Monday, September 30, 2013

THE WEEKLY

This week I spent some much needed time with my family. My sister and I went with my mom to get her hair shaved off. She started losing chunks of her hair and decided it was time to go ahead and get rid of the rest. It was emotional and a little hard to watch, but she was brave and did such a great job. I think it was a little hard for all of us seeing an outward visual sign of the icky cancer inside. But she is so beautiful with or without her hair, her smile glows and she certainly rocks the head scarves. :) Even though this has been a difficult time for us, it's also been a very special time having our family come together to support her.

This weekend Jon and I spent some time working on the house. We painted the nursery, re-finished the dresser that will go in the nursery, and finally did some yard work! It has felt great making progress on our house. We still have so much to do before 2014, but we're trying to focus on one project at a time. 

Snapshots of the Week: 1// Fluffy Kaito monster. 2// Jon not helping my sweet-tooth cravings by brining home a box of these. 3// Colors for Soren's room and the dresser make-over! 4// Lunch at Three Blind Mice with Jenny. :) 


Favorite Posts/Pins/Articles: 
* Been loving working on my baby clothing board on Pinterest. Such cute baby boy options! 
* So awesome to be mentioned in Moorea's design resources page
* "Ain't Nobody Got Time for That", has been my motto lately, but what about the things we really NEED to do, like some good ol' cleaning
* Excited to try this Red Velvet lip Velvetine by Lime Crime. Always on the hunt for the perfect red. 

Inspiring Me this Week:
Right now I'm attempting to get inspired to get my act together and start eating better. I've been really surprised by my intense sweet-tooth cravings and would like to balance out the nutrition more and calm that sweet-tooth down. A little is okay here and there but I've felt like an insane sugar fiend lately. 

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I need a good balance of Jon, family/friend and me time throughout the week or I can get easily burned out. 
* I REALLY enjoy working on our family budget.
* I REALLY dislike going through lots of mail, especially when it's boring bills and junk mail. 

Friday, September 27, 2013

BEAUTY: SEPTEMBER FAVORITES

It has be A WHILE since I made my last beauty video. Browsing around my YouTube channel I noticed that my last video was posted in May, which was the month Jon and I got pregnant! I decided to give myself some momma mercies and take a little break from video making until we moved, got settled in a little, and I could get my time together. :) I'm so excited to get back into making beauty videos regularly. For this video I'm talking about some of my favorite beauty and lifestyle products for the month of September. :) And please ignore my roots! It's SO time for a dye job!



FAVORITES MENTIONED
* In the Light Eyeshadow Palette - Stila
* The Colossal Mascara - Maybelline
* Dandelion Soft-Focus Blush - Benefit Cosmetics
* Sweet Spun Sugar & Red Velvet Cupcake Candles - Target
* Tea Tree Water Toner - Lush
* Brown Sugar Lip Exfoliator - Elf
* Dry Shampoo - Psssst!
* Waterproof Clay Eyeliner - Tarte (similar)
* Coasters - Rifle Paper Co.
* Indian Coconut Nectar Perfume - Pacifica

I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave suggestions for videos you'd like me to make! I'm working on my idea list and would love to hear what you want to see. :) Happy weekend, friends!!!

Oh! And you can follow me on my YouTube Channel here!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

WEAR: COZY FOR FALL

It's happening! The first slight breeze came around in Georgia and that was my queue to start pulling out my blanket cardigans, long socks, and favorite boots. Layers baby! We've had some beautiful days lately. Some drizzly, some sunny, but fall is definitely in the air and I'm LOVING it.

I've been wearing these leggings all the time lately. They are SO cozy to wear and cozy on the belly. I have been working on making all of my current pants and clothing work so I don't have to purchase maternity wear at this point, which has worked with the help of my belly band. ;) These leggings are tops and will be on my frequent pregnancy clothing rotation. :)

Wearing: 1// Hat - Gap 2// Beaded Tank - Free People 3// Oversized Sweater - Topshop 4// Leggings - Forever21 5// Socks - Forever21 6// Boots - Forever21 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

IT'S TIME FOR FALL!

