The fourth of July weekend is such a fun weekend to celebrate our freedom as a country, and I think as believers we should be thinking about our freedom in Christ – TRUE freedom.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
Here in Wilmington there was a ginormo cookout in one of the parks, and we have friends that live next door to the location of said park. So we partook of the festivities, it was a good ol American time, I mean it in every way it could have been. Potluck style, sweaty kids, watermelon stained shirts, firecrackers in the distance, and afterwards fun with sparklers.
My plan is to be done with all projects (kcs design related) by August 1st, which is only but a mere month away! A few more wedding invitations to get ordered and two websites left to finish, in a month’s time, I can do it! I can do it!
Gearing up-
We’re at 33 weeks this week, and I have to get my mind in the game to prep for baby boy’s arrival… including, but not limited to, finishing that nursery, staying on top of thank you notes, finishing some baby book reading, getting everything organized and in it’s place, and preparing my mind and my heart… and I’m sure many more things I have forgotten.
We’re getting there.
I don’t know when you start the countdown, or if a countdown is even relevant because obviously due dates are an estimate. But 7 weeks to go, give or take!
Jer says this is our family photo with baby boy’s ghost in the background, ha! So weird.
I know, I know, AC is a luxury, not a necessity. However, these deep south temperatures and humidity are telling my very pregnant body a different story,
Our AC broke last Friday, right after painting baby boy’s room. Which means, a well ventilated paint area has turned into a sweat box. A cooped up home, with no air circulating (aside from a few lousy fans)… makes for a very stale, stuffy home. I’m not trying to be dramatic, it’s HOT in there.
Last night when we looked at it, the little needle had broken 90. I proceeded to open the windows so that it would cool down overnight and the 82 temperatures outside felt so cool coming inside, that’s how hot it is/was in there!
We left the windows open overnight, and I received a text this morning from Jeremy saying that it felt cool in the house with a temp of 85.
We are very thankful to those that have let us stay in their very-cool homes during this summer adventure!
I’ll never forget living overseas, and not having AC, I mean, not having it because it didn’t exist, not because it was broken. I remember coming back to America and freezing in the AC! I wouldn’t mind that feeling again.
Our new AC unit will be in Thursday, so hopefully we’ll have a cool home by Friday. I’m sure I’ll keep you updated!
I’m so ready to get into baby boy’s room and do some things! But, not without AC… oh no!
So, earlier, when I posted the update on the baby boy and his room, it was hard to not reveal very much, but I simply couldn’t because the bedding issue was so influx, mainly because it was out of stock for the longest time! But today, I checked (like I do everyday) and it was there, so it is purchased and hopefully en route to us soon! So, without further adieu, the rocket ship bedding:
Although, there is no orange, I fully expect to be adding pops of orange around the room for fun.
After 6 or so samples, the paint color I chose is called River Mist and is a Martha Stewart color (but in Behr). I think it will complement well and not overwhelm anything (that’s the goal).
We also got our glider & ottoman in this week, the glider looks like:
but ours has a ribbed type fabric.
We also have an awesome dresser from j.bradley which will be delivered soon! It looks like:
For now, the nursery is completely empty, well except for one lone desk chair. Jer has moved his office downstairs and is a bit cramped with all of the other things in that small room as well. It’s hard to move from 3 bedrooms down to 2, much harder than I thought it would be. We are a house in transition right now and things are in odd places, bookshelves in the hallway, a glider in the living room, etc.
The nursery will also double as a guest room, because it is quite a large space!
Tomorrow, several friends are coming over to help paint, of which I am so thankful, and we’re going to knock out some river mist!
Then it’s time for crib assembly, and to put the room together! I’m getting excited. Can you tell?
My sister, my mom, and my aunts planned a spendid baby shower in Raleigh for me, Jeremy and baby boy! It was a great mix of food, friends, and family!
It was held at my sister’s & bro-in-law’s home. Her and her hubs Jason, have done an amazing job with their home. You wouldn’t believe the projects and things they’ve attempted and overhauled since they moved in 4 years ago. I’m always so amazed! (their latest project is a sunroom, these are no small projects, folks).
This time, I got to be one of the projects, well, this event, anyway, and they did a fantastic job of hosting. Every detail was taken into consideration. Those are the types of events I love. Like this sweet bench that was my grandmother’s filled with shower favors, pots of flowers, including baby boy’s eta! So sweet and thoughtful!
Or this anthropologie-like table… oh my!
And the food, the FOOD! My family is incredible at making just about any kind of food item you could think of, we had a delicious assortment of cupcakes, lemon pound cake (actually made by a family friend!), fruit, pimiento cheese (homemade by Momma Cain), chicken salad (homemade by Daddy Cain), ham biscuits, and the list goes on.
I snagged a few pictures, although, my bro-in-law Jason was the true photog at this event, I can’t wait to see the pictures he captured!
Here are a few more details of the event… and pictures of the fam, too!
Thanks to all of my family and friends for a fantastic Raleigh shower, we’re so thankful that this little one is so loved and supported by so many!
I haven’t written a post this entire year about my one word. I think that’s because this year, of all the my one word year’s, I had an extremely hard time picking a word. I couldn’t get clarity on the word and I wanted it so badly to be backed by scripture, a verse, to memorize and to seep deeply into my heart.
This past Sunday at Port City Church we were challenged to renew our commitment to our word since it’s the mid-year check up.
At first, I chose the word balance, because it seemed to strike that my life needed to be in balance, priorities in order, my yeses yes, and my no’s no’s. (not nose nose, though, that’s confusing).
