The past week has been a little weird. Home sick on Monday, feeling better Tuesday, feeling great Wednesday, two hour delay thanks to snow (even though it was supposed to be a FULL day but the snow let us down!) and now it's Friday. Feels like it should be Wednesday again for some reason? Either way I am excited for the weekend ahead.... hope you are as well! Here are some other things that excited me this week.

pretty tulips thanks to my Mom, she always picks some up when I'm feeling sick

but some how I never expect it, it's always such a nice surprise!

I learned this week that I love beets!! And beets are super good for you,

so I'll take it! A nice little salad mix from Two Chefs is always a great pick for lunch.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I love cereal!
Like, eating it for breakfast, snacks and dinner since this baby loves it.

Melted snow and fresh eggs.

But the snow looked so pretty before it melted away! 

Now I'm ready for spring.....

well.

Things have been crazy for the past month. I honestly can't believe that is almost March. I know that is usually what I say on my monthly goals post but seriously, it is almost March! I have a sneaky feeling that the months will start flying by now that the year has started and the calendar is filling up with exciting things to do. I love it! With all the busy days and weeks flying by there is one particular thing that I do not love... when things fall off my radar. When I have goals and ideas for the new year ahead of me or even continued goals and ideas from last year that seem to disappear. There are several things that have slipped my mind lately.

To start with, the chronological bible study is HARD! I knew it was hard when I started but after many months of being behind I have absolutely no desire to catch up. I find myself wanting different bible studies & I miss the She Reads Truth studies but I "don't allow" myself to start anything because I know that I have this other study that I'm behind on. That just doesn't make sense, right? If my heart is being pulled to a certain study and away from another then I should go where I am being pulled. At least then I will be READING my bible. So, I will be taking a step away from the Chronological study and I'll get back to that when I feel that time is right. Timing is everything. With that being said, if you all wish to still see the study each month, please let us know. Cassie and I would love to continue sharing it if you all wish!

On to the next thing. Pictures. Oh, man. I have failed miserably with this and I honestly don't see the point in catching up. I didn't enjoy the Project365 nearly as much as I thought I would and I honestly don't have the time. It has been almost impossible with this first trimester craziness and the past couple of weeks of fighting a cold! So, I will be saying goodbye to this challenge for now. Maybe a year in the future will be a different story but I know that right now is NOT the right time.

The photo at the top is my favorite picture from the small selection that I had to share... I just love the bright and happy shot! Hope you all are having a great week and for those of you in the south, let us all cross our fingers for some more snow and a day at home to rest!!

Friday Five.

Another week has passed us by. At the beginning of the year I felt like everything was going at a snail's pace since I had so many questions and concerns with this pregnancy, but now that things have mellowed out and I'm not sleepy 80% of the time, I've noticed the time moving by faster. I appreciate that a lot! Hope your week was a good one, here are some great things about mine.....

Tuesday was a nice and relaxing day thanks to the "Ice Day"!

I snow day would have been more fun but I'll take what I can get

for a day off full of relaxation and homemade soup.

Speaking of homemade soup, my moms spoiled me with

some Oyster Stew on Wednesday night since Peter

was out of town. We try and have our favorite dinners

that aren't Peter's favorite when he is away for work!

Another thing I try and do while Peter is away is Laundry!
It's always the perfect time to catch up on laundry, wash the sheets, clean up and
organize everything so he can come home to a tidy house this afternoon.

The girls are laying a LOT of eggs again!!! So excited to see
their production kick back in gear, it makes me think that Spring
is right around the corner. Now if only the weather would agree.

We have three parties this weekend for three different kids in our lives.
I feel like an official adult now, entering this new season of life that
involves a lot of babies, even our own now!! I think it is so exciting
and I'm not going to lie, the shopping is a lot of fun!

Pregnancy Post // the past nine weeks.

Or for those of you that were once like me and didn't understand why pregnant women go by weeks, I also mean, the past 2 months. I'm so looking forward to tracking the weeks and months here on the blog with my pregnancy. I love following along with some of my favorite mama bloggers and I feel so blessed to share everything about my little one with all of you! 

