Are you ready??

..for something exciting? 

First of all, 

Welcome back {to me that is}! 

I'm so excited to be spending more time with you in the next few months! Thankfully graduation is over and the Christmas rush is passed. Now it is time to move on with the blog and get back into the swing of things. 

Now, onto the exciting part!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that an announcement would be coming soon. 

I wanted to wait until our family and close friends knew, but now we are free to let the world know...

Baby #2 will arrive sometime around July!

We are more than thrilled to be given another child as a blessing from our Father. 

In other exciting news, I have some new things in the works for the New Year! You know, New Year New You New Blog...you catch my drift. So enjoy your weekend and ringing in the the New Year--then check back here for some New Year updates!

Christmas {a day late}

Merry Christmas!

Hoping your Christmas was filled with the joy and hope of our Savior, Jesus Christ! 

May you and your family have a wonderful Holiday season and a Happy New Year!

finally!

We FINALLY made it! 

On Friday, I finished up my student teaching and officially finished up my under-graduate degree! 

Hooray!

Honestly, I don't feel any different yet (as many of have ask, "How does it feel?") , but it has been good to be home with my loves for the last few days! 

With Christmas quickly approaching, this week is going to be filled with crafting, baking, wrapping, and coffee. There is so much that I want to do before Christmas arrives, and I only hope that I can get half of it done. 

Tomorrow begins a new tradition for us--The 12 Days of Christmas Kindness. I'll post more on that soon, but for now, know that we are celebrating Advent and trying to serve others in the process. 

Graduation Day is Saturday and a party to celebrate on Sunday! Folks, it is a busy week around here! Stay tuned for updates and an announcement soon! Hoping to get back into the swing of blogging now that life is slowing down a little bit. 

Much love!

Randoms

1.  My best quality is   that you can count on me. When I say I am going to do something, I do everything in my power to make it happen  .

2.  One of my less flattering qualities is  that my goals can cloud my focus. I get in my own little world and tend to ignore everyone around me    .

3.  I'd rather be    home with my girly working on Christmasy things  .

4. Something I have been challenged with lately is    truly loving my husband in a way that communicates love to HIM. How can I serve him and respect him the way he wants to be served? .

5. I am looking forward to  Christmas! I just cannot wait for it to come--well yes, I can. I really love preparing for it but this year is super busy so I need the days to be a little longer so I can get my stuff done :).

6. A super random factoid about me is   I eat a spoonful of peanut butter almost everyday when I get home from school. Its not an addiction--really.

7.  I want to  finish up student teaching so I can focus on celebrating my family and Christmas!! 

Happy Weekend fellow bloggers! This weekend we're traveling to DC to visit my sister and I'm super pumped about it! Let the road trip begin!

A lovely weekend

Happy Friday ya'll! 

May you enjoy today and the coming weekend!

1.  I like   chocolate, peanut butter, cookies, coffee, cozy blankets, hot showers, good books, building relationships, spending time with people I love, long walks, the beach  .

2.  A life goal of mine is   to live a life that is for the sake of the gospel. This includes so many things: building into people, allowing others to build into me, living in community, pointing my children to Christ, loving my husband through fulfilling my biblical role, etc   .

3.  The last thing you would ever expect me to like (even though I secretly do) is   crocheting. I had someone comment last week about how you don't see many people "my age" doing that .

4. Some wise words that I love are    not exactly quotes, but things that I try to keep in mind--Let go of expectations because they will destroy your joy. Don't complain about something you can't change--complaining only robs you! 

5. Most mornings you will find me   rushing around to get ready, eat breakfast, and get out the door by 6:30. After December 7, that will change and life will *hopefully* be a little more slow-paced.

6. Right now I am super into   Christmas. My mind has been reeling with things to prepare, bake, etc. I am so excited for Christmas music!.

7.  Right now I am super over  school. I am SO ready for graduation next month  .

Wishing you and your family a happy weekend! 

P.S.- I have Christmas on the brain! Be on the lookout for some of my Christmas-y thoughts and ideas :)

link ups and a link for you!

has come and gone. Once again, we are blessed with a Friday! 

I'm joining a couple of link-ups today! 

First off...

