home sweet home

Well I promised long ago that I would do a brief tour when I was finished with the boys room! I am never quite finished as I am ALWAYS adding and removing something in the house. The rooms never look the same week to week. But now is as good as any to show you where we are so far!

So welcome to my very humble home! It is quaint and cozy but it is home to the little loves of my life. I often dream of our own home and know that we will get their eventually. However in this season of life, especially with our recent life changes, this little two bedroom is where we rest our heads! I am so grateful to have a warm roof over our heads. So without further rambling.....home

The view when you walk in our front door. Living room, kitchen to the left, the little office nook behind the living, and the boys bath and bedroom beyond that.



I love these pillows!


This box was given to me a couple years ago by a dear friend. I love it!


I made a little chalk board for our bar. I couldn't resist as I have been seeing them everywhere! I have a large crystal vase with white flowers to the left of it that you can't see.



One of the little hurricanes I have on top of the armoire in the little nook area. Love the dollar tree!

A zoomed out pic of the armoire. The wreath behind is a work in progress. Trust me on that :)


One of my very favorite jars! It is on the coffee table directly under the bar. Not the normal place for a coffee table you say? Well have I mentioned how cozy and quaint my little home is :)

My second favorite jar. This is on the entertainment center to the left as you walk in. It sits next to our tv.

These little spaghetti jars sit on top of the toilet in the boys bath. Their whole bath room is blue and green. Still a work in progress as well!


A peak into my bedroom around the corner. Definitely the most neglected room in the house but that is changing! Matthew will room in with me for a long while :)

Now into the boys room!!! As you walk in the door...
The cross peaking from under the net was there before I hung the net up. I need to move it down a bit.

The bed area. Ignore the mess. Their room is never "perfect" and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Their bunk beds are from bunkbedking.com and after searching everywhere they had the best prices and the best quality. They also have free shipping! I highly recommend them. The comforters are from Target and are down. They are so soft.


To the left as you walk in. Ignore that unruly second drawer. It taunts me constantly and I have just learned to live with it :) Personality I say! I got it free off of freecycle and painted it red. Almost all of the basic pieces of their room are neutral and the decor was all made by me. This way I can change it often without spending money. Cause ya know with two little boys, it changes a lot!


And a blurry picture of their porthole :)


For Matthew, I got him a new crib as Ej's was recalled. I ended up getting the Europa Baby Palisades Lifetime Crib and I love it! Right now it is sitting to the left of my bed in my room. I took out the changing table that was in there in its place. Then I put the changing table topper on top of my night stand and it was a perfect fit! It is tight to say the least but it works! I just made Matthew a chalk board picture that is above the changing area. I'll post that later :)

There are some things I am working on. I would love a rug for the living room and a roman shade for the boys room! Also I need to make some curtains for my bedroom as well. Always something :)

So there you have it! A peak into our little corner of the world! It has come a long way but still has a way to go.

Im linking up over at the Decor Chic!!! You should join in too!

decor blogs give me a bad case of "the wants"

I have a lot to update on, and a lot to do blog wise, but instead I am rocking my feverish two year old. We have once again been hit by a bug and his fever is currently 102.4. This makes illness number 12 since December if anyone is counting.
Oh wait, that would be me.
I am so ready for this run of illnesses to be over. Summer where the heck are ya!? But I guess this is to be expected since I put Austin in private school earlier this year. Since then it has been one illness after another. This is why I had hoped to homeschool until EJ was stronger. Don't get me wrong, Austin LOVES his school. His class is small with only 8 children and he is thriving in a more social environment. But oh.my.word the illnesses!! Hopefully this summer we will get a break, and will start back in the fall with three boys! Oh boys!

Okay moving on.

So since I am at the computer, I may as well blog surf, right? And decor blogs are top of my list lately. They are beautiful, thought provoking, inspiring, but mostly they make me have "the wants". So to indulge this I am window web shopping and I wanted to share my current favorite things.

Most of my favorite things currently are from Pottery Barn surprise, surprise. If you don't know, I will tell ya! I love Pottery Barn. My wallet does not. Too bad the wallet always wins.



See that beauty of a table? That is my all time favorite table and chair set. Be still my heart! The extend-able table is on sale right now for only $999.99. I have no place to put a table and couldn't get it right now anyway but that price is fabulous for that table.



This is the Calvert Sofa and I love it. I would buy it in a heart beat if I could. Right now I have a beige microfiber sofa and love seat and although I can take the seat cushions off to machine wash, nothing else is removable. So it is in desperate need of cleaning. Seriously some spots make my skin crawl. A slip covered sofa would solve all of this and my next sofa set will absolutely be slipcovered...and machine washable. Hello pottery barn twill!
I also love the comfort series:


I have always wanted a sectional. Especially a nice big soft makes-you-want-to-cuddle one. Unfortunately since we move so much and have yet to land in our forever home (and wont anytime soon) I need more versatility than a sectional. One day though....

Also am I the only one who notices that these will hide all the little toys that inevitably get underneath. The things under my couch are amazing! With the slip cover, no one would be able to see a thing :) I don't know if that is comforting or scary!



