Top 10 Reason We'll Always Love Prowess Lane

10. We built it and designed it from the ground-up

9. We made some of our very best friends, The Sepanski's, while living here.

8. We got our first painting, decorating, and yard work experiences living here.

7. It was ours...and Chase Financial's, but nonetheless, it was OURS.

6. Trey proposed in this house and we got married while living in this house.

5. Cook-outs with amazing people in our driveway...because the backyard was too small to fit everyone! (lol)

4. All the family celebrations that were spent here...even though we were always cramped because our family is so big!

3. Ailey was conceived and BORN HERE in our BATH TUB!

2. We bonded as a blended family in this house.

1. For 2 1/2 wonderful years, it always felt good to come HOME to this house:)

Slowing down a bit....

August 18, 2006 I met Trey Montgomery. October 13th, 2006 we shared our first kiss...which caught me by surprise and confirmed that he liked me a little more than a friend. On January 25, 2007 we found out (surprise!) that I was pregnant. October 2, 2007 we met our beautiful baby boy, Joey. December of 2007 we bought and moved into our first home. January 25, 2008 Trey asked if I would be his wife. February 15, 2009 we found out we were expecting AGAIN. April 25, 2009 we tied the knot. November 8, 2009 I got the daughter I had been praying for in little Ailey Grace. March 2010 God let me know that our family would be venturing down the path to adopting from Ethiopia. April 11, 2010 we sold our house. April 20, 2010 we signed a contract on a new, bigger, house in Tega Cay.

Right now, I'm in the middle of packing and preparing to move out and then move in. I've enjoyed all of the blessings we have received since Trey and I fell in love, but we are so ready to slow down a bit! While house-hunting we were deciding between a huge 3100 square foot serious fixer-upper with 6 bedrooms, smelly carpet, insulation falling out, and out-dated EVERYTHING and a 2300 square foot, beautiful, 4 bedroom home that needed a few updates, but was otherwise in great condition. Obviously the appeal of the fixer-upper was that it was quite large. Knowing we were being called to adopt we thought that we would be stupid to not take the larger space and then take on the challenge of renovations. We made arrangements and a contractor came out to look at the place. He took measurements and said he would get back to us with quotes on all the work that needed to be done.

After our visit with the fixer-upper, we stopped by the smaller house that we were also considering. Being in the pretty house after the stress of discussing renovations with the contractor was like getting a big hug from a long lost friend. We were overcome with a sense of peace and relaxation. It was so easy for us to envision ourselves in this home. It was so pleasant being inside this home. We started to feel guilty for wanting to take the easy path and for wanting to move into a home that we wouldn't be able to stay in for forever since we wanted to adopt.

I cried a lot of tears. I LOVED the smaller house. Trey shared that he just wanted someone to tell us that "it was okay to move into the smaller home". We both wanted it. We wanted it for ourselves and we wanted it for the children that we already had. I started thinking of our children in Ethiopia. I started thinking about the ages of the children we already had. I started to get really sad when I realized that our time with Carly and Conner was already limited enough as it was...and that bringing more children in during their childhood is going to mean even less individual time with them. This smaller house was a better location for them to ride their bikes to the park. To swim in the lake. To go out in the boat that we would one day have. The backyard was great for them to get out and play in. THIS HOUSE was perfect for our family the way it is now...but not for how it would be in the future. I figured that it would be better for EVERYONE involved if we pumped our brakes a bit. We had just been declined from one of our top choice adoption agencies because they said that our youngest baby was too young and our debt to income ratio was too great to adopt at this time. Maybe we should pay attention to that. We have also received a lot of advice on adopting in birth order. Maybe we should consider that, as well.

So, instead of rushing through another 4 years of life, we are going to slow down a bit. We are going to relax and enjoy what we have. We are going to focus on the bits of actual childhood that Carly and Conner have left. We are going to get some debt paid off. We are going to reach for promotions at work. We are going to allow ourselves to adopt in birth order. I have been wrestling with a lot of emotions in delaying adoption, but I think even our adopted children will benefit in coming home to a family that is debt-free and completely prepared for them to join the family.

