a little announcement.

p.s. apparently blogger is letting me upload photos again. yay!! i'm really glad because i've missed it here.

fall. a lot has changed.

my little alex love - 

your little chubby fingers are one of the few things "baby" about you these days. 

i love your wild and crazy justin beiber hair. somedays it's a crazy mess, all in your eyes. but somedays, it sweeps over to the side, just so. i love it! 

i love to play with your hair. i could play with it all the live long day. i have come to notice that it's a weird habit i have when we meet someone new. i'm awkward like that.

oh, and let's not forget the color. you got that from me. i always imagined i would have babies with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. i really kind of love that you are the perfect combination of me and your daddy.

your eyes slay me. they are a honey color almost. lighter than your daddy's but not blue like mine. and if i ask you your eye color you say "bwown." and you know mine are blue. you have the longest darkest eyelashes i have ever seen. your mommy is a wee bit jealous of those.

i could really go on and on but those are just some things that really stuck out to me looking through these photos. you are my favorite person to photograph yet you NEVER want to look at my camera or stop moving long enough for me to get a decent shot.

the days have been rough lately between "the terrible twos" and moving but we are slowly figuring things out. i'm trying my best to learn about you, your heart, and why you do the things you do. i just want to know you better to understand you and the little person you are growing into. then maybe we can work through this frustration together. 

for now, we're taking lots of walks together because i think you find a peace about going out for a walk. and so do i. our walks have been some of my favorite times lately because we are both calm and happy and i love it. and i love you my little bugg.

love, mommy

first fall hike.

happy monday!!

we're coming off of a great weekend over here (though, you wouldn't think so if you had seen that crabby toddler running around my house this morning) and feeling ready to start a new week.

the weather is finally starting to cool off down here in south texas and we are loving being outside again. oh, and when i say "cool off," i mean the high is only 90 degrees. but i'm a born and raised south texas girl so this is totally normal for me.

before my hubby and i had a kiddo, we loved us a good day of hiking. we would pack a lunch, bring our dog along, and explore the parks around the dallas area and up near lake texoma. once our little guy was born, life got super hectic with work and raising a newborn and all that stuff life tends to throw at you so we haven't been hiking in a good while.

this was our second time venturing out to goliad state park for a hike this year. the guys scouted out hiking sticks just their size and my little guy did such a great job staying on the trail and following right behind is daddy. we saw a tiny frog, and HUGE grasshopper, and a ton of salamanders. we had such a good time. that is, until the hubby started getting a ton of mosquito bites. i was freaking out a lot little and we found the quickest way out and to our car. all i could think about was WEST NILE VIRUS. eek!!

we are looking forward to going on a ton more hikes this fall while the air is nice and crisp.

i'm spending today working on a scripture print for my bible study tomorrow. i'm not sure if i mentioned starting a new bible study on here but we are going through the book Named By God by Kasey Van Norman and i'm loving it. not just the study but the community of women. that is something i have missed dearly since leaving dallas and my church there.

scripture print for my table: the bible study
leader opened with this verse. i think it's such
a great reminder for us every morning.

i hope everyone has a great week!

perspective and priorities.

happy hump day!!

i've got to make this quick because i have a photo session i'm supposed to be editing but i really feel like i want to get this down. mostly for myself, just as a reminder because i am one that needs reminders A LOT.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11 (NIV)

ouch!!

i have a lot on my plate a lot of days being work-at-home-mom, among many other roles in my life. as i'm sure many of you know, sometimes it's easy to get lost in the little things and forget about our real purpose: making much of Him. i am really starting realize how much i have added to my plate that gets in my way of that.

the past few weeks, my husband and i have been discussing when we would like to make our family of 3 a family of 4. God willing, of course! most days, i am super excited about growing our little family but somedays, the HARD days, i have my doubts. can i really manage two kids? my friends with large families, i seriously think you are amazing!!

my babies from when i was a little girl.
my sweet boy now loves on them for me.

anyway, i know it will be hard, even on "easy" days and that scares me a little. i've known ever since i was a little girl that this is what i was made to do. i carried my babies everywhere and loved on them and cared for them. there still is no doubt in my mind that i want more kids but now that i have one, i know how hard it can be at times.

