Lots to Look Forward To

Other than the obvious big event I'm looking forward to (holding little baby Graham), there are some other events coming sooner that I'm excited about.


For one, our first childbirth class is tonight. I feel a silly about it, but I'm a little nervous! I have no idea why. What could possibly happen at this class that I should be nervous about? That I ask a "stupid" question? That the instructor asks Dustin to wear the fake pregnancy belly and he refuses? I don't know! Despite being nervous, I am also looking forward to the classes; to meeting other expecting couples; to learning more about what to expect and getting questions answered.




Another thing I'm looking forward to is our Babymoon. Not only do Dustin and I get to spend time together alone before little Graham arrives, but we get a much-needed vacation (much-needed for Dustin especially, because he works so hard/much). I'm sure I'll do a blog post about our Babymoon after we get back from it.




I'm also looking forward to my baby showers. I have such wonderful friends and family that offered to throw these for me (one in Fayetteville, one in Little Rock). I look forward to seeing all the shower guests so much. Not to mention, I know the showers will be super cute and am so thankful for all the work my family and friends are putting/will put into throwing them. I'm sure I'll do blog posts on these as well. : )

I hope you have lots to look forward to as well!

Movie/Book Reviews

I've started reading for pleasure again and had some mini-book reviews for you (in addition to a movie review)!


Water for Elephants - I really enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to get into it, but it's a great story. The author does a good job of making you like the main character, Jacob Jankowski, and want him to succeed. The author also does a great job at villainizing certain characters, but all of them have human sides to them, albeit small human sides sometimes. The book is set in two different time periods and goes back and forth between the two time periods: one period is when Jacob has grown old and is in a nursing home and one when he is young. The parts of the book where Jacob is old really delves into the struggles we have as we age, losing physical and mental abilities that once came so easily to us, as well as losing significance to the people who once depended on us. The parts of the book where Jacob is young starts with him being in his final semester of a prestigious veterinary school and, much like any other young man, having a crush on a classmate of his. However, while sitting in class one day, the dean of the school comes in to deliver tragic news; news that would lead him to cast aside his boy-like wishes and fantasies and run off to crazy adventures and forbidden love, .... and forever change his life. I really want to see the movie now!


The Mysterious Benedict Society - This was a great book and a very easy read. It's more of a children's book, but was still a fun and interesting read. I got into it quickly and read it just as quickly. As the title indicates, there are riddles/mysteries throughout the book that make you try to guess and figure out what's going on before the author reveals it. The main character, Reyard Muldoon (or Reynie) is an unusually intelligent boy for his age and an orphan. One day, he and his tutor, Miss Perumal, come across a newspaper ad for children with special gifts. They decide that he should answer the ad; he is put through a series of tests along with a large number of other children. However, as each test passes, more and more children are weeded out until it is down to him and three other children. Each of these children possesses different mental and physical gifts and abilities; together, they form the Mysterious Benedict Society. They were brought together by Mr. Benedict, a smart and kind man who needs them for a critical and dangerous mission, a mission that will save the world. This book is the first in a series and I've already checked out the second book from my local library and started reading it. So far, so good!


Captain America: The First Avenger - Dustin and I both liked this movie a lot! It had action, adventure, funny moments, and a little (but not too much (otherwise, Dustin wouldn't have liked it)) romance. It had no nudity and no profanity (that we saw), but it was still a really entertaining and good movie! Take note, Hollywood, that stuff is NOT necessary for a good movie. I'm just sayin'... Oh, and it looks like there will be a sequel to come. Yay!

Rearranging My Home ... and My Life

Recently, Dustin and I have been preparing our home for the madness (and joy) that awaits it. Now that we have this task ahead of us, I realize how very poorly we had our house set up for this very thing.

Part of that could be because we never planned on staying in it long enough to have children in it. Also, when we moved in a little over 3 1/2 years ago, I think we were both a little lazy. We haven't used our upstairs much during our time here; we've used it more for storage space than anything else. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've been up there more the past 24 weeks than I had the entire 3 years before that.

For the first time ever, though, as we move and rearrange everything, I am trying not to do "the easy thing" that I know I'm going to have to go back and fix later. Why? Because who knows how much time I'll have to fix it later? Will it wait 5 or more years before I get to it, driving me crazy that whole time? Maybe, maybe not. I could be overestimating how busy I'll be with a little one. Either way, I'd like to get things as together as I can while I'm able. I guess that's the nesting instinct for you!

What have we done so far?