This is my first time with all of these changes so I am excited to see all of the excitement ahead. I loved all of the love we have received on here, Facebook and Instagram. It just makes all of this even sweeter to know how excited you are for us! During the past several weeks I have been tracking some details so I can keep all the little things to look back on one day, and maybe this little babe will want to see these one day, too!

Weeks 4 - 9

Some questions that we have been asked

// were you trying? 

well.... yes and no. We were ready to start trying in January so we were a little relaxed about everything in December. I repeatedly told Peter that it would probably take several months and he always disagreed with me. I guess he was right after all. I found out I was pregnant on December 30th when I was only 4 weeks and 1 day. 

// how'd you find out?

I knew there was a chance so I was very impatient and started taking the early sign at home pregnancy tests since I stocked up on a few boxes. I had some holiday parties to attend and I knew that there would be some alcohol involved so I wanted to be on the safe side. I took a test on Sunday the 28th because I didn't feel "normal" and it was negative. I took that to mean that I was right, it would take a couple of months for something to happen.
Then a couple of days later, on Tuesday the 30th, I still felt really off. I honestly thought I might have had a UTI and called my OB to schedule an appointment. They weren't able to fit me in until January and they suggested going to my normal doctor since they could run the same urine tests. So, there I went and I told the nurse that there was a chance that I could be pregnant. She offered to run a pregnancy test and I thought "why not? I'm sure it's negative again!" After answering the normal questions the nurse stepped out to check on the test. When she returned to the room she had a big smile on her face and said "CONGRATULATIONS! Looks like you are pregnant!!" I almost fell off the table. I even asked her if she was kidding... ha! Also, turns out I didn't have a UTI at all, just extra sensitive and feeling off because of the pregnancy which seems to be common. 

// how'd I tell Peter? 

I received a bottle of wine from work as a late Christmas gift the same day that I went to the doctor. After my appointment I actually had to go back to work for an hour until I could go home. I was about to die... 

So when I left work I decided to give the wrapped bottle of wine to Peter and ask him to open it since I didn't know what kind it was. He looked it over and told me what it was. I replied with "well, looks like you might have to enjoy it on your own" as I pulled out the pregnancy test from the doctors office out of my purse. His first response was a big kiss which made me feel so happy! We were definitely both shocked but he later told me that he had a feeling since I had been so tired lately and he always thought it would happen the first try.

// how'd you tell others? 
We decided to tell immediate family and close friends pretty soon (mainly because I was so excited and could hardly keep my mouth shut!) but the best story of all is how I told my co-workers.
I had my first appointment and saw the little angel and heard the heart beat and was so excited. I went into work after the morning appointment and emailed one of my counterparts to let her know that she will need to cover for me more frequently because we were expecting. I told her my next appointment date and asked her to put it on her calendar.
About a minute later another co-worker came to my desk and said "congratulations!!!" I turned around really confused. He then said "You are expecting, right?" I was shocked and asked how he knew? He said from the email I just sent to everyone.........
I somehow sent the email to my ENTIRE TEAM instead of emailing the one person I meant to email. Funny now, but I was freaking out at the time. HA! I'm just thankful that we are all a really close team and feel more like a family, that made it much easier.

// are we finding out the sex?

I have always thought it would be so fun to wait until the birth but Peter was never a fan of that plan so it was easy to be persuaded. I still wish we could wait to find out beacuse I love the idea, but it is so exciting to find out and decorate the room. So yes, we are planning to find out at our 20 week ultrasound, unless I can change Peter's mind before then! ;)

// any weird cravings or aversions?
The weirdest one (which I mentioned in week 7) is mustard. The dream consisted of me eating a spoonful of dijon mustard and I instantly woke up and almost went downstairs to get a spoonful. Then I realized it was 3AM and that was a CRAZY idea so I went back to sleep. Bizar... also, I could throw down a huge BBQ sandwich with tons of mustard BBQ sauce at any moment. YUM!
There hasn't been anything that has caused me to hurl... thankfully! However, I've never been a huge sweets person since I'd always pick chips and salsa over sweets but anything that includes peanut butter and chocolate would always change my mind. Apparently baby does not agree with me. I thought for a while that it was any kind of sweets that would make me nauseous but I started to realize it's anything that inclues chocolate, which is honestly not a bad thing. Other than chocolate I havn't had anything really bother me, thank God!

