OUR HOUSE TOUR and Thinking about Selling...

Ok y'all.  I think I may get ill, or need to be medicated for this one... We are contemplating selling our house.  I love our house.  I have poured my heart and soul into this place for the last couple years...but we are tossing around the idea...  I don't mind moving so much... I love change... the thought of going through the selling process makes me break out in hives...  We have sold 2 houses before and they were both nothing short of miracles.  We have never had to have a realtor or list a house or even really show our house.  If we do decide to list it, I will no doubt need pharmaceutical intervention to be able to deal with having a house "show ready" all day every day for months with strangers traipsing through my space.  Please pray for my sanity :)  I figured I would go ahead and give you a little tour of our digs...I know I'm nosy enough and would love to see all of your spaces too :)    Here is the house when there are actually leaves on the trees...oh I can't wait for warm weather.  

This is our living room, where we spend 98.9 % off all of our time

white couches...yes, you can bleach the slip covers.

the opposite angle of the living room

The kitchen... really it is the kitchen...I figured that would be a hard one to figure out..

I love my funky light...I made it and I love it.... but I think I may need to put up the old normal people chandelier if we decide to sell, thoughts???

dining room

the foyer

this is the kids TV room/ craft room

this is my Mommy only space in my bedroom... My personal favorite hide out :)

the Master bedroom.  Our "head board" is sentimental to us.  Our very first house was a Mexican hacienda type house in South Florida and these gates were in the living room.  Not very practical with little kids but now they are pretty symbolic of how far we have come together :)

Kobi's room

They extra bedroom/bonus room..  If we end up staying here the kids have begged to all move in here for the summer to make it like a 3 month summer camp out...  Why not?

Mina and Finn's room

Jack and Ty's room

The girls bathroom

This meager little space is a kid favorite :)  There is a huge space under the stairs and we made it into a "reading room".   Filled with bean bags, their favorite stuffed animals and their favorite books.  When they have quiet reading time they are always are cuddled up in here.

the back sun porch with the hanging bed...which is also the only place Kobi does her homework when it is warm outside.

and last...and least their play house :)

So there's the tour of our home sweet home.  Anyone have any positive spins on selling?  Anyone looking or know someone who's looking for a house in our area? That would be a perfect solution to my dilema :) Oh what to do.......  I'll keep you posted.

Overthinking things...

So I know we all have these private little conversations, my husband and I surely do, in fact we had it tonight.   When you have little kids you just can't help but wonder," what are the teenage years going to be like with these kids?"  I can't be the only one... In our chats we worry about which of our kids are going to give us the biggest run for our money during the teen years.  I hope we are worrying for absolutely no reason at all.  I hope and pray that all of our kids have uneventful and simple teen years.   This kid always comes up during these conversations mostly because he is such a hard nut to crack. 

 I want to write his future wife a letter now and apologize for his lack of communication skills.  My boy is NOT a talker.  It would be very easy for him to go a few days without saying a word, so you have to work hard to pry one word responses or grunts out of him. 

Then once and awhile he will blurt out a long winded story or a quick witted joke and everyone stops to listen.  Someone recently pointed out to me that most people talk too much and we need more listeners in the world.  I agree.  And apparently, so does Jack.  

 My boy and I have been at odds lately about clothing...as in.. "boy, it is 30 degrees outside, you cannot wear shorts and a t-shirt to school... you-crazy"  

 So today it was freezing outside and I told him he had to put a hat on, he wasn't thrilled, then I told him that I wanted to take his picture.  Oh he was overjoyed...yeah, right.    But he obliged,,, and then goofed out on my little photo session. 

 

Now on the complete opposite side of the coin...this girl has a lot to say.  a lot to say about a lot of things.  and a vivid imagination that leads me to wonder...where the stinking heck does she come up with this stuff?  She has poise and charisma to spare, and talk about social butterfly...jeepers.  She is 5 going on 13 as it is.

 Oh we have our work cut out for us...I hope and pray she continues to grow wise beyond her years before those tricky teens sneak up on us.  

This one keeps me on my toes as she is the least like me in so many ways but I can see her wheels constantly turning and questioning and I really relate to that.  We have come so far together.  More than anyone else in my world I can catch my sweet Mina's eye from across the room, we can exchange a simple smile and can connect in an instant.  

However the years unfold I know that God has a beautiful plan for my kids, regardless of the mistakes I make, regardless of the good or bad choices they make they are in his hands and I am filled with hope. 

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.   Jeremiah 29:11