2011 in Review

January

We rang in the New Year in fab outfits and with fun friends.

We went to a Redskins game and it was so deathly cold that I broke down and wore Stephen's Redskins beanie. Dont worry, I'm still not a fan (and they lost).

We mailed out our wedding invitations!

February

I had my first wedding dress fitting. I cried.

I had an amazing time with LC in DC and it was just like being 18 again. I loved every minute of it!

March

I had my first bridal shower thrown by my fabulous Maid of Honor!

I went to DC again with Whit and LC and we definitely did things right!

I had my second Bridal shower and it was equally as fabulous!

My bachelorette party was at the end of the month and it was amazing! I was back to the hotel by midnight, but it was still amazing!

April

We had a little Bon Voyage Party before we left for Mexico, and it was a really great time with a really great cake!

We got married in paradise surrounded by amazing friends and family! It was truly the time of our lives!









May

My newest little brother was born, and I am still completely smitten with him!

We got to celebrate our wedded bliss back home with all of our local friends and family that couldnt make it to Mexico!

We went camping for the first time, and I survived!

June

Had my first attempt at baking from scratch, and my banana cream pie came out delicious.

Went to the Rascal Flatts concert with the hubs, cousin, and Brandon. It was an amazing concert! I cant wait to see them next year.

July

We went on a few date nights and enjoyed our first summer married.

We found out that we were expecting our first baby!

We did lots of pool lounging.

I tried my hand at baking again and made my cousin a birthday cake!





August

I spent most of August battling morning sickness so we didnt do a whole lot. I threw a birthday party for my brother who turned 18, and we did lots of laying around the house. We did manage a trip up to DC to visit Stephen's mom, and he treated me to Baked & Wired Cupcakes and some earrings from Juicy!

Hurricane Irene hit our area. We were without power for 3 days, and a tornado touched down about a mile from our house.





September

Daisymae started giving the belly lots of love.

We went to the ODU season opener.

I turned 25 and the hubs through me an amazing birthday party!

October

We found out we were expecting a girl!

I got my Erin Condren planner in the mail and it was life changing!

We took a trip to the mountains with great friends!

We dressed up for Halloween!

November

We celebrated the engagement of my best friend!

We spent a great Thanksgiving with family.

We were 25 weeks pregnant and the belly became loud and proud!

December

We celebrated our 3 year dating anniversary.

 

I did a lot of baking!

My handsome hubby had a fun 27th birthday party!

We took a little weekend getaway to Wintergreen. I did lots of reading and napping, and the hubs got to snowboard!

We had an amazing Christmas!

2011 was by far the most amazing and eventful year of my life. 2012 has serious shoes to fill, though with the pending arrival of our sweet BK it is bound to be pretty great as well!



Best Books

2012 is almost here! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by, and so much has happened. This has truly been the best year of my life. I'm going to do some brief recaps of the year, since I waited until two days before the new year there might be multiple posts a day to catch up.

My goal was to read 50 books this year and I surpassed my goal, hooray. So I leave you with my top 10 favorite books of the year.

10. What to Expect When Youre Expecting
 9. Confessions of a Shopaholic
 8. The Hidden
 7. The Secret Lives of Dresses
 6. The Luxe
 5. The Alchemist
 4. Dead Until Dark
 3. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
 2.Water for Elephants
 1. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Say what?

more random thoughts...

1) Today is the shortest day of the year. Who knew? The sun is going to set at like 4:30. Whats up with that? No bueno

2) I really wish I could give out tickets to the idiots who can't seem to park their car WITHIN in lines provided!

3) I am bound to end up weighing 800lbs after this holiday season. I have been betty crocker the past few days and I'm eating it all!

4) I cry over everything. Literally everything!

5) Christmas is in 3 days and I've fallen into a very scrooge-like attitude the past few days. Lets hope I can shake it!

6) My husband is fabulous, he truly is my best friend and always puts a smile on my face. I am so blessed to grow old with him.

7) Whats a preggo to do for New Years? I want us to make plans, but I'm obviously not going to the club. Maybe just a nice dinner and then home? It's our last one though so it cant be lame.

Finding Faith

With Christmas upon us faith is shed in a whole new light. The true meaning of Christmas is that of Jesus' birthday, but there are many other reasons to celebrate and wouldnt it be wonderful if the spirit of the season stayed year round? I could do without the crazy drivers, rude shoppers, and insane lines, but the spirit that is felt is simply amazing. I believe that is the spirit of the Lord.