I will be updating my weeks here on the blog after every month so if you like this kind of thing (you know, baby bumps and TMI pregnancy details) then you are in for a treat! Can't wait to see how the months ahead will go! We are so thankful for this wonderful blessing in our life!

Valentine's Day Surprise.

We are so thrilled to announce our little Valentine's Day Surprise! 

Peter and I are so excited about the new journey ahead

& I can't wait to share bits and pieces here on the blog!

Hope you all have a day full of love,

go hug someone and give them a big kiss on the cheek!
More details about our Baby E, very soon!!

Friday Five.

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, oops.

It has been so busy the past few weeks and I hardly have time

to sit down and enjoy this space like I love to do. I'm hoping in the next

few weeks that will change! Until then, here are five things that made

me super happy this week! Hope you all had a wonderful week, as well!

cupcakes to share with my man thanks to a Valentines Cupcake Exchange party!

dinner and Wicked with these ladies was the best mid week night of fun on Wednesday.

It was my second time seeing the amazing show but the rest of these gals were newbies,

plus, Sushi & Fish Takos at TakoSushi was the perfect meal before!

hot chili with a cheesy cornbread muffin.

Joel's Java is one of my favorite spots in downtown Greenville

for a quick lunch or a cup of coffee in the morning for a great price!

my favorite cozy sweater and second day curls.

green apples and bananas are my go to snacks, recently!

A nice and ripe banana in the morning 

and a green apple for afternoons! YUM!

Project 365 // week 5.

A Photo a Day for 365 Days

Day 29 // Jan 29

missing this man for five years today

{not going to lie, I completely
slacked on these two days, oops!
I'm sure it won't be the last time}

Day 30 // Jan 30

Day 31 // Jan 31

Day 32 // Feb 1

making blondies for the Super Bowl party

Day 33 // Feb 2

cold winter day

Day 34 // Feb 3

fresh flowers in the kitchen for my Birthday

Day 35 // Feb 4

free chicks in the yard

{All photos in the post were taken with my Cannon EOS Rebel XTi & my 50mm 1.8 lens}

Football + Friends.

I always tend to share my birthday with the Super Bowl and I never mind. It is the perfect excuse to have friends over and eat a lot of food and just sit around and watch the tv/talk all night. I also love the fact that people come over without gifts. I'm over the Birthday Gift thing now that I'm 28. I think my late twenties is the perfect time to make that switch to fellowship instead of things. I even "forgot" to check on several gift options for my mom so she wouldn't have anything to buy. (she still surprsied me with beautiful flowers at work, but that is perfectly fine with me!) So, football... friends... lots of food.... Husband's home brewed beer.... and hugs. Hugs are the best gift anyways, right?

Pinterest perfect dessert thanks to Laura!

amazing home made chicken bites by Cody (and Katie helped....)

Not pictured... 

the awesome chili that Peter made, 

the delicious (from scratch) blondies that I made & a group photo.

I'm still super bummed with how the game ended 

but it was such a wonderful night with friends!!!

Project 365 // week 4.

A Photo a Day for 365 Days

Day 22 // Jan 22

a little extra daylight in the days

Day 23 // Jan 23

lime water, all the time

Day 24 // Jan 24

new car love

Day 25 // Jan 25

lazy Sunday afternoon with my favorite girls

Day 26 // Jan 26

pup and her toys

Day 27 // Jan 27

dinner time

Day 28 // Jan 28

pretty views at red lights

{All photos in the post were taken with my Cannon EOS Rebel XTi & my 50mm 1.8 lens}

my 28th.

