Need advice!

I have finallygotten a set of picture frames for our family portraits. Now I need help hanging them up. I have two wall spaces that they will work on. One is in the dining room and the other is in the living room, neither are formal. I also plan to put up some wall vinyl with a family quote of some type. I am usung pinterest for the first time to help me find the right saying.

Here are some possible layouts. Please give advice!!!

one month update

So we have officially been in our new home for one month and here are some highlights...

-I have figured out which outlets to use to maximize my vacuum cord
-There are only a handful of boxes left and they have pictures and decorations in them or are full of all my books and photo albums and waiting for me to get a bookshelf!
-Everything really does have a place and it IS easier to keep clean (not spotless)
-(this might explain the one above) the kids spend 80% or more of their waking moments outside.
-Frances learned how to ride her bike (charlie learned last year)
-The kids all finally go to bed really well!!! (a struggle we have had for 8 years); however, Delaney did get very used to sharing a bed with Frances while in the hotel that she very often sneaks out of bed in the middle of the night and climbs in with her sister, and if her sister kicks her out I find her on the floor next to my bed, we need to work on that one)
-We have neighbors with chickens and they bring us fresh eggs weekly (not sure if that is a welcome to the neighborhood thing or if they just have too many, 3 dozen a week is a lot even for my big family)!
-The kids swam in the pool three times and mitch and I figured out how to winterize it and put the cover on.  We are very much looking forward to spring!
-We have been boating a few times and Mitch loves being able to back his boat right into a garage to let it dry out before putting the cover on!

Don't get me wrong, life is not all peaches and cream but we are finding lots of things to enjoy and be thankful for in this new chapter of our lives.  We will continue to miss our friends and activities from Indy for a long time!  We have struggled to be healthy pretty much since the week we packed up in Indy.  It seems like we can't get rid of the germs no matter what!  But then, it could be worse than stuffy noses and strep throat right? 

We really hope to have lots of people visit us down here!  We are looking forward to our first two visits this month!!!!!  Mya is being returned mid month by Mitch's brother and sister-in-law, and my mom and brother will be visiting for Thanksgiving!

Sweet Home......ARKANSAS??????

Well, we have had a huge change in our lives!!!! Mitch accepted a job in Arkansas and we moved the family across the country. Well, not all the way across but try traveling with four kids and it will feel like it! We spent the first 7 weeks staying at an extended stay hotel (lots of fun) and are now settling into our new home. We hope to have many visitors!!! We still have access to boating for those of you who visit us for that reason ;) and we now have a sprawling 3 acres to enjoy for the rest of you:) It was so wonderful to have Mitch's parent's stay with us the first week in the house. They were so very helpful in cleaning, painting, little fix it jobs (like switching the light switch and fan switch in every room, they were backwards), and of course to entertain the kids! The house was move in ready but we did a little painting in the girls' rooms. Enjoy the pics but come visit soon! We are now taking reservations!!!

Mitch went into the attic right away and this is what he found!

Delaney's room before

Delaney's room after, it still needs a brown accent along the top and vinyl polka dots in brown.

Frances' room before (the stripe is my painters tape, forgot to take the picture before putting it up)

Frances' room after

Boys' room

moving day...arkansas sledding!

Big truck could not make the turn onto our huge drive! Bummer for them!!!!! They were very friendly and did not complain!

See the sparkles in the paint?

Helping:)

Ready to swim!

Playset

"shop"

front of house. see creative landscaping for what must be a wet low spot!

pool area

our evening dinner guests...they come right up to our sidewalk!!!

time flies

I have not updated in forever and it is possible that I won't again for awhile:) Life is crazy in our house as we are a family of six! It is has been especially hard for me to blog since we have been fostering two young boys and I am not allowed to publish info about them. They are part of everything we do so I can't just update about the rest of us.

But...we have finalized the adoption of our three year old son! Introducing Charlie!

It is amazing for me to look back at pictures of when we first got Charlie. I had not realized how much he has physically changed! I know he has changed in so many ways but these amazed me!


It has been a long road but we have come so far! Charlie has and is developing into a fun young man. Although much different, we could not imagine life without him in our family!

And as for our other little man...we are hoping to be able to finalize the adoption the beginning of 2012! He is currently 10 months old and is a joy in every way (I guess not the diaper part) :) Pictures will come as soon as we are allowed! (he looks a lot like a little charlie though)

take the hint?

I was working on a Noah's Ark floor puzzle with the kids. When we finished they were all so calm and attentive that I decided to turn it into a Bible lesson. I asked them questions about Noah and his obedience and then sang them a children's Bible song about the ark. When I was done this is what transpired...
Frances: did you know God is talking to you?
me: really? what is he saying? (thinking he is pleased that I am teaching my children his stories)
Frances: He wants you to stop singing this song.
me: (amused)
frances: I prayed to him cause it is just so boring to hear you singing the same thing over and over and not stoping.

guess she has moved on from simple repetetive children's songs! At least she prays when she feels troubled right?

Cute as a bug

Laney tooted one day and I said "you are a stinkbug" she then says " I'm not a stinkbug I'm a lady bug"!

photo update

Some summer fun...

(that is me!!! look at that air under my board!)