Move Baby, Move

What do you do when you hear that some of your bestest friends on EARTH are moving across the country just to be closer to you? You freak out and have a party right? Well, this happened last week you guys! My parents officially moved from Dallas, Texas to the Carolinas! Permanently! Full time! AH!

Some of you might remember when they lived up here part time when Káel was born. But, they ended up moving back to our native state of Texas after a few months. When they got the news of boho baby #2...it was over. Less than a week later my mom calls me and asks me if we'd be ok with them moving here. (ARE YOU KIDDING!?) She went on about not wanting to butt to much into my life etc....PLEASE!?  My folks are some of my favorite people on this planet and they are truly some of my closest, most bestest friends. I simply couldn't believe it or be more excited at the thought of them moving here for good. When I assured her that it would be the biggest treat ever, she forwarded me several houses she had lined up for me to look at! Haha! My favorite surprise!!!! A few weeks later they decided on a house they loved, packed up their stuff and started the road trip from Dallas to Charlotte!

We met them at their new house as they pulled into town Friday night. Saturday, several of our closest friends, along with Sam and myself helped unload their moving pods and had a fabulous time laughing and welcoming my folks to town. It was so wonderful. I've been over there over the last couple days helping my mom unpack her kitchen etc...it's like a dream. Unpacking plans are on hold now, both my poor folks have had a hard knock of a Charlotte initiation with the nasty stomach bug that has been plaguing the Queen City. Bleh. At least we're close so we can help out a little. :( Soon, everyone will be healthy, and settled and more adventures will unfold! 

They're here!!!!!!!! Yaaaaaay!!!!  

First night in their sweet English Cottage 

Our friends the Webbs and Philip used their muscle to get all the boxes and furniture out of the Pods. :) 

day #2 of unpacking. I was in a Punky Brewster mood. ;) 

Cheers to having those you love close by to enjoy and celebrate the simple moments in life on a daily basis!

-Jess

Baby Einstein Boy

Yesterday we got so much done! While packing, I made a little fort for Forest boy out of a box and gave him my iPhone with the Baby Einstein app. He laid there for over 20 minutes, completely mesmerized by the Mozart and Ocean videos, just chillin'. :) I thought it was the cutest thing ever and wanted to share!

Today is our last day in our yellow house. It's kind of bittersweet. More on the sweet side though. Since moving to the Carolinas, after Sam and I got married, I've only lived right across the border of Charlotte, in a sweet little South Carolina town. :)  So, it's kind of a big deal. I'm SUPER stoked though. We are going to take the first car load over to the new bungalow this afternoon! There is something magical about having the key to your new house on your key ring. Time to plan where the furniture is going to be placed and put our china away in the cabinets. I'm dancing a happy dance that the move is almost over and that peace, calm and active creativeness can happen in my life a little more easily again. ;) Maybe my next post will be from our new house!?

Beautiful Tuesday to you lovelies!

He pulled the top flap down and was quite cozy in his little secret fort. 

Kissable belly!

2 Days Left

We have 2 days left before the moving van pulls up and we load up all of our trinkets and pretty things  to our new little house! As much as I can say I'm excited, I also feel the urge to pull my curls out! AH! If you have ever moved, you know how it is...especially towards the end. There is STUFF everywhere! Little odds and ends that somehow keep appearing out of nowhere. All the little baubles and misc. items, I swear seem to be breeding like bunnies while we sleep. I've been pretty proud of how organized I have been in my mad packing skills this move. But, these last 2 days are gonna stretch me. Forest boy has been a trooper and going with the flow, like a champ. A couple of my friends have offered to watch him while we do the heavy work, which is AMAZING. Thanks girls! <3 

It makes me sad that I'm so behind on Káel's monthly growing posts. :( I think I'll try to just do a 3 month recap with pictures, once we are all moved in. This move has been so time and brain consuming that it's scattered my blogging brain a bit. But, I'm really excited and looking forward to getting back in the writing groove, hopefully in the next couple of weeks! Thanks for hanging in there with us! :)

I thought I'd share some pics from this past week, using the Instagram app! If you have it, you can follow our day to day journey! username "bohobabybump" 

Well, it's off to packing again I go! Happy day dears!

This is pretty much what I have looked like every day this past week. 