But balance? It didn’t seem right, it made me think of a clumsy- gymnast walking a tight rope, and I don’t see my walk with God as a tight-rope at all, I see it more like a path, sometimes rocky, sometimes lush and green and sometimes hidden. But a tightrope? No.
A few months ago I landed on another word, which strikes at the same part of balance that I liked but wasn’t that word at all. It’s the word- center. I love this word, because it seemed more fitting, it seemed very focused and aligned with where my heart is and was. To be in the center of His heart. To center my life on Him (God). And a verse to match up too…
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! Jude 1:20
There is a song, too… it may be a few years old, but songs stick with you when they mean something…
So beautiful and true. At the center of his love, arms opened and outstretched, ready to receive His love, ready to give His love.
I am learning to appreciate Wilmington, because ultimately this is where we live right now, and we’re not budging anytime soon, especially with baby on the way. The beach has been marvelous so far this summer, and it’s nice that it’s only 20 minutes away.
But, the problem is, sometimes I complain that we don’t have certain places, like Trader Joe’s, an Apple Store, an Urban Outfitters, Crate and Barrel, or Anthro. But really, can I afford those stores on a regular basis anyway (with the exception of TJ’s)? Probably not.
A few days ago someone wrote to ask me what are some places to eat, see & do while in Wilmington, and I couldn’t help but realize that the list can’t be duplicated in any other town. We have local, fabulous restaurants, a lively (on the weekends) downtown, great farmer’s markets, a tight-knit community, a river, a beach, great churches, and more.
Here was the list I put together for her for things to do while in Wilmington, do you have any to add?
for eating:
near the beach:
Sweet & Savory (sandwiches, burgers,with delicious homemade chips, get them with a side of ranch or honey mustard! The brunch is delish too, we recommend the Wrightsville Beach toast!))
Well, baby boy seems to be doing swimmingly. (Get it?)
He’s growing like a little weed in there, today we are at 29 weeks, he weights 2.5 pounds and is 15 inches long!
He’s jumping about too, which is still really fun for me, I love it that he’s enjoying womb- life!
From the last time I posted about baby boy’s room, a lot has changed, mainly in terms of simplicity! The main thing that has changed is the bedding issue, I’ve gone from trying my darndest to find fabric I love, to simply giving into some fabulous dwell studio bedding, that’s actually affordable, and cute. And, amazingly enough, once I decided on this, the ideas started flowing.
Where we are in the process is:
we have a sample can of paint (we gotta test this out before I’m buying gallons & gallons of it)
bedding is picked out!
crib is here (as you know, from our massive ikea trip)
the glider is on order (should be in soon!) (thank you 20% off coupons for saving us lots on this!)
i purchased a few canvases on major sale at ac moore (i’ve got big plans for them!)
i’m building a custom mobile, and i’m slowly collecting supplies, hint: maps
and some accessories!
I know I’m not giving away a lot of details, but I’m waiting till we actually have everything put together, so you can SEE it, instead of guessing at it.
Tonight, I’m off to find a crib mattress so I can use another 20% off coupon! And possibly work on two of the projects I have planned for his room!
It’s not often you get to vacation in your own town, but when you do, I find that it’s fabulous, especially living in a coastal, riverfront downtown-town. By some sequence of events Jeremy and I found ourselves staying at the Hilton Riverview Suites for a couple of nights this week. I felt like I was on vacation, well… that is, until I had to go to kinkos, then it felt like I never even left.
But not thinking about doing laundry or cleaning the sinks, or the dishes, or the forbidden dusting, it was a nice get-away. Oh and the food was great too, I got to be a part of the conference in a small way as a guest, and by making some quick fliers for Jer’s company. Which, I think turned out nice when put together in less than 30 minutes. >
(It’s okay if you don’t understand half of what’s on that flier, cause I really don’t either. Just to be sure, I don’t think cloud offerings has anything to do with cumulus or cirrus, or thunderstorms.)
It’s not everyday that you get to vacation in your own town, but I truly found downtown delightful. The sunsets, the cooler (PTL) May weather, the riverfront. It’s enough to make anyone fall in love with your own town again.
Here are a couple instagram pictures I took while vacationing in my own town.
Take time to enjoy the beauty of your town, it will make you appreciate where you live. Which can never be a bad thing.
Today I received an email devotional and it just seemed perfect. Here it is, I just had to share:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
Running the race with perseverance means we stay focused on our priorities. We don’t let other things step in and hinder us from the priority of deepening our relationship with Jesus. We don’t let other things entangle us, tying us up so that we no longer place priority on our families or our health.
Consider this — One day the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and Peter yelled out that he wanted to walk on the water too (Matthew 14:22-31). Jesus told him to come and so Peter, with all his focus on Jesus, stepped out of the boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus.
But then, the Bible tells us, Peter got distracted by the waves and the wind — just like you and I can get distracted by all the good and bad things we come across everyday. And, once Peter’s eyes were no longer fixed on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith,” he began to sink into the water.
We cannot walk on water while trying to focus on whatever we want — sometimes Jesus, sometimes the wind and waves; sometimes God’s priorities for our lives, sometimes trivial pursuits; sometimes the purpose God created us for; sometimes “the sin that so easily entangles.”
What do you need to do to maintain the priorities in your faith, your life, your marriage, your family, and your health throughout this Decade of Destiny?
______
One thing that really struck me, was that we can get distracted by even GOOD things! I think we all have a life full of both the good & the bad, but even the good can take our eyes off Jesus if we don’t recognize Him as the source. I need to remember this. Did any of this ring true for you?
