Thirty Two

I've returned once again to this little blog of mine after experiencing many weeks of wondrous things, the biggest of all being our trip to Scotland. It was amazing, it was beautiful, it was dreamy, it was epic. I will be sharing many posts all about our trip in the coming days, so please stay tuned!

But first, a little something about my birthday...

Last week I celebrated my thirty second birthday. The funny thing is, I don't feel an ounce of sadness about "getting older." I feel it is a wonderful milestone, getting to celebrating living thirty two, wonderful, joy-filled years here on this earth. Maybe I feel this way because I've shed too many tears this past year for those who have passed away. A few, like my Gramma Dorsey, lived long, full lives, but many others were lives that were much, much shorter than anticipated, making the sorrow of being parted and the sting of death that much deeper.

Although I couldn't tell you the exact reason why, I so often found myself in quiet introspection over this past year. This has left me in a place of thankfulness, joy, and contentedness such that I've never known before.

Shades of pink: peonies from our garden. They are in full bloom every year just
in time for my birthday.

So to me, turning thirty two has symbolized the turning of a page in my life. And anyhow, I've always felt like the passing of each birthday was more of a fresh start at new beginnings than the passing of each New Year's. But that's just me.

On my actual birthday, I received a gift in the mail from my sister, Erin. We don't normally exchange birthday gifts, but she surprised me this year. She presented me with the most perfectly perfect gift because 1). I've been in need of a new daily devotional book, and 2). the title and theme of this book coincides exactly with my current state of mind.

The beautiful cover to this book makes it a worthy edition to be displayed on the coffee table.

The title sums up my newest mission: to truly savor life and all it's little moments.

It's taking a step back, removing unnecessary distractions, and truly being present in each moment. It's very much what I endeavor this blog to be all about--noticing little details and taking delight in the small things of life.

A few weeks ago, I was busily washing dishes at the sink. I glanced up out the window and noticed a small sparrow sitting on the fence. It was windy out, and I could see the breeze ruffling his feathers. I turned off the water and watched him for the remaining thirty seconds or so he sat on the fence. I took in the details of his adorable face, noticed the whiteness of the feathers on his chest, and watched the branches of the lilac tree next to him sway in the wind. It was such a small and quiet moment, but it was so very lovely.

I enjoyed that moment so deeply and I was so happy I glanced up from my busy work. It was a moment of perspective where I realized that taking in the small things must become a daily exercise. I need to put forth a real effort everyday to push aside distractions and take notice of the life that is happening all around me, of the beauty that is so near.

May I take it all in, little by little: the bright blue shade of the summer sky, the smell of the flowers in our garden, the feeling of the breeze brushing my skin, the smell of my daughter's hair as she rests her head on my shoulder, the sounds of birds chirping and neighborhood kids playing at the park. I want to slowly and deliberately savor the flavor of my food and drink. I want to relish the comfort of laying in my own bed. I want to write handwritten notes and letters instead of texts or emails. I want to drink tea from china teacups. I want to stop saying I'll do this and that later, saving it for a special occasion. Today is a special occasion, filled with endless gifts orchestrated just for me by my loving Savior, and he's just waiting for me to unwrap each one of them, if only I'll take notice.

Now I begin the next year of my life, filling the hours with these exercises in savoring. My prayer is that after diligent practice, I'll no longer need to force myself to take notice, that savoring the moments will become my second nature.

Slow Down

As September has burst into our lives, the internet world is abuzz with people {mostly females, let's be honest} gushing over how excited they are for Autumn's impending arrival. "Cozy sweaters! Crisp fall air! Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Leaves turning the most brilliant golden shades!"  I freely admit that I always share this same excitement each time September rolls around. It is my favorite of the four seasons, after all, and I have a sort-of love affair with all of the things Autumn encompasses.

Except this year. This year, I am in no hurry to see summer leave. I think there are a myriad of reasons for my sentiments right now:

1. This has been one of the loveliest summers, weather-wise, that I can remember in a long time. It has been mostly in the low to mid eighties with only a fair amount of humidity. {For those of you not familiar--MI summers can be incredibly hot but worst of all, humid like you cannot even imagine. It truly makes being outside miserable when it gets like that}. For a fair-skinned, red-haired gal like me, it's been my ideal summer weather. I feel that this pleasantly mild summer was a special treat after this past seemingly-eternal, bitterly cold and snowy winter.

2. It's our first real summer to enjoy exploring the outdoors with Makenna. Last summer Makenna was too little to spend much time outside, plus last summer was miserably hot and humid. Our pediatrician didn't want us to apply sunscreen to Makenna until after she turned six months last year (on August 11th), so we were really limited as to our amount of time in the sun with her {read: NONE}.

3. The end of August came and went much too quickly this year. In fact, I feel a little robbed of time. Once we had the flood happen on the 11th of August, things got crazy and time became a blur. First we had to deal with the basement renovation. Then Makenna went for mini-getaways with her two sets of grandparents and just when I got her back, she became horribly ill will a tummy-bug that took days and days to shake. In fact, she's still not quite back to her old self yet.

Now that our calendar is slowing down considerably, I am anxious to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of the remaining warm days. It really is a first for me--not to feel anxious to see summer go and embark upon some mild and chillier fall days. I desperately want more time to play in our kiddie pool, to enjoy our garden, to sit outside and feel warm breezes brush my skin, to go to the park, and to walk to the nearby ice cream stand.

