Our Guest Room...

We officially have our guest room ready...now we need guests to come stay with us! My parents are coming next week, on my birthday, to christen it. But, we'd love to have lots of you come stay with us anytime...consider this your invitation!

Some pictures...

Here are two pictures of our bedroom...it's so big that it looks empty with our furniture! We need more! That's a nice problem to have. I am planning to paint it later, but this is what it looks like now.

Will spring ever come???

I feel as if I'm living in crazy-land! On Monday, it was almost 50 degrees...On Tuesday, it was 40 degrees...On Wednesday, we woke up to 3 inches of snow and we watched it snow all day...Today, it's sunny, the snow is gone and it's in the 40's again. What is going on??? Will we EVER have spring in Minnesota? I told Travis that I'm one snowstorm away from buying a one-way ticket to Hawaii! Do not let us go all winter next year, without going south for at least a week! I remember now why I moved to Florida in the first place!!

Despite my grumblings about the weather, we have had a great first week in our new home! We literally have said to each other, every night, "I love this condo!" There are so many things that we are thankful for...it's been such a gift from the Lord to live here. We never expected something so nice or so perfect for our needs. Isn't that just like the Lord though? He always blows our expectations out of the water when we trust Him with our needs. That's the key...trust. It certainly doesn't come easily, but it's worth the struggle.

Travis is gone tonight at an elder's meeting, so Ryley and I are chillin' on the couch. I keep telling myself that I'm going to rest and enjoy our new place, but everynight I find a new project to keep me busy! I have a giant stack of boxes that need to be broken down and some artwork that I'd like to hang...it's a wild Thursday night here at the Armstrongs!!

I'm going to post some more pictures of our guest room and our bedroom...and our closet, which I LOVE...as soon as I take them! I gotta go...The Office is about to be on!

Happy Easter !

Easter in the midst of chaos...

Well...we are finally in our new condo, after a week of moving boxes and furniture back and forth...praise the Lord! I was reaching the end of my rope with daily trips back and forth, loading and unloading. It feels really great to be in one place. We made a huge run yesterday with trucks and trailors to get all the furniture in and now I'm working from room to room setting it all up...which of course is due to my type A personality that will not let me rest until it's done! Travis is a good balance for me...he has no problem relaxing in the midst of boxes and messes...

So last night, in a state of total exhaustion, I realized that I forgot my iron at our old townhouse and I hadn't even thought about what we'd be wearing to church! The only bad thing about being on staff is that you lose your ability to slip in and slip out without anyone stopping you. My anonomous days are over!! So, we wore whatever had the least amount of wrinkles...which made us matching again. Much to Travis' delight. However, it was a beautiful Easter day, finally full of sunshine. We had a great service at Grace and then we went out for lunch with my cousins and their kids...and we ate way more than we should have at an amazing brunch! However, in all my moving chaos I somehow forgot to purchase a chocolate bunny, which I look forward to every year, so I'll be off to Target tomorrow to rack up some loot in the Easter clearance aisles! Better late than never!

To top off our day, I was thrilled watching the Master's and seeing an Iowan, Zach Johnson, win! I loved that he beat Tiger and I especially love that he's a Christian and he repeatedly praised Jesus for his victory...and he thanked and complimented his wife...and he's a die-hard Hawkeye fan...could he be any better??? The answer is no! It's good to be an Iowan today...

I'm posting some pictures of our living room, dining room and kitchen. We are loving our new place and I'm working like crazy to get unpacked and make it feel like home. What a fun Easter to remember!!

So far, so good...

It's Thursday today and I'm very ready for my husband to come home! I know he's having a great time, so that's good, but I miss him...and I'm pretty sure Ryley does too. Travis plays more with Ryley, so after a few days with me I really think he must be wondering when the fun is going to resume? He just gets lots of love and back scratching from me!

I realized this morning that I am sore and tired. I've been working and moving stuff everyday this week and so tonight I'm taking a break. I'm indulging in my cult obsession, The Office...which is supersized tonight!! I've been in withdrawl without Dwight and Michael for the last few weeks...nobody call me from 7-7:45pm. Just kidding. It is our favorite show and I'm sure Travis will be calling me for the update!

I'm putting some pictures up of the little guys I nanny for...Ben, Finn, and Barrett. Aren't they sweet? Of course they are so different from Olivia, but lots of fun. They are active with a capitol A! They keep me on my toes and they adore Travis! They ask me everyday if Travis is coming over and they usally don't hide their disappointment when I say he's at work! They are so cute and I love watching them. I still keep in touch with Olivia and I try to stay a part of her life. She is getting so old...she'll be 4 in June! I can't believe that. She's darling...just more beautiful than ever. I'll try to put a recent picture of her up as well. I'm hoping to see her this summer. Enjoy the boys!

Ok...let's try this again...

So, last July I decided that I would join the blogging world, not because I have such wonderful things to say, but because it seems like a great way to update our family and friends on our ever-changing life. However, I failed miserably and only got 2 posts up before I got behind and forgot about it! I've been thinking about it lately and would like to give it a real try this time. Of course, it stresses me out that I'm so far behind and my blog is already inconsistent, but I'm going to try to get over that and lay my perfectionism down!

We are once again in the middle of a major change...we're moving again! This time it's only to a different suburb, but still a lot of work nonetheless! We bought a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo that we are very excited about and anxious to get into. We've started moving a few things and we've started re-painting the kitchen...I'm so tired. But, it's going to be great when it's all done!! I'll put pictures up soon.

I'm living with Ryley this week while Trav is skiing in Colorado. He's getting some much needed "guy time" and I'm getting lots of design time. It's always better if I move stuff around and come up with new color schemes when my husband is not around! My indecisiveness drives him crazy!! The blessings and curses of having a design mind...lots of great ideas, but no sleep while I lay(lie??) in bed and imagine new things.

Here are some recent pictures of me and my favorite guys. Ryley loved all the snow we got this winter, including the 20 inches we got about a month ago...he jumped around like a kangaroo in the huge drifts! Of course Travis is a newly crowned 33 year old, as of Monday. I'm sure he'll love me posting that! These pictures are from last Sunday when he preached at our Church...he was one good-looking Pastor! His sermon is still not online yet, but when it is I'll post the link so you can hear it.

We are trying to stay warm this week...it's once again freezing in Minnesota. We even had snow yesterday. Not good. However, the sun was out all day today and somehow that makes me feel better! Here's hoping for a 40 degree day tomorrow!!