Maybe Baby Month

Hello June!  You’re here and you’re officially the maybe baby month.  July stakes claim for the for sure baby month.  And let me tell you that I’m a little like wait…where’d the time go!? Definitely getting excited to meet this little baby and see whether the baby is a boy or a girl.  This is especially since this little baby is loving kicking my ribs and still moving like crazy.  There’s no denying that I look pregnant.  Though, I can pull off a “not necessarily” pregnant look if I’m wearing black and you’re looking from the front or even if you just see me from behind.  If you see me from the side….no question 🙂 Also, in other news, the weather has gotten warmer and my wedding rings are fitting a bit tighter.  I’m not such a fan of that, but oh well.  They’ll be back on in no time.

Otherwise….a few other things that I’ve learned in May have included:

1. Finding baby clothes that are not distinctly boy or girl is pretty hard!  I’ve yet to find the “perfect” going home outfit.  Though, we do love this one we found that was only in bigger sizes.  The color is cuter in person, but still 🙂  We’ve also found a few fun infant clothes with references to drums (yay for a husband who drums).

2. I dig the Nuna brand.  Not only do they make sweet products, but they also sent me a surprise journal as a bonus gift!  Plus, they just came out with some waterproof sheets, which will be fabulous!  So surreal that soon a little baby will be sleeping in there!

3. Days outside with these two are ever entertaining!   4. I’m in need of some good summer books and have been scouring the library in search of them.  Any recommendations?

5. Decisions are way harder without being able to “know” how things are going to be like once this baby is here.  I’m definitely thankful that I can push some off and I’m thankful for wise advice and LOTS of prayer!

All in all, May’s been a great month and I’m excited for June.  The calendar already looks full with baby doctor appointments (weekly! so fun to get to that point!), graduation parties, VBS, weddings, get togethers with friends, baby showers, and hopefully lots of time outside…and maybe a baby! 🙂

Favor

 

I’m a bit of a fan of playing around with picmonkey and easel.ly lately and this morning after I finished reading in my Bible, I jumped on board to create something fun for this verse that came out of my time reading in the Psalms!  I am so drawn to the idea of the Lord’s favor and timing.  There is much that I want to rush or check off or simply avoid instead of slowing down and resting in His favor and presence.

Part of slowing down for me lately has included spending time doing Lectio Divina. Fancy word for some focused Bible reading with four parts.  There are different names and styles of this, but a simplified version includes: Listen. Word. Invitation. Response.  For me, I’m reading through Psalms as part of my reading plan and have chosen to use each daily reading in Psalms for Lectio Divina.  Today was Psalm 102.

First, I read through and just listened without anything extra.  The second time reading the chapter included reading with an open heart and open eyes for a word or phrase that sticks out or jumps off the page.  The word “rebuild” came to me as I read this one.  The third time reading the Psalm is when I look for an invitation or something that God is inviting me into.  This is where the verse above stuck out.  Both an invitation into this time of favor and an invitation to live in his presence (verse 28).  Lastly, I get to read through the passage one more time and then write out/pray out/speak out a response to God.

This practice has been such a focusing time for me and I am thankful for the ways the Lord continues to speak to me during it and after as I often spend time journaling.  I’m finding this season is one full of thoughts, emotions, ideas, and much of them tend to be kept tucked away in my journal pages.

Praying that the Lord’s favor springs up to meet you in special ways today.

Have you tried Lectio Divina?

Do you have any Bible reading plans you absolutely adore (I’ve only got a few months left before I finish mine and I’m always looking for new ones!)? 

Friday Love

A few of the things I’m loving lately…

1. Walks with puppies.  Can they get any cuter!? Plus, let’s just be honest.  My husband is like the dog whisperer times twenty.  When I took them both on a walk without him, things were a bit crazier! 2. Ellie Holcomb‘s music.

3. Nike+ Training Club App.  Fun workouts that you can do at home–yes, please!

4. Tons of baby kicks and jabs and pushes 🙂 (oh and note the sunglasses on my head…there may be snow, but I’m ready for spring and summer!)

5. I made this fun little reminder with my word for the year.  Now, we’ve got Joy, Trust, Celebrate, Free, and Open around the house!  

 

 

be delicate: what I learned in march

Now, I know that in terms of days, March technically only has 3 days more than February…though, this year I’ve deemed this the longest month ever.  With lingering snow storms, I’m a little weary of March and hoping that April might hold more promise—I’m not holding my breath, though!  I keep thinking that at least by the time this little baby comes we likely will have grass.  Right?  Grass by June/July seems reasonable.  In other news, I’ve let a whole month slip by without a single blog post but hey I’m here again linking up.  April just might be a good month for all sorts of things (blogging and sunshine!).  Until then…here’s what I learned in March!

1. I may say that I am Boaz’s favorite…but here is some evidence that sometimes this crazy dog prefers the husband over me.  Either way, that dog loves to be close.