Jenny and I have had several couch conversations talking about fall, the traditions, the things we look forward to...the fact that it's like a grand introduction to the holiday season, which we LOVE. The way we feel about going to Disney is the same way we feel about fall and the holidays! October, November, and December are pretty much my favorite time of the year. :) It's strange to think that this will be the last holiday season with just Jon and me. Next year we'll have little Soren with us and I can't wait to share life with him. :)

I'm not always the type to be gung-ho about taking part in traditions. Especially if they don't have a particular relevance or meaning to me. BUT I DO love me some seasonal traditions and special things each year we can do as a family. I love it!

This week marked the official start of fall and it's had me thinking about boots, giant sweaters, apple cider, delicious food, fires in the fireplace. Our backyard has lots of trees in it and I've been watching the leaves fall throughout the week. It's so beautiful and I can't wait to see the colors become vibrant and change.

To get into the fall spirit and do a little bit of "fall forcing", I've put together some of my recent favorite fall goodies.


1// Doily Pumpkins 2// Aberdeen Lace-Up Boot 3// Pumpkin Butter 4// Apple Cider Float 5// The Taplin Bag 6// Pumpkin Cookies 7// Illusion Waves Scarf 8// Keep Warm 9// Giant Scarf 10// Five Bread Recipes for Fall 11// Camp Mug Candle 12// Cable Sweater 13// Pumpkin Spice Donuts 14// Geometric Cardigan 15// Gold Feather 16// Autumn Essentials 

MY FALL TO-DO LIST
1// Visit Ellijay in North Georgia.
2// Go apple picking.
3// Visit a pumpkin patch.
4// Go to a corn maze or haunted house.
5// Make lots of apple cider.
6// Have a fall get-together with friends.
7// Get lots of decaf fall lattes.
8// Pass out candy on Halloween.
9// Get mums for the front porch.
10// Bake fall-ish goodies.
11// Enjoy the beautiful weather and practice archery with Jon.
12// Buy a cozy sweater.

What season are you celebrating where you live? What are your favorite traditions and things to do?? :)

Monday, September 23, 2013

OH BABY: A GENDER AND A NAME!

Jon and I went to our baby appointment last Wednesday. We had been looking forward to it for weeks and could hardly stand the anticipation of finding out if it was a boy or a girl. To be honest, Jon and I had really felt like it would be a boy. Some of the reasons were a little funny like the fact that I felt pretty good during my first trimester and that the heartbeat was more in the "old wives tale" boy range. But then I started having dreams about the little one. I'm sure they were hormone-induced but they were so vivid and in each one the baby was a boy. In one particular dream, I was holding a cuddly baby and I knew it was a boy. I couldn't see his face but he had curly blonde hair and was so sweet. Jon and I just felt stronger and stronger over time that it would be a boy and even started referring to it as "he".

So fast forward to Wednesday. We told the technician that we wanted to know the gender and within no time she announced, "It's a boy!!" Jon and I looked at each other and just started grinning. It was SO awesome to find out and to know that the little baby wiggling inside of me was a boy and now has a name. It made everything feel even more real. We soaked up every minute of the ultrasound time as she looked at his entire anatomy. He wiggled around just enough so the technician could take a look at everything she needed to. :)

made from plants found in our front yard

Jon and I decided to keep the news to ourselves for a couple of days and share it with close friends and family that weekend. I made a cake from this recipe and colored the inside with blue food coloring for the reveal. Jon made yummy burgers and we had a great time. It was so fun to share the news. On Sunday I shared with a few more friends and have been looking forward to sharing it with everyone else today!

And now for the name! Jon and I actually had a boy named picked out for quite some time. Jon fell in love with the first name in college and shared it with me and we both decided if we had a son that's what we would name him. His name will be Soren Lind Wallace. Soren is the name of one of Jon's favorite philosophers and theologians. We loved how strong and beautiful the name sounded. Lind is Jon's middle name and his father's middle name. It's a short name for Lindberg which is Jon's grandfather's middle name. We really love the idea of passing on a middle name and continuing that tradition. We love little Soren and love saying his name. :) --- We've started praying for the little guy to have a spirit of joy, a zeal for life, kindness, strength, and for him to be a great future big brother.

ultrasound photos of little Soren. Thank you, Jenny, for writing his name so beautifully!

