home sweet home

you guys- 

i love my house.

every morning i wake up and am just reminded 

of how stinking awesome god is....

and how lame-o i am.

but we've already established how i handled the last two months of

"where will the bachmans live?"

so let's move on to nicer things.

like my house.

'cause.... i love it.

funny- we had made a list of all our 'have-tos' for a house,

and a list of our 'it would be nice ifs'.

this house has all the have-tos and almost all the nice-ifs.

i know- god is pretty great, right?

i'm eating a giant slice of humble pie right now.

and it is delicious.

so- here is our new home!

i am praying that we get to stay here for a long, long time.

because moving (surprise) is not my favorite.

get ready for a photo overload,

along with some dreaming :)

not that i have any plans to do all of the things i talk about...

it's just fun to think about it, right?

hello, house!

kinda prison-ish from the outside, but that's ok.

because it is enclosing the biggest front patio ever.

with a sidewalk wrapping around the house.

many scooter/bike rides have already happened,

and i don't have to worry about kids getting hit by cars.

awesomesauce.

also- security doors.

not pretty, but letting a breeze in far makes up for the pretty factor.

i do want to jazz this area up a bit.

furniture would obviously be the best, but maybe not possible.

other ideas?

ok. let's go inside!

the living room

we finally got a new couch!

yipee!  our three-seater couch was just too small for our family of five.

so we got this fun gray tweed number from ikea.

(yes, it looks blue in the pic. but it isn't)

i love it.  and we all fit at the same time!

getting a new couch meant getting to re-vamp a bit, which i love.

i want a modern/rustic feel in here... does that make sense?

and lots of color.

and patterns, and textures.

and fun.

right now it's on the more modern side, but i'm working on it.

i have an idea to make a big sign out of fence wood kinda like this

but without the giant word going across.

just a small word in the bottom right corner.  

can't decide on my word yet.

i like this rug in gray.  saving my pennies.

is chevron too much?

hmmm....

i still love it.

i had fun with pillows.

embracing color and texture and patterns.

on the opposite wall is the entertainment center.

see that corner with the fan and cords?

she needs a chair.

i'm stalking craigslist, hoping for something bright and lovely.

like this (although i'm not holding my breath it will be this awesome)

 

and this little wall that i love.

yellow lamp.  wall of 'b's'.

crate full of snuggly blankets.

and here is the wall to the right when you walk in.

it still needs something.. i was trying to use what i already have.

for sure new candles?  what else can you do with candlesticks?

bring on the input.

now.. on to the kitchen/dining room!

k.  so trying to decide on what kind of fabric for some sort of valance or something.

thoughts?

and eventually a new rug.  cause that one has seen better days.

and note the far counter with the pic & vase on it?

all of that is covering up computer cords...

not sure what else to do?

i def want to get a more fun pic...

not necessarily a photo, but maybe a neat print.

and ditch that gold vase.

but it was what i had- can you paint vases?

opposite wall-

needed a place for the microwave, and i wanted to hang up cute aprons.

i like it.

the kitchen looks into the dining room.

which is soooo nice and open.  

i love how big the dining room is...

i can put the leaf in my table,

which is crazy, because almost every other house was too small for my table.

happy.

i had to put my computer on the kitchen counter, 

which isn't my favorite, but i'm not too sure what else to do.

i want to have it out in the open instead of back in a room.

but i do like having a little office area.

fireplace in the dining room.

love it.

beautiful 'abide' painting from my talented friend, jen

trying to decide if i want a fun patterned panel for that side window?

now..

on to the rooms!

first up,

charlotte's room

i would love to paint this wall,

but i probably won't.

my guess is we'll put the girls together in a year, so i didn't want to do a lot.

but we did buy this cute leaf to make her a little reading nook.

she LOVES it.

i feel like that wall needs something

(more in person that in pictures)

what do you think? 

ideas?

 jackson & isabella's room

you walk into this wall when entering their room.

i told them it made their room the 'secret room' which they loved.

i put up racks for their backpacks,

and behind the door are hooks to hang up their clothes the night before.

i'm trying to expediate the crazy mornings that are around the corner.

i love this pic of them on the wall,

but i think i want a canvas of this pic to put there eventually:

here's the room!

i want to get some maps up top for jackson.  

that kid LOVES maps.

note the gigantic hammock of stuffed animals.

(thank you, cori, for the great idea!)

we actually had to get rid of a whole box full.

since both kids will be in school this year,

i wanted to have lots of places for them to create/do homework.

so i made this little area in their room.

