Sitting waiting wishing

"Must I always be waiting, waiting on you..." this is my song on repeat right now. Yep, still waiting on baby M to arrive. Any one else have an end of pregnancy song to remind them of this miserable waiting time or is this just me? With Micah I would listen to Madonna's "time goes by so slowly" over + over while bouncing away on my exercise ball. And here we are six years later bouncing away. Sky was my little angel who came weeks early (on my favorite holiday) so I never had to get to that desperation stage. Brownie points for you later baby boy!

I dove into shop orders to keep from losing my sanity, and now I'm officially weeks ahead of schedule for the first time in about a year. It's a pretty wonderful + strange feeling. I think I've cleaned my house about 100 times, walked around the neighborhood double that, and have tried every single jumpstart labor trick. Pedicure/foot rub: check. Walking: check. Raspberry leaf tea: check. Castor oil: check. Spicy food: check. Getting busy (tmi): check. This kid (who was weighing over 9 lbs 18 days ago!) is grounded already I tell ya!  I can't wait for my kids to read these little journals someday. hehe [end vent.] It's time baby! 

today

I promise I haven't completely disappeared.  I really haven't wanted to write anything until I started to feel better. Which as of late, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again (yay!) so I thought I'd pop in for a little hello. Baby #3  Baby M is still cooking. I cannot wait to meet this little one. My 2 year old just informed me that he's not a baby anymore so baby M is coming just in time.

(nope, not a beach ball in there!)

 If I'm being completely honest, I've had a bit of the baby blues this time around. From now on I'll have so much more compassion for people suffering from anxiety/depression. Having a messy mind is such a joy killer and I'm just so thankful that I've had Jesus walking with me through some messy moments. And a very very patient + encouraging husband. I'm slowing down, taking care and even doing some growing through this experience. I feel like I'm learning a lot and I'm hoping that later on God can use even this less than fun time for me for His glory.  I'm sure I'll talk more about this later on but right now I want to have some fun + play along...

Today...

My favorite letters are M + S  (Micah, Stephen Skylar, Baby M)

My favorite number is 8

My favorite color is aqua

My favorite flowers are any. All flowers make me happy. 

My favorite place is northern Arizona mountains

My favorite animals are giraffes

My favorite smell is rain

My favorite season is Arizona monsoon season (even w/the heat)

My favorite food is mom's enchiladas

My favorite show is f.r.i.e.n.d.s (nothing can ever beat it)

My favorite candies are red vines/skittles/starburst

My favorite movie is You've got mail (still watch it once a month)

My favorite time is when Stephen comes home from work

My favorite band right now is Gungor

My favorite drink is cherry limeade

My favorite book is (fiction) The Hunger Games trilogy 

(non-fiction) Corrie Ten Boom-The Hiding Place

My favorite word is Booyah! (Sky's favorite right now)

My favorite thing is listening to my boys sing around the house + felt roses (duh!)

 Hopefully next time I post it will be to show off the newest little person in our house.

 (fingers crossed) 

P.S. happy birthday Aunt Danielle!

making room for baby

Baby's room is officially ready. This is the first time I've really decorated a nursery (Sorry Sky + Micah). I tried to be as gender neutral as possible since we weren't planning on finding out the sex. We actually ended up finding out this past weekend but we are keeping the news a surprise. After baby arrives I'll definitely be adding a few more girl or boy touches to it.

 

 I decided to go with a hot air balloon theme after seeing this diy from Joye. Her lanterns are a little more fancy but loved the idea and tweaked it with materials I had around the house. Paper mobile from goshandgolly.

 I'll be switching out this bird garland later on after the secrets out. Giraffe was a thrift find by hubby. Ikea lantern lamp + the mirror one of my spray paint crazy creations.

This alphabet print is one of my favorite etsy finds.

Hubby found this vintage rocking chair at a garage sale for $5. One day I will get up the courage to attempt to reupholster myself. Quilt was another favorite etsy find.

More tweaks to come but for now room + mommy are ready for baby.

Oh little one

It's been a whirlwind, this pregnancy adventure of ours. Not as peachy as my time with your brothers, but I know that once you arrive all the bumps will fade into the past. I wish I could say only 8 or 7 more weeks until you come, but you are all around our big surprise baby. You are measuring double the size you should be weighing so its hard to say just when you are coming.