Taking advantage of the little last bits of summer may even mean putting off projects I've been working on, or even spending less time here on this blog for now. I feel certain that I won't regret it once we no longer have a choice but to stay indoors as the days get colder and winter makes its debut.

I'll welcome Autumn with open arms when it arrives this year, but until it does, I'll be relishing every remaining day that still feels like summer is with us.

Arriving at Motherhood

It's been fifteen months since I became a mother. Clearly this is a new adventure for me, yet I've logged enough days now that I feel much more settled in my newest role in life.

Motherhood has been an extraordinarily beautiful process for me--so pure and simple but also vastly complex all at once. As with anything in life, it has its highs and lows. But the highs are so utterly blissful and wondrous that it makes the lows seems almost non-existent for me.

I struggle with what I perceive to be a culture of negativity surrounding motherhood or parenthood today. It's exacerbated all the more by social media outlets. Part of this negativity--the pressures, the awful competitiveness, and comparisons between mothers--I didn't know existed prior to becoming a mother, and I'm so thankful I didn't. I think that without necessarily meaning to do so, our society somewhat discourages twenty and thirty-somethings from becoming parents.

So if I'm being perfectly honest with you, I held many negative expectations about what my life would be like as a mother before I arrived here. Part of it came from the oh-so-thoughtful comments we'd gotten during my pregnancy: "Sleep now, while you can!", "Your time is not your own anymore", or my favorite, "Do such and such now because you'll never be able to do that again!" Thanks to comments like that combined with other outside influences, I arrived at this idea that my identity as a mother would be a woman who was insanely sleep-deprived, unkempt and frumpy, wearing clothing covered in something disgusting, frazzled, grumpy, unorganized, and desperately trying to balance a million spinning plates as she keeps all her household duties and somehow contributes to the household income as well.

I'm still perplexed at how I came to believe these extremes. It certainly didn't come from the example of my own mother {whom I believe to be the epitome of the perfect mom}, and I grew up surrounded by classy women who were also the opposite of what I just described above. I'm sure I was influenced by a plethora of factors, some being my own fears. Yet I somehow can't help feeling that I'm not alone--that other women out there have had these exact same expectations of motherhood which lead to feelings of hesitancy in wanting to take the plunge and start families of their own.

It makes me really mad when I think about it. I'm mad because I feel that despite my own positive observations of mothers I know personally, society and the media still succeeded in planting seeds of doubt in my mind about whether or not it would be worth it to become a mother. And I'm angry because that image of motherhood I wrestled with is so very different from what I'm actually experiencing.

If I could, I would shout it from the rooftops that becoming a mother is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the best things I have ever done in my life--one of the things that has brought me more joy and happiness than I could have ever imagined. I desperately wish my words could convey how much more deeply I enjoy life each day because I am a mother to our precious daughter.

And you know what? Life is quite different now than before we had Makenna. BUT... I sleep through the night. I shower every day and take time to look presentable even for a quick trip to the grocery store. I still have downtime for myself as well as quality time with my husband. I still have time for hobbies. I can still conquer housework and social obligations. I still have big dreams for myself outside of motherhood. And most importantly, I still feel like me, just a better version of myself because of all the lessons I've learned since becoming a mother. I'm still the same Deanne.

I know that if God grants us further children, life will get busier and feel much more of a challenge than does life with one child. It's taken me time to learn how to be a mother of one, but I now have confidence knowing that though it will also take time, I can learn how to be a mother of two.

I'm still learning, day by day, how to navigate this journey of being a mom. I love everything it encompasses, all the highs and lows. And I realize now that one of the best things I have done in my life was to listen to the little tug in my heart that was calling me to motherhood. I can't even begin to imagine missing out on all my life is now, all the love and joy that fills my heart in its purest form.

Reawakening

I believe I am not alone when I say that this past everlasting winter was quite depressing for me. Though winter isn't necessarily my favorite of all the seasons, there is much I look forward to upon it's arrival each year--the nip in the air, the snow crunching beneath my boots, sparkling snowfalls, the world blanketed beneath the stillness of a silvery white snow, and most of all, I look forward to winter bringing Christmas.

But then, finally--finally! April brought spring weather, even with the random snow shower in middle of the month. I felt so alive again in every sense of the word. The sun warmed my soul as Makenna and I spent many afternoons exploring the outdoors together.

But then, we had a trip to Indiana. And upon our return at the end of the month, Makenna and I both became very sick. This sickness has only just ended. Yes, for a miserable near two weeks, we have been a sad pair, indeed.

These past many days have been tremendously trying and depressing. But now we are both finally on the mend! I feel as if my soul has reawakened for a second time this spring and my spirits are soaring. I'm excited each morning now as I wake up regaining more and more of my strength and energy.

There are so many many adventures to be had this spring and summer. We are ready--bring them on!

First Birthday

Yesterday we celebrated our baby girl's first birthday! I have to admit I've been kind of giddy over this whole event--never so excited to celebrate a birthday as this.

We have deemed this whole week "Birthday Week", beginning with Makenna's party last Saturday, to a little cozy family celebration yesterday on her actual birthday, ending next Saturday with another party at my sister's home in Indiana where we will have a triple birthday bash to celebrate Makenna's first birthday along with the first birthday of her two cousins Noah and Jake. Endless fun!

