thanksgiving recap :)

My 25th birthday was the day before Thanksgiving- so let's start there.
My hubby surprised me with this beautiful pearl ring he picked out himself! :)

Unfortunately, I had to work the night of my birthday.  However, I have some of the best coworkers a girl could ever ask for!  One of my coworkers is my long time friend (since elementary school!) Andrea.  She made these cupcakes and brought them to work for my birthday!  They were seriously the best homemade cupcakes I've ever had.  They were soooooo soft and moist!  (Perhaps she and I will start up our own cupcake business one day...we always joke/scheme about what fun business we're going to own together some day!)

My sweet friend, Jenna, brought this yummy (and pretty!) cookie cake:

I also got a couple of Starbucks related gifts.  These girls know what I like! ;)  I'm very lucky to work with friends!

My mom got me this fabulous Vera Bradley purse I had previously admired for my birthday:

I've gotten so many compliments on it already!  I would highly recommend you adding one to your Christmas list!  It's great!  Click HERE for a link to the purse on Vera Bradley's website!

So...I took care of the babies all night.....then packed up and headed home to my family for Thanksgiving.

UNFORTUNATELY.... I began not feeling well and spent Thanksgiving day with "the stomach bug."  Ugh.  I'll spare you the details.  Needless to say, I was not able to enjoy the wonderful feast my mom had prepared as much as I would have liked.  I attempted to eat a little bit...but that did not prove to be a great idea.  Sometimes, there is nothing to do but laugh at your luck.  So that's what I did.  There are 365 days in a year, people....and I decide to get sick on the one day out of the year solely devoted to eating?  Oh, the irony.  Woe was me.

So, you won't see any pretty photos of myself and the hubs or the fam because, well, I looked like death warmed over all day.  You know- the "worked 12 hours the night before + head in the toilet all day look."  Not attractive.

But here are a few pics I managed to snap...

Little sis, Sophia, @ the Thanksgiving table (she was sick later that night...)

My place-card that Sophia made- we all had one...cute, right?!

FEAST

Present for our Thanksgiving meal were Shon & myself, my parents, and my sister.  That's 5 of us.  Now let me tell you everything my mom made for the Thanksgiving meal: turkey (dad actually made that for the record), mashed potatoes & gravy, dressing, mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, hashbrown casserole, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, orange salad, pumpkin pie x 2, and pecan pie.  Yep...all that for just the 5 of us.  My mom is awesome like that!  I wonder if I will ever be capable of making so many different things at once.  It would be a pretty big deal for me to just make one of those things.

Thank goodness for me, there were lots of leftovers that I was able to enjoy over the next couple of days!  

Friday, my mom and I did a little "Black Friday" shopping.  We were not crazy Black Friday shoppers though.  We didn't even get out until around noon.  We weren't after any big item or anything in particular.  We still got some good deals though and we had a lot of fun!

Saturday, Shon and I decided to get out and have a little "date day."  We did some shopping, ate at a yummy italian restaurant, and went to a movie.  We saw "Morning Glory" with Rachel McAdams & Harrison Ford.  I loved it!  Shon laughed quite a few times but insists that the movie was just "okay."  I am a chick flick lover though...he's not. ;)  Here are a few pictures from our day out:

My scruffy husband- he's growing a beard...again. ;)

YUM!

And here's a pic of my oh-so-pretty, soon-to-be-10-year-old little sister.  Isn't she darling?

Since we decided to put our Christmas tree and decor up a few days before Thanksgiving this year, this is what we got to come home to:

PERFECT!!!

Hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.  Even though it has been a tough several months, I have SO much to be thankful for.  My best friend who also happens to be my handsome husband, my loving family, supportive friends, a cuddle pug named Doug, my health and the health of my family & friends, a house to call home, a reliable job, and my Savior who died a horrible death to save me from my sin...and who continues to save me every day with his grace, love, strength, comfort, and hope.  

Thank you, Jesus, for giving up your life to save me- so that I may have life more abundantly here and an even more abundant eternal life in Heaven with you.  Thank you for the amazing people you have placed in my life to love me.  Thank you for the roof over my head.  Thank you for my job, even though I complain about it sometimes.  Thank you for my cuddle pug, Doug.  Thank you for your strength, comfort, and peace that I have begged you for so often and that you never fail to provide.  Thank you for everything, for without you I have nothing and I am nothing.  Amen.


Psalm 107:1 - Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His love endures forever.

today

Today, Monday, November 22, 2010, was the day we were supposed to meet our first child.  Today was the due date of the baby we lost at ten weeks on April 25, 2010.


I did not know how the day would affect me.  I dreaded it.  I made sure I was off work just in case I was incapacitated.  I cringed when I saw the date 11-22-10 on anything.  Seriously.... I once searched for a gallon of milk with a different expiration date than Nov 22 because I didn't want to have to look at the date.


