Our Christmas Home 2019

Sharing a glimpse into our Christmas home!! I’m making Hashbrown casserole before heading out to Christmas Eve Dinner. I pray you have a blessed Holiday with your loved ones. ♥️

Christmas Scenes

We’ve been baking, cleaning, wrapping, visiting, partying, and falling to sleep quickly in anticipation of Christmas morning. Only four more sleeps!

Memories

Excuse me while I walk down memory lane...

11Years ago he asked me to be his wife. 

I love that he designed the ring.
Two of the stones belonged to his grandma.

We were engaged at Ashly’s at the Capitol Hotel. 

The dessert that night was amazing. ♥️
Getting to wear that ring felt amazing.
Still does.

 Love you baby!!

A Christmas Chat

It's 70* outside, today! And tomorrow, the temperatures are supposed to drop drastically and there's a sight chance of flurries & sleet! So, what does a tired mom do? Bribe the kids with snacks to snap a quick Christmas photo. I try to get a themed photo every year.

Also, my house is a total disaster! As soon as I sign off here, it's time for laundry and a speed clean. I should feel guilty, but I took time this morning to read, homeschool, and spent a few minutes outside with the kids. Priorities, folks!! ;-)

Speaking of Christmas-y things....I have not finished my shopping. I am not even half way done! I'm one of those gals that likes to shop during the hustle and bustle. It's really the only time of year that I like the busyness.

In other random news, we have four Christmas trees up. I secretly want at least two more...

Happy Monday!

Christmas Fairies

♥️

Hanging of The Greens

We participated in the Hanging of the Greens at our church last weekend. Donuts, coffee and sweet fellowship. I’m thankful for these traditions to share with my girls. 

Thanksgiving 2019

Last week, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for Josh's side of the family. I made a roast with his Mom's homemade noodles, hashbrown casserole, green beans and cream corn. For dessert, I made a pumpkin pie and his dad brought an ice cream cake. It was a pretty low key evening!

On Thanksgiving day, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade while I prepped food for Thanksgiving dinner with my parents. I made Watergate Salad (think Green fluff dessert) and cream corn. My kids spent the night with my parents, so we headed home for Egg Nog and a Christmas movie! We watched Noelle on Disney Plus.

On Black Friday, we set out to start our Christmas shopping, and I snagged a few Christmas decorations that I had my eye on. Two tiny pink trees for the girls room, and a red throw blanket for our living room. We had a lot of fun, and it was a pretty slow day out!

We actually decorate for Christmas in early November. That gives me the opportunity to slowly decorate and take our time. To date, we have four trees set up. 😊 I'll have to share our house tour soon.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week...

Happy Friday!

Thankful

I am thankful...

For my family, friends, our home, and freedom.

For my husband who works hard to provide for us, for my precious girls, for the gift of homeschooling and homemaking and for the beautiful gift of Christmas. ♥️

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Fall Family Adventure

Every year, we go for a drive to soak up the fall colors. We let the girls collect leaves and then end the night eating out. This year, we took the girls to Chic-Fil-A...the playground won over our normal Starbucks. 😉

Our Story, Chapter 4

Our engagement was filled with so many fun memories...surprising each other for Valentines, dreaming of our honeymoon, making wedding plans together...

We were married in the church where we attended, and my cousin officiated the wedding. It was the most perfect spring day with blue skies for days.

I remember feeling so nervous...I'm not one for the spotlight, but at the same time I was so ready to seal the deal and be his girl forever.

Some of my favorite memories...

My dress. Josh hinted that he loved the "pick up" dress style, so I knew that is what I wanted to wear. Think Belle from Beauty and The Beast. I went to David's Bridal and after trying on five dresses, I was about to leave when the sales girl asked me to try on one more. It was off the clearance rack. It was a champagne colored dress with pick ups. And it fit like a glove. I was sold. ;)

Our song. One of the fun things that we did during our dating days was play guitars together. We were always learning new songs, one of which was On A Night Like This by Dave Barnes. We had it played during our candle lighting ceremony.

Bridal Processional. While I'm very much the traditionalist, this is one area that I wanted to stray. I walked down a song off of the Chronicles of Narnia Soundtrack. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is one of my favorite books/movies and I adored the film score.

