Counting Blessings

This past week was a really nice one. I finished up school on Friday and was ready for some time to relax. As I worked to write this post it made me think about how many blessings I have in my life. It can be so easy to take the good stuff for granted, and I want to make an effort not to do that. So today I thought I'd share some blessings from this past week.

1. Brian was out of town for a few nights last week and Grant was at Grandma and Grandpas house. That meant I had two whole days at home to myself. I've been so tired so I slept...a lot, and it was just what I needed.

2. School ended Friday and I was able to have a little party with my advisement kiddos. Each kid brought a few bucks, and two brought way more than that. I made them a breakfast casserole, fruit tray, and bought donuts and juice. It was a really nice way to end the year and we had a lot of fun playing Head Up! on my iPad too.

3. Saturday we went to the zoo as a family. It seems like we often times "divide and conquer" when it comes to weekend tasks, but this was so much needed family time. That night we went to my parents' house for dinner because my sister and brother-in-law were in town.  It was a nice treat and Grant was in hog heaven- evidence here.

4. Sunday we had church and I wore this dress the lovely people at C.C. Lake sent over.  My plan is to live in comfy maxi and dresses like this all summer. The embroidered details are amazing and it didn't wrinkle easily either. C.C. Lake has some other amazing pieces, like this adorable dress for only $28! Definitely go and check them out!

5. After church I wore this to a friend's shower. She and her husband have become foster parents and one of my friends had the great idea to bless them with gift cards and books to help them with the new kiddos they've welcomed into their home.

6. Monday we took it easy, which was great, then had friends over for dinner. They are moving back to Texas after being here for three years for the husbands residency. We will miss them dearly!

7. Getting to try Rocksbox jewelry out. I love this service and recently got my favorite Rocksbox yet. I'll share more tomorrow, but am wearing two pieces today...and pretty much everyday until the box goes back. : ) You can try Rocksbox for a month for free when you sign up with the code "newfavoriteoutfitexoxo"

Fresh and Inviting with method

To me, it doesn't get much better than cozying up in bed to freshly washed sheets. The fresh scent and clean feeling make getting that much needed sleep even easier.  Lucky for me method has come out with the perfect laundry detergent. I got the chance to try "fresh clover." The scent is light and inviting, and cool thing is, method comes in a bunch of great scents. They even offer a "free and clear" for those of you who like to steer clear of scents.

I also love how method has a new 4x concentrate, so a little goes a long way, which is great for the wallet.  It's naturally derived cleaning power is tough on stains and even works with cold water and as a stain pre-treater.

Recently Brian and I wanted to make our bedroom more fresh and inviting too. We found a new comforter at Target, you can also find method products there too, by the way. We then picked up some great cozy sheet and throw pillows at Kohls.  Having a comforter that was machine washable was really important to us, and method detergent worked great when we washed it too.

Trust

Today I am thankful for morning sickness. Sounds weird right? Here's why: I shared with you all the big news on Monday that Brian and I are expecting our second child. This is definitely an exciting time, but last weekend especially, I  found myself dealing with some anxiety. I'm about 10 weeks along and although we've heard the heartbeat and seen our little one wiggle around in my tummy on an ultrasound, I still found myself worried. What if we have another miscarriage?

I've been taking medicine to help with my nausea, so when I wasn't nauseous, I found myself worried. I generally haven't been sleeping well, but if I do sleep ok, then I found myself worried again. I'm uncomfortable in my normal pants, but as I pulled off the tag on these maternity jeans, I found myself worried that I won't need them. It was all pretty awful.

I'm so thankful for our small group at church. We shared that we were expecting this last Sunday and I asked for prayers for dealing with my anxiety and reassurance that things are going ok with the baby.  That is why I am thankful for morning sickness. It's a reminder of the little one growing inside me, and I'll take that any day over fear and anxiety.

I know God has a plan, I pray each day for our child's health and safely, and I'm reminded His promises in these verses, as well as so many more:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

Life has so many unknowns, but me being worried was robbing me of the joy I should be feeling right now. It was keeping me from fully trusting in God and his plan. 

Being a Christian doesn't make me perfect, and I think sometimes we can tend to gloss over the difficult times in our lives, thinking if we show weakness, it makes God anything less than perfect. This reminds me of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 

Our weaknesses, hardships, and calamities are part of the reason why we need God. He remains faithful to us and is there to carry our burdens. I hope you can find comfort in this today.