I found my faith when I was in junior high, though I was raised with a sound education of the Lord and his son. Now that Stephen and I are going to be parents I've found that faith has taken on a whole new meaning to me, and I have really been struggling with finding my way back to a close relationship with Christ. After all, it is through him that this tiny miracle is growing inside of me. I pray daily, but I don't know that I'm actually conversing with God so much as talking to him. I need him, and his guidance, now more than ever. So here's to hoping that I find my way right back into his arms.

Poop

No one should ever have to clean up anybody else's poop besides their own and their child's. Especially while pregnant.

Today I cleaned up poop. Not mine, obviously not yet Brooklyns. No not even the boys I nanny for. One of their friends. And when I say I cleaned up poop it was not a tiny bit of poop, it was like a poop bomb blew up.

I need a shower.STAT. I need a raise, or a bonus, or a giftcard. Most importantly I need a shot of tequilla. Which I cannot have.

Why me? WHY!?!

Random Thoughts...

This month is crazy, crazy busy! Sorry for neglecting the blog so much, I just truly don't have a whole lot of free time right now. I will be better after the new year, scouts honor! Today I have random thoughts for you.

1) I still have Christmas shopping to do, yuck! I'm totally dreading the mall this close to Christmas. Maybe I will go at a really random time, like 8am. Not that I want to be up that early, but I'll bribe myself with Chick Fil A breakfast.

2) I really wanna go see the Christmas lights. I need to arrange this with the hubby pronto. Don't the lines get longer closer to Christmas? Ick, again with the crowds.

3) This bebe of ours has the longest legs in the world! She kicked clear into my breast plate yesterday and I thought I was dying. I won't complain though, those legs might belong to the next NY Company prima ballerina or Victoria's Secret model!

4) My husband is the kindest, most handsome man I know! Tomorrow is his 27th birthday and I am so thankful that I get to celebrate him.

5) this weekend we're Stephen is going snowboarding, I'm going to be a bonafied snow bunny that doesn't do anything but look cute. I'm downloading a new book, bringing lots of hot tea & cocoa, got some new bubble bath, and I might bring supplies for a few pinterest inspired crafts.

6) Dressing up like the 80's is a fabulous way to spend a Friday night. Trust me, just do it.

7) I graduate Sunday. Hooray for me and my masters! Presents and cards are much appreciated ;0)

I'm a featured mama

Head over to A Girl in Pearls & A Boy with Toys and read her feature Mama Mondays!

I'm the featured mama today <3

The Search is On

It's DECEMBER! Where has this year gone? I cannot believe that we are almost to 2012. Blows my mind. Now that we've officially hit December my holiday spirit has taken a turn for the crazy! I am just so excited or the holidays this year. I have our house completely almost decorated, I'm just finishing up a few crafts. Most of the Christmas presents are wrapped. So now we just have to find a tree.

Here are our requirements for the perfect tree:
-the right height
-the right fullness (no Charlie brown trees here)
-must be fresh
-needles that are long and not apt to falling
-Right assortment of thick and thin branches (needs to be able to hold the heavy ornaments too)
-a perfect smell

What are your tree requirements? Do you prefer fresh or fake?

Christmas Cheer

Now that Thanksgiving is over I am happy to be in full Christmas mode! Our house decorations are going up today, and I cannot wait to enjoy a cup of cocoa in front of the fire tonight with the hubby (surrounded by holiday cheer of course). True life: I even wrapped some presents yesterday :0) Now that I'm focusing on Christmas, I have to start thinking about Christmas cards! Head over to the baby blog Pigtails & Pacifiers for my post on the choice overload of beautiful cards by Tiny Prints.

Tiny Prints is definitely my stationary company of choice. I actually just ordered a massive amount of Thank You cards in anticipation of sweet baby B's arrival. And Tiny Prints is offering a HUGE deal right now, and guess what it's not even for black friday or cyber monday they just offer great deals all the time. Unfortunately the deal ends tomorrow, so you need to jump on it!

Here's the deal:

When you buy a $25 gift certificate, and spend $100 on your holiday cards, Tiny Prints will take $30 off your order and ship it all for FREE! Now how amazing is that deal?
Use code 30OFFHOLGCERT at checkout until 11/27/11 at 11:59 pm (PT).
Read more: http://blog.tinyprints.com/contests-and-promotions/an-exclusive-deal-you%e2%80%99ll-only-find-here/#ixzz1eose7xdw

Now go run fast and snatch up this deal before it ends! Their holiday card selection is out of this world! Check it out here: http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving bloggers! I can't believe that it is already Thanksgiving, Time is truly flying by. I have always been very blessed, but this year has been especially good to me. I have so much to be thankful for!

1) My Husband - He truly is the most perfect man. I'm thankful for every laugh, every kiss, every snuggle, and especially every day that we get together. Today is a very special day for us and I plan to enjoy every minute.

2) Our Family - They love and support us so much. They're always there no matter what we need, whether it's a helping hand or a laugh or a hug. We come from very tight knit families and I wouldn't have it any other way.

3) Brooklyn Grace- This little princess is already the most amazing person in our lives. She brings so much joy and love, and we haven't even had the pleasure of seeing her tiny face yet. We are especially thankful for he ease with which God gave her to us. We know she is going to do amazing things in life.

4) Our Home- It s so nice to come home to a place of your own at the end of a long day. It's cozy, it's in a great location, it's a great size, and we created it together.

5) Our Friends- To say we are surrounded with some maxing people in our lives would truly be n understatement. We have people willing to travel to foreign countries just to watch us profess our love to eachothers. We may not have n insane amount of friends, but the ones who we are lucky enough to have are simply the best.

7) Our health and our jobs- In hard times like these you can't forget the basic things. We are so blessed to be happy and healthy. And our jobs are truly amazing. Plus I am super proud of my hubby's promotion.

What are you thankful or this year?

Hostess with the Mostess

The holidays are sneaking up on us, and for me the holidays mean one thing... visitors. I love visitors, but this being my first preggo holiday season I am anticipating moving much slower and being one tired mama. With that being said I am prepping now for future holiday visitors. Here are some hostess tips:

*Set the tone with your mood
If the hostess is stressed your guests can feel it, and will most likely feed off of that. It's very important that you make everyone feel warm and welcome to ensure that everyone has a good time.

*Prep, prep, & prep some more
Being as prepared ahead of time as possible is key. Although you're the hostess your guests still want you to be able to enjoy your party, and to be able to spend time with you. I usually make as many things as I can a few days in advance and freeze them, that way I can just thaw the morning of and pop them into the oven. I also find that list making helps a lot, like a timeline and a shopping list, but maybe I am just ocd with lists.

*The little details are very much appreciated
Hosting overnight guests? Try having a welcome basket in their room. I have two baskets prepped for when our moms come into town over the holidays. They dont need to be super expensive or extravagant, a sleeping mask, a bottle water, and a small treat will go a long way. Honoring someone for a special occasion? Display photos or serve their favorite dish.

*Allow People to help you
Dont be afraid to turn down offers of help, or ask for it if you need. Your guests will be more than happy to lend a quick hand, and it will save you time and stress from trying to do everything solo.

*Have fresh flowers
Pretty flowers go a LONG way to brighten up a room, and serve a super quick and cheap centerpiece.

*Enjoy Yourself
If you are having fun then guaranteed that your guests will be having fun as well.

And when all else fails, have a large supply of alcohol :0)

Happy Holidays

The I hate everything day...

Today is an "I hate everything" kind of day. Everyone has these days right? I mean it's total psychotic normal. It's Friday, normally I'm really happy on Fridays but not today. Today I hate Verizon, for giving me the runaround and postponing my internet service from Wednesday to Saturday to Monday. Today I hate the weather, because it's rainy and cold and I am stuck at work instead of at home playing on the internet, wait I mean reading a book. Today I hate the 4 mini-hershey bars that somehow managed to get into my stomach (totally not my fault, I assure you). And today I hate father time, for not speeding up my horrible "I hate everything day" and making it over.

I would normally go home and poor myself a huge glass 3 glasses of wine, but instead I will be going home and crying to my hubby like the crazy hormonal preggo that I am. Thank God for my hubby, he keeps me (relatively) sane.

What do you hate today?

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.

This past weekend my cousin offered to take some photos for us at the pumpkin patch. Of course we jumped at the chance, because who doesn't love fall photos. Here are a few from our fabulous mini session.

 My sweet sweet man.

 Look at that growing bump! YES!

 This picture is so typical of us.

 I am so in love with this man.

My favorite.

