With contentment comes blessings...

Don't let the title of this post fool you.

I'm the LAST person on earth who should be "preachy" about contentment. I get distracted every single day seeking after material things in this world. Trendier clothes. Cuter home decor. Bigger and better party decor. It can suck. me. in. sometimes. It's easy to overlook what's currently around you and hard to appreciate what you already have when you're staring at the newest pinterest idea on how to make your living room that much more adorable!

There's one thing God's been teaching me though. We have been SO content to live in our little house. Sure, it only has a one stall garage. Yes there's 3 bedrooms and only ONE bathroom. No, there's still no fence in the backyard. But after 5 years of living here, we've been slowly updating and painting and decorating and settling in. Both Greg and I love living here. LOVE it. It's home. It's a piece of us and our family. Heck, it's where we started our family. So many good things about this house. And it's kinda nice only having to clean ONE toilet now and then! Yes, small can be good.

Then reality struck. We're pregnant. Again. Except this time with twins. Surprise!


But here's the funny part. We only seriously considered moving for maybe one day. Maybe. Then we closed that door as quick as it opened. "NOPE! We don't want to go through it." Many of our well-meaning friends asked, "Are you crazy?! You can't live there with 4 kids! You guys need to find a bigger place." We even had people offer to look at houses for us. But we stood our ground, "No thanks. We'll make it work. We have no worries about staying here and maybe we'll move in 3 years or so".

We even drew up plans to temporarily move our king sized bed into the dining room! With some quick re-arranging using a portable accordion-style, free-standing wall, we could then free up one of the bedrooms to turn into the twins nursery. It sounds crazy now, but our minds were made up. It was going to work. And Greg and I just knew we could happily survive for a few more years here. We were also 90% done with our basement project, which would provide a large playroom for the kids to romp around.

That was that. We were NOT moving. And we were verbal about it.


So when my dear mentor/ friend called me a week ago, Wednesday and said, "Don't be mad but I scheduled a walk-through for you to look at a house I found for you guys!" I laughed out loud. After I hung up the phone she texted me again...."Get this. They r meeting a realtor at 3:30 today to list so they want u to see it first." 

Okay. Sure, what's a walk-through anyway? I love real estate in general and find walking through homes to be absolutely fascinating. It's so fun to see different floor plans and how people design a house. And hey, if my friend was providing a babysitter while my kids napped, then sure I'd go! 

So while my friend was on her way over, guess who else pulled up? Greg! Home for a surprise lunch visit from work. He normally texts me, but this particular day he didn't. I gave him the quick story and how I was just going to look at this house because our friend sounded so excited about it, but I had absolutely NO intention of looking twice. He decided to come along with us during his lunch break since he knew he'd probably hear all about it that night. So off we drove as we waved goodbye to the babysitter.

It's a great house. Four bedrooms, two full baths upstairs. A half bath on the main floor, with 2 large living areas, a formal dining room, a new kitchen with granite counter tops, tasteful flooring throughout, and a finished basement. A private backyard with a large deck, hot tub, trampoline, and fire-pit area. It could use some new light fixtures, a new front door, some paint on the walls, and the bathrooms are a bit outdated. But nothing major needs to be done right away. It's located at the end of a cul de sac, in a neighborhood I've always dreamed of living in. There are never For Sale signs in this neighborhood. Picture perfect in my book.

And you know the funny thing? I drove away from the first showing telling Greg in the car, "Yep, this would (hands down) meet the needs of our growing family. But I could also go home and resume our life in that little house no problem. We both know we can make it work. I'm good either way Greg." Only God could have given me such peace in this situation. I'm usually an emotional shopper. Worried that if we walk away, our lives would be over. But this time I was just at peace with whatever God wanted us to do. Thank you LORD!