Jon and I were so giddy after finding out. We couldn't help ourselves and drove immediately to Target afterward to buy baby clothes after celebrate over dinner. Now that we know the gender and the name, we talked through nursery ideas and know exactly what we are doing. I can't wait to get started and get his room ready for his arrival! :)

Saturday, September 21, 2013

LIVING WELL: SLOWING DOWN TIME

Recently I've been reading the book One Thousand Gifts. It's such a beautifully written book, so poetic, so convicting and filled with good truth and inspiration. One of the chapters that really stood out to me was about how routines, and constantly thinking about the "next thing", can speed up time. It can make us forget about stopping and finding joy and thankfulness in the little things throughout the day. This quote from the book says it well:

"I speak it to God: I don't really want more time; I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done."



Being a self-promclaimed futuristic thinker, and major fan of tasks and to-do lists, this idea really hit home with me and made me sit and think about my life a little closer. I had already found myself several times throughout the year complaining about how quickly it's passing by. Was that a sign? Maybe the speed of this year has been a reflection of my busyness and my lack and inability to STOP, look, feel, listen, touch, take in. How many moments am I missing? And not just the big moments, but the perfectly small and joyful moments I forget to see? --- This idea has been with me for a couple of weeks. How can I slow time and appreciate the beauty in this fleeting life?

Since this book is what I'm currently reading with a group of stellar ladies, we all talked last week about ways we wanted to challenge ourselves this week to slow down. I challenged myself to wake up earlier in the morning, instead of reaching for my phone to check up on the latest happenings in the social media world, I promised myself a morning of quiet time and journaling. I also wanted to remind myself to stop throughout the week to notice the little things and "be fully there" to take them in. Scattered throughout my journaling, I decided to begin keeping a list of gratitude and things I was thankful for. This helped remind me to look, slow down time, and find joy in the day to day. This week has been such an eye opening time for me. Starting my mornings with prayerful thoughts, capturing life and thankfulness in a journal rather than scrolling through emails, Instagram photos and the latest Buzz Feed article made such a difference. I found myself feeling more care-free, more joyful. I also caught myself on several occasion taking life in. Watching the way the light hit my husband's skin as he got ready for work early one morning, holding hands in the car with Jon while listening to the rain, and making a quick dash through the drizzle, taking time to make a toast before dinner, soaking in every detail and moment of our little one on the ultrasound during the anatomy check, the peacefulness and precise measurements in baking a new recipe...this is the way I want to live. Finding joy in life and in the little moments. Being fully there for my family and loved ones. Remembering. Loving. Stopping.

Routines are part of life, tasks should be done, goals need to be managed, but my hope is that these things won't make up my entire life. My hope is that I can continue to learn to slow down and see life. What a powerful and inspiring reminder!

What are ways that help you to slow down and take life in?

Photo Found Here

Friday, September 20, 2013

FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY: POPSUGAR & OLIVEBOX!

Hello and welcome to another Favorite Things Giveaway!! It's been so fun featuring some of my favorite products to give away to you! This month I am SUPER excited to be giving away a 1-month subscription to Popsugar and Olivebox! A $55 value!! Since the beginning of the year, I've been trying out different surprise subscription boxes. There are several amazing companies that curate amazing products, put them in a gift box, and ship them to you each month. There are paper and handmade goods, beauty, and lifestyle boxes, and they are SO fun to get in the mail each month. I'm currently subscribed to Popsugar and Ipsy Glam Bag! It's such a fun thing to look forward to each month. :)


GIVEAWAY TIME!
This giveaway is run via rafflecopter. One winner will be selected at random and announced one week from now. The winner will receive a 1-month subscription to Popsugar and Olivebox! Giveaway is open to US residents only. This giveaway is sponsored by the following amazing ladies and businesses: Violet of Blythe Ponytail Parades, Maddie of Madalynne, Melissa of Bubby and Bean, Leah of Style Wise, Jenny of Jenny Highsmith and Jacquie of Shade of a Bonsai. If you would like to sponsor future "Favorite Things" giveaways, become a sponsor! More information here.


To enter, use the Rafflecopter entry below. There is one required entry and several bonus entry options!  Best of luck!! Have a wonderful and happy weekend, friends! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

PROJECT HOME: THE FLOOR PLAN

It took me some time to put this post together! I've never been very good at floor building tools online, so I decided to draw it out, scan it in and trace over it in Photoshop. :) While the floor-plan certainly isn't to exact proportions, it's a great representation of our home and the space we are working with. We have LOTS of exciting plans for the place!

