Letters to You Vol. 1

I always knew that once I was pregnant I would write a journal to my darling baby. I would write everything I felt, fun things Kev and I did, what baby Hilton was like during all the different stages of life- a view from Mommy's perspective.

I LOVE reading the small scribbles my Mom wrote on the back of her photos or the rare occasions I've found a cute letter my Dad wrote her while in the Navy. I can only imagine how many times I would re-read a journal that my mom wrote to me if I had one now.

The night I found out about Baby Sprout I began writing...

Since this is such a huge part of my life I wanted to share these writings with you. Not every single one but I will be starting a new monthly feature entitled: Letters To You.

Once a month I'll post an entry from my journal to my darling Baby. Since my first entry is quite similar to my "two lines=positive" post with a few more details, I will just share the last paragraph of my first journal entry and the second entry I wrote the next day.

I hope you enjoy this little memento as much as I already do.

Letters To You Vol 1.

Wednesday April, 20th

Right now you are the size of an apple seed and forming important organs like your heart, kidney, liver and stomach and your nervous, circulatory and digestive system. Your dad is very cautious and concerned about what I’m eating and drinking. He has been googling everything! to make sure it’s safe for you. I’ve only known you for 1 day but I already love you more than I could have ever imagined. I always knew when you came I would write and journal everything I could so that you could know what Mommy and Daddy were like during this amazing time. You just made this Wednesday the best day of my life-only to be topped, when I get to hold you in my arms. I hope you like all the yummy organic food I am eating. I love you.

Love, Mommy

Thursday. April 21st.

I woke up today feeling incredible happy. I looked at your dad this morning and said, “I mean, do you think about our little sprout ALL the time now? I don’t stop thinking about sprout!” Your daddy said “yes! I think about sprout every second”. Uncle Paul told me he was thinking about all the fun toys and games he was going to need to buy you and how excited he was, then your Aunt Shellea hollered to him “Can you believe Kevin and Laura are having a baby!” Already you’ve brought so much excitement, joy and happiness to everyone in our life.

I made an appointment to visit with a midwife today. The appointment is schedule for two weeks. She was so delightful on the phone and told me she was on call 24/7 so If I had any questions about you and how I felt I could call anytime. That was so nice to know since I’m so far away from grandma and sort of out of my comfort zone. You know you are my first baby :)

On the way to our bible study tonight we stopped by your Uncle Paul and Aunt Shelleas, they bought us your first onesie’s outfits, a moose shaped bib and 6 baby books(everything we need to know about expecting you). I was elated. The little clothes you’ll wear makes my heart skip a beat. I’m reading a lot right now about what to expect my body to feel and what I need to do to keep you safe. Your dad and I went grocery shopping and bought lots of yummy organic fruit, veggies, whole grain crackers, greek yogurt and 1 Hershey bar. Your daddy ate chocolate pudding and oreos today at work and said “man these cravings!” ha. He’s so silly. I don’t have any ‘cravings’ yet but I do have heartburn. In fact, I’ve had heartburn since Sunday! It’s ok though, I drink lots of water and that helps.

Your grandpa had a dream last night that he was holding you in his arms. Right now, both grandma and grandpa think you are a girl. I have a feeling you are a boy. Little sprout, whatever God has made you, I am beyond excited. Your dad and I were thinking of names tonight (ok, I’ve been thinking of names since we got married!) but as of day 2 these are the names we like for you:

Boy: Isaac or Mason Girl: Annabelle, Naomi

I’m trying to focus on keeping my body healthy and active, not getting ahead of these next few months and enjoying every second but sometimes it’s hard and I just want to go to Nordstrom and buy your entire wardrobe! Sweet dreams darling Sprout.

Ps. Sprout is what we call you right now. Your dad and I love nicknames so by the time you arrive you’ll probably have a dozen!

I love you.

Love, Mommy

Weekend Browsing

I can't believe how quickly this week went by and how little I posted:( So, again Happy Friday to everyone! It's a nice long three day weekend for me and I am anxious and motivated to get my 'weekend to do list' completely checked off! We are having a small bbq over at our house Saturday night which I've been looking forward to for weeks. I hope you all have fantastic weekends too!

Enjoy this weeks 'weekend browsing'...

In honor of Spring arriving I'm making these delicious grilled fruit kabobs for our bbq dessert- yummy!
My friend Amber is hosting a Partylite party down in Prescott next month which I can't attend :( but she was kind enough to email me the link for purchasing items. If anyone is interested in buying yummy smelling candles and accessories check it out! Be sure to type in 'Amber Jones' under hostess name if you do find something!
I have always loved keeping a journal but it's always been hard to find the time to write every single day. I'm much much better now. But I saw this idea on keeping a daily journal- dyi project: vintage postcard calendar journal and gals- We ALL should do this. It is so cute! I love Love love it this.

Has anyone seen the extreme couponing show yet? The savings these gals get is amazing! One lady held her coupons in her hands and said 'this is my money for groceries' - a smart way to look at it. For those of you (like me) who are curious about couponing here are the 5 tips for novice couponers.

