Happy "Blog"iversary

So my blog is 1 year old today!! I remember when I signed on for the first time and set up my blogger account and I was bursting at the seams to spill all my pregnancy stories, woes, loves, ups and downs with family and friends that are out of state, out of the city, just out of touch even. I thought it would be a great way for them to watch our little family grow.

I of course did not spill the beans right away, we hadn't even been to the Dr. yet but my friend Amber told me I figured something was up when you created a blog because well your life isn't really that interesting otherwise... hahaha so true so true.

It has turned into a kind of therapy for me, I have made some great mommy contacts and learned great ideas and found comfort in all of your stories, experiences and support! It's like a little community and I am happy I started this blogging journey at the same time I started my mommy journey because now I have it all documented and it even has pictures. That is why I'm pretty sure I love it so much more than actual journaling (makes my hands cramp and then you have to print and cut out pictures.... bla too much work for this girl) blogging it is all at your finger tips, browse, upload image, tada!

So for now I will continue to document the pretty amazing life I have going on here, even if it's boring to some it's my amazing journey as a woman in her walk with Christ, a wife and a mommy to my beautiful Lydia Rose.

Thanks to those that find me semi interesting and who have given words of encouragment and insight during the last year. I love all of my blogworld friends and of course my family and friends who are following us from all over :)

Weekend Recap: Reds v. Cubs and some Gooood deals!

As I mentioned in my last post on Friday, our little family headed to Cincinnati for the Cubs game on Friday night with some good friends of ours. We piled into Matt's big red truck because it fits all 5 of us so nicely and took a small road trip to enjoy an evening of baseball and good company.

Reasons why it rocked:

#1 BEAUTIFUL evening, we were never in the sun and it cooled off to the point that I brought my sweatshirt along and actually used it, not to mention that meant baby jeans, pretty sure I'm sooo in love with baby jeans now! PERFECT night to be outside enjoying a baseball game as the sun set and the river was right over the railing from us.

#2 Lydia was a PERFECT 10 on the baby scale. Not only did she look so cute in her cubbies outfit but she did not fuss one bit, she slept through a few innings that included fireworks and applause, she adjusted to her baby bjorn carrier like a champ and loooved being toted around while attached to mommy, she gave smiles to those we passed and she sat through her first big fireworks show and just layed back in my arms sucking on her paci and cuddling her blanket as her bedtime quickly came and went. ROCKSTAR baby people.

#3 Good People. We looved hanging out with Amanda and Andrew, they are such a laid back couple and they adore our Lydia girl. Ok so they are Reds fans but that's ok they are too nice to hold it against them and they even offered to be ok with it if the Cubbies won because it was Lydia's first game, well lucky for them that wasn't necessary.

#4 Great American Ballpark is awesome, I looooove going to new stadiums, ballparks, or arenas it was one of my favorite things to do.

Now to the Goood deals part, I went shopping this weekend because I had the Give and Get coupon and I decided to use it at Old Navy. I gave Old Navy a break for a long time because I could never find anything I liked but now that I have miss Lydia I Loooove their baby clothes, I loved their maternity clothes so now they have me hooked. I got a pair of jeans and 3 shirts for $30.... what a STEAL. Oh yeah did I mention I bought a pair of Jeggings this weekend, bring on boots weather, I'm a little obsessed with boots in the fall and winter and cannot wait to wear them over my jeggings!! Matt calls them Jegs, he thinks they are silly but he won't be complaining when my almost rockin post baby bod is wearing my tight jeggings :)

hahaha (totally kidding about the rockin post baby bod, I worked out this weekend and I want to die today)

Have a good Monday everyone, if you are a follower of my blog, leave a comment please, trying to decide whether or not to keep blogging for another year, yes my blog is 1 year old tomorrow.

Friday?!?! Fabulous!!

I am soooo thankful it is Friday! This week has felt super long for some reason but I am so thankful for the couple of evenings that Lydia and I actually stayed at home and played, snuggled, took walks, played in the yard and just enjoyed eachother. We have been so busy, I mean non stop for the past month, we haven't had many of those moments. She is seriously a WEED growing like crazy and discovering new toys, likes and dislikes and being an almost 4 month old (next week) Ahhhh I love her more and more everyday!!

She gets to go to her first Cubs game tonight, we are heading to Cincinnati for the Reds v. Cubs because it's such an easy drive and we get to go with our good friends Andrew and Amanda, Andrew is finishing up school so they don't live here right now but they will be moving back next summer!! Andrew was Matt's best man and Matt was Andrew's best man we are so excited to hang out with them, check back for some pictures of miss Lydia in her cute cute Cubs outfit!

And just for fun on this Friday, what I think of Natalie Grant's new CD :)

Natalie Grant's new cd Love Revolution came out on Tuesday and let me just say that woman can sing!! She uses her amazing voice for so much good in this world and to praise our Jesus. I am so pumped when I listen to this cd, I have kept it in my cd player in my car since Tuesday night when I bought it and I haven't turned on the radio since, she sings me to work every morning (great way to start my day) and she sings me home every night. She is just amazing and this cd will do nothing short of pump you up for your walk with Christ or just brighten your day bc I'm pretty sure Natalie's voice is a bit like botteling up sunshine and taking it everywhere with you!