I want this coffee table. The one I have now has a shelf underneath and spindles on both sides attaching the shelf to the table. It is one nightmare of a dust magnet. It is so gross.
This is simple and beautiful and I love the basket underneath idea!



This beauty would be perfect! Not only is it wide enough at 54 inches but it comes in a gorgeous mahogany color. As my "design" taste has changed I appreciate an armoire so much b/c it conceals the tv and all the equipment and wires when you don't need them. Much more stream line and simple. As much as any man would argue, I simply do not thing tvs are beautiful and they certaintly shouldn't be the focal point.



This is new and is such a beautiful color palette!

I think for me though, since I change my theme so much, I would have to go ultra neutral.
like this from restoration hardware


or this but in beige/ivory


And last but not least, I am obsessed with the all white bed!! Mine is currently "all white" but it is shameful and in desperate need of a redo!


And that concludes this window-web shopping trip! Thanks for tagging long!! :) I think it is important to remember that we don't have to have the newest and greatest to have a beautiful home. We can find ways to make it that way that are cheap or maybe even free. It is the love and laughter within the walls that matter most. But it sure is fun to look!

Now hopefully this little sick one will get better soon so I can actually get some work done around this house! We have a zoo trip planned for tomorrow (it will be EJ's first time going) and I really hope he doesn't have to miss it! Goodnight everyone!

home is where the heart is

Well this summer has been so incredibly hot that we can't do much outside. It is awful that aside from taking Bella out, we do not venture out at all. SO the days have been filled with lots of toys and games and learning. I like the flow of our days and all the activities but I long for fall cool breezes and long walks at the park. I love being outside and can't wait for cooler air!!!

Something that has also happened this summer is a bit of decorating. Now I will tell you up front I am no decorator!!! I look at decor sites with awe. But being in the same frumpy rooms all summer inspired me to do something.

I already showed you the boys room, but I have also been working on our living room and our bedroom. I will show pictures of those soon I promise! However this post is about these beauties!!! My new apothecary jars!
Do you remember when I posted about getting to review an item for CSN? Well I choose these jars and I am so thrilled with them. I had been wanting some for a very long time and finally get to call them my own! When they arrived, they were packed perfectly insulated and were more beautiful than I had imagined. Right now they just contain a few random things, but wait till fall my friends. Just wait! I have a whole wonderful magical idea of what fall will bring to my home and hopefully it will at least resemble a smidgen of what that vision holds LOL!
But seriously, your home is where your heart is, and why not a home you love? CSN offers everything you could possibly want from children's furniture and toys to everything kitchen.
So if you need something check out their over 200 stores, and you wont be let down!

And here is a video of my precious boys. See how Austin just man handles little EJ. Brotherly love...

brotherly love from E Nault on Vimeo.

The other side

Well it is an odd feeling indeed. I am here on the other side. Texas.
Not to long ago I wrote from my living room floor in Florida in anticipation of
our journey here. And now, I sit on my living room floor again. With my
belongings in our POD out front, and a few scattered boxes on the floor,
I find myself struggling tonight.

It is as if a fog has settled in my life. A horrible and very dense fog.
I feel lost and just a little worn. Lately it seems life has been an uphill
battle and it has taken its toll.

Adam lost his job.

Today as we attempt to settle into our new home, we watched in awe as a huge
tree in our front yard was trimmed. This tree was taller than our two story
home and half as wide.
I had never seen someone trim a tree like this and it was amazing. Two men
climbed to the very top of this tree (an activity that would sent me into an
anxiety attack!) and cut down all the branches they could reach with their
chain saws. At first, when I saw the huge branches crashing down, I though
it was crazy to cut down all that healthy growth. It was sad actually.
However, eight hours later, the end result is beautiful. It does not even
look like the same tree.

I suppose we are like the tree. All the "growth" I though I needed and all
the extra foliage, just takes away from us. It may be hard to get trimmed and
it may be painful but afterwards? Beauty. True beauty the way God intended.

I know this is a lot of rambling but I promise it does have a point.

The fog I was referring to is wearing on me. The last two weeks I have desired
nothing but a home. I wanted a great home and all my things to fill it.
I wanted to buy all new decor, I wanted an endless list of things but none of
which were the Lord. I have been so overwhelmed to acquire all new belongings.
All new "foliage". It was my only mission.

Seek ye first the Kingdom! Does that ring a bell? Well, it is not what I sought.

I feel so pulled in so many directions. I forgot God in all the madness instead
of letting Him be in charge, I pushed Him to the back. And now...

Well....

I am having a hard time cutting the ties. Breaking free from all this world has
to offer. I wish I could have someone come and trim me. Or maybe that is what is
happening.

So we are starting our life in Texas as two unemployed people. Great.

Well Lord, I am putting you first. You have provided thus far.

At least we have a home and that is a wonderful start. I know Adam will find
another job. In the mean time, pray. I know I will.

And if you do not pray for me. Pray for you. Pray that the Lord works in
whatever area in your life that needs some pruning. Because, I know that the
end result will be far more beautiful than you could ever imagine!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

Well we made it! I am here in glorious Dallas Texas! Oh boy does it feel great! I had forgotten how much I really loved Texas. This is truly my home and I feel such a peace now. This is where we belong!

