My Talented Sister

When I know that something is coming in the mail from my sister, Julie, I can't help but just about jump out of my pants! Julie is a gifted seamstress and her gifts are the most beautiful and creative ones we receive!

For Caleb's first birthday, Julie surprised us with this amazing quilted ball. I cried when I opened the box. Caleb loves playing with it and I absolutely LOVE looking at it! It's so soft and the fabrics that Julie chose fit not only Caleb's personality but my style as well!!

Julie, thank you for sharing your gifts and talents with those around you (especially me)! Your projects are inspiring and make me want to try my hand at more difficult sewing projects, thanks for the inspiration! I love you!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

The Office Adventures

As most of you know, I own my own business, Express Yourself! Creations. Well, I've taken a hiatius of sorts (from selling online that is) and it feels WONDERFUL!! As much as I absolutely LOVE my company and what I do, it feels so great to have the freedom and time to choose what I want to do with it!

So, the project. Well, we live in a four bedroom apartment (which I also happen to love!), but our office is the smallest room in the house. Somehow we've managed to fit 3 1/2 desks and a large metal storage shelf into this tiny room that can't be any bigger than maybe 9x9. The project goes along with my What 2010 Means To Me post that I did early January. My goal this year is to organize and de-clutter our home, and now that we're expecting, it desperately needs to be done by the end of the summer, along with a million other things!

My office is just obsurd. I'm thoroughly embarassed by it. I keep the door shut at all times, no matter who is coming over. I give the tour of the place, and when we come to the office, I just tell them what it is, but I N-E-V-E-R open that dreadful door. Now granted, my office has not always looked like this. I have fond memories of the days when it was neat, clean, organized and everything had a home, but somehow, over the past few months, a few tornados have blown through and I just can't muster up the courage to go in there. Therefore, all of my projects and fun things I had planned on starting at the new year have been put on hold.

Becuase I can't face the fear of my own dis-organization. I've always thought of myself as a pretty organized person. I mean, I was an Executive Admin, Office Manager, Accounting Manager for 10 years before I became a stay-at-home mom. I was in the business of professional organizing (only one of many of the job descriptions I had for myself)!

So, I recently was discussing my dis-organization with a friend of mine and she quickly offered her services of helping me. She clearly had no clue as to what she was getting herself in to at the time! She's the type of person who is not afraid to tell me what to throw away, give away, or sell. She's bold and shares exactly what's on her mind. And that's the EXACT type of person I need during this process! I warned her of the state of my office, that you can't hardly even walk in the room without stepping on something, that my desk has piles and piles of papers and projects and fabric and all the scrapbooking supplies you could dream of just piled high on my 2 1/2 desks. I warned her. And she listened. And she still offerred to help. So I took her up on it! And man am I excited to say that Saturday between Noon and 3pm, we will be diligently attacking the state of my office!

So, here are a few before pictures of my office. The most embarassing pictures I will probably EVER post on this blog, but nontheless, necessary, just to prove how hideous it is in it's current state. My goal is to sell/get rid of at least 1/3 - 1/2 of everything you seen in these pictures, including desks, so if you know anyone looking, have them contact me! And, God bless my sweet friend (who shall remain nameless until I get her permission, and pics of her helping me as proof) who has graciously given up a couple hours of her weekend to help me.

I will continue this post with updated pictures as we progress. I have a feeling it's going to take a lot longer than just a few hours to organize that black hole, but I do have hope!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

Baby Dos!

Here is the first picture of baby dos! Heart beat was 178 and going strong! Dr. says baby dos should arrive sometime around Sept. 1st (based on size of baby). My estimate was Sept. 4th, so not too far off! While at the Dr's office, he turned on an info-red type of thing and we got to see baby's heartbeat in red and blue. It was amazing to see not only the heartbeat but the blood pumping into the heart from the umbilical cord. We didn't see this with Caleb, so that was a really cool "first" to have with baby dos! I wish we could have gotten a color picture of it, but the screen shot is engrained in my memory! We are completely excited, overjoyed, elated and in awe that the Lord would choose us, again, to parent a sweet child of his. What a precious gift this life is and will be to our family.

I have to say, it's a little weird to think that by the end of the year we will be a family of four. It kind of feels like I'm finally a grown-up. I can't pass for a young girl who just happened to have a baby, I'm an adult. I guess I should start preparing myself for that, I mean I am turning 30 in a couple weeks. That clasifies me as more of an adult than having 2 kids! Anyway, here's baby dos' first picture, there will be many more to follow!!!

Please pray for the health and safety as this baby continues to grow and develop inside of me. I am thankful for the exhaustion and nausea that I experience everyday becuase to me, it is a sign that baby dos is growing big and strong! Please also pray for strength and energy for me, to be intentional with Caleb, to continue to care for him, even when I feel like I can't keep my eyes open! I never remember being this exhausted when I was pregnant with him, although at that time I had a desk job and wasn't chasing after a one year old! And finally, please continue to pray for Aaron and I as we move into the process of becoming a family of four. That the adjustment would go exactly as God has planned for us. We are so blessed!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

1st Birthday Party!!!

My sweet sweet boy! You are now ONE! Here are a few captured memories from you most fun 1st Party!! Love you precious Caleb!!

Waiting with anticipation (and looks like some confusion too, we were singing Happy Birthday to him at this point) I made the sign too and had a blast!!

Not sure what to think, he picked up each individual sprinkle and ate them separately, then did the same with the icing! So hilarious!

You LOVED your first cupcake, even though it took you almost 30 minutes to eat it all!

The kids having some fun!

The four older kids downing the cupcakes!

(Noah, Haley, Paige & Jacob)

Sweet little Kate!

Noah has his own little minature digital camera and he was having a blast taking pics of the cupcakes and then showing them off! So cute!

Precious little Luke! He's such a fun friend to Caleb!!

Noah was singing in the microphone to Caleb and Caleb was laughing and smiling, so fun!

Caleb loves Noah!!

Caleb also LOVES this play kitchen at the Self's. I wonder if we have future cook on our hands...

Sweet little Zane!

Caleb's friend Christian. They're great buddies at Playgroup on Thursday mornings!

Jack, Kate's twin! They are so stinkin' cute!!

Christian and Caleb playing

Sweet picture of Emily reading to Jack

I would say this family loves books!

Just having fun playing!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

Caleb Turns ONE!!

For Caleb's birth-day, we had planned on taking him to Portrait Innovations to get his 1 year photos taken, until we called to make the appointment and found out that all of their studios are CLOSED on Mondays, even though the website ways they are open "Everday from 9am - 7pm". WHAT A BUMMER!!!! So instead, we decided to take our own pics and I couldn't have been happier! Thanks to our friends K&J for letting us borrow their awesome camera for the afternoon! Here are some of the best shots we got. The indoor pics are at out apartment clubhouse, and the outdoor ones were taken at Firewheel at the kids train park. It was FREEZING but Caleb did great and had fun playing!

Getting kisses from my baby, a rare occasion!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this precious pic of my boys!

This one too!

He looks like such a toddler now, definitely not a baby anymore!

I "made" him a scarf just before we left the house becuase it was so cold outside and I love how it turned out!

"I'm innocent mom, I promise!"

FINALLY! An amazing pic of me and my baby! I've really struggled to get a good picture of us since he was a little little baby. I told Aaron on the way home from the park that this picture was so good that it made up for not getting a picture of Caleb & I on my 1st Mother's Day.

One of my favorites from the day!

And this one too!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!

Jill