Just to give you a heads up, the yellow stars represent closets or storage spaces. The light blue bars represent windows and the openings represent interior and exterior doorways. :)

First up! The main floor. We love the flow of this space. Each room is a great size and holds a lot of potential. One of my favorite things about this floor is all of the natural lighting. The Den has an amazing amount of light, as does the Sunroom and the Living Room. The Kitchen has a great "footprint" that will be awesome to build off of and make updates that really make it shine. This whole floor needs lots and lots of paint!! I am planning to turn the Living Room into a combination Studio space as well. I wanted a really great central location to work during the day, lounge, watch a good show, and keep the baby. I love that this room is in the front of the house and has a great window view to the driveway and front yard. :) Also the garage is a great space. It has more than enough room for two vehicles with lots of spare room for storage. Having dreams of a beautiful organized garage over here. ;)


And here we have the upstairs space! Probably the biggest renovation we want to do in the house takes place in the Master Bathroom. This space is a little choppy and has a separate room for our sinks and a room for the toilet and shower. We would love to make this feel more like a suite with a big walk-in shower! The project is probably a couple years down the road. ;) Spare room 1 and 2 will be guest rooms for friends and family. Spare room 2 will eventually become a kids room when we expand our family further in the future. I have some exciting plans for spare room 3!! I'm planning to make this space into a closet. Our master closet is very small and this room is the perfect space for a closet room! I've totally been drooling over the IKEA closet ideas in the recent catalog. Love!!


Finally, the basement! This is were the biggest transformation has taken place so far. We completely repainted the entire basement and replaced the old nasty carpet with new grey carpet that feels very nice on the feet. :) The space looks so different and clean! The right half of the basement is being rented out to one of our dear friends for the time being and the left half of the basement is dedicated to gaming and media. We have plans to really transforms this place into a great movie and game space. We love hosting friends and having people stay the night so this really gives us a lot of opportunities to host comfortably. We were definitely hoping for a basement while looking for a home and were so blessed to find a home that fit all of our needs and wants.


On our list of upcoming projects we are planning to do the following:
1. Replace the front door.
2. Finish the stairs. There used to be carpet on the main stairs and they need some recovery work.
3. Paint the nursery!!!
4. Do some more deep cleaning in the bathrooms.
5. Replace the very old linoleum in the kitchen with ceramic tile.

Can't wait to share more of our Project Home journey with you soon!! This space truly is starting to feel more and more like home. We love how peaceful it is here and love calling it ours! Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

WEAR: 20 WEEK BUMP STYLING

Twenty weeks!! I can't believe we are half-way done cooking over here. :) I've been loving this season of pregnancy so much. It's been a little different learning to dress myself comfortably. I picked up this amazingly cozy skirt and kimono top from American Threads and love how comfortable they are.

What I really need to do is unpack the rest of my clothes at home and try putting together new outfits. :) Also, if you have any favorite and adorable maternity stores or clothing stores that sell maternity that you love, please let me know!! Needing pants soon. ;)

Wearing: 1// Kimono Top - American Threads 2// Unicorn T-Shirt - Urban Outfitters 3// Acid Wash Maxi - American Threads 4// Moccasins - Minnetonka 5// Quartz Necklace - Moorea Seal 6// Black & Gold Bracelet - Forever21 7// Teal Ring - Urban Outfitters

Sunday, September 15, 2013

THE WEEKLY

It's been a long week of working and getting back into the swing of things since moving. This weekend, aside from trying to get some family and friend time in...we've been working on a lot of home projects. Spent time cleaning and organizing the laundry room, working on the sunroom, and doing a lot of general cleaning around the house. Once we can get some of the main projects finished and get all of our things unpacked, we'll be doing a lot more painting and aesthetic changes.

I tell you what though, I've been so sleepy lately. I've definitely had to stop and take rest breaks along the way. Wishing I had tons of energy right now! But I'm just focusing on using the windows of energy I have and resting in-between. Our 20 week appointment is this Wednesday and I can hardly wait 3 days to find out of little one is a boy or a girl. We are SO excited. I've been feeling lots of kicks and have definitely noticed a significant increase in belly size lately! We are having a casual gender reveal party for family and close friends on Friday and we'll be announcing either that night or Saturday. Ahh! I can't wait!

