Welcome to the Special House

This is our life. This is my family. None of it perfect, but I love it anyway. One thing I feel the Lord is teaching me is that happy families can be found in many different shapes. Even mine. 

On February 8th, the kids and I moved into what we call "The Special House". It's a beautiful new duplex located in west Layton. We live off of a busy road, but we still get a taste of the country. In the early morning when the kids climb into bed with me, we can hear an owl somewhere nearby. I'm not sure where his home is, but it sounds as if he's just outside my bedroom window. It's a comfortable home-- perfect for cuddling, healing, and thinking happy thoughts. I owe so much of what we have here to the kindness of family and friends. We are so grateful for all of you!

I love our new living room. It feels so nice and cozy. While you can't see it, in the far corner there is a cheap little beanbag chair by the kid's books for a reading nook. So far, no one sits on it as much as jump on it, but I'm just glad they're having fun.

The dining room is very large and is connected to an even larger kitchen. I don't have a picture because the kitchen has never been clean enough yet for me to take one, but there's more counter space and pantries than I know what to do with!

I'm so excited to have a chest freezer! Every time I open it and see my stock of food inside, I have to smile. Once again, everything my house is furnished with, from the couches, to the table, to the freezer and all the food in it, is because of the kindness of family and friends. What in the world would we do without you? (Actually, I know the answer to that: We'd eat a LOT of mac and cheese and have picnics on the living room floor!)

The backyard is huge. At least for a duplex. They installed sprinklers last week. I'm not in a hurry for them to lay down sod. The kids are having too much fun throwing dirt clods at the fence.

The driveway and the view from the master bedroom. One morning Emmett woke up and pulled open the blinds above my bed only to exclaim, "WOW! We just really live on a farm!" Add our friendly owl to the scenery, and we are nestled into quite a cozy little spot... if you can get used to the busy road right out front. I think we can. :)

Our half of the duplex. You can't see here, but there's a small one car garage to the side. I'm so happy to have a garage!

We did a quick toy shopping run to Kid to Kid the other day and got some new toys for the Special House. Emmett and Bethany both love the new art easel we got, and I love that there are two sides so they don't have to fight over who gets to use it!

Emmett's new bed. He loves to take his Mario doll, throw him down the stairs, and watch him tumble head over heels. We're talking endless fun here.

Bethany's first "big girl" bed. She rotates between sleeping in it and the pack and play. The two kids still share a room, but the pack and play is set up in the third bedroom/office. Usually she starts in her big girl bed and if she doesn't fall right asleep, she sneaks down the hallway and whispers, "Mommy, I just need to sleep in my pack and play." I think the walls of the pack and play are more suitable for "Ah-ing". Not only that, but she's fallen out of her big bed at least a dozen times already! I'm sure it feels safer to be walled in. :)

We want you to know that we're okay. Emmett asks questions and gets worried, but he seems to understand on vague terms that there was a "big big problem" and that problems this big need "big big changes" to get better.

Last week Casey had the flu. The kids and I baked him a loaf of bread and took it over to surprise him and help him feel better. On our way back to the special house, Emmett said, "Mom, even though there's big big changes, we're still a family and we'll always love each other and help each other no matter what."

That's right, sweet boy. No matter what.