The Happy Hale House has moved!

We have finally moved!!!

This month we wrapped up the building of our new house and have officially become homeowners!!  We've been living in the new house for one week and it still feels a little surreal.  I can't begin to express how thankful I am for this home.  Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord.  And for all the amazing family and friends who helped us (and are continuing to help us!).  Moving is hard work!  I've never moved an entire household (as one of the leaders of the move) and there is significantly more than I realized.  I also realized that we keep WAY more than we need.  We did quite a bit of purging though we could have done significantly more.  I learned a lot during this move.  It has been a wonderful, hard, exhausting time but I think I've picked out a few things that will help me for our next move (whenever that time arrives).

1. Go through paper OFTEN (paper takes up a lot of room and can be overwhelming to go through before a move)

2. Label your boxes with reasonable detail (I did this and am so glad that I did!)

3. Have a system (rooms color coded, numbered...whatever works for your brain)

4. Have lots of markers and tape on hand before you start packing

5. Organize a moving day in advance (if you can) so that you have plenty of help

6. I unpacked Caffrey's room immediately so that he would hopefully feel comfortable to sleep

7. I also unpacked the kitchen as soon as possible and would definitely do this again.  It made me feel a little more settled (I mean, we have to eat every day and if I have to look for something in a box at every meal for the first week...that could get old quickly)

8. Did you know you can change your address with the post office online?  You can!

9. Just take one box at a time and one day (sooner or later) you'll realize you just unpacked the last box.

10. Enjoy it.  It can be stressful but it is also such an amazing opportunity to see selflessness in action.  So many people sacrificed their time and effort to help us move and there is such beauty in that.  Don't miss out on the wonderful things about moving by focusing so much on the craziness of it all!  (I have to remind myself of that even as I continue to unpack.)

Do you have any good moving advice?  Please share so I can tuck it away for next time. 

I'll share pictures soon.  We still have some things at the rental (oh man...) and need to clean that house. And we're also trying to get our fence up so Pigeon and Roo can be outside without observation.  And of course we already have a long of list of projects to make this house our home.  One thing at a time.  One day at a time.  I'll just keep reminding myself of that. 

Oh!  And did I mention that we now live right next door to my younger brother and his wife?!  We are so excited!!

It is going to be fun to see what the Lord has for us in this home during this season.  

Hope you all have a beautiful weekend.

Loves,

Jenna

I have so desperately wanted to continue on with this blog but my biggest hurdle is this: What in the world do I have to say that is significant enough to share?  And to be honest, blogging feels slightly vain.  (Am I making myself more important than I really am?) And slightly vulnerable.  Yet there is something quite compelling about the idea that there may just be someone interested in what I have to say.  That I may have something interesting, smart, funny, encouraging to share that will touch the heart of another person.  And so here I am jumping back into the slightly vain, terribly vulnerable world of blogging.  I hope you have a wonderful day.

More to come soon.

Update on the Happy Hale House

Good Thursday to you!

Here is a little update on the Happy Hale House:

We are doing just splendid!  We recently booked tickets to Colorado for Thanksgiving.  We are super stoked!!  It will be Caffrey's first flight ever and I have been consuming everything I can get my hands on about flying with a 7 month old (he will be 7 1/2 months when we fly - crazy!!).  If you have any helpful information please, please, please do share.  I would be forever grateful.

Matt has been working faithfully (I am unbelievably thankful for his hard work that allows me to be at home with C).  He is also in his 5th week of a 6 week class.  We are both looking forward to a little break from school after this class is completed.  It will be a bit of a breathing time for us, planning for the future, that sort of thing.

Caffrey is crawling like a boy on a mission.  And I love it!  It has certainly changed my daily routine and I am learning to take advantage of nap times.  (Sigh.  Thank you Lord for nap times.)  We have also started trying out foods.  He L-O-V-E-S his organic brown rice cereal.  Sits there waiting with his mouth open like a little baby bird.  He has not yet fallen in love with anything else.  We have tried butternut squash, avocado and bananas.  He accepts it into his mouth and then very gentlemanly-like, leans over in his seat with his mouth open and waits until the unsatisfactory food falls out. And I work really hard not to laugh.  We will just keep plugging away until he realizes how amazing it all is.  And yes, I am believing that day will come.
We (well, Matt) had to lower Caffrey's crib yesterday since our sweet boy has now learned how to pull himself up to a standing position!  Certainly didn't want to have any falling-out-of-the-crib experiences.  It was bittersweet.  So much fun to see him growing and learning but a little bit sad at the same time.  

My current on-going project is to de-clutter our house.  Ever since I have been home I have realized how much STUFF we have.  And how it makes upkeep of our happy little home that much more difficult.  So I am, slowly, working my way through each room cleaning, going through, throwing away, giving away and organizing our things.  It is slow.  I am one of those people who, as I am going through things, begins to reminisce and relive the stories that go along with the things.  And that will certainly slow you down.

I hope you are all having a beautiful week.  Enjoy these delicious fall days.

Have a happy day!

Loves

Just Wanted to Share

I hope you are all having such a beautiful day!

I just wanted to share a few pictures (practicing!!) from a post Happy Hale evening stroll.  Also, I am interviewing the first couple for the first Love Story tonight!  I know you will just love them like I do.

Loves

Back from a Little Break

I took a little break but now I'm back.  Smiles!!

I am sitting here hoping my sweet boy will take a much needed nap...we shall see!

I have been wanting to ask you if any of you have ever made your own baby food.  I would like to do so, though I have to admit I am a little intimidated.  It seems like such a daunting task.  Any suggestions?  Any lessons learned that you would like to share?

Also, those of you in Murfreesboro, have you noticed the butterflies?  I feel like I am seeing more butterflies than normal.  It truly makes me smile.  And it reminded me of the AMAZING journey that butterflies take!  Have you seen it?

Here is a video from NOVA.  It is absolutely beautiful.  

 The Incredible Journey of the Butterfly

It doesn't sound like Caffrey is planning on a nap.  Perhaps an early bedtime.

I hope you all are having a splendid weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Loves!

Adoption

I came across a beautiful adoption story today and have spent the last 10 minutes reading and crying.

Absolutely beautiful.

Matt and I have talked about adopting someday and it is very much in our hearts.  Reading this story simply affirmed that desire in me.  Children are so special, such a blessing from the Lord...

As I was reading this adoption story the Lord gave me a special gift.  I was looking at the pictures of when the family first met their new daughter.  There were tears and smiles and rejoicing; it was absolutely breathtaking.  And as I looked at those pictures I felt the Lord say to me, "That's how I feel about you and that's how I feel when my children choose me."  The Lord is so in love with us and the moment we choose Him, he adopts us into his family and we become children of God.  And there are tears and smiles and rejoicing and such unimaginable love.

Adoption is so precious.  To be separated and alone and feeling unwanted and rejected and then for someone to come along and say, "You are wanted, you are loved," is beyond compare.  And the Lord is extending that hand and heart of adoption to each one of us.  It leaves me speechless.

I know someday, maybe soon maybe not so soon, Matt and I will have the privilege and joy of adopting a little boy or a little girl (or maybe one of each...).  I know our lives will never be the same.  And I am so excited for that day come.

Know today that you are loved by the very One who made you.

You are wanted.  You are loved.  You are not rejected.

Loves.

P.S. Do you have an adoption story?  I would love to hear about it!

Photography

I am super excited to share this great website I found with you called, Digital Photography School.  It offers loads of helpful photography information.  You can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter and/or join for free to receive even more perks.  I have already started looking through their tips for beginners and I am looking forward to trying some of them out.

Take a look sometime.

Loves!