SUPER CAT SPEED!

Tonight, we will walk the streets of our cute little town and return home with a bucket full of candy. Why, you ask? Because it's Halloween!

Braxton picked out his own costume this year, a first for us, and neither TJ nor I were surprised when he picked his favorite all-blue character: Catboy! The past six or so months have been full of all things BLUE, and this PJ Masks star was a perfect fit for Braxton's obsession. We don't watch PJ Masks often because we don't have cable, but that doesn't stop Braxton from talking about it and yelling "SUPER CAT SPEED!" as he runs around the house in a fury. Between that and Chase from Paw Patrol (another blue character, mind you), this kid would stay glued to the TV all day long just to get a glimpse of them. Too bad Mommy won't allow that to happen!

We have been anxiously awaiting this night, and we can't wait to continue the tradition of trick-or-treating with Braxton's best bud, Maddox, and his parents (also known as our best buds). After we eat some yummy pizza for dinner, we will hit the streets with smiles on our faces! Teesh and I will be dressed for the occasion, too, and I hope our simple homemade costumes look as good on as I think they will. Ha!

This little independent boy is as sweet as they come, and all the candy he's sure to collect tonight will only add to that sweetness. Hopefully he won't mind sharing his goods with his daddy and mommy!

But seriously, how CUTE is this Catboy, y'all?

Halloween 2014 || Halloween 2015 || Halloween 2016

master bathroom | home sweet bargeron.

Last week, our bedroom was the center of attention, and this week, it gets better. When we took our very first tour of the house, our realtor saved this room for last because he knew we would be floored. He was so right! Even now, ten months later, I still have to catch my breath when I walk into our beloved bathroom.

Our bungalow's bathroom was the size of the closet we call ours now, and this bathroom is more than double the last. The granite double vanity, the walk-in shower, the simple-yet-dreamy tub, and the door that separates the toilet from the rest of the room are the highlights of this particular room. Its elegant lightning and crisp walls called for limited décor, which was exactly what we did with the space. I purchased the two identical mirrors at At Home, picked up the vanity accessories and rug at TJ Maxx, stained a piece of wood and bought two handles for the bath tray, fell in love with the wooden sign above the bath at Hobby Lobby, and chose the towel hanger from World Market. Even though little was purchased for this room, it took a while to find things to fit the style I was going for. After a few months, however, the look was complete, and I was in love!

If the day comes when we move again, our next bathroom will have a lot to live up to. As sad as I was to leave that beloved claw foot tub behind, this gorgeous space more than made up for it. This bathroom partnered with our kitchen makes me feel like royalty, even though I am FAR from it!

Ladies and gentlemen, our out-of-this-world bathroom...

master bedroom | home sweet bargeron.

This room is one of our most treasured rooms in the house, because it's where we lay our heads to rest. As much as I loved our room at the bungalow, this one is significantly roomier AND sleeker. I decided on olive green for the accent color to spruce our old furniture up, because TJ and I both conveniently have the same favorite color: green. Gracelaced provided the wall art above our bed (surprise, surprise), we got two new lamps to lighten up the room in a soft way, and the new curtains you see tie everything together perfectly. I just love it when that happens!

We've got two of our favorite pictures of us, then and now of sorts, nestled on Ma's dresser (which will always be known as Ma's dresser). And baby girl's bassinet is set up and ready to go on my side of the bed. We are anxiously awaiting the day that she will sleep in it, and it won't be long now!

Our bedroom connects to our bathroom, which is even more dreamy than any other part of the house. We will reveal that room next week, but for now, we are thrilled to share our place of rest. We are so grateful! It’s not exactly something out of a magazine, but it’s perfectly suited for little ol’ us!

Before:

After:

mudroom | home sweet bargeron.

This room is one of my favorites in the whole house. Before we moved, I dreamed (and prayed) for a house with a laundry room that could double as a mud room to hang our items and store our most worn shoes, and I was giddy with joy when we discovered this sacred place during that first walk-through. The side door that leads out of this room is the one we most frequently use, as well as our visitors, and I looooove that. I've always liked the idea of entering through a door other than the front, because it makes the house feel more like a home. My Ma and Daddy and step-mom both had/have side/back doors that I've walked through more times than I can count, so that's probably where the brainwashing comes from.

