What a difference a year makes!

At first, I was thinking that the kids still looked just like they did last summer. Then I found these pictures...

Wow! They were babies! I miss my two-year-olds! They were so little and so sweet and so innocent and I am pretty sure they never said, "NO! I'll do whatever I want to doooooooooo!" Don't get me wrong, they are still sweet (most of the time) and very cute and I can hardly believe they are getting ready to start school in less than three weeks! How did that happen?!? I have loved being home this summer and although I am somewhat excited about not being interrogated all day long I am a little sad to be heading back to work.

In other "Look How Far We've Come" news, can you believe that at this time last year we were living with Robbie's parents and our house looked like this?

We have been settled into the finished product for 8 months now (hardly seems like it) but I often find myself looking back at the pictures of the house as it was being built. I loved coming by to check on the house almost daily, to see what had been done. I loved the smell of the wood, brand new and warmed by the sun. I loved how the house seemed to change shape and size with every nail. I loved the anticipation of the home that it would become.

When I think about it, life last summer was a little bit CRAZY! Robbie was working insane hours, we were living in my mother in laws basement with our 2 two-year-olds, and constantly having to make decisions about the house. The weather was 100 degrees (I miss that) and the kids spent most of their days sliding down the slide into the kiddie pool. What a difference a year makes! This summer the cool weather is not the only change. The kids are now 3 and enjoying all of the space that came with the new house and yard. Robbie has a job with a lot more free time (but a lot less vacation) and the only decision we have had to make about the house is whether or not to open the doors to let the evening breeze in.

After spending two weeks at the lake, we returned home last Friday to a hot (but clean-thanks Babe!) house and when I walked in the door I was greeted with the same new wood smells that I hope I never forget. I stood in the kitchen and thought about just how much has changed in 12 months. Some things, like finishing the house, we knew (at least hoped) would happen but there are other things that we couldn't have imagined. Kind of makes me wonder, where will we be next August?