2. Trader Jo’s oreo shakes…yes please!  Apparently, I’m rather particular about the thickness of my shakes.  We followed a recipe for these and let me tell you, I was not impressed.  So, I did what only made sense and started adding more ingredients.  After using all of the oreos, some cookie butter, and a whole lot of ice, they finally were closer to what I preferred.  In the end, I determined I just plain prefer ice cream in my shakes.  

3. Community and vulnerability are good for my heart.  I went to a workshop/conference for a few days and even got to get creative and use some markers to share bits of my story (hence the color covered hand).  Life is messy and beautiful.  A few weeks after going, I found myself embracing the little phrase “be delicate.”  My head is still rolling this around and my heart is tugging at the seams when thinking about it. So often, I don’t show my delicate, tender, and soft side.  I don’t know where it will lead, but all that to say, that March has thrown that phrase into my vocabulary (and I rediscovered my love for picmonkey for editing and adding words to pictures).

4. This verse. Such goodness.  This month has exposed some of my “scorched places” and I am so thankful for a God who brings the rain and is with me in the fire.  Isaiah 58:11. 

5. I could put sprinkles on just about everything and be a happy girl.

6. This bump has gotten out of control and we still have 14 weeks to go!  March became the month of the baby bump popping out and me finally gaining some weight.  And let’s just say.  Baby still loves to move a ton.  🙂

6 weeks above and almost 26 weeks below.7. Lastly, I finally  figured out a way to organize and clean up my camera roll!  I deleted all of the photos off my camera roll this morning…first time, I have had an empty camera roll probably since I got this phone!  For some reason, my syncing hasn’t been quite great at deleting them after I imported them to iPhoto.  So, I didn’t know what I had on iPhoto and what I didn’t.  Either way, I made sure I had backed them up and had everything in order before deleting.  But let me tell you.  That thing was full!  I may or may not be a photo hoarder (2000ish photos later).

There you have it.  My random bits from March.  I’m hoping these next few days fly by and then April brings sunshine, showers, and pretty flowers.

What did you learn in March?

 

 

 

 

Productive Days

Let’s be honest…December was a whirlwind and definitely not my most productive month of the year.  Between all the family get togethers, present buying, not feeling the best….not much got done.  Thankfully, we got to eat out and to eat at other people’s houses, which was such a blessing!  Now, January, on the other hand, always seems to be my “go to” month.  I typically start off the year with ambitious plans and resolutions (I kept mine extra simple this year and didn’t even include too many lists! And I just love my word. Open.).  I love new beginnings and starts.  Plus, the weather is just plain cold so it translates to perfect weather to get things done inside!

Here are a few of the things that have been keeping me busy…

I LOVE handwritten cards.  I am so thankful that my parents (even when we totally hated it) made us write thank-you cards for gifts.  There is much to be said about being thankful and taking the extra time to express it.

I’m not always prompt on my response time for cards, but I’m adamant about doing them!  These were a mixture of birthday thank-you’s, Christmas thank-you’s, and a few happy notes.  Besides, who can resist cute, bright, colorful cards!?

Hello Lasagna Soup! This was another Pinterest find.  I totally did not follow the recipe…I only had 2 cups of Vegetable broth instead of the 6 cups (they said chicken stock, but same difference).  A little water helped make up the difference.   I had pasta sauce instead of tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes.  I didn’t take the time to cut an onion (I needed my one onion for another recipe this week!) and I more or less threw in whatever felt right for all the spices.  I am NOT going to be nominated for the person who can follow a recipe or be known to measure correctly.  However, this was delicious!! I even told my husband that I was excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow.  I am a total sucker for ricotta cheese so that was a highlight! Here’s the link for the original recipe…I would guess that it is just as good if you follow the actual recipe! Plus, if you like meat…there’s sausage! (I opted out of that one!)

Boaz and I have been rocking out on the treadmill!  He prefers outside, but I’m a wimp and I like to read and walk. 🙂 I started A Confident Heart by Renee Swope!  I’m also pumped to dive into Angie Smith’s books–What Women Fear and Chasing God!  This is going to be a good year for books.Lastly, my domestic diva qualities (well…really a facebook post that said this was super easy and running out of my own almond milk and happening to have extra almonds) led me to believe I should try making my own Almond milk!  I was impressed with how easy and fast everything went!  I need to work on perfecting the taste, but other than that I am a BIG fan!  Separating the milk and almond meal was my only not so favorite thing, but other than that, I approve!  I’m eyeing a few recipes to try out with the leftover almond meal too…so I’ll keep you posted!

That’s what is keeping me busy around here! Other than work and spending time with the husband, of course. 🙂

What have you been up to!? Any suggestions for recipes or crafts or projects or books for me to try!?

