7 Quick Takes and a few leftover Christmas pics I finally found

We've had a lot going on lately, so I thought I'd share the latest as QUICKLY as I can because after all, I'm linking up with 7 Quick Takes this weekend (but when is it ever really that quick?)!

1.)

So we decided to sell our house recently (as in 3 weeks recently).  

We LOVE our house and planned on having the baby here and staying at least until this time next year, but as most things go, plans have a way of changing once you make them.  

Bill found out that he will be leaving for training up in Wisconsin over the next few months because he will be heading up a different department in Carmax!  We are so excited and proud of him with this new promotion and really feel that God's hand has been in all of this.  

It's just that the last month has been a whirlwind of a month especially because I'm getting more pregnant by the day.  

Remember this little guy?

Yep, he makes it a little bit tougher than normal to push it with packing up the house and chasing the girls around, but we love him all the same! ;)

So before we move out and list our house with a realtor, we decided to put it up for sale by owner while we are getting it ready to show.  Crazy?  Maybe.  But it's up and ready for some great new owners (sob, sob)!

OUR HOUSE LINK

We've got some signs up -

And flyers out front for pick-up - 

The response has been good for the 2 weeks it's been listed, so we'll see!  It's nice we aren't in a super big hurry to get out of here (sob, sob again).

2.)

My parents are more than gracious enough to let us move in with them while we're in transition (which could be for multiple months, who knows), and my only concern is that the girls will never want to leave their house.  There's a ton of space to run around inside, and then when it gets warmer, they'll have tons of room to explore outside and swim!

BUT there's even something bigger coming this spring - mom and dad's pet - 

Dad is getting a horse but it was MOM who gifted it to everyone else at Christmas! 

As I was looking for pictures of Ambrose the horse, I found a few Christmas Eve pictures that I had been looking for - the manger and grandpa reading the Jolly Old Santa Claus book - 

AJ photobombed the tree shot!  It was a 12 footer this year!  So great!

Now back to February...

3.)

Even though we aren't even close to finding a house because ours isn't sold yet, it's hard not to start getting all my ideas together for all the rooms in the new house.  So when I don't want to do anything around here, I'm PINNING pics to Pinterest and following Instagramers who's style I like, which I've learned is addictingly dangerous.  It's fun to start brainstorming, but we don't even know what the new house looks like haha... I now see why I stayed away from "pinning" for as long as I could!  

Here's a couple ideas for the girls' room - I just can't help it! 

and on and on and on... Bill would die if he knew how many pins I've made to our house board! :)

***I think I'll have to do BEFORE and AFTER pictures of our house when that time comes! 

In non house related news, here are some pics of the girls and what they've been up to lately -

4.) My sister hosted a house concert last weekend at mom and dad's for our good friend, Matt Faley.  His music is spectacular and Addie thought she was so cool because she got to stay up for the whole thing.  Here she is in one of the cool t-shirts we just had to get her -  

"Let your yes always be mine" is a line from his song, Ave Maria, and is on the t-shirt in a profile of Mary.  

His debut CD has 5 songs and is AMAZING!  You can get it off iTunes or here. 

Before everyone came to the house, the girls got to dance to Matt warming-up - 

Addie Jo just loved it and had the best seat in the house during the show ;)

5.) We've been hoping for snow ever since Christmas and haven't had much, but we are trying to make do with the very little we've gotten!

6.) We've had some fun trips to the museum and library this winter - 

And when we don't venture outside, we can be found doing the usual inside - 

 

7.) And lastly, Happy Valentine's Day!
We had a nice morning with a big breakfast before heading out to deliver cookies to neighbors and play at the museum for an hour.
The girls just loved their little baskets -

Hope it's been a wonderful weekend for you all and I hope to be back blogging soon!
Linking up with the consistent bloggers at This Isn't the Lyceum this weekend.

5 Faves - Toddler Toys During Our Move

In the midst of packing up the house, there have been a few key toys that the girls keep going back to every day.   I appreciate that they're entertaining enough to keep them busy for a good ten minutes!

Here are some popular toys in our house to occupy a 20 month old and a 3 year old -  

1.) Magnetic Dolls.

Melissa and Doug dolls.  There are enough outfits to share and it comes with two dolls.  A huge hit with both the girls!

They also really like this Julia sport doll too - 

Magnetic Dress-Up

2.) Kinetic Sand.  

I usually have some clean up after we get the sand out, but with having to vacuum everyday anyways, it's no big deal.  This is a huge hit with the girls and their dad! 

Addie talks about going to the beach every time we get this out! 

3.) Magnets again - Animal Magnets for the fridge.  

These might be such a big hit because they are for the refrigerator, which is in the kitchen, where the baking cart is, where June's boots are - all things she plays with when she goes to the kitchen!

Animal Magnets. 

4.) Doctor Kit.  

They have this Doc Mcstuffins kit and another one for animals that they constantly use to give check-ups - to their dolls, horses, the baby, etc.  

5.) Play Kitchen and Play Food. 

June will cook and cut and talk on the phone in her kitchen even when Addie and I aren't in the toy room with her - pretty cute that this keeps her so busy!

5.5) And one extra - Moving Boxes.

This is probably a given because what kid doesn't love to play with cardboard boxes (especially when there's an actual gift inside you hope they like)?  So when the boxes come out, the girls claim them as their ships and could play with them for awhile!  

Some boxes get destroyed but I think it's worth the $1.18.

There you have it.  Toddler toys that have saved us while packing up the house! 

Only a couple more weeks until the house will be free of clutter and staged... woo hop!

Linking up with Call Her Happy.