Incredibly Grateful

just launched....

2012-01-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

check it out for weekly posts of our weekly eats!

been busy

2011-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

ok so i totally have a months worth of daily recipes its just been so busy around here getting ready for christmas and with work and with munchkins that you will have to wait til the new year. my hope is to have it all done and posted to our new food blog by jan 2. i'll keep you posted. in the meantime have a merry christmas!!

::food post::week two

2011-11-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

okay so i am starting a food blog...but i still need to make it look pretty so be on the lookout for our new edition to blogging. but in the meantime here's what we ate this week.

...monday...

acorn squash stuffed with cranberry apple quinoa and a mixed green salad

stuffed acorn recipe from the whole foods website. instead of both kinds of quinoa i substituted trader joes harvest grain mix for the white quinoa

...tuesday...

ok so a girlfriend and i started our own dinner swap last year and so she brought us dinner this week. i'm a lame-o and forgot to take a picture of it but it was lentil and rice and spinach curry with flatbread. absolutely delish. if you want recipe i can get it for you. sorry no pic.

...wednesday...

butternut squash bisque with mixed green salad and garlic bread

so here's my own recipe::peel squash, cut in half, scoop out the seeds, then dice. chop up one carrot. chop two sweet potatoes. one onion into wedges. and break apart one garlic head leaving the skins on the clove. toss all these in a bowl with some coconut oil (any oil will work) then roast in the oven for 35 mins at 450 degrees or until soft. then throw them all in a blender add one can of coconut milk and about 2 cups of chicken or veggie broth and presto you have yourself a delicious soup. oh ya and i added some curry powder too.

...thursday...

smokey chicken with chirzo and sweet potatoes

this one isn't one i'd feed the kids. this one has some heat which makes it so delish!

this recipe can be found in rachael ray's magazine november 2007. i substituted real meat chirzo with the soy chirzo from traders. (but please don't tell my hubby)

...friday...

chili and cornbread

chili recipe is my own. 2 cans of pinto beans. 2 cans of kidney beans. 1 can of cannellni beans. 1 large can of diced tomatoes. sauteed ground turkey and one onion together. through all this into my crockpot. i also added 1 packet of whole foods vegetarian chili spice, but you can just add chili powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper to the mix. and for added heat i added one chipotle pepper and a roasted pobalano pepper from dinner from thurs night. but you can do without the pobalano. but the chipotle is my new favorite spice to this chili. the cornbread recipe is from everyday food november 2009. i substituted the buttermilk with coconut milk.

...saturday...

salmon with red quiona and broccoli and a lime ginger yogurt sauce

this recipe is from my quiona 365 cookbook i found at costco. really great recipes in there. pick it up if you have a chance. for the sauce i substituted the sour cream for trader joes plain greek yogurt and the mayonnaise for vegenaise. i sauteed the broccoli in some coconut oil and a little bit of water and then added some chopped garlic and s & p.

::food post::

2011-11-06T20:58:00.001-08:00

okay so thursday night's dinner was a bite of a disappointment. i purchased sweet potato gnocchi from trader joe's freezer section...wow didn't turn out well. we dont' have a microwave so we had to cook it on stovetop method. well all the gnocchi's fell apart and were mush...more like mashed sweet potatoes. you'd think it would still be good, which the flavor was, but when you are thinking gnocchi you aren't happy when you are just eating mashed potatoes. anyhow so here's the picture. you try and let me know if it turns out different for you.

thursday

sweet potato gnocchi with arugula salad and breadsticks

friday we joined friends at a campfire. so no meal to share. and the rest of the weekend was a fend for yourself kind of weekend. this week i'll share more of what we are eating.

food blog

2011-11-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

so i have a few friends who love to know what we are eating for dinner here at the gibbons household or any new recipes i might have to share. so i've decided to try and keep up with our daily dinner eats. now i might not be able to actually write them all on the blog, but at least i'll get a picture up and some text. some of my recipes are not mine at all. i usually find them somewhere else and then tweak them. and some of our menu consists of the yummy food i might find at trader joes. either way i'll do my best to lead you in the right direction of where to get them.

so hope you enjoy.

heres what we have had this week. minus monday. (forgot to take a picture so no post about it.) but an added bonus of a lunch i made today.

...tuesday...

pizza bianca with arugula and mixed green salad

pizza recipe found in everyday food magazine june 2011 issue

here's my little helper

...wednesday...

stuffed portobello with mixed green salad

portobello recipe found in everyday food magazine october 2010 issue

steak bites with chimmirri rice

saute steak medallions with minced garlic, salt and pepper. rice is from trader joes freezer section. and flame grilled whole wheat handmade tortillas from tjs as well, buttered.

hopefully i can keep this up. i find it fun. hope you do too!

photos to share

2011-10-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

lots has been happening and i am just behind on my posting...little busier now with three ;)

here are a few shots of the photo shoots that happen at home.

hudson taylor

2011-08-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

arrived july 28 at 2:47am at home. a healthy 9lbs 4oz. another fast 2 hour labor.

showered

2011-07-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

this morning i was showered with much love and kindness by some of my dearest friends and family. every detail was so beautiful and the food of course was absolutely delish! the cupcakes were not only the cutest things you had ever seen, they truly were the best i have ever tasted!! but the most beautiful part was being showered upon by everyone with prayers and scripture. couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to be loved on. its exactly what i need. thank you dear friends!

burst full of energy

2011-07-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

so for the past three days i have had the biggest burst of energy yet. there are times i have forgotten i am even thirty eight (yes thirty eight) weeks prego! here is a list of all i have accomplished without feeling too tired or low in the past five days!

can we say major nesting mode?!

set up our room to fit our birthing tub
rearranged the kids room
took the kids to the water park
help paint the kids "new" dresser
took the kids to their first movie theatre experience
took the kids to church (solo)
took the kids to dad's baseball game solo
helped put the hardware on the "new" dresser
helped clean off the back porch by removing old plants and getting rid of the sandbox
reorganized the kids clothes to fit in their new dresser
rearranged the kids room again to put the dresser in a good spot
had friends over for dinner
grocery store
five loads of laundry folded and put away
trip the park
work
got a new dishwasher installed so had to clean the kitchen after that
cleaned the bathroom
reorganized the closets to fit everything we need and remove all we don't
get a "giveaway" pile together
reorganized the junk drawers in the kitchen
beach day with the kids for a few hours
cleaned the floors
trip to costco to pick up prints
put the prints into their frames
trip to home depot to pick up last minute reorganizing materials for laundry room
finishing online traffic school (from a speeding ticket a few weeks back)
all the while taking care of the two kids and making breakfast lunch and dinner for all of us.

i know there is a bunch more i could include but it is all the little details that are our usual everyday life, like visiting friends and reading books and playing.

hoping this burst of energy is just the final last push before baby arrives so i can get all the little things finished and feel "ready"!

more photo shots

2011-07-19T13:00:00.001-07:00

one of my dearest friends took these of us a few weeks back. i know it seems like we are getting so many pics of us right now, maybe its cause i'm feeling like these days of us as four are going by oh so fast. either way hope you enjoy!