So, we prepare our fields some more before raising our barn. I am really excited to slow down a bit. I am used to such a fast pace that it may take some getting used to, but I think our children will really (hopefully) thank us for it. :)

It's a HOME, It's a TOUGH DECISION!

With our house sold and a cut-off date of June 3rd to get enrolled in the neighborhood schools in Tega Cay, we are frantically trying to figure out where we are going to live. Our closing is in 3 weeks and it would be nice to move from one house to the other instead of renting out a storage unit and essentially making 2 moves when we could just make one. At the same time, sometimes these things cannot be rushed. The house that we feel we must move in to to make our dreams of adoption come true needs, well, some work...some TLC! It's so hard to be patient, but it looks like taking our time, hiring a contractor, a structural engineer, and an inspector, are going to pay-off in the long run. Hopefully all signs will be "go" and we can get moved-in before the school year comes to a close. We are still in a full-out battle with bio-mom over where the big kids should attend school, but with no one living in Indian Land, we will have no other choice but to
(aw shucks) enroll Carly and Conner in THE BEST schools in the state (another reason we love Tega Cay).
The choice is between a lovely, wooded, 4 bedroom, 2300 square foot home with a boat slip that needs NO WORK listed at $250,000, and a not-so-good-looking, also wooded, 6 bedroom, 3200 square foot home that needs A LOT of work listed at $215,000. Decisions decisions....
I know this: that God is leading us and that He will help us to decide. Even though I so badly want to move in to the smaller, beautiful, more-expensive, EASIER, house....I think that what I want might not matter....
Below is what we are working with here:


I'm sure you can guess which is which! We need prayers that we are led to make the right choice...it's a big one! xoxo

Last minute getaway....

So, last week, before the festivities of Easter weekend, I made a last minute decision to get away to the beach. It was just me and the babies. The big kids were at their mom's house and Trey was behind at work, so the timing was perfect. It was a test of nerves driving down to Ocean Isle with a 2 year old and a 5 month old....the dvd player was a lifesaver. When we finally arrived to the Ardrey beach house, it was as if I hadn't just listened to the in-van craziness for the past 3.5 hours. What a sweet little place. The house was one the far East end of the island. There was a pretty view from the kitchen and front porch. We found the upstairs bedroom and loft to be the perfect place for me and the babies to settle in. First order of business for Joey...get to the beach. After unpacking a few things I threw together a beach bag and we headed down to the water. The effects of being cooped up in a mini-van all morning were definitely showing as Joey ran around and chased after me as I pushed Ailey in her stroller. That afternoon the wind was fierce and the temperature was just right. We headed in for baths and dinner and then played on the porch as the sun set. We stayed for another day and a half. It was such sweet time with my babies. Of course, doing everything alone was exhausting, but it was worth it. Joey had so much fun playing on the beach. He loved collecting shells and making sandcastles. Little Ailey saw the ocean for the first time and felt the sand between her toes.

There were many photo opportunities....beautiful babies + beautiful scenery = MAMMARAZI! haha. I think that my kids think that having a camera in their faces is a normal part of life.
On our last day there we tracked down my spring breaking sister and spent some time with her. She had her "big boy" friends with her and Joey really enjoyed getting their attention. They were great with Joey and they all had a blast getting in touch with their inner child while digging giant holes and burying one another.
Getting away was just so good for me. Being at the beach is so calming and refreshing. It was good for Trey, too. He was able to get so much of his end-of-month work done that he got his monthly bonus! I told him I wouldn't have a problem going out of town at the end of every month...wink wink. Breaking free from routine, every once in a while, is GOOD! GOOD! GOOD!

Its not "just a toy"....

