One More Month

Dear Charlotte,
You are due to arrive one month from today. In fact, last night I was filling in our December calendar and YOU WERE ON IT! That thought floors me. And, of course, you could always come a little early. So in a month or less, you will be out here in the world. I have a lot of conflicting emotions about this. Of course, I am very excited to meet you. But I'm a little terrified too. The ways in which my life is about to change probably haven't even all occured to me yet. It scares me to know that I will be responsible for you when I barely know anything about babies, it scares me to think about the ways my relationship with your daddy will change, and, I'll go ahead and admit it, it scares me to think about the pain I'm about to experience to bring you from the inside to the outside.

But, dear Charlotte, you are the product of all our dreaming and hoping and love. I know that whatever I am about to go through in the next few weeks, as well as the rest of your life, is all going to be worth it. I have to warn you, I've never done this before. Please be patient with me, little Charlotte. I'm going to have no idea what I'm doing. Sure, I've done a lot to prepare, and I know I wont be alone but I'm sure there is a lot I'm going to have to leave up to God. I'll do my best, though and we'll figure this out together.

Please come soon, Charlotte. Not TOO soon, but soon. Your daddy and I will be here waiting for you, whenever you're ready.

Love,
Mama

2 months to go!

For the most part I have loved being pregnant. Sure there are some things about it that aren't fun, but what they say about it is true: you kind of forget the bad parts when you look back. I was thinking the other day about when I was so sick in the beginning. I remember that it happened, and I remember feeling like I was never going to feel good again, but I also don't REMEMBER. I tell myself it wasn't that bad.

But really, it's been great. I know I've been lucky in a lot of ways. There are women out there who have HORRIBLE pregnancies. Especially those who have high risk pregnancies. So every time I have something uncomfortable come up, I just remind myself how good I really have it.

One benefit I've really been enjoying is how much I love this body. It's weird, body image is something that I (like most girls/women) have struggled with. You wouldn't think that an additional 20 lbs or so would make me feel so good about myself haha! But it does, even as I get bigger and bigger. I am now approaching numbers that I have never seen on the scale before (of course, it scares me a little that I've seen some of these numbers before while NOT pregnant!) and I am thinking, "How can my belly possibly get bigger than this?!" Well, I've still got 2 months to go so it is definitely going to get a LOT bigger.

As much as I've loved all this, though, I finally had the, "I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore" feeling for the first time last week. The countdown has commenced. I know looking back it will have gone really fast, but right now the last two months look like a long road. With stairs. Still, next month I'll have a BABY! That blows my mind.

30 Weeks

I was looking back at some of the pictures I have taken during this pregnancy and remembering how I thought I had a belly/was getting so big/ect. HA! I still have at least 2 months left and I have grown so much over the last several months. Just makes me think about how naive I was about this pregnancy. Like how I said to myself (and possibly others), "I'm not going to buy any maternity clothes! I'm just going to use the rubber band trick and wear my regular shirts because they are so stretchy." Ha. Hahaha. Little did I know how much my body would change.

It makes me wonder what else I've been naive about.

Our good friends Ron and Jenny had their little girl yesterday:

Isn't she cute?

I was so excited for them but it also made me a little sad. Jenny has been pregnant with me this whole time and now she has her baby. Makes me ready to have MY little girl in MY arms. But I know that these last two months of pregnancy are important and there is so much I need to do before Charlotte gets here!

I feel like I'm ready to be a mother but I also know that giving birth and being a mom are going to be just like this pregnancy: I wont know what to expect until I'm in the middle of it. I'm excited and scared, just like every new mom before me. And I know, just like the maternity pants, I'll have to change my views on some things and just accept that I can only do the best that I can do and be as prepared as I can be.

I mean, God knew just what he was doing when he gave us 9 whole months, right?

A Comparison

End of 1st trimester and end of 2nd trimester

Some differences:

• 12 weeks: So sick all the time, 27 weeks: not sick at all!
• 12 weeks: 2 lbs down from pre-pregnancy weight, 27 weeks: have gained about 14-15 lbs
• 12 weeks: Still in old clothes, 27 weeks: had to go shopping for more maternity clothes!
• 12 weeks: just telling people we are having a baby, 27 weeks: strangers are staring at my belly
• 12 weeks: no movement, 27 weeks: movement ALL THE TIME!
• 12 weeks: no symptoms except the lovely nausea, 27 weeks: some reflux at night, occasional back pain, waking up a lot at night to change positions, bloddy noses! but still feeling pretty great ;)
• 12 weeks: thoughts revolve around when I will feel better and pretty much nothing else, 27 weeks: thought revolve around getting stuff ready for baby

I'm really excited about getting into my third trimester next week. Tomorrow is my next appointment which means the dreaded glucose test. Definitely not looking forward to that. I also have to get a shot because of my negative blood type. Fun stuff!

