5 Reasons Why October is My Favorite

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Oh October,  I love you.

Why?

1. On October 25, 2008 I married my best friend. He truly is the love of my life and I look forward to many years to come.

2. In October 2012 we announced the miracle of our first pregnancy.

3. On October 31, 2014, we were blessed with another prayed for miracle. We learned that we were expecting baby #2.

4. It's the time of year when fall festivals are in full swing, the air is crisp and sweater season truly begins...

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5. My newest reason to love October is that on the 20th of this month (yes, just this week!) our dear friends brought their new son home to his forever home. This adoption has been long prayed for and they have been truly blessed. I can't wait to meet him soon! You can read about his homecoming here.

Linking up for Five on Friday 

Love, Hate, Tag

I was excited to see that I was tagged in Sarita's post. She blogs over at It's My Girls' World and always shares such sweet sentiments. In her last post she shared 10 things she loved, hated and then tagged 10 blogs that she likes to follow. I'm up next, so here I go!

Love

 

1. My kids. Seriously. I'm completely, unconditionally in love.

Frank Crocker Photography

 

2. My husband. He's truly my better half.

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3. Pizza. It's my favorite food. I could literally eat it at every meal.

 

4.Country living. We live at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We enjoy beautiful views all year long.

 

5. Reading. While I don't get to do it nearly as much as I'd like, it is something I love to do in my "spare" time.

 

6. Baking/Cooking. The kitchen is my happy place.

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7. Sunglasses. I am a huge fan of sunglasses and have coincidentally passed this down to my daughter.

 

8. Rainy days. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE sunshine, but there is something about a rainy day that seems to say, "take it easy" and makes me feel less guilty about taking some down time.

 

9. Jesus. He is the reason for my existence.

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10. Planning our dream home. I've been eagerly pinning ideas for our new house. We're getting closer to putting our current home on the market and once it sells, we'll be able to move forward with building our new home.

 

Hate

 

 1. Taking medicine. That goes for headaches, illness, etc. I just hate it. I have to be pretty bad off before I'll break down and swallow a pill.

 

2. Going to the dentist. I've never been a fan, and while I love my dentist as a person, I am not a fan of going to his office.

 

3. Profanity. I just feel that if you have any type of decent vocabulary and intellect, you should be able to find other adjectives and verbs to get your point across.

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4. Feet. I am grateful to have a pair to walk with but I do not like others touching them...and I'm definitely not the person to ask for a foot massage. I won't touch them.

 

5. Washing silverware. We do not have a dishwasher and if there is one thing that I will love most about having one in our new home, it's that I will not have to hand wash our eating utensils by  hand anymore!

 

6. Rude people. Kindness goes a long way.

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7. Poopy diapers. This is the world I currently live in. Both of my children seem to be in sync with one another and time their poopy diapers simultaneously. It's as if they are trying to outdo one another.

 

8. Satellite Internet. It's the only type of Internet we can get out here. Streaming is not something we can do and it limits us on "cheaper" options.

 

9. My husband's firefighter pager. He is aware of my disdain for his volunteer pager. He lives by the tone and I can't tell you how many family moments have been ruined or disrupted because of it. (I am proud of his willingness to serve...but I could do without it 24/7).

 

10. Last minute changes in plans. My type A personality really struggles with this.

 

 

Tagged

 

 

Check them out!

Lindsey at A Little Bit Western

Elena at Baby Ridley Bump

Shay at Creating Our Family Tree

Faith at The Life of Faith

Ashley at Running MOMentum

Sarah at Taber Family Travels

Lindsey at Vapor and Mist

Amanda at Tickled Pink

Leslyn at Leslyn's Lovely Life

Holly at While I'm Waiting

Thoughts for Thursday

There are a lot of things I could talk about today...and it's too easy to sit and focus on what could have been or what might be and miss what is going on right now. I want to focus on the present...this beautiful, precious, fleeting life of  blessings.

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In light of our current circumstances, there really is so much good. One of my favorite moments from the last few days comes from this past weekend.

My hubby has been dying to get our little one on the four wheeler. I refused to allow this until we had a helmet that would fit her tiny toddler head. On Saturday I went to a huge consignment sale, and among the much  needed pajamas and fall/winter clothing scores, I happened upon a helmet that was just her size.

The hubs was so excited!!! We could not go out on Saturday thanks to the evening weather...but Sunday, well that was a whole new day.

That evening we geared her up and set her on the four wheeler for the first time. She wasn't too sure of it at first, but then grew to really enjoy it.

We joined up with my in-laws and rode into the orchard. We stopped by some nectarine and peach trees for a little break where we stocked up on some fresh fruit.

G enjoyed some nectarine thanks to Papa.

She then took a stroll with Papa and Granny...

We eventually headed back where we all cleaned up and headed to bed soon thereafter. I can't get enough of our little miracle. Every moment is so precious and gone too quickly and for each one of those moments I am so thankful.

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Linking up with Annie for this week's TFT.

Oh Hey Friday! Christmas in July

 

Oh Hey Friday (and hello August!) has come again! Join myself, Karli and others for this week's edition. This week I was inspired by all of the Christmas in July sales around town. For all of you who ask me what I want (and for those of you who don't) I thought I'd help you out. I'm never good at making a Christmas list because I forget the things I've fallen for over the year. I was determined to change that this year (my mom will be so happy). I created My Gift Wish List on Pinterest. Since most of the folks who buy for me (and thank you in advance) are on Pinterest, it just seemed like a no brainer. On my list you'll find practical items as well as dream pieces.