GOOOOOOOO Listen!!!

Have a Fantastic Friday and an even better weekend :)

**Football = 7 Days away, Oh man cannot contain my excitement, Sexy Crew Reunion = 7 Days away, reuniting for the Purdue v. Notre Dame game next Saturday, pretty sure it's going to be EPIC!!

1 Year Ago 3 Letters Changed My Life

YES+

These are the 3 letters I saw exactly a year ago from today that changed my life and started the most amazing journey I could have ever imagined. Were there hard times uhhhh yes, 9 months preggo is hard, peeing every 5 minutes made me mad, and staph infections suck but I would not have traded any of it for the world. It made me stronger, it made me more confident in myself as a woman and it changed my heart forever. My heart I feel has physically grown to fit the love that I have for that little girl, to increase the amount of love I have for my husband and to kind of squeezed the part I had reserved for myself out of the picture. I loooved being pregnant and I love being a mom, I loved telling everyone our big news and then sharing her with the world once she arrived. She is the most precious gift I have ever been given and I can't imagine my life as anyone other than Lydia Rose's mom (ok and her siblings to come in the future BUT not for a while people)

I love you hubby for putting up with me for 9 months of preggo symptoms and for helping me get through the hardest recovery and time I have physically ever been through. You were my rock and I cannot wait to grow as a family together.

Lydia I love you more than words can say or my heart can fit, I seriously feel as though my heart is bursting from my chest with the love and happiness you bring me everyday!!

Wow what a year and here is to sooooooo much more :)

What a Weekend!! I need another day to recover

So this weekend was as busy and went by just as fast as I thought it might.

I spent Friday and most of Saturday at the Women of Faith Conference with my mom, aunt and grandma. It was so good for my soul to worship and listen to words that will help me be a better mother, wife, sister and friend. It was good to step away from the distractions of life and be in an arena full of believers and just listen. Like I said in my post last Monday, I feel like I am at a point that I need to shut up and listen and see where God sends me. This helped! I'm also really looking forward to reading the book "Choosing to SEE" by Mary Beth Chapman, their story is one of grief, finding strength through Jesus in that grief, and trying to survive after the loss of a child; a story that hits close to home in my family. I also looooved the music, felt good to sing!!

We also spent time with family at my cousin's 25th bday party, we are only a month apart and it was good to celebrate with her as she is sooo busy with nursing school that we don't see eachother that often right now.

I also got to spend Sunday morning in the way that I love best, lazy and laying around in bed with Matt and Lydia, she played with her toys and napped while we were just bums for a few hours and it was great to just be us, just the 3 of us! (ok and 3 furry friends might have joined in) I got to visit with some high school friends at a bridal shower, I actually used to ride the bus in elementary school with lexie and it was fun to see her glowing in that way that only a bride can as we just oooo and aww over gifts and the love that her and Ben share!

I have pictures but my computer was acting up at home last night so I don't have them to share this morning but I will leave you with this picture for now.

We love you Uncle Matt and Aunt Laura!! They start their first day of a new semester up at Purdue today and they moved back up last week, after a fun filled summer with Aunt "Waura" being home and Uncle Matt coming to visit when he could we will miss having them around all the time BUT football is coming soon and we can't wait to see them almost every weekend :)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and make it a good Monday!!

Women of Faith Coming to Indianapolis This Weekend

I am soooo excited for tomorrow and Saturday! I will be attending the Women of Faith Conference with my mom, aunt, and grandma (3 strong faith filled ladies) I am so excited to have 2 days to listen to God's word and to worship with 15,000 other women from all over that are visiting our great city for this event.

I am anxious to hear what God has in store for me and for what his message will be this weekend, it is happening at a very good time in our family as there is a lot that is heavy on our hearts but at the same time some great blessings to be thankful for (my dad's new job this year and the arrival of Lydia Rose into this world).

I have always loved worship music it is such an easy way for me to praise him by singing my lungs out or at times when that song just hits home about whatever you are going through at that moment in your life I feel like it's God's way of speaking to us through music. I am so excited to hear the music (if you can't tell) !!! They have a worship team, Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mandisa and sooo many amazing speakers.

So I will be back probably not until Monday because I have birthday parties and bridal showers the rest of the weekend, holy cow this weekend is going to fly.

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Where would I be without my mom?!?! I hope everyone is as lucky as me to have a great relationship with their mother. Sure we drive eachother nuts and we have had our mother daughter bashing of heads and ideas of how things should be but through it all we love eachother and talk every day. Yes, this revolution occured when I went to College and I didn't have to live with her anymore but I think that is when you really start to appreciate your parents (Lydia feel free to appreciate me before that, because you are never leaving me or my house bc I can't let you go EVER!)

So on this day I want to dedicate my blog to my mom and grandma of Lydia. She spoils our precious girl to pieces and I love that! She helped to take care of her when I had to go back to the hospital and she has sacraficed a couple Friday evenings to watch Lydia while Matt and I go out and try and act like real 25 year olds. Lydia and I come over for dinner and wouldn't you know it mom has gone shopping and come home with some new cute outfit or toy for our angel. She is a great grandmother on top of being a great mom.

Sooo mom HAPPY BIRTHDAY I hope your day is fantastic and everyone treats you like the amazing person you are :) Love you!