10 months ago....
today (ish...)
How does this happen so fast???
Friday, March 1, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Pin-sanity!
Pinterest is ingenius. You can bookmark all your favorite things on the internet onto one organized site. Pinterest is inspiring. I never knew it was so easy to make your own cleaners and chalkboard paint. Pinterest is helpful. My cleaning schedule is organized and my fitted sheets folded perfectly.
Pinterest is addicting. You can spend hours finding new ways to help you clean your refrigerator. But at some point you actually have to do or buy these things you pin or it just becomes a giant black hole. (I'm pretty sure that's in the user agreement...) So here are the top five things I've found on Pinterest and how they've worked for me.
5. Anything on this blog. Ok, to be honest, I didn't find this blog on Pinterest. Jillian is my friend and brilliant cook. BUT I do pin almost all of her recipes. You will not be sorry for checking it out. She brought us this cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole when Harper was born and Jake still raves about it almost a year (...what!?!) later.
4. My cleaning list. I love this tool. For the most part, this helps me stay on top of my whole house. Sometimes I tweak it (read: skip tasks and do them later...). I found it here. I use the reminder app on my sweet iphone and my calendar looks something like this:
2. Folding fitted sheets. I'm pretty much on my way to becoming Martha. And having really toned arms, because I'm short and it still takes me a few tries to get it right, so I end up holding the sheets for a while. It's a win-win, really.
1. By far, the most praise and non-stop raving I've gotten from Jake for a Pinterest recipe was this granola. I use whatever I have on hand for the dry ingredients and it always comes out delicious. Throw this on some greek yogurt, which is otherwise impossible to eat, and you have a tasty and somewhat healthy breakfast. And a happy husband.
And uhhh... follow me... if you want to. :)
Pinterest is addicting. You can spend hours finding new ways to help you clean your refrigerator. But at some point you actually have to do or buy these things you pin or it just becomes a giant black hole. (I'm pretty sure that's in the user agreement...) So here are the top five things I've found on Pinterest and how they've worked for me.
5. Anything on this blog. Ok, to be honest, I didn't find this blog on Pinterest. Jillian is my friend and brilliant cook. BUT I do pin almost all of her recipes. You will not be sorry for checking it out. She brought us this cheesy chicken and wild rice casserole when Harper was born and Jake still raves about it almost a year (...what!?!) later.
4. My cleaning list. I love this tool. For the most part, this helps me stay on top of my whole house. Sometimes I tweak it (read: skip tasks and do them later...). I found it here. I use the reminder app on my sweet iphone and my calendar looks something like this:
Daily
Make beds
Empty dishwasher (morning)
A load of laundry (most days)
Wipe down kitchen
Load dishwasher (night)
Pick up
Chore of the day
Chores of the Day
Monday: Dust
Tuesday: Swing Day
Wednesday: Vacuum
Thursday: Sweep/mop the whole house (sweeping usually happens more frequently)
Friday: Clean bathrooms
Saturday: Makeup day (anything I might have neglected on the other days)
Sunday: Sabbath
Swing Day
1: Clean baseboards/walls/doors
2: Change sheets
3: Clean showers/microwave/refrigerator
4: Deep clean/organize one area
3. French bread pizza. I make this about once a month. It takes about 10 minutes, we all love it and it has leftovers. Perfection.
2. Folding fitted sheets. I'm pretty much on my way to becoming Martha. And having really toned arms, because I'm short and it still takes me a few tries to get it right, so I end up holding the sheets for a while. It's a win-win, really.
1. By far, the most praise and non-stop raving I've gotten from Jake for a Pinterest recipe was this granola. I use whatever I have on hand for the dry ingredients and it always comes out delicious. Throw this on some greek yogurt, which is otherwise impossible to eat, and you have a tasty and somewhat healthy breakfast. And a happy husband.
And uhhh... follow me... if you want to. :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Can I get a witness?
Awesome things are happening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. God is building the church, strengthening our family, and they are building a Pei Wei (hallelujah!). We are constantly blown away at the faithfulness of God. So here is the story in pictures of our journey thus far as a church. Enjoy!
It started simply in our living room in August, with people gathering on Sunday nights at 5:30. We worshipped, learned what church should be and had dinner together.
Living in Baton Rouge means tailgating on game days.
We learned a lot about what church is and is not. It is not four walls or a preacher, it is community and sharing Jesus wherever you are.
We continued to fill our living room, growing a little wider and deeper each week.
In November, we had our first baptism service in the bed of a truck! People were stirred as these girls shared how Jesus had changed their lives!