I can tell you because of this little sweetheart, our lives have never been filled with more love, joy, laughter, and snuggles than this past year.

When I was pregnant, I tried to imagine what our baby girl would be like. What I couldn't know then is how much she would change me, in all the best ways possible, and fill my heart with love like I've never known.

A question I had to answer for one of my baby showers was, "What are you most excited about in becoming a mother?" I answered that I simply couldn't wait to meet our little one, discover who she is and what her personality would be like.

Well I can easily tell you that Makenna has plenty of personality and I love all of it--even the sass she's starting to show at times! {Though that doesn't mean I'll put up with it!}

Here's a little bit about who Makenna is at this moment in time:

~She loves to dance and starts bouncing and stomping her foot when she hears music
~She adores books! She loves when we read to her but will also sit and look at books on her own for long periods of time. She also always identifies her favorite book on the bookshelf by the spine and pulls it out to look at it
~She loves feeding herself and I am so excited about the variety of foods she'll eat
~During bath time, Makenna is relentless in trying to drink the bath water. She'll use her toys as cups, she'll drink the water flowing from the spout, and she'll even lower her face to the water's surface to take a sip {and we do give her plenty of water to drink outside of bath time!}
~She's still a fabulous sleeper: 11-12 hours at night and two naps during the day. What a blessing!
~No words outside of "Mama" and "Dada", though she babbles constantly. When excited she shrieks, screams, and loves when we clap for her and say, "Yay!!"
~She signs for "more" at meals
~Though not officially walking, she stands alone all the time and has taken several steps on her own. To be honest, I'm in no rush!
~She loves being tickled and chased
~Makenna has yet to meet a stranger she doesn't like. I've never seen her not offer a smile to anyone who has spoken to her. I especially adore this part of her personality--she seems to get such a kick out of charming strangers
~She weighed in at her twelve month wellness checkup at 19 pounds exactly and she's 29 inches tall {at birth: 6 lbs. 2 oz. and 19.5 inches, for a reminder of how far she's come!}

Her actual birthday was relatively quiet but still special.

Breakfast:

Birthday breakfast smiley face

The month-by-month wall from the party

Getting into anything and everything as usual; she's a girl on the go!

Makenna had her second try at cake after the party and still wasn't much of a fan. Then again, it was her first taste of real sugar and I bet my homemade buttercream frosting was a bit too sweet for her tiny taste buds.

She opened gifts from us, got to play with some of her new toys in the bath, and then we snuggled in our pajamas. It was a sweet, cozy, and perfect way to celebrate her birthday after the bash we had last Saturday.

Snuggles on a frigid February night, the very thing we were doing exactly one year ago. It's been quite a journey since then--the most amazing, wondrous, love-filled journey of all.

Party Prep

It seems only yesterday I was snuggling this sweet infant in my arms:

And now we find ourselves a mere 10 days away from her first birthday.

Next Saturday will be Makenna's big birthday celebration. I am SO EXCITED! We cannot wait to make a huge fuss over this sweet little girl who has brought joy to so many lives.

I have to admit, I've been going absolutely project-crazy over here. It's a good thing my seasonal work has finished up a few weeks ago because I cannot imagine having enough time to accomplish all I've been doing and working at the same time.

I also had to admit to Matt that I have several motivations in throwing a big 1st birthday party for Makenna. Of course first and foremost, I am giddy to celebrate this monumental birthday of Makenna's. I know that she won't have a single memory of the party, but I do plan to make a memory album of this event as a future keepsake for her. I decided to throw myself into the details and make things "fancy", purely because I enjoy crafting and adding lots of special touches.

Secondly, we've lived here in our first house for just over one year now and we have lots of friends and family who still haven't seen it. So this event has become the perfect excuse for me to take on a marathon of house projects I've been dying to accomplish over the past year. I'd rather hit it hard all at once and feel like I can enjoy my hard work much more quickly!

Finally, this is a real chance for me to entertain. I've always wanted to entertain a large group in our home but since we've previously only ever lived in apartments, we never could accommodate such an event. Now that we finally can, I am utterly thrilled at the chance to entertain a gathering of loved ones in our home for what is really my first time ever to play the hostess.

Despite the myriad of house projects happening, I've become very nostalgic lately with the approach of Makenna's first birthday. I've been reflecting upon our move into this house when I was 36 weeks pregnant, all we accomplished in the 3 weeks before our first baby's arrival, and of course the biggest, most wonderful life change we ever could have prayed for in the birth of our precious Makenna Rose.

These reflections will end up in posts here as we lead up to the party and Makenna's actual birthday on the eleventh of February. Pregnancy, childbirth, and becoming a first-time-mom are such cherished things and I  look forward to sharing some remembrances with you.

A Delightful Redirection

I think there need be no explanations of why I've been absent from my blog for well over two months now. It can be summed up in one word: LIFE.

The beginning of 2014 seems ages ago now, but I still find myself in the "New Year" state of mind. I can tell you that the start of this new year in particular feels especially significant for me because I feel that I am such a different person now, at the beginning of 2014, than I was at the beginning of 2013. Of course the largest part of that change comes from becoming a Mom. I think that for me, there is no single life event that has transformed me as much as bringing a little one into this world. {As it well should!} Maybe it's also that Matt and I became first-time homeowners, or that I got a fabulous new job, or that I turned 30. Lots of big things happened last year.