Trick or Treat was last night (don't worry I'll post the photos from my camera soon! 

Little E went as Lady Bug Girl (google her if you don't know her).

This was her tutu. 

Frankenstorm's havoc on our backyard

Seriously--we had snow in October!

Look at those two. 

Aren't they precious?!? My silly little lady wanted to wear her hat to bed

and her Papa was going to let her. 

I love them--they bring so much laughter to our house. 

I'm also linking up with Lauren for Fill in the Blank Friday! 

1.  Something I swore I'd never do, but have ended up doing anyway is    feed my children super-processed food--like chicken nuggets. But seriously--it is just too easy at this point in life. Once student teaching is over, my good intentions will return, I'm certain of it!  .

2.  Something I've always wanted to do is  Travel to Greece! Someday...   .

3.  Something I have absolutely no desire to ever do is   sky dive. I HATE heights! Also, I have no desire to see or touch any kind of snake...dead or alive. .

4. The best thing I ever did was    go to Uganda for 6  month. L I F E C H A N G I N G .

5. When it comes to trying new things, I am   usually excited about it, as long as it isn't something too crazy.

6. One thing I've never done is   gotten a tattoo. It's been discussed, but I just don't know that it will ever happen.

7.  My favorite thing do do is  different based on the season. Right now-curl up by the fire with a blanket and my loves .

Here is something I thought you might like! 

Simple living during the Holidays can be tough, but our family tries to do that. 

This is one way of doing so...I think we are going to take this challenge this year!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Fridays are just amazing in my opinion 

(especially after a week that included two snow days)! 

Spread some Friday love today, 

Surviving Storms

Despite all the worry about Frankenstorm, our area was told over and over that we would experience some wind gusts and a lot of rain. Some snow might fall, but the ground was too warm for any accumulation, so there was no need to worry. 

Imagine my surprise when I woke up to this on Tuesday morning!

Yep, SNOW! Lots of it! I think we actually accumulated somewhere between 5 and 8 inches. These weather men, do they really know what they are doing? I mean seriously. I could get on the news every evening and guess what the weather is going to be. More than half of the time they are wrong--as in this case. It was good thing I had gone grocery shopping on Monday evening or else all we would have had was nutella, butter, and a half-rotten banana. 

School was cancelled for me and the Hubs' office was closed! So, we hunkered down for a day inside--then the power went out. Honestly, I couldn't have cared less! I loved spending the day disconnected with my family. We have a fire place and gas stove, so we kept warm and didn't go hungry. It was a wonderful day.

Now, who wouldn't love having this cozy view for the majority of the day? 

See what I mean--it was amazing! 

PS--the power came back on that evening

I got another surprise, or as I like to call it "hug from Father, God" this morning when school was cancelled again due to power outages! Another day at home with my girl! It was lovely. We went to lunch with a friend, got a latte, and went shopping. 

I do pray for the ones who are still without power and even more for the ones up north whose homes have been destroyed. And I thank God for his multiple blessings on my family over the last few days. We have seen him bless and give gifts that were totally unexpected and undeserved--but totally LOVED and WELCOMED! 

We survived this week's storms...more than survived. We thrived through these storms with blessings from our Heavenly Father. 

May His blessings fall on you this Reformation Day evening! 

Life Lately

Hey there! 

Today I am linking up with Life on Leroy for her Life Lately Link Up!

To be honest, life has been so hectic and crazy lately that few photos have been taken! With student teaching in full swing and approaching the end, fall holidays coming quickly, and normal housework I have been so swamped that I haven't had a chance to do much of anything other than the things that NEED done! 

Here's a small peek into the few things we have done for fun! 

The Capitol Market (basically a farmer's market, only better) has their

annual Great Pumpkin Party. E got to paint a pumpkin, blow bubbles, 

and get her face painted. She loved being a kitty--kept saying, 

"MEOW"!

Despite not having much time, we always find time for family walks (weather permitting). 

E is ready in her tights, tunic, jean jacket, and floppy hat--yes, she dresses better than her Mama :)

We've also carved pumpkins but those photos are on another memory card! This week is supposed to be trick or treat but the weather here is really cold, windy, and rainy because of the hurricane. There has been talk of cancelling or postponing trick or treat...so we'll see! 