this afternoon, as i went to put my little guy down for a nap, he decided he didn't want anything to do with it. he did this on sunday too. this is not normal for him but it happens occasionally, as i'm sure it does with most kids. i've been sick and feel weak and drained and just did not feel like fighting this fight. and honestly, a small part of me just wanted to come chill at the computer and not think or do anything but surf the internet.

but you know what, something hit me. i am so stinking lucky to be able to stay home with my son, to have the opportunity to teach him and train him and raise him up to be a little disciple. who cares about my photography, my house, the time-suck that is the internet. i am here for him. to teach him to obey and respect. to make sure he has plenty of sleep and a clean diaper, even if it is a fight sometimes. to make sure he gets healthy food to eat. and i am so thankful for that reminder.

my whole purpose of being here at home while my husband is at work is to raise up our family. nobody said it would be easy. but rotten me, i thought it needed to be easy. maybe because sometimes, it looks easy for everyone else. but really, it's not. everyone else just doesn't talk about how hard it is.

i think it's just about getting my priorities in order (i am a wife and mom and sister in Christ before anything else) and changing my perspective (i am here to teach my kid(s) and raise them up and that is such a joy). if i can just remember why i am here and cut out a lot of those time-sucks that take away my focus from this awesome ministry God has given me, i can really focus on the joy of what i am here to do.

bits of splendor monday.

happy monday!

this is going to be short and sweet today. i have been sick since saturday and i'm feeling even worse today. but i wanted to share one of my favorite moments from this past weekend.

the 2nd birthday fiesta turned out great and a good time was had by all. especially by my sweet boy. we are so blessed to have family that loves on our boy like they do.

everyone have a great week!

the big t.w.o.

today my sweet boy turns two. and i am so excite he is old enough to really take it all in. he has been practicing saying his age for a couple of weeks now and he's got it down. and he gets so excited when he says it too.

last night, the hubby and i stayed up and blew up balloons and hung them from the ceiling throughout our living and dining area. when my little guy woke up this morning, his eyes lit up at seeing all the colorful balloons hanging in his honor.

he opened up his small gifts, all disney die cast cars. he loves them. and then we rolled in the little red trike. he loves it! he still doesn't have the pedaling down but he loves wearing his helmet and riding it around the house

i made homemade donuts and stuck a couple of candles in for him to blow out. he thought it was the coolest thing. and i just think it is the coolest thing that God gave me this sweet boy. i am so thankful for him every single day, but especially on his birthday. 

here are a few photos from this morning. the balloons and single light we have in our living/dining area made the lighting come out really weird but they are precious to me, nonetheless.

we're off to the movies with the birthday boy. it's his first time going so wish us luck!

celebrating two - part three.

this morning, while my little guy was eating his oatmeal, i was trying to get some work done on the computer and going through photos trying to decide on the ones i wanted to post for today. i have a TON to choose from but not near as many as i wish i had.

*note to self: pull out the big camera and real video camera (i.e. not iphone) a whole lot more!

anyway, i was going through the monthly photos i took of alex during his first year and found a video of him babbling. i think he was around 5 months old. and do you want to know what happen...this mama started bawling her eyes out. and my little guy started saying "out." he wanted me to take the baby out of the monitor to hold. i can't wait until he gets to be a big brother. i asked my husband if he could figure out a way to do this. of course, he just gave me a little laugh.

it's so cliche but i cannot believe how fast these two years have flown by. and you know, i really needed this little reminder. it's not that i forgot but things have been a little harder around here lately. and sometimes, the harder moments overshadow the good ones because there are just so many sometimes. but i am just going to keep praying through the hard and praising God through the good. and remember that it is all just so sweet and worth treasuring. 

anyway, enough of that sappy talk. and on to the photos. here we are one year ago, celebrating a very special first birthday.

i hear a sweet boy stirring from his nap so i'm off. have a great wednesday!

celebrating two - part two.

my sweet boy turns two this thursday and i am celebrating on my blog by posting a photo or two from the past two years each day this week. if you missed yesterday, click here.

yesterday's photos were pretty recent so i figured i would just go back a few months each day until we get to those sweet newborn shots.

here, my little guy is right around 18 months.

have a great tuesday!!

celebrating two.

my baby boy is turning two this week so i've been feeling a little extra nostalgic the past few days. and snapping a few more pics than usual because my little guy turning one more year older makes me realize a little more how fleeting this precious life is.

