What I love Wednesday

Ok, so I'm a little late but I love participating in What I Love Wednesday because one Wednesday something is totally rocking my world and another Wednesday I'm on to something else.

So this week I loooove.

THE FRESH BEAT BAND!  Ok so they might be a tad cheesy, a tad repetitive, and a tad corny. BUT Lydia loves them. Loves them with all her heart, she jumps up and down, claps her hands, spins in circles and dances away when they come on and to me that is so worth the 20 minutes of Cheesy.

We even have a few ready to go on our DVR just in case! Oh modern technology where I would be without you?

found here

Head on over and see what everyone else is crushin on this Week!!

Restless....

rest·less
adjective /ˈrestləs/ 

1.(of a person or animal) Unable to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom
- the audience grew restless and inattentive

2.Offering no physical or emotional rest; involving constant activity or motion
- a restless night
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I have found myself so restless lately. Just waiting in the shadows for that opportunity to come bounding out of nowhere for me to jump at! I want so much for our family: If you follow me on twitter you know I have a baby fever comment about oh every 3 tweets on average I would say. We also want to move out of our little 1,200 square foot house to something a ltitle more permanent before we add to our family. I want to go to Africa and serve the Lord through loving on the people who have captured my heart and I haven't even met them. I want to bring Baby E home to his/her forever family. I want to learn to live a simple life and declutter my world as a whole. I want to be able to save so I can have the big family that I want and not feel the pinch of our wallets put a halt on that dream.

I want my husband to be successful in his new ventures and I want him to feel loved and not neglected. I want my Lydia to dream as big as the sky and feel as though we will support in whatever life brings her. I want her to know the Lord and know his love for her more than anything in this whole world.

All of these feelings bring about a restlessness in my heart and phsyically in my body. I paced our house last night at 10 p.m. putting things away, throwing out old papers, putting away my husbands school stuff for him to go through when all is said and done, straightening out our rug on the wood floor, wiping down our kitchen counters, making sure my bag was packed for the morning. All of this is because I am RESTLESS.... Restless for so much more in this world for me and my family and I feel as though I am STUCK, only able to do these small deeds while pacing my home.

I believe there is good on the horizon, great change, great opportunity, BUT waiting is sometimes the hardest part.

Just for fun here is a Lydia fix. A girl and her dog, it's a sweet thing!



See that finger in her mouth... yes we have another molar coming in!



Weekend Through the Lens of my IPhone

 Don't have a lot of time so here is our weekend through the lens of my Iphone!

At our friends reception Friday night..."who me?"

My trusty pilot on the way to Chicago Sunday morning

 We arrive at our destination... Wrigley Field

He loves to score a baseball game  

Thankful for our thumbs up Cubs fans..it was a hot one & they WON!! Go Cubbies :)

Creepy Windmills on the way home, TONS of them, they feel like they are straight out of a sci-fi movie

What I love Wednesday!

I'm heading over to Lollipops today to link up to What I Love Wednesday and it isn't any normal Wednesday but the 25th Anniversary! So she even has a giveaway. FUN!

So my What I love Wednesday has to do with my BIRTHDAY yesterday! My family spoiled me rotten and I love them for it! So I am loving all my goodies.

1. Ordinary Hero shirt that my husband bought me! It is oh so comfy and cute plus it is helping a family save to bring their little one home!! Love it!



Found HERE

2. New pair of TOMS on the way from Sister and Brother :)

Check them out here --->   http://www.toms.com/womens/linen-pinstripe-women-s-cordones

3.  New Pandora bracelet from my Aunt!

4. New Bag from my mom since I needed something bigger for work! LOVE IT :)

Head on over and check out What I love Wednesday! If you haven't participated before maybe today is your day :)


(The button wasn't working today so here is the LINK! )

Baby Showers are Fun!

This past weekend we had the privelage of celebrating my cousin Stephanie and her little one on the way!! This girl has dreamed of being a mom since she got her first baby doll so I am so thrilled that she is having a baby. They are not finding out the sex ... which is totally cool by me! But it makes it hard to shop, no cute outfits for this babe yet...I think someone is going to have to volunteer to help her do laundry once the baby is born because there will be an excess of clothes purchased for this bundle once he/she makes their big debut.

Steph I am oh so happy for you and Adam and I cannot wait for ? or ? (she's not sharing names either...stinker) to be bff's with Lydia!!

Sisters

All the girl cousins on one side! We've sure grown up :)

4 Generations

Indians Game Fun

 Last weekend we also took Lydia to the Indians game with some of our good friends. Luckily our seats were in the shade bc it was over 90 degrees that day, when we go just the 3 of us we usually sit in the lawn so Lydia can play and walk around. Lydia did well in our seats though and enjoyed herself 90% of the time, we had to take turns walking her around he park the last couple innings because she was hot and tired but I kind of enjoyed the walk and the people watching.

Victory Field in Indianapolis is an awesome minor league ball park, it's inexpensive to go to a game and you have an amazing view of downtown!! Definitely a summer-time family must if you live in the area. I love taking Lydia there because when I was a little girl, my dad was the trainer for the Indian's over at their old ball park and there are pictures of me on the field with him. So fun that we can compare pictures some day!

such a fun day!