Click here to enjoy the beautiful slideshow by rayacarlisle

photo shots

2011-07-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

here a few shots nd captured from our family video shoot!

video and photo shoot

2011-07-15T12:12:00.001-07:00

monday we had a very talented friend shoot a video and take some still shots of us as a family of four. absolutely love what he did and i thought you would too. enjoy!

i'll post the still shots he got another day as blogger seems to be having issues uploading :/

back to shooting :: renewal ceremony

2011-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

about a month ago i had was asked to shoot a renewal of vows ceremony for a friend from church. it was such a sweet little time watching them renew and then take time to nuzzle together for some pics. just thought i would share a few.

nesting :: kitchen!!

2011-07-06T13:21:00.001-07:00

last big nesting project...the kitchen counters and backsplash. love love love having wipeable counters rather than having all the grout to scrub. makes my life that much easier!

our kitchen before makeover

our new kitchen

nesting :: downstairs bathroom

2011-06-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

tired of seeing these yet?! this one is another great makeover....but this one about put it over the edge of being done with the projects. we are tired now and only have one more after this! the house sure feels more updated and almost ready for baby no 3. four and half more weeks til due date!! can't believe it!

biggest craving this pregnancy

2011-06-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

well besides sweets, but trying to not eat too many of those.

is it bad that i ate half a watermelon today? i just can't get enough of it this pregnancy. ice cold and a little salt (i know really weird but a habit i picked up from my mom) and i am in heaven.

nesting :: kids bathroom makeover

2011-06-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

nesting project number two completed. the kids bathroom has been redone thanks to my hubby!

here's their bathroom before

here's their bathroom now

my only dilemna now is do i spend the money on the shower curtain i want that would "complete" the bathroom? or do i just leave the functional one since it is the "kids" bathrooom? still trying to decide.

nesting project number three :: downstairs guest bathroom.

happy birthday meems

2011-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

happy birthday friend. oh how i love this picture of us as i feel as it can define the moment we all shared with you that day. your day of beauty and peace knowing you were marrying the man God created you!

meems you are such a dear friend. i love you much and am so thankful the Lord made you and let us be friends. my life is richer with your friendship. i am truly grateful to know you and to see your beauty shine shine shine. i love how we both love food, spicy food....love baking in the sun with maui babe rubbed all over our bods...thirfting, although it is much funner to do it with you rather than alone...shopping and dreaming at anthro...fire time at your house with some tea...and just plain laughing and being goofy. i miss your laugh, sweet smile and your presence daily. selfishly i'd keep you here close to me but trust He has you where He does to bless others who get the privlege of knowing you.

love you sweet friend. can't wait til aug to see your beautiful face!!!

sending many your xoxoxoxoxo way!

shels

nesting :: master bath makeover

2011-06-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

so the nesting continues. and let me tell you it hits strong with no 3! i think its because you know you won't be able to get anything done once baby arrives! last weekend hubby worked hard to get us a new looking bathroom. he amazingly did it in about twenty four hours too! once he gets a project going its hard for him to stop! (which is super nice for me, knowing we won't have projects lingering!)

check out our before bathroom

and now here's our made over bathroom

pretty nice!! super stoked that my man took his holiday weekend to get this done! we both love the transformation a little paint can do!

next on the list :: the kids bathroom! will keep you posted on that the finish of that one. operation starts tonight!

thirty one weeks

2011-06-01T22:04:00.001-07:00

only eight and a half weeks (give or take a few) til baby no 3 arrives!!

wow this has flown by!

back to shooting :: wedding

2011-05-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

randomly I shot a wedding about a month ago here in town. it was fun to be out shooting something i haven't had the opportunity to shoot in a while.

just thought i'd share some of my favorite shots. enjoy.

Click here if you want to see the entire wedding slideshow.

new frames

2011-03-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

so i asked tg to make me new frames for the kids room. he had made me one last year for our anniversary and i just absolutely loved it. so i needed more. i hung them today and i love them.

for a closer look at what images i chose to put in them

have i mentioned i am full nesting mode. it started early with this pregnancy (i'm convinced it's because after two you realize you can't get much done so before you add another you must clean and reorganize your life!) and has come on full force. this was my first room to organize and clean and today after hanging these photos i can say it is complete...unless there's enough time to paint! bur for now... on to my room!

trying out a new design

2011-03-23T20:55:00.001-07:00

i've been wanting to redesign for over a year now but haven't. so tonight i am playing with a few ideas. we'll see what i come up with soon.

for now we will settle on this.

are you ready?

2011-03-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

for years i've been saying i need to get our household prepared in the event of an emergency. for us here in california that usually means, get earthquake prepared. but really this past year for me it's been more like, yes get earthquake prepared but also get food stored up just in case things go crazy with the economy and we can't go and easily get food like we are so used to being able to do. with watching this past week the japanese lining up for hours waiting for food and water, i said enough is enough and this week is it. so yesterday i stocked up on some of the basic items i think we should have just in case we are without fresh food for a few days. tomorrow i'm off to get water. not one i would have thought about, but after seeing the shortage you can have after a disaster like in japan, water should be the first thing you think of. i mean we use water for everything!

i will continue to stock our food storage as the weeks go on because don't know if you have noticed but food is getting more and more expensive as these crazy times keep on comin'. our coffee that we have been buying at costco has been the same price for years until this month. one bag of coffee has gone up $4 per bag in 1 week! and that's just one thing i've noticed. not sure what else is going to start going up, but i can imagine everything. with gas and diesel as high as it is and still creeping up week by week our food costs are going to creep up too i would imagine as trucks that bring our food will have to charge more just to pay for their fuel.

so my challenge to you today...are you ready? even if you aren't in an earthquake zone, are you ready for sky high groceries? maybe you should be thinking of getting ready. we are.

funny new sentences

2011-03-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

sunday night i was downstairs cleaning up the kitchen and miss r was in the living room while the boys were both upstairs getting ready for bed. miss r sighs and sits in her rocking chair and says :: it's been a long day mom. i'm gonna sit in my rocking chair. me :: really it's been a long day, as i'm trying to hold back all the laughter. she has never said this before and it is so darn cute i couldnt' stand it.

she starts rocking and says :: sing mom. so i begin to sing her rock a bye baby.

today we are driving home after a playdate with some friends. right as we pull into the driveway she lets out this big sigh and says :: it's been a long day at gavin's house mom.

again so adorable i can't help but laugh.

then after she wakes up from her nap she comes downstairs to the kitchen and says :: oh no! what a mess!

hayden woke up earlier than her and had destroyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the floor of the kitchen so there were still some crumbs all over the floor i had yet to clean up.

