“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Micah – We took our first beach trip of the year this week, to visit a friend. We drove down to Charleston, just for the day, and Micah was in heaven. The water was freezing, but she didn’t care. She was covered from head to toe in sand.
Asher – My two handsome fellas. He loved the sand, but not so much the freezing ocean.
This sibling love is so sweet. This jumping girl is perfect!
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Micah – That little sassy smile and those big eyes just kill me
Asher – Pretty sure there are no words for this
I’m in love with this beautiful little princess from last week and these portraits.
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Micah – Nothing better than playing with dirt and water in the sun
Asher – My little strawberry faced happy boy
I loved this sweet baby profile and these portraits from last week.
About 6 years ago David and I were newlyweds still and had lived in our first apartment for nearly a year when we got a notice that our rent would be going way up at the end of our year lease. This was before the market crashed and when real estate was “always a great investment”. ha. So we started thinking about buying our first house because, well, that’s just what you did. Get married, buy a house in the suburbs, start a family, etc. The American dream. Or so we thought. 6 years later we’re starting to rethink our lifestyle as a whole. We love our house, but it’s in an area that we don’t love and it’s more space than we need. Space that we just fill with stuff that ultimately we don’t need. I feel like the Lord has really been speaking to David and I about just living a simpler life. Paring down, saving money, not having so much crap, so many toys, so many clothes, bookshelves full of books that I’ve read once (or never gotten around to reading) and will never read again. The list goes on and on. This sounds so good to me in theory, but I love to buy stuff, especially if it’s a good deal, and I’m a bit of a packrat. So while this sounds so exciting, it’s pretty overwhelming to think about getting rid of so much stuff and decluttering, especially while trying to make sure my 9 month old and 2 year old don’t kill themselves. I love the idea of living with less. (Which also means less to clean, which I really love!)
Now that we have kids, it’s really hitting me that we need to be intentional about the way that we live and spend money. This stuff really forms our children and they way that they think about life. And gosh, if we are going to throw away a bunch of toys and start living with less, it seems easier to do that with a two year old than a twelve year old who’s used to a certain lifestyle. I mean, really, our kids need to know that Jesus loves them more than anything, that David and I love them, and to have a roof over their heads, clothes on their little bodies, and food in their bellies. That’s pretty much it.
**Sidenote: This is all stuff that we are going through personally. This is where we are at in our lives. Not where I think everyone should be. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a nice big house or nice things, we are just wanting to change our focus a little.
We would love to sell our house, but it’s not an option right now, because we would lose a lot of money. So we’re thinking about renting our house out and finding a cheap little place to rent closer to town, our friends, restaurants that we love, and parks. We typically drive 20-30 minutes to all of these activities multiple times a week, so it just seems silly to live so far from where we spend most of our time and from where most of our community lives. Plus, we would love to live in area where we have the option of walking or biking to various parks, stores, and restaurants. We’re talking to some property management companies because we have no desire to be landlords, and looking at cheap rentals in the part of town that we want to live in. It’s a bit scary to think about paying a mortgage and renting and having tenants, but also really, really exciting. It’s exciting to think about throwing stuff out and to make a change! We’re hoping to make some big decisions in the next two weeks, so I’ll keep you all posted. And hopefully soon I’ll be sharing that we’re moving into a new place. We have our eyes on a place right now in the perfect location and at a great price, but it definitely needs a little love. So we’ll see!
The other day I was feeding Asher some teeny strawberry pieces, which he kept throwing all over the floor. Finally I just handed him the whole strawberry and he went to town! He was being ridiculously cute and luckily I had my camera sitting right there and I just kept snapping away. This kid kills me with his adorable faces. I am so thankful for this precious little joy boy.
Micah – I was cleaning my house like a madwoman before a property manager came to look at it, so I gave Micah my phone and she climbed on my stripped down bed to play. This is seriously the closest her and Elliott have ever stayed for any length of time. He usually runs as far away as possible when Micah comes around.
Asher – Every day after his naptimes I find him standing up chewing on his pack n play
I’m in love with this photo and these sweet French babies from last week.
“A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013.”
Micah – I got these rainboots for $2 at a thrift store and she wore them for 2 months straight. I had to get a picture before she stopped wearing them. All of a sudden, she started holding her face with her and hands and saying, “cheese!”.
Asher – Little guy loves his big sister. Poor thing wanted to be outside so bad. I can’t get enough of his chunky thighs. (Please ignore the disaster that is my living room in the background)
I’m loving the sweetness of this new little life and her big brother checking her out from last week.
