while the parents are away . . .

Thanks for the pictures, reni! The kids are running amuck at my paren'ts house and I have a feeling I miss them a little more than they miss me :)! PS, isn't Dash a cutie?

A few pix from the farewell parties . . .

Moving Update

So, we are mid-move and excited about what this next adventure holds.

Here's an update:

The kids have said goodbye to all their friends and are officially living in Utah for a month or so. Saying goodbye to all their friends was painful. It is hard to leave such amazing people. Okay I am already starting to cry so moving on to a new subject . . .

We have a contract on the house and should close Jan 22! YEAH. We are so grateful and are hoping everything will go without a hitch.

Kyle is in bama packing like a madman and finishing last-minute house repairs. We miss him already.

I am leaving the kids in Utah for a bit while I return home to close the house and finish packing. Then Kyle and I are going to cross-country it and try to find a place to live in Nevada.

In 2008 we really felt strongly about moving to Demopolis. It went against the grain on a lot of levels but we have learned SO MUCH and made such AMAZING friends that we can see what a blessing it was to our lives.

After two years of searching and praying for the right thing, I can't describe how it feels to have things all come together and get a solid yes. We feel so loved and blessed.

Anyway, I thought you would like to see our branding concept tucked away for some future time. I love the tagline. It is our theme lately on many levels.

merry christmas, everyone!

My favorite picture from christmas. All she wanted was a bow and arrow.

Dash is just like his dad. Already likes to work in his shop.
All Katie wanted was a tea set.

dash loves this star.

house for sale. and i will throw in the wreaths!

gingerbread fun!

Also, as a totally random side note, i think beds should be named after how many kids you have. for example, instead of a queen, you would have a 3 kid king. That way you could all fit. Because 5 people in a queen bed all night is a little tight and makes for a very early christmas morning!

Lake Tahoe Here We Come

The Gillespie family has big news. Kyle has accepted a job in northern Nevada and we are making the big cross-country move in January. It is a bitter-sweet decision. We will miss many things about the South and the amazing friends we've made in Demopolis. (We are thinking of packing them in the moving truck.) However, we are almost giddy to be closer to our families, mountains, and the hobbies we grew up loving.

This week has been a whirlwind. It is awesome to see two years of prayers come together in one week. We have learned so much and are so grateful for last 5 1/2 years in Alabama. We hope that we won't lose friends but instead our friends will gain a vacation destination!

Favorite quote of the week:

Kate:'But I don't want to sell our house!'

Mom:'We have to so we can live closer to the grandmas.'

Deep reflection . . .

Kate: "I HATE this BORING house!"

Seriously, she is the funnest 2 year old around!

Dash's B-day and School Christmas Party

This first picture made me cry when I saw it. Kyle is the best husband but he is an even better dad. I am so blessed that my kids have him in their lives. He is quiet to most people but he really knows how to love.

Our Christmas party on lilypad lane. I love these kids and their moms.

Ella and Kate, in December, in the rain. At some point you have to not fight it and say, sure, wear your swimsuit in the rain and see how long you last in the cold.

Regardless, there is something freeing and wonderful about playing in the rain and mud in a month when you should be wearing scarves and gloves.

That is one gift I hope to give my kids as a mom. I want them to know what it's like to be without boundaries . . . to be creative, to love, to be free, to innovate, to experience rain and sunshine . . . to know what happy feels like deep down.

My demopolis family.

Where do they come up with this stuff?

I have to write it down or I will forget:

Ella
Ella and I were talking about going to first grade next year. She asked what she should do if the kids were mean to her. I told her to just be kind and things would work out. Then she said . . .

"Oh, I have a great idea! I will gather my friends around and then I will tell them about Jesus!"

Kate
Has been filling up her sippy cups with water, inserting pollypockets, and putting lids on them. They are all over the bathroom and are kinda freaky, i'll admit. Did she see the movie Prestige?

On another note the other day I was poking my belly out at Kate and just for fun asked her what she would think about having another baby. "You mean like Dash?" No, a new one, I told her. "You mean like you're going to swallow a person?" I thought that was pretty funny.