I also know that I gained an enormous amount of perspective--life-perspective, if you will, during 2013. Through trials, tests, intense prayer, heaps of faith, dreams, and soul-searching, I feel I've arrived at a place where I see my life through a lens that is helping me to stay focused, eliminate distractions, and enjoy life in a way I never have before.

With all of this introspection, I've thought a lot about my blog; mainly being--why do I blog?

This blog started out as a way to put my thoughts "out there." I thoroughly enjoy writing and I always have. It's an outlet for me. And though I put my deepest, most intimate thoughts into journals, I enjoy emptying my mind into this little space here. In a way, it feels like an artistic outlet for me.

The readers of my blog are mostly family and friends--those who know me personally. I'll get the occasional visitors from google searches or a few recipes I've shared that are floating around Pinterest. But I've never had the intention of gaining a large readership. Sure, that would be flattering, but I honestly like the more intimate feeling my blog has. I feel I can be more myself with what I post here when I know not much of the outside world is reading.

I've even asked myself if I would still blog if not one single person read my posts. I can honestly say that yes, I would. There's something refreshing about hitting the "publish" button and sending a little piece of yourself to get intertwined with the mass of the world wide web.

These past many weeks, I've had so many blog post ideas floating about in my mind and I wanted so badly to stop and write. But between my job, being a mom, the holidays, and all of life's other responsibilities, I found myself constantly making the choice between sitting down to blog, or going to bed. Sleep will always, always win out in my book. At this point in my life, I can't function well, let alone be a good wife or mother if I don't get adequate sleep.

I've had to ask myself if I think maintaining this blog is really worth it for me. Again, I have answered yes. I truly need this creative outlet. It's a healthy way I can have a little "Deanne" time. And now I feel I've reached a point where I am blogging for myself and not for others. That's why I'll no longer link my newest posts to Facebook.

There's so much I want and need to do with "Delighted." It needs updating and editing, re-organization...just some all-around TLC. As of late, I've primarily been blogging solely about our family life and what we're up to these days. There will still be plenty of that here, but I want to blog about lots of other things: more recipes, my faith journey, life lessons, general thoughts running through my head, and lots of snippets of past travel adventures.

I have recently finished up with my half-a-year term of work, which means I'll not be working again until August. And that of course means I will have a whole lot more time to blog in the coming months.

So for those very few of you who have even bothered to hang around here these past few months--thank you. I'll be seeing you again very soon.

Blessed Autumn

October has always felt magical to me. There's something about the changing of this season in particular which brings feelings of renewal and fresh perspective. Much as trees shed their leaves in preparation for the cold and then ultimately the rebirth in the coming spring, I feel new, exciting seasons of life awaiting me.

It is fitting that this Autumn, it seems as though our baby girl has shed her infant past and literally crawled into a whole new world of exciting adventures.

Some new things are a bit perplexing to her, such as the experience of being dressed in full costume for Halloween.

And as we move into the blustery days of November, I am finding myself exceedingly grateful for the nine months in which our Makenna Rose has made our lives sweeter beyond all imagining.

We are relishing these days, overflowing with thankfulness for the precious life with which we have been blessed.

36 weeks

So here we are at 36 weeks today. It seems so surreal that I only have four weeks left to go!

At my check-up a few days ago, I wasn't dilated at all, which I am utterly thankful for in light of our upcoming move. I'm still hoping this little lady won't make her appearance early and if she does, it'll only be by a few days or a week at most.

And the latest baby bump news:

• According to my last ultrasound, baby girl is estimated to be weighing slightly above average. My doctor estimated she'll weigh around 8 lbs at birth. Definitely not too scary.
• The biggest surprise for me: I am not nearly as uncomfortable as I thought I'd be at this point, especially with my crazy spine. My back pain has not been worsening, swelling is fairly minimal {so far...just recently took my wedding rings off as a precaution}, and though I move a lot more slowly and it is most definitely uncomfortable to bend over, I feel pretty darn good overall!
• Baby girl has been head-down for the last several months, and her head is starting to drop a bit. 
• I'm really enjoying the fact that during this moving process, I am unable to {read: not supposed to} lift any boxes. It's a good thing, too, because with moving from a second-floor apartment to a house with two sets of stairs, I'm getting winded quite easily these days. Baby's taking up my lung space!
• My belly button is STILL an "innie" at this point, though not by much.
• I can really tell our baby girl is running out of room in my belly. There's a lot less kicking and a lot more strong sensations of her trying to wiggle and move around in her shrinking space. And many more times when she hurts me! 
• My big accomplishment right now, especially with being a first-time-mom, is that I don't feel nervous about labor/delivery. I am actually pretty excited for it! {and yes, I have heard plenty of horror stories!}

We still aren't ready for baby yet. We have almost everything we need for her, save a few items, so we really would be fine if she made an extra-early debut, but we of course want to get her nursery all set up. I'm hoping to have it done by 38 weeks. Although I say we aren't ready yet....we really are. We are beyond excited to meet our little one. I keep having the most wonderful dreams about her! And with all the busyness of the next few weeks, she will indeed be here before we know it.

