Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 | Year in Review

I adore going back through this little creative space of mine over the past year and rejoicing in our blessings. Sure, we've had our trials, tests, downfalls through the year too. But today, I want to celebrate the joys.
 
January
Oh brother. Little did I know all that would come to fruition after [finally] handing over the reigns to the Lord!

February
Thoughts on love...
March
In true Houston form, we [nearly spontaneously] decided to buy a home.


April
...and it became officially official on April 3, 2014: closing day.

May
We celebrated our birthdays! Marky turned 28, and I turned 27.


June
My sister got married (technically on May 31, but I wrote about it in June ;)), and we settled into our new home with our roots grown more into this beach life.

I wrote about my life motto/favorite saying/biggest pet peeve [when people don't do this].

August
We celebrated our 1 year "Wilmiversary," our 2 year anniversary...and secretly found out we were pregnant on that very day! :)


September
Family + friends time! At the beginning of the month, I traveled to Nola to visit my childhood BFF, Ashely and to attend Nicole's (another bffie!) bachelorette weekend! We also enjoyed a much-needed Wilmy weekend of family time with Hope and Spyros. I was still secretly pregnant and dying to share some of my first pregnancy moments with my sister.


October
Secret's out! We announced our pregnancy just before I turned 13 weeks.

November
We found out that God was giving us a little girl, Nancy Hope Houston.


December
Christmas! (The most wonderful time of the year, as always.)


Happy last day of 2014!

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Christmas 2014

Here I am! I tend to fall into a blissful black hole when I'm back home in Charlotte. I disappear from everything: blogland, phone calls, text messages, you name it. Oops! Owning it. Sorry!!! :)

We had a lovely Christmas at my grandparents' farm. And this post will be nearing the last of the iPhone pics because my amazing hubby got me a "fancy camera" for Christmas!!!!!! I. AM. SO. PUMPED! So let the DSLR high quality photos flood the blog after January 1. Until then...long live my last iPhone photo recap starting now!

 Our little family of four!  (Tina is always included.)

 All of the cousins :)

 Von Trapp-ing in up because...why not?!

 Mimi and her Christmas snow globe collection.
I wanted to capture this moment because she wanted to wind them all up at the same time. :)

 Little pup getting snuggles from Mimi on Christmas Eve

 While Doxie curled up and slept in this bag. Bless.

 My bro (and Sophie and Lilly...can you tell we're a dog family?!) on Christmas morning

 Mark opening a gift from his doghter

 Clearly obsessed with our tinypup (and human pup on the way)!

 Matching Christmas pupjamas with my sissy. There is nothing like sister love.
Indescribably thankful for her health this year!!! Thank you, Jesus!!!

 Tacky clothes and our last Christmas as just "us"

 More festivities over the next few days as well...and the best mocktail I've had all season! Sugared rosemary for the win.

Merry, merry!

Certainly our biggest blessing and greatest gift this year is the forthcoming arrival our daughter, Nancy Hope. I might've shed a few happy tears when opening presents for her. (Yes, opening a pair of frosted rose Freshly Picked mocs made me cry.) I've longed to be a mommy ever since I can remember, and to be on the way to that reality is humbling to say the least!

Hope y'all had fabulous Christmases celebrating the birth of Christ with your loved ones! I can't believe 2014 is coming to a close. We are certainly preparing for 2015 with joyful anticipation! Sending so much love your way in these last moments of 2014. Soak them in!!!

Every good and perfect gift is from above.
James 1:17
 
 
 

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

 
Good morning, and Merry Christmas Eve! I don't know about y'all, but Christmas Eve is a big ol' shindig in our family. Christmas Eve dinner trumps Christmas dinner. We spend Christmas eating our Christmas Eve leftovers. We play games and we truly enjoy each other. I am looking forward to being with all of my cousins at my grandparents' farm today. Life is sweet and so, so good.

But Christmas is about more than that. It's about a baby. The Christ child. I hope you take some time today to meditate on the One True meaning of Christmas: Jesus. 


I'll see y'all next week. Until then...go love on your families and friends who are family! Soak in the goodness of this season. That's exactly what I'll be doing. :)
Hallelujah! Glory to God! Thanks be to Him
Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Pregnancy | 23 Weeks


How Far Along: 23 weeks pregnant...can't believe it.

Size of Baby: A papaya...about 8" and 1.2 lbs

Gender: Our little girl, Nancy Hope Houston!

Fun Fact: Baby's skin is saggy and wrinkly until she fattens up over the next weeks. Another random fun fact...I had a dream a few weeks ago that Nancy was born on Saturday after my due date. I quickly checked my calendar, and Saturday is also Hope's birthday. How amazing would it be for Nancy Hope and her Auntie Hope to share a birthday?! 

Prayer Request: Thanks for all of your love, positivity, and encouragement from our prayer request last week. Please continue to pray with us as our 3rd anatomy ultrasound with the specialist has been scheduled from Thursday, January 8. We wanted to wait until after the new year because we'll have a better insurance plan. Total grown up problems. :)

Movement: You can officially feel her from the outside so much that I even captured it on video and sent it to my mom, sister, and my bestie, Ashley. They could all see that dancing baby in there! CRAZY! Can't wait for them (and more family) to be able to feel her over Christmas!

Sleep: Just up for an hour or so sometimes in the middle of the night. Mark and I actually met in the kitchen at 3:45am one morning. Cereal for him, water for me.

Workouts: PB x 5 and one 2 mile family walk :)

 22w6d at PB Wilmington. Kate and Summer are both 16 weeks. Love my PB fam!