:: one more ::

so tg came home for a quick lunch break to get something for someone out of our tahoe. when it was time for the kids and i to take an afternoon drive to costco i couldn't find my keys anywhere. so i mentioned to miss r that i need to call dad to see if he has my keys. after i call him and reminds me of the spare miss r gets on the phone with him and says :: hey dad, mom needs her tahoe keys!

again all i could do was laugh. she had such a strong tone and was really concerned that we couldn't go anywhere until we got those keys back.

all this to say miss r's communication is growing and growing with each day. she can put such great sentences together. now i just need to try and remember them and write them down.

sorry mom

2011-03-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

today miss r said that to me after i cleaned up all the vomit she spewed all over me, herself and the floor.

i said :: no worries regs. that's what moms are for.

love you dear one.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the opportunity to be a mom. even if it means being thrown up on and then having to clean yourself, your child and the floor. still no greater joy. thank you Jesus for choosing me to be one.

please please please watch

2011-02-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

must watch if you are an american and care about your future. you need to know about what he is saying here and has been saying for years. this effects you! and everyone else you care about! even those you don't care about. it effects everyone!

if you want to watch any of his other episodes from this past month, which i suggest you do go to www.watchglennbeck.com. he really is the only one telling the whole story and exposing truth. i really can testify to that since i have one channel in my house (no cable and the bunny ears still get one local abc channel) and the mainstream "news" that i can see is good morning america. they aren't even talking about egypt anymore and barely even talked about libya this morning. please watch him. you need to know about this stuff!

puddle jumping

2011-02-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

had a blast yesterday afternoon taking the kids out in the rain. i needed to do a photoshoot. i have always had ideas in my mind of photos i would love to shoot in the rain and so i needed to get out there and get some. and the littles needed to get out of the house. the rain never stopped yesterday so it was now or go crazier! and they both just absolutely loved it. miss r just ran down the driveway and to the creek while little guy was strapped to me in the ergo with me caring more about my camera getting wet then covering him with the umbrella. he just talked and talked the whole time while holding his hands out to touch the drops. it was a fantastic fifteen minutes!

i will post more soon but just wanted to update with this one!

happy birthday to you

2011-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

happy birthday to you. happy birthday to you. happy birthday to our dear friend j, happy birthday to you!

we love you more then we can ever express with words. we are so grateful that we met you and have become dear friends with you six years ago this sept. although there have been some crazy things happen in these past years your faith has remained unshaken to this day. thank you for your example of love, grace and strength through it all. without you and your mighty warrior heart tg and i dont know where we would be. your prayers and persistance are what stood the ground for our marriage. thank you.

we pray you have a year of blessing beyond your wildest imagination. a year of jubliee. a year of complete restoration. a year of true joy and honest gratitude. we pray that this year would be one of the best years of your life. we love you so very much dear friend and truly are incredibly grateful for you!

nesting :: hubby project

2011-02-22T20:40:00.001-08:00

so the ol' nesting bug has kicked it into high gear around here and early. i've been expressing my need to purge "stuff" for weeks to my husband (probably in a not so great way at times) but saturday night i expressed how much i hate feeling unorganized and really would like one of our many closets that gets the least attention to be more customized to fit our stuff. he drew a blueprint of custom shelves he could build and told me he could do it all in one day. i said great get to it ;)

the next day the kids and i headed out of town to visit my mom for her bday and tg wanted to stay home to build. he is such a man. you give him a project and he runs with it. i really do love that he loves to build and do projects. it really comes in handy. especially during these three years of nesting!

so i returned to this beautiful closet. now it isn't custom like he said, but it is better! i mean do i need to say more after seeing this picture. look at all the space for me to put stuff into. and so neatly organized! oh he for sure made my day...week! now if i just had time to myself to get everything i need to in those baskets!

happy birthday mom

2011-02-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

i took the kids up to my moms yesterday to celebrate her pair of fives birthday. we brought her some purple flowers and a carrot cake and took her to her favorite place for a sushi lunch. later on us girls went out shopping at marshalls.

we had a blast and i'm sure my mom enjoyed her birthday celebration. miss r enjoyed getting a new tutu from nana and enjoying some of nana's bday cake!

happy birthday mom. we love you and are so grateful for you in our lives. you are such a blessing to us!

unordinary friday

2011-02-18T23:20:00.000-08:00

i'm trying to get better at posting, knowing that family and friends from afar love hearing about our little life. i have a hard time posting without pictures, but if i wait for a picture for every post, well then, my posts are far and few between. so instead i will just start posting with or without ( and probably more without) photos.

today we had an unordinary friday. although nothing special, it just was unordinary. first we woke up to, may i say, weather! not something typical around here in sb. but yes, wind, cold, wet, weather. we headed to church for a morning book study i'm apart of. and on the way there miss r says, where we going? i tell her we are going to church. and then i realize, she's never asked that before. wow, she just put that whole sentence together and just asked me where are we going? how grown up is she?!

after church we hurry home because tg was taking me to a political luncheon at the reagan ranch center here in town. a patient of his at work gave him free tickets and we just happened to find a last minute sitter and so we went! it was fantastic to be surrounded with a bunch of likeminded people politcally, listening to a man speak the truth about our current administration and current events here in the US. it was inspiring. really mostly for me because if you really know my hubby, you know he was made to be in that arena. and really being there listening to this intelligent man behind a podium, hearing a lot the same things come out of his mouth that my man talks about daily just revealed to me again how wise tg is for his age and how this truly is his gifting and quite possibly his calling. it inspired me not only to pray for our country, but really to pray for what God has in store for our family. it gave me a new fresh vision.

then my night was alone with the kids as tg had to dj country night at local place in town. two kids by yourself for bedtime can be quite daunting, but tonight we managed to keep calm and cool. it was actually quite fun. r can really make h laugh these days and that pretty much just melts my heart!

