5.

Aaron and I have been married 5 years, and in that amount of time, we have moved four times... which means we've lived in five different places. Most of the time, when you hear about people who can't stay in one place, it means either a) they're not satisfied, or b) they keep getting kicked out.

We're neither.

((1))

Our first home was a cute little fixer-upper rental house by the school. They waived our first two months of rent so we could fix it up, then rented it for dirt cheap. It was a pretty nice deal.

((2))

Three months after we moved in, some family friends were selling their house for a GREAT price, and since we had the means, we jumped on the opportunity. Sure, half the yard was cement. Sure, the garage in the back that had been converted into the studio FLOODED every time it rained. It was OUR house. We owned a CRAZY beagle named Buckley, and after we couldn't handle him and handed him over to someone else, we got two kittens, Maximus IV and Athena. I think I may continue naming my pets after Greek gods and ancient Romans. Its fun.
A year after we bought that house, we bought a well-established café in town. A month after that, I somehow ended up pregnant. Oh and did I mention we had already started full bore into a master bathroom renovation. Or creation for that matter... it wasn't even a bathroom yet!

Five months later, we realized our café expenses definitely didn't match up with our mortgage payments, plus my ability to work full-time was decreasing as my belly grew. Aaron's parents offered to have us stay at their place. And honestly, I wish at that time we had taken them up on the offer. I just wasn't ready, despite how well I got along with my parents-in-law. We moved into the apartment above the café when our chunky baby Ian was 2 months old.

((3))

Life above the apartment was great, aside from the constant smell of cooking broccoli, 1.5 flights of stairs (with a C-Section, 15 lb. baby in arm, and laundry in the other arm), and hearing customers and employees conversations at 6am. OH and did I mention we had no laundry or dishwasher? And did I mention people would tell me "Mmm, you smell like cinnamon rolls." No, people, I smelled like cinnamon rolls, broccoli, onions, and coffee. Which is great if you've been working there, but not if you've just been home all day!

((4))

Two years later, we moved into a cute apartment "across town." I was pregnant with our second child, and the thought of having a newborn and toddler with none of my favorite modern day conveniences seemed DAUNTING. Our new home had a dishwasher, laundry, a yard, and a small balcony. Compared to what I had above the café, this was a DREAM! We happily lived there for the past year.

And now, here I am, packing up our lives for the fourth time in five years. I am very good at packing. And throwing things away.

((5))

We are moving in with Aaron's parents. Its a moderately small house, but apparently big enough to house two grandparents, their son and his wife, and two young children.

I will not divulge our financial details, but it IS the reason we're moving. We are not lazy people. As of right now, Aaron is working 6 hours in the morning, then coming home to relieve me so I can work my 3 hour job. Then at 3pm he drops off the kids with a grandmom, and we both head to our respective locations to coach soccer. We are getting paid for all those things, and the grandparents are not. We committed to so many things so we can support our family. And we're SO thankful to have two sets of grandparents in town, and how willing they are to help us in our time of need.

I am learning faith, and trust, and joy. Faith, because who gets anywhere with out believing things are possible through God?! Trust, because with every decision we make, we need to know God will help us. And joy, because God IS our satisfaction. Not money, not fancy cars or houses. Those things only cause temporary happiness, soon to be replaced by the need for more. When you crave more of God, you receive permanent fulfillment and satisfaction.

So that's me. Five homes in five years. Two kids, a café, one dying car, two soccer teams, one young life team, and a partridge in a pear tree (which I'm going to have to find, since Aaron's parents have a pear tree in their backyard).

You can simply pray that God provides for us EXACTLY what we need. I don't desire to be rich. Just provided for.

Thanks for reading...

Thank You.

As I prep for fall, Thanksgiving is always on my mind. Rather than wait for the holiday, I thought I'd write this now, as its currently on my mind.

* Thank you to my junior soccer buddies, when I was a freshman in high school, for taking me under your wing and making me feel special. I still remember sitting with you in the cafeteria before school, as you copied each other's homework, and I felt so cool to just be sitting with you. I was the dorky, but skilled little freshman, and you were the popular girls.
* Thank you to the moms and older women out there who do not frown at me in contempt as I chase my crazy toddler through the store while clutching to my purse and my baby girl.
* Thank you to my kindergarten teacher, for sending me to the 1st grade class to do advanced reading. While it didn't last long, at least I have a story to tell.
* Thank you to my very first select soccer coach, for picking a player for your team who only knew two things: how to run faster than people, and how to dribble well. You believed in what was possible, and helped create so much more.
* Thank you Aaron, for marrying me despite my absolute silliness. As embarrassing as I am sometimes, you know you love it.
* Thank you chocolate, for always loving me back. Our love is for real.
* Thank you Ian and Ana, for loving your mommy even when she gets fed up and needs a time out.
* Thank you, Clorox sanitizing wipes.
* Thank you family, for supporting us through these past 4 years. Your prayers, babysitting, etc. have meant so much to me. You have no idea how much I plan to repay you (in cookies, obviously).
* Thank you, Reality TV, for giving me hope that someday I will be on TV. Still debating whether I'll apply for Survivor, or just show up for American Idol with a terrible outfit and some random song I plan to sing completely out of tune.
* Thank you Jer, for attempting for many years to give me fashion advice. I was listening.
* Thank you, American drivers. Thank you.

Looking forward to...

Ahhhh Autumn. Hot apple cider...Pumpkins, spices, pumpkin spice candles...

Dreaming of APPLE BUTTER. Mmm...

Now to learn how to:
1. Make apple butter.
2. "Can" the apple butter.
3. Download "scrapbooking skills" into my DNA.
4. Give apple butter as gifts to people with cute little scrapbookey tags.

It Begins.

Welcome to a day in the life of Aaron, Kelly, Ian and Ana, starting tomorrow, and lasting till late October:
4:45am: Aaron stumbles out of bed and goes to work at the cafe 6am: Kelly is awakened by Ian climbing into bed with her.
6:15: Kelly realizes she will not be falling back to sleep, and get out of bed. Takes shower. 7:30: Ian awakens at the time Kelly should have awakened. Sesame Street, breakfast, coffee. 8:00: Kelly wakes Ana up so she doesn't sleep in till 10.
9:30 if they're lucky: Kelly, Ian and Ana go for walk, or have playtime at home with toys and not-toys.
11:15am Aaron comes home, Kelly goes to work till 2:30
2:45: one of the Grandmas arrives to relieve Aaron so he can coach.
3:00pm Kelly assistant coaches high school girls soccer
3:00pm Aaron coaches middle school boys soccer
5:15pm Kelly and Aaron arrive home, make dinner, then find ways to entertain the kids until their glorious bedtime.
8:00pmish Bedtime, obviously.
9:00pm Kelly picks up the chaos, washes dishes, and runs laundry.
Bedtime sometime, when sleep is convenient.

Smack me if I agree to this schedule EVER AGAIN.