On our family walk

Maternity Clothes: Leggings galore (maternity and regular). I like fitted maternity tops that make my bump pop more. But I also like wearing tunics where you wouldn't know I was pregnant if you didn't know me. I'm weird.

 
December 21, 2014 | 22w5d

Symptoms: Still honeymoon trimestering it. I have a cold, but that's more a part of winter and less a part of pregnancy, I suppose. I did do a bad thing this week though. I was rearranging furniture and totally should have waited for Mark's help. Eeek. I pulled a little something that I know I normally wouldn't have if I weren't pregnant. AHHH! Be careful, I know! Serves me right. Totally freaked me out. I confessed to Mark immediately. No more heavy lifting for me. Sorry, little Nancy!!!! Mommy won't pretend I'm not pregnant and move big stuff around anymore!!! Lesson learned.

Cravings/Aversions: Hard to crave things when Christmas goodies are all around... :)

Missing Most: Nothing really! Wouldn't mind a glass of wine, but I wouldn't say I'm craving it by any means.

Nursery: Prepped it for bringing the crib home after Christmas! We're 4 months out from our due date. Time to get moving (and registering!)!


The crib will go on that empty wall...and will be there in just a couple of weeks! 
We'll replace the chaise with a white glider. I sat there this week thinking about rocking her to sleep.
I felt such joy and fulfillment at the thought...I can't imagine the overwhelming emotion when she's really in my arms!

 I also snagged this from Marshalls and painted the hardware gold (of course!)!
The bed that will stay in Nancy's nursery is so tall...it's unsual to happen upon a nightstand like this that's so tall and narrow (and already white)! I snatched up this steal of a deal in no time.

Hubby: We've had a lot of snuggly spoonage nights...all 4 of us. My growing tummy gets rubbed, and, as always, Tina is the baby spoon.


Amelia has also been extra, extra snuggly with the bump!

Best Part of the Week: Heading to Charlotte today for Christmas and New Year's!!! SO thankful that Mark has this long break!!!!!! Can't wait to be home for the holidays!

Can't Wait For: Walking into my mama's house and knowing that we'll be in Charlotte for nearly 2 weeks!

Our Announcement | Weeks 4-12  | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Weeks 19 and 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23
 
23 weeks on December 23rd...Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Traditions | Treeside "Campout"

Our first married Christmas in 2012 was truly our first Christmas together. I know it's typical for lots of couples to be able to see each other over Christmas if you live in the same town or if your long distance relationship is drivable, perhaps. Mark and I started dating in 2008. From then till marriage, we spent our Christmases apart in England and America. Granted, we did get away with seeing each other a few days after Christmas over those years (by one of us making that across the pond commute!), but there's just something special about Christmas, isn't there?

All that to say...it has been such a joy and a blessing to develop Christmas traditions within our own little family. We thoughtlessly started treeside campouts the year we got married, and they've carried on ever since. The first night with the Christmas tree up and decorated must be spent by the tree!

 1st Annual Treeside Campout
Our teensy (but fab!) Kings Drive duplex rental in Charlotte, NC

 2nd Annual Treeside Campout
Our Lions Gate townhome rental in Wilmington, NC
...this year we pretty much did not sleep in our actual bed for the month of December.

3rd Annual Treeside Campout
Our First Home in Wilmington, NC 
 
 A few more snippets of this year's annual campout.
(And the middle right picture is Mark pregnant with Tina, in case you're wondering.) 
 
 
Next year sweet Nancy will join us! ...And I'm sure through the years we'll be adding even more little Houstons to this tradition that Mama and Daddy (and Amelia!) started by themselves years ago. :)
 
What are some of your family's favorite Christmas traditions?
 

Friday, December 19, 2014

5 on Friday | Much Cheer

ONE | CHRISTMAS SURPRISES
I've mentioned before that sisters who are bffs share friends. It's a simple fact. So imagine my joy when this package of goodies showed up at my doorstep from Hope's/my/our friend, Ginny...for Nancy and me. Wrapped with a bow and a tag with our two names on it. I melted. (Love you, Gin! THANK YOU!!!!!!)


TWO | MY CREATIVE SPACE

This desk. My laptop. A mug of coffee (and marshmallows) and yummy candles. This "creative space" of mine makes my heart sing. I've always loved writing, and I am grateful for this outlet...for this little corner of my home and of the internet. So thank you for being a part of that. :)


THREE | YOU AND ME FOREVER
Have any of y'all read this book yet? Francis Chan and his wife wrote it about "marriage in light of eternity." My bloggy friend (and sister in Christ), Chloe, suggested it. I ordered it (Amazon Prime, you rule) a few hours later. I can't wait to snuggle up under a blanket at my mom's house and read it! And that's saying a lot for me, as I am not an avid reader...eeek! Sad but true. Owning it.

I also love the bigger mission behind this book. A gift that completely gives back!

FOUR | GOLD + WHITE CHRISTMAS MUG
Would you believe that before a galpal coffee date on Wednesday, I didn't own one Christmas mug?! Thank goodness my crafty friend, Hannah, changed that little problemo. Thanks, Hannah!!!!!!


FIVE | PINK BLUSH
Is it weird that my favorite style post ever is a maternity style post? Maybe. Don't care. I'm Pink Blush (+ the incredible blessing of being pregnant) obsessed!

This maxi. My jam. Preg or not, go order one!

  Have a merry, happy Friday!
 

 Grab button for FIVE ON FRIDAY AT THE GOOD LIFE BLOG
Cheers to to Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!