Tea for Two. xoxo.

maternity photoshoots. 

they're all the rage rage right now.

i think it's a great way to capture those few short months when your body morphs before your eyes...carrying life on the way out! 

and so i've been gathering ideas on pinterest over the past few months, yet i still wanted to do something unique, an expression all it's own.  and then one pinning sunday afternoon this idea came to me...."Tea for Two." well,  i guess we aren't really two, we're two in ONE, but you get the point!    

and so the ideas started spinning.  i gathered things we already had, (i like to collect all things "tea party")....picked up a few store bought cakes, made some lemonade, a few tea sandwiches, and some chocolate covered strawberries and we we're set. 

Here's a link for these darling FREE alphabet printables....simply spell out whatever you'd like to say!  

non-maternity dresses from here. wasn't sure how the fit would be, but turns out stretchy material can get you far!  Ring was purchased from a friend and the vintage yellow clip-on earrings came from a garage sale.  

my sweet friend jessica is getting her makeup consulting business started.  she offered to do my makeup in exchange for using a few of the pictures in her portfolio. she is fiercely talented and unbeliveably affordable. she does bridal consulting, senior pictures, maternity photoshoots, prom nights, engagement pictures....

she can be reached at:

 jessica-elizabeth@msn.com or on facebook.

photography credit: angela stoltzfus. 

another majorly talented friend, who, when given a camera can do amazing things with it.  she has been taking our pictures since the time of our engagement, over 11 years ago!  "back then" she used good ol' 35mm film and worked wonders with it.  she has a great eye for details and angles. i personally don't think she gives herself enough credit, but i will!  

 

i didn't have yellow heels, however i DID have yellow spray paint.

now i have yellow heels!

the one on the left is a small glimpse into the nursery. 

i really like the color and the way it's coming together.

such anticipation. 

 

 

my baby daddy. xoxo.

he looked so handsome in his orange shirt.

and who wants to party all alone? 

the kids, (and adults) had a hay-day after we were all finished. 

miss kae, (our favorite sitter) was here to help out and i'm so thankful for that.  also, a grateful acknowlegement to jake's mom, (grammie) for making dinner so i could throw my pregnant self a tea party! :)

 

and so we wait for lovie to arrive....until then i will CELEBRATE the moments we share in one body!  miracle of miracles!!

xoxo.

 "Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be."

~Carrie Fisher~

Luke's 5th Birthday Party!!

good morning mr. five year old!  

i love decorating after the birthday boy or girl goes to bed. put up a few decorations, (they don't care what it looks like) even if i don't feel like it, i do it anyway. only once a year do you wake up on your BIRTHDAY and i like to make it extra special.  i fill bags with dollar store stuff and candy and quarters, dollar bills....whatever i can pull together!  

 

 On the morning of his birthday we happened to be having our monthly family breakfast, (all 7 of my brothers and sisters and our parents at "The Bird").  Luke came along with some of his cousins that morning and had a chocolate covered donut with a candle in the middle!  He couldn't believe I let him eat the entire thing!

He got some serious cash that morning from his Uncles!!  

A WHOLE HAND FULL!!

To celebrate we had a racin' good party the weekend before his birthday!  The weather was outrageously warm for March so we pulled this together as quickly as possible....fitting for a race car theme I guess!  It was great to have him help plan and prepare for his "big party."  He was so delighted to be part of the action.  Uncle Tom let us borrow his cool "real signs".  Luke shined them up and got them all ready.....he's our worker and finds great joy in details, fulfillment in getting the job done right, (just like his Daddy and his namesake, Uncle Tom)!

Jake made a race track in the yard.  Orange spray paint, a pit stop, a flashing traffic light and the signs placed about.  It was so cool!  We had four battery operated cars that the kids could drive around the track, (or push once the batteries died)!  

Jake has this sign for his business. 

I tweaked it slightly. 

Under the gift tree we had matchbox cars, some books to read and of course lots of gifts.  

AND THEY'RE OFF!!

JOY at 3mph!!!!