Also, lately I have pondered ways to help my family earn a small amount of extra income without having to leave my little lady. Check out the "My Menu" tab at the top for more details on my newly designed menu planning services. 

Have a blessed Monday!

Ready...Set...Launch!

You might notice a new tab at the top of my page labeled "My Meals" Menu Planning.

That is because "My Meals" has just officially launched! (WooHoo!)

"My Meals" is a new venture for our family spawned by my gifts of planning and organization, as well as a need for families in our busy society. 

For a few years now I have been planning our families meals every two weeks. I sit down, pour through recipes, decide what we are going to eat, make a grocery list, and shop. It has saved us hundreds of dollars simply planning what we are going to have for dinner. There is no guessing when 5:00 rolls around. There are no spur of the moment trips to the grocery store that end up costing more than planned (because I can never just get what I need--there is always an impulse buy).  

My desire is to use my gifts to serve you and your family while also serving my own. 

Check out the "My Meals" page for more detailed information! 

Favorites

This Friday's Blanks are all about FAVORITES!

That's exciting because who doesn't like to talk about all of their favorite things?!?

1.  My favorite feeling in all the world is   being cuddled up & warm under a blanket with people I love! Also, a HOT shower--I just love to be warm :)  .

2.  My favorite smell is  newborn baby (if you've never experienced that there is nothing like it!), fresh brewed coffee in the morning, the crisp smell of autumn   .

3.  My favorite taste is   chocolate and peanut butter--nothing beats that combination!

4. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was    Hubs holding our baby girl for the first time--so sweet and tender.

5. The best sound ever is   laughter. Doesn't really matter if it is an adult, baby, or somewhere in between. Laughter is contagious and lovely!

6. A smell that reminds me of my childhood is  lemony clean kitchen. I have several memories of coming home from school during the spring to windows open and a freshly mopped kitchen floor. It just smelled wonderful and felt clean!

7.  My favorite of all the senses is  sense of smell. Smells bring back vivid images for me. Sometimes I get a whiff of something that takes me back to the time I spent overseas. Other times it is more simple--like a memory of being home. Either way, smell is something that reminds me of good memories.

May your weekend be filled with many of your favorite things of this season. 

A Reminder

More for me than for you. 

While our family's goal is to live simply with less, it can be difficult to do in our culture of more is better.

This article was an inspiring reminder to me this morning. 

Why live with less? 

So we can live and love more!

I've been feeling overwhelmed lately with our busy schedules and messy house. Could it be because we have acquired too much? Honestly, yes! While many of you may think we don't have much, I am beginning to feel like we do. It is definitely more than we had before we moved. With a bigger house comes bigger and more things to fill it. Thankfully we won't be in this place too long so I have to keep that in mind when considering what to buy. 

So, today I am reigniting my passion to live more with less. 

Let the cleaning, sorting, tossing, donating, and organizing begin! 

Happy Thursday, lovelies. 

its that time again...

Yep! Once again, it is time for some Friday blanks! This is one of the many things I love about Fridays!

1.  One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is    ????? Honestly, its a crazy busy weekend! Hubs has Academy tonight while I bake 4 pies (with a friend...total we will make 8 pies) for a wedding reception. Tomorrow Hubs will be gone all day for Academy and he is part of the wedding party. Basically I won't see him until Sunday. If you have a toddler you know that unless someone else is watching them, relaxation doesn't really exist. We'll enjoy our busy days though  .

2.  A big pet peeve of mine is   negative people! I mean, honestly, is life really that bad? Are the things you are complaining about really that important? AND if you can't change it, why complain about it.? Okay, I'll get off my soap box now---moving on....  .

3.  I am really loving   the cool weather we are experiencing and wearing scarves--yes, I love scarves!

4. The rain is   my daughters favorite thing! Every time it rains she wants to go play in it--which we only sometimes let her do.

5. My favorite girly indulgence is  nail polish. I love getting newer/trendy colors. It is about the only thing that is trendy that I can afford! Ha!.

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is  The one that "My Pal Violet" sings to Little E over and over again! "I'd like a giraffe, please, its my favorite animal. I'd like it to be green please..." you get it! .

