What's up in my neck of the woods? Well, actually just that!!!!! I HAVE WOODS!!!!! Yay!

We found out rather abruptly that we had to move in lightning-speed-fashion. I mean to say that we found out on a Thursday that we had to move. And on the following Thursday, we were MOVING. Imagine it: a family of SIX with no family near and a husband who works 2 jobs, moving ALL their stuff. Yeah, gets me winded just thinking about it. But, God blessed us with a phenomenal home-and I do mean HOME, not just a house. Something is different about this place than the previous 2 places we have lived in the last 16 months (yep-right again: We've moved THREE times in the last 16 months!!!). It feels like home. Now, don't get me wrong, I think I'm a mountain girl through and through, but for the last 16 months, it felt as if we had been on an incredibly long vacation with obligations and duties. We still have those obligations and duties, but there is something cozy, sweet, and just downright likable about our new place. It has four bedrooms--that's definitely a plus. Joe and Ben are still sharing a room (and Bar and I, but I figured that was a given) but the girls each have their own room. They were elated. It has a nice living room complete with fireplace (not that we need it down here....), a nice kitchen, a dining room that fits our gargantuan table, a HUGE schoolroom that houses ALL our books (AAAAAHHHHH! The sweet reality of knowing you don't have to eat spaghetti on top of that algebra book for lack of room!!!!), a Taylor outside furnace that burns wood and heats the house (in other words, there is basically NO heating bill!!!) and...... are you ready for this, my mountain friends.....?????

A POOL!

Yep, not just any ol' pool either- in INGROUND pool! There are woods behind the house complete with deer and lots of beavers, who just happen to build all kinds of dams in the creek that leads to a POND!!!!! So, yeah, it's great. It's unbelievable. The rent is cheaper (Barry is on cloud 9) and we have a monster of an attic in which to store our various array of stuff and junk.

But, all that aside, that's not what makes this house feel like home. There was just a different feel about this home. Like it was safe. Full of goodness. Honest. And that's where the HOME part fits in. The owners of the home had prayed and prayed and prayed in this home. It was worshipped in. It was the place their children learned of the goodness of my Lord. And you can feel it.

So, back to what's been going on. The move-obviously. Two birthdays--Katie is now 15 and Joe is now 11. A gazillion photo shoots (although I can certainly use more--keep 'em coming!!!), a crash where I lost much of my digital photo apparatus. Christmas parties. Organizing a Christmas Coffee House at our church. Practicing with about five different groups to minister at the Coffee House. And.... silly me. I added in making homemade Christmas cards to that list this year. My children have been making Christmas cards like maniacs. I try to be frugal, but in my efforts, have had a tendency to add expense to my sanity while exuding expense from my pocketbook.

Alas, it's a joyful season and I'm enjoying every moment with my sweet little ones. I can still say that, right? They aren't so little anymore, but they'll always be mine and they'll always need a tenderness that only I can give them.... so, in my book that makes them my sweet little ones. Yeah, feeling a little sappy tonight~~ Jackie found the big box of home videos during the move, and as most of you know, she is a sucker for a good home video. So, we've been watching and remembering good times with our mountain friends and family. Times when KT was 2 and already swimming in the deep end of the pool by herself. Times when Jackie was 6 and praying for God to "heal all the sick people, except the ones who are mean" (yes, that's what she said). Times when my big boy Joseph could crawl up in my then-tiny lap and say prayers. Times before Benjamin graced our family with his presence. Times when my Mama was alive, laughing, making silly faces, and loving my kids (yeah-I know she's alive now, laughing, making silly faces, and loving someone's kids..... but I can't SEE her doing it). Add that to seeing your big 15 year old daughter (the one who was aforementioned as the 2 year old swimming prodigy) drive right by you in the student driver car in an intersection (she never even saw me!), listening to Christmas carols, spending sweet card-making time with my kids, and having a warm, sleepy 4-year old blessing crawl up in my lap after his afternoon nap just cause "he wanted to"...... and well, you just have a very sappy, very sentimental mother on your hands.

Anyway, I digress. Check below for some of what's been going on at the NEW Galyean Battalion Barrack......

(hey, speaking of which--- email me privately for our new address. I'm needing some Christmas cards to show up in that mailbox at the end of the driveway!)





Having a good time dodging the stunt pilot while photographing his family at the local airport (yep, these are CHRISTmas card designs)......




Tromping around through the hayfields, finding beautiful things to click on.....

(although some weren't sooo happy about my "clicking" on them!!!)

Setting up beautiful on-location photo sessions with gorgeous families....

Constructing a Christmas setting at one of the local shops and photographing sweet children til my heart's content.......

Designing storyboards for Christmas gifts.

And there you have it.... my life over the past several weeks.

Look out coastal buddies: I'm beginning to get a real feel for the weather and good friendships we've discovered and are now already cherishing....

And mountain peeps: You better look out, cause when we come to visit shortly, I may just tackle each of you and let you know how much you're missed and how grateful I am to have you in my life...