Saturday is MOVING day!

Ok, so we've slowly been moving in some of the smaller things already, but Saturday is our "big" move day where the beds, dressers, and heavy stuff goes to the new house. I've neglected to take pictures, but it is looking great!!! The hardwood floors have just transformed the place, and we think it is so cozy now. Steve has been changing out light fixtures this week and doing some last minute stuff. Then, once we are in, there will be a constant flow of projects to be done. But... at least we are ready to move!!!

I'll try to post pictures soon, but please understand that we are a little busy right now :oP

I'm now just 6 days from being considered "full term" with baby Chaille. I'm HUGE and feeling a little awkward. But, this past week I've been energized to some extent. I think God is taking care of me, as He knows that we need to be productive in order to be moved before she is born! Plus, God ALWAYS takes care of me :) I'm confident of that!

I had an awesome "mini-shower" with some friends and family last Sunday. Let's just say that Chaille will be sporting some adorable outfits and accessories! I can't wait to play dress-up! I'm praying that she has some hair for her bows! If not, I have had heartburn for nothing :o) As you can tell I'm getting excited, but definitely not rushing her arrival. She'll be here soon no matter what!

Well, I'll be back ASAP with pictures and further updates. Bye for now...

Keepin on...

Whew... life is a whirlwind right now. I'm praying myself through one challenge at a time, and God has been Faithful!!! The boys and Steve have all been sick with colds. My dad called us the "Barker" family because everyone has been coughing so much! Slowly we are getting better, but I must say that this bug has been long lasting.

The house is back on our radar and the floors are in the process of being installed. Steve has made this a priority this week, and we are hoping to be ready to move in the next week or two. It really depends on so many factors, so we aren't setting an exact date for the move. Soon...

I'm just trying to get back on track. I'm getting bigger and bigger and slower and slower, which makes it harder and harder to accomplish all that I need to get done. I'm working on taking in one task at a time, and praying for God to make up for where I fall short. I hope to come back and update with some news of great progress and a move, but for now I must get busy while the boys are napping (or laying down coughing anyway....)

P.S. Steve works his last shift day on Thursday. Next Monday is his first "official" day in his new position!

Heaven is sweeter....

My good friend Rachel told me once that "heaven gets a little sweeter every time we lose someone we love." Well heaven got a little sweeter for us on Tuesday. Our precious niece Megan was released from her earthly suffering and is now dancing with Jesus! As many have described to me, this time is bittersweet. Our grief is overwhelming at times, but we can rejoice in the fact that Megan is resting comfortably with God! Her 8 years of life were not in vain, as so many lives have been touched because of Megan. We will miss her so much. Thank you, God, for the time we had with her!

DANCE, Megan, DANCE!!! I can't wait to see you twirl your beautiful dress!

Catching up...

Wow! Life seems to get away from us lately. I have good intentions of updating this blog more often, but sometimes you just can't!

Please keep praying for Megan! She is in so much pain right now, and we pray that God will grant her peace and rest. May the remainder of her days be peaceful, and soon she will be dancing with Jesus! That is her biggest wish! Megan is so precious and we are so very proud of her strength through the pain. She can be lying in bed saying "ow!" and in the same minute blowing someone kisses goodbye. Bless her heart! We love you Megs!

This week we have had a couple of beautiful days, and were blessed with the chance to get outdoors and enjoy them. Here are some pictures of the boys playing at the park:

Can you believe how big Avery is??? Wow! And he starts t-ball practice Tuesday! He's so excited!!!!

Silas is so happy! He LOVES the outdoors and climbing on everything!

My baby is growing so fast! He loves to slide. I climb up behind him and then Avery catches him at the bottom. Avery takes good care of Nolan!

We took some time before one of our many trips to Home Depot to spend time riding bikes in the driveway. Nolan doesn't "ride" but uses his feet to walk his "bike" down the driveway. Avery needed some help remembering how to ride without training wheels, so Daddy helped. Here are some pictures of the boys riding:

And finally, the house progress. I didn't take pictures upstairs as we still having painting to do and there is tape everywhere. But I did get some pictures post painting and pre flooring. Steve has begun laying the hardwood, so it won't be long and I'll add pictures with the new floors too! Enjoy the progress pictures (sorry it took so long!):

This is a view of the master bedroom from the living room. It is a beautiful shade of blue, but it is hard to tell from this picture.

The kitchen. It is so dirty right now, but why clean it yet? We've been using the counters as our "catch all" area!

The living room from the kitchen. We have lots of trim work to do after the flooring is installed, but you can get an idea anyway!

The dining room. All of the boxes in the pictures contain hardwood flooring. Steve has 900 square feet of it to put down!!!


These pictures only provide a small glimpse of what we have been up to. We just sort of "go with the flow" lately as it is the best way to accomplish all that needs to be done for us in the next 6 weeks! I'm trying hard not to overdo it, and just allowing myself to do the best I can!

Through it all, the kids have been so wonderful. They have been very resilient and accomodating lately. I think they are so special! And so understanding! I'm proud of ALL of my boys!!!