gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. (sarah ban breathnach)

Ah the homestretch. The light at the end of the tunnel. The taste of what life will be like when it's all done. The part where you're in pain, but you're almost done so you keep going. You say, i've gone this far, there's no reason to not finish. And thank God that we're in it together. Even our friends and family who don't live here have been such a huge help! They've jumped in with so much enthusiasm sometimes that jay, ben & myself don't know what to do with it! But we are so thankful for it. We need it. We thrive on it.

In less than 2 weeks, there won't be 5 people living here anymore. And come September, when the leaves change along with our lives, there will only be 3 of us (ben, myself & luke). The past 2 years have been a season. Well, more like an era, with lots of seasons. It's the little things that I'll miss. I feel like this house (and all that has come with it) has bonded us in so many ways. But i'm excited for what the house will be. It doesn't always have to be worked on. :)

I think the thing that gets me through most days is gratitude. Gratitude for what God gives me today. Isn't that all we have?
I'm thankful for Jay. He has this excitement about him. He's hilarious. And I can tell he thinks a lot. He's a hard worker. Sometimes he's too hard on himself, but so are most of us. It's just harder when we see it in others. I'm gonna miss his bursting into song, his random acts of clumsiness, and his laugh.

Debbie. She surprises me everyday. In the best way too. She makes me laugh so hard sometimes. She's good at reminding us to not take ourselves so seriously. Get over yourself. It's gonna be fine. Her laugh is contagious, and I'm gonna miss seeing her drink the same cup of coffee for the entire week. She's makes a great art film/Felicity buddy, and a great conversationalist and listener. She is one of the only people I know who can put words to complex and difficult situations and feelings.

And then there's luke. While he's not moving out, he's still someone i'm grateful for everyday. He keeps us in check. He notices when we're exhausted/spent too much time on the house. That's when he says, "movie night!" or he makes awesome ice cream and iced toddy for us. He took me out on a date last thursday. We went to some fun, new stores and saw the Way, Way Back. (so great. go see it.) He's a great brother and is one of the most caring guys I know. He also makes me laugh. A lot.

And ben, the love of my life. What can I say? Us, living with these guys has strengthened us in ways we couldn't even imagine. This is the guy who walked in on me dancing with the yoga ball, by myself. Probably to Coldplay. He could not stop laughing. And he loves me even more. He makes me laugh a lot too. He brings a type of honesty that is rare these days. Some days I hardly have it. He brings it and suddenly life is a little less confusing. And sometimes he strikes poses like this.

So this is what we do to keep ourselves sane. When life is heavy and you're burnt out, we let go. And trust each other.

                                                              The remaining list.

Baseboard (finally!!!) going in the dining area. Brotherly love. Dan ( my brother) showing the trim who's boss. Jeff doing some finish work with pallet wood in the kitchen.

For debbie's birthday we made sushi. Luke also made her dairy and soy free ice cream! And well, what can I say? Ice cream tastes better when you're being held up on the table and someone is feeding it to you.
My dad was a huge help and finished painting the soffits.
Jay texturing above the stairs. Which means I got to paint! Which means it's done!

Meet my cousin Liz and her bf JC! They're nomads for awhile. Their crew camped on our backyard and did tons of work! We were so grateful! They weeded EVERYWHERE, and JC sanded the downstairs sheetrock like a rockstar. It was so fun having them around.

New kitchen faucet. (retail: $800. habitat for humanity: $65) Finished trim! Ben had to rework the opening around the water heater to pass the appraisal. Sheetrock tape and mud. Jay and the laundry room. My mother cleaning. Bless her!!!

Now all that's left is the upstairs bath and downstairs family room. Piece of cake.
(p.s. if you'd like to see more hilarity, head over to facebook to see our "5 on a couch" series)