the suite life

 where did November go?!

we shared a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my family.

is my niece's daughter a honey, or what?

so thankful for my nephew Colin's life...literally.

He was hit by a car last month, and is healing

well - God has big plans for him for sure!

seeing my niece w/ baby girls

makes me feel O.L.D.

(notice Colin didn't lose his sense of humor in the

  accident. that family trait is a toughie to shake)

my dad had a little air soft target practice w/ Quinn.

LOVE seeing our kiddos enjoying

 the house I grew up in.

cousin beauties

the lovely hostess - my fabulous sista

now for the reality check...

remember that house closing that was supposed to happen?

as we watched the 2nd pod take our belongings down the street,

we heard that the closing couldn't happen the next day.

after we picked our jaws up off the floor, 

it was time for a little brainstorming.

thinking how nice it would be to save one weeks'
worth of extended stay fees,

we decided to...

camp out!!!

10 days in our empty little house.

between amazing neighbors, family

& church friends, we were outfitted w/

mattresses, bedding, pots & pans, etc.

it was all good.

especially the nights where some really cool families

had pity on us & invited us over for dinner in their homes! :)

we did close on our home this past Monday.

THANK YOU JESUS!

which brings us to our suite little home for now...

500 square feet of family bliss.

Quinn's words after loading up @ the free breakfast...

"this is the life. I could get used to this!"

so as everyone else seems to be scrambling to get  

their Christmas trees and nurse their aching feet 

from black friday, we are just trying to navigate

our new normal until we can close on our new home.

Gracie has had quite a few meltdowns,

which is understandable.

as Brian said, she's just acting out what

we're all feeling on the inside!

I'm contemplating taking Quinn & Gracie to 

the hotel laundry mat for a homeschool field trip of sorts.

then again, it may not be good for their phsyche to 

see Mama curled up in a fetal position on the floor

having flashbacks of the sketchy laundry mat

we had to frequent a few times when I was little.

yep, I can still see myself taking in that little slice

 of society eating cheese nabs while
my mother slaved away.

I am grateful.

grateful for a safe place to land as we transition.

grateful that we're together.

grateful God orchestrated the sale of our home.

grateful for His provision.

and grateful for the dollar spot at Target.

life may be a little upside down right now,

but I swanee, I can't not bring some Christmas

cheer to our home suite home!