1. The Office - We've moved Dustin's desk out of the office to use at the top of the stairs. We also moved the tv out of the office and into the main guest bedroom. We may move my office desk into the office. We then rearranged the furniture in the office and moved the small (full) guest bed from Graham's future room into the office.

2. The Main Guest Bedroom - We moved the table at the top of the stairs into the main guest bedroom (in addition to the tv from the office). We also began a pile of things that we want to put in a garage sale in this room.

3. The Attic - Yes, we even had to do stuff with the attic. We mainly went in there and organized it, so that we had room to put more stuff since we will no longer be using the other rooms as storage space. We still have some more work to do here, but it's a lot better after today.

4. The Other Guest Bedroom/Graham's Future Room - We had the most work to do in this room, I think. We moved a ton of winter clothes, work and law school papers and other miscellaneous things out of the room, organizing, throwing away, and adding to the garage sale pile along the way. Once it was completely cleared out and vacuumed, we started moving the baby stuff we have in.

5. Babymoon is booked!!!

What do we still have to do?

1. The Attic - We still have some organizing to do. Also, we need to go through everything and make sure none of it needs to go into the garage sale pile.

2. The Office - We have a ton of papers we need to go through and shred/trash. We have some other miscellaneous baby stuff in there that we need to move to the attic when it's ready. Like I mentioned above, we may move my office desk/chair into this room. We also need to make the guest bed (the sheets are sitting on top of it).

3. The Main Guest Bedroom - We need to get all the things in the garage sale pile down to Little Rock to go in my parents' garage sale. We also have some miscellaneous paintings/picture frames in there we either need to hang or put in the attic.

4. Graham's Future Room - We need to continue moving and rearranging things as we get them and begin decorating.

Not too bad, considering we still have about 16 more weeks to do all this! I'm sure there will be another blog post (and I'll post pictures) when it's all ready!

Belly Buttons & Responsibility

In addition to work, most of the day (including right now) I've been researching cord blood collection & storage companies and, I must say, it is a little overwhelming. It is similar to cloth diapering in that you come across a lot of information and much of it conflicts. One company says another company's way of doing things is bad and vice-versa. In fact, both companies I've talked to so far have told me that the other company has straight out lied to me about one thing or another. The only thing they seem to agree on is that their processes are very different. How do you know what is true?! I suppose I'll keep researching and try to find some independent sources (if there are any) to back up the information I'm getting from these companies.

By the way, in case you didn't know, cord blood is blood taken from a newborn's umbilical cord. It can be stored and later used for that child, siblings, and maybe even other family members to treat certain diseases, cancers, and illnesses. It's an insurance policy, in a way, against those certain illnesses.

All that I'm sure of right now is that I'm exhausted! And now it's time to make dinner. I know, I know... get used to it!

Day 30: My Favorite Sport

Day 30: A Picture of My Favorite Sport

Well, I've come to the end of my 30-day photo challenge journey. It is only the beginning of blogging for me, though. I think I might have got the hang of things by now. I just have to think about my own topics to write about now. Let's hope I can be creative enough to keep it interesting for you readers!


Now, for my last blog post, I'm going to discuss my favorite sport. I'm not much of a sport player, but I'm an avid Razorback fan. Since football season is nearing and the excitement is building, I'd have to say college football is my favorite sport to watch. However, I also love college basketball as well!

I hope we get to go to at least 1 football game this season. The only home games I could possibly go to are the ones on September 3 (Missouri State) and October 8 (Auburn). With that being said, if you or someone you know has tickets to either of these games that you won't be using, feel free to give them to me! I don't sound desperate, do I? ; )

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 29: Where I Live

Day 29: A Picture of Where I Live

I love where I live. It's on the top of all sorts of "Best Cities to Live In" lists. One of the things I love about Fayetteville is the University (and the Razorbacks, of course), so I had to include pictures of that.



I also went on a walk around my neighborhood and will include some of my favorite pictures from that walk (Sam included).














Pretty, huh? : )

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 28: My Favorite Place to Shop

Day 28: A Picture of My Favorite Place to Shop

If you know me, you know I'm not a big shopper. I never have been. If I had a ton of free money to spend (when would that ever happen?), I might get more into it, but I've never enjoyed trying on clothes or the time it takes to find something you like enough to spend money on it. However, I must admit that I do love good bargains.

Lately, I've been buying more clothes for me, because I'm not fitting in my normal clothes. I loved Rhea Lana's, a maternity/baby consignment sale that travels to different cities, mainly in the South. At the time Rhea Lana's was in this area, though, I had no idea what size maternity clothes I would wear or what types of clothes I would really need. So I've done some more shopping since then. Not many thrift stores or consignment shops had many, if any, maternity clothes. I was, however, very impressed with Trendy Mindy's collection of maternity clothes. Trendy Mindy's is a consignment shop in Fiesta Square shopping center. If I need other stuff in the future, I may very well go back.