Our lifegroups grew (and had lots of fun!)
Young adult on top, college on bottom.
And then this happened. 120 people in every imaginable space in our living room. We were blown away! This also happened to be the last week in our house.
Our first week in the Radisson hotel, with room to grow!
Even the littles are getting in on the action. The children's ministry is a girl party right now, but we love our time with them!
As of today we have four lifegroups, 130-150 people coming on Sundays, countless volunteers, and 9 very thank-full hearts (our staff, of course)! We almost cannot believe how incredible God is. We are expectant and excited about the next few months. I wonder what the next chapter will look like? To be continued...
Friday, January 25, 2013
Trendy McTrenderson
If you're wondering why I sometimes write these lists, start here. Then commence with the hysterical laughing. Or at least, maybe, a smile?
There are trends that I would rather not say I participated in. Purple overalls. Beanie Babies. Saying "no duh." Abercrombie and Fitch. You get the idea. Of course hindsight is 20/20. I mean, why did anyone believe that Beanie Babies were going to be worth millions?? Well, I feel like I've learned a few things in all those years of being swayed by the moment. Therefore, here are some things I'm proud to say I did not take part in...
*Disclaimer: No shame on you if you did these things below. We all make mistakes, you know?
5. Furby. Just say no to creepy, talking animals. Though, I hear they're making a comeback, so I'll have to make sure Harper steers clear, too.
4. Pirate pants. Or Aladdin pants. These were basically modern culottes. Like this:
They were made of jersey cotton which I will admit probably made them comfortable, but even that did not sway me!
3. The Simpsons/Beavis and Butthead/Southpark. I'd actually like to thank my parents for not letting me watch these. I have always loved that I have no idea who these people are, or what makes them so funny. I'm pretty confident that I didn't miss anything.
2. Doc Martins. Ok, I'll be honest. I really wanted a pair of these. Buuuuut I didn't get any. So now I'll just throw it in your face that I didn't stoop to paying a million dollars for shoes that probably messed with your posture. So there. But if you still have some laying around...
1. The Lady Gaga/Katy Perry/Nicki Minaj/Kesha/Rihanna trend. I just don't think that being weird and edgy for weird and edgy's sake should make you famous. I'm sure they all have talent, but I can't tell because the pink wigs and bacon dresses are blurring my vision. I don't really think Rihanna is that weird or edgy but I just don't want to hear about how she found love in a hopeless place ever, ever again.
Any trends you're proud to say you abstained from?
Abigail
There are trends that I would rather not say I participated in. Purple overalls. Beanie Babies. Saying "no duh." Abercrombie and Fitch. You get the idea. Of course hindsight is 20/20. I mean, why did anyone believe that Beanie Babies were going to be worth millions?? Well, I feel like I've learned a few things in all those years of being swayed by the moment. Therefore, here are some things I'm proud to say I did not take part in...
*Disclaimer: No shame on you if you did these things below. We all make mistakes, you know?
5. Furby. Just say no to creepy, talking animals. Though, I hear they're making a comeback, so I'll have to make sure Harper steers clear, too.
4. Pirate pants. Or Aladdin pants. These were basically modern culottes. Like this:
3. The Simpsons/Beavis and Butthead/Southpark. I'd actually like to thank my parents for not letting me watch these. I have always loved that I have no idea who these people are, or what makes them so funny. I'm pretty confident that I didn't miss anything.
2. Doc Martins. Ok, I'll be honest. I really wanted a pair of these. Buuuuut I didn't get any. So now I'll just throw it in your face that I didn't stoop to paying a million dollars for shoes that probably messed with your posture. So there. But if you still have some laying around...
1. The Lady Gaga/Katy Perry/Nicki Minaj/Kesha/Rihanna trend. I just don't think that being weird and edgy for weird and edgy's sake should make you famous. I'm sure they all have talent, but I can't tell because the pink wigs and bacon dresses are blurring my vision. I don't really think Rihanna is that weird or edgy but I just don't want to hear about how she found love in a hopeless place ever, ever again.
Any trends you're proud to say you abstained from?
Abigail
Monday, January 14, 2013
A Weird Milestone
This tiny lady has been out here...
for longer than she was in there.
I didn't know exactly how to celebrate, but I wanted to share it with you. This has been the fastest 8 1/2 months of my life and I don't anticipate them slowing down a bit. I love watching Harper experience life and there is nothing better than hearing her laugh! Happy Alive-longer-than-gestation Day!
Abigail
Friday, January 11, 2013
ReUp.