A New Year, A Whole New Life

The web is abuzz with people talking about the New Year, resolutions, and reflection upon the great things of 2012. I was amongst these last year, blogging an overview of 2011 and writing about why I love making resolutions each year.

{I intended to insert a photo here, but blogger is being weird an not allowing me the ability to upload photos! So please excuse this boring text-only post.}

This year I will do neither since I lack the time to recap 2012 and because I simply can't begin to fathom how to make resolutions for 2013. Matt and I are starting this New Year with two HUGE life changers: moving into our first home this month, then welcoming our first child next month. We are diving in head-first without a moment to spare.

Becoming homeowners is of course a huge thing, but so seemingly insignificant next to becoming parents for the first time. Our life is about to change in the most monumental, amazing, wonderful, and blessed way as we welcome our baby girl into this world. We both are well aware that until she takes her first breaths, we can't possibly imagine how our world will suddenly be turned upside down and instantly shift to revolve around our precious gift from God.

I don't know what being a "mommy" is like. I don't know how long it will take to adjust and settle into a comfortable routine. All I know is that Matt and I are ready for this unknown, crazy adventure that is parenthood. We know our lives will never be the same. We know that we will figure it all out together, and because of our deep love and commitment to one another, we will do just fine. We know there will be challenges and tears and frustration, but we know much more than that there will be joy, laughter, special moments, and endless upon endless amounts of LOVE.

So for now, I simply accept that the near future will bring lots of craziness, excitement and so much change going on that we likely won't get a feel for a routine and a sense of normalcy until we are well into March. And I am totally at peace with that.

Since I am blogging anyway, I can tell you that one of my goals for 2013 is to give my blog a makeover. {Because of life's craziness, the makeover likely won't happen until March, unless this little lady in my belly decides to make a late appearance...then I might occupy my time with that project!} You also will be seeing a lot more of me here on this blog of mine. I really neglected my blog the second half of 2012, with being pregnant and working two jobs and all. But just you wait...my little space on the web here will have all kinds of good things to come! I know I will desperately need this creative outlet as I adjust to a whole new life as being a parent.

Thank you to those of you who read along here in 2012. I wish you all a very blessed, Happy New Year 2013!

Oh, hey there! Let's catch up on life, shall we?

Oh my, it is SO GOOD to be writing here. I have sincerely missed it. Just writing about my thoughts on life's happenings--it's my own little creative outlet, and I have been so neglectful as of late. Well here I am again to update you on the last several weeks, as so much loveliness and craziness has happened.

A gift from our dear friends Justin and Jenna

If you remember from my last post {which seems like ages ago!}, Matt and I are currently house-hunting. It's been really exhausting to be quite honest with you. We've been spending all our weekends and many evenings after work running to and fro, seeing this house and that. We've actually offered on two homes and been rejected on both. But we are on the brink of offering once again...so prayers appreciated, friends!

We also squeezed in our all-in-one-day childbirth class, which included the hospital tour. You better believe it...this little baby girl of ours will be arriving in just over ten weeks!! Between work, house-shopping, and the busyness of the holidays, there has barely been time to breathe. In a few short weeks {just before Christmas}, I will be leaving my position as the Unplanned Pregnancy/Adoption Counselor with the adoption agency I work for. As sad as I am to be giving up doing such an amazing job, I am equally relieved that I will have several weeks to focus only on getting ready for the arrival of our little girl! I need that so much--I still feel so unprepared. And of course, if moving into a house is in the cards also...well, heaven knows that with my OCD tendencies, I will be absolutely out-of-control with the "nesting" phase of pregnancy!

Thanksgiving was just spectacular. We went to my Grandparent's house in Ohio like last year. This year was very different in that it was our first Thanksgiving without Grandpa Moss. His passing in August is still very fresh in all of our minds and hearts. After we enjoyed our lovely, delicious Thanksgiving dinner, we ventured out to the cemetery to pay him tribute.

Photo borrowed from my dad

My sister brought a fun craft {thank you, Pinterest!} for all of us girls to create. We each made our own adorable Sock Snowman:



Proudly on display in our apartment 

I did manage to squeeze in the time to put up our little tree and decorate the apartment this past week, and now everything feels all cozy and festive, ready to welcome in the Christmas season.

My sister Erin was here this past weekend for a visit and she was a huge help to us in our baby registering process, since we hadn't managed to squeeze the task into our crazy schedule this past month. It was wonderful "sister time" with lots of shopping, girl talk, and eating out at yummy places like California Pizza Kitchen and our favorite local Mediterranean restaurant.

I dearly hope that with work winding up for me, and the possibility of our house offer getting accepted {more prayers, please!}, I may actually have time to blog more regularly this month. And we all know there is so much joy to share in the Christmas season, but this year even more so for us as we eagerly anticipate the arrival of our first child.

Happy start to December, everyone!



20 weeks

Oh, dear me. I can scarcely believe it, but today I have reached the 20 week-mark in my pregnancy. 20 weeks. That means I am half way done with my pregnancy, folks! It is utterly delightful and utterly terrifying all at once. I am already so in love with our little one and it's such a magical experience to be growing and carrying our child with me at all moments. I just can't wait to meet this little person, yet I am feeling really, really unprepared for the big arrival.