I don't know if you are a boy or girl. I don't know when you are coming and I still don't know what your name is going to be. But I do know that you are going to be outgoing + playful + happy. You jump around when mommy sings + brothers give you kisses on mommy's belly. I'm so excited to be meeting you soon and can't wait to start this new journey with you love.

xo

looking back

in one word or phrase-
Waiting for May
I'm dreaming of you- summer. sand. getaways
music on repeat- Katie Herzig + Mat Kearney+ Bon Iver
gotta write it down- {I love birds. I love that they bring glory to God just by being birds. I want to be more like that...bringing glory to God just by being who He has created me to be.} - Lauren Chandler 
lesson learned- I forget how wonderful it is to slow down + take a breather. This past week + next week I'm recharging my creative juices + soaking up inspiration from the everyday things. I rush a lot. I forget to stop and see.
highlight of the week- I'm 26 weeks pregnant going on 45. I feel really uncomfortable + gross most of the time. One of my favorite things about my husband is that at night he lets me hold his hand before I fall asleep. Its a small thing, but it's one of my favorite things about him. Even though I feel like an elephant, and my skin is scorching hot + I refuse to sleep without mountains of blankets piled on me, he still will do this one little thing to make me feel like I really am his lobster.

picture to frame- you guys can really slow down this growing up thing now.
weekend to do list- It's going to be a spontaneous one. I really love having no plans.

Happy Friday!

Secret to happiness

#11- Don't be normal.

Everyday is a revolution. 

A chance to completely change the way we normally do things.

via

Every day that we are alive is a chance that we have to turn everything we know upside down and do something different.  By default the norm is set to keep our minds focused on self pretty much 24/7.  I really believe that if more people would make the choice to quit the norm and instead start their days intentionally looking for 1 person that they could help in some way, the result would be happier people all around.  It doesn't matter who you are, or what you've done, you have the opportunity to bless someone else. How cool is that!

Happiness, joy + fulfillment comes when we can stop being completely consumed with ourselves + start opening our eyes to who needs love around us. There is always going to be someone. Maybe they need money for gas, a night of babysitting, encouragement, or just someone to pray for them. And how great is it that we don't have to be a super talented person to be able to do this. If you are alive + breathing then you are more than qualified.

Ditch the norm. Be intentional about being mindful of others. Watch for opportunities. Be willing to be inconvienced + step away from the busyness. While Jesus was here on earth he was constantly going places, doing things, but when someone needed help He was always willing to stop when he was interrupted. His job  life was loving people. That should be ours too.
The happiest people are the most unselfish people. {"Don't pray + ask God to do something that you can do yourself"} -Joyce Meyer

So here is the challenge: Tell yourself this everyday...

Today I will not go to bed until I've helped/encouraged/loved someone.

Weekly Recap

in one word or phrase-moment by moment
I'm dreaming of you- I've been splurging on keeping fresh roses in the house every week. They make me happy. Dreaming of a flower garden all around the house someday.
songs on repeat- obsessed with remixed old hymns.
Rend Collective Experiment-You are my vision

+

Ascend the Hill- Oh love that will not let me go
{So light a fire in my heart
And I'll burn for you}
gotta write it down- "Peace is not the absence of chaos, but the PRESENCE of God."
lesson learned- I haven't been a very patient person. I get frustrated quickly and all my focus floats on my negative thoughts, draining away all my peace. One of my favorite verses in Romans is "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." "A renewed mind is Presence-focused." I need to train it to never lose sight of Him. I need more than the morning refuel, 10 minute devotional to kick start the day. I need to be in constant closeness with Him. Even when it's in the embarrassing, I just really made a mess moments. He knows. He still loves me + wants me to find Him in every situation. He gives me peace for the present so I never forget how much I need Him. "Weakness is a gift of truth, lighting desperate need of YOU."
highlight of the week- I started blogging again + my friend V made me this pretty new header. Her shop is my favorite.
picture to frame- I took this like a month ago. He always did love Chili's.
weekend to do list- garage sale. The youth decided to help support Amazima- Katie Davis ministries so we're having our first fundraiser. + cleaning out my garage in the process.

Happy Friday!

capturing life

I look back on the past few months and it all kind of blurs together. Which is one reason why I'm back. I'm getting the importance of capturing memories, thoughts, life on here. To stop the blur.  So let's catch up. 

I'm still baking baby #3.  23 weeks down, 17 (or less) to go. This is the first belly profile shot I've taken this pregnancy. Man how things change from baby 1 to 3. Even though baby #3 has few belly pictures or notes from mommy, this is the first time I've actually set out to make a pretty nursery. So I get a plus for that right? I promise I'll write about my nursery diy projects soon. 