and to top off my night alone, after the kiddos went to sleep i enjoyed my dinner of homemade tomato soup with garlic cheese toast and caesar salad while watching...don't laugh...step up 3! if you know me, you know i have dancing...and dancing movies, even if they are super cheesey. and boy was this one. but all the great dancing moves was worth all the cheese. if you love dancing too, i do recommend viewing. it has all kinds of dancing, even children doing things you only can dream of doing. it was pretty, well, amazing. kinda weird to say about a chessey dance movie, but really the dancing is a-maz-ing! i only wish i were not prego again just so i could go back to classes and get my groove on again. it's now been two years since i have danced any sort of hip hop routine class, and i truly crave it!

well hope your day as unordinary in a good way. mine sure was.

today i am incredibly grateful for...david horowitz who isn't afraid to speak the truth when it might not be "politically correct". thank you david for your truth speaking today.

today

2011-02-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

funniest line of the day :: r: mama, hayden says his throat hurts and he needs some medicine.

hardest part of the day :: hayden not taking his morning nap

saddest part of the day :: watching miss r trip while dancing in her room and hit her head super hard on the wall.

greatest part of the day :: taking the kids to the zoo

valentines day party

2011-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

today the kids had a valentines day party with all their friends. it was super cute. here are some of the shots.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the love of Christ. He is love and so we celebrate Him!

happy valentines day weekend

2011-02-11T08:33:00.001-08:00

love that you can find hearts in nature.

today i am incredibly grateful for...valentines day! i love all the red, hearts, and love!

back to shooting :: christmas photos

2010-12-07T14:40:00.001-08:00

i've had the pleasure of being asked to shoot some friend's christmas card photos this year. just thought i would share some of them with you.

you can click on them to see them larger

today i am incredibly grateful for...friends. i have some of the dearest friends. i am so blessed!

two

2010-11-16T05:30:00.001-08:00

today my little girl turns two! can't believe it! she is such a joy and is so full of life.

happy birthday sweet peas.

weekend with regs

2010-10-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

the kids have been sick for a few weeks so tg thought it would be good to separate them to allow hayden to get some one on one tlc since he has been hit the worst. so i took regs up to pismo beach area to stay at my mom's. we had a wonderful girl's weekend up there picking pumpkins, going on a lunch date and hanging with grandpa ray. it was such a delight to have her all to myself!

today i am incredibly grateful for...my time alone with my little girl. yay for girl weekends!

photo shoot

2010-09-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

haven't done one in a while so i put them on our bed and shot away. sure is hard to get just one picture of the two of them looking. they both are sick with runny noses but they sure did great for the photos.

today i am incredibly grateful for...that my kids are healthy a majority of the time. it sure is a lot of work when you have two kiddos with a cold. thank you Jesus for health!

buddies

2010-08-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

hayden's first buddy...elijah kai. aren't they cute?!

today i am incredibly grateful for...that because of jesus i have nothing to fear!

thanks francis chan for reminding us of that very fact.

bye...

2010-08-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

r: "bye"

me: "where you going?"

r: "storey...nanis" (going to the store for bananas)

me: "ok. bye. i'll miss you"

r: blows me a kiss...one more... "bye" while waving her cute little hand

me: i know this is just make believe but seriously soon she will be going to the store and out and about to all kinds of places and i'll be here at home missing her. my little girl is growing up so fast.

oh and yes that is her purse. it's filled with an old wallet with empty gift cards, old keys and whatever else she decides to put in it.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the time i get now with my little ones.

us

2010-06-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

thought i would post some pics of us since its been a while...since before baby number 2 came.

for those followers who don't know...i had a very fast and furious labor. i had been having early labor pains for a couple of weeks. i woke up on april third at two twelve in the morning with heavy cramping and stronger contractions. as the next ten minutes went on the contractions were getting stronger and harder so i woke up taylor and told him to call the midwives. (we were having a home birth) he called them at two thirty six. he starts scrambling to get the mood set in our room with candles and such and i then tell him to hurry and get the tub filled. (we had a water birth tub that i wanted to labor in) so many other details, but needless to say hayden michael was born at three forty with the help of our dear friend who was a natural childbirth class instructor. the midwives showed up five minutes after he was born. it was fast and intense but really well. healthy mom, healthy baby boy...nine pounds six ounces twenty one and a half inches long. hes now ten weeks old and we are all justing figuring each other out. it's been a rough start but we are getting into the swing of things now.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the two of them napping at the same time this afternoon!

the BIGGEST surprise of my life

2010-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

last wednesday night i was sitting at home enjoying a movie with my sister who was visiting and i get a phone call about nine pm from a number i don't recognize. naturally i don't pick it up cause its so late and i have no clue who it is. could be a sales call. anyway about a second later i check to see where the location of the number is from and i see it is from abilene tx. thats where my good friend catherine lives so i assume oh maybe she was calling me from her husband's phone. as i'm thinking this i see she is calling. i pick up and ask what'cha doin? and she asks if i'm screening my phone calls and i say kind of. anyway we pick up the conversation as she mentions she just received the invite to my shower on saturday and how cute it is. because we lived together in santa barbara during college she proceeds to ask me if she has ever been where the shower will be. i tell her i dont' think so and begin to tell her all about this cute restaraunt and how i don't think we ever went there in college. she states oh okay, well then do you think i can follow you there? and then a loud knock on the front door happens! and all i can say is...are you kidding me? as we are still on the phone. still not thinking that it could really be her...she lives twenty two hours away...no way it's her...i go to the front door and peek out the window and there are two girls videoing with their phones holding her two sweet kids! and then i swing open the door and see there is my dear friend catherine akers!!! she surprised me by driving all the way to california with her kids, niece and friend to come to my shower. we hadnt' seen each other in over five years and have been talking on the phone all the time about how great it would be to see each other and meet each other's kids!!! i was in such excitement that we both jumped up and down as we hugged each other forgetting that i am nine months prego. so surprised my water didn't break or go straight into labor while they were here. tg knew all about it and had helped plan them to stay with us and make sure they had a great time. they stayed from thurs-saturday after the shower driving non-stop except for potty and food breaks all the way...all twenty two hours! as i write this i am still in shock and tears as i think about how awesome it was to see her and her sweet family...tony you were missed though...

cat...thanks so much for making such a long trek! it was seriously the best surprise of my entire life...next to tg proposing! i will cherish the time we had together while you were here. you are an amazing mother and such a dear dear friend. i love you!

here are some pictures of our time together.

reagan absolutely adored meeting haddie grace. she loved being able to watch the big girl! this photo by the way was not contrived. they did this all on their own!