Today, I turn Twenty-Eight! I thought it would be fun to put a list together

because we all love lists, right? And I love to learn more about people, all of the little things

that make them who they are. So here are 28 things that I know to be true in

my life while saying hello to year twenty-eight!

& of course party hats are always fun... ;)

1 // I don't really want gifts anymore. Just time with those I love.

2 // Life is all about perspective and trying to see everything with a glass half full makes things much easier.

3 // I am reminded every day how blessed I am to have married my best friend. He knows exactly how to make me laugh* and feel loved.

4 // September is the best month ever!

5 // The fact that I will never watch a new episode of Parenthood ever again has made me more sad than I ever imagined it could. I still haven't watched the last episode because I'm in denial.

6 // I really love sushi and I have my husband to thank for that. He taught me how to enjoy "real sushi" not just the fried and white sauce covered rolls!

7 // The only way I can get through cardio in the gym is by watching my favorite YouTubers most recent daily vlog, the SACCONEJOLYs family.

8 // Peter and I can never agree on TV shows to watch, but we still love each other.

9 // Going to the grocery store after work is always better when you decided to wear flats that day.

10 // I almost always forget my shopping list for the grocery store but I hate to keep a list on my phone. Hand written is always better.

11 // The ways that I am constantly blessed by our church is such an amazing gift. I'm so excited to see what the Lord will do with Grace Church and I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

12 // It's probably not a good idea for you to bother me before 9:30 AM on the weekends if I don't already have plans. 

13 // The Bible can be overwhelming and scary, but so worth the effort.

14 // I always have awesome plans in my head for projects but then I get lazy. Those that truly love me and know me well, always call me out on this.

15 // I really like pictures. They are important and I love to remember pieces of history with a photo.

16 // I've always said I wanted five kids… now I'm thinking three would be nice.

17 // For the first time ever, I have several sets of different friends and it has been such a blessing this past year.

18 // I want to soak in 2015 as much as possible.

19 // I'm really happy that the football season is over.

20 // My wonderful relationship with my Mom only continues to get better with each passing year, it's amazing and such a huge gift in my life!

21 // Brunch is a wonderful thing, breakfast is not.

22 // I was spoiled when I was a child and for that reason I'm going to try desperately to not spoil our children.

23 // I can kill any kind of plant.

24 // No matter how much I want to cut my hair, I never should. I always regret it!

25 // Praying doesn't have to be hard if you think of talking to God like talking to the best friend you've ever had. He wants a relationship and desires to be wanted.

26 // Parties are fun and I can find any excuse to throw one. I've been told that serving is one of my best spiritual gifts and I love it!

27 // I have a feeling that 28 is going to be the best year yet.

28 // I am so, so blessed and thankful every single day.

*while working on this list I told Peter I was short one thing and he said, "you know that 15 minutes or less can save you 15% or more on car insurance." Funny man, always so witty & I love him.  

Goals // 2.15

January Recap

1// Stay on track with this month's reading: I failed so badly with this. This month has been a hard one and a busy one so I didn't make time as much as I should. I also decided I wasn't going to stress about it and I know I will get back on track soon.

2// Clean the garage: this is half done so I'm going to mark it as a success. We cleaned the garage out a LOT and made room for a new, bigger car BUT I know we still have a lot of cleaning/organizing to do.

3// Pray through the Prayers for my Husband: still working through these prayers and I'm definitely not done but I'd much rather take my time and enjoy these daily prayers than add it to my checklist at the end of every day.

4// Start meal planning/grocery shopping: I'm happy with the outcome of this for all meals. Breakfast has been easier, lunch has been mostly good and dinner has been great also when we are home to cook. We've even been eating left overs instead of throwing them out once they go bad. We still have some tweaking to go before we really grasp this meal planning thing, though.

5// Complete the 3 Day Refresh: nope. Didn't happen, like I said - January has been crazy and busy so this is on the back burner for now. 

and for the month of love....

February Goals

1// Have a Super Bowl Party!

2// Enjoy turning 28!

3// Celebrate Valentines Day with a date night at home.

4// Begin sharing my Friday Five again.

5// Finally finish the bathroom renovation!