9 months!!

Crazy to think that our little man is already 9 months old. :-)  He has developed quite a personality and is such an unbelievable joy!  Sporting a hippo smile of 4 teeth, he is rolling, just about crawling, and making all kinds of babbling sounds, his favorite being "ya ya ya ya ya".

We are also making continued progress on the barn (and the main house!)  All the new windows and doors in the barn have been replaced thanks to many helping hands.  This week Hugh and our friend Dan emptied the barn of all our boxes and furniture that have been stored there into a Pod so now we do not have to shift things around anymore!  We also had the roof replaced on the main house which was in desperate need of repair.  Next steps:  Finish electrical, insulate, and start sheet-rocking!!

God is good.... All the time :)

Rejoice, and Again I say Rejoice....

This is a concept I am slowly learning.  In ALL things, rejoice!!!  And not just in my circumstances, but rejoice in the LORD always because with HIS joy and strength, I can do all things.  As we continue to play the waiting game with the barn, comfort a crabby, teething baby, and juggle busy schedules, it's easy to loose sight of any rejoicing.  But God is SOOOO good and has given us so many reasons to rejoice.  Here are a few:

1.  We have a beautiful, amazing son.
Trace is such a blessing.  He will be 8 months in about a week, and his personality is every bit as big as his chunky, lovable thighs :-).  Despite the teething, rough sleeping patterns, and cranky screaming, he is such a happy baby.  He has started clapping, giggling, and has the best, toothy smile. A constant ball of energy, he rolls around the floor, and loves to bounce.  I can't imagine life without him.

2.  The barn is making progress!

This week, Nathan is graciously taking a few days of his February Vacation to help Hugh with the next project, which is the windows and doors!!  all the rough framing in the house is finished, along with the rough plumbing, electrical, heating, and services.  And we finally received our telephone pole from National Grid, so now we can get electricity to the barn.  God is so good.  Slow but steady wins the race....or finishes the house :-).

3.  Work and side projects for me...

Working at the Y has been such an amazing blessing for me this year, and I look forward to returning to it in the future.  I am currently in the process of preparing for returning to teaching in the fall and looking into local daycares for our little man.  I am excited to return and am so thankful for the year I have had home.

I have also been doing a lot of little side project of crocheting and sewing, which I really enjoy.  I created an account on Etsy and have had a few sales which is exciting.  My favorite project has been cloth shoes and I plan on selling them this summer at a few local craft fairs. Check out my site if you get a chance!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/amyprichard1?ref=ss_profile

We have so much more to be thankful for.  Loving and supportive friends and family, a wonderful church that we are an active part of, and good health.  So, I am choosing to remember these amazing things and in all things, REJOICE!!!!!!

It's been a while.....

So, life gets crazy and things you would like to do go by the way-side.  This being one of those things.  Now that the Christmas hype and craziness has settled, I hope to be much more pro-active at making posts!!  So what has happened in the last few months?  Tons!!!

Trace is now 6 months old.  Where did that time go?  He is rolling around, eating everything, drooling, laughing, and being an absolute love.   He has 2 bottom teeth and loves to chew on whatever he can get in his mouth. Thankfully, he is enjoying peas, squash, and rice cereal.  We are experimenting with a dairy free diet to see if his constant congestion clears up, but we will see!  Trace is such a happy baby and we love every minute of him.

As for the barn, we are making slow, but steady progress.  What have we completed:

-utilities down the driveway

-rough plumbing

-plumbing for propane heaters

-hot water take installed

-rough electrical

-walls and some closets framed

-lots and lots of meetings with the city!

Next steps:

-order windows and install

-finalize kitchen and plumbing accessories

-sheet-rock, paint, etc!

-wait for National grid to install a telephone pole on our side of the street

I'm sure there is lots more that I am missing, but those are the big-ticket items.  I'm looking forward to the progress in this new year, and hopefully moving in soon!!!

Until next time.....