today i am incredibly grateful for...cat. thank you for your friendship.

getting closer

2010-03-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

i realized this morning i don't think i've posted any prego pictures to my blog since ive been prego. well now we are down to weeks left and here is my first one. i'm doing well. just getting bigger by the day it feels like and slower as well, but overall feeling fine. and enjoying every moment with little r all to myself.

can't wait to meet our new little one.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my helpful hubby. he sure has been making sure to take care of me and i so appreciate it!

happy valentines day weekend

2010-02-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

may your valentines be filled with lots of love!

today i am incredibly grateful for...this cute little munchie!

one of my favorite things

2010-02-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

this is in little r's room. it is one of my favorite things in there. hubby made me the frame for our anniversary this year and it took me awhile to find the perfect picture to put in it. but once i did i am was happy about it. it makes me smile daily. it reminds me of how fast it all goes by...

today i am incredibly grateful for...weekend time with hubby and r. nothing special planned but just time together is always good!

the most perfect food

2010-01-27T21:45:00.000-08:00

this is my first post following one of my twenty ten accomplishments. well i haven't finished reading my new perfect health book, but here is what i have learned so far...

eat more fruit

fruit is essentially the most perfect food. fruit has been getting a bad rap for so many years because of the sugar content...but after reading this book so far, my whole view has changed. for years i have been saying watch out how much fruit you eat because of the sugar content. i believed all that i had heard around me. but after reading the first couple chapters in this book and a few other books, i have come to see that fruit was what we as humans were first eating.

in genesis chapter one verse twenty nine God told adam...i give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. they will be yours for food. if this was given to adam before sin even entered into the world we can assume that is the most perfect food. God must of supplied them with all they needed. for God had not commanded them to eat any animal. only every seed-bearing plant and tree that had fruit. wow. what a revelation, huh?!

so i've added more fruit to my diet. seriously this you would think would be easy, but i don't naturally crave it so i have to consciously tell myself to eat fruit. i think i have eaten more fruit in the past month of my life then i have had in years. sad for my body to have lived all those years without the food that my body was made to digest but good now that i am changing.

here are a few fun facts from my book, perfect health about fruit that i thought you might find interesting...

fruit contains all the nutrients we need
fruit allows the body to cleanse and repair itself
fruit in its natural state appeals to all our senses
all fruit leaves an alkaline residue or end product in the body. (this is important for the pH balance of our bodies. we need the alkaline to help regulate our bodies from having too much acid in our body. too much acid in our bodies causes cancer to grow in our bodies in abundance. we aren't talking acid, like what you might think, from an orange, we are talking acid from digestion in our stomach. more on this in a later post)
fruit regulates your blood sugar

the author of this book challenges us to eat one meal a day that consists of only fruit. she recommends breakfast, for a number of reasons, but to eat at least two different pieces of fruit and as much as your body craves. don't worry if you eat four bananas she says, your body will regulate as you continue to add more fruit to your diet. oh and don't eat fruit with any other meal. always eat fruit on an empty stomach. the body can use it more and it has less chance of sitting in your stomach fermenting with your other food as your body digests it. fruit takes less time to digest than any other food and is best when eaten alone...or with nuts if you prefer.

so...i challenge you...take an inventory of how much fruit you eat in your diet and if it is not much add more fruit to your diet.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the beautiful day i had with little miss r. we had lunch with a special friend at the garden market (the best place in town) and then r and i headed to our favorite beach spot to collect...well...rocks and whatever else she could pick up. it was a day i will remember forever.

hidden messages

2010-01-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

today i went to see this movie...avatar...the movie that has all these great reviews and is winning all kinds of awards. i wanted to see what all the hype was about. tg and i had watched the trailer a few weeks back to see if we might want to see it together for a movie night but we both decided it looked like a movie with a message that we wouldn't want to put our money towards. but as the weeks have gone by and the hype has been getting louder, i told tg for the past couple days that i want to go see it. to see what is so special about this movie. why it's breaking box office records. why it's winning awards...why no one has had one bad thing to say about it...so today tg watched r as i went. he wasn't interested still...so i went by myself. which actually was quite fun. felt like a grown-up in a sense...

i got there right in time as the movie was starting, put on my 3D glasses and was ready to watch the biggest movie to hit the big screen since Titanic...

then as the movie progressed and the story line began to unfold...what i was hoping was just a bad trailer was unfolding in the movie...the movie was exactly what the trailer portrayed. not what i wanted to have happen. and i'm sitting there thinking to myself...this full movie theatre of people and all the other full movie theatre's of people that have watched this movie are being once again desensitized into to watching more propaganda. we trade our love for being entertained and wooed by pretty graphics for being exposed to a bigger message.

everything you watch, movies, television, commercials, everything you hear, everything you put your money towards, has a message. they either want to sell you something or tell you something. and these days i think people have traded in their minds to be entertained. does anyone not see the message in this movie that is getting so many great reviews. so what if it has great 3D graphics and neat scenes, the message is so appalling that we shouldn't even care about those things!

this movie has desensitized everyone who has seen it and fallen in love with it, to the fact that it portrays our very own military to be savage killers of indigenous people all for something that we might be able to make money off of.

the other side of the story you might be saying if you've seen it is, that we could learn from these people and that we can get to know them and appreciate them and not take from them. which is a great message, but really...did they need to make it all about our military looking like savages pillaging a land they want only for one money making rock? it is just pure desensitization. the more we watch movies like this the more we believe the lie that we americans are doing more harm than good to other countries. and i don't like that! it is completely untrue and we should be paying for movies that show us how amazing our volunteered men and women are to fight for our freedoms and help others. they leave their entire lives at home, families, spouses, babies...all to protect us. and portray them with this kind of movie. i'm sorry but i think that is a appalling way of thanking them.

we live in a sad day and age when movies like this can win major movie awards and not one media person has one bad thing to say about it. when people love being entertained with cool movie graphics rather then understanding the message that is being sent...the way we are being desensitized. the saddest part is that it doesn't stop at just the movie theatre. this past election we all watched a man become president who had better "graphics", "cooler" rallies, "hipper" campaign speeches, who had absolutely no experience or proven leadership skills to run a country. america was so excited about swearing in a man based on the "history" it could make rather than really seeing what kind of man he really was. who he really surrounded himself with, what he really supports, and what he really wants to do to this country...and now a year later all those who were wooed by the most historic campaign are experiencing a case of buyers remorse...

as i left that movie theatre today i was quite upset as to the state of our society as a whole...and how i am part of a few...a few who see things beyond all the fun graphics and awesome reviews...and really a few who get drowned out by the louder many...it could be discouraging, but really all i can do is just voice my opinion. expose what i think is truth...and go on...