I've found a few good deals at Old navy ($12 maternity jeans, $2 maternity sweater, etc. on clearance) and a good deal on clothes at miscellaneous places (JCPenney, Kohls, etc.). The best place I've found so far for reasonably priced maternity clothes is....


Target! They ALWAYS have clearance racks which almost always have good maternity choices. In fact, I'm wearing a cute, semi-dressy black maternity shirt from there today that I got for $5 on clearance... and I got compliments on it when I was out and about! Random comment: I really like when maternity sizes are S, M, L as opposed to numbers; it just makes me feel better. I'm sure you can figure out why.

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 27: A Tradition I Have

Day 27: A Picture of A Tradition I Have

Is 2 years in a row long enough to call it a "tradition"? Last year, we started what I hope will be a tradition of getting together with good friends during the July 4th weekend/holiday and playing with fireworks/going to a Northwest Arkansas Naturals' baseball game. First, pictures from last year:


My friend, Hayley P., and me


(left to right) Dustin, Jonathan, and the Portmanns. Mindi must've been at the restroom/getting a drink.


Me and Dustin (and Jonathan creeping in the background).

Now, this year:


We set out chairs in our front yard so we could shoot off fireworks in the street.


We had the Littletons, Portmanns, Emerts and (future) Watsons over. It was a blast!



Dustin and Josh... looks like they're running or something... lol!


It was a GORGEOUS day at the ballpark. It was a little hot at first (when the sun was on us), but it was very nice once that passed.


Me and my boo. ♥

We'll see if we can keep this tradition up next year, when we have an eight month old! By the way, we've decided that our baby boy's name is Graham David. : )

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 26: The Last Movie I Saw In Theaters

Day 26: A Picture of the Last Movie I Saw in Theaters


I believe the last movie I saw in theaters was 'Super 8' with Dustin. We would both give it two thumbs up. If you're wondering what the movie is about, I took this quote from rottentomatoes.com:

"In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined. -- (C) Official Site"

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 25: Me and My Siblings

Day 25: A Picture of Me and My Siblings


This is from my wedding (obv). I love my brothers and sisters! They are all so awesome in their own ways!

* Todd and Jason (top left two) are SO funny, especially when they're together! They're very fun to be around and I always look forward to spending time with them when I get to. Oh, and they have awesome children (my nieces and nephews)!
* Lori (bottom right) is my big sister and has always been so nice, caring, and is the best friend anyone could ask for. She is the most loyal person I know and always sticks up for her friends and family. She is such a strong person and I've always looked up to her. Again, I love her children (my nieces)!!!
* Patrick (top right) is a very nice, gentle person. I don't think he would never do anything mean to anyone. He is pretty laidback and sincerely cares for his friends and family.
* Christa (bottom left) is extremely smart, beautiful, and fun to be around. She's my concert-buddy; we like to see our favorite musical artists in concert. Even though we're 8 years apart, we're pretty close and I feel like we can talk about just about anything together.

As I said in the beginning, I love all my siblings so much. This blog post certainly doesn't discuss all their great qualities or do any of them justice, but I am certainly thankful to have each of them in my life and couldn't imagine it any other way.

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 24: My Favorite Book

Day 24: A Picture of My Favorite Book

I love reading. I've always loved reading. I definitely don't do it as much as I'd like to. I really don't think I have A favorite book. I've enjoyed reading many books. Not to be cliche, but one of my favorites is ...


The Bible. It has made such a huge difference in my life that it is difficult not to recognize it as a favorite.

However, when someone asks what my favorite book is, I don't tend to think of the Bible, because I don't mentally categorize the Bible as just "a book." It is so much more than that to me.

I'm also a big fan of fiction; things that are a fun read. Another favorite book of mine is...


Redeeming Love. As descriptions of this book online say, this is an interesting story that "functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love [grace, and redemption] for his people."

I do read non-Christian books as well. I loved Nancy Drew and Babysitters Club growing up, among others. In recent years, I've enjoyed the Twilight series and the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Like I said, I do not read as much as I should/want to.

Any suggestions for good fiction books to read?

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 23: Something I Wish I Was Better At

Day 23: A Picture of Something I Wish I Was Better At

There are plenty of things I wish I could do better. One of these things is...


Crafting! While I was involved in dance and music growing up, I've never been very artsy in a crafty way. Whether it's sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, or even gardening, I've never been great at doing crafty things. I think it's neat when people do crafty things and am very impressed with my many friends who do it so well.