I feel really blessed to feel so great still. I have been able to pick back up going to the gym which has been a plus, although I'm definitely going less because my body gets so tired haha.

The next few months are super busy for us. There is just so much going on but I'm kind of happy about it because I know it will make the time go by faster. And I'm really excited about a vacation coming up as well as some baby showers! I know I will feel so much better when we actually have some "baby gear" (I'm not kidding, right now we have a carseat and a few clothes and that is IT) and I can really start to get things ready for Charlotte.

All for now! Happy Wednesday!

Never Mind

So after that last post I've kind of changed my mind. I'm not ready to talk about this stuff. At least not in this forum. Not exactly sure what I want to do with this blog right now. Time to turn over some new leaves in this new adventure in my life!

I May Be a Hippie...

Yes, it's true. I know that a lot of the decisions I am making and wanting to make about the birth and raising of our child can come across as "crunchy" or hippie-esque. Although I have wanted to, I haven't talked much about my plans here or elsewhere because I know that they can be touchy subjects that everyone has an opinion about. But here is the thing: I LOVE reading about these subjects on other people's blogs and sites. It really helps me to learn and to make informed decisions when I can get as much information as possible. And hearing peoples' personal stories helps me gain perspective and feel like I'm not alone out there. Plus I better start getting used to the controversy cuz it's only going to crop up more when Charlotte arrives!

So...all that to say that I would like to start talking about my parenting decisions here. You may not agree, that's fine. I'm definitely not here to tell anyone what THEY should do, I'm just here to tell you what I'D like to do. Hopefully this will be a good resource for me to look back on in the future as well as a place for me to flesh out some of my thoughts. I feel like I'm bursting with all this information and no one to talk to it about except Trey (who I'm sure is sick of hearing the same things rehashed over and over again!)

Here are some things I will probably be talking about:

• Breastfeeding
• Babywearing
• Bonding
• Attachment Parenting (and oh, there is so much under this subject alone!)
• Cloth diapering
• Natural Childbirth
• Birth plans

If nothing else I need somewhere to process these thoughts. Of course I will be sure to update about how all of these things go if and when we finally get to do them! Here's to morphing into a mommy blogger!

 Loved this devotion with the one year Bible today. So I thought I'd share it:

 

Daily Devotional

Written by Larry Stockstill

Like the six branches of the lampstand in the tabernacle, there are six facets of the Holy Spirit's character. First, He is the Spirit of wisdom, revealing to us His future purposes both for ourselves and for His kingdom. Second, He is the Spirit of understanding, giving us revelation about our present situation and how best to be fruitful in it. Third, He is the Spirit of counsel, instructing us in solving hard problems by discerning the root causes. Fourth, He is the Spirit of might, strengthening us with power in our inner man and anointing us with His spiritual gifts. Fifth, He is the Spirit of knowledge, revealing to us the various attributes of Jesus in the Word of God. Finally, He is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord, showing us areas of our lives where sin has a foothold and then changing us into the image of Christ.

Jesus, the "stump of David's family" (Isaiah 11:1), perfectly portrayed all these characteristics. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you today with these six attributes, and you will walk like Jesus walked!

Charlotte's Nursery

Color pallet. (Gray, light pink and white/off-white) I'd also like to make this elephant. And I want to use that same fabric (in pink or gray) to make sheets for the crib using this tutorial:

Would love to make some artwork like this, in my color pallet of course.

And something like this. I love working with buttons. I'm thinking a pink "C" on a gray background?

I'm leaning towards a more vintage looking crib like this one. Painted white probably.

Would love to do curtains like this. Either a white branch with gray curtains or vice versa.

Love the way the drawers of this dresser are painted in different shades of blue. Thinking of possibly doing something like that in different shades of pink or gray. Or just doing a plain white dresser with pink crystal knobs.

I made this using a quote from Phantom of the Opera which is where I first heard the name "Lotte" (we plan on using it as a nickname for Charlotte)

Would love a natural looking mobile to be something like this (using my colors again of course). The branches would also tie in with the curtain rod.

Love this idea. I would paint the baskets gray or white depending on the wall color and fill with stuffed animals or toys. Not books though, I really want to do a bookshelf. Maybe something like this...

...with pink in the back. I could even do something with a pattern (possibly like the pattern of the the elephants ear above?)

 So these are all things I'm leaning towards right now. Of course, also as of right now I don't know how much of a nursery she is going to have so we will just see how this all pans out. :)

All links to original pictures/posts can be found in my pinterest.

It's a girl!

 

That's right! This past week we found out that we are having a girl! Her name will be Charlotte Lane Thomason and we couldn't be more excited (I freaked out at the ultrasound haha!). Can't wait to meet her this December (hopefully)!

18 weeks

Last night I felt the baby kick me in the hand, twice. I've felt him or her moving around in there for about a week now (every now and then) but last night the little thumper was just moving around like crazy and I laid with my hand on my stomach just feeling them move around. Amazing.

I just feel like this is something I'm going to want to remember:)

Next maybe Trey will be able to feel a little kick!

17 weeks 5 days

Trimester 2

I know I am the most horrible blogger. Especially now that I have something to blog about! I love reading pregnancy blogs but for some reason I have been having the hardest time blogging during this pregnancy!

I am now 16 (17 in two days) weeks along. So far the the second trimester has been a huge, HUGE improvement on the first. While I wouldn't say that my nausea has completely gone away, it is now at a minimum and I couldn't be happier. I stopped taking my nausea medicine as well which makes me so happy as I am not a big medicine taker.

I did have an incident (on the very first day of my second trimester no less) with an atypical migraine that put me in the hospital. THAT was not fun especially when you consider that I've never had a migraine or been hospitalized before. I also had a CAT scan, an MRI and an MRA. All new experiences here in La La land!

Since then, though, things have been going really well. I'm even starting to get my energy back! Things are going so well, in fact, that I have decided to go back to school in the fall and try and finish my Associates before the baby comes. O and we are entering house-buying phase. Ya, I don't like to do things the easy way (apparently).

Other than that, there is really not much to tell. I have gained 2 pounds so far, don't seem to have any cravings (although I do eat a lot of cheezit's)(and feel like I'm constantly thirsty), and I seem to get headaches more frequently than usual (but no more migraines so far, thank God!) We ARE planning on finding out the sex of the baby, but for now we are not announcing when we will be finding out. I want to reserve the right to keep that between me and Trey for a few days if I feel like it ;)

All for now, I will try and post more often as things are finally starting to get exciting :)

16 weeks-belly pop

Yes, I'm Pregnant

I know, I know...I've been gone. For a long, loooooonngg time. I'll tell ya why: all things that were once important to me fell by the wayside with the onset of THE ALL DAY PREGNANCY SICKNESS.

That's right, I'm with child. I've got a bun in the oven. I've got a twinkle in my eye. I've got my head over the toilet. O wait, that last one is probably not something you want to hear, huh? Sorry, it's just that, well, that image has basically defined this pregnancy for me. Sure, I thought I might get a little nauseas. But I had no idea that I would spend six weeks (so far) being so constantly, unabatingly sick.

Even before I got pregnant I had it in my mind that I didn't want to announce until 12 weeks. I know a lot of people do it that way, and I also know that a lot of people end up giving in. But I am stubborn, just ask the grandparents (yes, we told them earlier than 12 weeks. Family and a few people got to be in the know). But I sure am glad I made that decision. Because it just wouldn't have been fun to have people being excited about it when I was feeling so bad. Plus, I knew that if I announced it on the interwebs it would have given me an excuse to complain about being sick all the time via facebook and twitter. And I didn't want to be complaining all the time over something that was supposed to be so exciting. And I AM excited, but the temptation to complain would have been too much so I'm glad I waited. I mean, not to say that I'm feeling totally better, but I am feeling better than I was and I've gotten my appetite back (for a few weeks all I could eat was saltines and popsicles. Glad THAT'S over!).

So now you know, internet. And for those who care, here is a few quick facts:

• Due date= December 28 (Christmas baby!)(I'm praying for an early delivery:) )
• Weight gain so far: negative 2 lbs
• Belly: nonexistant
• Symptoms: morning (read: all day) sickness (have I mentioned that?), aversion to chicken (getting better), some headaches and some tiredness
• 2 prenatal checkups with 2 ultrasounds. The first one looked like a cheeto, the second looked like an actual baby and it was moving around like CRAZY.
• 1 time getting blood drawn (I was terrified but I did better than I thought)

Look Whoooo's Turning 1 {A Party}

In March my little niece turned one. I can't believe it's been a year since we met her! My sister-in-law pulled off a great (and adorable!) first birthday party for her with an owl theme. It was too cute not to share. Enjoy!

The Birthday Girl!

Owl cupcake toppers (handmade!)

Also good as little lapel pins!

Some table details

Some owl goodies

The to-die-for smash cake (which I ended up eating some of ;) )

It's her party, and she'll cry if she wants to!

Green and pink baloons

Goody bags

Outfit (tutu, onsie, hair clip)  made by her mommy. So talented!

With mommy and daddy

Loved the photobooth idea.  Will definitely be remembering that one.

Happy 1st Birthday, Princess!

All pictures via my sister-in-law's Facebook except for the one of the "lapel pin." That one was taken with my cell phone;)

Thankful Thursday

This Thursday I'm thankful for family in Atlanta.




Because sometimes it's fun to get away, even if "away" isn't very far.

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In This Marriage

It's my anniversary this month! It will be two years since me and hubs tied the knot. There is no possible way that I can believe that it has been two years already. Anyhow, is it bragging to say that I have an awesome marriage? If it is, then this is me bragging. Here are a few things that I've learned on the go that I thought would be fun to share.

My top 10 secrets to an awesome marriage:

1. Marry someone you have fun with

Do I have to explain this? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who bores you to death? Think of your best friend. I'm guessing you have fun with this person. Your hubby is your new best friend. Have fun with him.

2. Never take yourself too seriously.

This is really an overall life rule for me. Let's face it: when you are with someone so much, weird things are going to come up, weird things are going to happen. Learn how to laugh at yourself. Honestly, it just makes life more fun.

3. Let things go.

Don't hold on to past grievances. Deal with issues as they arise, and then leave them where they belong: in the past. Everyone makes mistakes, you wouldn't want the husband pulling out your fault list every time you made one, so don't do it to him either.

4. Pick your battles

Some things are worth going to battle over. Some things are not. If you don't want to be fighting all the time, then choose to only "discuss" the things that are major issues. You've heard the phrase "making a mountain out of a mole hill," if everything is a mountain then you will never be able to cross them all and you will never move forward. So knock over those mole hills without causing an incident and move on.

5. Prioritize

I'm just going to say it: your marriage is a big deal. Your spouse is a big deal. Look, your husband is your partner in life. You need to invest in him. And you need to make time for each other. Date night is not something that should fall by the wayside once you get married. In fact, it is even more important. There are so many little things that demand our attention everyday, make sure you remember to shut them all out once in a while and focus on each other.

6. Don't keep secrets

There is no place for secrets in a marriage. I'm telling you: either they WILL come out, or they will eat you alive. Why did you marry this guy if you don't want to share your life with him? I'm not saying you have to share every unimportant detail with each other. I honestly don't want to hear what my husband did every second of every day (and I'm nosy!). If it's an issue/important/dangerous to you or your marriage, spill the beans.

7. Try new things

There are no two people who are exactly alike. We are all unique and we all have different interests, including your spouse! Maybe you hate museums but he loves them, hit up a local one some weekend. Maybe the thought of sushi freaks you out but he has been craving it since you got married, (barring allergies) try it out! Not only will this allow you to experience new things (and maybe surprise you), it will also get you out of a dating rut (not that YOU ever get in one) and, most importantly, it will show your man that you care about him and the things that he cares about.

8. Make time for yourself

I know you love your husband. And if you're a newly wed, you probably want to spend all your time together. That's great! But make sure you also make time for you. Read a book, go for a walk. Don't get into the vortex of "us" so much that you forget about "me."

9. Speak up

Something bothering you but you're too afraid to say anything? Is there something you've always wanted to try? Bring it up (in a loving and open minded way). What's the worse that could happen, really? I said it before and I'll say it again: you want to spend the rest of your life with this person. Might as well get things out on the table now rather than holding on to them for the next 20 years. Your husband can't read your mind (or so I've been told).

10. Get dirty, a lot

And have fun with it. You know what I'm talkin' about. That's all I'm gonna say.

I'm Positive

If you haven't been able to pick up on this so far, I am a very introspective type of person. One of the things I've been introspecting about lately is negativity. Earlier this year I started to notice that I had a bad attitude about a lot of things. And, more recently, I've noticed that I've let my bad attitude spill over into my online life. I really don't need to be tweeting, updating facebook and blogging negatively. Sure, I could argue that these are my personal outlets and I should be able to vent. I could also bring up the argument that neglecting to post negative things (i.e. when I'm upset/frustrated/sad ect.) leaves out the whole picture of my life and makes me fake. And I DO think there is a place for being honest about how you feel. STILL, I don't think that gives me a free-for-all pass to be spewing negative things about the internets. So if you've been noticing, that's why I've been gone lately. I've been taking some self inventory and really trying to decide how to curb this bad habit of mine. I don't want to be fake (and God knows I'm not a perky, happy-all-the time person), but I DO want to be a positive and uplifting person. I don't want to let my emotions control my life and what I present to others. 

And this doesn't just apply to my online life. I really desire to be a more positive person in all areas. I want to smile more, and have lighthearted interactions with people more. I want to be (and feel!) happy (yes I think they can be different things).

Anyway, that's what's going on in these parts. Cross your fingers for more posting soon:)

P.S. I know I've made a few changes to the blog again, including the name. Not sure that's what I'm going to go with yet, but we'll see. I just really enjoy changing small things and I can't, for the life of me, seem to land on a name I want to stick with yet. Sorry if that's confusing and/or annoying. Le sigh.

Eat, Pray, Love

I meantioned a little while ago that I really wanted to re-ignite my love of reading. I was a little afraid that this would be a hard task. And there have been times when it has been, especially when I can't seem to find anything I want to read. But lately things have been going really well and I have been devouring books in a way reminisant of my childhood. I even added a link to my sidebar in order to keep reading at the forefront of my mind. On it I listed many books I would like to read, as well as a list of books I have read so far this year. It's over there if you want to take a look. ----->

Anyway, the last book I read was Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

For a long time I was hesitant to read this book (or see the movie!) because I knew it contained beliefs that I don't share or endorse. However, after reading The Happiness Project, I was really interested in the whole "taking a year to find yourself" concept as well as interested in reading another memoir-type book. I'm so glad I did. I loooovvveeedd this book. Yes, the parts I don't agree with were still in there, but I was able to look into them and see truths that the author probably didn't even realize she was writing. And I was able to pick out the things that I don't believe and put them to the side. My faith is solid and will not be shaken by a book.

Anyway, for anyone who doesn't know, this book is about a women who, after a rough divorce and a patch of depression, decides to take a year and travel to Italy, India and Indonesia to pursue pleasure, devotion and balance and find out who she is. The book is fascinating and I found myself wondering how someone could really have a life like this: one that sounded so much like a story. I was able to pull a lot from it and enjoyed it (pretty much) the whole way through. Probably what I liked the most was her writing style. Elizabeth Gilbert is (apparently) amazing at creating word pictures. This is my favorite quote from the book:

"We sit on the beach and watch the dangerous waves, watch the lean brown and white Indonesian and Western surf-cats slice across the water like zippers ripping open the backs of the ocean's blue party dress."

Looking forward to seeing the movie now!

Ignite Recap

***Every time I go on a retreat at my church I keep the little notebook for a while and then I end up throwing it away. I really want to keep the notes but I hate having stuff around my house that I have no idea what to do with. The other day I realized that I could post the notes on my blog! That way I always have them AND other people can possibly benefit from them too! These are from the marriage conference that we went to in February.***

"When two of you are just alike, one of you is not needed." -Joe McGee

Jimmy Evans-Session 1-God's Indestructible Plan for Marriage

Ephesians 5:21-33-Standard for marriage.
-This is God's plan, there is no plan B

1. The roles in Eph. 5 make us attractive to our spouse

• you're not the boss, Jesus is
• 1 Peter 3- chaste & respectful behavior
• Honor is the key to a man's heart
• You're either your spouses dream-maker or dream-breaker 

2. The roles in Eph. 5 release our potential

• 1 Corinthians 11:7
• Men are the glory of God, women are the glory of their husbands
• Proverbs 31- she turned a non-elder into an elder. Treat him like he is one before he is.
• A husband is a greenhouse, a wife is a good cheerleader
• celebrate everything he does right
• say negative things in a positive way

3. The roles in Eph. 5 disable our sin nature

• Eve's sin was not talking to Adam and not waiting on God
• Women's sin nature is independence
• Men's is irresponsibility
• (Adam was standing right there and didn't say anything)
• The way Jesus treats the church is the standard

4. The roles in Ephesians 5 make us sensitive to each other's needs

• Men:
• Honor (where you want him to be, not where he is)
• Sex
• Be buddies and have fun
• Supportive home
• Women:
• Security
• Soft, non-sensual affection
• Open and honest communication
• Leadership

"Without sex and fun, your marriage is a business, and a bad one."

"In a good marriage you just understand how much we need each other."

"The atmosphere women need for sex is the same as men need for opening up."

"You're at your best when you're having fun."

Jimmy Evans-Session 2-Disarming Destructive Fear-4 Features of Marriage in the Garden

1. Intimacy with God- Identity, Security, Purpose

• People love you based on what they don't know, God loves you knowing everything
• When you set your spouse up to be Jesus, you curse your marriage

2. Equal Partnership
3. Common Purpose-Genesis 1:27-28 "them"

• God wont give you different purposes
• "Why did God put us together?"

4. Total nakedness without fear or shame- Genesis 2:25, 2 Timothy 1:7

• 4 Curses of Fear
• It makes us selfish-1 John 4:18
• It makes us sinful
• It makes us say negative and damaging words- Proverbs 18:21
• It makes us stupid
• Fear dance: hurt, want, fear, react
• Fear is a prophet spirit from hell
• Fear is a Godless future

• Sources of Fear
• Desires-greatest fear matches greatest need
• Design-priority of marriage (jealousy)
• Damage from past
• Demonic spirits

• Disarm destructive fear:
• Take off your fig leaves (be honest about your fear)
• Take responsibility for your behavior
• Put faith in God
• Treat fear as an enemy and don't let it control you (expect fear and then inspect fear, and then reject it)

Jimmy Evans-Session 3-Striking Your Sexual Match

 Sex is for:
1. Reproduction
2. Comfort
3. Pleasure
4. Didn't get this one...
5. Confidence
6. Intamacy
7. Protection from outward temptation

Genesis 2:24-The key to sexual fulfillment is serving each other

3 Steps to Striking Your Sexual Match

• Strike your Spiritual Match
• Matthew 19:6- Marriage is spiritual and sacred
• Strike your Emotional Match
• Care about your spouses feelings
• work, money, children, sex
• "Just because I'm saying it doesn't make it right, it just makes it real."
• Allow each other to complain without shaming

How to create Sexual Intamacy:

• Commit to meeting your spouses needs faithfully and energetically
• 1 Corinthians 7:7-license of use
• Understand and respect your spouses different needs and desires:
• Men:
• Mutual satisfaction
• Connection
• Responsiveness of wives
• Initiation of wife
• Affirmation
• Women:
• Affirmation
• Connection
• Non-sexual touch
• Spiritual intimacy 
• Romance ("I'm thinking about you when I don't have to.")

"If one person only initiates sex, the other is suffering self esteem"

Joe McGee-Session 4

"A spouse is anointed by God to point out character flaws in your life."

"Marriage is nothing but two doofuses growing up together."

• 3 Jobs for a Man:
• Ephesians 5:25-Lover
• 1 Corinthians 11:3-Leader
• 1 Timothy 4:8-Provider
• 3 Jobs for a Woman:
• Genesis 2:18-Helper
• 1 Timothy 5:14-Home Manager

• Proverbs 29:18-Not knowing where you're going frustrates you
• Habakkuk 2:2
• If I don't move, God can't move. It's not legal.
• Psalm 139:15

• Who are you?
• What are you doing here?
• Where are you going?

• Proverbs 15:2-Just because a thought hits your brain does not mean it's from God.
• Be careful when you judge someone else, because it takes one to know one.
• The devil doesn't steal junk, he steals stuff that's good.
• You can't steer a boat that's not moving. Start moving.

1. Learn how to talk
2. Whatever you talk about is gonna need money
1. You're blessed or broke for your attitude
2. You're supposed to leave money behind
3. You are what you think
4. Order precedes increase

How to be a great lover:

1. Have the right motive
2. Didn't get this one again... (he talks fast!)
3. Avoid societies expectations
4. Eliminate routeins
5. Practice tenderness
6. Set perimaters
7. Comfort zones
8. Never criticize response
9. Practice hygene
10. It's ok to laugh

•  Boys like things, girls like people.
• Women know when you're lying.
• God is not moved by pity, He's moved by faith. He's not human.

***That's it. Sorry it's so long. :)***

Psalm 73

I've been reading the One Year Bible and I have a confession: I haven't really been enjoying the Psalms. Doesn't that sound horrible? I know that sometimes different parts of the Bible speak to you in different times and in different ways, but this has really been bothering me. Today, however, was Psalm 73 and it really spoke to me. I especially  like it in the NLT version, so I thought I would post it here:

A psalm of Asaph.

 ¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
      to those whose hearts are pure.
 ² But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
      My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
 ³ For I envied the proud
      when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
 ⁴ They seem to live such painless lives;
      their bodies are so healthy and strong.
 ⁵ They don’t have troubles like other people;
      they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
 ⁶ They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
      and clothe themselves with cruelty.
 ⁷ These fat cats have everything
      their hearts could ever wish for!
 ⁸ They scoff and speak only evil;
      in their pride they seek to crush others.
 ⁹ They boast against the very heavens,
      and their words strut throughout the earth.
 ¹⁰ And so the people are dismayed and confused,
      drinking in all their words.
 ¹¹ “What does God know?” they ask.
      “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
 ¹² Look at these wicked people—
      enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

 ¹³ Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
      Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
 ¹⁴ I get nothing but trouble all day long;
      every morning brings me pain.

 ¹⁵ If I had really spoken this way to others,
      I would have been a traitor to your people.
 ¹⁶ So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
      But what a difficult task it is!
 ¹⁷ Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
      and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
 ¹⁸ Truly, you put them on a slippery path
      and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
 ¹⁹ In an instant they are destroyed,
      completely swept away by terrors.
 ²⁰ When you arise, O Lord,
      you will laugh at their silly ideas
      as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

 ²¹ Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
      and I was all torn up inside.
 ²² I was so foolish and ignorant—
      I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
 ²³ Yet I still belong to you;
      you hold my right hand.
 ²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
      leading me to a glorious destiny.
 ²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
      I desire you more than anything on earth.
 ²⁶ My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
      but God remains the strength of my heart;
      he is mine forever.

 ²⁷ Those who desert him will perish,
      for you destroy those who abandon you.
 ²⁸ But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
      I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
      and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Hope you have a happy weekend!

Springfield Castle {A Vacation}

Did you know you can rent an Irish castle?! Let's daydream for a minute, shall we?

Let's go here.

I think I'll start my day with some quite, alone time in this meadow.

Then I'll enjoy some breakfast at this stately table with the morning light coming in.

In the afternoon I think I'll take a leisurely stroll with my husband down this lovely lane.

After we have gone out on the town and hit a local pub (just for the food and the company, of course), I'd love to grab a book and snuggle up to read in front of this fire.

And at the end of my perfectly relaxing day, I'll crash on this beautiful bed. Don't worry, there are many more rooms. I just thought I'd indulge in a bit of pink since I don't get to decorate with it at home. :)

This is the Springfield Castle. To find out more information, and for all photo credits go here.

I think I have forgotten how to blog. Tonight I started typing a post and it came out all...wrong. I don't know. I'm really sorry I haven't been blogging much (Kaitlin;) ). My head has not been in it. Where has my head been? you might ask. It's been all on me. 

Ya, ya, I know that sounds vain. I'm sorry. What I mean is this: over the past few years I've done a lot of thinking about my life and what I want to do and who I am and all that stuff. I guess that comes with the territory when you're in your early 20's (and slowly approaching your mid-20's, eep!) I feel like all of that is finally beginning to come to a head. I feel like I'm holding my breath and the things I've been looking for are just around the corner. I don't know if that corner is in next week, or next year, but I do feel like I'm finally moving towards it. 

I'm getting to a point where I am learning how to take actual steps towards answering these questions for myself, where before I had no idea where to even start. I know I've mentioned my love of (obsession with?) goals and lists, so I've been doing a lot of that (haha). I've also been realizing that I need to let go of some things that I want to be interested in, but am not. For that reason, I'm going to be shutting the other blog I started. It was a fun experiment, and a variation of something I've always wanted to try. However, I realized (as I was dreading working on it) that I didn't really enjoy it at all. It was fun at first, but it had become a chore. So I'm shutting it down. Maybe I will still do some of the posts I was doing there, here, but we'll just see!

