Greetings from Salem

It really is about time I picked up where I left off in this story of life thing! We got ourselves all moved in to our new house, and we're finally feeling like this is our home! It's been such a whirlwind of activity here since school started! The moving thing coming right when all out fall ministry started really threw me for a loop and I had to pull back and just survive! I feel like God really allowed me to stay calm and carry on and I've enjoyed this packed out season of life.

My sis in law and I got crafty and made some burlap wreaths. Don't you love my stained glass windows on my front door?! I think the wreath makes it look less weird.

I'm thankful for a break though. I feel like I have finally caught my breath and I'm starting to feel motivated to move beyond the daily chores into decorating and projects. This house is FULL of projects. We bought it knowing that it will take years of work to get to where we want to be. Right when we moved in it became apparent that I could not move into the cupboards in the kitchen until I did some major priming and painting. They were FILTHY! 

Yikes! So ugly! The counters had a filmy slime on them that I couldn't get off completely! It really was worse than it looks in the picture!

 Trying to function and live our busy lives while not having the kitchen unpacked was almost  more than I could take, it was horrible! Add to that having a very active one year old that only allowed me to paint during nap time, and you can understand why I took such a long break from blogging! All I have left now are the doors for the top cabinets and that project will be completed. The kitchen is looking so cute and I'm loving the colors I chose for the cabinets. Things are feeling clean and organized and I'm itching now to paint the walls and make curtains! We still need to replace light fixtures and the faucet but other than that the quick kitchen update it about finished!! I can't wait to show you before and after pictures! It's so fun having dramatic results! It's amazing what a little paint can do! :) 

This week is Thanksgiving break and I'm so thankful for the time out with my kids. I've missed them so much now that they are back in traditional school. I had both their conferences yesterday and I'm so proud of how well they are doing! Not only did they do well academically but more importantly they were shining stars in behavior and character! I'm continually thanking God for leading us to this School and the teachers he gave us! It's been a beautiful transition and they are thriving! We are loving days at home together this week,  in out jammies just hanging out being goofy! They are preparing a magic show for me as I write and I can't wait to see it! I'm glad I enjoy them being home with me so much, they are such a huge help with the baby too! 

Now that I broke the ice after a long dry spell I have lots to share so I'm sure I'll be back soon! Happy Thanksgiving!