thanks for listening. i hope that by reading this you too may also take a second look at what you watch and how things are protrayed...because remember everything has a message.

today i am incredibly grateful for...free speech and our military.

ps...i am not a total debbie downer...if you want to see a great movie go see sherlock holmes.

stepping into twenty ten

2009-12-31T07:16:00.000-08:00

as we come to a close on two thousand and nine i can't help but look back at what this year has brought and be incredibly grateful for all the blessings i have encountered. and now as we move forward into another year i am really excited. i think this might be one of the first times i have been excited about where my life is and how it is heading and what i would like to accomplish.
the Lord truly has been good to us! i have a loving husband, a beautiful daughter full of joy, another little one on the way that i can't wait to meet, the best friends any girl could ever want (even if they are all scattered across the globe), and a supportive loving family. those are just a few of the many blessings i can express.

i'm not one to set goals for a new year, but this year it is not about setting goals, but more like things i would like to accomplish. i know you might think that those are the same thing, but to me in my little brain, things i would like to accomplish actually seems like something i might achieve rather then set and not follow through on. here's my list of things i will accomplish...Lord willing...

daily reading the bible...chronologically
starting and finishing my new book Perfect Health and changing our family's eating lifestyle...(thank you bethany for this one)
getting rid of stuff...this is a continual cycle
reading all the books on my amazon wish list and then more i find along the way
returning phone calls and emails more promptly. this is one i try every year and fail. this will be the year i accomplish this new habit.
looking into what it would take to be a natural childbirth educator
giving my blog here a new fresh look...and trying to update it more

not an extensive list, but one i do truly want to accomplish this year.

thanks for the blog support and hopefully this year will be one of more exciting topics and creativity as i venture into new books and other things this year may hold. praying you have a happy new year. may the Lord give you another year of abundant blessings!

today i am incredibly grateful for...this past year...with all the fun times and hard times (of which there were many as i am learning how to be a mom) i am still so grateful for each one i encountered. i pray you can be thankful for yours as well.

snow time

2009-12-23T09:51:00.000-08:00

on vacation in spokane enjoying some snow time.

today i am incredibly grateful for...family.

thirty

2009-12-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

yesterday i rang in the big three-zero. still trying to figure out how i feel about turning thirty. i don't feel thirty quite yet. although not quite sure how you are supposed to feel about turning thirty. either way all i could think yesterday was how blessed i am to have such a wonderful life.

my day was wonderful. full of surprises by my loving husband. mani-pedi in the morning, some time at the salon in the afternoon, a little shopping, a special dinner and an big surprise dessert with some of my dearest friends. i couldn't have asked for a better day! thanks hubby for all the love.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the wonderful blessed full life of thirty years the Lord has granted me. may the next thirty bring Him all the more glory.

family photos

2009-11-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

my dear friend raya, featured our family photo session on her blog today. stop on by and check them out. she captured everything i envisioned. now the hard part is trying to choose which one for our family christmas card.

today i am incredibly grateful for...raya. thanks so much for all the years of friendship we have shared and you have endured. ;-) i am truly blessed by your love and support through it all. and we all are blessed by these amazing pictures. thank you!

one

2009-11-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

hard to believe but my little girl turns one today. ive been quite sentimental the past few days thinking of what our day entailed before she arrived, "re-living" the night before her birth, thinking of labor and birth and then her beautiful face entering this world. this year has been quite a learning experience. motherhood sure is more amazing than i could have ever imagined it to be. such an amazing privilege to be a mom. i look forward to the many more years of rea mae's life...as well as each bundle of joy that we are blessed with.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my sweet rea mae!

i'm gonna be a big sister

2009-10-25T22:19:00.001-07:00

...in early april!

pray for daisy love

2009-09-22T22:04:00.001-07:00

this is daisy love. she is my pastor's precious little five year old daughter. this week they found out that she has a tumor inside that is about the size of an orange (that is pretty big for a little five year old body). the dr is eighty percent sure it is a wilm's tumor. this is a malignant tumor. it is cancer but highly curable. They will operate thursday and depending on the size of the tumor they will either take it all out or just some of it. daisy will have to have chemo therapy either way.

please pray that…

the tumor would shrink away from any organs and arteries

daisy would continue to be stable while awaiting surgery

the surgeon would be able to access and remove ALL of the tumor

continued peace for britt & kate

you can view her blog for more detailed prayer requests. http://prayfordaisy.tumblr.com/

today i am incredibly grateful for...the truth that we can always trust our God has a plan. in times like these it is easy to be anxious and hopeless but knowing that God is working and is in control gives us a true peace. to Him be the glory in this situation.

back to shooting::baby emma

2009-09-16T22:29:00.001-07:00

meet baby emma. she is the little daughter of the lovely couple i just took prego shots of below. she is such a doll.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the five straight hours i got of sleep last night thanks to hubby. that is the most straight hours i have gotten in at least four months.

back to shooting::with baby

2009-09-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

a few weeks back i had the pleasure of shooting this beautiful couple as they waited expectantly for their little baby girl to arrive. they were such a joy to shoot and spend the evening with. their baby girl is quite lucky to have them for parents.

Click here to view the entire slideshow

today i am incredibly grateful for...my new iphone the Lord restored back to me...
(its been a long ten days without one)

blabla doll

2009-08-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

the brand of her is called bla bla but we think she needs a new name...if we can come up with a good one. help us out please.

a wedding shower with all the details

2009-07-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

this shower had all the details. the bride's mother is the most amazing party "thrower". she covers every detail and has such an amazing ability to create a beautiful atmosphere. (she's the one who threw me my baby shower last year) the theme was yellow. there was delish food as usual, yellow and white daisies, a yellow polkadot table cloth, individual lemon sorbet cups with the sticks stamped with true love...the list goes on and on. enjoy these pics. and if you ever want to do a party without having to spend riduculous amounts of money, this woman can throw you one. contact me for her info.

today i am incredibly grateful for...m. she will make a beautiful and lovely bride and wife!

back to shooting::family

2009-07-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

i was asked to come and shoot a dear friends nephews the other day. how cute are these kids. i just love the curls on this young boy.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the time we had in spokane. we just got back from a trip visiting tg's family and friends and we had an awesome time. t-byrd it sure was good to see you!

blueberry pickin'

2009-06-22T20:47:00.001-07:00

a few weekends back we went a blueberry pickin' at local farm in buellton. i recommend going if you get a chance. the blueberries are delish!

