So, we’re moving.

Just a little processing necessary… because this is the home we became a family in.

This is the home we moved to after I married the love of my life.  After making it work in the old crew apartment, this is the home God gave us. We have prayed together here, danced and cried, grown and began to build a life together.  Here, we celebrated Jocelyn becoming forever ours.  Here, we sat at in the dining room as Ja’nee announced that she chose to be adopted into our family.  Jacey became a teenager here.  This is the home DaMarion took his first steps in.  This is the home we brought brand new Amazing Isaiah to.  Our first Christmas… our first family Christmas tree that we picked out together… and the most amazing first family Thanksgiving ever.  We celebrated my graduating from grad school here, my grandma lived with us for weeks here, Skylar did, too and did his laundry here long after he moved.  Callie has crashed here and we have had some of our best and deepest talks here.  Oreo ran away from here, as did a couple others, and they all came back.  Ups and downs, highs and lows, and everything in between… it has been a beautiful space for us to live and play and grow together! And in the beginning, I would have bought it.  But, God protected us from that in His wisdom and grace because He takes good care of His girls!! See, we have a few more than a few family members, and God knew I would want a bigger living room.  And He knew the people that moved in (and out and in and out) next door would wake us up a million times through the night coming in and out of their door just below our bedroom window with dozens of people from all walks of life.  WHEW I will not miss that!! And He knew the neighbors across the street would ALWAYS park their jeep DIRECTLY in front of our house, not in front of their house or in their extra-long driveway.  I truly like them so much – but Holy grace have I bitten my tongue so many times!!! Of course, it doesn’t bother Chris one iota.

And the great God that He is, knew that after we got that trampoline for the girls’ 12th birthday, it would take up so much of our back yard that it would be impossible to also have a pool.

And, party people, I must have a pool.

I was raised with a pool, and I know first hand that it is healing for a child.  It’s hours of nonstop, FREE water fun in the Summer, and of course the house with the pool is the house all of the friends come to, right?  Birthdays, Saturdays, whatever special days – no need to rent or pay for a place to party, just grab some steaks, beers, watermelon, as many friends as you want and stay until the stars come out! HOLY SUMMER BLISS I CANNOT EVEN WAIT!!!!! And we won’t have to, because it’s heated.  BOOM!!!!!

Oh, and just looking at houses – after our landlord gives us one day notice that he decided to change his mind and put a for sale sign in our yard – I realized something.  There are clean, updated, houses in beautiful neighborhoods that are not downtown.  Weird.  I have always said that if I didn’t leave downtown, I wouldn’t live in OKC.  But, now I am realizing that I have lived downtown for OVER TEN YEARS.  What on earth???? WHO AM I!????   I am so ready for a change of scenery!!  I lovvvvvvvve Mesta Park and allll of this area – it is still my favorite! BUT, OVER A DECADE?????  Can a girl get a CHANGE???? Like, maybe a Jamba Juice, a dollar theater and Ross close by?  Yes.  Can a girl get a few new restaurants close by?? Sure!  How about a Super Target, Sam’s, a different mall, and some different but still gorgeous running routes?? Yes, yes, and YES!!! And even a few new late date spots for Chris and I, because we love Louie’s but let’s be real… those pizzas are dangerous and it’s cold in there.  As the girls and I drove around the new neighborhood we are moving to – I could not help but shout out all of the businesses, shopping, and restaurants that surround us!  HIIIIIIII CITY!!!!!!!!

AND IT FITS US!!! ALL OF US!!!  ALL MY GIRLS GET THEIR OWN ROOM!!! HALLLLELLLUUUJJAHHHH!!!!!

And of course, God is always working a million things at once – so the best of all – even better than the pool – is not only that it’s closer to the Little’s charter school – but it will allow our oldest to finish high school and GRADUATE FROM A BETTER SCHOOL.  TEARS!!!!!  This child has been at NW Classen since I got her, and no offense – but SHE could lead the track team herself. While my 12yo is studying and doing math problems until bedtime, my 17yo has NO homework every night.  She is not being prepared for life and success where she is.  And while we have tried to make a change in the past, the wait lists and transfers have not worked out in our favor.  But, this answer to prayer!!!! I have been praying this since I got her!!  Did I mention that GOD TAKES GOOD CARE OF HIS GIRLS!!!??????

And it just so happens that our church, which I LOVE, is starting a new campus north so our prayers for the last year of HOW and WHERE can we serve and plug in have also been answered!!! God is ridiculous.  On every level.

So the loss… well, there’s this one room I’m going to miss.  This SPACE God gave me after being CRAMPED into the apartment with ZERO privacy for so long.  He gave me a dressing room.  Look what God ( and Chris) did for me…

The first thing Chris did, was paint the room our wedding color purple.  And he hung the chandelier from our wedding also! Under this beauty, we said, I DO! ❤

My sweet husband and son built me these hot pink shoe shelves for my babies!! ❤

 

Behind the curtains, against the wall behind my bottom rack – Chris made some great, out-of-the-way hanging spots form my belts and scarves!     

Hobby Lobby is your friend… and yes I did try the pretty, fancy candy dishes for nail polish – but the thin glass doesn’t hold up, FYI!

I found the most PERFECT curtains in the history of window treatments… at Family Dollar!!!

I used old, super cheap furniture and recovered them for pretty seating 🙂

Chris & I painted and revamped this dresser and made it into a girly bliss vanity, which will be perfect for my dressing “corner” at our new home.

 

With all of the recovering, and refurnishing, this is the only piece that I bought  – and that 40% off coupon made it a sweet buy! She holds all the wifey goods 😉

Chris made me all of these… pretty Hobby Lobby doorknobs on a piece of painted trim for my necklaces, painted vent cover (lowe’s) framed by painted trim ( Michael’s) for my earrings, and some painted plumbing revamped to hold my hair tools.  LOVE.

Ross, Kirkland’s, TJ Maxx, Michael’s – all have dressing room accessories like necklace and ring holders.  But the felt ring bases are PAIN to clean – don’t do it.  That pin that everyone has for the marble make-up brush holder, still the bomb.

 

I will miss this… It was such a fun project, and I have lots of fun memories here! & God knew at that time – I needed breath of fresh air and some SPACE so bad!

 

BUT, you know we can all have a dressing room any time a kid moves out and there’s an extra room! LOL 🙂 AND, did I mention we are getting a walk-in closet ANDDDD—–>>>  A HUGE BATHROOM INNNN OUR MASTER SUITE WITTTTHHH A BATHTUB – which I do not have now… so I haven’t take a bubble bath with some red wine and candles in a MINUTE!!  I’ll be in that tub every night.

And the back yard… is about FIVE TIMES the size of the one we have right now… and the wittles will be ALL OVER IT, because this little guy is already going 90 to nothing, and his wittle brudder is right on his heels!  How precious is this??  Prince Baby D in my dressing room, then and now… ❤

I’m ready.  Ready for a change of scenery.  A bath tub. Cookouts and pool parties.  Ready for new 2014 memories and all the family moments this “teens and toddlers” season is already bringing!!!  So, as much as it kills me to say bye for now, downtown… you’ve been sooooooooooooooo good to me.  God has better ahead.  As usual.  ❤ 🙂