Home Improvement Projects

I'm not a huge DIYer. Mostly because I'm not crafty and lack confidence in doing things on my own. Also, I just don't have the time. I'd rather read a novel. Our friend Cindy is a Renaissance Woman and can do just about anything! She was encouraging and helped make this project happen. So sad that she was rewarded for her good deeds with a car accident on her way home from my house. Gratefully she and sweet baby, Cora, are safe and sound!

We sanded and stained a dresser for Miriam. This is the $99 unfinished pine dresser from IKEA.

Cindy took the time to teach each of the older boys how to use a power sander. They loved it!

After the sanding was completed, we stained the dresser. 

Here's the finished product! I think it looks much pricier than the original $99 price tag.

Cindy also made my front hall bench look brand new! This she did on her own because it was damaged and needed her expert TLC. It turned out beautifully. My mom gave me this bench that was originally purchased in North Carolina. She saw it and was definitely impressed with how beautiful it looks with its scratches buffed out and a new coat of stain/varnish. 

Cindy! We love you! Thanks for helping our home be even more awesome.

Exploring our new town

The closest cities to us are Mount Dora and Sanford. I head over to Sanford every few weeks to do big grocery shopping. I even take a cooler so that I can get cold/frozen items home before they spoil. That may seem like a hassle to some, but I love it! It means there are horses and cows all over the place. It means people let you cross the street without a fuss.It means there's only one stoplight between me and church, school, and a handful of other places we need to go.  We went into Mount Dora to explore last week. Here are some of our photos!

Gazing out on Lake Dora

Welcome to the Port of Mount Dora

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Well said, Mr. Twain!

Trying to skip rocks on the lake.

Little lighthouse at Lake Dora. Apparently the lighthouse is a big deal around here. I was definitely expecting more since I grew up in St. Augustine with an impressive lighthouse. This is more like a statue than an actual lighthouse. But, it is still cute and fun.

Beautiful animals, birds, and scenery pretty much everywhere.

Great playground right by the lake. I thought it was hilarious that this gator has blood dripping from every tooth. Haha.

Oh, and this cutie is now 3 months old!

Sorrento

We are officially home owners! It is scary and wonderful all at the same time. We felt really inspired to move to our new area and I feel as though we are going to see our children grow up in our new house. I have to admit that as exciting as it has been to purchase a new home, it has been incredibly stressful. Moving with a newborn is for the birds! Seriously, I have never been so overwhelmed. Now that we are unpacked, I'm starting to really enjoy and appreciate all the exciting things that have happened and are still happening in our lives.

Here we are on closing day! Weston came along for the fun while the other four played with their cousins at Grandma's house. Our realtor, Will, is a long time friend of mine. He was so helpful, candid, and supportive through this whole process. We were so happy he was part of this journey. We love him and his family so much.

While I was excited to have a new, modern home and get out of our rental that was old, outdated and put us at the mercy of a terrible landlord, I must admit it was hard to say goodbye to a home that has seen us grow up so much. Here's a photo of the door jamb in our kitchen where we tracked the kid's growth over the years. We were there for four years (the longest we'd been in any one place since our marriage) and made many memories. Jared and I were on the phone together as he walked through our home a final time picking up lost toys and vacuuming rogue popcorn and we were weeping as we talked about the children and all of our precious moments on Kasper Drive. 

While we were moving out and in, the four older children spent several days with my mom and dad. They enjoyed a wedding, a boating excursion, the zoo, and the swimming pool. They really made some great memories that week. I'm so grateful to my parents and Jared's parents for all their support during this whole process. It truly takes a village!

We had too much stuff! It didn't all fit on the truck and we ended up making a few trips back in my mom's van to get all of it. In the end, I made at least three runs with a full van to Goodwill once we'd unpacked. When I found something I didn't have a space for, I just got rid of it! I want to park my car in the garage where it belongs. I'm happy to report I miss none of the stuff I donated and love parking in a garage!

I've already cooked up some memories in this kitchen! I love my kitchen. It was our splurge at the design center. It is the hub of our home.

With just Weston around, we had lots of time for snuggling!

The clown my family passes around showed up within days of our move! I think I'm going to hold on to him awhile before passing him on again. (More on this crazy tradition HERE.)

I also found some fun things while unpacking. Above is a poem my sister wrote me when I failed to make the BYU cheerleading squad. Below is a story that Jared wrote and illustrated.

My Aunt Teresa was helping me find things for my new home and I described a light I wanted to have above my dining room table to her. The description was based on a light that she had hanging in her home when I was a young girl. Well, turns out they still had that exact light in their attic! She and Uncle David decided to share their beautiful light with our family. Uncle David hung it up for us and it is the perfect addition to our new home. The three of us all cried when it went up. So many wonderful memories were shared below this light. I look forward to having many more created with my own sweet family. I love you Uncle David and Aunt Teresa!

Moving is fun for so many reasons. One is surprise housewarming presents. My cousin, Chris, sent this beautiful DASH blender all the way from Atlanta. Chris has always been so good to me. I love him so much and only wish we got to see one another more often. We christened it with pina colada smoothies. I anticipate using it regularly to make smoothies, baby food, and other fun treats.

I love our new neighborhood. It is so beautiful. The homes are pretty cookie-cutter which isn't really my favorite thing. However, we have large lots and beautiful scenery. It's pretty country out here and I think it's going to be the perfect place to raise our family. 

Our neighbors have free-range chickens!

We see the most beautiful sunsets from our back window! 

We now ride our bikes every day! The boys love it and so do I. 

Sorrento is our own little piece of heaven on earth!