Day 4,495

The Daddy Dance Practice

When they ask you to lead singing and dancing for VBS, you get the crew together to practice the moves!

Yes. Adam on stage. Singing and dancing. Real. Life. That, my friends, is dying to self 😂

Day 4,430

The Lord's Mercies are New Every Morning

I will never tire of these new morning mercies. Praise the Lord.

Day 4,417

The Nap, the Jab, the Study With Dad

Day 4,345

The Word is Life

Day 4,259

“(At) The top of the hill stood a cross, and a little below at the bottom was a stone tomb. In my dream, just as Christian came up to the cross his burden loosened from his shoulders and fell off his back. It tumbled and continued to do so down the hill until it came to the mouth of the tomb where it fell inside and was seen no more.”

-Pilgrim's Progress

Day 4,190

The Many Smiling Faces

Walking puppies and kitties by morning. 

Reading and listening by lunchtime. 



Swimming and splashing by late afternoon. 

A child’s best summer day. 

Day 4,190

The Friend Week Continues!

Swimming

Mommying



Reading. 

These slowed down yet fast paced days are quickly becoming something of a treasure to me. My pastor’s wife says it often: the days are long but the years are short. And I’m really seeing the incredible value in being home, being present in the church body, and loving these babes in a way I’ve only been able to because of Adam’s conviction and direction out of his baseball career. The Lord’s ways are truly so much higher than ours…and far better as well. I’m more thankful than I’ve ever been. 

Day 3,973

The Celebration of Lives

Our sweet friend, Sondra (pictured middle), passed away a few weeks ago and on Wednesday, I was able to attend her memorial service. It was a day of celebration as we remembered a woman who’s 78 years were filled with a heart that rejoiced in serving the Lord, even in spite of the many physical ailments she faced throughout the entirety of her life. She was my first Florida “grandmother,” so often reminding me of my own and teaching me early on in my faith what it looked like to be intentional with those that God places into our lives. She opened her home up to our newlywed small group and taught us—mainly without words—hospitality, homemaking, loyalty, longsuffering, contentment, and consideration of others. She was an early reader of this now-decade-long blog and was rare to miss a day of our adventures. We will miss her friendship, her kindness, her particular thoughtfulness, and the smile that everyone quickly came to love. 

Thank you for everything, Sondra. I love you friend. 

Little did I know however, that as I sat at the funeral of a dear friend, my own home was quickly turning into a very dangerous situation. And as I walked through the door upon arriving home, I was both relieved everyone was alive and urgent to attend to the matter. 

Before leaving home, I didn’t tell our babysitter that our oven is run on gas. What we now enjoy as an unexpected perk upon buying The Cottage, we also realize is potentially incredibly dangerous if not used properly. 

At lunch time, one of the kids must have scooted up against the knobs and knocked the gas line to two burners on. Without the ignition of the flame, the gas continued to pour out of the burners. Intentionally, gas companies add an awful smelling sulfur compound to the gas so that if there’s a leak, you’ll know by the smell. BUT if you’ve never had gas before (like our babysitter and us prior to this home), you’d never correlate the smell with a gas leak. Instead, she was left with this awful smell stinking up the house for an hour and never being able to pinpoint the source. It got so bad, that she tried lighting a candle to get some momentary relief from the stench. But PRAISE GOD, the lighter didn’t work and she gave up on it. 

When I walked into my home that afternoon, the overwhelming smell led me to first call our firefighter friend who told us to leave the home immediately and call 911. 

Thankfully, nobody was showing symptoms of poisoning and our home was cleared of gas. 

I did end up taking Molly to the hospital, just to be sure of some funky readings she received from the firemen. The doctor was ready to assure us that she was totally fine. 

It was a day I won’t quickly forget. The Lord’s hand in protecting my children and dear friend is so evident and has given me yet another reason to trust Him even in—especially in—the normal, mundane moments of life. The moments where life really lives. 



I lay here more and more grateful for the gifts God has so graciously given me in the lives of my children and the smiles of my friends. I pray I would cherish them more and more and grow in urgency of Gospel proclamation because oh, how delicate life on this earth really is. 

PSA: if your home runs on gas, get a detector and be sure to tell anyone staying in the home or babysitting while you’re gone what to do in the case of a potential gas leak. Now, I know. I didn’t before. 

Day 3,944

The Twinkle Crew

Tuesdays are for violin!

Week three and the children learned the second half of Twinkle Twinkle. They’re loving it and progressing quite quickly. I’ll have to add a video sometime to capture their skills. It’s not your typical “Twinkle Twinkle” song, but much more involved and quite impressive!

Once a month, they also get to attend a class with other children in the program who are practicing at the same level. It’s fascinating to witness these babes pick this up with such precision and ease! 

And talk about progress…we’re sure making a ton on the Cottage! Currently: built-ins. I got a set of cabinets given to me for free from a friend of a friend. Turns out, these puppies fit EXACTLY into the space we were hoping they’d fit into; 17 inches deep, just like the duct work in our home. We couldn’t be more thankful!