We spent the day with our amazing realtor and we put in an application for a beautiful home! Pray we get it! So until then we are living at the Westin and I can not wait till we move into our home and can grow some roots. I am ready to settle in!
I dont have much time to type but just know we are safe, enjoying every minute of our new surroundings, and to continue to pray!
God Bless!

full circle

As I sit here on the eve of our drive to Texas, with no furniture and a mess of boxes, I feel so unlike myself. This whole event has pushed me to my limits physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I already shared with you how I do not like change.....

One year ago exactly, life was completely different. We were building our dream home, basking in the newness of my pregnancy with EJ, had two vehicles and two jobs.

Oh how things have changed.

You see I try not to be of this world. To not let materials define me. To not depend on them. But I live in this world and I find myself all to often identifying with my possessions. This is something I strive to work on daily and cutting those ties has been a hard, hard task for me.
Since last year, we had to let go of our home,

my vehicle, and we lost two incomes.
I also gained though. We brought our sweet, sweet baby into the world. A feat we struggled with for two years. My miracle. (I think I got the better end of the deal if you ask me.)
But things are hard right now. The economy was very, very cruel to us.
But I look around right now, while I sit on the floor with nothing, and I realize all I have to offer now is myself. I have nothing to show for the life I built in Florida. I am, finally, just me.
The only thing I have to offer is myself and I think that God is just fine with that.
He was never impressed by my belongings or my wealth. All He wanted was....me.
So I think, after all is said and done, that I have finally come full circle to the place the Lord had desired for me all along. I am right where He wants me. Even though none of this is easy, I rest in the fact that the Lord has had this planned all along. I may not know what the future holds, but He does, and He will be the one holding my hand through it all.
So here we go. We are starting our new life stripped clean with only our hearts to share. But, I couldn't be happier.

going home!

I thought I was never going to be able to write this post! I know thats a little dramatic, but five weeks is a long time to be in such uncertainty!

I have so much to share, from pictures to updates, but right now I just want to let you all know that Adam has found a job in Dallas and is here now to help pack and get us to our new home.

I am so happy, so relieved, so gloriously giddy! My family is back together and we are moving. Yeeeehawwww!

Thank you all for the prayers and I will post more tonight!

A new hope, a new home.

Well friends,

Has the Lord ever moved you, possibly out of your comfort zone, in order to mold you? To further shape you? Have you taken that step of faith into the darkness, and had the arms of the Lord embrace you? Has He ever wispered to you that change is coming? And that this change is to bring Him glory. Have you ever been moved by the Lord?

Well I have.

What a lot of you don't know is that I fear change with an intensity that I can not describe fully. I cling to the comfort of my life. My sanity admist the chaos. My day to day that brings me joy. The simplicity of a routine. From groceries to slobbery smiles. I love the ebb and flow of this life.

However it is not to be. God is urging us to make a move. And the time has finally come to make that step of faith. We are moving to Texas. And when I tell you we are walking into darkness, please believe me. No job, no home, nothing set in stone.

So I take a breathe and close my eyes. I pray for my Lord and Savior to carry me because I am crumbling inside. I pray that in place of fear he provides strength and in place of anxiety he gives peace.

As I cling to Him I pray he stays near. Ever so near.
My heart is racing and tears come in waves. Change does not come easy to me.

Adam leaves tomorrow morning for Dallas. He will then be interviewing for several jobs. Then he will head to Houston. Wherever he gets a job, he will then find us a place to call home. Then he will come back, pack us up, and we will head there together. Leaving this chapter of our lives behind. Both children were born here, jobs were here, family (Austins grandparents), and friends are here.

I will miss living next door to my inlaws so very much. What a security and a blessing they have been. What joy I have, in having them in my life.
Luckily, my MIL will be staying with me at night and the rest of the family will only be about five steps away.

I will miss Adam so very much as we have never been apart for so long before. I am such a natural worry wart. Oh Lord be near. I know the Lord will be my strength in the weeks to come.

So, please keep us in your prayers as the Lords plan for us unfolds. Pray for Adam. For a job and a new home to come quickly. Without income and savings, we are working on limited time. Pray for strength, wisdom, and peace.

Oh friends, pray.

So I step out. Looking forward to the beautiful anitciptation of God's plan. Of being further shaped by our creator. What will lay ahead of us, only our Father knows. What I know is that he has never abandoned us or left us. And He never will. So although this move is into the unknown, I know my God is right beside me. Waiting to catch us, to pick us up, to hold on. We are in His hands, and what mighty hands they are.

This move is sudden but not unexpected. There have been some things happening with my family in Texas that I can't speak about but ask you to pray anyway.

I will not have a computer while Adam is away, so the next time you hear from me, we will be moving. Pray that moment comes soon.

Thank you all for walking with us and I pray you continue even though we will be farther away.

I also pray that if the Lord whispers to you, that you will hear. For what glorious things our Lord can do! I shall praise Him even in the storm!

Well, here we go.
God Bless.