how do you like me now?

Did you know that we have been living here in Alabama for over a year now? We crossed that milestone in early January - speaking of which, I cannot believe that here we are at the very end of January!! wow!! - and I gotta say, I  never, ever want to leave. I love it here so much. It didn't even take a year to fall in love with the place. I love feeling this stability, having friends, being able to put roots down and hopefully grow!

I was just going on a cleaning spree through the living room and finding it quite enjoyable when I remembered way back when I hated cleaning and you couldn't get me to do it without kicking and screaming. When my house looked terrible with piles of toys everywhere, dirty clothes piling up and clothes that needed to be folded spilling out of laundry baskets... where the bathrooms had towels everywhere and the beds were never, ever made. Yeah. I look back on those days and I am downright ashamed of my lack of self-respect and love for my family to make us all live like that. It wasn't dirty - but it surely was terribly messy and cluttered.

I blamed it on having a baby. Really, I was just lazy and didn't want to. I admit it.

Shame, shame, shame.


But now... I love to clean. I don't grumble {much! sometimes I do, I'll be honest!} and complain about it because I like to take care of my family and I like to make sure that my house is nice and presentable - because here, people actually want to come visit us! And we don't have to run around like chickens with their heads chopped off in a mad rush to get the house presentable the day before company comes!

How this transformation happened, I have no idea. Maybe it's just my perspective that has changed, maybe it's the change of scenery... no clue! But whatever it is - I'm glad it happened.

And I know my family is, too. And our friends, ha!

I know there are a few people who have known me all my life and probably remember how my room was always completely messy, how I couldn't cook {did I mention I also love cooking??}, how I just was not the ideal housewife material... I know they are surprised more than anything! It's beautiful, isn't it??

Ahhhhh.... I'm just going to sit here and enjoy the smell of my furniture polish...