Snapshots of the Week: 1// Cheesecake goodness! 2// Celebrated Jon's 26th birthday this week. Love this man and SO thankful to be married to him. :) 3// Stopped by American Threads and picked up a few things for fall. Love this Kimono top. 4// Pepper plant from Jon's parents. I'm a plant killer and desperately trying to keep it alive and well.


Favorite Posts/Pins/Articles: 
* Love this clay chandelier mobile DIY on Design Mom.
* We are working on putting together a guest room and I would love to add something like this. :)
* If we have a girl, I would love to do something like this on the walls. Love how easy it looks!
* Must find this scarf somewhere!
* For my next sweet tooth hankering.

Inspiring Me this Week:
Been in a very get-things-done-list-making mood lately. Working hard on the home and trying to make a dent in our to-do list before February. After we find out the gender, I'm probably going to go crazy in the nursery. :)

3 Things About Yours Truly: 
* I went into Bath & Body Works yesterday to smell their fall candles and wanted to buy ALL of them!
* I've been having lots of fruit cravings lately. I'm looking forward to a peach and whipped cream treat later today. :)
* I LOVE doing fall things. Going to the apple festival, picking out pumpkins, drinking cider...so wonderful. I'm hoping we get trick-or-treaters in our new neighborhood!

Friday, September 13, 2013

CAPTURED: FAMILY MOMENTS

I so treasure family photos. Before my mom started her chemo treatment she wanted to make sure we got some good family photos taken. We set up a tripod in my parents' backyard last Sunday and snapped a few photos. These are so special and I'm so thankful to have them. :) I love these people!


I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, friends! I'm planning some home projects and date time with Jon this weekend. Also, I haven't been able to reply to all of the comments yet, but thank you all SO much for all of your sweet and supportive comments on my post about my mom the other day. It meant so much to me and was such a blessing. Thank you for being so encouraging and sharing some of your stories with me as well. Love all of you bunches. :)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

WEAR: BLACK & WHITE WITH MINT ALL OVER




I've been looking forward to wearing this adorable dress. During the move, I didn't take many outfit photos, but as the weeks went by and as my tummy continued growing I was nervous this little number wouldn't fit, so when I put it on this morning I was pleasantly surprised that it still worked with my 19.5 week bump. Not much more give left, though! 

Also, I'm really stoked about this mint wall in my sunroom. I love an indoor outfit location option! The color of this room, although not my favorite in person, photographs very beautifully. Hooray! It's the little things. :)

Wearing: 1// Peter Pan Dress - c/o Lalamagic 2// Dotted Tights - c/o Tabbisocks 3// Black Flats - Target 4// Yellow Ring - Forever21 5// Turquoise Ring - Urban Outfitters 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

PROJECT HOME: PEEKS AT OUR NEW HOME

It's hard to believe that 15 days ago we signed the papers and became homeowners. This was an unexpected journey we didn't plan to take for another 2-3 years. We were happily renting a condo from a previous co-worker and felt like it was something we could start a family in. We planned to wait, save, and give ourselves time before jumping into the home buying adventure. Little did we know that at the beginning of July everything would change! I can't really say for sure "why" we decided to move. Some of it had to do with getting pregnant, some of it had to do with being tired of renting and pouring money into something that wasn't ours, but most of it was the fact that we felt extremely lead in our gut to move. It's hard to deny that it was a God thing because as soon as we made the decision, our finances and all the right people came together within a week. We started looking at homes in mid-July and signed the papers for the one we fell in love with just a little over a month later.

Before we even started looking at homes we made a "must-have" list and a "wish-list" for what we would like to find. Check out that post here. It's amazing to look back on that list and realize that the home we now call ours fits perfectly within those desires. There was just something about this place that came alive for Jon and me. We saw ourselves growing a family here. We saw our kids waiting at the big window for daddy to come home, playing in the driveway, running down the stairs Christmas morning, learning how to ride their bikes. We saw our love and our family growing in this place. It had us the first time we saw pictures online and especially when we saw it the first time in person.

