I don't understand

skirt:  tjmaxx   tank: shadeclothing  maternity   vest: loft    necklace: groopdealz 

I don't understand how I'm supposed to sleep comfortably in my bed after finding a tick crawling on me the other night while in bed, and then another one on our wall the next day.   And I don't understand why I felt the need to take a picture of it and share it with you.  I'm sorry.  It really it too disgusting.  

I don't understand why my belly has started growing sideways instead of straight out.  Isn't that the wrong way? I don't understand why last week I lost more than a handful of followers and how to not let that bother me a little.I don't understand how I am supposed to have energy after school when it is in the upper 80's outside and I'm in an non air conditioned classroom with 21 sweaty, restless kids who are ready for summer, with a pregnant belly that makes me even more sweaty and tired.  I don't understand why all shows end in May.  I would much prefer 90210, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation to continue throughout the summer. Speaking of tv shows, I don't understand why Netflix sucks me in with the first two seasons of shows like Sister Wives and Hart of Dixie, but doesn't have the rest of the seasons available.  I don't understand why my sister has to go back to Vermont after visiting this weekend.  Wishing she could stay!and I don't understand why I forgot to pick a winner for the Target giftcard giveaway.  Congratulations to Deborah Rose!  Email me at katiejvale@yahoo.com and Lindsay and I will get you your prize.  

Happy Hour

 
tee: old navy    jeans: ross maternity    vest: loft

I know I've written a similar post before, but here's yet another example that Chris and I may as well be in our sixties. 
When we went away to Wisconsin a few weekends ago we looked up restaurants that had happy hours.  I think for a normal couple in their late 20's, early 30's this would be a happy hour that started around 9 or 10 o'clock. 
Not for us though.  We went to a 4 - 6 happy hour and were the first to arrive.  Slightly embarrassing, we were followed by couple after couple in their sixties at the youngest.  
Proof.   

There were even two oxygen tanks attending.  We definitely had anyone beat by at least thirty years.  
At least the fact that we like to be home early, eat early and avoid those young, rowdy crowds will only prepare us more for our baby.  Speaking of baby preparation, rather than going to Friday night happy hour we will be going to a childbirth class.  They told us to bring pillows and blankets and I fear having to mimic labor positions and laughing awkwardly as if I'm too immature to birth a baby.   Hopefully it doesn't scare me too much either.  
Hope you have a good weekend!

baby clothes, blessings and some wisdom

This weekend Chris and I got two huge bags full of baby girl clothes.  And then a few days later a teacher at school gave me two other huge bags full of clothes.  I feel beyond lucky to have people that thought of us and our baby girl.  (As well as dressed their daughters incredibly cute!)  I am loving going through all these clothes and can't wait for our baby to wear them!

Another blessing is having Kaitlyn share on my blog today.  Kaitlyn is an Army wife that lives with her husband in Colorado.  They are expecting their first baby this Fall and I have loved keeping up with her weekly updates.  But my favorite thing about Kaitlyn is her honesty and ability to share her heart.  Today she is sharing about an issue I'm sure we can all relate too!



Hi everyone! I'm Kaitlyn and I blog over at Wifessionals. I was so happy that Katie allowed me to come over to her blog for the day and share a topic that I think a lot of us women struggle with.

Recently, I ended a study I was doing called "Living Beyond Yourself". It's by Beth Moore. If you have never experienced this woman, let me tell you...she is really powerful.We concluded with talking about self control. The first thing I think about when I hear that topic is keeping my emotions (namely my patience and anger) in check. I used to have a terrible problem with getting angry very quickly and I have worked really hard to overcome that struggle.

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But Beth took this discussion about self control to a whole other level that I never really expected:
Weight.
I want to take a few minutes and just share the things that were put on my heart after doing this study. Our culture is obsessed with appearance. We are completely media driven. As I've gotten older, I've become more aware at how sad it is that women are made to think there is a right and a wrong way to look. Right : Skinny while Wrong : "Fat".
I want to get this out there right now: my views, comments, and opinions are dealing strictly with ME and my body. I say these things based on my frame, my height and so on. Just because something isn't "ok" or doesn't work with me, doesn't mean that is a standard for anyone else.
I have always struggled with my self image and weight. When I was in middle school, and the beginning of high school, I became very "chubby" (as my mom called it). I remember getting my first pair of Charlotte Russe jeans (all the rage back then) and being so excited...until I put them on. They were a size 13 and I had to take them back and exchange them for a 15. I was made fun of, had barely any friends and was so sad. I decided to start eating in a VERY unhealthy way. I had an eating disorder. I would eat maybe a banana for lunch...only a can of green beans for dinner. I was starving myself. And by the time I hit 16, I was down to a size 0. Do I think some of the weight was puberty? Yes. But the things I did to get "skinny" were painful, restrictive and consumed my life.