The way I live my life has really been on my mind lately.

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. -Diane Ackerman

That quote has really been bugging me lately. And even more, the life of Billy Hornsby, a pastor and great leader at my church. I watched his memorial service online the other night and bawled like a baby. He left such a great legacy. I really admire him and join with many others all over the nation (and the world!) in saying that he has touched my life. His legacy has left behind a challenge to live life fully and to live life well. 

When my life comes to a close, I want to look back and be happy with the what I've lived, instead of wishing that I had done more. I don't want to wish I had more time. I want to have something I could write memoirs about if I wanted to. And so the challenge begins now: what can I do to make sure that I am not wasting my life? How can I squeeze everything out of my short time here? That is what has been consuming my mind lately and that is my new focus.

What do you do to make sure you're living your life to the fullest?

Leap Year {An Outfit}

When I started this blog, I thought it might be fun to have a regular style post. "How hard could it be to style and outfit once a month?" I asked myself. Little did I know that either a.) it is actually not as easy as it looks/sounds or b.) I do NOT have the gift for it.

Regardless of the obstacles, I was still pretty determined to make this styling thing work for me so I decided to give myself a little boost: styling an outfit off of an already existing picture. Even more in particular, I thought it would be fun to do a picture from a movie soooooo....

{via}

Being March, I thought it would be fun to choose an Irish centered movie. (Are you sensing a theme?) This is a still from the movie "Leap Year." I went through a pretty intense Amy Adams phase, which was the main reason I saw this movie when it came out. It's pretty cute. Nothing extravagant, but pretty cute.

Of course, anything set in Ireland has got to have lots of green and I quite love the intense greens along the road in this picture. Stunning.

Here is something I would probably wear on a day out with my husband: comfy and casual.

1. A floral shirt from Forever 21 to start us off
   
2. A jewel green cardi from Urban Outfitters, worn open (don't wanna get pinched on St. Patty's Day now, do we?)
   
3. Some gray skinny jeans from J. Crew
   
4. Red peep toe heels also from J. Crew, for a little pop of color down by the toes
   
5. A brown hobo bag from (surprise!) J. Crew again (at this point, I was just on a J. Crew binge)
   
6. A lovely daisy brooch from Etsy
   
7. The Rainkissed Leaves scent from Bath and Body Works (I love this scent but B&B doesn't sell it any more =( You can still find it online other places though.)
8. And some red hair dye from Loreal to top it off! (just kidding)

Be gentle, this is my first time. For all I know, this outfit would look terrible actually put on!

Read

One of my resolutions this year was to read more. I decided, in order for that resolution to be measurable, I would read a minimum of one book a month. (That actually makes me laugh because "one book a month" would have been ridiculously easy for me once upon a time.) (And it actually makes me cringe because now it is a challenge. Sigh.) Anyway, January I did really awesome with it. I think I read 7 books. Of course, that was probably because I gave up TV for almost the whole month. Curse you evil TV! Feburary I didn't read one single book. Oops.

This month, however, I am on my second book. The first book I read was It Sucked and then I Cried by blogger Heather Armstrong.

It chronicles her journey through pregnancy and post partum depression. I may have mentioned this before, but reading about pregnancy fascinates me. Both my brother and I were adopted so, although I knew where babies come from, I never really learned that much about pregnancy. It is so interesting to me get different perspectives on it. Also, since depression is something I have struggled with, I was highly interested to read the account of someone who has struggled with depression as well, especially in that context.

  

But the book I really want to talk about is the book I'm reading now: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

It was suggested to me by a friend and is right up my ally. The basic premise of the book is a woman who takes a year to increase the happiness in her life. Each month she focus on a different area (Marriage, Finances, Work ect.) and sets daily goals for herself. This book is a good fit for me for two reasons: I love goal setting (have I mentioned that before?) and I want to change my life. The only thing I don't like about this book is that it is a little clinical for me. I was expecting more of a lighthearted, fun approach to changing ones life. Instead, she is very methodical with lots of research and (sometimes) boring (my opinion) approaches to improving her happiness. Still, I think I might try out a Happiness Project of my own and do it my own way.

All for now. What are you reading lately?