A Call Back to Blog World

Hello! I know I've been gone for much longer than I anticipated, I said I'd be back after my trip to Colorado. But sometimes life just happens. (Okay, naps happen too.) Here's a picture of Green Mountain Falls pre-fire. Who knows what it looks like now.

Then, there's the dread of returning. What do I blog about since I've been gone so long? What do I have to show for myself? Doctor appointments? Bruises from blood-draws? A growing belly? A sink full of dishes? A browned baby who doesn't get sun-screen often enough? Swimming lesson photos? Whoops! forgot to take one single photo. Ridiculous! Ooh! How about a picture of Eliana and I? She surprised me with this last night!

So obviously, I've been dragging my feet. Until dear Yoly from Made for Lilybelle called me back to blog world again with her invitation to answer these questions. Thank you, Yoly! It's good to have a starting point!

1. What is your first thought every morning? And the last?

My first thought is... man, I'm starving again!

Last, is usually something like... I need to take tums.

(What can I say? I'm pregnant.)

2. Something that your followers do not know about you?
 Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. :) As much as I am not happy about it, honestly, I'm a little surprised I haven't had it with any other of the pregnancies. Diabetes is rampant down both sides of my family and I'm not in great health. To top it off, I love to bake sweets and rarely say no to said treats. So, the past week, I've been spending a great deal of my time trying to figure out how to live with and be healthy through the rest of this period of time. Thankfully, it has been the kick in the rear I needed to take control of my eating habits. Yesterday, I spent 5 hours at a diabetes association learning all sorts of "fun" stuff like: how to take my sugar levels, eat correctly, and stick myself in the leg... just in case I need to be put on insulin while I'm in Mexico. And then I went home and did more time reading and researching... I've got lots to learn. We'll see how the next few months play out.

3. Something you always have in your bag?

Diapers and wipes. For the past 6 years. I think I've got about 2 more years in me and then (hopefully) I'm done with that portion of my life... the diaper part. Wipes are just too convenient... I think they may always be a part of my life now.


4. Three things you can't live without?
Jesus, my family, and coffee.

 When you're nervous, what do you do? 
Turn beet red. Look away. And perhaps imitate Mary Katherine Gallagher.

6. Anything you want to do and have not done so far?
Return to my pre-wedding weight. (It's my post-last baby goal.)

7. Five things to do before dying?
1. Take my family to Thailand

2. Live overseas.

3. Get my house completely cleaned and organized. (A girl can dream, right?)

4. Open a vintage store.
5. Get a DSLR camera and learn to use it.

8. What do you usually read? What do you usually listen to? TV or Movie?
Children's books... I like adult books too, of course (Austen, anyone?) but honestly, I get nothing accomplished when I read something that long for several days. Listen: Pandora... I haven't bought music in years. TV, rarely happens when the kids are awake. Sometimes I watch Jimmy Fallon if I'm awake late enough. I love to watch episodes of "Who do you think you are?" when I can get 'em in and I did like ABC's "Once Upon a Time" this past year... don't judge. Movies are like tv-- they don't happen with kids very often.

9. Secrets of your room?
It's a big mess. I try to keep the kids' rooms pretty clean, but things that don't have an assigned location often get dumped in my room. It needs a huge overhaul!


10. Man of your dreams. City of your dreams. House of your dreams.
Man of my dreams-- I'm married to him! He's a pretty great guy... we'll soon be celebrating our 9th anniversary!

City of my dreams-- hmmm, perhaps San Miguel de Allende or Merida, Mexico.

House of my dreams-- a historic home in one of those cities in need of restoration.
Something I could eventually make look like this.




11. What super power would you have?
Mary Poppins' super power to clean!-- snap and toys jump to their place... I'm hoping it works on dirty dishes too! Ha!

12. What WOULD you set out for the next five years?Go on a genealogy trip research trip with my momma once or twice.

13. What makes you happy?
Snuggling with my babies... the little ones and the big one, too!

14. Always wearing ... 
My wedding ring :)


15. What character do you admire?
 Bishop Myriel in Les Misérables. His short appearance in Jean Valjean's life makes a marked difference in how he will live. Myriel was able to be Christ to Valjean in a real way... buying his freedom with candlesticks and shaping his life for the better. I want to be full of the same grace that Christ offered me like Myriel was!


So there you have it! Have a great weekend everyone, and maybe I'll be a bit more present in July. You never know!

Girls' Retreat

How blessed am I that I have a family full of wonderful women who love the Lord? More so, in a few short hours I'll be blessed even more as my awesome husband lets me leave with them and go retreat into the mountains for a few days!

Mountains, folks! You don't know what that does to the soul of a Kansas girl... unless you are a Kansas girl and then of course you do!

But especially since I'm pregnant and not handling the heat of all this yucky June weather... and our A/C is not blowing well again. Like it does every summer since it's been installed. It has a 10 year warranty. We've had it for 6 years now and every. single. summer. we have to call the guy who installed it and it always takes him 2 weeks (at least) to get out here to even look at it. *sigh* So, for at least 4 days I'll have a bit of respite from the heat.

(My momma and Eliana at the Green Mountain Falls Gazebo two summers ago!)

Even better, is the fact that we are going to be staying in my great-grandparents' (Roy and Alice) old cabin in Green Mountain Falls. When I was young, we'd vacation there every summer. My momma and her siblings grew up spending summers at the same cabin. But when Roy passed away, the cabin ended up in another line of the family and that was pretty much the end of vacations there. Until now! My aunt (Nine) arranged it with a cousin to rent the place out... I think it's going to be Nostalgia City!

(My momma's family: Back Row l-r: Jim, my granny (Marilyn),  my grandad (James). 

Front Row l-r: Diane (aka. Nine), Grant, Bill, my momma (Laurel))

But best of all, we're going to study the Word together and encourage one another in the Lord. We've never had a girls' weekend quite like this before and I am thrilled to pieces to see what God has in store for us! He is so good and I am looking forward to the refreshment so I can return a better wife to Jesse and mama to my kiddos.

Speaking of Jesse and the kiddos, will you please pray for them? It'll be the first time Cruz is away from me for an extended period of time. It's always overwhelming to have the kids by yourself for a few days. And Jesse has an interview for a job tomorrow that we'd be terribly excited if he got! We think it sounds like a great fit for him and are praising God already just that he was called to interview in this economy! Still, it'd be the icing on the cake if he got this job... but we do want what God wants for us, too! Please pray that the interview goes well, that God will make it abundantly clear to Jesse that He wants (or doesn't want) him at that job, and that my kids will be awesomely full of God's grace while I'm gone!

Thanks and see you next week! Blessings!

Thirty-Three

Yep, you read that right. I'm only thirty-three... and you all thought I was in my forties. Ha! That's alright, I still love you!

To celebrate my birthday, visit my shop and enter 33TODAY into the coupon code box for 33% off one item! Big bargains!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!