what we did while kit was gone... (a story of codependence...)

While Kit was gone, my mom came to stay with us for a day so that I could tackle some projects here, and then we headed out to Redlands for the rest of the week.  And by the rest of the week, I mean we stayed until saturday night.

Here were some highlights of our time while Kit was gone:

Having Mia made waving goodbye to kit so much easier:

 Then LOTS of reading, a trip to Chic-fil-A,  shopping at Michaels and just getting things checked off the list:

 It's so nice to have company in those long evening hours!

 Tuesday morning we headed to Redlands and had some fun at Brookside Park, a favorite of our family since it was built!

 Having dinner with family, jumping on the Rosie's trampoline, bath time together, and then getting to snuggle up and read before bed were all such treats!

 We followed my mom to Victoria Gardens while she attended her computer class.  My sister and I had so much fun just talking over coffee.  (More like some really good therapy and sanity...♥)

 My dad got a new BBQ and Ryder, of course, had to "help" put it together...

 We went to the local museum that I used to go to when I was a kid.

It's perfect for our family!

 Oh my littler hunter was so excited!

 His nose was pushed up to the glass and he was SO EXCITED!

 MULE DEER!!!

Ryder had his Mia read him each information card...

Ryder got a much needed haircut: 

 He loved seeing himself in the mirror:

(The faces where hilarious!)

 My very big kid!

 Then on our last day, we went to my nephew Xander's first soccer game.  He was voted team captain for the day and they won 3-1.  Xander made the fist goal and he did SO well!

We are so proud of him.

My brother-in-law Tommy was the assistant coach and Ryder was Tommy's assistant:

The. Entire. Game.

My niece Ruby babysat Eden:

And everyone was apparently invited to the team huddle:

Xander, we are so proud of you!!!

Through the week, we spent LOTS of time destroying/playing around my parent's house:

We are so thankful that we got so much family time while Kit was gone.

On Tuesday night I had the privilege to  get together with some women from my family's church to watch and discuss portions of Jen Hatmaker's "If" conference.  The conversation was wonderful and my dad watched the kids so I got to really feel present in the discussions.  It was a huge blessing!

We are so thankful that Kit is home, that my parent's haven't disowned us,  that the kids are adjusting well to the time change, and that we get to move so soon!  We have big things coming this month and we are so excited about them all!  (Except the actual packing process and moving... Yah, I could really do without that whole part...♥)

weary...

Kit has been gone since Monday.  My mom has been to our house and I have been staying in Redlands the whole week which has been PHENOMENAL, and my parents having been taking such amazing care of us, but I am ready for some one else to be the one to say 'no' and someone else to make the kids follow the rules and to help keep them on course. I keep getting worried with how hard Eden plays on her recovering wrist fracture.  It's been a long one and with the moving and boxing up our house,  I am weary. Very weary. 

But excited for what is coming...

creating: a kitchen remodel...

... for Ryder and Eden.

I have been wanting to build a play kitchen for the kiddos since this last summer.  I just didn't know what would be the best base.  Then I found this cabinet at Good Will back in September and I knew it would be perfect:

 I love that I can have a vision for something and most of the time, Kit can make it happen, and most of the time, it's a 1000% better than I could have dreamed it up!

 Safety first!

 We converted the doors: one will open like an oven, and the other will remain a cabinet for play pots, pans, and food.

It has lead to some fun trips to Home Depot:

 Here are the parts for our sink:

Here is the finished product!

They are LOVING it!

I'm talking HOURS of fun!!!
The new house has a screened in/enclosed porch that we are turning into a play room and this kitchen and the table are going to be getting a lot of use in there...
(That basket is from Kit and my first year DATING anniversary where he surprised me with a picnic up in San Pedro, and with it's handles, it works PERFECT for holding all their play dishes and food items.)

thoughts on moving

Moving has been such a journey for our family and we have been really wanting to process as we go, being mindful of how we are dealing with the whole experience.   Selling our house has been an emotional roller coaster for sure, but we are so confident that this is what we should be doing, and a move that we should be making.  

Here's the hard part: the emotions.

This is our first house, where we brought our kids home, had special birthdays and celebrations, where our kids took their first steps, where we really became a family, grew in our marriage and where we became parents... We have put so much of ourselves into this house, but I forget so easily that home is not about these walls and this address, but about who is in it, and all the things that really matter are coming with me.  