 My motto this month has been "too blessed to be stressed."January has been my biggest month in the shop. It has grown so much and it's still just me crafting away, writing deadlines + details in 3 different notebooks so I don't forget with this pregnancy brain of mine. (Yes it is a real thing) Throw in the mix wife + mommyhood, babysitting, church life, pregnancy hormones (ha!). I've been feeling like I'm doing so many things and doing them all poorly. Then I heard this little motto and I stopped whining.

It's the truth! This little business that I care so much about is prospering and my husband is more in love with Jesus than he's ever been, which as a result transforms everything about him into something even greater. I didn't think that was even possible. My children are healthy + happy + still love me and forgive me when I lose all patience and have a bad moment or two or three or four. (seriously!) They even tell me I'm pretty every day when I feel like a giant elephant.  So blessed. 

{My January lesson learned }Don't overwhelm yourself. There will always be something trying to get you down, whether it be hard circumstances or just your own negative thoughts. I stress out when I feel like there's a million to-do's to face alone but really that's never the case.  Jesus is my constant companion.  He is my peace in all circumstances.  I'm forming a new habit of slowing down and finding refreshment in Him.  I'm learning to be thankful always. And trust that the closer I draw near to Him the more He will transform all my weaknesses into something much more beautiful.

all is calm, all is bright

Today was the first time in MONTHS that I had no where to be, no deadlines, no projects, not a thing to do and it was w o n d e r f u l. I read an entire fun reading book (Matched). I drank hot chocolate while listening to Christmas music. Took a bubble bath with my 2 year old and actually caught up on favorite blogs.  It was a pretty magical day. <3

I was looking through pregnancy/baby journals for #1 & #2 and realized I haven't even bought #3's yet. I'm only in the 5th month. Almost 1/2 way through. Really need to get on that. I think I have maybe a handful of pregnancy shots so far. So here's a photo from last nights Christmas party with the baby belly in it. What do you guys think, girl or boy in there?

Do you have any funny memories that are so great that even years later you burst out laughing at just the thought of them? Well yesterday my # 2 funny moment happened and I laughed and cried, and laughed some more all day long. I couldn't go to bed last night because I was still laughing. I can't say exactly what happened (my husband would kill me) but let's just say my 5 year old waved something of extreme embarrassment for Stephen around in front of my in laws while we are sitting down for a nice afternoon lunch. I died. Our lives would be so boring without these boys.

Life just went from fast forward to normal and I'm pretty happy about it. I plan to soak in all the holiday goodness this week before things speed up again. Two more days of quiet until 2 weeks of winter break for Micahboo. Off to hide the Justin Bieber singing toothbrush before he notices. byyyyeee!

Back where I started

I started writing here to keep record of memories and lessons I was learning along the way. In the middle it turned into a whole lot of other stuff and now I feel like I'm back where I started. Mostly because I don't have the creativity, time and energy to have it be a really cool full-time blog. That season has passed and it's just back to being my little modern day journal. If you are still reading after all this time then you are pretty awesome and I'm glad you stop by.

 Right now I'm 15 weeks pregnant. This time around it is flying by. Which is a good and bad thing. The good because if I'm being completely honest, I really don't like the pregnant me that much. When I'm pregnant I get really insecure and emotional and I move so much slower in everything I'm doing. And good because we won't know the sex until he or she comes in May. The bad because this will probably be the last time I get to experience this and once this little one arrives there will be 3 of them! Overall no complaints just a little thinking out loud. I'm a very happy, blessed beyond what I deserve lady.

These boys are my world. Skylar is 2 and a half and last night I just sat there watching him sleep. Even still it doesn't get old. They will always be the most beautiful thing in this world to me. Except for when they are trashing the post office while I'm trying to package and ship off 10 orders. Okay maybe even then.

I just recently finished reading this book called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I was always very leery about reading Christian Fiction but I gave it a try and this book really did something in me. It's a beautiful story of forgiveness and God's unrelenting love towards us. It painted a picture of it for me in a way that I can't stop thinking about it. Just read it if you haven't already. The first few chapters are tough but keep going I promise it gets good.

I'm still battling my constant struggle of being in the present. I'm always thinking ahead, running around and missing out on enjoying the now. I don't want to ever forget that it could be over any moment. I don't want to miss out on the important things. My 2012 goal is to get organized so that I can cross that off my worry list and have more time to be. I hope that makes sense. I've been typing with two boys on each side of me talking in my ear. I hope any of this makes sense. ha!

I wrote a little something last week about how I pursue my passion over here. Tomorrow is 3 years since my morning at the kitchen table that I talk about. That was a really good day.

Off to put little boys to bed and hopefully sit by the Christmas tree and read. Goodnight! Thanks for catching up with me.