Now the day is nearing its end and by the time I finish this post, it will be over.  Surprisingly, it was not as bad as I thought it might be.  I found myself resolving to not waste the day.  I did not want to put myself through a day of crying and wallowing in my emptiness.  What good would that do?  It would not change anything.  Instead, I spent the day doing "normal" things that I enjoy.  I stayed in bed a little extra longer than usual- I snuggled with Douglas and thought about how thankful I am to have such a sweet, funny, cuddly little dog who can always make me smile.  I had breakfast and checked my internet stuff as usual.  I got ready and went to Target.  I got Starbucks and ribbon and beads for our Christmas tree.  I also went to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Michael's, and Old Time Pottery.  Then, I met my hubby for a delicious supper at Olive Garden.  We came home.  Shon got the Christmas tree down and we put it up and started on the decorations.  Shon went to bed.  And now, here I am.


A "normal" day.  A good day, filled with many of my favorite things.  I cannot say why it was not the horrible day I had anticipated.  I think it was mainly because I willed it not to be.  I also had God's strength and comfort, many prayers, and a few thoughtful friends who acknowledged the tough day and gave their support.  I had my wonderful husband whom I adore.  I know it was not a fun day for him either.  As silly as it sounds, the overall feeling of the day was kind of like, "Bummer."  Big bummer....and as I told a few people...the day wasn't all that much unlike every other day... a part of me is sad every day.  But...life goes on....whether you want it to or not.  You can lay in bed and cry all day or you can participate in this crazy, beautiful, ugly, wonderful, awful, joyful, painful mess of a life we all live.  We chose to participate today.


This is not to say that I don't feel a knife through my heart when I think about what could have been.  It is not to say that I haven't felt my eyes get watery several times today.  It is not to say that I did not/do not love and miss my baby.  I do.  So much.  This baby will always be our first pregnancy...our first excitement over a positive test...our first child.  I cherish the short amount of time this baby was a part of me...and the short amount of time that we celebrated his/her existence and envisioned our future with him/her.  There are not words to describe a mother's love, are there?  A mother's love is the love I have for that baby...and will always have.  I look forward to the day when we are blessed with children here on Earth...and I look forward to the day when we meet our first child in Heaven.


Thanks to those of you who have supported and loved us through our heartbreak.  Thank you to those of you who celebrated with us while we were expecting.  Thank you to those of you who have prayed for us, sent us flowers, e-mails, cards, or just been there throughout our loss.  Thank you to those of you who reached out to us and/or prayed for us today.  Please keep us in your prayers.  We know that in God's perfect timing, we will become parents again.


Today, I do not have a baby to hold.  We are not reveling in the amazement of 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes.  We cannot see the long-awaited face of our sweet babe.  But, we have each other, great family and friends, and a loving Savior who promises to be near to the brokenhearted and to prosper us with hope and a future.  Everything else is just a bonus.  We have everything we need.


I do have this book.  A friend gave it to me after we found out we were expecting.  It started out as kind of a pregnancy scrapbook....and ended up being pretty much the only thing I have to remember our first pregnancy and baby.  In honor and memory of our precious, tiny, sweet babe, I would like to share it with you:

(This beautiful poem can be found here.)

This hat was 1 hat out of a 3-pack from my mom.  I am saving the other two for baby's future brother or sister...but this one is our first baby's hat forever.

Sweet blessing, tiny, precious baby...you were ours...and you were wanted and loved. You will always have a special piece of our hearts that only you can fill.  I consider myself your mommy...and besides Doug the Pug...you're the only one who makes me a mom.  I love you.

a bit about me

Saw this cute "About Me" post on Lindsay's blog and since I haven't filled one out on here before...I thought this might be a good place to start.  So, read on if you'd like to learn a little more about me. :)

I kickstart my day with... coffee.  Usually from my Keurig...sometimes Starbucks if I'm out and about.  My usual morning routine is to get out of bed when Doug the Pug wakes up and jumps down (which lately is around 10 a.m. - don't judge, remember, I'm a nightshifter!), let him outside, feed him breakfast, get my coffee and breakfast, and head to the office (room in our house) to sit down at the computer where I check my e-mail, facebook, and blogs.  I am quite attached to this morning routine!

Other daily essentials... spending time with my hubs at some point during the day, preferably.

Recent splurge... not too much of a splurge- but the most recent "big" thing we purchased was our new shelf from World Market which I posted about here.

Can't stop watching... my "main shows" - Sunday nights: Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, Wednesday nights: Shon & I always watch Modern Family together, Thursday nights: Grey's Anatomy & Private Practice.  I also DVR "The Little Couple" and have an affinity for Reba reruns.