$7.99 ikea tables, some vinyl letters, and buckets from the dollar bin at target.

toys, books, and corkboards for pics of friends and artwork display.

and the drums are back in the house.  for now.

next.. a quick peek at the studio.

which still has a lot of work to be done.

but there is a room just waiting for babies and little ones!

and my friends who want to come visit and have their own room to sleep in :)

lots of dreams for this space,

but they are going to have to wait awhile :)

for now, i am just SOOOO happy to not have to move charlotte's furniture

every time i have a photo shoot!

a peek at the guest bathroom

i love my family rules print from my super talented friend, emily at hope ink.

go check out her beautiful prints!

i'm very excited about a new one i have coming for the living room :)

and finally, the master 

which also has some plans in the works.

i'm trying to decide if i want to do a bunch of pics from our 10 year anniversary pics,

or just a big canvas of this one:

because i think we look pretty darn cute here.

and most days, when i wake up with my morning hair and sweats,

it would be nice for my husband to be reminded 

that i can clean up okay,

right?

(all 10-year anniversary pics by the incredible derksen photography)

opinions?

nothing fancy happening here.

needs a little pizazz.

and to the right is a slider to the backyard (also a slider from the dining room)

i am SOOOO happy to have a backyard.

and grass.

seriously.  

god is so awesome.

welp.

there it is!

our sweet little home.

hope you liked the tour...

i'd love any ideas you have-

especially ones that are free/cheap ;)

i am so grateful that god blessed us with this house.

it is even better than anything i thought we could get,

which shouldn't be a surprise.

but i also recognize that He did not have to give us a home like this.

it was by His grace and goodness that He did.

i hope i would have been just as excited about any other home He provided.

i am so excited to see what the story of this home will be for us.

i hope you'll be a part of it!

come on over friends...

our home is ready for you.

and i promise- there are no boxes for you to move.

the eleventh hour {also known as 'we have a house*'}

remember back in june when i was worried about finding a house?

that's funny.

hindsight is 20/20, right?

our lease is up this friday

(as in 5 days from now)

and until a few hours ago,

we still had no options of a place to live.

(other than extended stay americas... which we had most definitely checked in to)

we have been into over 38 houses.

looked at hundreds online.

applied for around eight.

you'd be amazed how many landlords don't want 

three small children living in their home...

i can't imagine why ;)

the last two months have been quite the journey,

and i wish i would have always handled it well.

i would love to say i have believed unswervingly that God would take care of us,

but in truth, i have doubted Him more than i am proud of.

through our own prayers and the prayers of others,

we kept feeling like it was going to happen in the 'eleventh hour'.

as the 24th (our lease ending date) loomed closer and closer,

i felt my anxiety grow exponentially.

daily i prayed for peace and faith,

and each day, something would happen that just rocked me:

applications turned down, cars breaking down, etc. etc.

i kept allowing my circumstances to dictate my belief in who God is.

seriously.  when will i learn?

friday afternoon we were out looking at homes with our newest realtor.

(we found that they kind of ditch you after two searches.  we must have been deemed as 'too picky')

while driving to the first house, 

i checked my email and saw a new home had just been put on the MLS.

the picture was super tiny, but it was close to where we were,

so we decided to check it out.

the minute we opened the door,

i knew it was a good one.

but i didn't want to get too excited...

i'd had that feeling before and it didn't work out.

we quickly walked through and told our realtor we wanted it.

she began making the necessary calls,

and we sat in the empty living room with our children and prayed.

two agonizing days of waiting later,

we got the call today that it was ours!

we are cautiously optimistic that this little house in irvine will soon be our home.

we can move in on thursday.

you know... one day before our lease is up?

i know, i know.

the eleventh hour.

i admit that a part of me is still waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under us again.

i don't want to fall too in-love with this house,

but i have already started decorating in my head.

it is the perfect little home for our family.

here are some of my favorite things:

*it has FOUR bedrooms, which means i'll have a room for photography!  

i cannot begin to describe how exciting this is.  

*laminate flooring.  because other people's carpet repulses me.

*a GIGANTIC cemented front porch.  that wraps around to the backyard.  

so kids can ride their bikes and scooters all the way around the house.  

and really... just having a yard rather than a little patio.  such a blessing.  

(we need some serious patio furniture.  good thing i'm an awesome craigslist-stalker!)

*irvine schools- good for jackson, and bella can go to their transitional kinder this year

(and they may even be at the same school!)

*library and heritage park super close 

*a fireplace.  because they make me happy.

*did i mention 4 bedrooms? ;)

we are saying that we have a house* 

(with an *asterisk*)

we still have some hurdles to wade through, 

like crazy-big deposits and the chance of the landlord changing his mind,

but we are praying that everything gets figured out,

and on thursday we'll move into this new chapter in our lives.

i know that this journey has been about much more than just finding a house.

if it were just about that, i believe God would have given us one months ago.

through this time, i know there have been things He wants to show me.

some of it is areas that i need to grow in, 

like trusting Him completely, and giving up control.

but i also believe He wanted me to know how very loved we are.

we have been surrounded by friends that have been family to us:

serving us with meals, prayers, encouraging calls, packing our boxes, leaving flowers on our doorsteps and dropping off treats, watching our children, and lending us cars when ours broke down.

we have witnessed true community and are overwhelmed with the love poured out on us.

and of course,

i am reminded today,

of how faithful my God is.

even when i doubt Him.

yell at Him.

feel abandoned and alone.