What I love about this space is that it needs some love. It's older, has great bones and good character, but just needed a family with vision and care to make it come alive again. We have so many exciting plans for this place. It's so thrilling to walk into the different rooms that desperately need paint and updates and visualize how beautiful it will look. We've put a lot of work into it so far and have a massive list of projects we hope to get done before Little Wallace comes in February. It's been so fun working alongside my husband to make this place our home. :)



Photos: 1// Front of our house. Can't wait to paint it and make some updates! 2// The "den", one of my favorite rooms in the house. I love the fireplace and beautiful windows. This place gets a little toasty during the day but will be perfect during the winter. 3// Dining room. 4// Kitchen. Love the footprint of this space. We're planning on making some major updates to the kitchen but are really happy with the overall structure of the space. 5// Living room with a view into the entryway. Right now this is serving as our box and decor storage room. So love those wood stairs! 6// The sunroom! Also known as the empty box, cleaning supply and tool room for now! 7// Upstairs guest bathroom. Love the layout not crazy about the green, purple, and gold everywhere. Makeover has been planned! 8// Master bedroom, with a peek at our master bath. After painting this room white, cleaning it, and updating the door knobs, we are loving this room. Currently we only have a bed and boxes of clothes in this space. Planning to fully furnish soon. :)

THINGS WE LOVE
* We love the neighborhood. All of the homes are so unique and spread out. It feels like we have just enough privacy. The neighborhood feels safe and is kept up nicely.
* It might sound weird to some, but we are so stoked about the drive-way. We really wanted a place that could accommodate a large crowd of people on a regular basis. We love having people over for get-togethers, bible studies etc., and wanted plenty of parking options.
* The space! This home has plenty of room for us to grow into. There are 5 bedrooms upstairs, 3.5 bathrooms, and a finished basement. We have a lot of exciting plans for each of the rooms and love that it will grow with us over time. I also love that the space has a good flow to it, some of the other older homes we looked at were very choppy in their layouts.
* Lighting. It was really important to me to find a place with great lighting. I love all of the windows in this space.
* Proximity was a huge factor for us, too. We very much wanted to move closer to our families but still be a good distance from Jon's work. We also didn't want to live in the city. We were looking for something more laid back and family friendly.

THINGS WE CAN'T WAIT TO CHANGE
* Bring on the paint! We were able to paint the entire basement and master bedroom before moving in, but plan to paint every room and lots of wood trim in the near future.
* Speaking of minor updates, we plan to change all outlet plates, door knobs, and lighting throughout the house. We've got a huge variety of outlet colors going on, all of the door knobs are original to the house when it was built in '71 and don't work properly and most of the lighting is mixed-matched and pretty unattractive.
* The exterior! This will be one of my favorite projects. We have big plans to re-paint the entire exterior of the house. We know exactly what colors we want and cannot wait!
* We have a lot of minor and a few major renovation updates we want to make throughout the house. More details on our plans to come.

I seriously can't wait to share this journey with you! My next project home post will feature the floor plan of our home so you can get a better visual of what we're working with and how we plan to utilize the space.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

MY MAMA

It's taken me some time to sit down and write this post. I wasn't sure how I wanted to share and I needed some time with my family to process through the emotions. With us expecting our first child in February and moving into our first home, there has been something else that has been extremely heavy on my heart.


On July 31st, my mom turned 51. We decided to meet up as a family for dinner that evening to celebrate her birthday. My dad, brother, sister, Jon, and I were all there and it was so nice to be with family. Halfway through dinner, my mom got a call that she needed to take and walked away for awhile. Shortly after, my dad joined her. While waiting and waiting, a sinking feeling started forming in the pits on our stomachs. It can't be good news, it's taking too long. My parents came back to the table and sat down. I immediately asked what the news was, "What did the doctor say?" My dad hesitated a little which was just enough time for me to briefly believe everything was clear and OK. Only seconds later he said something that meant a huge change for my entire family, especially my mom. "You're mom has cancer. Stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma." The rest of what was said turned to a blur as I tried to process what my dad had just told us. I looked at my siblings, at my dad, and at my sweet mom and started weeping in the middle of the restaurant. I hugged my mom and didn't want to let go, I just wanted it to be alright, I didn't want to see her suffer and I wanted all of this to be a sick joke. Our fear had become our reality and our journey at that moment. 

