maternity leave monday

Today is my first official day of maternity leave, and I have big plans for a romantic date with Ikea :) There are still plenty of things to be done to prepare for baby world, but I will spare you the boring details and just leave you with this baby-related (addicting) link that tells you what your name might have been if you were born today, or in any other decade. 

Cheers!! xo

endless grace

A year. It's been a year to the day since we left Haiti. It still feels so ever present in my mind; how could it have really been that long ago? What a handful of gifts and memories God has given me since then, and a heart full of lifelong lessons and promises.

Also:

Positive thoughts from 15 months ago...

Learning to laugh amidst the trials.

Facing trials, but not in vain.

Plenty of amazing sights.

A trip of twists and turns.

Joy in progress and production.

A video of our time living in Haiti.

Reflections a year after arriving in Haiti.


Living in a place you both absolutely love, but are completely battling every minute, will make a lasting impact. Thanks to everyone who has bared with me as I have reflected over this past year. I think I've had to grieve the loss of my time in Haiti. I know I am in a new chapter, but I still feel so connected to this one. It has changed the course of my life. I feel like a totally different person, though it still fills my heart... and I hope to return again another time and give it another go. But I appreciate the patience and understanding as I sift through feelings and continue building and growing.

xoxoxo

happy trails!

Today marks the beginning of a one year journey that my sister is taking to LONDON! Ever since I can remember, she has loved all things British- books and authors, tv shows and movies... way before it was "cool." It's all paying off and she is now given the chance to live it out and learn first hand about the culture she has always loved. I am so proud of you, Holland. 

As the oldest sister, it's weird to watch your siblings venture off into territory unchartered by yourself. You become accustomed to paving the way, learning things first and passing them on to your younger brothers and sisters, always having your hand in making sure things are set up just as great or better than when you first experienced it. It's hard to know I can't do that for Holland this time, but I'm thrilled for her to experience and discover it all for herself on her own.

Naturally, I'm also jealous of all the cold weather she will be in! So over this heat! And she's been struggling with making all her boots and jackets fit into her suitcase! Lucky girl ;)

I love you and am so excited to hear of all of both the thrilling and the challenging as you develop yourself and come to know God in an even greater way. 

Anyone been to London and have any tips for her?

If you want to follow her trip, check out her (hilarious) blog, Stories with Bears.

xoxoxo

a word about these past 3-6-5

I can't believe it, but it was one year ago today that we hopped on a plane to move our lives to Haiti. How can it have already been a year? Time seems to have stopped from June until about this past April, because life as we knew it was so different. Now that it's summer again, I find myself thinking of and missing Haiti almost every day. The heat, the smell of gasoline, the busyness of city dwellers as I walk through the streets- it all awakens glimpses of memories of our every day lives there. I remember so much about each day so perfectly, it doesn't seem that 365 days have already come and gone...

the gift it is to be a nanny

Last week I said goodbye to 4 little people who have stolen my heart. When I started spending every day with them back in November, I didn't view this temporary situation as one that would grab hold of me so deeply. Now, 5-6 months later, my heart has grown bigger and my love deeper...

moving day!

Finally, after just 27 days shy of a whole year without our own home, we... are... MOVING!!! TODAY!

It's hard to believe it has been a year without all of our things, without grocery shopping or paying electric bills, without an opportunity to have people over for dinner, without a place to create and call our own. It's even crazier that it was two and a half years ago that we first picked out our very first home together...

It has been such a roller coaster of a year, and as always, we are so so so grateful to our family and to everyone else that has taken care of us during this up and down time. We are thrilled to finally be able to establish ourselves and begin our lives again. Thank you for the year of prayers and support. We can't wait to have you all over to OUR HOME!!

xo

Furniture Restoration Reveal: it's all in the details

As I've previously mentioned, I have been working on a few DIY projects over the last couple of months. It's definitely been interesting. What I thought would be a fun weekend project, has turned into several months of bumps and dead ends. It isn't as simple as I thought it would be- so much goes into the design and functionality of restoration, beyond just a simple coat of paint and some cute knobs.

Alas, I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and this week will {finally} produce some wonderful results. Here are some pictures of one of my pieces, a dresser from Goodwill I found for $14, before the renovation. Click below to see the final product...

we're moving!

Exciting news today-- We are {finally} moving! We found an apartment in the heart of Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. The best part? Piedmont Park is right in our backyard :) Our move in date is set for two weeks from today, and it's hard to believe that after almost a year without our own home we will be back on our own feet again in such a short amount of time. 

We are so thankful to everyone who has taken care of us these past 11 months, and we can't wait to return the favor with dinners, movie nights, and even an occasional sleep over (in our second bedroom!) Yay for grocery shopping, paying bills, and cleaning your house and putting everything in its place... it's funny the usually tedious things you miss when you don't have them anymore- the good stuff and the annoying stuff, it's all a part of life... and I'm so happy to have it all again :)

xo

Image found here //

under construction

Please pardon the mess- Beyond Mountains is getting a bit of a face lift! I'm messing around with online tutorials and fumbling my way through HTML code, so we are bound to experience a few hiccups along the way. It also could look a little different each time you check back in- allow yourself to be caught in suspense as I experiment with different styles every 5 minutes or so ;)


Image found here //