World Vision

If you might have noticed .... ok you probably didn't notice because I have a feeling you don't follow along THAT closely but I just added a fun little button on my right sidebar. A World Vision Bolivia Bloggers Button. I think this is such a cool thing that WV does! Not only do they help a TON of kiddos and their communities but they help get us involved  by sending some of our fellow blog-land friends to minister to the children within the World Vision areas and then they blog about it! I mean they blog anyway so why not share their hearts and experiences and advocate for the country they are visiting and for the WV programs. YUP I'm hooked!


It also helps that we sponsor a little one through World Vision and she lives in Haiti.

We actually are popping the first package to her in the mail tomorrow! I hope she loves it and I hope she knows how much we think about her and pray for her everyday!

Go ahead and follow along as the WV bloggers head to Bolivia at the end of the month, I think it will be an eye opening experience, plus I follow a few of them and they are GREAT writers.

Waiting Here For You

This song has been on at least once a day while I am in the car alone. That is my time to just be...to think, to pray, to day dream, to belt songs out at the top of my lungs and this song has me almost pulling over to the side of the road so I can throw my hands in the air and sing straight to him in that moment..


"You’re the Lord of all creation
And still you know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start"

He made the world, he made the sky, the sun, the stars, he knows every mountain, every blade of grass, he made each one of us and knew us before we were born. He knew that I would one day have baby Lydia, he knew that she would change my heart permanently. He knew that I would meet Matt and that he was the one for me to do life with. He made creation... but he still knows every space of my heart, every dark place in the corner of my mind, every doubt, every dream and every wish I have for my family.

I think that deserves the time it will take for you to play this video...sit back and worship him. You might not be like me...it might not lead you to belt it out from the top of your lungs and throw your hands in the air and close your eyes but if it leads you to simply sit down for 6 min. and 13 sec. to remember that he knows your heart and to take comfort and peace in that then I hope you take the time to hit PLAY.

A Little Recap With Some Photos!

 So July has proven to be EXTREMELY busy, jam packed full of fun moments with my little family and our friends.

So here we go!! I hope I don't bore you too much but I just have to capture the last couple weeks.

July 4th Weekend :)

First we had a cookout with our wonderful and dear friends Kate and Ryan, Ryan is a best friend from college and Kate is a dear friend I made through work, I am so happy that I met Kate because now she is making one of my best friends the happiest man on earth by being his wife and we cannot wait for the big day. So we just cooked out at their cute little house and had a fun backyard fireworks show. These 2 truly love my kid and that makes me love them even more, I am so thankful to have them in my life!

Don't mind the foggy look, we were having fun with a backyard fireworks show

Watching safely from mamma's lap

The wonderful hosts for the evening cookout, with their flower girl!!

Here is Lydia bug in her festive 4th of July outfit :)

This is the new "cheese face"

Trying on mommy's new shoes, uh oh she likes them!

First time @ Ritters for Ice Cream :) I spent so much time here with friends in high school, it's so funny to come back with my little family. 

yummmm

Sticky.Happy.Mess

Her first time to the horse track since she was about 3 months old!

She even got to pet one of the horses that worked at the track, I tell you the girl has no fear, her hand was almost up the his nose and she laughed and wanted more! Think it might be time for mommy to take up riding again so she can continue her love for these big animals.

Look at that smile, she loved it!

FLASHBACK:   Her last time at the horse track @ almost 3 months old.

Waiting for the winner with daddy

taking a break, all that walking and cheering on the horses wore her out! 

That gets you caught up through this last Friday. Remember... that post I did about a friend of ours that was having their annual party and had asked if they could raise funds for our adoption at that party this year? Well that party took place this past Saturday (Woodstock theme, music, bounce house, lake activities, game show and so much more!!)  We are so incredibly blessed to have this family in our lives and I cannot wait to share more about this party.  BUT it is a post all its own so we are stopping here with the recap. I hope you stuck it out  and enjoyed what has been our fun-filled July so far!

These kids are a blessing

 I love that Lydia has had the opportunity to play with other kids but not be thrown into a group of them. She plays with Ethan and Cooper, she loves them! Ethan is my cousins' little boy and Cooper is my Aunt's godson. They love on their "baby cutie" and take such good care of her. Cooper says he is going to marry her one day (Lydia even learned to say Cooper, well kind of) She is learning to play nice with others and because of them is not timid around other kids in the slightest.

I am also lucky that my Aunt's girls love her so much too. Kami the one sitting right next to Lydia in this picture is the BEST little guardian and babysitter for Lydia that I could ask for. I never have to worry about Lydia when she is around because I swear this girl has super babysitting powers! I might just have to hire her as my assistant wherever we go.

Here they are enjoying an evening sitting on GiGi's swing! Love these smiling faces, they make my world a better place that is for sure :)

What I love Wednesday

via Pinterest

I have MAJOR baby fever and I dream of neutral nursery's and the fantastic baby bump! There is little that compares to those flutters of knowing a life is safe and growing inside you.

What do you love this Wednesday? Head on over to Lollipops and see what everyone else is up to!

Happy 4th of July from our big girl!

 I can't believe how much they change in just one short year! I love watching God's handiwork being done right in front of me everyday, because lets be honest I can take little credit for this little one. She is a true blessing to our family and I just happen to have the privelage of calling her "daughter" Here is to many more 4th of July's with our little Firecracker!

HAPPY 4th of July!! 

2011

1 Year ago today, 7/4/2010