just pick up the camera.

This morning the boys were watching a new Jake & the Neverland Pirates movie (because, cable after six years without!) and I couldn't get over how handsome they all looked. As always I was reaching for my phone to take some photos and something in my head told me to pick up the real camera. That camera we had to have to take pictures of our children. That camera that we couldn't live without. That camera that I haven't really touched in at least a month. It felt really good to pick it back up and annoy the kiddos with too many photos. And y'all, it blows my mind still what beautiful pictures we can get from it. It also doesn't hurt that I think we have the cutest boys around. Wink.

we're home.

After closing was pushed back for what seems like forever, we finally closed on on our old and new homes last Monday. And today we got internet! I can't wait to share more about the new place with everyone, but it's going to be a slow process. We're just excited to be settled in, that the boys have adjusted effortlessly, that we got Cayden registered for school in a new system and that we're slowly starting to make this place feel like home.

I did already paint the laundry room; it was a necessity to do that so that we could get the appliances in and you know, wash clothes. I'm sure I'll share everything about that all too soon. But for now, we're just glad to be connected (albeit, wirelessly, so not so connected?) again. More soon!

the gift of anticipation.

You know how when you get a gift and you have no idea what's in it? But you think you might kind of have an idea of what's in it. And you're really, really excited to have it... But instead of getting the gift, it's taken away from you for a little while?

Wait, what? Taken away? Ok, so that doesn't usually happen. All of that is kind of painting the picture of how we are currently feeling. I've kept it pretty quiet (only a few people know at all) that we had an offer on our house early May that was pretty terrible. After a couple of back-and-forths, we couldn't come up with a reasonable solution and everything fell through. Fast forward a couple of weeks later and the same people came back asking what we would take because our house was the one they wanted. Ta-da! We were able to negotiate it out and everything was awesome.

That started our home search. After looking at twenty-ish homes over a period of three to four days, we were ready to offer on one only to find out it had a contract that was signed the night before. Jeremy and I were getting a little disheartened; we didn't think we were ever going to find the "right" one. We had one last viewing round of about four more houses and found it!

Everything was all set up to close on July 7. That was yesterday. And we haven't closed. So... Gift that we know we're going to love, but we can't quite have yet. We still have no idea when we'll close. We have been told it will be this week though. Fingers crossed that's true.

About the house? Oh, there will be plenty of photos to share soon enough. And it most definitely needs some work. This is the first time we've bought a house that is not brand new (yes, we've been spoiled!), but we're excited to put our mark on the place. So join us in good thoughts and prayers that we'll hear something this afternoon so that we could possibly close tomorrow and move in on Friday?

Oh, and for local friends: Helena, we're coming for you!

a little moment.

It's not often that I get to sneak in on my kiddos and watch them sleep, but on Sunday mornings, without fail, I always have to wake Graham up from his morning nap in order for us to get to church on time. And when I spied that sweet little foot sticking out from his crib, I had to try and capture it on camera. I risked waking him up by leaving the door open, and risked even more by opening the blinds, but it paid off in the end. I captured that sweet little foot... And just in time too; he was awake just a few seconds later.