 

Here are a few things from my list...

OHF 1


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7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

   Books by Jen Hatmaker

 

I'm currently working through her devotional, Out of the Spin Cycle, and love it! There are several of her books on my list and I'm looking forward to eventually reading each one.

 

 

 

OHF 2

Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Lotion

I think the reasoning behind this is pretty self explanatory.

 

 

OHF 3

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I have been googley eyed over this Spectrum necklace by Premier Designs for quite some time. I do have a couple family members who sell this line of jewelry ::cough cough:: Just saying.

 

 

OHF 4

Better Homes and Gardens Tufted Comforter Set in Grey

We're making plans to revamp our bedroom and this comforter would be perfect for our grey and navy palate.

 

 

OHF 5

The Pioneer Woman Cooks : A Year of Holidays Cookbook

I have her other two cookbooks and LOVE them! It's only natural that I should add this to my cooking collection.

 

 

What's on your Christmas list?









Thoughts for Thursday

For the remainder of the summer I'll be joining Natalie and others for Thoughts for Thursday. This particular Thursday (ok this whole week) has held a lot of ups and downs. It's nice to sit and reflect on some of the "ups".

[one]

This week held a lot of fun. One of my most favorite moments was the day that included these two sweet little babes. G and I drove over the mountain to visit my dear friend and her precious little boy. I love the girl time we get to spend together. Our time has only been sweetened by these two redheads. As they get older their interactions become that much more entertaining. Today they enjoyed some water table time. 



Puppy kisses

 

 

 

 Could these two be any cuter?!

[two]

On Tuesday I sent my hubby down the river...okay, he went on a river trip with some buddies for work. Being the perfect wife that I am (you may laugh now), I could not send him off without some goodies. That's just not my style...and lets face it, his work buddies have grown quite accustomed to sweets being sent their way. I pulled out my homemade Choc It To Me Brownie recipe. I have not made this in forever! Truth be told, these rich, fabulously delish confections probably add 10lbs with each batch, but they are so worth it. I made another batch this week to take to a friend and her adorable family. You will only be doing yourself a disservice by not making these ASAP.

 Click on the link for the recipe. Enjoy!

Choc It To Me Brownies

[three]

On Sunday I had a major mommy fail. After church I took G out for a Mommy and Me lunch. She was great. We then headed to Walmart to grab a few things.  Upon leaving and putting her in the car, she asked for Bella, her best buddy, the moose. Bella was no where to be found. I searched the parking lot, the vehicle,  every bag, etc. No Bella. I called the restaurant. No Bella. I cried, she cried.

We came home where she continued to look and call for Bella. This mommy's heart was broken. I posted my fail on Facebook and a while later my friend called. She had seen Bella at Walmart!  Bella was on a display case near the sporting goods. I was elated! My friend called the store and had one of the workers go see if she was still there. Bella was safely retrieved and placed in customer service.  We had to forgo normal bedtime and made the 30 minute drive to town to pick up my baby's best friend. Thanks be to God for His goodness. Mommy and baby went to bed happy. ("Back Up Bella" arrived in the mail yesterday...just in case.)

[four] 

Speaking of our little gem, she took her first steps...completely independent of any assistance...this week! She took 3 steps earlier this week and then took 5 more today! It may not be much but it's progress!

 

 

 

 

Ta-da!

[five]

In an attempt to clear some clutter, I went through some things and have decided to put forth a little footwork to participate in a large local consignment sale this August. I've been to this sale several times, both in the fall and spring, and I always make out really well. I'll not only be shopping this year, but I'll also be cosigning. If you are local or close, I hope you'll also take advantage of this great sale that benefits many in our community through financial giving and item donations. Take a moment to find out all about KidzKraze!

A Little Southern Comfort Day 2

In lieu of my typical Five on Friday I thought I'd share a little more about our family trip to Georgia.  We made this trek about this time last year. G was much smaller and the trip, despite feeling the need to bring the whole house with us for our infant, went much smoother. You can view this trip's travel experience for Day 1 if you missed it.

Upon waking up on Wednesday morning,  G was ready to go. We eventually packed up and checked out of the hotel to begin our day. We had a few pit stops and then we'd once again be on our way to Georgia.

First we stopped for breakfast at a local pancake house...yum!

Waiting patiently for her food

Daddy's food looks so much better!

After eating a delicious breakfast we headed out to one of our travel musts. There are two things we traditionally look for any time we travel. We look for cupcake shops and zoos/aquariums and make a point to try and visit them while at our destination.  Thus we headed to GiGi's*. I had never been here but I can promise I'll return. ot only were their cupcakes beautiful,  but they tasted so good! My hubby enjoyed the Raspberry Peach and I of course indulged in the Chocolate Salted Caramel.

After picking up our tasty treats we headed to the RainForest Adventures Discovery Zoo.* Admission was reasonably priced and the animals were wonderful. As a zoo fanatic I would have liked to have seen a little more effort put into the exhibits but overall it was a good experience.

When we finished with the zoo we headed South. We finally hit the GA state line and breathed a sigh of relief as we pulled into my mom's driveway.

Play time with Granna

We surprised Aunt Karla! She had no idea we were coming!!!

More to come soon!
*I was not compensated in anyway to share my opinions of these establishments.