Everything else about the day was a blur, but I do remember leaving blissfully happy. We honeymooned for two days in Little Rock before leaving for a week in Paris.

I loved him so much then...but goodness, I love him so much more now.

Our Story, Chapter 3

Summer ended, and soon we found ourselves busy with all the fun things that fall had to offer. We spent most of our time hiking, going to the occasional movie and spending lots of time with our families.

Life was good and full...and I was dating the only man I had ever loved.

I remember one night late in November, I sat down to plan a few wedding details. No, he hadn't proposed to me, and I knew he would probably wait a year or so, but I still wanted to write out a few things that were important to me. Namely, I knew that I wanted a fairly classic wedding with my colors being dark red, champagne and black. I went to sleep that night wishing we were already planning a wedding.

I was ready to marry that guy!

Unbeknownst to me, Josh was already putting plans into motion to propose. He and my dad had snuck into my apartment while I was at work to get my class ring, so Josh could use it to order my engagement ring.

Before I knew it, nearly four months of dating had passed. We spent a lot of time with his twin brother and his wife, Susan. So much so, that we had planned to have a Christmas dinner and gift exchange mid-December. I didn't think anything of it, because Josh and his brother are practically attached at the hip. So, having a quiet Christmas celebration together made perfect sense.

December 11th arrived. A close family friend was having a Mary Kay Open House near my parents home. She offered to do my make-up that day, and I was thrilled! I remember picking out gifts for everyone, and driving home to meet Josh after work.

We had reservations at Ashley's Restaurant in downtown Little Rock. The drive down there was very quiet...if you know Josh, this was pretty unusual. He was also very distracted and fidgety. I kept asking him what was wrong and he said he was just tired.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Jacob called Josh to say he was running late. He wasn't. He was actually already there waiting for us to be seated. Once we had sat down and had our order taken, he popped up with his video camera. I feel like I need to mention that they had just had their firstborn baby and seeing Jacob with a video camera was not unusual, either.

I asked where Susan (his wife) was, and he said she was in the bathroom. Then, the guys said we needed to open presents. I told them that no, we needed to wait for Susan to arrive. The guys were like no, we gotta open gifts now.

At this point, I am starting to get suspicious. Fun fact: Susan was not there, never planned to be there, and Jacob just kept stringing me along to make it even more confusing. LOL

I hand Josh his present: it was an Italian Cookbook. He hands me my gift to open: It was a charm bracelet. Beautiful at that! But, I remember telling myself that this wasn't the big moment.

Fun fact: The guys are really hamming up at this point. They were making a BIG deal out of the bracelet. I'm also silently thinking they are NUTS. And they are.

Then, Josh hands another present. It's a small box, but ya'll it wasn't THAT kind of box. I open the gift to find a box of Peanuts ornaments. If you know me in real life, I am obsessed with Charlie Brown and Snoopy. I was squealing, because it was perfect.

Well, as I open the dainty box of ornaments, out falls my ring.

Josh gets down on one knee and asks me to be his wife.

I said yes. Of course. ;)

Everything after this is a bit of a blur...I remember the yummy food, and the special dessert and the waiter asking me at what point I had figured it out!

I remember all the phone calls and the long drive back to my parents house where we fell asleep. The funniest thing about the entire night is that the minute we got to my parents house, Josh face planted on the blow up bed they had set up for him in their living room and fell fast asleep. I love poking him about it...it's hard work asking your girl to marry you!!

Our Story, Chapter 2

So, the weekend I was ready to move into my tiny duplex, Josh offered to help. Not only was this a huge step in my life, this would also be the first time my parents ever met Josh. For whatever reason, there paths had never crossed and at that point I had known him for several years.

He showed up, helped my dad move most of my furniture and proceeded to eat dinner with my family. I have to admit, he sure was relaxed and awful happy to get to know my family. But, I was also super stressed out with my new job. It would later prove to be the dumbest decision of my life to take that job...I'll just leave it at that.

The following weekend, the last of my furniture needed to be dropped off, so Josh offered to help again. And again, he ended up spending the evening with my family and going out to eat with all of us. Well, we all parted ways , went home and as I got ready for bed, my phone rang. It was my mom...she wanted to tell me that her and dad reallly liked Josh. I told them there was no way he was interested. I mean we had known each other for four years at this point and he had never showed any interest.

