Last Azaleas Picture - and the latest on our new house...

So, we did not close last week like we thought we would.

Nor did we close this past Monday like we subsequently thought we would.

The issue is the pool liner.  The relocation company who currently owns the house has agreed to replace the liner (for which we Praise the Lord!).  But it has rained so much here lately, that when the pool company started draining the pool last week, the form shifted.  Not good.  So they stopped...and said the ground needs to dry out real good...like for a week or two.  Then they'll be able to properly replace the liner.  We don't want any surprises, so we asked that the closing be postponed until all the work is complete.  (Because if we close and then something new came up, it would all be on us!)  So now we're tentatively scheduled to close on March 15th...but we'll see.  It will all happen in the Lord's timing...

In the meantime, here at the half-packed up house...


Our azaleas are blooming.  And it is so beautiful.  And it makes me wistful.  This will be the last time we'll be here for our azaleas blooming in this yard...and our new house doesn't have any (although we need to remedy that).

A few weeks ago was the 10-year anniversary of Jas and I moving into this house.  That is the longest I've ever lived anywhere...by a long shot.  (Before this the longest I'd lived anywhere was a few days shy of 5 years.)  We moved into this house as a couple...and now we're moving out as a Family-of-Seven.  This, of course, means that all of our babies have come home to this house.  None of them (even LK) remember any other home.

So, while we're all very excited about moving to our new house out in the country...it doesn't come without some reminiscent thoughts.

Back to the azaleas...

We have a tradition of taking the children's picture in front of them every year when they're in bloom.  And this year was, ummm.....interesting...




...mainly due to this little character:

His siblings did every thing they could to help matters along.

But he just wasn't very interested.

So, after trying - very unsuccessfully - for a minute or two...

...I decided to pack it in...

...and just be content with these very realistic pictures of what our life is currently like.

A little bit crazy..

 ...but full of fun...

...and oh-so-full of a whole lot of love!

Here is an excerpt from the azaleas post I did 3 whole years ago, in 2010:

The azaleas in our yard are in their full glory right now.

And it. is. beautiful.

I love when this happens every year...like an announcement: Spring is here. To stay.

It will soon be so hot that we won't want to be outside...unless we're in a pool.

But right now...right now it is fabulous. And we're outside alot. Eating multiple meals a day and doing some school outside.

I caught the kids last night right before we all headed inside for the night.





I love getting their pictures in front of the azaleas every year.


Here are our 3 cuties in 2008.



In 2007, we only had 2 cuties. And I was so enthralled with their cuteness, I didn't actually catch much of the azaleas.




Here they are in 2006. Ahhh...simply adorable.






And here is our first cutie - back when she was our only cutie - in 2005.

I just want to pinch those cheeks!

Looking back at year-over-year pictures like this always makes me wistful...teary even. My babies are growing up. I know that. I see it every day. But retrospectives like this always make it so obvious.

And while I wouldn't go back to that time even if I could...it still makes me wistful.


(For those of you observant enough to notice that we don't have any 2009 pictures, here is the explanation/confession: We pruned our azaleas at the wrong time that year, and they never bloomed in Spring 2009! Boy, did these non-green-thumbers learn our lesson!)