impossible.

Moving with little ones is close to impossible. If they aren't unpacking already packed boxes, they are tiny tornadoes, ripping the house apart. When it gets quiet, I get nervous. Today, the day of our closing, Ann Bennett somehow managed to empty an entire bottle of shampoo in our shower within a two minute time frame.

SEND HELP!

the best days.

Hi, there. Ready for a life update?

I have spent the past two days publishing drafted posts, writing new posts, brainstorming about future posts—trying to stay up-to-date. It's hard stuff! Between Brooks starting school, Ann Bennett learning how to walk run, me starting Iron Tribe (!), averaging three photography sessions a week, and building a house across the street (!!!), I'm finding it really hard to find time to write, and do laundry and wash dishes, let alone remember what day of the week it is.

It's Wednesday, right?

So, here is a mash-up of life's happenings:

We already touched on Brooks starting school. Our big boy is loving it and we are so thankful.

Ann Bennett started walking and there is no stopping her. I would say that she started taking more steps the weekend of September 12th. The next weekend is when she really started walking, as in not crawling at all. Within hours of the consecutive steps, she was running. She is into everything and never leaves my side. We bought her first pair of shoes from Sikes—Keds! She also got a pair of dress shoes and they are every bit of cute on those chubby feet.

I threw in the towel and started drinking the Iron Tribe kool-aid in August. I joined 101 two weeks in, but graduated on time with the rest of the gang. I lost my lunch after my first class and am still cursing burpees, but I am growing to love it. The best part is sharing a common hobby with John. Maybe one day I'll catch up to him!

I put myself out there in the Instagram world to promote Lauren Bryant Photography, my outlet, pride, and joy. The response was overwhelmingly astounding. I have anywhere from two to three sessions a week. It is most certainly keeping me busy, between shoot time and editing. I have been staying awake waaaaaay past my 8:00 bedtime.

Remember that tear-down across the street from our current house? Well, the Lord has opened several doors for our family and I am excited to announce that we have plans to move into it in November. It is all contingent on our house selling, but we are hopeful. And you know what? If it doesn't sell, we are just trying to "be where our feet are" and trust in whatever and wherever God calls our family.

With that being said, I am trying to find balance and keep my priorities straight. It's a daily struggle that forces me to rely on the Lord and accept His generous grace. It's pretty great having a selfless husband to rely on, too. John has done a great job stepping in to help with the babies on the mornings that I go to the gym or the evenings that I have a shoot. In addition, he is working his tail off providing for our family. What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man…

I am also in a season of hopeful healing. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis). It has led me on a never-ending quest for answers and a cure. I've been running to and from a naturopath, endocrinologist, cardiologist, ear, nose, and throat specialist, and an autonomic disorder physician. I have since been diagnosed with Dysautonomia and am slowly, but surely, finding balance and making lifestyle changes in hopes of improving or eliminating symptoms and getting my autonomic nervous system back on track. It's going to be a long journey, but I am putting my faith and trust in our Mighty Physician and believing for a cure from the incurable.

So, there you have it. Life, in a nutshell. It is surely crazy and hectic, but it is also abounding and joyful. These days are the best days…

house hunt.

We have been on a long-drawn-out hunt for a lot to build on or a house to make our home. We have been searching, discussing, praying, and yearning for an entire year to be exact. There have been several houses that we really liked, but have been way over our budget. There have been lots that were the perfect size, but not on the most desirable street or vice versa. There was one house that we thought was the one, but it went under contract right before we could make an offer. The Lord definitely had different plans and because we know that His ways are always good (but not always easy), we moved on.

With a track record like ours, it is incredibly easy to get discouraged and there have been times when we were on the brink of losing hope. But, our faith remains. God has a plan for our little family and if He wants us to rent the townhouse for another year or two, or ten, then we have to trust that our work here, in Inverness Cove, is not done. We know that we are ready, but He may not be.

So, when we drove by a cute little cottage in Homewood with a For Sale By Owner sign in the front yard, we were optimistic, but not overzealous. John called the number on the sign and a sweet woman answered informing us that the house was still for sale and welcomed us to come by the next week to look at it.

That day was a Tuesday. Brooks and I met John in the front yard at 2:30. We walked up to the house and knocked, but nobody answered. John opened the door and hollered and from the back of the house Ms. Retha prompted us to come on in. We toured the house, had a nice chat, and left encouraged. We loved the house and could both see its potential. It felt like home, it really did. So much so, that before we reached the car, John turned around and headed back into the house to make a verbal offer.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. You see, there was another couple extremely interested in the house. After we submitted a contract, they submitted a contract and for a week we countered against each other in hopes to get the house. We were put in a situation where we really had to rely on the Lord, whatever the outcome. I even found myself praying for the other couple because I knew that their hearts were invested, too, and I didn't want anyone to be dispirited. It was emotionally exhausting, but the possibilities were exciting.

The afternoon after we both presented our "best contract" Brooks and I went to the Fresh Market to pick up a few things for dinner. I was on the phone with my friend Sarah when a text message from John came through. When I got off the phone with her, I opened his message and our convo went a little something like this:

Yep, that's right! Ms. Retha chose us (and I cried in the produce section of the grocery store)! 

The contract is signed, the inspection is complete, and I may or may not have purchased drapes for the living room. We don't close until October 18th, but it is looking promising! Both John and I are so excited and cannot wait to get the keys and make this house our home.

She is perfectly imperfect...clearly needing some work! 