We asked if the owners would hold off on meeting with their realtor for 24 hours so we could make a decision, which they agreed. We stayed up until midnight that night weighing all the pros and cons. There were very few cons. Especially the price. We would be foolish to walk-away from such a great investment. And with the awesome housing market in our area, we figured we could sell our house pretty quick under the circumstances. So, the next night we took a second walk-through and met the owners in person to discuss it further. On Saturday, we signed a purchase agreement with them and handed them some collateral...so basically there's NO GOING BACK! We are in the process of buying this house! Since there's no one currently living there, the moving date is very flexible.

I took the kids one afternoon to snap some pics on my phone with them. They love the backyard, and  I would feel totally safe letting them play back there while looking out the kitchen window.

If you want some more back-story on the owners.....
The owners moved out a year ago. They were empty-nesters looking to down-size. Around the time they moved into their condo, they started hearing of families in their church that needed temporary housing. So they offered some very affordable housing for various missionaries and families who just needed somewhere to go for a short period of time. So cool, right? Well, they are now ready to sell! 

My mentor/friend was sitting at a table having lunch with this couple while they were helping set up an event at their church. The couple was stating how they had to hurry to get out of there so they could meet with their realtor in the afternoon to list their house. My friend inquired further, found out the details of this house, and immediately thought of us! So she called me to schedule that walk through. 


So there you go. When you least expect it and your happily content with your circumstances, God just might bless you more than you ever imagined! That's been our experience through all of this. The icing on the cake was during the second walk-through when the owners stopped us in their entryway, held our hands and asked if we could all pray over this situation. I was emotionally pretty stable up to this point, and then totally lost it. It means so much to me knowing that this house has been dedicated to God from the very beginning by this sweet family and that they want the best for us, whatever we decide.

And another thing. If God has orchestrated all of this without any of our own doing, I just KNOW he will sell our house without any trouble. We have a For Sale by Owner sign currently in the yard and just trying to spread through word of mouth right now. If we can't sell on our own in a couple weeks, we'll list with a realtor. And if for some reason it all falls through, we still know we can make this house we currently live in work! 

I'll post pics of our current house in the next post. For me, they are "good-bye" pics. But the pics will hopefully aide in the selling of our house too.

Ciao!

1st Tri recap plus some thrifty finds!

Some things I wanted to remember from my first trimester this time 'round...

{1} Tired all the time.

{2} Hungry all the time.

{3} Tired and hungry ALL the time.

{4} Hardly sick. Which basically trumps 1 thru 3. 

Really though, for having twins I can't complain a whole lot.

Yet.

I have a feeling this "pleasant" pregnancy will only last a short time though. I'm pretty nervous about being put on bedrest later down the road, and the fact that I will be FREAKING GINORMOUS. I gained roughly 50-60 lbs with my first 2 babies. I can only imagine how much bigger I will be this time. I'm totally okay with gaining the weight, potential stretch marks, more varicose veins...been there, done that. It doesn't really bother me anymore. But if Mason darts across the road while I'm 7 months pregnant, I just might not be able to catch him. THAT'S what worries me.

2 days shy of 13 weeks

We got to listen to both heartbeats last week. Made my own heart flutter a little. I brought the kids along with their matching baby dolls hoping they would get the sense that this is becoming more real for everyone. They just ran in circles, throwing their babies all over the doc's office, repeatedly flipping the lights on and off, and when they heard the loud heartbeats they hid under the chair giggling and shouting "Thunder!". 

Flash forward>>>>>>Pretty sure when I'm struggling to breastfeed two babies at the same time and everyone starts crying out of a need for attention, it will become very clear to them that MOM HAS TWO OTHER CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE. 

Boy, are they in for a surprise. 

So for now, I'm just making the most of this happy stage and trying to get things done around the house. 

My Mom made this darling quilt for Kensie's big girl bed. Her first attempt at a quilt I should add. Isn't it amazing?? I'm so in love with those fabrics (Amy Butler). It still needs to be finished and since we're both not confident when it comes to quilts, I'm looking to hire a professional to get 'er done. Hoping to have it finished before the babies are born.