White Shorts: Three Ways

White shorts are one of my favorite things. I recently picked up this white maternity shorts, but am also loving this white short option, which is non-maternity style. Today I'll share some inspiration for how to wear white shorts, and I'm linking to some cute options down below.

House Rules

Today I have another book review to share with you, I think this might become a staple part of this blog as long as I have good books to share. : )

Since I teach middle school Language Arts I have had a tendency to read a lot of YA fiction. Much of which has been great, but this last year a book club started up at my school and I've really been enjoying getting my hands on some books other than YA. My mom loaned me House Rules by Jodi Picoult a few years back, and I guiltily kept it unread on my book shelf. I had just finished this month's book club book and couldn't wait to start another book, so I picked this one up.

In the past I went through a big Jodi Picoult phase. I read My Sister's Keeper, then went on to devour anything else by Jodi Picoult I could get my hands on. For those that aren't familiar with her books or style, Picoult option writes about hot topics, most books involves court cases of some kind, and she writes for the voice of many different characters in the book, each chapter taking on a new characters perspective to help continue telling the story.

 House Rules follows this same style. The story begins by introducing us to Jacob Hunt, a teenager with Asperber's Syndrome. He also happens to have a huge fascination with Criminology and crime scene investigation. Shortly into the story Jacob's life skills tutor ends up dead and Jacob is accused of the crime. The question is: did he do it?

In this gripping page turner we hear the story told through his mother's point of view. Jacob's father left shortly after he was diagnosed with Asperger's as a child, so she's been going it alone for years, taking care of both Jacob and his brother, Theo.

Chapters are also told by Theo, with the perspective of what it's like to be a sibling to a child with special needs.

We also hear from Jacob's lawyer, Oliver Bond, who is scared to ask Jacob if he really did it, fearful to hear the answer.

Lastly we hear the story told by Rick Madsen, the lead detective on the case. He's working to put the pieces together, which is much easier said than done.

House Rules is definitely not a light read, but deals with real issues. Did Jacob do it, and if so, can he be held accountable due to his Asperber's Syndrome? If you're looking for a new book to read, I would highly suggest picking up House Rules by Jodi Picoult.

Big News

You read that right Brian and I are expecting our second child, and we couldn't be more thrilled. I'm due December 17th, so that puts me at about 10 weeks along. It's getter harder to hide our little secret,  I swear I started showing at conception! So, we decided it was time to share. : )

As open as I am on this little blog, there are some things I've kept private about and one was the fact that I had a miscarriage last summer. It was awful, unexpected, and devastating. I had a few close friends praying for me during the week we were trying to keep the miscarriage from occurring, and if it wasn't for them and the reminder that God is in control, I'm not sure I could have gotten through it. I don't understand why it happened, but I do know that our sweet little baby is up in heaven and we'll be reunited one day. 

Once we found out we were pregnant again, just as quickly as joy washed over me, anxiety did too. What if the same thing happens again? I spent a lot of time in prayer and it seemed as though every time an anxious thought came, a verse came just as quickly.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of 

the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life.” Mathew 6: 25-27

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jerimiah 29:11

Fear wasn't doing me any good, so it was up to me to remember God was in control and He had a plan.

About a week ago we had our first appointment and hearing this put all my fears to rest!

It can be so easy to try to control everything around us, but God is bigger! Brian and I are ecstatic and Grant has been telling the world "Mommy has a baby in her tummy." He also kisses my tummy and tells the baby "I love you daily." It's adorable. 

As I move forward with this hobby, I'm not sure how crazy I am about showing maternity OOTDs.  I feel like unless you're pregnant along with me, it's hard to gain any inspiration.  I also have to be honest in that I do not feel "glowing" and "beautiful," I actually feel puffy, tired, and do not look forward to getting dressed. True story. I'm not writing out OOTDs just yet, but I want to make them relevant to all you girls who aren't growing larger by the day. ; ) Thoughts?

Four Ways to Wear: Striped Shorts

Last year my striped shorts from Loft ended up being pretty much my favorite thing. Luckily this year Loft is back with a bunch of new cute options, and I'm loving these. I've got a college with a bunch of cute options down below for you. My shorts can be so easily dressed up or down, I thought I'd try to give you some inspiration today.