We are incredibly thankful and feel so blessed to even have the chance at homeownership. We are both looking forward to this next season in our lives!

sore feet.

The move. The move.

The move into our new home went well, but wore.me.out. I cleaned the entire townhome and filled up the closets on Thursday. Friday, the movers, a.k.a. John and Hector, emptied our storage unit. Furniture was set in place and I started the tedious task of emptying boxes. By Saturday afternoon all boxes were emptied and everything was pretty much put into place. On Sunday, John started hanging pictures and mirrors, we made a trip to Target and Home Depot to pick up a few odds and ends, and stocked up our fridge. Whew. We are adjusting to our new home nicely and hopefully by the weekend we will be completely settled, except for the nursery, that is. I am making great strides, however. 

I would not recommend being on your feet from dawn til dusk if you are pregnant. My stubbornness and O.C.D. got the best of me and now my feet, hips, and lower back are suffering the consequences. I exaggerate not when I say that the soles of my feet and top of my toes are BRUISED. On Saturday I attempted to wear socks with an additional sock padding on the heel. Didn't help. My Uggs felt great for about 5 mintues before my feet started sweating. Come Sunday I was limping around in so much pain I had to grit my teeth with every step. I guess that's the price you pay when you move at 28 weeks pregnant with an extra 24 pounds slapped on.

Here are a few pics of the progress made on our new abode:

...getting there!

movin' on out.

We're movin' on up and movin' on out. Finally. 

Yesterday, John and I signed the lease to the place we will call home for the next 8 months and tomorrow we get the keys! YAY!

The timing could not have been more perfect. This weekend is the only weekend, of the next ten weekends, that we have free to move. And luckily, this unit is move-in-ready...music to my ears!

I am so excited to get settled into 1102 and make it feel like home. I cannot believe that this is where we will be bringing Baby Bryant home to. I am already getting nostalgic just thinking about the memories that will be made in our little rental. Here's to new beginnings...

temporary home.

I am grateful for a lot of things right now, one of them being a rent-free roof over my head. I am so thankful for the many ways that my in-laws have provided for me and John over the past 4 weeks, but I have never yearned for the feeling of home as much as I do right now. I long for John to feel like my husband again and not just my roommate. I long for a different routine. I long to not feel like an intruder. I long to touch, feel, and use our "things" that are tucked away in storage. Our home is currently in a unit down the street.

I have drawn incredibly close to the Lord during this time of transition in my life. I have been constantly reminded, during intimate time spent in His presence when my heart wells up with these longings, that earth, not just my in-laws' house, is my temporary home and that these "things" that my heart values and yearns for are of the world...not of the Spirit. I am reminded that joy does not come from what I deem "comfortable" or desirable, but is a result of a devoted relationship with God and discovering His power, sovereignty, and plan amidst the most difficult circumstances life throws at me.

I am so thankful for God's grace because I tend to struggle with these feelings daily. I'm thankful for His mercy because time and time again, He forgives my flesh and reminds me of His promises and the truth of and hope in His Word.

As cliché as it sounds: "home is where the heart is." If His home is in my heart, my home is in Him.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (NLT) Ephesians 3:17-19

door closed.

Well, it's official. John and I are no longer residents at Hallman Hill. Wow, so surreal and bittersweet.

I have called #113 home for approximately 3 years now. It is where I made my first leap into "big girl status" by owning and not renting. It is where love was lost, but found again. It is where I spent time planning a wedding that would again change my status, this time from "miss" to "missus." It is where John carried me over the threshold and we started our new life together. It is where I first found out that I would no longer be just a wife, but now a mother, as well. It is where we established life-long friendships. It is where we have lived and loved.

I am not good at saying goodbyes. Really, I didn't have to. The memories made at Hallman Hill will stay with me for a lifetime. While we closed the door at #113, a new door has opened. One filled with opportunity and new memories. I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us and where the next place will be that we get to call home.

back.

I'm back home from the beach--back to life, back to reality. I must admit, it was hard for me to relax last week knowing that I would be coming home to a huge to-do list and a lot of unknowns. I also came home to this...

...and boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. 

I spent the majority of the evening yesterday doing laundry (6 loads to be exact), cleaning, organizing, and packing. John helped out by patching holes and replacing original hardware. Progress. I feel pretty confidant that we will have the entire condo packed up, painted, and cleaned within the next couple of days. 

And while we still aren't 100% sure where we are going to move, it's looking like we will be able to occupy a 2 bedroom condo in Hallman Hill until the end of December. This will give us some time to decide on our next move and, oh yeah, have a baby. Slowly, but surely, the pieces are fitting together. God is so faithful.

the calm before the storm.

Today John and I are heading to Carillon to spend our annual beach weekend with the Dilworth family. Fortunately for me, my vacation won't end on Sunday when John and the rest of the gang will be homeward bound. You see, my family arrives Sunday afternoon so I will be staying the entire week until next Sunday. 9 long days to relax, recoup, and spend quality time with my family. Ahhhhh. I cannot wait.

This trip will be my calm before the storm. When I finally jump back to reality I will be spending 3 (only 3) days packing, packing, cleaning, painting, and packing some more. And at this point, John and I aren't quite sure where we will be moving our belongings to. Crazy, right? To sum it up: we are about to hit the ground running in a direction unknown.

So, no updates from me for a week. Hopefully after we are settled somewhere I can recap our time at the beach. Until then, keep on and carry on.

XOXO.