if you mention santa barbara tea party they will donate five dollars of your bucket price to the group.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my friend, jk. today was my last day to spend with her before she leaves for her six month trip. i will miss her much. love you, dear friend.

happy fathers day to my hubby

2009-06-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

you are the world to our precious girl. you are an awesome dad.
love love love you.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the dads (papa & ray) the Lord has blessed me with. both have taught me so much.

bed bugs

2009-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

decided to do a craft. a sewing craft. got out my amy butler book and found a cute project. bed bugs. they are ladybug and butterfly rattles. went through my old fabric found some cute stuff i had planned on using to make an apron (one day), took my time, which is not usually the case when i sew, and i am proud of the outcome. far from perfect but a pretty good job considering i had to do a bunch of "sewing" things i had never done before. and the best part, rea mae likes them.

today i am incredibly grateful for...sunshine. june gloom has seemed to disappear and it looks like summer is here!

ballerina skirt day

2009-06-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

no reason why except why not?!
wish we all could wear ballerina skirts any day of the week.

today i am incredibly grateful for...home. it sure is nice to be back. i love traveling but i love being home too.

time for change

2009-06-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

cut off about ten inches. now i don't have to worry about rea mae pulling and eating it.

today i am incredibly grateful for...health...rea mae is fighting something and it is so sad to see her hurt and not be able to fix it immediately.

back to shooting::family

2009-05-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

here are few of my favs from a family photo shoot this past weekend.

today i am incredibly grateful for...this family. they are dear friends that the Lord has blessed us with.

plumes of smoke

2009-05-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

around three thirty today the fire that started yesterday afternoon roared back into existance. all day it looked as if it was under control, but once the wind picked up the fire took off. we are okay although this one is the closest we have been to. it is only about two miles up the road from us. this photo was taken off our front balcony looking west. keep us in your prayers as we are yet again in a community of people who are losing their homes.

today i am incredibly grateful for...firefighters. they have a very tough job but they do it so well. thank you for devoting your life to help save others and their homes.

back to shooting::love

2009-04-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

this afternoon i had the opportunity to shoot my dear friend meems engagement photos. meems is like a sister to me and i am so thrilled for her engagement to d. i felt honored to even be asked to shoot their photos. this couple has an amazing story of waiting, patience, redemption and love. thank you both for allowing me to capture you.
these are just a few of my favs.

click here to see the slideshow.

back to shooting::babies

2009-03-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

although i do get a chance to shoot miss r a lot, i now have mommy friends that let me get more practice. here are some pics from my shoot with baby a and mommy v.

today i am incredibly grateful for...a lot of things. in times like these it is easy for me to see how blessed i am.

a morning walk to the park

2009-03-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

we spent the morning walking to a park and laying on a blanket watching the leaves blow in the wind in the tree above us.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my husband who makes it possible for me to not have to get a job apart from reamae.

three months

2009-02-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

three months ago today my precious girl entered the world. my whole life was turned upside down.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the joy that miss rea mae brings to my life. never would have thought a child could do that.

God wins

2009-02-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

we were at a dinner party the other night and someone asked what does reagan mean? a dear friend stated her name means "God wins!" someone questioned really, is what it means? and she stated well not sure what the real meaning is but when i look at reagan i think "God wins!"
when i think of taylor and shelly's marriage and where it was and how it has now ended up...God wins! reagan is God wins!
a dear friend sent us this great shirt. i love it cause it is a great reminder to me of all He has does in my life when we choose to never stop praying. i pray that all those who see her in this shirt will read it and be encouraged.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the gift of prayer.

so little time

2009-01-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

as you have noticed i am not very good at posting. i have so little time to spend in front of the computer. i would like to post everyday with all the fun exciting things my little one does and all the little things i think of each day but the reality is that right now i just can't find that time. when i do find a moment...if i ever do...i will get better at my blog. but for now lets just say i am on a break.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the hope that only Jesus can give. although everything seems to be falling apart in our world we can trust that He will keep our lives together!

making friends

2009-01-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

well my life has officially changed as you all know. i am now a mom and with being a mom you get the joy of meeting other moms and hanging out. while i was prego i joined a prenatal exercise class and was able to connect with a few other women. we all now have our babies and we get together and chat about our new lives. i look forward to our continued times together and watching all the babies grow to become buddies.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my new friends.

the best part of 2008

2009-01-01T20:10:00.001-08:00

we had many wonderful parts of this year but she was the best.

today i am incredibly grateful for...a terrific year. thank you for all your love and friendship that we share. without you my year wouldn't have been as great as it was. may the Lord bless each of you with a lovely 2009.

morning walk

2008-12-30T13:31:00.001-08:00

this week i am really trying to establish a routine for rea mae and myself. we start the day with a morning walk up at shoreline. the past two mornings have been beautiful. i walk and think how blessed we are to live in a place where i can take my baby girl for a walk along the ocean in a tank top in december. everyone else in the country is freezing in the snow and we walk and feel the cool ocean breeze. we are pretty blessed.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the location of where we live. i am a true california girl...and i am making rea mae into one as well.

fashion shoot::part one

2008-12-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

a hand knit sweater from our dear urban prairie forest friend. thanks s-sd. with uggs.

pink cowboy hat...pink boots to match...will show off soon...

precious face

2008-12-09T20:59:00.001-08:00

look at those lips! she does this face when she is waking up from a nap while stretching her little body. it is my favorite.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the pacifier...otherwise known as "nuk".

precious baby is here

2008-11-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

our little bundle of joy arrived sunday november sixteenth at eight eighteen in the morning. she is nine pounds twenty one inches long. she is our new bundle of joy.
today i am incredibly grateful for...the beauty that the Lord just blessed us with...little miss reagan mae.

tea fire

2008-11-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

last night around six pm our city started on fire. here are a few pics i grabbed from the la times. they capture what it looked like last night and how close it really is to us. we are fine, but it is a lot closer then any fire we have ever seen since we have lived here.

by rafael maldonado la times

by matt wier la times

we took some pics last night only about three quarters of a mile from our house. here is one.

keep our city in your prayers. we do have friends who have been evacuated and their homes are in danger. i am confined to the house due to the air quality but our house is fine. we are thankful.

today i am incredibly grateful for...our firefighters who have been fighting this all night long.

fourty weeks

2008-11-12T12:58:00.001-08:00

now the real wait begins.

today i am incredibly grateful for...a very healthy pregnancy. can't complain. we are doing good.

maybe i make too good of home for the baby and s/he doesn't want to come out just yet ;)

it's over

2008-11-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

and we just have to accept it.

today i am incredibly grateful for...that HIS ways are better than ours. we must trust that.