We will create a new space that feels like home, filled with memories and joy and laughter and tears.  We will paint walls and do home repairs to make it what we like.  We will have reading time in our big leather chair and early morning snuggles with the kids in our bed and pancake mornings and spaghetti dinners around our dining room table.  We will watch our shows bundled up on our couch and I will sit at my big desk and journal the silliness of our family on this little blog.

The best part about this move is that Kit will be home so much more, and nothing makes our home feel more like home than that.  We are so grateful that we have this opportunity to grow as a family and we just praise Jesus for going before us...

So as a tribute to this 60 year old beauty that we have called home for the last decade, here are some pictures that just seem to capture her perfectly.

(Kit, thank you so much for taking these for me.)

Jacaranda, you have been an amazing house.

Thank you for your walls and that we could call them home.♥ 

only 20%

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a fashion or organizational expert.  I just had so much fun with this closet challenge that I wanted to document it.  Also, I have been very inspired with the fact that we will be moving in less than a month.  
Don't worry, I won't quit my day job♥!

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My dad saves articles for me from the Wall Street Journal (from their lifestyle/fashion section).  (Yah, not so much from current events or the financial pages... my Dad is a realist that knows his daughter.)  Last April, they did a story on how the average person wears only 20% of their entire wardrobe. (For those that LOVE math as much as I do, that means 80% is just sitting there, not being worn or used.)  That just seems crazy!  After reading the article, I did another go with the hanger method that I had seen from the organizer Peter Walsh.  It had been about 9 months of wearing what was in my closet, so a few weeks ago, I pulled out all the clothes that had not been worn and made two piles:  one to share/donate, and one that was questionable.

I had a few items that were in an unsure pile and so I committed to wearing them over the next few weeks.  I decided if I didn't wear them, they would be donated.

(I had a few dates with friends where I was able to shed the packing and grungie clothes and actually put some thought into what I was wearing.  With how crazy I have been feeling with the move and the sick kids and Kit traveling, it really did feel good to put some effort into it.  Each time I would get "dressed up", Ryder asked if we were going to church, and Eden would say, "CUTE, mama!" Giving effort is apparently few and far between around here.)
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Here are the ones that made a comeback:

I hadn't worn the grey sweater in so long, but I really liked it layered.

 these shoes and the scarf hadn't been pulled out in over a year, so they made a comeback together.

 Ok, minus the dorky pose, I was going to give away this button down shirt because the collar was a little funny, but it's long and I liked how it went with the scarf.

 This brown sweater was CRAZY comfortable.  I don't know why I didn't wear it this last fall.

(Oh wait, probably because it was almost always 90 degrees!)  

 This button up white shirt and cardigan are other ones that were saved by layering.

I was going to give this grey blazer away but I liked it with rolled sleeves, so it stayed, and went out to dinner for a co-workers retirement party:

I got rid of over 20 pieces of clothing, and I have to say, that my wardrobe feels so much bigger because I am actually wearing what's in it.  I'm thankful that the stuff that was just sitting there is going to get used by someone who needs it! 
Ok, now back to wearing my errands/packing/grungie clothes...
I have some packing to do!

A little celebration recap!

We were able to celebrate my mom's retirement from 35 years as Loma Linda University Medical Center's chief technologist of their ultrasound department.  We are so proud of her!

Here were some highlights:

Of course, family pics are a must:

 The kids were in love with the fountain at the children's hospital: 

 When my mom started, the program had two students.
There are now over 36...

 My mom gave a top ten reasons why she loved Loma Linda:
(She made it through about 2.5 seconds before she started crying.  The kids ended up around her and my nephew Xander read most of the list.)

 Our very hot dates:

 Trying to get the kids to go anywhere can feel like herding cats.
Sheesh...

 The cousins:

Ryder didn't care about anything else, he was just excited to get to ride home with his cousins:

 We headed to my parents house and celebrated with a maple bacon cake that my sister made that was INCREDIBLE.

 And we toasted with Moscow Mules:

It was a really special celebration for my mom and we could not be more proud of her!
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Kit is leaving today to speak in San Francisco until saturday night.

We miss him already... 
Please pray for us.  The kids are fighting colds, we have been tackling packing everyday, and my patience has been running very thin with my Littles that are determined to push every limit and boundary and button that they possibly can...  
They come by it honestly♥.