I also found the final piece of furniture to finish off Kensie's big girl room. A dresser.


So when I took her on a little mommy/ daughter date this morning, we visited some antique stores and both fell in LOVE with this beauty....

I made sure the drawers could open with just my pinkie, so Kensie can actually use it by herself. Here's to more room in her closet now. Yay!

Mason's room will be changing soon as well, so when we stumbled across this cedar toy chest ($30) in a different antique store, I knew it was going home with us. 

Here's what I'm thinking for his eventual big boy room....

I like these ideas too...

Now if we just knew what genders we're having next, I can start planning the twins nursery! (We'll find out in less than two months). Kensie's hoping for twin girls and Mason wants twin boys--go figure. I'm praying for boy/girl so they can each have a little buddy. Kensie is dying to have another princess girl she can play dress up with, and Mason wants another lil monster boy to wrestle. 

In the meantime, I picked up a $6 bouncy seat at a garage sale yesterday! 

We were given the pink bouncy as a hand-me-down back when Kensie was born, and yes even though Mason was a boy he sat in that thing for several months as well. You just care less after your first baby. 

I'm thinking that boy/girl twins would suit these bouncies well, don't ya think? *wink wink*

***

Cravings...

Lots of people have been asking how I'm feeling so far this pregnancy. 

And I have to say, pretty darn good considering the circumstances.

Naps have been essential on a daily basis as I kissed my energy goodbye in the early weeks of this first trimester, but overall I feel really good. Actually, of my 3 pregnancies thus far...I've been the least sick this time. Which is super weird b/c everything I read about twins says double everything. You should expect to be doubly tired, doubly hungry and TWICE as sick. I can attest to being extra tired and constantly famished, but my lack of nausea is almost strange, right? I was actually worried that something might be wrong, but my doc has reassured me it's normal, and I might just be extra lucky. Granted, I was never "throw-up" sick with either of my previous babies, but I definitely remember more times of feeling yucky.

My other theory for not feeling queasy is this: around the same time I found out I was preggo, I also started visiting a chiropractor regularly. Nothing majorly wrong with me. I have always had some tightness in my neck and lower back that seemed to constantly flare up and couldn't be relieved by massage alone. In fact, with bablies #1 and #2 I remember battling some lower back/ sciatica pain. I have a lot of friends who have shared how much a chiropractor has helped them for various reasons, so I figured I'd finally try one out. After doing some more research, I found that pregnant women can especially benefit from seeing a chiropractor regularly. It keeps your hips in line, making labor and delivery easier. Relieves muscle spasms lessening the pain of contractions and that dreaded sciatica issue, and (get this) can relieve or eliminate nausea in your first trimester! So maybe that's why I'm feeling so great.? Either way, I'm super thankful!

But back to feeling hungry all the time....

I literally cannot make it more than two hours without eating something. In fact I recall a particular Saturday morning a few weeks ago. I had breakfast with the kids around 8:30 like normal. Around 10:30 I went to change Mason's diaper. A normal changing session turned into a wrestling match b/c he was feeling extra disobedient that day. All of a sudden I broke out into a hot sweat and felt light headed. I tore off my hoodie to cool off and headed straight for the kitchen. Three large glasses of orange juice and a half box of crackers later, and my blood sugar level finally returned to normal. 

I've always been good about packing snacks in my bag when we run errands. I now pack mini meals with lots of protein and a gallon of water to make sure I always have something quick to eat and drink if we're away from home.

No major aversions to food either. Everything looks good, ALL the time.

Here's what I've been eating lately...

I know my husband is appreciating all the yummy meals lately too! I'm not always great about cooking regular dinners. This pregnancy is definitely boosting our menus around here.

***

I'll be 12 weeks on Sunday, and can't wait for my next check-up appointment next week to see how the little guys are growing in there!

Hey, "guys" rhymes with "fries".