2008-11-03T21:54:00.001-08:00

get out there and vote. this is one the most important elections we can be apart of.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the freedoms we do have here.

nesting::part five

2008-10-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

a trip to ikea to purchase
a dresser for the baby.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my husband's handyman ability. he is good at putting stuff together among many other things. thanks boots.

invites

2008-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

just wanted to share with you some invites i had the pleasure of creating. they are for a chocolate dessert party for a girly lady! aren't they fun?!

today i am incredibly grateful for...our visitor..whit. it sure is nice to have family in town.

family photo shoot

2008-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

this afternoon i had the privilege of taking pictures of a beautiful woman and her beautiful family from my pregnancy class.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the friendship of this beautiful family.

learning to be still

2008-10-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

currently i am learning to be still. i am thirty six weeks along and have lots of stuff i would like to get done before the baby arrives, but i am learning that i need to listen to my body and slow down. which if any of you know me is not an easy task. this week we have a visitor in town and i am learning to enjoy the company and where we live as i take her out and show her around instead of worrying if the kitchen pantry will get organized before the baby arrives. i have truly learned so much in this pregnancy thus far and i know i have more to learn as the weeks continue. the Lord is so good to give us women nine months to prepare for the arrival of a child that will forever change your lives. because i don't want to be that busy stressed out mom i know the Lord is using this time these last few weeks to rest and enjoy.

today i am incredibly grateful for...each day that i can enjoy being alive and well.

nesting::part four

2008-10-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

getting the extra room organized for my office and for some baby items.

most would probably be getting a nursery ready...not me. i am not about all "the stuff "you have to have for a baby. i would rather keep it to only the needs. the baby will sleep with us in a bassinet for a while then we will worry about a crib. and anything else can be stored in half this closet.

today i am incredibly grateful for...grace. without it who knows where i would be. thank you Jesus!

nesting::part three

2008-10-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

sewing a blanket for baby.

today i am incredibly grateful...that i usually get to see my husband daily and have my friends so close.

hubby is at a men's camping trip 'til tomorrow and my closest friends here are scattered all over the place...colorado. india. oahu. it sure is quiet around here.
becks...i don't know how you do it! you are an amazing example to me this weekend. if you can do it for three months at a time or longer, i must be able to do it for 2 days.

thirty three weeks

2008-09-27T10:16:00.001-07:00

for our anniversary i set up a prego shoot for me and taylor with our amazing photog friend katee. it was a spectacular afternoon/evening and i am so blessed at the images she captured. here are some of my favorites.

click here to view more amazing images.

today i am incredibly grateful for...katee's gift. and the Lord's gift of this baby.

four years

2008-09-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

today i am incredibly grateful for...my hubby. we have been through a lot these past four years but i wouldn't trade it for anything. i am incredibly grateful to have him. love you boots!

sums up my morning

2008-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

meet my lewis. i found him this way this morning and had to post it. i think he was having a rough morning.

this morning i was feeling like this too. a little emotional...pretty sure most of it is hormonal but after my morning devotions with Jesus feeling like a lot of it is spiritual. sweet m is in india and my heart is burdened for things her heart is burdened for. i can feel a part of what she is experiencing. but the word of the Lord is so good to calm and quiet our hearts and lead us into deeper prayer.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the Word of the Lord. the bible is filled with words that just refresh my soul. thank you Lord for the gift of your word.

nesting::part two

2008-09-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

upgrading our small compact hybrid for something bigger and safer for the baby. the Lord blessed us with an amazing deal and we couldn't be more excited. we still have the hybrid for the fuel efficiency but who knows if we will ever want to get into the smaller car after being in this one.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the blessings the Lord bestows upon us. we are blessed!

wed night dinner

2008-09-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

we had a delish cobb salad with organic mixed greens, organic bbq chicken, sliced egg, homegrown heirloom tomatoes and yummy bacon. j also made homemade breadsticks.
tonight we celebrated our katee. she launched her new website using a new nifty program, showit sites. she was quite excited. as she should be. her site is beautiful. it inspires me to get my stuff online. thanks j for the yummy dinner and thanks jk and katee for the laughs.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the precious life the Lord has blessed me with. i can feel it move constantly.

the most incredible baby shower

2008-09-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

it was a beautiful shower that dear j threw for me. not one detail was left out. there was delicious food, personalized water bottles, the cutest cupcakes, a winning ticket, words of advice for me, beautiful colors that all tied into the style of how i want to decorate the baby's room, and much more. the love she poured into it was completely tangible. thank you to everyone involved in helping put it together as well as sharing the day with me. i am blessed.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the most loving friends and family. without each of you i wouldn't be able to do this whole "mommy" thing. the Lord truly has blessed me with each of you!

a fiesta dinner party

2008-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

saturday night jk threw a fiesta dinner party; full of yummy food, great fellowship, and she even brought out the marshmallows for roasting. it sure was a great fiesta!

today i am incredibly grateful for...jk. you are such a dear friend and i am so blessed by the friendship we share. thanks for such a wonderful fiesta party.

thirty weeks

2008-09-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

time is ticking away. can't believe how fast it is going. potentially i could have the baby anywhere in the next six to twelve weeks...must keep on nesting :)

today i am incredibly grateful for...a healthy pregnancy and loving family and friends.

wed night dinner...resumes

2008-09-03T23:17:00.001-07:00

tonight we resumed our wed night dinner at j's lovely home. but this one was different as it revolved more around the republican national convention. after a lovely dinner of chicken with gravy, brown rice, green beans and a delicious salad, we sat around the television (with flags in hand) and watched the historic speech of governor sarah palin, the vice president nominee. it was quite the speech and we are so proud to be supporters of the mccain palin ticket.

today i am incredibly grateful for...the mccain palin ticket.

nesting::part one

2008-09-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

painting the downstairs.
the living room as seen, as well as down the hallway.

today i am incredibly grateful for...our dear friends, j + d, and jk all helped us get this all done in less than twenty four hours. thank you for your help.

a fun package...from my mama

2008-08-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

i received another fun package in the mail! i haven't been blogging all the packages i get but this one deserves to be blogged. my sweet mama has been finding prego and non-prego clothes and sending them to me because it has been hard to find some around this area that aren't over the top expensive. this one i decided to blog because all the others i haven't. but look how cute those clothes are. it is a top and a dress that aren't prego but fit me now even though i am. so they will also be great to have when i get my original body back.

today i am incredibly grateful for...my mama. she is the best!