Work has still been keeping me on the go at all times, and there's the busyness of the holiday season ahead. The one pregnancy symptom that started first and that is still going strong is the fatigue, which makes it hard for me to be as productive as I'd like. I feel pretty darn proud of myself just for being able to stay on top {mostly} of grocery shopping, running errands, and laundry. I have so much research to do to prepare for our baby...but, oh! Where is the time?! Clearly, baby takes top priority, and now that I have reached the top of the hill in the pregnancy timeline, I'm really feeling each tic-toc of the clock.

I realize I had yet to post any bump pictures to share, so here you go!

And yes, we now know if we're having a little boy or a little girl. I promise to share about our gender reveal very soon!!!!

Here are a few random updates on my pregnancy thus far:

~My second trimester has been much kinder, thank the Lord. The nausea has almost completely passed, save the rare moment.
~My biggest aversions? Sweet potatoes and any kind of Southwest Chipotle salad dressing. Please don't mention them to me. Ugh.
~I haven't had many intense cravings, though I am still favoring salty to sweet. However, the other night, I jokingly mentioned to Matt that I was having a pregnancy craving for ice cream. My wonderful husband then graciously volunteered to run to the grocery store to get some! Ah, he's the best.
~I feel fairly certain that I have felt our baby move! It's still very faint at this point, but still so amazing. I can't wait until I'm feeling it all the time!
~I haven't been too overly emotional thus far, but a few weeks ago, Matt and I were watching the movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale {a wonderful movie, by the way}. I'm such a sucker for dog movies, and I was a blubbering mess with this one--there was no keeping my sobs silent. So, no more dog movies for me until baby comes!
~I found some really cute maternity clothes at our local Salvation Army thrift store. And great brands like A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood Maternity nonetheless!
~We're still working on pinning down a baby name and still planning to keep it secret once we've decided.

I am so excited because tomorrow, Matt and I are heading off on a mini-getaway to Mackinac Island. We have dubbed it our "babymoon" since we know this will be our last little vacation before our baby arrives. It is also serving as a celebration of Matt's 30th Birthday, since his birthday will take place on this trip. We haven't taken a trip with just the two of us since he returned from his deployment in May 2011. And since we're going north, we're really hoping to see some amazing fall colors!

I just couldn't be more delighted that Fall is here. And this year more than ever before, I am acutely aware how the significance of the changing of the seasons reflects the change coming upon our own lives...the most exciting change possible.

The Red, White, and Blue

Happy 4th of July!

I love this holiday, because I love America so.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been born and raised in this amazing country.

And despite my current fears on the direction this country is headed, I feel a deep sense of patriotism within myself.

That's why I feel so proud to have had the opportunity to serve our great nation when I stood by to love and support Matt when he deployed to Afghanistan for one year.

Now we have this {folded} American flag, flown over his base in Afghanistan, to always cherish within our family.

It was flown for a single day on base--a date which Matt and I specifically chose together. After that it was retired and folded to be given to Matt.

What an immense blessing that Matt was able to protect and serve our beloved America.

Have a blessed Independence Day, everyone!

29

We had just about the best weekend ever. It was a special birthday weekend...

Cheesecake Factory deliciousness.

...my sister and I both celebrated our birthdays! We are two years and two days apart in age, but our parents have always made sure to celebrate our birthdays separately so we feel very special, even now as adults. Erin's birthday was Saturday and mine was yesterday. Matt and I were in Ohio at my parents' house, but birthdays weren't the real reason we made the trip there; Jozsef Steiner, our dear, dear family friend and the pastor I interned for in Hungary was there! I hadn't seen Jozsef since I left Hungary after my eight-month stay in 2011. I will share a bit more with you about my special birthday tomorrow.

So. I'm 29. And people have asked--but no, it really doesn't bother me at all that this is my last year in my Twenties. I mean, I've seen the big 3-0 creeping up for the last few years, and age is really just a number, anyway. I have thought about putting together one of those "30 before 30" to-do lists, although I'd have to put that list together soon, as most month's I'd have to check off three items to get my list accomplished by next June. AND since I'm so late, the items would have to be extremely "do-able"; no major, ultra-time-consuming jobs. I'll let you know if I decide to go for it since I'd document it here on my blog to let you all keep me accountable.

{Is anyone else out there flabbergasted like me that JUNE is here now? Where is 2012 going?!?!}

Sunrise at the Lake

I've mentioned before that we live within walking distance of the lake. That's Lake St. Clair, to be exact. It's not one of the Great Lakes, but it's still large enough that one can't see the other side, giving the illusion of an ocean rather than a lake.

The other morning I woke up at the wee hours to enjoy the sunrise. Growing up on the western shore of the beautiful peninsula of Michigan, I enjoyed hundreds upon hundreds of breathtaking sunsets. These glorious sunsets were such a commonplace sight that I'm rather afraid I took them for granted.

Now that we live on the eastern shore of our state, I decided it was high time to start enjoying some sunrises, even if it means getting up far earlier than my body would like.

The early morning sky enticed me along to the lake front:

The colors in this photo weren't edited whatsoever--promise! It was incredible...

 And then I arrived at the lake. The forcast was right: partly cloudy. Yet the glorious golden rays of the sunrise still had a tiny chance to make an appearance...

