Willis Winter Update!

I haven't posted in a while so I'll do a picture post to show you what our winter has been like so far! I've honestly been a little fragile recently, ha! We've had so many events occur in the past 9 months and I think everything just sunk in a little with me. Our Christmas was very fun and we kicked off the new year with an Open House of our completed home renovation, which was very special. Don't get me wrong: I am in a very thankful state, but just the transition of selling a home in 2 weeks, my husband losing his job, God re-directing and sending him back to school, now Tim in a full blown new career, renovating this house, raising toddlers, finding a new church in Marietta, new friends, and starting a new year..... it's been a lot to process! I think I just kind of had a "go with it" mentality and so much change happened so fast, now that we are settled.... I ask myself, "what just happened?" I may be able to verbalize better in the next few months our new life and our relentless passion to follow God wherever he leads. I feel like sometimes we are so young and have had so much life crammed into our years! ha! I know God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but the trick is..... God knows what your max is and you don't. I had no idea we'd be stretched to what we've been stretched to. I truly praise God for walking step by step with us.

So, here is my winter slideshow so far:
Our cozy little cottage all snowed in. Although we've been a little stir crazy, we're thankful to be snowed in together. We've filled the days with movies, art projects with the kids, cooking, sledding, and doing everything we can think of with the snow =)
Here is a couple pictures from our Open House we had on January 2. This is my favorite room in the house. We have beautiful bright windows and it opens up to the living room and kitchen.
Here is Miss Mackenzie's nursury. I've delayed the photos b/c 2 weeks ago, her crib was in here. She jumped out at 15 months and I put a crib tent on top. After her putting holes in the crib tent, she's a fiesty one, we moved her into a toddler bed! She I had to completely redo her room again! Here it is for now!
Our sweet neighbor, and also family, brought me this at our Open House. I burst into tears (have I mentioned I'm fragile recently?) It is a picture of the real Nellie-Mae. My great grandmother! It is who we named our whole house renovation after. She and her husband Arnold raised 11 children in a 3 bedroom house and built houses all over Marietta. I love this picture of her and it is really special.This is our family Christmas tree. My favorite thing about it is how the lights reflect off our hardwood floors. I am still so in love with the floors in our home. They are 60 year old wide plank pine floors and I can't get enough of them.
Tim sold his Honda and now drives a pick up truck! His sales car days are over and this pick up is a much better fit for his HVAC industry and our property!! (Our 1 acre lot requires a lot of maintenence!) And, everyone knows we have to have a good deal on everything. Would you believe Tim bought this truck for $1300? He did so good.
I tried to make a snow angel, but the thick layer of ice on the ground kept that from happening. My kids thought it was really funny. I was laughing, but when I got up from my numbness, realized ice cut me on the back! Oh well.

We made snow ice cream of course...

And Tim builds fires like its his job. He wanted to see if he could build one out of frozen, wet wood. Of course he did and David loved every second.

Family sledding

I'll try and post more pics soon! It's been really nice to kick the new year off with a break! I am not loving the single digit temps that are coming this way, but having kids has brought a lot of fun to our days snowed in!
Almost forgot this pic.... here is one of the kids favorite christmas presents, a 4 wheeler!

Happy trails!