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To this day I always get scared of getting "fat" again. I try my best to eat healthy and stay in shape. I am not a size 0 anymore, but I feel good about my size. What I don't like is the guilt I feel after I eat something "naughty". I hate that I weigh myself almost every day to make sure I am staying relatively on track. I don't enjoy feeling bad about myself when I see rail thin celebrity staring at me in the grocery checkout line. This is not how we should live our lives ladies.
Beth shared a message that I think we all need to accept as truth: Your body is a lot more about freedom, than size.
Each of us is different. We all have different genes, body makeups and heights. You can't compare yourself to other people. You have to find out where you are happy...where YOU have freedom.
Am I free when I am counting calories and limiting myself to not enjoying foods that I love? No.Am I free when I am so overweight that I have no energy to play with my future kids or I'm too out of breath to hike with my husband? No.
I am not free at size 0 or 2. I am also not free at size 8 or 10. For me, my height, my physical activity level, and where I can still feel happy about my body and in my skin...right now I am free at a size 4. At a size 4 I can eat well balanced meals, but still get a Chickfila milkshake here and there. At size 4, I can keep up with my Army husband's active lifestyle. At size 4, I can look at myself in the mirror and feel happy and content with me.Does that mean I don't have days where I feel "chunky"? No.
But figuring out where I am free has allowed me not to live in bondage to my physical image. It has given me the freedom to enjoy food and not obsess over everything that passes my lips from the minute I wake up until the second I go to bed. The biggest problem we share in this country is moderation. I do not believe in dieting and cutting out everything you find delicious and love. Because then what happens? You become so fixated on everything you can't have. Stop doing this to yourself! I promise you that wherever you are free, you can still have a cookie this Friday night...but that doesn't mean go eat 24 oreos in one sitting.
I really encourage you to think about where you stand on all this. I think the majority of women struggle with this, even if they won't openly admit it. Just because I am free at size 4, does not mean that is for you. I can tell you right now my sister is free at 00 or 0. No matter what she does, she is just so tiny. I can also tell you that a good friend of mine is free at size 14. She has a genetic makeup, no matter how hard she tries, that is how her beautiful body was created. She is extremely healthy, eats probably even better than I do, but that is where her body was meant to be.
Don't be a slave to your outside image. Don't miss out on enjoying food or waste countless hours obsessing over the 3 pounds you can't seem to lose. I'm not saying be a glutton, but I'm also begging you to not lose amazing minutes of your life wishing you were something that you weren't meant to be.When you set aside this struggle, accepting yourself for who you were meant to be, I promise you will experience such relief, such life, such amazing, overwhelming freedom.So where are you free?
**I want to say that I know that I am pregnant and should be gaining weight during this phase of my life. This post is reflecting on my thoughts and life before and outside of pregnancy. I do not condone dieting or weight loss when a woman is pregnant.

Thank you so much Kaitlyn for sharing your heart and your wise words!!  Take some time and go check out her blog! 

Eight Years

shirt: target clearance ($4)   skirt: target    bracelet: made by me

(It's a lucky coincidence I'm wearing a shirt that says love on it for today's post!)
Today Chris and I celebrate our eight year anniversary.  Over 13 years of being together.  Some days I feel like I can't believe it's been eight years and then others I can't imagine not being married.  I don't too often write whole posts about Chris and am feeling slightly guilty that when I do they often include his annoying habits.  But the truth is I fully believe that I am one of the luckiest woman in the world to be blessed with such an amazing husband.  One of my favorite things about Chris is that I never doubt that he loves me.  He not only tells me all the time, but I know it's so clear to others that he loves me.  There's been so many times I've met someone he worked with or a friend who tells me right away how much Chris loves and talks about me.  Another one of my favorite things is Chris' ability to communicate.   I appreciate that he always wants work out any issues we have and talk about anything important to me, little or big.  He's always been able to communicate his feelings, which means he's shared tears with me during our struggles, as well as tears during our joys too.  We have both changed quite a bit since we've been married and I am so proud of the man that he has become.  I couldn't be more excited to watch him become a dad in two months.  I'm so thankful for the last eight years of marriage that we've had to work on our relationship with just the two of us, and am beyond excited and ready for this next phase of life together!  

someday

tank top: borrowed from friend    jeggings: walmart    wedges: ?   sweater: loft

Someday I'm sure I'll miss this belly but right now I'm so anxious to meet and hold our sweet girl and am a little nervous about what my belly will look like in 9 more weeks.  