7.  The best cure for stress is  cuddling by the fire in the evening with Hubs and a big blanket. Popcorn and Oreos aren't to shabby either .

Once again

...we've made it to another Friday! Another weekend! Another couple of days to spend with family and friends. Another bit of relaxation amongst the busy-ness that seems to almost consume this life. 

{Cause sometimes I get fancy with PicMonkey}

1.  My favorite flower is    gerber daisies are my all-time favorite, but I am falling more in love with tulips  .

2.  You should never talk about  politics. At least not with me. I really don't have any idea what is going on politically. I get informed close to voting time and that is about it.   .

3.  My favorite discovery as of late is   our fire place! It finally got cold enough for us to use it the other night...since this is the first Fall/Winter in this house, I'm sure we'll use the fireplace a lot!

4. This fall you will probably find me wearing     jeans, scarves, and layers. I usually don't wear just one top--typically it is a t-shirt with a cardigan or some other shirt over top. There's something fun about layers, especially in the fall! I think I wear too many scarves sometimes. Maybe I should find a new accessory---or not!

5. I wish I were   going to be home with my girl today! Alas, student teaching continues and keeps me away from her most of the time. On the really bright side of things--I'm over half way finished! .

6. My favorite TV show currently is    NCIS. Honestly I didn't think this would ever be y favorite, but since we don't have a TV and watch shows on the computer its either NCIS with the Hubs or Doc McStuffin with Little Lady...I'm sure you'd pick NCIS too :) 

7.  This weekend I want to  relax, enjoy fall, prepare for next week, go for a run and maybe even do some baking! .

There ya have it, girls! 

Enjoy this lovely fall weekend--however you are spending it!

parades,baby showers and blanks

Happy Friday Chick-a-dees! 

I'm so excited for this weekend! 

Tonight we are taking Little E over to the next little town for their Homecoming Parade. Hubs took her to the one in our town and she loved it! Considering this place is small, the next town is just a 5 minute drive away so we decided to make that part of our weekly Friday Family Night. 

Tomorrow I am hosting a baby shower for a friend of ours. I'm really looking forward to it (and to sharing all the photos with you). We're going for a vintage chic theme...we'll see how well we pull it off! 

After the shower we are taking a little road trip to ....

CHICAGO! 

I know--its a long drive from here just for a one night stay, but our cousin and dear friend is here in the States after 2 years of being in Africa (we spent 6 months with them 2 years ago) and she's only here for a week! Do you think I'd let an opportunity slip by? Its a long drive but totally worth it! She gets to meet Little E for the first time! 

Busy weekend ahead--may we all enjoy each of our weekends to the fullest! 

Now, time for the blanks :)

1.  The last thing I ate was    apple pie and ice cream last night after dinner. We had some lovely friends over and she brought dessert!

2.  The last time I went to the beach was  way too long ago! Our actual beach vacation was in May, but we visited the beach once while in FL visiting Papa Call in June  .

3.  My last vacation was   May--the beach. June was a trip to see my dad and go to TGC Women's Conference...it honestly wasn't much of a vacation.

4. The last place I drove was     home from picking up Little E after my day at school.

5. The last song I listened to was   whatever played on V100 last before I got out of the car .

6. The last thing I watched on TV was   NCIS--need I say more?

7.  The last time I said "I love you" was  last night when we crawled into bed .

on a Friday in the fall...

I don't know about you, but it has been a long week for us--complete with a sick baby! Thankfully she is better and we are quickly approaching the weekend! I am so looking forward to a weekend that isn't quite a busy as the last few. We are going to a local corn maze this evening with some friends and tomorrow holds nothing other than watching the Herd play ball at 3:15. We might hit up a local fall festival in town, but that's it. N O P L A N S! I don't really know what to do with myself :) 

Today I'm wrapping up another week at school with spelling tests and math games. I'm loving teaching right now, but it is exhausting. Definitely ready for the little break this weekend holds.

So without further ado, let's start the weekend off right with (drum roll please)

1.  My first memory is     hard to determine. I have many from videos that I have seen so it is hard to distinguish which ones are truly memories and which ones I know about from videos. One of my first memories (if you can call it that) is remembering the hall closet at our old house--its where Mom kept the orange Triaminic. I also remember helping pack little glass objects in newspaper when we were getting ready to move--I was 4 .