Helping mommy "pack" by re-sorting some misc. things in the bathroom. yes, those are pads left over from his birth. ha!

Big deal for me: organizing, sorting through and getting rid of my jewelry collection before it goes in a box. 

His latest obsession, cars. 

i couldn't remember the last time i had had a "cheat" drink from starbucks. Sam brought me one while packing. the mocha-cocconut iced coffee.....gasp. so good!

A couple days ago, I got to take a small break in the evening and have what was supposed to be a netflix movie night with some girl friends. We ended up talking and laughing 'til midnight instead (which i think is much better ). ;) I tossed on a scarf, some mascara and earrings before heading out the door .

Styling Sarah's hair. We all felt like we were 12 again. 

Packing, Packing, Packing...Oh, and A Date!

Although it looks all clean and calm in the background, let me assure you, it is NOT! Káel has a new forest of cardboard boxes to explore and crawl over while we pack up our yellow cottage dream land. There is stuff everywhere!  It has been interestingly easy for me to work around little boy's naps though. ;) The stress level is a little high at times. Our tv's are officially off the walls which means Baby Einstein is available only on our computers and the entire upstairs is ready to be loaded in a moving truck. My brain feels so scattered at times. Oh, and our fridge is on day 6 of being totally dead. Our landlord gave us a mini freezer that we have been using. It kinda feels like we are camping.

I feel like my brain is running a million miles an hour! I'm planning an amazing baby shower for a dear friend that will take place the weekend after we move into our new casa.  Then, Forest boy has his first b.day and I haven't even gotten a chance to do any real organizing of my thoughts for that. It will all come together. I have a tendency to put more on my plate than I can eat. I want to do SO many things and a lot of times it ends up biting me in the booty. We are SO excited to be moving into our new little bungalow though! Oh.my.goodness! I keep telling myself, one more week Jess, then you can nest and decorate and go on walks in the pretty neighborhood. My heart gets so excited just thinking about it! Eeeee!

Today I'm babysitting little miss Anthem again which I enjoy so much. While the kids play, I'm going to try and squeeze in a few boxes here and there. Then, tonight my handsome man and I have a long overdue date night. Even though logically it doesn't make sense to let up in our moving venture less than a week before we move, or spend the extra money...it does make sense in the heart department. It's so important for Sam and I to have grown-up time with each other, away from the diapers and bottles,  without thinking about Forest boy's next meal or all the other wonderful details of being a parent. Being our little boy's mom and dad is the best thing ever, but to keep that the best thing ever, we need to keep our hearts full of each other.  Date night is like a treat to that part of us. We even went to Buffalo Exchange yesterday and swapped some of our threads for a new dress for me and some new duds for Sam, to make it extra fun and special.  Well, little missy and my little adventurer are getting into something "amazing," I better go check on them. :)

I took a 5 min break yesterday and spray painted these once brown wooden  frames that go to the cross-stich pictures my great-great grandma made. :) They have always gone in the hallways of my families homes and now, they will go in our new little hallway! Who says you can't whip out the spray paint can in the middle of moving chaos? It gave me a creative boost I greatly needed. ;)

Sam and I knocked Káel's room out yesterday.

Have a fabulous Thursday! I hope you find a heart full of things to love and enjoy today.

Jess

Hard To Say Goodbye

Yesterday, one of my dearest friends moved very far away. I've mentioned Kristina several times here on the blog and shared how much I love her. Let me tell you something about this girl.  She is the kind of friend that always reminds me of who I was, am and want to be, no mater how I feel or see myself in the moment. We get each other's hearts so well, it's crazy! (I will NOT cry...sigh.) She's been a voice of encouragement for me and a sparkle of sunshine.  She was one of the very first friends that I made when I first moved to the Carolinas, right after Sam and I got married. The first time I ever hung out with a group of married gals, as a married lady myself, she was there. We were pregnant together, her little girl was Forest boy's first playmate and I just love the living daylights out of the girl!

Sunday night, I got to hang out with Kristina and her sweet little darlin', Adoration, the night before they hit the road.  I so was  happy that I was able to spend the last evening with them.  I brought Kael with me, so he and his little buddy could enjoy each other again before they left. THE coolest thing happened while we were watching the kiddos play; Adoration took her first steps! I love that little girl like she's my own blood,  so it was a very epic moment.