Day 3,943

The Final Move…For Awhile

First: gymnastics. 

Handstands on the bar at 4 years old. Why not!!?

Second: more gymnastics. 

This time, a crying two year old. 

Third: special delivery!

Two truck loads worth and we got it all to the cottage!

Fourth: “cleaning.”

Mom and Dad do the work, the kids do the play. 



Fifth: Cleaned!!

Bye bye 17th home since March. 

FINALLY: we’re home!!

I could cry. 

What a year. 

Day 3,714

The Fourth Year of Bearett Conley

And just like that, Sunday marked four years since the Lord so kindly brought Bearett into our lives and gave him to us as our own son. To think that that little redheaded, adorable boy was only the size of Ella Mae when we gave him our last name, I am in awe. We’ve grown and cried and loved and learned in ways we never would’ve without Bearett by our side and I can’t  even begin to put into words how proud we are to call him Son. He is a treasure unlike any other. A fascinating, intricate, hard-headed, tender-hearted adventurer who just wants to know and be known. To love and be loved. Well my boy, as long as I live, that’s exactly what I will continue to give you, the best way I know how. Adoption to us has always been the most beautiful picture of God’s love toward His people, in that though we did nothing to deserve it, He chose us as heirs, as His own sons and daughters purely because of His great love. A chosen people. Adopted into His family. And just as Bearett first said all those years ago, “I’m the lucky one because I get to be adopted twice.” Lord, if there’s anything I could ever desire for him in his whole life, it would be exactly that. That he would rejoice in the fullness and beauty of adoption as not just my son, but Yours. 

Thank you for making me a Boy Mom, Bubba. I am crazy about you and love you so much. Thank you for teaching me and being patient with me, and making me laugh and delight in ways only you can. You’re an incredible joy, a blessing, a gift and I can’t wait for all the years ahead of us as we grow and learn and experience all that God has for us. 

_______________

Adoption Day and Fall Festival always collide, which is something we LOVE so much! So many reasons to celebrate, so many reasons to smile! This year, the kidlets decided after perusing Pinterest, that their make-at-home-costumes would be grandparents! So grandmas and grandpa, they were!







!!!!!!!!!

They don’t come any cuter! 

We were crazy excited to put our costumes together and head to Fall Festival at church, but the babes do like the thrill of going door-to-door, so we decided that we’d drive to that little house we saw on Saturday—the one in which we put an offer in on Sunday morning right before church(!)—in order to trick-or-treat there and to keep an eye on all the interested parties looking to buy The Cottage. 

To my surprise, there was nobody viewing the home when we pulled up. And being that Adam and I drove separately, I cautiously parked right outside the front of the house, leaving enough room for Adam to park behind me, figuring the next agent and their client would be coming at any moment. Instead, I watched Adam swoop his gigantic truck into the driveway of a house that everyone and their mom had been viewing those first 24 hours and I was mortified. “BABE! YOU CAN’T PARK THERE!! Move your truck, Adam!!”

“It’s my driveway, I’m parking here.”

ADAM, MOVE YOUR TRUCK. IT’S NOT YOUR DRIVEWAY YET!!

“It’s my house, I’m parking here.”

ADAM! You’re being ridiculous, GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY!!

With an ever increasing grin spreading across his face, “It’s my house and I’m parking right here.”

YOU DON’T OWN…wait what? No way. NO WAY!! NO. SERIOUSLY?! IT’S OURS?! They accepted our offer???

“She called me on the way here. They accepted our offer and I’m parking right here in my driveway.”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 31 is proving to be quite the day in the lives of the Conleys. My daddy passed away that day, we bought our first house that day, we adopted Bearett that day, and we bought our second house that day. I love how special it is and all the memories we’ve made so far. Just know, if you ever have to bank on something big happening in the lives of the Conleys, your best bet would be on Fall Festival!!



Turns out, it was also the last night in our most recent Airbnb, and we had A LOT left to do. Thankfully, I’m well versed in lack of sleep, so we managed alright. We’re supposed to close on The Cottage by November 19, and finally, we’ll be able to—Lord willing—put our suitcases away for a while. 

Day 3,480

The Last Night’s Sleep in the First Conley Home

Around 9AM, we dropped the 4 rugrats off with their sweetest friends, dropped by to fellowship and watch big machines move dirt (so fun!), and prepared for the finish line. With closing Wednesday, Monday was set to be one of two enormous work days for the Mama and Dada. 

It started off a little rough. With only two of us, it was up to tired brains not only to move the stuff, but to figure out how to Tetris it AND what to even pack in the first place. With so much up in the air at the moment, we gave our best guess...and effort. 

I finally decided just to move everything remaining out into the living room—where no couch existed and where countless bags sat in its place—in order to give us an idea of the extent of our project. 

Unfortunately for us, it just kept on growing. 

Thankfully, the children were SO tired from their outrageously fun time with Mrs. Karen that they went nearly straight to bed, no likely realizing that this night was the last they’d ever spend in their First Ever Home. 

My heart. 

What a sweet home it’s been.