For any animal lovers- you've got to check out this wall of fame. You can't help but smile :) Snuggle Buddies and Don't Blow Away are my Favorites! And while you're at it watch this adorable video. I love how happy the airport guards are to have such a darling little sidekick! too cute.

Knowing my baby bump is just around the corner I love browsing cute maternity outfits and clothes. These Spring pieces- get in my closet!
And let's not forget about the Royal Wedding! Love these photos. I think Kate's dress was beautiful but I have to say I just adore the maid of honors dress- how totally darling right?!

XOXO

Easter Day

What a wonderful Weekend!! Kevin and I are snuggling in for the night to watch a movie so I'm keeping this short but I wanted to at least post these adorable pictures from Easter Day.!

My cute brownie bunnies Kev and I decorated :) along with a delicious spinach salad and appetizer platter..

A good lookin' group- wouldn't you say?!

Weekend Browsing

Happy Friday!!

I thought it would be fun to start a weekly 'Friday Weekend Browsing' post. Some places I've been over the week or like to browse during the weekend. You may find them enjoyable as well!

I am beyond excited with the news of a baby!! Kevin and I have plans of getting some work-out in, organizing the garage and kitchen painting this weekend. It's funny how instantly our priorities have change since finding our about our little sprout. Paul and Shellea bought us our first baby books- everything we need to know along with our first every baby clothes and a moose shaped bib!! so darling.

Happy Easter To Everyone! Thank you for the outpouring of excitement for Kevin and I. I can not Thank the Lord enough for such an awesome awesome blessing.

Happy Weekend Browsing!

I am thoroughly obsessed with dinnerware so when I saw these I nearly screamed with excitement. (I'll be purchasing them in red and yellow!)

Check out myskiprohusband to read a darling post from a dear friend on how she is finding out the gender of her soon to be baby-post titled "Baby Sex Cake"!! I know, you have to check it out now! Check out the baby tickers to see all my wonderful friends who are having babies this year too!

Easter Sunday this weekend-cannot wait for a delicious meal with our dear friends here. I'll be bringing spinach salad and appetizers, I'm also contemplating making a delicious treat and breakfast for Me and Kevin. Find a yummy Easter Day recipe here.

Decorating Ideas from HGTV- now i'm inspired to do some more decorating this weekend. Love the table on pg 12!

Spring is here, Summer's around the corner. Time to start decluttering and get an Organized Home.
I'm absolutely Loving J-crew's Spring Collection.

How darling are these hair pins!! I think they are a must have:)

You might get a clue from the dinnerware that I am IN LOVE with Love bird decor. They are the cutest thing to me. I found Love Bird Nursery Decor at esty and fell in love with it all!! If I have a little girl she will have tons of Love Bird Decor!! And how darling are these owl book ends. OH my gosh. So cute right?!

Ok, I can't leave out the possibility of a baby boy scenario and since our baby will be born in the dead of winter... in Alaska- it's only appropriate to buy this maroon and gold outerwear. Don't you think?

XOXO

Two Lines = Positive

We're having a baby!!!!

Oh what a darling day this has been!!! I woke up at 4 am with my hubby who left for Anchorage to take his State Teaching Exam. While fixing breakfast alone I casually thought "huh, maybe I'll just go ahead and take a pregnancy test" So I did. It came out positive. I took another look and thought surely I had done something wrong, so I took a second test- It too came back positive. I still was in disbelief, so I took out a THIRD test (different brand than the first two) and that ALSO came back positive!!!

I left the above picture in an enveloped marked- 'Kevin, I love you!' Knowing he'd be home around lunch while I was still at work.

As expected, he called at 12:30 in just as much excitement as I was in! Before announcing to friends and family, we wanted to be sure- so I bailed out of work early, met with the doctor and took a FOURTH test.

It came back Positive!!

So I can now say, we are POSITIVE we are Expecting :)

We are both so thrilled and excited. I really can't describe in words how I'm feeling- peace, love, joy, excitement. Everything wonderful.

What perfect timing. Thank you Lord for this blessing.

XOXO

Tea time.

Growing up it was pretty standard to enjoy dinner as a family and an hour later indulge in a bowl of ice cream. So it's no surprise that now, at the age of 26 I struggle each night with what yummy but healthy treat I'm going to have. In an effort to curb my sweet tooth I decided to start a nightly ritual with my hubby.

It starts like this.





About an hour after dinner, I fill my darling red tea kettle (Thanks Mom!) with filtered water place it on the stove and wait to hear it whistle. Once it sings, I pour the blistering hot water into our tea cups brewed with Sleepytime tea.

It ends like this.

Kevin and I snuggle in together, sipping our delicious tea and drifting off to sleep.

Last night instead of our usual Sleepytime tea we enjoyed Cinnamon Apple Spice-"This lively blend is dominated by an aromatic burst of sweet and spicy Vietnamese cinnamon and bushels of juicy, all-American apples. There's a toasty chocolate note and a hint of creamy butterscotch in the finish that complements the lasting taste of apples and cinnamon-making this teat comforting and invigorating all at once!" The box describes Cinnamon Apple Spice like that. And you know what-they nailed it!! It is amazing!

