Tuesday, January 31, 2012

I wish...



~ I was creative enough to come up with original names for my pintrest boards

~ my best friend, Ashley, lived closer so she could motivate me to run more and help with my non-mom wardrobe : )



~ The Bachelor came on more than once a week (yes, I've been sucked into the madness!)


~ eating cereal and cheese sticks was a reasonable diet

~ I felt beautiful right now - I mean I'm about to see my husband for the first time in 6 months and I don't exactly feel like a hot momma!

~ there were more hours in the day



~ I was lying on a beach getting a tan


~ it were Thursday ; )

Monday, January 30, 2012

Showering Hilt's Mom

This weekend I (along with three awesome girls) threw my best friend, Katie Beth, her first baby shower.  We had the best time together making it all come together - minus the lack of sleep that I got from having a sick baby at home : (

 KB had to come to her shower early to make the puff balls!  She was a good sport about because she is so good at them!


Here, Crissy is working hard on finishing up the cake topper.


When you have no paint brush available, a true crafter improvises - with the butt of a tack!



The amazing cake made by a friend and the finished cake topper.  It really annoyed me that the blues didn't match, but I didn't have time to worry about it at this point.


Some of the set up




The guest of honor...



Classic KB face!


My mom with a sick Emmy.  She has a horrible runny nose that caused her to no be able to breathe, therefore not sleep.  She didn't have a fever though, so I'm hoping it is just the change in weather or a mild cold.  


Opening presents


Emmy had to have a front row seat


KB's nephew, Owen, with her longtime friend, Erin.


Our friend Kari, made an amazing quilt for Hilton


Emmalyn helping some more


KB's sister and me with her.  Owen really wanted to be in all the pics!


Mother and daughters


Sisters


All the girls who helped me pull this shower off with KB. 



The parents are well on their way to getting everything ready for Hilton's arrival and I feel so blessed to be involved in his life and see my best friend during such an exciting time in her life!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

First time moms...

As a first time mom, I get a lot of "advice" that I've had to learn to take with a grain of salt.
There are a lot of expectations that we put on ourselves as moms and when our children don't grow up as planned, we blame ourselves.  I've had this feeling too many times to count in the past 19 months.

I have two sister in laws that make being a mother to multiples seem effortless.  I often think if I'm capable to mother more children and still be a good servant of Christ, wife, friend as they are.

I love being a mother, but I have to constantly remind myself that I'm not in this alone.  Sure there are a slew of other first time moms going through the same thing I am, but what we too often neglect to take advantage of is the fact that we have a heavenly father to guide us in parenting.

As a mom I'm supposed to make sure my child is fed, clothed, and sheltered.  That she wears a jacket when it is cold.  That she drinks extra fluids when sick.  That she learns to share.  But there is so much more to it.  I'm constantly worrying.  Does she weigh enough?  Is she growing, walking, talking, playing appropriately.

I feel like it is much easier to get caught up with those issues when we have just one child (which, psychologically can cause issues for the the child later on in life that I won't even begin to try to address).

However, whether you have one child or nine, we need to be reminded that we all have the same concerns for our children and Christ is with us.


I read this article the other day and breathed a sigh of relief.


Why should we waste our time worrying about things that we can't even control instead of praying to the God who can?!?!

Of course, this is easier said than done and something I struggle with daily.  

So, she requires a few extra calories, or some encouragement using her words.  Isn't it all for the glory of Christ?  And the only way I know (at this point) to glorify Him in this trial is to lean on Him and trust His plan for my sweet Emmy (and subsequent children).

So, this is just to remind me to give the big stuff to God and enjoy motherhood at each amazing stage.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I had a photo shoot the other day and during it we saw this!  


So, if you've had a bad day just think, at least you're not this dog!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

A Valentine Surprise!

This week has been extremely busy.  I haven't had to work in three weeks, but somehow my times gets filled pretty quickly with to do lists and dropping whatever I'm doing to talk to Caleb when he calls (we never really know when during the day it will be).  Lately I've been planning two baby showers and a bridal shower, giving Dixie meds for an inflamed cervical vertebrae twice a day, and trying to find the time to train for my first race (yes, I signed up for a 5K - my first... don't laugh).

Then everything stopped when I got the best news ever - Caleb is coming home on leave in two weeks!!!!

After he told me over the phone I didn't say anything because I was in shock.  I think I still am.  I'm actually going to see my husband?!?!?!?

I am over the moon excited!  We plan on just hanging out as a family.  Playing at the park, going to the zoo, having family dinners, watching The Office, date nights, and lots and lots of Emmy tickling.  I can hardly wait!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

These are a few of my favorite things...

~ Freshly washed sheets

~ scoring cute finds for Emmy at Goodwill like these:



At $3 an item, I'll take it!

~ Planning my best friend's baby shower!


~ Mornings when Emmy sleeps till 9 or later!

~ J'adore perfume!  I don't own a bottle yet, but I'd love to.  It is heavenly!





Saturday, January 7, 2012

Emmy Love

This post is all about Emmalyn.  

She has been busy lately growing up!  

On New Years Eve a group of us ate at Carolina Wings before heading home to play games until midnight.  She ate like a champ that evening.  She even had her first chicken wing.  





I think she liked it!


A few days ago Emmy and I were playing outside and I thought she looked a lot like a little girl than a baby (it finally hit me) so of course I had to grab my camera and take some shots for Daddy.
#cutestpantsever


Then yesterday we visited the zoo with the Butt cousins (that's their last name) and Ellasyn.  Emmy and I had not been to the zoo in a while, but I think she likes it more and more the older she gets.  