Well, wouldn't you know, the next night he called when he got off work. I had just got home and realized I needed to arrange help to pick up a washing machine that a friend was giving to me for free. I told him what was going on and he offered to pick me up and help me get the washing machine. Later that night, we went to Starbucks for coffee. We talked for hours. I also remember thinking he was so cute. I was totally falling for this guy...

And the next night he called and we hung out. And the next. For the next three months we were inseparable. We ate at taco bell, went bowling, drove around town listening to music, went to Bible studies, church activities and so on.

I remember every detail of the night I realized I liked him so much more than I wanted to admit. He had gone with me to go grocery shopping, unloaded my groceries and helped me wash my dishes. I looked over at him...he was covered in soap suds and his hat was popped back. I never want to forget that night. It was such a simple night of just being together and being friends.

The weeks passed and we continued hanging out and talking about everything under the sun. It was towards the end of July when we both acknowledged we wanted something more. But, when people asked about our relationship status we always answered "just friends". Those of us on the other side of married like now what that means, hehehe.

One day, I was having a really bad day at work and I had a complete melt-down. I'm not a big crier, but I was a mess that afternoon. When I told Josh, he drove thirty minutes from his office to take me out to lunch. He said he had just wanted to make me laugh despite my rough day at work. Yes, he really is that sincere and caring of a guy. Just thinking about that day still makes my heart flutter.

I was also on the road a lot driving back and forth to job sites and going to visit my parents. Many nights, he would call and just stay on the phone with me to make sure I arrived at my destination safely. Like I said, the man is deeply CARING. <3

Yep, he was making it difficult to keep my emotions in check! Haha.

One Sunday after church, we were driving up the mountains on the way to my parents house when he asked me to officially start dating him. I remember thinking I was going to swerve off the road I was so excited. ;)

Our first official date was the next night. We went to Olive Garden for dinner, then grabbed coffee and browsed travel books at Barnes & Noble.

By the end of our first week of dating, I knew he was the one...

Our Story: Chapter 1

I have spent hours today going through photos and working hard to catch up on family albums. And while our family story is so important, I realized that I wanted/needed to document OUR STORY, you know, the one before kiddos?

So to start, I need to back waaaaaaay up.

I grew up in a small town in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It literally could be the landing spot for a Hallmark movie. Cute downtown, perfect library, a park located off the river, and a scenic drive into town with a HUGE hill where most trucks topple over because drivers never heed the caution "steep" sign. They even built a cute gazebo at the duck pond...

I lived there for the first 14 years of my life surrounded by my grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and a close knit group of friends that I'm still in contact with today. I should also note that I was homeschooled and participated in the same homeschool group until I graduated. I'm convinced it was the BEST homeschool group ever. I miss that sense of belonging. But, I digress...

The second half of my teen years were spent in a small tourist town an hour away from my birth place where my dad and mom owned the local radio station. I spent most of my time volunteering at a local nursing home, working for my parents, reading late into the night, and taking road trips with my family. I had two younger brothers who loved annoying me and being the center of attention. Haha! I'm kidding...kind of.

As I neared the final years of high school, we were looking for a church to call home. This had been one area that had been not so hallmark-ish. Living in a tourist town meant few churches and very few young people. So, a close family friend mentioned one day to my mom that we should visit a church nearly an hour away. Yep, an hour away. And you know what? My parents decided to visit and we ended up going for years after that. That church would eventually be the meeting grounds for Josh and I...

But, before I get to that point, I should probably share  bit about Josh's life pre-us. Honestly, when I think about it, its so obvious that the Lord brought us together, because we didn't share much in common when it came to our growing up years.

Josh spent the first years of his life living in California. I should also note that he comes from a tight family and even more importantly, he is a twin! Yes, they look a LOT alike and do weird twinnish things and are constantly mistaken for each other. Of course, Josh is better looking and sweeter in my opinion...again, I digress...

When he turned 10, his dad accepted a job transfer to my state. They landed in the town where we would later attend the same church. Josh is everything that I am not: tall, funny, extremely talented and has a brain. He completed Architecture school early, took a job in the metro area of our state and started attending church where his twin brother (who was dating a friend of mine) and cousins attended. The first time I met him, I mistaken him for his brother. I thought he wasn't very nice (he was just messing with me for calling him Jacob).