There is little else in this world that soothes my soul the way majestic waters can. Whether it be mighty, white-capped waves, or smooth, quiet ripples--no matter what the circumstances of life may be, I gaze upon the waters and my heart instantly becomes at peace.

And then--to my utter delight--a large family {of fifteen!!} swam by:

They were soon followed by a much smaller family of five:

I enjoyed many moments of repose, seated at a picnic table, scribbling down thoughts in my journal.

I was the only soul at the waterfront. Oh, how I love solitude.

The walk home was also magically empty...

...empty, and enchanting.

I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start the day.

I Heart Costa

We all know the story. We've seen the headlines, the photos, heard the developing news about the Costa Concordia disaster off the coast of Italy.



Photo retrieved here

The Italian cruise line, Costa, has undoubtedly suffered a big blow to its reputation, although the fault of this tragedy ultimately lies with the ship's captain.

And the most recent headlines are sparking outrage--Costa has offered all survivors of the Costa Concordia a full refund of their voyage and a 30% discount on all future Costa cruises. This does seem utterly ridiculous and I can only imagine what an insult it must seem to those passengers.

Why am I talking about all of this, you may ask? Well, it's because way back when, in 2001, I cruised the Caribbean with Costa. And it was lovely.

Though Costa ships mostly sail the Mediterranean, every so often, they send one or two of their ships across the Atlantic to sail the Caribbean. That's when I, along with best friend Laura and her parents, joined them for a week-long Spring Break vacation.

Laura and I especially loved that the ship's crew was Italian. Our dining steward assigned to us for the week was so sweet and had a great accent when he spoke English. Even though we weren't in Europe, there was a sort of feeling of Europe lingering in the air. The ship itself {it wasn't the Concordia} was stunning and immaculate. The food was beyond incredible, the entertainment spectacular, and the organized land tours by the cruise were wonderful, too.

We sailed to Mexico, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman islands. It was really a dream-trip come true for me. And I was so impressed with the overall experience of cruising that I decided this was one of THE ultimate ways to travel.

Since it was my first cruise experience, and such a lovely one at that, I have to say that I've held a special affection for Costa cruise lines in my heart. The Costa Concordia is such a sad tragedy, and my heart goes out to all of the victims and the survivors as well. I think that Costa's reputation will likely be forever tarnished because of this and that they will have trouble attracting future vacationers. I don't necessarily have plans to cruise with Costa in the future, but I can tell you that aside from the Costa Concordia disaster and based upon my own personal experience with Costa, I wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.



Resolutions

It seems that everyone has a different opinion about New Year's Resolutions. Some make them, some don't, some think they're a waste of time, some take them ultra-seriously.

I confess that I do make resolutions with the beginning of each new year, and here's why they work for this girl.

For me, making resolutions is a way to sit back and gain a little perspective on my life and daily habits {good or bad}. I am a big believer that one should always be working towards bettering oneself in as many ways as possible {as I'm sure most others are}, and resolutions are what I have found to help me map out my yearly goals and work towards them.

Now, I'm not too hard on myself when I make resolutions, and I certainly don't let myself make unrealistic ones. But here's the thing--I write down these resolutions with the full expectation that I will "break" each and every one of them. They're not really "rules" for myself anyway {like saying "no more fast food"} but rather long-distance goals that I am working towards.

I write down resolutions that I can work towards during the course of the year, knowing that at times, I will do very poorly, but I give myself permission to be not-perfect. {Which is HUGE for me--Hello! I'm a total perfectionist!} That way, when I feel I have failed in one area or another, I don't feel like giving up on it entirely. I just decide to move on and keep working towards that goal.

As I sit down to write out my fresh resolutions, I always refer back to the ones I made the previous year. It's a great feeling to look at some of the ways I wanted to improve myself in 2011 and realize that I did make significant progress. I may not be at the exact place I want to be in certain areas, but progress feels good, and it encourages me to continue. I also find it helpful to read over my resolutions every month or so, to refresh my memory and see the areas where I'm needing to work harder.

There are certain resolutions that I believe will always show up on my list each year. For example: drinking more water. Although I know I did discipline myself to drink more water in 2011, I know I'm still not drinking anywhere close to the amount one should. Or there's pop-drinking. I've always been a huge pop drinker {one reason I don't consume enough water}, and I'm proud of myself because towards the end of 2011, I forced myself to switch to diet pop only. {That's big for me because I have always detested diet pop}. I am fully aware that diet pop isn't "healthy", but at least it has lessened my caloric-intake. I am working towards the goal that one day, I will drink very little to no pop at all; so you can see...little by little.

My 2012 resolutions include such things as keeping better contact with friends from my past, taking Annabelle on more walks, taking better care of my skin and nails, journaling more often, and trying more adventurous things in the kitchen. Since my goals also include things like eating more fruits/veggies, drinking more water, and exercising more often {working towards an overall healthier me}, you won't find "lose 25 pounds" on my list, nor things like "no more carbs." I believe that working on my positive goals will help me eliminate my negative habits or areas where I tend to be "bad." {like, ahem, chocolate consumption}

Because I have the desire to always be working on myself in some way, to be a better person and live a life worthy of calling myself "Daughter to the King," I know I will make progress in these areas in 2012. But I also know that at some point, I'm going to realize that, Wow, I haven't worked out in a week or two, I haven't been drinking much water, I haven't touched my journal in forever, and my nail beds are a wreck. And I won't beat myself up over it. I'll forgive myself, allowing me to move on and keep taking the small steps towards a better me.