Dear parents,
Today Conner came home with yet another new "toy" from his Mother's house. After getting in trouble for not listening, we comfiscated his shiny, new, expensive I'm guessing, Nintendo DsI. After Conner went to bed Trey and I decided to investigate this new gadget. We found it had unrestricted, wireless, internet access. We also found we were able to browse hundreds of pornographic websites and images. We set every single parental block possible and still haven't decided if he is getting the stupid thing back. As parents in this day and age we should never, as Conner's Mother did, assume that a toy is just a toy. The filth we were able to access on that thing was detrimental to our child's innocence and safety. It makes me sick to think of how many children out there have parent's as clueless as bio-mom. Do I think my 7 year old would ever seek those types of websites out? No. BUT, here's the kicker, all we did was google search the word "sex".....

more important things

I have this sister-in-law and she's incredibly passionate about things that really matter in this life. Recently I casually asked how things were going with their adoption of an Ethiopian baby. She started filling me in. She kept talking and stupid me kept asking and asking and asking. Finally she referenced some blogs about families who adopted and said I could learn a lot more from them. She volunteered to e-mail me the links. "No! I'm too afraid to look any further in to it!" We have four children already, you see. I was supposed to feel "done" after the birth of our last daughter, but that wasnt/isn't working for me. I had just gotten dear hubby to agree to a 5th bundle of joy, he would NEVER go for adopting on top of that! No, looking further into the world of adoption would not do me any good.

A few days passed since mine and super sister-in-laws conversation. Feeling a little brave and overwhelmed with curiosity, I YouTube searched, "Ethiopian Gotcha Day". These are videos of parents journeying to Ethiopia to bring their precious, no longer orphaned, children HOME. I couldn't stop watching. I made hubby watch a number of particularly sweet ones....which made him turn to me with my eyes full of tears and say, "you arent getting any serious ideas, are you?". I lied and told him I was just curious.

This led to me texting my SIL....."Hey, will you go ahead and e-mail me those links?" This made her laugh.....she knows me well and was probably expecting this. So she mailed them. So I read them. I laughed, I cried, and I felt something deep within me saying that adopting would be a part of my life....my family's life.

Well, this could never happen! I told my stupid big heart to cut it out and get over this unreasonable idea. The more and more I prayed to God to take this new desire away, the stronger it grew. What an annoying concept. I found myself on my knees, my heart breaking for the orphans of Ethiopia. I had done my research. I could not pretend I didnt know what was going on over there. I was led to Proverbs 24:11....

Rescue the perishing,
do not hesitate to step in and help.
If you say "that is none of my business" will that get you off the hook?
Someone is watching you closely, you know-
Someone not impressed with weak excuses.

Okay! I hear you!

BUT remember? My sweet husband, Trey? The one who dreams of retirement and getting the kids out of the house?

I prayed that God would give me the right words at just the right time to impact Trey the same way I was being impacted...and He did! As I told my husband what I felt called to do, he listened and did not judge. His heart was open and he saw what my heart looked like as I told him I knew how crazy it sounded....but that despite the craziness, I knew our family could do it....could bless and be blessed through adoption. Then....he agreed:)

House selling, hunting, and a little more waiting than anything else...

I really need to let my realtor know I no longer want to be notified via email by central showing. I get far more emails each day than I do phone calls which means that each time the email notification goes off my heart skips a beat. Why? Because hearing from central showing, so far, has meant that I have exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes tops to prepare my home to be sold. The moments following the alert go something like this:
Call central showing to confirm in the MOST FAKE VOICE that, "sure, we'd LOVE to show the house today and we are ready!"...lies! Hang-up and get Joey occupied with the simplest, least messy, activity possible. Movie or today, I let him ride his tricycle in the garage with the garage door down! Pray that Ailey will nap or not scream like crazy as I start by making the bed and then go into the kitchen to empty the trash, notice the dishes in the sink, do the dishes, get back to the trash, go to empty the trash in the bathroom, end up bleaching the tub, go back for trash can, notice the mirror, go to get windex from the kitchen, notice the stove top needs cleaning, clean the stove top, get the windex, windex the mirror, finally take that trash from the bathroom outside, open the van doors, leave front door open, start throwing laundry in the van, throw things in a bag to leave the house, go to get the vaccum, notice dusty televisions, dust televisions, finally vaccum and so on and so on until both of my children are screaming of neglect and I am panting and searching frantically through the diaper bag I just crammed full of "leaving the house essentials" for my inhaler. WHEW! This will be the death of me. When we are moving all these things down to our home in Tega Cay it will all be worth it.
Here's the real kicker about this morning's "showing episode"....no one showed.