One year later...

Wow, one year later... (a Little bit behind!)

* a nearly 1 year old girl getting into everything
* 2 kids in school
* lived in our house almost a year
* been SUPER busy with house projects (imagine!)
* most of the boxes unpacked
* still bare walls (painted, but nothing hung up yet)

Ah, I could go on for hours.  I'll spare you...

It's the little things that hit me at the most random moments that make me realize how lucky we are to be where we are, regardless of how crazy things were 10-12 months ago. I really don't know how we survived the months of October and November last year... I keep wondering why my gray hairs haven't sprouted yet because of those times!!

And it's those little things that make me realize how HAPPY I am to be settled and enjoying our house and family as much as we can.  Yes, we spend many of our free evenings and weekends doing projects that get us "that much" closer to being "done."  But we try to take as much time to do things together that don't involve projects... or if there's something we all can do to help, it makes it a little bit more fun to work together.

Dave got the deck as done as he can recently.  That means he didn't quite have enough boards to finish the last set of stairs down to the ground.  But it's REALLY nice what he did get done!  We have been enjoying it as much as we possible and can't wait to use it when we have people come visit.  I am picturing us next summer spending many evenings out there... and the evenings is what I love here.  We live just off a road that's busy only during the day.  After people get off work and get home, there's not much traffic.  It's so quiet and peaceful.  And the stars are SO bright here.  It almost feels like it's just us and the stars.  That is what I've loved about our lot ever since we started building and spending time out here after dark... It's good to be home.  And feel like this is where we are meant to be.

There is no path to happiness.  Happiness IS the path.