I'm hungry.

Peace out.

***

A trip by myself...

On May 13, 2013 my sweet Grandpa Woody passed away. 

He was a fighter pilot in WWII, successfully completing numerous missions while nearly losing his life.

Nearly all of my extended family lives in CA, so I haven't had many opportunities to visit them. Being in MI makes that a little tricky. 

The last time I saw my Grandpa was over Thanksgiving 2011, when we celebrated his 90th birthday.

Me with Grandma Bebe and Grandpa Woody. Aren't they dashing?

So with hearing the news of his passing, I decided I would travel alone to southern California to spend time with my family while celebrating Grandpa's life. 

I'm so glad I was able to go.

Cruising in my bro's 1966 vintage red Volvo.
Left to right (Me. Cousin Seann. Sister Gretchen. Brother Ryan.)

There's something about your own family that just makes you feel "home" no matter where you go. I met some cousins for the first time, and while it was strange at first, you could just tell that we are all family. I had some wonderful conversations with relatives I hadn't seen in a number of years. 

And I always love staying with Aunt Gwen and Uncle Rick.

I joked every night while my Aunt made dinner, that it was time for the "Cooking with Gwen" show! She would tell me everything she was adding to the pan, and we chatted about our favorite recipes. 

Some seriously amazing food though...

I can still taste this one in my mouth!

And as I boarded my plane to fly back home, I was filled with a mixture of emotions. 

Even though losing my Grandpa was sad, the family that came together as a result was a true testimony to the  bond of a family. People move away. Life changes. You don't see people as often as you'd like. But having a family reunion like this was just what my soul needed. To feel part of something bigger. To remind me that every life matters, and every family has a story. And it's up to us, what we want our story to be when we die.

And while I would have loved to have my husband and kids there with me, it was such a treat to travel by myself. To feel completely free of responsibility. To nap when I wanted to nap. To eat whenever I wanted to eat. To dive into deep conversations with people without being interrupted by my own little people. Not to mention traveling alone. It was bittersweet coming home. I couldn't wait to wrap my arms around my husband and kids. But I was also cherishing the last few moments of me-time. 

Because let's be honest, once our sweet twins are born, I may not get this chance for a Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. 

So I soaked up every minute.

***

It's about to get crazy 'round here!

So I've been keeping a little secret from you all. Are you ready for it?

Cuz' I'm not sure if I'm totally ready.

But ready or not, here we go!

Ummm yeah. We're having twins!

This pregnancy was a total surprise from the beginning. We weren't looking to try again for another 6 months to a year. But God had other plans.

So because we weren't "trying" I was not keeping track of my cycles or anything. When I called to make my first appointment they went ahead and scheduled an ultrasound in order to get a more accurate due date. 

And that's when we discovered I was 7 weeks along and not just pregnant with one baby....

...but TWO.

Shock. Awe. Disbelief. Amazement. Out of body experience. 

That's pretty much what our first reactions were. Thankfully Greg was there, so we both just looked at each other with wide eyes and then looked at the screen, 

"Are you sure????"

(pretty sure Greg's hands were shaking a little at this point)

Then the ultrasound tech asked her two routine questions. 

"Were you guys using any fertility?"

Uh no.

"Do twins run in either of your families?"

Nope.

So there you have it.

TWINS.

My official due date is December 15th but twins arrive about a month early, so I'm thinking around Thanksgiving they will be here. (One less month being pregnant, I say!)

9 weeks on Mother's Day. Greg and I took a little getaway to Chicago for the weekend.
Another post on that later...

Okay, now for a more heartfelt reaction...