Luke helped rip and color an old white t-shirt of his into a checkered flag.  We nailed it onto a broom handle. 

THE CAKE! 

This was a labor of love. 

Grammie made the cake and I decorated it. 

He wanted a "Cars 2 Cake with Finn McMissile in the water and a racetrack."  It was fun creating it...... 

but even more fun presenting it to him!  

TOTAL DELIGHT!! 

e 

I found these stickers online, but instead of ordering them I just printed them out on regular paper and taped them onto skewer sticks. The flags were also found online, (googled different countries flags and printed them out) and then did the same thing, but taping them onto toothpicks instead.  

Normally not one to show his emotions easily, he was a ball of JOY this day!  It was so sweet to be a part of.  We love our Lukie!!

Here he is with his new shirt and car from Aunt Shrish. 

Jake got his air compressor out and blew up rocket balloons for the kids.  That was a hit!  

 "Let's race on our feet Daddy!!"

We ended the night with a road flare.....that thing lasted at least 30 minutes and the kids danced around it, it was one of Luke's favorite things he told us later.  It did look pretty neat as the sun went down!  

 It was still so warm so we watched a movie on the outdoor screen and then called it a day!

“Your birthday is a special time 

to celebrate the gift of 'you' 

to the world.”

~Author Unknown~

Heaven is here

Just finished this book. 

It was all I could do to not read day and night, (which is basically what I did anyway).  I've enjoyed her blog for a few years now and reading her memoir did not disappoint in the least.  So inspiring on many, many levels.  Just wanted to share a few of my favorite quotes and encourage you too to read her story, her journey as well.  

Perhaps it's because I'm pregnant and hormonal, but I was crying from the first quote:

  "The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely." 

~Louisa May Alcott~

SUCH TRUTH.

In speaking on Motherhood she shares, "maturing as a mother is a gradual, but steady process, if we let it unfold.  I can only DO MY BEST, AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.  I'd never let go of the truly important things, but MY CRITERIA for what the important things were often realigned."  

After their plane accident and as her life returned to a new normal, she writes, "I sensed the accident had set into motion eternal lessons for each of us, and we would learn things that ultimately we'd be grateful for.  At least I hoped we would.  I HAD TO BELIEVE THERE WAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES, A PURPOSE BEHIND OUR STRUGGLES.  It was at times a thin hope, more an idea than a driving force, but my challenges seemed manageable if I believed their was purpose behind them."

In her epilogue she writes, "...I realized along the way that ultimately nothing they did could make me happy.  I felt comforted by family and my faith, but PEACE WAS DIFFERENT FROM HAPPINESS.  At first I thought stubbornly that the only thing that would make me happy was for life to look like it did before the accident.  But no one could give that to me, and no one else could make me happy.  Happiness was my choice, and THOUGH IT WAS HARD WON, I am the only person who can stand in the way of it.  As I gradually accepted my responsibility to choose happiness every day, I rediscovered the beautiful life I had always wanted.  I still have to remind myself to choose happiness every morning I wake up in pain, and I expect I will need reminding throughout my life, but the amazing thing is THE MORE I MAKE THE CHOICE TO SEE AND FEEL JOY, THE MORE JOY THERE IS TO SEE AND TO FEEL."   

Her thoughts on true beauty are spoken from a well of genuine experience, (having been burned on over 80% of her body). "in that quiet moment the inspiration that I'd come to rely on returned to me like a peaceful whisper.  God was speaking to me.  I felt again how much He loved me. I was reminded that He sees so much more than I do.  In a moment, I felt beautiful again, restored. That peace is always waiting for me after I despair.  IN THE QUIET MOMENTS, INSPIRATION AND COMFORT ALWAYS COME AGAIN. Every time, without fail.  Piece by piece, God puts me back together and I keep moving forward. I know, now, without a doubt that the true source of beauty doesn't come from the outside.  This is the one I wish I could teach everybody---THAT OUR HEARTS MATTER MOST.  It's a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to A BEAUTIFUL LIFE."