What are your thoughts on resolutions? Have you made any for 2012?

2011 Year in Review

2011 began for me with life as I knew it in Hungary continuing along fabulously. Matt's deployment was a little more than half over, and I was loving every minute of my life in Hungary.

Towards the beginning of January, I had to move out of the Bridge building {where I had my own living space}, but was so infinitely blessed to be invited to live with the Szasz Family:

Even in the three months I lived with them, they made me feel like a true member of their lovely family. And those precious girls became like sisters!!

Also in January, my dear friend Sarah came to visit me on her way back to study in Scotland, and we had all sorts of glorious adventures in Budapest:

February kept me busy with all my "regulars" in Hungary--teaching in the high school, spending time with the church youth, teaching my many private English lessons, and taking my own private Hungarian lessons.

I also went to my first-ever water polo match--Hungary versus Canada:

The Magyars (Hungarians) totally whipped the Canadians. Ojra Magyarorszag!!

March was such a whirlwind month. It was very bittersweet for me; I never imagined how difficult it was going to be to leave Hungary. I had spent eight months there, and even though they were difficult because Matt and I were apart, God blessed them in such a way that I count them as some of the very best months of my entire life.

I had to say goodbye to my students at the high school:

One of the four classes of students I taught.

And I had so many, many dear friends to which I had to say goodbye. These goodbyes were some of the hardest of my life, to be honest, and there were so many tears.

But again, March was bittersweet; the sweet being because not only was I coming home to family I hadn't seen in eight long months, but God provided a very unexpected and utterly wonderful surprise for me and Matt:

A two week-long reunion for me and Matt in El Paso, Texas, while Matt was still on deployment! He was
one of a handful chosen to come back to the US from Afghanistan for two weeks on a special assignment, and I was able to meet him in Texas. We actually had more free time together than expected, but I lounged at the pool when Matt was working. :)

After our two weeks in Texas finished in April, Matt had to go back to Afghanistan for a few more weeks, and I returned to Michigan to find us a new place to live {in a whole new area of Michigan} since we'd be relocating for Matt's new job when he returned.

I found a perfect little apartment, and both my family and Matt's family undertook the big job of pulling all of our belongings our of storage and moving them into our new place. I had just enough time to get things all unpacked and settled at the end of April/beginning of May.

The view from our patio.

And then, on May 9th, Matt's deployment finally ended!



Also in May, we celebrated Matt's return by taking a week-long trip to Orlando with his family. It was such an amazingly fun week, complete with Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Sea World, a day at the beach, Medieval Times, and swimming with manatees!

Since Matt wasn't required to return to work until the middle of June, the two of us went on a little getaway to the Smokey Mountains at the beginning of June. We rented a private cabin with a view {and a hot tub on the deck!} and enjoyed hikes in the mountains, as well as the touristy areas in Gatlinburg.

Then our dear friends, Nick and Jaela, got married in June and had a gorgeous beach wedding at Lake Michigan:

In July, we had a couple of little getaways.

First, we were able to spend a weekend in the gorgeous Amway Grand hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, courtesy of Matt's National Guard Unit holding the post-deployment gathering there.

We also went to Shipshewana, Indiana {Amish Country} with Matt's parents and JJ and Jennie. We stayed in a cozy Bed & Breakfast, did some shopping, and enjoyed good 'ole-fashioned Amish cooking.

August began with the good and the bad; Matt's Grandma passed away suddenly. She was a beautiful woman inside and out, and we miss her a lot. Just about the same time, the MOST wonderful, exciting thing happened on my side of the family...my sister Erin and her husband, Dan, adopted a beautiful, newborn baby boy! They named him Will, and oh boy, is he ever a heart-breaker.

I then jetted out to the city that has my heart, Portland, Oregon, where so many of my family and friends live. I stayed with my brother Brandon, his beautiful wife Karyl, and my niece and nephew, Krista and Sam. I was relishing the time with them...it hurts me to only get to see them every so often. I had the perfect excuse to fly out there--I was a bridesmaid in my best friend Katie's wedding! {sadly Matt couldn't get the time off of work to come, too}

Sam and Krista.

In September, Matt and spent much of our free time taking our dog, Annabelle, on hikes at a State Park. It was the perfect was to enjoy the gorgeous fall weather.

October brought a visit from my very-pregnant best friend, Laura, and her darling little girl, Eden:

I also got to see baby Will again at his baby dedication:

And October wouldn't be complete without a Halloween party with friends and a trip or two to the local orchards:

November was a bit quieter, but we had a lovely time celebrating Thanksgiving at my grandparents' home in northeastern Ohio.



I know this is random, but did anyone else see Daniel Radcliffe singing and dancing on TV at the
Macy's Parade? It kind of weirded me out!



And December has brought so many lovely Christmas traditions, celebrations, and fun times with family.

To say that 2011 was a memorable year would be a tremendous understatement. God blessed it beyond our wildest imaginations and filled it with love and happiness.

We joyfully anticipate 2012 and whatever it may bring, knowing that God holds our future in His perfect plans.

Happy New Year, everyone!

{be sure to check out my "Delighted Archives" to read more about 2011's adventures...}