Honestly, I could not be more thrilled! If you recall THIS POST (seriously, I still laugh that I posted this just 2 short weeks before we apparently conceived)...anyway, you know then that I've always thought it would be fun to have twins. Both fun and somewhat convenient. Early on in our marriage, Greg and I were pretty much set on having four kids. Well, that combined with the fact that I have major leg vein problems, AND the fact that I carry freakishly LARGE babies (Kensie weighed 9.7 lbs and she was 3 days early, and Mason weighted 10 lbs and he was 4 days early), basically I did not want to be pregnant TWO more times. So twins sounded very appealing to me. I knew it would be pretty rough there for a while, but a great two for one deal, know what I mean?

Well, God sure has a funny way of answering prayers. 

What I wasn't expecting was to have our next pregnancy so close to Mason. You see, Kensie and Mason are exactly 18 months and 2 days apart. So a larger gap for the next one was the plan. And here's where it gets interesting...

By the time these sweet twins are born, we will have FOUR kids ages FOUR and under. Umm yeah. Kensie will turn 4 in September, and Mason will be 2 and a half. I mean, how am I going to survive an entire day?? How am I going to feed everyone, and bathe everyone, and settle fights between the two older ones, and make sure everyone's alive by the end of the day while my husband works extra long days/ weekends during the busiest time of the year??

That's the part that terrifies me a little, not gonna lie. 

But, I know God is totally in control and he will provide for us in unbelievable ways. I mean he already has hasn't he?

Let the adventure begin!

***

I'm currently at 10 weeks and I'm anxious to get to my 12 week appointment to hear those precious heartbeats again. I'll be sure to keep the blog updated!

Baby boy shower for my sis

Here's a quick snapshot of the baby shower I threw today for my sweet sister Lauren...

The invites I purchased from on etsy. They came in a PDF file within 24 hours and I simply printed them at a local print store. So easy!

 One of the coordinating options was this fun BINGO baby shower game.

Everything I already had on hand. I was so excited my lilac bushes in the front yard were in perfect bloom to use for some simple but lovely smelling centerpieces.

MENU:

Veggie platter with ranch dip

Crackers and cheese ball

Fresh fruit salad 

(pears, magos, bananas, sprinkled with some OJ to help the fruit not to brown...so yummy!)

Homemade cinnamon roll cake and store bought raspberry danishes

Turkey, spinach and cheese roll-ups toasted in the oven

Green colored orange juice (OJ mixed with one packed blue Kool-aid)

We will hopefully meet baby boy Hill a month from today!

Still here!

What's up my friends?

I've been hanging around, just not much on here lately. Looks like it's been 3 weeks since my last post. So I'm popping in to give you some updates...

I turned 30 about two weeks ago. Feeling quite happy about it, actually. My twenties were some very difficult years for me. Lots of trials, depression, a major self-identity crisis, and just some not-so-fun memories. I'm grateful for all that God taught me during those ten years and I'm so thankful for the rock-solid husband that stood by me through it all, but I'm just happy to be in a new decade. I love who I am right now.

Speaking of my handsome man, he turned 30 today! So he can stop teasing me about being in a different decade than him. Unfortunately, he had an extra long day at work today, swung by to change quick, then went straight to softball practice, stopped home for dinner and a shower, and then back to work. It's 10:23pm. He's still there.

We (the hubs and I) will be escaping at some point to celebrate both our birthdays. Thirty is kind of a big deal, so we wanted to do something extra fun. We're planning to take the train to Chicago, stay one night in a fancy hotel, walk the busy downtown streets, window shop, and perhaps be entertained at a comedy club. I like vacations. Even mini ones. And I quite like him. It's been busy around here. I'm looking forward to a weekend getaway without children. God bless those kids, but I need a break.

This was our last trip without kids. Last December.

Speaking of those little blessings, Kensie and Mason are both sick right now. It's absolutely gorgeous weather outside too. Seventy degrees every day. Tulips and daffodils blooming everywhere. Our little town has a festival every year called "Tulip Time" and it's going on RIGHT NOW. And my kids have streaming noses and can barely breath at night. I'm just praying this is our last round of the yuckies for this season.

Nobody's looking at the camera. What else is new?

So that's the latest!

You're welcome.