The Journal

I told you about our questions. Now, I’m going to tell you about our journal.  This might be one of my absolute favorite things.  I love love words in all forms and so getting love letters from my husband makes my day.  I stumbled across the list of questions and the journal all in one spot even!  After I got back from Greece, I had a journal stashed away that was plain and kind of boring compared to my normal bright, crazy, happy style.  I hadn’t used it and so I figured even though we are just dating it would be fun to start now.  I penned a few words, added the date, and stuck it in Ryan’s refrigerator   I waited and waited until then I happened to find that he’d returned the favor by hiding it for me.  This led to months of writing and hiding.  Tucked away in his lunch box, in a drawer, in the microwave, in the shower, hidden in the DVDs, in a backpack, in a cereal box, and all sorts of places.  Sometimes we’ll write serious and sometimes we’ll be silly.  This has been such a fun way to have something to look forward to and to communicate as well as encourage each other in a different way.  We put our first journal in our wedding box so we’re on our second already.  I can’t wait to see how many we go through over the years.  Oh and if you’re over at our house and happen to see a journal in a weird spot….I wouldn’t suggest opening it!

Have you ever tried this with your spouse or your kids or roommates? I think it would be so fun to have a family journal too someday!

 

Home?

i’m still catching my breath not sure if it’s really okay to breathe again…still tentatively being like, wait really? and yet all the time thinking oh hey maybe this is just the beginning of a beautiful year of celebrating!

so without further adieu here is the current photo menagerie of the place i’m calling “home?”

it’s a start. a work in progress. and likely things will change, but so far i do love it and it’s me.

first off. i legit love my bed.

and well as you can see…i have a love for shoes and standing mirrors.

I’m in love with this shelf I found–for now it’s here in the kitchen! Plus, the clock has always made me happy.

a little cluttery but convenient and logically placed to include all sorts of happy over here from my mod podge magnetic board to my yellow cup to the paper towels with cupcakes on them to my pink blender to my bright colored silver wear.

love from africa postcard + marathon love water bottle + cute white table + painted chair=happy

the words came of course…because I love me some words and can stand in front of the fridge for FAR too long playing with these–at least I’m not eating?!

and this one found a spot on my wall.

here’s my lived-in living room

i LOVE accessories! hello tons of earrings and some necklaces! and cute african boys giggling at me as I get ready.

added a few pops of color in here =)

this room gets SO much sunlight in the afternoon it’s glorious.

transformed this little area into a nice workspace.

and here’s some more books and more africa.

and oh hey craft corner!

and lastly cue my fave furniture find!

there you have it! the lovely picture tour =)

Hello December

You’re beautiful already.

I daresay I may be holding out a little bit of hope for you.

When you’ve been wrestling hope for so long, the teasing glances it brings make you want to run for the hills.

Yet, somewhere deep beneath the rubble I just know there must be some speck of yellow, some dash of hope.

Because y’all, I want an answer to this question:

What are your hopes for Christmas?

I think therein lies something beautiful unfolding.

With the unveiling of a birthday month list and baby steps in heart wrenching areas, I think just maybe I’ll find a thread of hope.

My answer remains a work in progress. An unraveling of sorts to in a sense re-capture hope. To reclaim the vision of a hope-filled, good future. That’s where I’m headed.

Here’s the start of the journey of this birthday month….

oh how i love finding out that a new yogurt land like store has opened up nearby!

birthday list number 18 eat at a yogurt land like place

unexpected birthday month happiness of cute, cheap vibrams. i’ve always wanted to try them out!

in preparation for birthday list number 43

a crack

i feel like i let open a little crack and

now i’m just waiting for the floodgates

to open up and overwhelm me

a crack in the door that leads to

finding words to the parts

of my story

that i don’t share

with anyone

those parts of the story

that scare me

that i don’t want to even

acknowledge

let alone feel

yet they are the parts

that leave the gaping open wounds

still on my battered and bruised body

with these wounds

i don’t want your words

i don’t want you to shove me under the rug

i don’t want you to suffocate me by silencing my words

or parade me as a spectacle

or put me on display like the adulterous woman

i want you to sit with me

cry with me

grieve with me

carry me to Jesus

and care just a little

deep breath…of hope

Hope

I breathe her in and start with just a little taste.  She seems familiar, but it’s been so long since I’ve tasted her goodness. I thought I didn’t want her hanging around, but then I slowly started letting her come back to play.  Once I started boldly and consistently confessing trust, there she was.  She showed up with her bright sun rays and dancing laughter.  She wanted me to come dream with her.    

Now, with trust, I’m un-digging my heels and stopping my tantrum to learn even more about trusting fully, but hope? That just seems a bit…risky.

Except the funny thing about hope is that she sneaks up on you.  You start trusting God with those heart desires and next thing you know hope has blossomed.  Deserts into Eden.  A beauty in the waiting with hope and anticipation.  A face set on His best no matter what it looks like.  So, I breathe her in deep even though it’s not what I intended.  A deep breath of resting and enjoying…the Gardener who is making my deserts oh so beautiful. 

Come play along with the 5 minutes of free writing on “Deep Breath.”

What are you breathing deeply lately? What are you hopeful for?