are in college. (I could do a whole slide show of just them...) Life is meant to be shared and I'm blessed we get to share it with them on a daily basis.
Third, on my top four list would be AG. This last year of our marriage has been so much richer because of our handsome, little red head. I can't imagine life without him in it. This photo sums up our last year of marriage perfectly. Joyful.
Lastly, I'm proud of how hard my husband works. One of my proudest moments was just weeks ago when I got to see him awarded at his company's President's Achievement Club trip in Maui. Andy you are an incredible husband, father, and dedicated business man...I'm so proud of you. Thanks for sharing life with me these last four years.

Three Years for This Old House...

My how time flies!

Three years ago today Andy and I bought our first home. We had been married for a week shy of a year and were elated to roll up our sleeves to make our new house a home. As I sit tonight I am amazed simply amazed at all that we have done to our little old house. We've painted almost every square inch from top to bottom. The only room left is the laundry room. We gutted our master bath and started over. We did a complete kitchen remodel and had a house in utter chaos for weeks. We've removed wallpaper, patched plaster, and smoothed out walls. Started landscaping around the house. And in all of this we've redone lots of furniture to furnish this old house. Again, I'm simply amazed. The house has been a labor of love and I have loved every minute of it because Andy and I did it together. People will tell you that remodeling a house is a great way to test your relationship. Yes, that statement is true. In our case it has only deepened our relationship. Andy and I love to do projects together around the house and we both take satisfaction in completing a task together. I couldn't imagine under taking something like this without him. And when we finish and move on to another house I look forward to rolling up my sleeves once again with my best friend. So to celebrate here are some of my favorite moments from the last three years...