I have friends who are crafty with baking, using everyday items to make unique creations, sewing, making jewelry, photography, and more! I am impressed with and in awe of all of these people. I know I wouldn't be good at (or even like) all of these things, but I think if I had a good mentor and found the right craft to focus my time and energies on, I could find something crafty I can be good at.... surely!

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 22: My Favorite Food

Day 22: A Picture of My Favorite Food


I've already mentioned pizza in one post. I would say that is my favorite food. I can eat that for every meal every day and never get tired of it. LOVE. IT. Dustin and I are definitely pizza connoisseurs. We love Tim's East and Mellow Mushroom in Fayetteville. Our favorite pizza was at this little pizza place in Kuaui, Hawaii. We ate there on our honeymoon and loved it! Apparently Ben Stiller lives on that island and he and his family like to order from the same place!

However, since I already wrote about pizza, I'll mention another favorite food.


The horseshoe (in my case, the ponyshoe)! Unfortunately, they don't have it in Arkansas, so I only get to eat it once or so a year. Featured on an episode of Man vs. Food, I normally eat a ponyshoe at D'Arcy's Pint in Springfield, Illinois when we go up to visit Dustin's family. Just for your edification (if you don't already know what this is), a horseshoe has many delicious ingredients, beginning with Texas toast on the bottom. Next, comes the meat of your choice. I like the buffalo chicken ponyshoe, but you can choose from ham, corned beef, turkey, bacon, veggie, hamburger, grilled chicken, italian sausage, buffalo chicken, breaded tenderloin, roast beef, and walleye. After the Texas toast and meat of your choice comes the golden, crispy and delicious french fries. And to top it all off, the tastiest part of all.... homemade cheese sauce (traditional or spicy)! Served with a side of buffalo sauce and ranch. So so good.

I am sad I only get to try this delicious dish only once a year, but it would probably be a bad thing for my waistline if we did have horseshoes in this area. If you're ever in/around Springfield, Illinois, this is definitely a must-try!

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 21: Last Summer

Day 21: A Picture from Last Summer

Last summer was quite eventful, so it was hard to pick just one picture! We went to three weddings, visited with family in Illinois, my younger sister moved up here and went through rush, we had our 4th wedding anniversary, watched a great fireworks show on July 4th, and more! This summer is shaping up to be just as eventful! A picture from one of the three weddings:



30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

Day 20: Somewhere I'd Like to Travel

Day 20: A Picture of Somewhere I'd Like to Travel

I'd love to go back to Hawaii someday; either Kuaui (where we went for our honeymoon) or Maui (I've heard great things about this island too).


My older sister, Lori, went here for her honeymoon and told me great things. So I've wanted to go ever since... my little sister gets to go this summer. Kiss, it Christa! ; P

But if I'm being honest, I'd really like to go here:


Everywhere! I haven't traveled much, but there are so many places I want to go that it's hard to pick just one. I know, with a baby on the way, it may be a while before I can do much traveling. Where do you want to travel?

30-day photo challenge:

DAY 01: A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH FIFTEEN FACTS
DAY 02: A PICTURE OF YOU AND SOMEONE YOU USED TO BE CLOSE WITH
DAY 03: A PICTURE OF THE CAST FROM YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW
DAY 04: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE DAY
DAY 05: A PICTURE OF ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES
DAY 06: A PICTURE OF A PERSON YOU'D LOVE TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A DAY
DAY 07: A PICTURE OF YOUR MOST TREASURED ITEM
DAY 08: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH
DAY 09: PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
DAY 10: A PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE YOU DID THE CRAZIEST THINGS WITH
DAY 11: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE
DAY 12: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU LIKE
DAY 13: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY
DAY 14: A PICTURE OF SOMEONE YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT
DAY 15: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE.
DAY 16: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS
DAY 17: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO
DAY 18: FIRST 10 SONGS ON YOUR iPOD SHUFFLE
DAY 19: A PICTURE OF YOU AS A KID
DAY 20: A PICTURE OF SOMEWHERE YOU'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
DAY 21: A PICTURE FROM LAST SUMMER
DAY 22: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
DAY 23: A PICTURE OF SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT
DAY 24: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOK
DAY 25: A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR SIBLINGS
DAY 26: A PICTURE OF THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN THEATERS
DAY 27: A PICTURE OF A TRADITION YOU HAVE
DAY 28: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP
DAY 29: A PICTURE OF WHERE YOU LIVE
DAY 30: A PICTURE OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT