Merry Christmas!

 

If I were to sum up this Christmas in one word it would be "peaceful."  I am over 37 weeks now so we were pretty much forced to stay put.  I thought I would be a little more homesick but it has actually been really nice to just rest, read, go for walks, bake, and relax.  Did I mention that I also got kankles, cramps and swollen feet for Christmas?  That also may have contributed to my contentment with not being around a lot of people this Christmas ;) 

This is a picture taken before a little White Elephant party we had with some friends.  I was pretty excited to get a Justin Bieber toothbrush.  I can listen to him sing while I brush ;)

 

This picture was taken before the Christmas Eve service.  Our church did their service outside which was kind of neat.

 Christmas Eve Dinner.  We tried grilling pork for the first time and it was delicious.  I also made some PW mashed potatoes which are now officially on my "go to" list for holidays.  They haven't failed me yet!

 

We began Christmas morning with a spicy sausage quiche, fruit, and homemade banana bread. Yummy!



 

 We used drawnames.com to pick secret santas on both sides of the family this year. It made picking out presents a lot less stressful and more fun by having one special person to buy for.  I think my secret santas must have coordinated their gifts somehow.  Kelsey sent me an awesome purse and my Dad sent me a fancy red wallet that goes perfectly with it!

 Matt received some nice pull over shirts from both of his secret santas.  We also received some gift cards and babysitting offers :)

 Ornaments from Grandma

I made this ornament for Matt.  But, I must confess I saw someone selling a very similar ornament on Etsy.  I am almost bought it but realized I was running out of time.  So, I decided I could figure out how to make something similar and save a little cash.  The only thing I needed to spend money on was buying the wooden ornament from JoAnnes and developing the picture!  Now we have  an ornament to help us remember this Christmas. 

 

We also saw Les Mis on Christmas day.  A beautiful story about sacrificial love and hope.  I am so thankful to be reminded that although this world can be very scary, we can have HOPE and PEACE in knowing that Christ has already overcome the world!  Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and were able to take time to reflect on the birth of our Savior.

 

 

 

 



Go Matt!

I don't take the opportunity to brag about my hubby as much as I should.  Especially lately with everything focused on the baby.  So, this post is for you Matty!  As you can see in the pictures, Matt finished his second half marathon last weekend.  The first was one was three years ago right before we got married!  I don't really get why someone would want to run so far, but he found the motivation and did an awesome job (especially considering the fact that most of the run was unexpectedly on hilly trails!)

 

 It was an early and foggy morning. I was able to find Matt a couple times during the run and cheer him on :)

What a guy :)  While I am bragging, I must add that some of the things I admire most about Matt are how patient and easy going he is.  Being pregnant is definitely a humbling experience, and in the last month you experience a lot of moodiness that you wish you could control better.  Matt does such a good job at helping me keep my cool and making me laugh when I need it.  Thanks, Matty <3

Southern Charm

Yes, there is still one more baby shower I must blog about!  This baby shower was the icing on the cake for us.  Our little community of friends here in Florida put together the sweetest couples baby shower!  Ever heard of a "BaByQ?" 

 

They thought of everything!

Bottle chug with chocolate milk...and the winner???  My hubby, of course!

This may look confusing.  We were preparing for labor by seeing who could keep there hand in ice water the longest...it is supposed to teach you how to stay calm and not focus on the pain of labor.  Hmmm...who do you think won?  (I am laughing in the picture, not screaming:)

Anyhow, the important thing is that I won.  

 

 

So thankful for God's provision over us in this past year.  We really cherish these frienships He has blessed us with!

Don't forget about Christmas!

In the midst of preparing for the baby we managed to decorate a little for Christmas.  I love Christmas but I have to admit that I don't really have my usual Christmas spirit this year.  I have been very distracted with getting ready for our little girl to arrive.  So, in an attempt to keep my Christmas spirit alive here are some pictures (taken with the camera Matt bought me for my b-day...I was having fun practicing :) to spread the holiday cheer!

 

Baby Shower #2

We had a busy trip up north visiting my family over Thanksgiving but it was definitely WORTH it!  We crammed in a lot of celebrating...Thanksgiving, baby shower, and my b-day :)  We also squeezed in some Christmas shopping, maternity pictures, and time with friends that I don't get to see too often anymore!  There is something really special about seeing friends that you have grown up with.  Even after months of not being in touch, you can just pick up from where you left off and totally be yourself.  It felt good to see so many familiar faces :)  Here are some pictures from the baby shower that my mom and sister put together.  They, of course, did a fabulous job with the decorations and food.  It made for a great party!  (My sister took ALL of these pictures, and I am sure she will post more on her blog soon.  So, check her blog too!)

 We don't mess around when it comes to cake in our family!

 Natalie was such a BIG help with opening the gifts.  It was so fun to have her be a part of the shower.  She is going to be such a good cousin to our baby girl!

Friends from high school ("The Core").  We are missing a couple but it was SO good to see these ladies.

 

Aunt Mary and Baby Harper (cousin Rachel's new baby), my Mom (GiGi) and Oliver (my nephew)

Thank you again friends and family for celebrating with us!  Only about 6 more weeks!