New Blog Name

So, I've spent the morning trying to re-vamp the blog.  Much to my dismay it doesn't look like I wanted it to.  The background is showing up a muted green instead of a bright green and won't go any higher than the bottom of the header.  I'm starting to realize how un-tech savvy I might actually be.  But all the technical glitches aside, you'll notice the blog title has changed.  It's no longer Raising Ella Grace, but The Herrins from Scratch.  With the second baby's birth only 2 1/2 months away, I thought keeping the title Raising Ella Grace just wasn't fair to the new addition.  As, I thought more about it, I realized that we are seriously documenting our lives starting back from scratch...the new name needed to fit our new circumstances.

Less than a year ago we had a definite plan...Brent was buying into a thriving and successful dental practice, we were in the process of looking to buy a gorgeous home, and we were starting to get the hang of raising ONE child.  Fast forward several months and here is where we stand...

1. We are 99% sure Brent will be opening his own pediatric dentistry practice from the ground up in the Atlanta suburbs.  More to come on that...can't say too much about it for now.  He will literally be growing his patient population from scratch over the course of several years.  Like any new business, finances will be shaky at best during the start up years.  This adventure is scary, but also exciting.  **Please bring your kids to him once he sets up shop.  He really is an excellent dentist who has received some very gracious praise from the parents and the children he sees!

2.  We live in my Mom's basement with no definitive move out date.  Our down payment for our "future home" has been sitting in savings waiting to be used...but, oh wait...now that we are opening a practice, the practice loan and down payment come first.  SO... our own home will have have to wait in the interim until we come up with a creative way to own a business AND a home with limited funds...

3.  We have finally gotten the hang of parenting Miss Ella and in two short months, we'll be adding a newborn to the mix.  We can't wait to meet her, don't get me wrong, but we are going to have to start from scratch learning how to balance parenting two children under two.  That in itself will be an interesting feat...but it's also the challenge we are most excited about!

Amongst the things I mentioned above I'll be blogging about recipes I try, ways I'm learning to save money (since our budget will be tight), unique finds/re-dos from the antiquing adventures I look forward to having with Brent and my Mom, and re-caps of what we're up to as we settle back into having a more active social life again.  And of course, most importantly, what is going on with "our girls" as we already call them! SO, The Herrins from Scratch it is...eagerly awaiting our new life to unfold as we begin to tackle plan B.  Stay tuned...