happy valentines day my love!

i love this man.  a lot.  like a wholllllllllle lot.  and ya know what?  he's taking me out on the town tomorrow night for valentine's day! how did i get so lucky?  the way he loves and leads our family is humbling.  i couldn't do life without him, that's for sure.

whatever your plans,i hope you feel loved tomorrow!  xox

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe

happy valentine's day my love!

via

Happy Valentine's Day my love!  You are a far better man that I deserve, and you truly make me a better me.  All of your girls love you more than words!

xox

PS - LOVE this great list for ways to keep dating your spouse!

via

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe

My Friday love list link-up!

Today I am excited to join Britt's Friday link-up where all you do, is list a few things you love, shout out to a favorite blogger of yours and link back to Britt's blog via the cute button below!  
So here goes my friends....

Things I'm loving this week.....

1.     Air-Conditioning.  I mean in the heat of the summer AC is always crucial, but in the heat of the summer 1 week before your due date?  It takes on a whole new meaning.  Thankful we are able to have this luxury.  

2. Lazy days at home with my tired pup.  So this whole having a month-off-before-the-baby thing is pretty amaze.  Once of those benefits is that Sevilla is always exhausted.  Mainly because her prime nap times was during the day when mommy and daddy are working and now that mommy is home all day, well, there is no time for sleep!  Too much fun to be had.  So that makes for an always sleepy puppy.  And basically, sleepy pups are the best kind of pups.  I mean look at her cute cuddle bug-ness!

3. Waffles every morning.  I never have time before work to make anything other than cereal and a smoothie.  But now?  It’s waffles every morning with some yummy sliced fruit.  Sometimes if I’m feeling crazy I’ll even scramble some eggs.  Gourmet breakfast for one?  Yes please.

4. Sleeping later than my hubby.  I kinda feel bad about this one.  But just kinda.  Every morning for the past month when he leaves for work I am still lying in bed all cozy.  But then I remember that the other 11 months out of the year I’m the one leaving him cozy in the bed and then I feel like OK it’s my turn.

some togetherness from last weekend on the golf course... well him on the golf course me behind the wheel of the fastest golf cart you've ever seen!

5. Date night/date day extravaganzas.  Because we are so close to having a little bebe (1 week and 2 days from my due date eeeeeeeeeeeeek), Matt and I have really tried to take time to ourselves.  We’ve said no to obligations and plans, and yes to laziness and togetherness.  And it has been amazing.  I’m particularly excited about this weekend because I believe it entails heading to a new breakfast spot that serves warm chocolate crepes.  I die.  Delish. 

6.  Playing the “What is she going to look like?” game with Matt.  She, being the little angel that will be Georgia inside my belly.  We play this on the reg.  A few times a night usually.  We always come up with different “concoctions” of ourselves.  Like, Matt’s ears and eyes, but my lips for sure.  Or his eye color (brown) but my eye shape (huge – I was called tweety bird when I was born).  Anyway, we won’t have to play that game for much longer because she will soon be in our arms!

*********************************************

Ok so that is 6 little things that I am completely loving lately.  And now to give a little shout out to one of my very favorite bloggers – Brittany of Life of Charmings.  Brittany is a mama to sweet Maddalena and her blog just makes me happy.  She makes motherhood look effortless but in the most real kind of way.  She’s not afraid to let her sweet girl throw peas on the floor, and seems to take in the world like I hope to as a new mama.  If you haven’t seen her blog go check it out HERE!

Happy Friday!

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe

a love letter to my husband

Matt,

On the first day of my last trimester I had lots of blog posts in mind – nursery updates, a letter to our baby girl and babymoon pictures.  But I felt that all those could wait because today all I wanted to do was say thank you.  Thank you for being my rock these past 6 months (and long before).  Thank you for picking up the slack when it comes to laundry and dishes around the house when I’m too tired or emotional to deal with it.  Thank you for making my lunch after I go to bed so I can have a worry-free morning the next day.  Thank you for walking our puppy when we get home late and we both know there’s no way I’m gonna do it.  Thank you for being so enthusiastic about all of my dinners even when they don’t turn out exactly like they were supposed to.  Thank you for telling me I’m beautiful, especially when I feel like a roly-poly.  Thank you for jumping at the chance to touch my belly when our baby girl starts wiggling.  Thank you for always encouraging me to relax.  That is so hard for me and I’m so thankful that you know me well-enough to know that look in my eyes.  That look that comes when I’m running through my to-do lists in my head and when slowly anxiety and stress starts to creep into my brain.  It’s like you know what’s happening and you know exactly when to grab me and hold me.  I feel like a crazy person sometimes yes, but it’s a fact that without you I would have been officially diagnosed loony by now.  I love you so much Matt.  Georgia is one lucky lady to have a daddy like you. 

Thank you for loving us fiercely and unconditionally.

Love, your baby mama

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe

Katie from Hope Engaged

Today concludes my guest posts for awhile sweet friends but I cannot tell you how excited I am to share the sweet Katie with you.  Katie is one of my first blog friends.  We have emailed back and forth and FINALLY have our long awaited Skype date on the calendar.  Her heart is pure and real and her posts leave you encouraged and challenged.  I hope you enjoy her post today and then head over to her blog, Hope Engaged and stay awhile... trust me you'll never want to leave.

***************************************************************************************************

Hello dear readers! Denise has been absolutely so sweet and kind in letting me guest post and get to know many of you wonderful ladies!

When Denise first asked me to write on "love" I prayed and reflected on what that meant to me.  Being married the last year and a half to my best friend and lover, I have learned so much more about loving others,
but equally about how sweetly Abba loves me.

pure, true, graceful, and stunning love is this....
shared with ever astounding words in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8...

 

and I am struck raw with this truth...

love is so fully alive and filled and brimming over
when we crawl out of our "selves"
and into a live of service for the "other".

to posses virtues of patience or kindness or faithfulness requires a self-control
that denies our most eminent and immediate self desires
for the sake of a greater LOVE.

quite frankly,
we are better together than apart
because
it causes us to sharpen one another in a way that makes us
most radiant like Christ,

who served,
and stooped,
and washed,
and GAVE
yes,
HE gave it all.

for us.

Kevin has made me a better person.
in his kindness and patience,
he has allowed me the space and freedom to become a
more stunning soul.

with open arms he allows me to cry,
and make mistakes {lots},
but he always,
always,
affirms the woman I am
by serving me with an abandon that I don't deserve.
He leaves his pride at the door because of LOVE.
and it's through his servanthood,
that I grow.

such as Abba, only more so.
He refines us through love.
He gives himself to us with reckless abandon
and asks us to give our ourselves to others.

and so I think,
love is in the giving of ourselves.
it's the hard road at times,
but it is the divine road.

the cross,
the ultimate gift,
was sacrifice.
that yielded an eternal love and freedom the world has ever known nor will know again.

so this Valentines day,
and really, every day,
I want to be more conscious about giving of myself.

I truly hope many of you will stop by and say hello:) My husband and I just found out we are moving to Nepal April 1st to work in an aftercare home with women that have been rescued out of sex-trafficking! I'd love for you to join the journey with us!!

with hope,
Katie

Find me here: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Subscribe