We were around each other ALL the time, but honestly, didn't click. He was the life of the party, and I was busy working and trying to figure out life.

But, all that would change when a random event left both of us carpooling together. It was the first time we had ever really talked and realized we both had quite a bit in common: guitars, music, coffee traveling and cooking pasta. When I dropped him off the next night, I didn't realize he had left an item in my car. So, he had to get my number to call and ask me to look for said item (it was a card).

From then on, he would occasionally call. As the months would pass we would talk more and more...but nothing really clicked into place until I moved to his town to take a job offer...

He volunteered to help me move...and well...that's when our story really picks up. 💓

A Prayer Request

Mr. Fred & Mrs. Betty have been close family friends for over half my life. I was 14 when we moved into our new neighborhood, and a week later, they moved across the street. I’ve always referred to them as my adopted Grandparents. They were at my graduation, my wedding, baby showers, weddings, and so on. And through the years they have modeled faithfulness and genuine friendship.

Mr. Fred suffered from what we understand, a stroke. The prognosis is not looking good, and it’s breaking all our hearts. They have been married for 65 years. Please pray for peace that surpasses all understanding  for Mrs. Betty.

♥️

Halloween!

Introducing Clark Kent, Lois Lane, a unicorn and a dinosaur!!! 

We had a fun night at our church trunk or treat!

Then we handed out candy while watching The Davey & Goliath Halloween special. 

I loved ever single second. 🧡🎃🧡

PS. I'm in deep cleaning mode today as we pack away pumpkins...and slowly bring out the trees. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!! 

Book Character Day

I’ve always been big on traditions. This year, I wanted to have a book character day for the girls during Halloween week. They chose to dress up as the Jellybeans!! We read the book together and listened to an audio version, too. Such a simple and fun way to make books come to life!

Tomorrow is supposed to be cold and rainy. I’m looking forward to an afternoon of hot chocolate and more books. ☺️ Happy Tuesday!!

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather...

Cool & Cloudy! Perfect weather. <3

Right now I am...
Thinking about my grocery list and library returns that I need to make, today.

Thinking... 
That I need a quiet day to re-charge this week.

On my TV...

We watched You've Got Mail last night. It is one of my absolute favorite movies: books, coffee and NYC. Love it!

What I'm Reading... 

I just finished reading Where The Crawdads Sing. I'm not sure what to think about it. It was definitely a page turning mystery, but I did not like the ending at all. It made me sad, honestly.

Also, guess what book I received in the mail this weekend? Afternoon Coffee by Billie Jo!! <3 If you haven't read her blog, check it out here.

On the menu for this week...

Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Homemade Bread

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Chili Hot Dogs

Pizza & Salad

Hot Dogs & Fruit

On my to do list...

Speed Clean

Clean Out Toy Room

Put Laundry Away

Groceries & Meal Plan

One of my simple pleasures...

Ordering an Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte with half syrup at Starbucks. :)

Linking up with Happy Homemaker Monday!

Disneyland 2019

A dream come true!

Our family took a five day vacation to Southern California which included a full day at Disneyland! We spent 9+ hours soaking up the experience, and eating good food. I can’t wait to go back! ♥️

Happy Homemaker Monday!

The weather...

Crisp, cool, and blue skies. A perfect fall day! I'm in heaven.

Right now I am...
Craving an iced white chocolate mocha from Peete's Coffee. My favorite! (pictured above from last Saturday morning.)

Thinking... 
About catching up around the house post vacation!

On my TV...

The Good Cop 

What I'm Reading... 
I just finished The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. It was an epic, sweeping saga of a young girl growing up in the wilds of Alaska. It was a haunting and deeply moving story. I'm also reading the Harry Potter books for fun. :)

On the menu for this week...
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Pizza & Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas 

On my to do list...
Speed clean

Put Laundry Away

Pick up Groceries

Homeschool 

Nature Walk

One of my simple pleasures...

Reading late at night wrapped up in one of my favorite blankets. It's one of my favorite things to do. <3 

Linking up with Happy Homemaker Monday!

Our Fall Home Tour

The pumpkins are out, coffee on repeat, and I had to turn the heater on for the first time today. It’s gonna be a cozy fall. 🎃

 Happy Monday!