The room is not totally complete, but it's mostly so (i.e. I still want to get baskets to put on the shelves to give it a "cleaner" look). Other than that, however, I love this space! We bought a window from Habitat Restore for $5 and four hooks from Lowe's to create the coat/backpack hanger you see below, and this was one of my favorite creations ever! I hot-glued some string to the sides, too, and we hang up our happy mail there for all to see. Below this piece is our hand-me-down shoe organizer that we added several navy cubbies to (again, I love a "tidy" look), and beside it is our monthly calendar that keeps TJ and me on the same page with all of our to-dos.

We bought a brand new washer and dryer when we moved in (because we didn't have any), and we looooove the grey color. As much as I do laundry (whew), these somehow make the near-daily chore much more bearable. The prints above them were created by one of my favorite small business owners (Gracelaced), and her stuff is found throughout our home.

Before the previous owners bought and updated this gorgeous house, this room was a screened-in porch and the washer/dryer was in the cellar below the house. They did such a great job switching rooms and reworking the layout of the house, and we're grateful to be the benefactors of all their hard work. So, so grateful.

Without further adieu, I proudly present our beloved mud room!

haiti | sundays are for praising.

Today, I will worship the Lord with my brothers and sisters at Capstone Church. But two weeks ago, I had the incredible privilege of worshipping with brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Today, we will sing with one voice and declare that there is power in the name of Jesus. And two weeks ago, I was reminded of that power as I listened to the praises of people in a language not my own.

All over the world today, there will be people joining together in unity to declare their affections for the one true God. Worship is not hindered by different languages or cultures, but rather it is set ablaze by it. I always look forward to going to church while we are in Haiti, mainly because it reveals the greatness of our God. It's true -- I was unaware of how truly big-yet-near my God was until I experienced people of a different culture worship through song, teaching, and fellowship for the first time five years ago. I was floored to have no idea what the people around me were saying and yet be enthralled by the presence of God in a way I'd never known before. Every time they shouted "Jezi!", my heart resounded with the same. Jesus!

Because of this awakening in my heart five years ago, I now worship differently.

It proved to be hard to keep God in the box I'd tried to keep Him in for so long once I saw how majestic, mighty, and marvelous He was outside of it. And once my perspective of worship shifted, my perspective of Him had no choice but to shift, too.

Friends, let's resolve to worship outside of the box today. With sincere faith, open-handed before Jesus, letting Him have His way with us.

Haiti taught me that this is where fullness of joy is found.

"I will sing the Lord's praise, for He is good to me."

-Psalm 13:6 (NLT)

haiti | glimpses of joy.

Nearly six years ago, TJ and I were both prompted by the Holy Spirit to get involved with a ministry in Haiti that our church was heavily invested in. That next year, we made our first trip down to this beloved country and have been hooked ever since. This ministry, these kiddos always beckon us to return, and a few weeks ago, I got to do just that: return.

I accompanied two friends-who-are-more-like-family, a father-daughter duo, and we had a specific mission for this short, five-day trip. Lindsay, a senior in high school who loves Haiti a whole lot, is currently working on her senior project, and it required a trip to Port-de-Paix to complete. I was the token photographer, and I got to do what I always do: be her paparazzi. I took nearly one thousand photos while we were there, a record even for me, and the kids ate it up (as usual). Their precious smiles light up the whole world, y'all.

We updated profile sheets and individual photos for each of the children, made a craft with them, splashed in the ocean, visited the new land to see all the new (exciting!) updates, treated the kiddos to an afternoon of fun at a park, drank coffee like it was going out of style (nothing beats Haitian coffee, y'all), gave endless hugs and snuggles, and soaked in every minute with Pastor and his family. We packed in as much as we could into the short three days we had with them, and our hearts returned home full.

What a blessing it is to love these people and their culture so much.

I don't go to Haiti because I'm something special. No, I go to Haiti because THEY are.

Weeks later, and I'm still ALL SMILES from my time with them. It is such a gift to call these beautiful people family.