The Good Life

Life has been beyond fabulous lately, and I am feeling extremely blessed. This past weekend was particularly amazing. We spent lots of time snuggling on the couch watching movies, there was a bonfire with friends, great food, pumpkin picking, cute fall pictures, and nursery progress! Ahh, I love love loved this weekend.

Today we got to see sweet Miss Sassy Pants again. She was just as sweet as ever up on the screen. Growing perfectly, and right on schedule. I have to admit that I was  hoping she would show up a little big so we could push her due date up, I'm very anxious to meet this girl! She was a little uncooperative when the doctor tried to get a good picture of her heart. And when the doctor tried to turn her over, she just flipped on her head and gave me a big kick! Apparently she is inheriting quite a few traits from her mommy already :0) But we get an extra ultrasound out of the deal!

Also, it's Music Monday! I leave you with the new Coldplay song which is getting lots of play time in our house lately.

xoxo

Heels Over Head

Why is it that people always say "I'm head over heels in love"? I feel like that doesnt exactly make sense, we walk around every day with our head over our heels. When I think about love I think about the way I feel with regards to Stephen, the dizzying, all encompassing, completely consuming, mind numbing love. Love that would make more sense if referred to as "heels over head". Every day I fall more in love with my husband, but seeing him fall more in love with our baby (aka my growing belly) just completely melts my heart. I am teary just thinking about it. Today he felt the baby roll, and the way my husband's face lit up was the exact same face that I saw when I walked down the aisle, the same face a little kid makes coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. My husband is not only an amazing husband, but he is already an amazing daddy. He provides for us, he loves us, he prays for us, he makes us laugh, he is our everything. I am one blessed lady.

Feeling Rested

This past weekend we took a little getaway up to the mountains in Charlottesville. We've been doing this for the past two years, but this year the getaway was much needed. Fall is so beautiful up there because the world just lights up with color, you can't help but be awed by the beauty around you.

We had super fun friends with us, and spent the whole weekend laughing & relaxing. Needless to say we came home feeling very refreshed!

While we were up there Stephen and I took dinner duty the first night, and our friends went crazy for my artichoke bread. I figured I would share the recipe!

Dont forget to check out the Erin Condren giveaway over on my other blog Pigtails & Pacifiers

Artichoke Bread

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
2 green onions (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mozzarella (grated)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
1 loaf Italian bread (sliced in half lengthwise)

Directions:
1. Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano reserving some of the cheese.
2. Hollow 1/2 an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.
3. Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven covered in foil for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Giveaway

I have a giveaway going on over at the baby blog! heavensenthunleys.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check it out and send your friends!

Oh Happy Day!

Yesterday was a very, very long day of work. The first day back to school is always a long day after a three day weekend, but we survived. After studying some Shakespeare with my big kids, I watched my little ones until ten. Needless to say I was one tired mama-to-be when I got home. Then I spotted my package, the very package that I have been anxiously awaiting for a week and a half. The kind of package where you run to check the mail. And today was the day. Today my Erin Condren planner arrived!

How can you not be excited looking at this box? I may or may not have done a drum roll as I opened it up. Ok I totally did the drum roll! Nerd alert or not, I was super excited!

And look at what you see when you open your little box. It was like a miniature Christmas.

There she is, It's Miss America!

I love love love her. She's going to have a name, we just havent gotten that far yet. I stayed up until 12:30 working on transfering info into her, and this morning my excitement hasnt faltered even a tiny bit.

So let's get down to the good stuff. What's inside you ask?

There are tabs for each month, which I have to say is an amazing feature. I always hated having to flip and flip and flip pages to find a particular date. Also, EC includes a little clippie to hold your page. Very convenient!

This is what your typical "day" spread looks like. It is split into three sections: morning, day, and night. Also over to the side there is a space for notes such as "goals" and "to do". Also, the first page of the month (the one the tab is on) is a full look at the month, with little boxes where you can write any major events for the day.

There's a double sided folder page where you can insert any important papers that you need to carry with you.

Color coded pre-labeled and non-labeled stickers. Some even say "massage", hello like I need any more motivation!

And the very important zipper pouch. Which by the way came with goodies. The personalized labels, some let's get together cards, and some coupons! Who doesnt love coupons?

What was that stuff when you first opened the box?

Oh just some more extra goodies! A $10 off coupon, and some more labels for every occasion (Christmas, Birthdays, and just because).

I have to say, so far I LOVE my EC planner. I am a highly organized lady and it seems like EC has thought out just about everything that one would need. Now I need to go use my coupon and order the matching address book!