Someday our daughter will know how much fun we had setting up everything in her room.  Someday she'll know how much I loved watching Chris put together things in her room.

Someday I'd like to make homemade donuts.  I've pinned a ridiculous about of recipes like this one, but yet to try any.

Someday I really will buy a pair of rainboots.  These have been in my cart for a week.  Please tell me if I should buy them and what color.

Someday I'd love to be able to meet some of my blogging friends in real life.
Here are some sweet girls I'd love to meet:

Chrissy from Everyday with the Jays.

I wish Chrissy didn't live in Texas because I know that we would be friends in real life, as I've loved getting to know her the last year and a half.  I also wish she lived closer so we we could teach at the same school.  Chrissy is a master at cheap and amazing DIY projects like this anthropology copy project or her dining room wall upgrade.  And she has great directions that you can easily follow!  She also blogs about life with her husband, and her two cute pups! 

blog  //  bloglovin  //  facebook

Lindsay from Pursuit of Pink.

There are so many things that I can relate to about Lindsay, a huge one is that she is expecting her first baby very close to mine.  But even more so is her honesty about the feelings and fears that have come with being pregnant.  It's always refreshing to read a blog that is encouraging and honest, but also filled with plenty of happiness, style posts, favorites and tutorials. 

blog //  twitter  //  bloglovin

Chelsea from Olive and Ivy.

Chelsea writes a lifestyle blog that is full of her cute style, affordable fashion, and beauty tips and reviews. Chelsea is also a very talented graphic designer and creates amazing blog designs.  She helped me out a lot when I first started my blog by designing some graphics for me.   And one more plus - she can pull off those floral pants! :) 

blog  // twitter  //  facebook

You should go check out these sweet girls and their blogs! You'll wish you could hang out with them in real life too! 

Glimpses

 

jacket: kohls      top: forever 21   jeans: ross maternity   flats: rue 21

These last few days have been quite emotional for me as I've watched my mom go through heart surgery and recovery, and seeing my dad stay right by her worried, taking care of her.  I've been emotional thinking about last Mother's Day and the fear and emotions that came with longing to be able to celebrate and then the reality and overwhelming joy that this Mother's Day I can celebrate.   
I looked at my calendar the other week and had May 9th circled.  I hadn't thought too much about that date since becoming pregnant, but know that date would have been often in my mind if I wasn't having this baby.  May 9th would have been our baby's due date if I hadn't had an early miscarriage in August.  I think about last Mother's Day or the weeks around last August and while I trusted that God had a plan, I had no idea why he was making us wait.  
As we prepare for this baby I've had glimpses of this timing being perfect.  I know we would've figured it out, but I can't imagine if I was having a baby this weekend, the same weekend my mom was having open heart surgery.  I think about Chris' business and how he wouldn't have started it if we had a baby a year ago.  

During our struggles and pain I know I had hope that one day I would understand God's plan and why he chose this path for us, and I think I am seeing glimpses of it with the timing of things and the lessons I've learned and the person I've become.  With that being said, I've also realized that I may never fully understand why God allowed us to go through that period of pain and suffering.  I just have to trust that He knows exactly what He is doing and have faith that His plan is so much more perfect than mine. 
I feel like these small glimpses are God's way of saying to me "I knew exactly what I was doing.  Continue to trust that I will give you what you need not a day early or a day late."  

High Five for Friday

tank top: old navy maternity    jeans: ross maternity   shoes: target   cardigan: rue 21 (diy elbow patches)
1. I've started considering my leopard flats as a neutral and assume it is okay to wear them with anything.  Please don't tell me if that isn't true. 
2.  This week was teacher appreciation week and one of the days the students could bring in a special treat for you.  One of the girls made me a diaper cake.  I loved it!  

3.  I made this BLT pasta salad this week.  I am definitely ready for more summery meals and this one was perfect.  

4.  I am slowly getting better at curly my own hair.  The first time I tried it I walked out of the bathroom and asked Chris what he thought.  He told me the back looked like an 80's rockstar.  Definitely not a compliment.  

5.  Last month I won these beautiful earrings from Sandra at Litva's Jewelry.  I have loved getting to know and working with Sandra.  She has her own jewelry shop filled with gorgeous pieces, like these feathered earrings or this wrap bracelet.  And today she is giving one lucky reader a $40 credit to her shop!  If I won I'd have a hard time choosing, but am pretty sure I'd pick this.  

Enter below!  The winner will be contacted after the 13th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!