The whole evening I had to tell myself that she was really leaving. It just didn't and still doesn't seem real. We talked as our babies played, and we reflected on sweet memories we had shared together.  We found ourselves tearing up. It was the sweetest kiss of a moment to my heart!  As we said goodbye, another gush of waterworks were flowing, pretty freely, while I loaded little boy in the car...actually, I was kind of sobbing. It was a sweet moment.

You know, it's funny how it can hit you like a brick in the face, when you realize that there’s gonna be a big empty spot, when someone you really care about is going to be gone. Although, Kristina isn't gone, she's just out exploring with her family, out by the ocean for a while. Right? ;)

We are already planning future vacations down to the beach land of Florida, where they are moving.  And of course we will still have our annual adventure trip with our community of girl friends. A few hundred miles aren’t going to stop THAT from happening! I've also been picturing all the fun and amazing new stories that Kristina and her family will get to experience, as they settle into their new home and life on the beach. That's kept my heart so happy and away from a sad place. We've all been telling her that she HAS to blog extra pictures so we can stay updated. You guys can follow her journey HERE.

I'm gonna miss you Kristina, like nobody's business!  Thank you for being an inspiration of trueness and hope for my heart. I love being your friend. Happy travels and joyful adventures. I can't wait to hear all about it.

This Weekend

You guys, it's official! We got the house!!!! Aaaaaaaah! We are SO excited! I've dreamed of living in a little 1950's bungalow for a while now and I'm beyond excited to finally get to nest in one! We have HUGE trees, the biggest deck I've ever seen, a mega big yard with a creek behind our fence! On my new back porch it feels like I'm in the magical woods, for reals! Birds like crazy, lots of shade and we have a tree in our new front yard for a tree swing for the Forest boy! We move in in just over a week and my heart has butterflies! We will be a hop, skip and a jump away from SO many of my favorite spots in Charlotte, which will be so nice, especially since gas has gotten so expensive, plus lots of our friends are close by. 

Today is another full day, let me tell ya! Cleaning, packing, then this afternoon a couple of gals are coming over to talk cloth diapering (Lorean, my cloth diaper guru is leading the discussion.) Then tonight, me and my boys get to watch one of my favorite little girls, Micah.  Saturday is a big event, more than worthy of a mention. You guys, 4-5 families, all friends of ours are joining forces to have a HUGE garage sale. I don't think you can even grasp how much stuff there will be. To top it off, we will have live jazz/bluegrass music provided by 2 of the husbands. Yes, live music. I'm so excited! Hopefully we will sell all of our extra stuff that we have no desire to move and have a grand time! I'll be sure and take pics and do a post on the day. :)  Did I mention that we have gotten ALL of our top quality packing boxes for free from a nice family off of craigs list? Yep, most of them have lids and handles, it's been such a blessing. Well, I'm off to my check list for the day with Over the Rhine playing throughout the house. Have the loveliest of Fridays and a restful weekend! 

his new favorite adventure and free entertainment...the box caves. 

Packing for Our Bungalow

Yesterday was a day full of packing, yummy leftovers and some hopefully exciting news about our potentially new little 1950's bungalow! Ah, I really hope this house works out. It's in a neighborhood we fell in love with and it's just perfect. I'll give you guys more details as soon as it's officially sealed and done. Which...should be today!? Ah!  Here are a couple pics from our day yesterday. I've almost finished boxing up little Forest boy's room and he is always eager to "help" me as you can see below. ;) Our home is slowly turning into a village of brown boxes. 

It's been a real stretching time with us having to move in the middle of Sam still looking for work and so many changes all around us. But, like one of my dear friends told me, lean into this stretching time like you lean into a yoga position. :) The Lord is faithful to us and little windows are starting to open up, letting more and more sunshine of promise in. As Sam and I were getting ready for bed last night, he smiled the biggest smile, sighed and burst out "I love my little family." It was a perfect, simple moment full of sweetness. No matter what is going on, simple, crazy, real love drenches my life. 

a yummy lunch of avocado, tomato and lentils

sam and i heated up some amazing leftovers of his famous quesadillas from last night's dinner with our friend jordan. (who was also one of the midwives who helped deliver káel.)