Top shop... I am not a "one brand" kind of gal.  Or even a name brand kind of gal.  I am just a "whichever store happens to have something I like" kind of gal...and usually, I am quite a  cheapskate.  I really do not like to pay over $30 for any article of clothing (although some splurges are warranted from time to time).  I am definitely a SALE type of gal.  Here are some of the stores I can often find something I like in: Target, Kohl's, Gap, Banana Republic, Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Macy's, Dillard's, Penney's. 



Working out to... So far, I haven't found working out to music to be beneficial.  If I'm on the elliptical or treadmill, listening to music does not make it more enjoyable...I am fighting an uphill mental battle within my head and I cannot be fooled into thinking that I'm actually enjoying it...not even by up-tempo, encouraging music.  The only thing I have found to help a little to pass the time is watching TV (with headphones at the gym).  The only other thing that motivates me work-out wise is to be in a class- other people motivate me to not make an idiot/slacker out of myself. ;)

Signature scent... Burberry.  Oh, how I love it!   Burberry Classic is my absolute, all-time favorite.  I also have Burberry London which I like very much...just not AS much.  Others high on my list are Viktor & Rolph Flowerbomb (delightful!) and an oldie but goodie- Ralph Lauren Romance.


You won't find me...watching MTV.  I was never into "The Hills" and I am not into "Jersey Shore" or "Teen Mom."  WAY too much drama for me.  Gets on my last nerve!!!  Whatever happened to music videos?  I am sort of out of the loop when it comes to "mainstream" music anyway---I mainly listen to Christian music...and some country.  My husband cannot stand MTV either...he jokingly (?!) says it isn't allowed in our house...which is fine by me. ;)

I heart... my husband.  And Dave Annable.  My amazing, handsome, caring, loving, loyal, smart, funny, best-person-I-know, my-best-friend, love-of-my-life husband, Shon.

Beauty indulgence... eek.  My cosmetic collection is a bit of a smorgasbord.  I use Clinique skincare (when I use it- I'm a naughty girl!), Clinique eyeshadow & blush, Bare Minerals loose foundation (when I wear it), any cheap-o kind of eyeliner and mascara, and I own a plethora of different types of lipgloss.  I also love (and own random) Aveda products (especially hair products), and Jane Iredale make-up.  I cannot live without Almay eye make-up remover pads.  

Dreaming about... the future (uncertain as it may feel sometimes) that I so desperately yearn for.

  

Fashion Friday

I saw someone else make a "Fashion Friday" post today and I thought it would be a great way to introduce my pretty new shoes to you.  I bought them yesterday.  They were on sale at Shoe Carnival for $30.  I was infatuated with them as soon as I laid eyes on them.  I put them on and I was in love.  After a little encouraging from my friend (ie.- "YOU HAVE TO GET THOSE!!!" That's why you shop with friends, right?), I knew I wasn't leaving the store without them.  It has been far too long since I made a beautiful pair of heels mine.  It used to be a rather common occurrence.  I think it needs to become a rather common occurrence again...because there's nothing like a pretty pair of heels to make you feel, well, pretty.  

Here are my new loves:

 Madden Girl Rocker Bootie

Can you ladies relate to my feelings of infatuation with a pretty new pair of shoes?  Get any new shoes lately that have you busting out a tune of, "I feel pretty...oh so pretty...?"  I just love being in love.  Looking down at your feet with a sigh of contentment.  Ahhh....  

Neurotic much?  Or normal?  A little bit of both?

Whatever the case may be, I love my new shoes.  $30 pick-me-up.

I don't know what exactly I'm going to wear them with yet...but I'll figure it out.  Any suggestions?

Speaking of shoes, if you haven't ever checked out www.6pm.com you need to.  A friend introduced me to this site recently.  It is a great site for shoes/handbags/etc. at discounted prices...and shipping is always $6.95 regardless of the size of the order!  

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend....and beautiful shoes that make your heart flutter. ;)

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Head over to Jamie's blog to play along!


I'm Loving this new shelf we got for our living room!  World Market is having a 25% off furniture sale and it makes for some great prices!!!  I LOVE World Market!!!  I still need to put something in that bottom spot...just don't know what yet.  And yes...those are Doug's overflowing toys.

I'm Loving Christmas time at Starbucks.  I love the peppermint white mocha--- SOOOO good!!!  (You must try one if you haven't yet!)  

I also tried their Christmas Blend for the first time yesterday....and if you like bold coffee, it's great!  That stuff is packin' a punch let me tell ya!  Just like I like my men...rich and dark!  Ok, well maybe not...judging by my handsome, fair-skinned, student husband. ;)

I'm Loving this song (which I posted in my last post, too).  I love the lyrics, her beautiful, soothing voice, and the fact that she's singing the song with her husband.

As always, I'm Loving these guys:

They are the reasons I get out of bed every day.