A Year of Learning - December Edition

December was a great project that turned out to be festive! The kids got to make homemade soap and I let them use my doterra Christmas essential oil scent! They loved the final product and how nice each block of soap smelled! We made lavender, Christmas scent and onguard scent for some more germ killing soap!

They actually didn’t like the lavender scent which is why they are both plugging their noses - so dramatic these days 😂

Goodbye Norwood!

This has been a big year! We bought a new house! We have been looking most of 2018 for a house and we found a great one! We started 2018 by preparing and Selling our rental home in Norwood. We closed on that sale in June. Then once that sold we ramped up our search for a new home! We were close a few times throughout the year on putting in offers but we kept holding out for something a little more fitting for our family! We finally found the gem in October and officially owned our new home on November 29th! We spent several months fixing up our Norwood home to sell and successfully sold that home and closed on the sale December 20th. We moved into the new home December 9th and have been spending the month taking down wallpaper, painting and starting to make the home our own! Quite a few projects remain, but we feel so free only owning the one home now and will just keeping plugging away at wallpaper removal and a few other cosmetic things! A lot of blessings to celebrate this Christmas! 

The overall “thing we will miss most”

About our old home is the 3rd floor! Joe spent 1.5 years insulating, drywalling, putting in electrical and duct work and painting/carpeting the 3rd floor. It was a huge job but an awesome learning experience and I will always remember this house for the time and heart joe put into that project!! We are so proud of him! 

I shed a few tears the night we did the final

Clean out of the house! So many great memories in this house! So many great parties on the beautiful back deck and so many laughs and silly play with the kids throughout the house! They all had their favorite hiding spots, cozy nooks and adventures in the backyard. We learned a lot about parenting and life in this house and it will always be remembered with very fond memories! 2008 Hudson Avenue holds a special place in our hearts! 

We all worked our tails off getting the house ready to sell and moving! Joe and I have probably never worked so hard and so long! We are exhausted but know that this is all

Worth it! Even the kids chipped in on that last day to get it cleaned! Stef and Dave helped us tremendously in moving ALL our belongings to the new house! We are so grateful for our ability and energy to do so much on our own! Phew...

Mom and bill saved the day taking all 6 kids during move day! What a huge help!

Here is our new home! A new beginning for our family in pleasant ridge! Close to school and church and lots of fun entertainment! The kids have handled the transition very well! Jack and Elisabeth both agreed they would miss the 3rd floor and the climbing tree the most! Elisabeth originally said she would miss most the trampoline and her jammies - until she learned we could take those things along! The kids have been such troopers throughout this busy time in our lives! Jack was very sad when we first told him we were moving.

He cried a few times and needed some time

To wrap his head around the change. He was very sad to leave the 3rd floor but finally decided if he could just take pictures of everything to remember it that would make

Him feel better! He was also very concerned the new house wouldn’t have grass but when he learned the yard was even bigger he was quite excited! We also had taken the kids bunk beds down when we listed our house so Jack had been sleeping on the floor for 6 weeks on a crib mattress. The excitement they both felt when we set their bunk beds up in the new house was awesome! 

I will do a separate post on house renovations/wallpaper removal when it’s all

Finished! 

We will celebrate Christmas morning in our new house this year..with the exception of

Having almost no furniture on first floor, we are very excited and feel VERY blessed!! God has truly had a big hand in all that has come

Together this year! It has been a challenge to

hand over all the control to Him, but we have grown so much in watching all our blessings

Unfold and putting our trust in Him. Thank you to all our family and friends who have provided soo much support to us this year and throughout this time of transition for our family! We are forever grateful! 

ONE!!

Our little cutie turned ONE! Josefine is the sweetest spunkiest baby! She doesn’t like to miss out on anything and she is very social.

She was an early walker and gets around very well now! She’s starting to try to run after the kids and is very confident in her movement. She says a few words - Mama, papa, more, socks and buh buh (bye). She someone always seems to know what’s going on!

She still loves to cuddle and nurse. She really likes to be included in whatever jack and Elisabeth are doing. She gets sooo excited when Joe gets home from work and really loves her Papa!

Jack and Elisabeth like to help with Josie anyway they can! The other day before I could even get out of car jack had unstrapped josie and was holding her ready to carry her out of the car - so helpful buddy! 

We waited until our Wetterau family Christmas in December 30th to celebrate the birthday girl! We sung to her and let her try some homemade whip cream! She gave it a try but quickly lost interest when the Meyers gave her a new water bottle and Omi and Opa gave her a baby carriage - her day was made!! 

A whole year has flown by with this adorable addition to our family! She makes us laugh each day and I could kiss those cheeks over and over. Her smile lights up my every day! We love you Josefine Rose! Happy FIRST birthday!!