Before we left, I got up the courage to try to "fix" her hair.  I usually just pick a bow out that matches her outfit, but wanted to see if she would tolerate pigtails.  She did such a good job while I combed and combed her extremely thin hair.  She is much like me in the fact that she has a sensitive head, so I had to be gentle and the part isn't anywhere near being straight, but she's still so adorable!


She's growing so fast, but she's still my little baby!




I love her so much!  It really does break my heart that Caleb isn't around to see this, especially when she climbs on the couch beside me to cuddle as she did numerous times today.  
#bittersweetmommytears

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

12 goals of 2012

I've never really made a new years resolution and don't really plan on it.  I do, however, feel like making attainable goals is both constructive and motivational.  So here are my 2012 goals.

1. Cook more - having Caleb gone has made me not really feel like cooking much.  I love to cook, especially when it is for a hungry man, but without him around to eat and appreciate a hot meal, cereal just seems like a quicker better alternative to cooking.

2. Go to bed before midnight - right now it is 0032... Goal #2 - 1  Me - 0  I think this might be easier once I start working more (boo!) and Caleb is actually living with me.

3. Count my blessings - This is a continuation from 2011.  So often we complain about what we don't have, but don't see what we do have right in front of us.  I may not have brand new furniture (or even a house for that matter), or designer jeans, or a three carat diamond on my left hand, but I have a husband that I am super proud of and that loves me *almost perfectly, I have a healthy daughter that lights up my life every day, friends that I can laugh and cry with, and most importantly I a savior that is sovereign and loves me despite my ugly sin.  I want to be happy with just that.  I don't need anything else, but so often I get caught up in the envy of others instead of what really matters.

4. Get out of debt - this one may not completely happen this year, but we are working hard toward it!  It kind of gives me a rush seeing the credit balance decrease.  I love knowing that more and more of our hard earned money is going in the bank account instead of to someone else because of interest.  

5. Not use so many exclamation points in my typing! <---------- ha ha!

6. Be less concerned about the mess and focus more on the memories - if any of you know me at all, I'm a clean freak.  I actually really love to clean (most of the time).  But Caleb gets on to me often about being so focused on how our house looks or cleaning up that I miss out on fun.

7. Dig more in depth into my faith - I'm a christian.  I know the basics.  But I want to know more.  I want to be able to defend this man that gave me life and was put threw torture so that I may live as a sinner and still sit with Him in heaven.  I'm excited and a little apprehensive at the same time.  I have some books lined up to read and some sermons to listen to that will give it to me straight an in words I can understand : )

8. Actually make the things I pin on pintrest instead of just pinning them - I have found so many awesome things to do from pintrest.  However, not having my own home to live in, kind of limits what I can do at the moment.  I guess I should start small and work my way up to the big stuff like turning an old dresser into a bookshelf!

9. Get outside more - I love being outside... when the conditions are perfect.  This doesn't happy often.  So I need to just bare it and get out there.  I'd love to start a very small garden and purchase a couple adirondack chairs for Caleb and I to relax in with our new fire pit.

10. Coupon more - I'm starting with my all time favorite store, Target.  I got their debit card as get 5% off every purchase (which really does add up because I go there for EVERYTHING).  I also get weekly emails with their specials and coupons, but would like to venture out more and see if there are better ways to save money.  With our income declining substantially when Caleb returns, I think this would be beneficial to us!

11. Grow my hair out - I did like the short haircut I got after Caleb left, but I was going through old photos the other day and I really think I look more youthful and also more like a woman at the same time (if that's possible) with longer hair.  Caleb also like long, dark hair.  With my mom who owns a salon and does hair for a living, it is sometimes hard not to want to just experiment, but I'm going to try to refrain from any other than the periodic trim.  **** I still reserve the right to color or highlight as I please!

12. Be a better wife - honestly, I think it is going to take me a little while to get back in the groove of being a wife when Caleb returns home.  I haven't cooked a meal in over two weeks and obviously haven't been doing wifely bedroom duties (TMI? - you'll get over it).  There is so much that comes with Caleb's return.  Just thinking/writing about it makes my heart beat faster.
When I was in middle school, I use to think "how in the world could you stay with someone for a lifetime and still love them more than you did the day before?"
I know now that it all comes from Christ, and that it is possible.
That doesn't mean I'll be good at it, especially after not having him around for a year and not knowing when I'll get to talk to him next.  Being the wife of a deployed soldier is very strange.  There is a lot of trust that is given to me by him and even more so now that we have a daughter that I'm raising while he is away (he often jokes that if she is "messed up" it is all my fault because he wasn't around! : ).

With this goal, I hope to be more encouraging instead of nagging like a dripping faucet.  I hope to be more submissive and allow Caleb to take his stand as the leader of our home (this could be challenging after not having him around for so long).  I hope to serve him the way Jesus served/s his people (cooking, rubbing his feet, holding down the home front so he can concentrate on bringing home the bacon : ).  I hope to love him in his love language more instead of my own.  I hope to continue to keep myself up kept (getting out of my pajamas before 2pm and staying fit) so he has a wife he is proud of.

 I love my husband, and I am so blessed that he loves me, but it does take work and I'm so ready for the work!


So there's my 2012 goals.  I'll try to give an update on how I'm doing with them periodically.  This may have been the most boring post to you, but it helps me to write it out!
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