before pictures...

Taylor tells people to "look for the potential" when looking at these pictures. If you ask me, you don't have to look very far to see the potential. We fell in love with the "nooks and crannies" of this house, along with its great charm and character. These pictures were all taken before the previous owner moved out, hence all of her stuff in our pictures! Here's a sampling...

yes, it really is plywood in our bathroom...

oh the character : )

4th bedroom - love that carpet!

2nd bedroom - nursery some day??

green bedroom

nice brick wall in the 4th bedroom

kitchen

can't wait to dig my hands into this!

view from the back

huge bay window w/ window seat in the master

built in chest of drawers

love our arch!

living room, sorta...i'm not the best at taking pics

stairs - between living room & dining room

hallway to the kitchen

butler's pantry in hall to kitchen - isn't this cool?

home sweet home

Every time I am reminded about updating my blog, I seem to groan and go, ugh! Only because I can't seem to keep up with this. And every time, I claim that I'll try to do better...but not this time. This time, I'm going to be content with whatever come out and whenever it happens. : ) Life happens.

Speaking of life, we bought a house! Yeah, that happened awhile ago too....June 30th to be exact! I can hardly believe it. While we worked hard and furious for the first 3-4 weeks, things have come screaching to a halt! Not because we want them to, but because we needed a break. Anyway, I want to post some pics and hopefully get some good "before and afters" going. But for now, this will have to do. : )

the next step

As some of you already know, Taylor and I will be moving back to Pennsylvania in the very near future. Less than 2 weeks, in fact! We are super excited to be moving back into Lancaster city. We believe that the Lord has brought us to South Carolina and that He has guided us while we have been here. It has been a good experience for both of us and I feel like it has really helped to grow us as individuals and as a couple. Our marriage has been strengthened and we've been able to grow in many different areas. The journey and the process has been well worth our time here in the South.



It is with great anticipation and excitement that we take the next step in our journey...coming back to Lancaster. We're so eager to see our friends and family and be able to connect with all of you in person! My heart is dreaming of what God has for me and for Taylor as we come back to the place we love. We can't wait to see all of you!



Another fun thing in my life is that I'm selling lia sophia jewelry! I started in December and it has been going really well for me. I'm excited for the possibilities and what lies ahead with this new venture. You can check out my website at www.liasophia.com/sarabrandt .



So our journey continues and a new phase is upon us. We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue with our process. I hope to update this blog more often in the future. Who am I kidding, though!? : ) I seem to always say that!! Seriously, though, I will try.

hilton head island

This past weekend, I whisked Taylor away for a surprise birthday weekend on Hilton Head Island! His birthday is Jan 23 and mine is Jan 28. He was completely shocked and didn't have any ideas what we were doing until about an hour into the drive. He thought we were going out to a nice dinner. Little did he know, I had our bags packed and in the trunk (where he couldn't see) and we were off on a 4 hour drive to the beach! Friends of ours, Neil & Susan, have a condo that they let us use for free! It was such a blessing. Taylor and I were able to relax and just enjoy one another and the beautiful scenery on the island. It was definitely too chilly to go swimming, but we had a great view of the pool and it was a short walk to the beach, which was awesome! Saturday was a little cold & rainy, but Sunday was beautiful! We had a nice dinner at the Red Fish restaurant, checked out the shops at Sea Pines and Harbourtown, and walked on the beach. It was such a great time.

I really felt like this time was important for Taylor and I to be away together and dream. I felt like the Lord was really speaking to me about dreaming about our future - our home, our children, our future... It was a refreshing time and we are excited about dreaming...

Enjoy some pictures of our trip...