i will say, however, this week has been a little more challenging regarding behavior and discipline which i know is totally NORMAL for any almost-two-year-old. but it still breaks this mama's heart to see her sweet kind-hearted boy act out. i will spend this next year praying for a LOT of grace.

i figured i would share with you all a few of my favorite photos from the past couple of years as a way to celebrate my little guy.

here are a couple i snapped a couple of sundays ago at the park.

i hope everyone had a great labor day holiday weekend and has an even better (short) week!!

p.s. any tips, resources, etc for toddlerhood and discipline? i feel a little lost in this area and suggestions are MUCH appreciated!

proverbs

hi! long time, no see. life has been hectic lately and i've had a lot on my heart...a lot that i would like to share here but "busyness" keeps getting in the way. but i don't want to complain. overall, life is good.

i have written several times here about #shereadstruth and there's a reason for that. this community of ladies has been so awesome, providing some much needed uplifting and encouragement for this here lady. we are currently reading the book of proverbs and it is chock-full of wisdom. somebody said it could be called life's manual. so so true. it seriously speaks to my soul on a daily basis. 

and you want to know what else? it is convicting me everyday to be a better sister in Christ, wife, mama, friend. 

today, it slapped me in the face: 

"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Proverbs 19:13.

i do not want to be that annoying, dripping faucet to my husband. i want to understanding, loving, caring, kind, joyful to be around. all of those things God instructs us to be. 

i want to be that wife for my husband. and hopefully, eventually, that will bleed into every other relationship in my life. 

so if you could, say a little prayer for me as i continue to grow to be more like Him. to share His love with my husband so that i am not that dripping faucet.

i would love to pray for you. let me know how i can. 

a wordless wednesday.

bits of splendor monday

we originally had plans to go to san antonio for my brother-in-laws birthday this past weekend but i got a text from my father-in-law on friday morning saying that the party had to be moved to next weekend. do you want to hear something crazy? my brother-in-law is turning 10. i will be 30 (as will my husband) next year. i always find this age gap to be a little funny. but such is life. 

anyway, i LOVE to take little weekend trips and LOVE anything that gets me out of this tiny town i'm still adjusting to after 9 months of living here. but you know, i was so thankful to have a weekend at home to just chill with my little family. the past month has been full of trips here, vacations there, all which i thoroughly enjoy and appreciate. but there is just nothing like having time to relax and just enjoy this little family of mine. 

we went to the local college to walk the track, went swimming in our little blow up pool, and just hung out and soaked up some of the olympics. i am so thankful for this time to just love and enjoy my family.

i get to start the week off well-rested and even more ready to visit san antonio. one of my very favorite places there is the river walk. i know it's a total tourist trap and i've been there a million times but i just LOVE it!

did you do anything exciting this weekend? or have a relaxing weekend like me?

today i'm linking up with bits of splendor.

art.

it's friday!! i don't know about you but we are excited over here to have a couple of days to hang out with daddy. my little guy cut 3 teeth this week so we are all grumpy and tired. we have a birthday party on saturday and church on sunday so we are super excited. we missed the last two sundays because of vacation and being sick so we are ready to get back!

as we get into the thick of toddlerhood, i find a needing more structure and activities to keep him happy. i have a loose routine i follow everyday but i also try to be careful to give him plenty of time by himself because i don't want him to think he always has to be entertained. i must say, finding the "ideal" balance has been quite tricky. and of course, his needs change every.single.day.

part of our daily routine is an afternoon art project. somedays that consists of pulling out the basket of crayons and a coloring sheet. and somedays mama likes to be a little adventurous and get down and dirty with the art projects. this past week we made marbled paper using shaving cream and food coloring. of course, i found this awesome idea on pinterest. i knew it would be messy but the results were worth it. i never took a photo of the finished product but it looks like tie-dyed paper. we plan on framing the paper along with one of the photos and sending one out to each of the grandparents. i think they will love it.

tell me, do you have a routine you follow during the day? any tips or tricks for toddlerhood? right now i'm just trying to figure out what makes alex tick, trying to figure out: does he need more one on one time? more alone time? more boundaries? more structure? 

i just pray everyday for grace, wisdom, and kind/loving words. and always remember, everyday is a new day.