I know this little 'ritual' doesn't sound like much, but it has turned into one of the best parts of my day.

You may not enjoy 'tea time' as much as my hubby and I do but you should at least buy Cinnamon Apple Spice and give it a go- once. You will not regret the after dinner treat and your taste buds will likely be thanking you.

Cheers to you.. and Sweet Dreaming

XOXO

Who I Am

When the popular days of Myspace dwindled down and I found myself without a community spot to share my life- I create this blog. It began with photos. Little to no commentary. Posts only a few times a month, usually when a Holiday came and passed, Kevin and I took a trip or had friends visit. A quick snapshot of our life as Mr. and Mrs. A timeline for friends and family to peek in on.

As much as I enjoy posting photos of the 'big' events in my life, I find myself constantly thinking of all the dozens of posts I want to be sharing that happen day to day. The days I get a bad cup of coffee which spirals into an entire dialogue in my mind about just that, coffee or the days I read about someones struggles and overcomings and think maybe someone will find inspiration in mine or the days I want to recommend a tasty meal or open my heart and share what God has been showing me OR the days I do, simply want to only post a photo-without words. These are the days I think, "this is who I am".

I am crazy in love with my husband. I am overly sarcastic. I do not like feet. I am strong- inside and out. My walk with the Lord is the most important part of me. I am extremely forgiving- maybe to a fault. I make mistakes. I am a dreamer and a realist. I overcome. I love escaping to various blogs and finding creative inspiration from all over. Whether it be how to create a cozy living room, plan a party, an article about fitness or writings from a dear friend that makes my heart miss them so much I could cry. I love it all.

All part of why I am excited to re-vamp this blog into more than just a snapshot. More than just a timeline.

When you stop by again you may find posts you adore, some that you skip over and photos that make you smile. But no matter what, you will always find a piece of me here. A piece of who I am.

So if you want to drift away from your day to day activities and get lost in mine, find inspiration, or simply want to browse the photos, I hope you will always stop by, leave comments and maybe, just maybe have a little piece of me with you each and every day.

XOXO

Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

Yay! Here are a few photos from the weekend fun in Homer, AK. It was a beautiful wedding with beautiful Friends and family.

Wedding Day.

To Happily Ever After..

Sierra Desert Sand

Sierra Desert Sand: I am so happy YOU stood out amongst the crowd of paint swatches. I am SO glad we choose you for our background and SO pleased with how you turned out.

Sierra Desert Sand- Thank you.

Before:

After:

Before: After:

Movie Review

Looking for a good weekend movie to watch?

I recommend:

The Lincoln Lawyer is my next movie must see. *waiting patiently for it to arrive on the peninsula*

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I will be busy painting :)

XOXO

Home Sweet Home.

This is the darling home I've been daydreaming about for weeks... we got our keys on Friday!

Friday afternoon we grabbed our dogs, tv and air mattress picked up a veggie pizza, bottle of wine, 24 and spent our first night snuggled in to our new house.

Saturday we unloaded our belongings, had friends over for lunch (and thanks to Shorts for helping clean/move!), met a nice neighbor named Jack and had permi-smiles on our faces the entire time.

Much to Kevin's surprise Sunday afternoon he came home to multi colored strips on our walls. I might have gotten a few to many paint samples from home depot and might have tested them out on the walls without his full knowledge.. but what can I say, neutral paint colors are hard to pick out! I did however pick one. A simple light shade of tan- it's called Sierra Desert Sand. It's light and fresh. Spurred on by the dislike of multi color walls Kevin told me we'd paint on Saturday (might have been my plan with paint testing all along) ;)

We both decided we'd want a deep rich color in the dining room/kitchen but after also testing two shades of red- both were a disaster. I'm still on the hunt for the right shade or perhaps we'll go with a totally different color.

I don't have a good picture but the garage is extended on the right side- you can just about fit two cars, one in front of the other on the right side. The 'extended' area is our 'man cave' space where a couch and dart board already reside. Soon to be living there: a tv, mini fridge and ping pong table.

On the back wall of the garage there is also a doggy door that leads straight into a large covered dog kennel. Paisley LOVES it. There is a large shed in the back corner of the yard- empty at the moment.

I did not put up the maroon curtains on the sliding door- those came with the house.. along with several other items, of which I would actually like to thank the sellers for: two large ladders, two outside trash cans (no trash service in ak), kitchen trash can, tons of cleaning supplies and dog toys.

I am continually thanking the Lord for giving Kevin and I such a perfect house. We had our first home cooked meal last night- Kevin made chicken Marsala-a recipe that he has NEVER even mentioned he knew how to cook in the three years that we've been married and one that he will in fact be making again!! It was delicious.

So we cheers'd our mugs of wine, wine glasses still being packed away, enjoyed our dinner and drifted off to sleep both incredibly happy that we are home.