It has officially been one year since we moved here to Louisville. We closed on this house in March of 2018 and moved in that April. Moving is always a hard task, but little did we realize that the real work would begin after we were moved in! I lovingly call this house the rainbow house because when we moved in every room was painted a different color of the rainbow. The living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open concept but each one was painted green, yellow, and orange. The guest room was a Pepto-Bismol pink. Raylee's room was bright orange. The master bedroom was blue. Downstairs Continue Reading
What New Mamas Really Want for Mother’s Day
I recently saw a post about things that moms want for Mother's Day. And it was a joke! I do not want a pair of designer sunglasses. Don't buy me a purse or a candle. Nope. As a new mama, I can tell you what moms really want for Mother's Day. Or at least these are the things I want! Mother's Day Gifts for New Mamas 1. Sleep. New mamas get no more than three consecutive hours of sleep at a time for at least a month. Isn't that considered torture to wake someone up constantly so they never get a good night's sleep? I feel like I saw that on an episode of Criminal Minds. Sleep deprivation is Continue Reading
Word of the Year 2017
Every year for the past five years or so, I've chosen a word to represent the coming year. Last year, my word was New. I had prayed a lot about what my word for the year should be, and I felt God saying "new" over and over. Looking back, I can see all the ways "new" fit. After living apart for a year and going through some struggles, my marriage became new in 2016. We moved twice that year -- once to Missouri and then to Tennessee -- new areas to explore, new homes to make our own, new people to meet. We experienced loss last year, but we also got pregnant again and have got to see all the Continue Reading
How to Update Archive Posts
I began blogging at Seeing Sunshine around four years ago, and if you looked back at some of my very first posts (now known as archive posts) you might not recognize that it's me writing. Each year, I have gotten better at this blogging thing. I've learned a ton about good content, easy-to-read formatting, and eye-catching graphics, and I've grown so much as a blogger. As bloggers, we should constantly be improving, growing, and strengthening our blogging skills. Our spaces on the internet should keep looking better and better as the months and years go on. But what about all those posts Continue Reading
How to Find a Church After a PCS
Military life means a whole lot of moving. A PCS is a Permanent Change of Station, or in other words a move. Most military members and their families move every two to three years. As a military spouse, I have now moved three times in three years, and at the end of the month we're supposed to be moving again. All this moving can make it hard to find a community and a church home. I think finding a church that suits me is really difficult, and to be honest I never enjoy the search. It's hard to know on your first visit if it's the right church for you and your family. And since church only Continue Reading
To My Pregnant Friend After My Miscarriage
I have several friends who have recently announced their pregnancies. Others who are right in the middle of the pregnant happiness -- gender reveal parties and baby showers. I have other friends who have recently had precious, beautiful babies. This post is for them. A Letter to My Pregnant Friend ... After My Miscarriage Do you know how happy it makes me to see your belly grow? Do you know how much I love your little baby? Even in the midst of my own pain, I love to see your joy. I love seeing you happy and healthy and full of life. I know it's hard for you. You don't know what to Continue Reading
2016 Word of the Year
Last year, I broke all the rules and had two words for 2015 -- Brave Adventure. It turns out those were the perfect words for that year. I had to be brave many, many times, and a lot of the year was a complete adventure -- good adventures and bad. We bought a house and property for the first time. My husband and I were living separately due to the military. I traveled to South Korea. We visited Hawaii and the Philippines. I visited Texas and New York. Brave adventure for sure. As 2015 came to a close, I began praying about what my word for 2016 should be. I thought about the things that Continue Reading
Gift Ideas for New Homeowners
Travis and I bought a house at the beginning of this year. I've been living there and slowly fixing the place up since March. In those nine months of being a homeowner, I have discovered so many things I wish we had. Travis and I have talked about all the things we'd like to have as homeowners -- practical items that will come in handy as we fix up this home and even build our own home someday. As new homeowners ourselves, we thought it would only make sense to share these items with you as gift ideas for your friends and family who are new homeowners. Almost all of these items are on Travis' Continue Reading
6 Things I Learned as a New Military Spouse
I've been married for almost two years to a man in the military. Right after our honeymoon, I moved in with my husband who was stationed in Georgia at the time. Moving near a military base, spending time there, and listening to a husband talk about his job made me learn so much about military life. As an Army girlfriend, I really had no idea about so many of the things I know about now. Today, I'm sharing the six things I've learned as a new military spouse. 1. Revelry & Retreat Every morning, the American flag is lifted and Revelry is played over speakers throughout the Continue Reading
The Best Thing I Did Before Moving into my Home
When Travis and I bought our house, we moved all our stuff in but we didn't live there. We spent a few days pulling up all the carpet and replacing some light fixtures while staying with my parents down the road. Then we spent a week visiting his family in northern Indiana. After Travis left for South Korea, I stayed with my parents again for a couple weeks while we worked on the house. We had to get the water working and install a shower before I wanted to move in. There was one other important thing I wanted to do before moving in. Pray. I have to admit I was very nervous about moving Continue Reading
Tips for Installing a Ceiling Fan
We are slowly changing things in my "new" house. One of the biggest changes we made that really made a difference in how the house looked was pulling up the carpet and cleaning the original hardwood floors. Now, we've moved from the floor to the ceiling. We have been slowly installing new light fixtures in each room -- and it is making a big difference in what the house looks like! We aren't finished with all of them, but I wanted to show you some of the changes. (This post contains a few affiliate links. Check out my full disclosure policy here.) The very first light we changed was in the Continue Reading
Big Announcement
I have been waiting to share this with ya'll for months and months. I thought I would be able to tell you in the fall, but everything kept getting delayed ... until now. Travis and I are officially land and home owners. We have been in the midst of trying to buy property for what feels like ages but is actually more like 6 months. But this week we signed the final papers and it's official. How many of you thought this announcement was something else? Mmmhmm, tricked ya! It all started when the property next to my parents' house became available for purchase. Travis and I jumped at Continue Reading