The weeks following included many tests for my mom. It was discovered that the cancer had spread throughout all of her Lymph-nodes. Some were in a worse state than hoped for, which bumped her cancer from stage 3 to stage 4. We had hoped that the doctors might give her a choice of starting chemo or trying a "wait and see" method to watch the cancer and its progress over time. The doctor was very firm that the chemo needed to be started immediately. Her heart was tested to see how strong it was to withstand treatment. A bit of joy and comfort came over us to know her heart was strong, she was strong. Throughout these tests before treatment, something came back unexpected. The doctor found an "anomaly" on the base of her brain stem and needed to do further scans to figure out what it was. This news was devastating and meant a possible game-changer for everything. Waiting a week for the news about her brain lasted forever. In the midst of working on our paperwork to move and going through a lot of "life" I felt completely drained emotionally. I didn't want to think about life without my mom. I tried my best to stay away from those thoughts. My dad gave me a call during the week. I knew this call was important because it was around the time we would find out about the "anomaly". I held my breath as my dad told me, "It's nothing. It came back clear." This news brought me to tears, it was such good news, and I was so grateful. My mom's brain was OK and we just needed to focus on fighting this cancer. 

During this time I really started experiencing a lot of heavy emotions. I knew the hormones of being pregnant were there to factor in, I knew moving was naturally going to cause stress. Adding this news to everything made me feel so helpless. I've always been very good at dealing with my emotions. I could always talk it out, cry, and express myself in a way that made me feel better and clear minded. During the first few weeks of getting the news about my mom, I found myself dealing with overwhelming emotions. There were many times Jon held me and let me cry and cry as he prayed. I started feeling the load of anxiety and stress and worry about the health of my growing baby. I was struggling with how to cope and how to keep my eyes above the waves. I felt fragile and weak and completely human. Through the remaining weeks God began teaching me a lot. He reminded me of the importance of grief. When something changes in our lives we experience grief. Our lives were changing and I needed to be OK with going through my grief. I prayed for strength and He reminded me how big His grace is and how deep His mercy is. I began to find peace in knowing that no matter what happens, God is good. 

I've started thinking back on the ways God has provided through all of this. This pregnancy has brought my mom so much joy. It has brought all of us joy! Jon and I felt very called to move at the beginning of July. It happen to work out that we found a perfect home for us only 15-20 minutes away from our family. Thinking about being able to sit with my mom during her treatments and keep her company at home while I work is so wonderful. Jenny and I weren't supposed to go full-time with Maiedae until next year. Maiedae has found so much favor and grown so well that we were both able to quit our full-time jobs and, as a result, I have some flexibility to work remotely most of the week. My dad is in a great position at his job to be able to take the time he needs to care for her. And the fact that a mammogram caught this cancer (which is unusual), is so amazing. Left untreated and unknown this cancer could have taken her away from us within the year. I am SO thankful for these blessings and His goodness through this journey. 

My mom is so full of grace. She has done better than all of us throughout this time. Yesterday she got her port put in, in order to help her receive chemo. Today she starts her first round of chemo treatment. She has been showered with so much love and prayer during this time. I am so thankful to everyone who has gone out of their way to show her how much they care. I love my mama like crazy. She is so special to me and I look forward to this time of helping to care for her and spend time with her. My sister and I are planning to have some pamper nights with her to help her feel as beautiful as she is and cared for. :)

Thank you so much for listening to my heart and for making this an encouraging and uplifting community. Also, a huge thank you to my friends who have been praying hard for my family during this time and have been such a support system for us. Lastly, I am so thankful for Jon. Through all of this he has been such a rock and such a support. He has challenged me, let me cry, held me, and spoken words of truth in my life on a daily basis. I admire him so much and am so blessed to be his wife. 

Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons on Grooveshark

"Keep the earth below my feet. From my sweat, my blood runs weak. Let me learn from where I have been. Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn." 

