We are in!

oh my word. I cannot believe how long I've neglected to write here. I have a lot of good excuses if you want to hear them but you'd probably rather not :).

Well we are in the house! As of a week and a half we have been living here as a family again! There is still ALOT of tender loving care and projects that need done, but we are in and that in itself is huge. We are so so so grateful for the help from family and friends to get us to this point- thank you does not express our gratitude. 

I call this house our labor of love. When we bought it we had sketched out and dreamed up and pinned a thousand ideas that would be PERFECT. We thought we would be there in a month or two. And then things started taking longer and we kept running into more complications or "road blocks". And more. And more. And we realized it was going to be harder and take longer than we really every imagined. 

It took a toll on us, really heavily actually. We had some painful, isolating times of hurt and stress and trying to transition back to Illinois and parenthood and marriage and fears. Thanks to God's grace and family and friends and good sound counselors, we are coming out the other side...the one that feels more like spring. New life, fresh perspective, new hopes. Realistic expectations (at least semi realistic). 

It is has sort of paralleled our house, really. First we had to do demolition- tear out the old or the things that needed redone. Then we had to fix the stuff that no one can see- the plumbing, electrical, heating/air, etc. Then we started to slowly piece, room by room, back together the parts you can see. The parts that make a house look pretty and enjoyable to be in. It was like that with us too. God used a house renovation to dig up stuff in our lives and marriage that needed major redoing. Changing of bad habits and selfish ways. Then we work on the hard but foundational things- the electrical/plumbing things. Eventually if you keep putting bandaids/quick fixes on problems, they will break down. Then you start to see the results of the hard work- the noticeable things, little by little. One victory at a time. 

I realize I have posted ZERO pictures and I fully intend to post millions in the not distant future. I would like to fix it up just a liiiiiittle bit more...but I might cave and snap the photos anyways just how it is. 

Anyways. My main point in writing this blog was to share with you a quote that someone recently shared with us. 
"Hope does not diminish because Christ cannot diminish"

Love & Blessings,
Ang

Oh, here a few sneak peaks at the house:

This photo shows a bit of our countertops, floors and cool new barstools!

I love tulips! And beyond them you can see through the dining room into the living room.

Our new rug that we got from our house shopping weekend in chicago! I LOVE it.

one year pictures!

The snowy COLD day coupled with a van that has no heat leaves me a chance to sit down and blog. 

Life has been one CRAZY season recently. Gracie keeps changing her nap schedule and eating habits. We packed our rental and moved everything to our unfinished house. We are living back and forth between our very gracious parent's homes (will they ever get rid of us :)?) We are trying to survive an Illinois winter...and yes I forgot that they were this cold. 

And we are totally renovating a house.

It has been a crazy and hard and challenging season. And I admit that pretty much every day there are moments (and some days, the whole day) that I have a downer attitude. We never see each other anymore, will we like each other when this is done?, I don't know what to do with my baby's ever-changing-patterns, I don't know how to pick grout color, I want to move back to the south where I can feel my fingers when i'm outside.....

 

Two things that I have found super helpful through this whole remodel season:

1. be super gracious. (the obvious disclaimer, I fail, often.)

2. laugh together. like belly laugh kind of laugh. 

Other really really essential things: God's ability to change my perspective in an instant, humble my expectations, and give joy and hope.

I've had several ask me to post before and after pictures of the house and I really do intend to write a whole bunch of blogs on the house. But I want to have finished product to show with the before photos. That and I just haven't taken the time to write one yet. If you really want to see the before, come see it in person and grab a paintbrush and bring a hammer :).

Okay, on with the point of writing this blog...Gracie.

I finally had the chance to take some of Gracie's one year photos this week- actually on the day she was 13 months. I find that because I take her pictures instead of scheduling them done somewhere, I'm usually behind "schedule". Oh, well.

I still would like to do some more but we'll see....right now I am happy to at least have a few! She was totally being a ham. I love seeing all the dimensions of her vibrant personality come out in a span of a few minutes through her facial expressions. 

Here are some of my favorites:

 

first birthday in pictures

I still can't believe that my little baby girl is one. Everyone says that time flies but I never realized how quickly until I had a baby. 

We had fun celebrating Gracie and her life. We had a little celebration "just us" on her birthday and then last weekend we had our families over a birthday party. 

Her birthday day:

Gracie and I had a fun day hanging out together. When she woke up I made blueberry baked oatmeal for her birthday breakfast and then we watched a Baby Einstein movie together. We played together for a while and then after her nap we went out to the store because she loves to watch people. And where better to go on your birthday than target? :). I even let her pick out something from the dollar section (I know, amazing mom. :)). For dinner she had her favorite food- sweet potatoes and then Seth brought home some ice cream for her first taste- she loved it. Then we opened presents and to bed she went. 

Birthday party:

We sent out these invites (I changed out the address for this blog- so don't use it to mail anything to!)

and made this poster for decoration

and made this garland for her highchair

and used these fabulous decorations from our baby shower

A few other party details:

And the rest of it:

Gracie LOVES to watch her cousins

Sweet little Creed man!

Lots of great help opening presents :)

She LOVED her baby doll- she wouldn't let anyone take it away from her, even to eat cake...

love that little piggy sticking out

Happy birthday bug!!