Post-Hiatus Introduction

Hello (almost) 2019! Where did you come from?

Oh how the years fly by.

To say it has been awhile could be quite the understatement. My fingers have yearned to feel the keys beneath them for quite sometime, but life and chaos seems to get the better of me. Everyday life seems to push the peaceful clicking sound to the back burner as it demands me scurry off to make more cheese quesadillas. {Because let's be real, it's the only thing all the kids in my house eat.}

Here's to a little post-hiatus introduction:

In the time that I've been away from this sacred space, a lot has happened. What once was a family of four has transformed into a family of 6;  I've grown two more humans! Two tiny creatures that are unique in their own, sweet and salty, ways - filling my days with lots of hugs and hits and demands for food and grace.

I have a few more laugh lines. A few more worry lines. And a whole heart-full of more love and crazy than I know what to do with.

We've moved from our beach home in Florida to a spacious green house nestled right in the middle of a spectacular oak forest. We've gained chickens, friends, and confidence with this move, and are figuring out how to live the homesteading life - while learning how to balance it all.

The beautiful man builds everything with his hands and the kids are following suit - wanting to be just like him. He welcomes them into his shop, as he teaches them the safety behind the hand tools and reminds them to not take the nails with them when they leave. They cause flat tires. Several of them.

Sister Ellery, 7, remains my favorite girl in the whole wide world. She knows it and loves it. This spunky 1st grader absorbs information like none other and can get lost in just about any book, especially ones about dinosaurs. She loves waiting under the mistletoe for us to come cover her soft face in playful kisses. She's smitten with Arlo and tells me how thankful she is we had him, just about everyday. 

Elam, 5, is in kindergarten and rocking it. His personality is so shiny you need sunglasses to block some of his glow! (Okay, maybe that's not a saying, but, hey, if the shoe fits.) He rarely meets a stranger and says he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. He'd make a great one. He doesn't let a set of wheels hold him back -- he lets it set him free. 

Avett, 3, jumps off couches, bumps his head, and keeps on going. He's a joy and he's a boy. Full blown boy, meeting all the boy stereotypes without backing down. He loves trucks and tractors and Paw Patrol. He loves fiercely, gives tight hugs, and wants to be just like his dad.

Arlo, 4 months, smiles and giggles, and wants to be anywhere Ellery is. He's the icing on our cake. He completes us in ways we didn't know we needed and brings us so much unexpected joy. 

We've grown and changed and packed a lot of life into these last few years. I can't wait to see what comes next. Meanwhile, we'll keep loving on these sweet kiddos, doing our best to model grace and humility - with a splash of humor to compliment it all.