7 more days...

...until we move and will finally be together as a family again! Next week we will be living in a world made of cardboard boxes...one of Ruby's favorite toys that is full of endless imagination! If your kids are anything like mine, then you should check these books out written by Antoinette Portis . We got them for Ruby for Christmas and they have become some of her daily reads:)

Wednesday's Tidbits

Laundry, painting, bathtime, lunch, nap, and a small sliver of time for my sewing! The day is only half way through...wonder what we'll do next???

home again home again

It feels a bit unreal to be back in our home. Jeremy drove us back Friday night and we came home to a foot of snow! Unfortunately he heading back to Seattle on Sunday, but I am thankful that there is now an end in sight! We finally found a house and will be making the two and a half hour trek over the mountains at the end of the month. Although, I predict it may take more like 4+ hours because of the snowy conditions…lets hope the pass doesn’t close on moving day!

Can I just say that I have been enjoying every minute of cleaning these past three days?! And that is not a sarcastic thought…I think it describes how happy I am to be in our home, with our things, our messes, and our separate bedrooms! The first two nights Ruby went to sleep so easily in her own bed. She just slipped right back into her routine, making me a very happy mama! I do have to thank all our family and friends though for putting up with us these past four to five weeks. We were not expecting to be gone that long…just goes to show life is very unpredictable and how blessed we are to have such great people in our lives!

House remodel

        One trip over the mountains, equaling up to three house moves in 6 months, and the adjustment to living not by the city, has brought us to this house in Yakima. Back in July we were in crunch time, attempting to get our rental house to a livable state by August 1st. What started as a house full of unkempt men, homeless and not, now has turned upside down only because of the heart and drive my husband has for his family and for following the Lord. This house has been a portfolio in and of itself. To start with a house full of junk, bugs, cigarette butts everywhere, and a stench that was indescribable, is a feat not everyone is capable of undertaking, but he took it head on and put all of his sweat, blood, and tears into it. (no real tears were shed in the making of this houseJ)

            Unfortunately, we were caught up in all the work and did not take pictures of the house untouched, but we did manage to get some pictures of the middle stages of the house remodel…Here are the before and after photos!

Jeremy put in all the wainscoting, sanded and refinished the floors, and we painted EVERYTHING!







Jeremy added the two cabinets you see on the right of the photo, relocated the fridge to make more counter space in the kitchen, put down OSB flooring, made new countertops, widened the doorway from kitchen to bedroom, and the list continues!



This house by far has been the best fit for our family. It displays everything we are passionate about in design and includes everything we need to function as a family…except for the fact that my hands serve as our dishwasher. Wah wah wah. It seems a bit strange to now be leaving this house that we worked so hard on, but we enjoyed every second of it and spent very little money in the process. It’s what we love to do together as a couple…design, build, and well, in our case move away. (not too fond of the moving part!)

            Materials bought:         OSB plywood for flooring $50

                                                Cleaning supplies…lots of it! $45

                                                Bathroom sink $30

                                                Paint $75

                                                Polyurethane $25

                                                Misc. materials $125

                                                Bathroom floor $35

Total cost of remodel…$385!

more snow

Snow, snow, snow, and more snow. We are still on the other side of the mountains staying at our friend house until the weather lets up a bit. In the meantime, I was able to sneak outside to snap a few shots of the snow :) (The last picture was just for Jeremy!)

snow fun with family



Playing in the snow as a family. Jeremy found this storage container in our friends shed and used it as a sled for Ruby!
We had so much fun in the snow. Jeremy helped Ruby make a snow princess with a branch skirt for modesty and leaf pigtails. The last morning at my mom's house we made yummy cornbread. As you can see, Ruby had her hand in every step of the process.
 Hope you all are enjoying your winter!



It's teething time for Shepherd! Our days are full of spurts of laughter followed by long hours of fussiness, drool covered clothing and more fussiness. I couldn't see any teeth coming in or swollen gums until last night. It looks like his two front teeth might be the first to come through. When Ruby was teething she got in two at a time and it never seemed to be painful for her. Unfortunately her brother is quite the opposite. Poor little guy. The one thing I can count on with him though are happy, quiet mornings. He always wakes up in such a cheerful mood just like his mommy!

new year

Here I am, sitting at the dining room table at my mom’s house, with no noise passing through my ears. This special event is because both of my kiddos are fast asleep! Lately Ruby has been very eager to take a nap. She has been very willing to lie in bed, read a story, and then drift off into her dreamland. Shepherd on the other hand usually sleeps for no more than an hour or two for his naps…he now is going on 3hrs. I pray that he is not getting sick and that it is just his growing body getting some much needed rest.

 Tonight Jeremy will be coming over for the weekend and we are going to have the house to ourselves, as a family. We still are on the hunt for a house in Seattle. Jeremy and I are starting to have a hard time with being patient these days and are getting a bit discouraged in our hunt. We know the Lord will provide a house for us, but it is hard to wait for so long when it means that we can’t be together as a family until we find one. You would think in a big city like Seattle there would be a lot to choose from. Well, there is a lot to choose from if you can budget about $2500/per month for rent. That we can’t do nor would we want to do. This year we want to continue to live within our means and grow as a family with what God has given us each day. I am thankful every day for my husband and his eagerness and willingness to work for his family, for our two beautiful and healthy kids, and seeing how much strength and support our Lord continues to provide us in tough times. And I am thankful for coffee! Yes, coffee! Without that I am not sure if my eyelids would stay open while juggling everything in life right now. I think I might go make some right now, hehehe.

In other news, my wonderful, witty, caring, and loving grandma Jeanne passed away on Wednesday. She was a woman who seemed to tackle it all and had so much spunk and love for her family. I can remember always being offered a range of cookies the moment I walked through her door and when they ran out none were to worry because she had bags full frozen in the garage freezer!  Our daughter Ruby Jeanne is named after her and we are very grateful to continue on her memory. She died at the age of 85. I love you dearly grandma, may you rest in peace.

a little musician in the works

On Christmas Day, Ruby got a wooden harmonica in her stocking and fell in love right away. She played it all day long and even joined in with Grandpa Nick and Jeremy while they were playing a song on the guitar.

holiday bliss

I can't believe we are already in 2012! Merry late Christmas and happy new year everyone! We were very blessed this holiday because we got to be together as a family for over 2 weeks in Seattle. Even though we weren't in our own home, we got to be together and spend some really quality time with all of our families! Thank you to everyone who has been hosting us as we continue to try and find a house in Seattle.

      Our Christmas was so wonderful! It included lots of family hang time, Chamorro food, and a surprise visit from my sister-in law who lives in Palm Springs, CA! We hope to soon start this new year with making the final transition to Seattle and hopefully stay put for a while!