I've never really done New Year's resolutions. I like setting goals and making lists... duh, but I actually can't remember a year where I made resolutions... or followed through with them. So, I'm not doing it this year either. BUT I will improve, move forward, and use the newness of the year to my mental and organizational advantage. So here are some things I want to do or reup in 2013.
5. Fix my hair. I have been blessed with curly hair that can air dry and look awesome (right?!?). So I do that most days, but this year, I want to fix my hair more often. I think I straightened my hair twice last year, so that means I thought about my hair twice... And this is not a vanity thing. It's more like a grown-up thing.
4. Throw stuff away. I have hoarder tendencies. Part of it is the fact that I am laid back (thanks Mom!). Part of it is that I always think I might need something later. You know, like the chocolate I got for Christmas. Sure I could eat it today, but then what happens when I need it in a week? Or those t-shirts from all the shows I went to in high school? Those could one day be vintage and though they will never fit me again (or maybe never did?), my kids might need them. See my logic? Alright, fine. I'll get rid of the shirts.
3. Sing. Not because I love the song, but because I love to sing. It's fun, can be funny, changes moods, passes time, and more importantly brings glory to the Lord. Thankfully, Harper really likes it when I sing and since she's with me pretty much every waking hour of her day, she'll get a lot of it.
2. Be a better friend. I have the most amazing friends and family (referred to from now on as "friends"). Seriously. Nothing illuminates how awesome your friends are like having a baby and moving in a 2 month time period. I would like to return the favor this year. I want to encourage, bless, love, and support all of you amazing people!
1. Thrive. If I'm being honest, motherhood is not always full of life. Sometimes, it becomes about survival. I just need to make it until naptime and then I'll be ok. And then the babe decides not to nap. And then I start calling everyone in the house crazy and singing, "y'all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here." Instead of this downward spiral, I think I'll thrive in every moment. Harper doesn't want to nap? Ok, we can spend time with God together instead. I just need to let go of attaining perfection in my day, chunking it to the wind when I don't, and just thrive in the moment by moment. I can do that.
Happy 2013 everybody!
Abigail
5. Fix my hair. I have been blessed with curly hair that can air dry and look awesome (right?!?). So I do that most days, but this year, I want to fix my hair more often. I think I straightened my hair twice last year, so that means I thought about my hair twice... And this is not a vanity thing. It's more like a grown-up thing.
4. Throw stuff away. I have hoarder tendencies. Part of it is the fact that I am laid back (thanks Mom!). Part of it is that I always think I might need something later. You know, like the chocolate I got for Christmas. Sure I could eat it today, but then what happens when I need it in a week? Or those t-shirts from all the shows I went to in high school? Those could one day be vintage and though they will never fit me again (or maybe never did?), my kids might need them. See my logic? Alright, fine. I'll get rid of the shirts.
3. Sing. Not because I love the song, but because I love to sing. It's fun, can be funny, changes moods, passes time, and more importantly brings glory to the Lord. Thankfully, Harper really likes it when I sing and since she's with me pretty much every waking hour of her day, she'll get a lot of it.
2. Be a better friend. I have the most amazing friends and family (referred to from now on as "friends"). Seriously. Nothing illuminates how awesome your friends are like having a baby and moving in a 2 month time period. I would like to return the favor this year. I want to encourage, bless, love, and support all of you amazing people!
1. Thrive. If I'm being honest, motherhood is not always full of life. Sometimes, it becomes about survival. I just need to make it until naptime and then I'll be ok. And then the babe decides not to nap. And then I start calling everyone in the house crazy and singing, "y'all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here." Instead of this downward spiral, I think I'll thrive in every moment. Harper doesn't want to nap? Ok, we can spend time with God together instead. I just need to let go of attaining perfection in my day, chunking it to the wind when I don't, and just thrive in the moment by moment. I can do that.
Happy 2013 everybody!
Abigail
Monday, January 7, 2013
Holly-days
Our holidays were just delightful. It was a sweet time of firsts. First year in Baton Rouge, as a church, with Harper, and first ACC Wobble. Very fun and exciting! Here, let me show you.
Abigail
Family pic!
Jake's stocking. He's so happy.
First Christmas tree!
ready for "cold" weather
Our young adult lifegroup
Jake and his girls!
Christmas jammies!
Looking good in the Christmas dress
Our first Christmas together!
Harper's goods
Welcome to the best year yet!
New Year's baby
We are so grateful to be doing what we are doing, with whom we are doing it, and with the support of all of you! We are looking so forward to what God has in store for us this year and hope you'll come along for the ride!
p.s. most of these pics were taken with my phone. I know you all were wondering what kind of equipment I use...
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