He was taking care of us all along.

i feel foolish and grateful, all at the same time. 

i can't wait to see why this house was THE house.

what our story will be because of this new chapter.

what i know is that He has already written it....

so it must be good, right?

the eye of the hurricane

oh my.

it has been awhile, right?

i have a billion blogs swirling in my head, and just haven't had the time to sit and make it happen.

so here you go.

 a little smattering of my life and mind until i can sit and actually do this thing.

but something is better than nothing, right? :)

***************************************************

i am finishing up week two 

of three out-of-town weeks.

we've been making our tour of the central valley,

first in modesto with jeff's family, then to davis for a wedding,

then i headed to fresno while jeff spoke at a camp up in oakhurst.

tomorrow we will be at hume lake with our students for the week.

whew!  i'm kinda tired ;)

here are some instagram shots from our time so far

(i seriously LOVE instagram. like, if i were in third grade, i'd totally marry it)

it has been awesome to visit with friends and family.

next week we'll be staying in a house with about 4 other families 

(and 7 kids i think?) 

at hume, so it will be totally bananas, but lots of fun.

i'm really looking forward to being up there.

but i am also looking forward to being home again.

*****************************************************

speaking of home....

the house situation.

no, we still don't have one.  which is a bummer.

but we are trusting that there is one out there for us!

we'll be diving head-first into house-hunting after hume.

our lease is up on august 24th,

so between the 12th & 24th we need to find a house, finish packing,

move, and paint/clean our current house.

easy breezy, right?

it's been nice to be away from all of it,

feeling like there is nothing i can do,

so i shouldn't stress about it.

it was a welcome respite from the constant craigslist-hunting and house-visiting that was our july.

but i admit, 

the last two days,

 the reality of what sits in front of me is starting to feel a bit daunting.

so i am praying for peace.

and trust.

i truly believe this is about so much more than a house.

i know that god is trying to teach me some lessons here,

and i really want to learn them.

because i don't want him to need to teach me again ;)

so i am praying that i will let go of control, trust him with our lives,

and enjoy each day he has for me.

....and also that he has a home for us.

and maybe even one that we can love to live in for awhile.

***************************************************

one of the stinky things about our move last summer,

was how far away from our family we are now.

in the last year,

we've had two new nieces.

i've had the opportunity to photograph both of them in the last two weeks.

they are pretty perfect.

adalyn elizabeth was born july 10th.

aren't her lips the most beautiful things ever?

and miss macie lynn is already ten months old!

she is happy smiles and crawling everywhere.

of course it was wonderful to see all our family,

but it was extra special to get time with these new little girls.

*******************************************************

speaking of photography,

i have been working crazy-hard on a new photography website.

i think it's going to be pretty legit.

i had no idea how hard putting a website together was!

things like code and domains just send my brain into a fog.

but i'm pushing through and can't wait to launch it-

probably after we find a house ;)

you have to promise to go check it out when it goes live, k?

***********************************************************

is there a statute of limitations on a blog?

cause jackson did surfers healing in june,

and i'm still trying to get around to editing the pics & making a video,

and i co-threw a fun baby shower last month.

is it too late to share?

considering 4th of july is now officially a month behind us,

i think that one is getting the axe for sure.

but you may be seeing some past-date blogs in the future.

sorry 'bout that.

*****************************************************

i need a home-cooked meal.

i am totally over fast food.

*****************************************************

i just found the most beautiful burnt-orange cardigan at anthropologie.

sigh.

totally had a dream about it.

has anyone else ever had this kind of obsession happen over a piece of clothing?

(for the record, this thing is so much cuter in person.)

(sidenote.. going on anthropologie's website does nothing for someone who suffers with contentment issues.  

you have been warned.)

anthropologie- why must you make such beautiful things?

i kinda wish i could set my house on fire and just live in anthropologie.

(not really. but you know what i mean)

actually, if we don't find a house, just moving into that store may be a viable option.

*******************************************************

my eyes are blurry.

i really need new contacts.

mine are like a year and a half overdue.

that will have to wait until after we find a house, too.

do you see a recurring theme?

i think september is going to be busy.

*************************************************************

so basically to sum it up 

(cause i'm really tired)

central valley road trip, no house, cute nieces, blog failure, new website, coveting heart, blurry eyes and bloated stomach.

any questions?

i'm off to hume lake tomorrow.

little-to-no internet or phone for the week.

i'm kinda okay with it.

so...... i'll see you later, alligators.

and if you think about us bachmans, we'd love some prayers.

because right now, i think we are in the eye of the hurricane,

and it's about to get all kinds of crazy in a week.

xoxo

shara