Never go to HoGo without a plan.

It's no secret.  I have a thing for home decor.  

I love to shop for it, change it out, rearrange it, and look at it from different angles in my house.  Because that's normal.

While my friends Ashley and Treenah were over helping me unpack, they came to the following conclusion.  I like all things white and ceramic.  Tell me something I don't know.  I also have a penchant for pillows and side tables.  They just didn't get to unpack those boxes :)

Fortunately, I also like cheap.  And, if I'm not thrifting it or pulling it from someone's curb, it's probably from Homegoods or Target.  Which brings me to my venture to all things home and good and why it was a major bust today.

Problem A.

I took this ding dong with me.  Love him dearly, but have mercy this kid keeps me on my toes!  When he wasn't singing loudly (i.e. making robot noises), he was trying to distract me by trying to touch things on the shelves. I spent a lot of time brushing his hands away from shell wreaths and yard animals.  

Problem B.

The bigger problem.  I went with no plan.  I was lost among all the home goodness, passing through aisle upon aisle of accessories questioning my motives.  Did I come for bath rugs?  Do I need a 4 foot ceramic apple?  This rooster?  A stone buddah figure?  SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually came looking for my mantle.  But, again, no plan.  I didn't even Pinterest before I went.  

Here is the mantle and built-ins in very early stages.  I'm so not satisfied.  I (read: B), needs to paint behind the TV and bookcases to lighten them up.  Probably a shade of gray.  I will also paint the cabinets white.  Depending on how both of those work out will determine whether or not I also paint the stone surrounding the fireplace.  

So, I bought nothing.  Sigh.  But, I did Pinterest when I came home.  Here's some pinspiration...

 

I'm leaning toward the reclaimed wood box full of hydrangeas.  With maybe a lantern-looking thing one end.  Maybe my vintage blue Ball jars, too? And a mirror?  Some candles?  I don't know.  Obviously, I have a lot of thinking to do.  Commitment is hard.  

Blind, bold faith.

While folding laundry the other day, I believe - for the first time that I can notably remember - I felt like God was directly speaking to me: She's coming.  Out of no where.  I don't know who she is or in what context she'll be arriving, but I feel strongly that He sent me that short message as a sense of reassurance.  

Only the day before, I learned from our adoption worker that our profile was shown to an expectant mother who chose another family.  One without kids.  Ouch.  Strangely, that sting was short-lived and after crying to my mom for a quick minute, I just felt at peace.  That baby was meant for another family, and our baby is still our baby - whoever he or she may be.  

In a fit of crazy, perhaps, I washed a load of girl clothes that I've collected over years of thrifting.  They're not even infant clothes!  She,  of course, might not be a baby girl.  Might not even be an expectant mother.  But, in any event, I got to spend a few minutes folding cute baby clothes :)

The bigger picture, though, is how He used that message to draw me closer to Him and His word.  I paged through my Bible with nothing specific to read, but let him guide me to what He needed me to hear.  

I flipped until I came to Luke 11 - Jesus teaching on prayer.  Verses 9 and 10 stood out...

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks will find; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Wow.  Just wow.

Notice, however, that he doesn't say "tomorrow" or "soon."  He just reassures you that He will provide.  And, so, as I seek this morning, I pray for the she who is coming and how I can meet whatever need she may have.  I pray that I might serve her and glorify Him through it all.

Happy Sunday :)

Well, hellllllooooo, April.

So, don't ever pray to be busy.  Unless, of course, you're prepared to be really busy.  Like REALLY busy.  Like only the kind of busy that can be brought on by praying to be busy.  

Because God,  yeah,  He really does listen to and answer prayers!

This girl has been bizzzzzzzzzeeeeeee.

After praying and specifically asking God to fill my time and keep me busy back in Janurary,  He responded by making my February and March practically disappear into appointments, activities, conferences, work, home, and family goings-on.   

And, for that, I say thanks.  Though during those months I was absolutely saying, Why did I ever ASK to be this busy?!  I'm so busy I can't see straight!  I get it, God!  I'm busy!

So, what have we been up to in the past two months?  

Well, we bought a house!  We left our darling little Cape Cod and moved to a delightful neighborhood where the kiddos are plentiful, biking in the cul-de-sac is a nightly ritual, and WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE BATHROOM!  And, stop the world, there is a laundry room on the second floor.  I've never been so excited to do laundry in my life!  We've been here for two weeks and just love it :)

Hmmm, what else?  Well, my kiddo is growing like a dang weed.  Seriously, I bet he'll have grown 4 inches by the time we make it to his yearly checkup in June.  Y'all, he's going to be a KINDERGARTNER.  Kindergarten!  Ah!  

Still no baby at the Mullins' household.  We continue to pray and have faith in His plan and are still anxiously awaiting the day that we grow into a family of four.  If you know anyone who is considering adoption, please don't hesitate to put them in touch with me!  My email is babblingabby@gmail.com.  I hadn't really considered doing it before, but I've been thinking about putting our crib together in the would-be nursery.  It's an empty room right now and it looks so lonely.  Also, if you would pray for us, I would really appreciate it :)

Also, B graduated from Nash Academy in Lexington.  He's an official dog groomer.  So proud!

Hope y'all are well!  Off to catch up on my blog reader to what's going on with you!