2.  My first love was   the hubs. HONESTLY! I had other boyfriends, but I never wanted to take them to church because I didn't want Hubs to know any other boy existed...even though he didn't know I existed. One day I will have to do a series and share all the lovely details, but basically we met when I was 13 and I prayed for 5 years that he would be my husband--an now he is!

3.  My very first favorite color was    green,  I'm guessing. For as long as I can remember my favorite colors has been green--probably because I was raised a Marshall Fan--just can't get away from the green.

4. The first time I really felt like a "grown-up" was when    I traveled by myself for the first time to visit the hubs in Chi-town when we were just dating. Took a flight all by myself to the romantic city of Chicago and met my man--definitely felt like I was more than 18 :)

5. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is   turn off the alarm--not always the smartest move.

6. The first CD (cassette tape, record, etc...) I ever bought was    (other than Patch the Pirate or some children's songs) SPICE GIRL--Oh yeah! I got the cassette tape for my birthday one year. Obviously it was memorable. 

7.  My first car was  a 1994 light blue Honda Accord--perfect! It wasn't all that beautiful, but it was a cute little car that got me around during college and the first couple years of marriage. Honestly, there are days when I miss  my little blue car--the simplicity of it mainly. Not sure where it is now, but since its a Honda I'm sure its on the road somewhere.

An update and Friday Blanks

You may be wondering where I've been lately...well I've been teaching! 

My student teaching started 4 weeks ago and has basically consumed my life. No worries though! I am trying to get back into doing at least one post a week, and after this semester is over--no more school for me! I will graduate in December and from there I will have a lot more time for blogging--I hope!

Happy Friday, girls!

1.  Right now the weather where I live is     fall-like and absolutely perfect! This week has been a little too warm for my liking, but the weekend is promising "Sunny and highs in the mid 70's". I love fall .

2.  The best piece of advice I've been given is   be open and intentional in your relationships. Though sometimes it is hard to reveal your true self, it will only deepen relationship and free you from your past  .

3.  My most favorite person in all the world is    the hubs! He really is amazing, though many times I don't give him the credit he deserves. He serves our family in so many ways! And of course Little E is next in line.

4. If I were to have a "mission statement" for my life, it would be    Our family vision comes from 1 Cor. 9:23 where Paul says, "I do all things for the sake of the gospel...". Our mission is that everything we do will be for the sake of the gospel--spreading God's fame and glory.

5. My most favorite item in my closet is  actually missing! I can't find this adorable sweater I bought in June. It is a cardigan (if you know me...you know I LOVE cardis) and now I can't find it! Oh the joys of moving.

6. The best cure for a bad day is   different from day to day. Some days it might be a pumpkin latte, other days maybe a nice long walk or jog, and other times I just want a relaxing night at home with my fam.

7.  Today is   FRIDAY and I'm so thankful! It has been a busy week!  .

Summer Recap

Today is the last day of my summer vacation from school. 

Tomorrow begins the last semester of my college career! Woohoo! While I am excited to finish school, I am not looking forward to leaving Little E every day! We've had so much fun together this summer.

I'll give you a little peak at what our summer looked like...

heading to church w/purse and Papa

playing with Aunt B at the beach--so fun!

my 5 minutes of quiet while at the beach--

going to the beach isn't what it used to be!

wearing grandpa's cool hat

Go Herd!

Swimming with grandpa 

Corn on the cob with Papa!

barefoot summer

Playing with cousin D 

Don't you just love her pink trike?

She does--check out that face!

Bubbles with Mama.

The Hubs preached at this cute little church a couple of times.

More cousin time...at the pool.

Look out Missy Franklin little E looks like a pro swimmer

in her speedo goggles :)

Shaving cream finger paint

We've had a blast this summer. Savoring the small moments, but it still seems like it has flown by! Today we're running last minute errands and prepping for tomorrow! Praying separation anxiety won't set in for Little E, but she is going to go play with her friend tomorrow while I am gone, so hopefully she will enjoy it! Honestly, I will probably have a harder time than she does!

Happy End of Summer to you!