Sunday, September 08, 2013

OH BABY: DIARIES FROM THE 2ND TRIMESTER NO.01

It's hard to believe that tomorrow marks my 19th week of pregnancy. SO many things have happened and time has moved by so quickly. Jon and I have been talking a lot about how we've gotten used to the idea of being pregnant. I'm finally starting to look it a little more each day, but we still can't wrap our heads around the idea of holding a baby in our arms at the beginning of the year. That's OURS. We haven't had a lot of time to process everything due to our big move. We've been working on our house since the 27th of August daily and trying to get as settled in as possible before we start work back up in the morning. I have to say, it feels so right and great to be here. We can't wait to raise our little one in this house along with a few brothers and sisters...or maybe just one more. ;)

At about 13-14 weeks I started feeling better and better each day. My energy starting picking up a little, my motivation started coming back, and my nausea was gone, which was awesome! For the first couple weeks into my second trimester I didn't even feel pregnant, which was weird. I was so used to feeling ill and tired that when I got to the point of feeling better and not really looking pregnant, it just felt odd and a little "off". But a few short weeks later, my bump really started showing, hunger came over me like a starving zombie vampire (they exist and are often mistaken as pregnant women), also...pee. This side effect has been no joke for me. I've never peed so much in my entire life. If I sit down, it's almost guaranteed as soon as I stand up that I will have to pee asap. The only disappointing part is the fact that the sensation to pee makes you believe you're about to spend up to 5 minutes in the restroom "relieving" yourself (think Austin Powers), only to experience a mere teaspoon of pee and a completely empty bladder. Gah!


One of my favorite parts about this trimester is feeling the baby. I first felt the baby at 15 weeks. It was SO slight and fluttery. I loved it. If I wasn't already attached after seeing the positive pregnancy test, I was certainly attached after feeling our little one move in my tummy. I'd feel the baby very rarely between 15-16 weeks. Then between 17-18 the baby got active! Especially this week. I feel the little booger early in the morning, in the afternoon, and right when I lay down for bed. One night at 17 weeks the baby started kicking my lower tummy. Jon put his hand right where the baby was kicking and was able to feel it ever so slightly. I loved so much being able to share that with him. Everyday the kicks get a little stronger as baby grows.

Story time: Not only have my hormones made me weepy and emotional, but I've been a little bit more of a sass-pot lately. Especially if something comes between me and food. A couple weeks ago I was with my friends walking around the mall and hunger came over me. All I could think about was Chick-fil-A. I needed it right then and there like I had never needed anything before in my life. We had a mission and we were on our way to the food court. A young man stopped me (first mistake) and proceeded to compliment me on my hair in which I kindly replied "thank you" in my usual sweet tone. Just to note on the side, that was my "sweet" cap for the day, baby, and I needed food and there was no time to waste. Then the young man proceeded to say (second mistake), while reaching for my arm (third mistake), "I can make your skin feel so soft"...Oh, I see how it is, your empty compliments are to distract me into a conversation so. you. can. sell. me. lotion. Hell no. What occurred next made me question who I was and who I was becoming. I stepped back, looked at him sternly and replied, "Ummm no. I'm HUNGRY. I'm PREGNANT...and I NEED CHICKEN!" The only thing he could do to that reply was step back slowly with his hands in the air wide-eyed, whispering in a shaky voice..."You're pregnant...?!" Onward to the Chicken.


In exactly 10 days we get to find out if the little one is a boy or a girl. We think we know what it is but would LOVE to hear your guesses. :) We'll be doing a super casual gender reveal get-together with our family and close friends to celebrate and I'll plan to share the big news shortly after. :) We can't wait!!

Top: c/o Lalamagic 

Saturday, September 07, 2013

LOVING YOUR HOME: WITH KATIE

One of my favorite spaces in my home is my bedroom. We utilize this space as my sewing studio, my husband's music room, and a place to relax and get away when necessary. It's kind of our little sanctuary. The lighting in here is beautiful, so it always puts me in a peaceful mood. My two daughters also like to come up to "mama's room" and watch movies and hang out.  It's a very special space in our home.


Find Katie Here: blog // shop // twitter 

Friday, September 06, 2013

LOVING MY HOME: WITH CASEY WIEGAND

Hi! My name is Casey Wiegand and I blog over at CaseyLeigh

My favorite spots in our home are the spots created for my little ones. Their rooms hold so much heart. So many beautiful memories are made in these spaces and so much of my soul is in these corners of our home. Today I am sharing bits and pieces of their spaces. I have three little ones and these spots are created for them. These are beautiful spaces where they can play, imagine, dream, and dwell. 

Find Casey Here: blog // instagram // facebook