Hazel's first birthday

I could not believe it was already here when the 14th came.  The day before I kept saying things like "this time last year I was at work trying to breathe through contractions...."

Our baby is 1!  I am so thankful for my creative sister's awesome idea :)  Hazel loves little lambs and my sister Camille came up with the "theme."  She even painted an adorable little lamb that will go in her room! (need to find a picture of it) My friend Lizzie was able to be in town and helped me put things together.  Which all was perfect because Clay came down with shingles a couple of days before and was out for the count. (Please pray for him, it has been quite a few painful days)  It was so fun to have our family and friends there, we all had a blast!  

She loved getting hearing the "happy birthday," we sang it several times that day. 

Still do here and there. ;)

Happy birthday to our dear little girl! Who as I write this is desperate to go outside, her absolute fav right now....So I must run :)

Beautiful Cause

Friends, just wanted to share with you a link to what has become such an amazing blessing to Clay and I. We were contacted by the folks at Fotolanthropy a few months back. They had heard about our story this last year and that Clay was in remission. (For 5 months and 7 days, now btw!!!) They wanted to celebrate with us and give us such an incredible and special gift. It was a photo-session, a film of our story and so much more.

There are not words to express what a timely gift this was to us. Clay's hair had all grown back, we were finally out of the haze of hospital stays and settling into our new home in Mansfield. If you are interested in seeing the video click here

They are UNbelievably gifted and for them to share their talents with us was so awesome.

We were so humbled that they would ask us to be a part of their efforts that I wanted to share with you, if you are interested, with supporting them. So that they can continue to bless others who are in need, they are selling beautiful ornaments!! You can see the information here, as well as footage from when they debuted the film at our house with our families and friends. Please check it out!!

apt therapy contest

hello friends! i know it has been sometime since i have been on this blog of mine but i wanted to tell you all about one my dear friends, ellie, has gotten her cute carriage house into apartment therapy teeny tiny contest. its a beautiful place and she has done such a fabulous job decorating! please vote for her here!!

thank you so much!

hope to return when my life is a little more predicatable...in the mean time thanks for your prayers!

baby bump at 28 weeks

i know i am going to kick my self when our sweet baby girl gets here and i have hardly taken any baby bump pics. i know i need to step it up. so here is hoping i am better at documenting this last trimester. {and also so my dear friend lizzie doesn't take my head off for not sharing pictures more, love you sweet liz!} b/c yes i am in my last trimester. eeek!

me at 18 weeks

me with wet hair at 28 weeks!

on another pregnancy note..i failed that glucose test last week so i am having to go in this week for the 3 hour test and drinking double the amount of sugar. i'm a little nervous seeing as last time when i was drinking the stuff i gagged most of the way through it. so if you think about it please pray for me {and hazel} that we make it through the test and pass it

proof

trying to bring back life to this blog as basically since i have been pregnant i have been pretty MIA. so here is some proof that we are here and kicking and enjoying the freedom we have before our sweet bundle of joy comes to welcome us.

check out that ranger shirt wes has on...i think the hand looks farely creepy...but rangers and the world series is pretty great. esp for my dear hubby who has been a long standing fan with little reward.

i think he is pretty cute

8 questions

sweet maggie, at The Walton's tagged me for 8 questions :) you must go to her blog and see all her talent. she was even posted about at Young House Love for all of her and husband's endeavors. i mean she is totally legit!

so here are the 8 questions:

1) If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Clay and i love to day dream. so this is a question we like to bounce around...but we both haven't been over seas much but i have had this weird obsession with south america. it has always intrigued me. so specifically Argentina.

2) are you a morning person or evening person?

most def an evening person. my husband rises with the sun and loves to bug me in the morning...it is not pleasant ;)

3) if you could have any job in the world, regardless of how much money made, what would it be?

hmm this is a good question for me, i would really like some sort of teaching...but i am really eager to learn more of the decorating world, not at all on my own though...and then as the days are getting closer and closer i'm getting super eager to be a mom :)

4) how many kids do you want to have and do you have a preference on gender?

in college i would have said a bus load...not a lot has changed since then. i come from a big family and love it :) i would say prob about 5. my husband would prob prefer a few less. i guess we will just take this one first and go from there.

5) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

maybe not be such a reactor. i tend to not think things through and just say my initial reaction, which in some cases is good. however my husband loves to tease me and say outlandish comments that totally get arise out of me, and if i just heard what he said i would know that is exactly what he was trying to do...

6) What is your favorite quote/bible verse?

The essence of sin is we human beings substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for us...We put ourselves where only God deserves to be; God puts Himself where we deserve to be.

7) What is your single, most favorite decorative item in your house?

this changes daily for me, i change my mind often...some peacock feathers that are in a vase. i love them.

8) Chocolate or Vanilla?

vanilla, most definitely. as a child, when spanish was my first language ( i may or may not use this as my excuse) i used to think it was "vallina" and it was just misspelled on some ice cream. i was waaay too old when i learned how to really say it.

parable

my friend lisa has a beautiful blog, where she recently was inspired to write some parables for her son Liam to read when he is older. I read this one and asked her if i could share it i just thuoght it was so beautiful, thank lisa!

The Pearl of Great Value

There was a merchant kind and wise

Who searched the markets day and night

He combed the aisles in search of jewels

He hunted baubles bug and bright

Until one day, a tiny pearl

Caught the humble merchant's eye

Though soiled the pearl appeared to be

He thought it still a precious find

The vendor spoke to name his price

Despite the jewel's appearance gray

Many wares the pearl would cost

Most could not afford to pay

He drew the bead up to his chest

And whispered softly to his find

"You're lost no longer, fear no more;

For I am yours and you are mine."

That day the merchant traveled home

Devised a plan along the way

Of how he ought to buy the pearl

It mattered not the price to pay

He looked at everything he owned

Smiled, and with no second thought

He sold his goods, his home, his all

And that is how his pearl was bought

What awe shown from the vendor's face

When he received the payment due

For such a filthy, little pearl

He knew not what the merchant knew

For thought it seemed a hefty price

the value of a precious find

Was greater to the merchant, see

Than all that he would leave behind

That night the merchant took the pearl

Squalid by the ocean's earth

And combed the sands to find a spot

To wash it clean beside the firth

Brushing off the grains of sand

He stroked it with such gentle care

Then cleansed it in the ocean's foam

Until the pearl was white and bare

I asked the Lord the other day,

Who is this man? Who can he be?

That he would buy a muddied pearl

For such a lavish costly fee?

He drew the bead up to his chest

And whispered softly, "Don't you see?

You are lost no longer, fear no more

The pearl is you, the Merchant is me."

addition

my friend ginny is one of my favorite people ever. i have talked about her and her husband's journey some before here. they actually just welcomed their third child into this world about a week ago. you can read about their lives at their blog Atypical Life . their life is an inspiration to many {including Tony Dungy!}

ginny, along with her many talents, has a beautiful store with unique handmade jewelry. she has gorgeous, fun, and trendy taste. you have to check out her website The Addition. if you are getting married she can customize the jewelry for your bridesmaids or for the bride herself. lets be real here, if you just want something that is customized to your taste she can do that too :) she is also such a giver and many of the profits go to organizations helping those in need.


here are some examples of her work:

but be sure to check out her website in the next few weeks when she premieres her spring line!!

owl eyes necklace

initial necklace

chain gang

sterling tree charm necklace

sunburst tear earrings

the necklace, inspired by her late son, eliot. some of these proceeds go to the foundation they began after him 99 balloons.