diff --git a/src/cfengine_cli/commands.py b/src/cfengine_cli/commands.py
index 9e1149c..c2a88ad 100644
--- a/src/cfengine_cli/commands.py
+++ b/src/cfengine_cli/commands.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     format_policy_fin_fout,
 )
 from cfengine_cli.utils import UserError
-from cfengine_cli.up import validate_config
+from cfengine_cli.up import validate_config, spawn_from_config
 from cfbs.commands import build_command
 from cf_remote.commands import deploy as deploy_command
 
@@ -178,12 +178,13 @@ def up(args) -> int:
         with open(args.config, "r") as f:
             content = yaml.safe_load(f)
     except yaml.YAMLError:
-        raise UserError("'%s' is not a valid yaml config" % args.config)
+        raise UserError("'%s' is not valid yaml" % args.config)
     except FileNotFoundError:
         raise UserError("'%s' doesn't exist" % args.config)
 
-    validate_config(content)
+    state = validate_config(content)
     if args.validate:
         return 0
-    print("Starting VMs...")
+
+    spawn_from_config(state)
     return 0
diff --git a/src/cfengine_cli/up.py b/src/cfengine_cli/up.py
index 2e404a6..4a249ad 100644
--- a/src/cfengine_cli/up.py
+++ b/src/cfengine_cli/up.py
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 from pydantic import BaseModel, model_validator, ValidationError, Field
 from typing import Union, Literal, Optional, List, Annotated
 from functools import reduce
-from cf_remote import log
 
 import cfengine_cli.validate as validate
 from cfengine_cli.utils import UserError
 
+from cf_remote import log
+from cf_remote import commands
+from cf_remote import utils
+from cf_remote import paths
+from cf_remote import aramid
+
+import itertools
+import time
 
 # Forces pydantic to throw validation error if config contains unknown keys
 class NoExtra(BaseModel, extra="forbid"):
@@ -18,7 +25,8 @@ class Config(NoExtra):
 
 class AWSConfig(Config):
     image: str
-    size: Literal["micro", "xlarge"] = "micro"
+    size: Optional[Literal["micro", "xlarge"]] = None
+    region: Optional[str] = None
 
     @model_validator(mode="after")
     def check_aws_config(self):
@@ -49,7 +57,8 @@ class GCPConfig(Config):
     image: str  # There is no list of available GCP platforms to validate against yet
     network: Optional[str] = None
     public_ip: bool = True
-    size: str = "n1-standard-1"
+    size: Optional[str] = None
+    region: Optional[str] = None
 
 
 class AWSProvider(Config):
@@ -194,6 +203,10 @@ def validate_config(content):
         raise UserError("Missing 'groups' key in spawn config")
 
     groups = content["groups"]
+
+    if groups is None:
+        return {}
+
     templates = content.get("templates")
     if templates:
         _resolve_templates(groups, templates)
@@ -219,3 +232,105 @@ def validate_config(content):
                 f"{err['msg']}. Input '{err['input']}' at location '{err['loc']}'"
             )
         raise UserError("\n".join(msgs))
+    return state
+
+def three_dots():
+    for _ in range(3):
+        print(".", end="", flush=True)
+        time.sleep(0.3) 
+
+def spawn_from_config(state):
+
+    data = utils.read_json(paths.CLOUD_STATE_FPATH)
+    if data is None:
+        data = {}
+
+    spawn = []
+    destroy = []
+
+    for old, new in itertools.zip_longest(data.keys(), state.keys()):
+
+        if old is not None:
+            if old[1:] not in state:
+                destroy.append(old)
+                print("<<< {}".format(old[1:]))
+
+        if new is not None:
+            if "@{}".format(new) not in data:
+                spawn.append(new)
+                print(">>> {}".format(new))
+
+    for k in spawn:
+        config = state[k].config
+
+        match config.source.mode:
+            case "spawn":
+                args = {
+                    "group_name": k,
+                    "count": config.source.count,
+                    "role": config.role,
+                }
+
+                match config.source.spawn.provider:
+                    case "vagrant":
+                        args |= {
+                            "provider": commands.Providers.VAGRANT,
+                            "size": config.source.spawn.vagrant.memory,
+                            "platform": config.source.spawn.vagrant.box,
+                            "vagrant_cpus": config.source.spawn.vagrant.cpus,
+                            "vagrant_sync_folder": config.source.spawn.vagrant.sync_folder,
+                            "vagrant_provision": config.source.spawn.vagrant.provision,
+                        }
+                    case "aws":
+                        args |= {
+                            "provider": commands.Providers.AWS,
+                            "platform": config.source.spawn.aws.image,
+                            "size": config.source.spawn.aws.size,
+                            "region": config.source.spawn.aws.region,
+                        }
+                    case "gcp":
+                        args |= {
+                            "provider": commands.Providers.GCP,
+                            "platform": config.source.spawn.gcp.image,
+                            "network": config.source.spawn.gcp.network,
+                            "public_ip": config.source.spawn.gcp.public_ip,
+                            "size": config.source.spawn.gcp.size,
+                            "region": config.source.spawn.gcp.region,
+                        }
+
+                commands.spawn(**args)
+            case "save":
+                commands.save(name=k, hosts=config.source.hosts, role=config.role)
+
+    for k in destroy:
+        commands.destroy(k)
+
+    data = utils.read_json(paths.CLOUD_STATE_FPATH)
+    if data is None:
+        data = {}
+
+    if spawn:
+        print("Waiting for VMs to be accessible", end="")
+        three_dots()
+        print()
+
+    for k,v in data.items():
+
+        if k[1:] not in spawn:
+            continue
+        
+        ips = [h_info["public_ips"][0] for h, h_info in v.items() if h != "meta"]
+        hosts = [aramid.Host(host_name=ip, user="admin") for ip in ips]
+
+        while True:
+            try:
+                aramid.execute(hosts, "echo", ignore_failed=False, echo=False, echo_cmd=False)
+                break
+            except aramid.ExecutionError:
+                three_dots()                
+                print("\r\033[2K", end="", flush=True)
+
+        commands.info(ips)
+    
+    print("done")
+