Christmas Love & Laughs - 2015

Happy new year, friends! Time to get photos up from the past few weeks! This Christmas season, we were able to get to Iowa the weekend before Christmas to see our families. We ended up splitting once we got there so Nick could spend time with his family, and I could see mine (our extended families usually do Christmas the same Saturday night each year - so we have to take turns or split like this time).

We were on the 6am flight. Which meant we had gone to bed around 10:30 - 11:00, and were up at 2:15. Cheers. Haha! That also meant we were in Minneapolis at 8am, driving to Iowa ready to (take a nap, then...) see family and enjoy the weekend. 

We got to take a quick detour to see where we made memories in Ames in our dating days. It was so fun, and felt like forever since we lived there. Seeing college kids walking around campus made me want to shout, "ENJOY THESE DAYS", because they are such good days (or were in my case) and go way too fast. The days of living with my best friends, sharing clothes and jewelry, looking forward to seeing the cute guy I was dating;), those were the days! Every part of life has its season though, and many of those days, I know I just wanted to graduate, just wanted to get married, etc.. Now, I can see so clearly how special those college days were. 

Iowa State's campus is so beautiful! 

I got to see friends while in town too. And hold babies! Emerson and his rolls are the cutest! 

My new BFF. His brother Hudson was my boyfriend when he was about this age. ;) 

I've done life with these ladies for so long! One since 4th grade:) In our 6 years of marriage (and me moving away), I don't know what us girls have ALL been together once. I've seen many individually since then, but I was SO so thankful to gather them up and eat, drink and have a merry night. I didn't want it to end! Can married mamas still have sleepovers? I love these friends with my whole heart. So thankful the Lord made friendships this sweet. How cool is it that 7 kiddos belong to the mamas in this group?!

My dear Rachel. Oh how I wish I could spend more time together! Her creative spirit and honest heart are so good for my soul. The Lord has knit our hearts together something special. 

 Meg is the sweetest - we hadn't been able to get together in far too long and I loved our time catching up! She even brought me the sweetest cute Iowa-inspired frame I have in our living room. 

 Love you and miss you already, ladies!

Sweet Hannah had gifted us leather feather earrings she made that are so fun! I love sweet gifts from the heart that remind me of my dear ones when I wear them. The best. 

 Cousin time! This was at our family Christmas that weekend. I didn't get many pictures that night! But I hadn't been at this Christmas in a few years, and it was so good to be there together. I grew up with these cousins, aunts and uncles - we all lived in the Des Moines area and it felt like we were together every weekend. 

My dad and I enjoyed Caribou back at the Minneapolis airport as we headed home. Nick took the pic;) this was only my dad's second time flying in the past 20 or so years, we were so glad he could come with us! 

Wrapping gifts like a mad woman, making a mess, and getting ready for our TX Christmas with mom and dad. 

Wrapping gifts is maybe one of my love languages. I love making them look cute and creating pretty things. Growing up, I would wrap all of mom's gifts for her, and all of my step-dad's for his family. I love it! 

Fun with my parents and our dogs trying to get a nice Christmas photo together. 

Nick and my parents surprised me and took me to the lights display at the Texas Motor Speedway Christmas night. I thought we were driving around looking at lights on houses when we pulled in. So fun! 

(Des Moines friends, it's like Jolly Holiday Lights, where you drive through to look at the lights displays.)

Photo op at the Christmas Village at the speedway. :)

These were apparently my top 9 most liked photos on instagram in 2015. Giveaways, hair cuts, completing the whole30, dressing up, celebrating 6 years of marriage, and heartbreakingly, saying goodbye to my birth mother (for now). The silver lining about her passing has been getting to know her family better, and growing through heartbreak. I'll always wish I knew her more and had more time with her, but am thankful for what I did get with her, and to know her family. They are gems. 

 {Before we took down the tree on New Years Day}. 

As 2015 ended and 2016 began, I got out some packages to some friends who have joined me on this oils journey over the past year. I love being able to bless and encourage others! Hoping those receiving them feel the love as we being this new year together. 

Cheers to a new year, friends!

Today's Pinspiration:

I love how the new year allows us to re-evaulate progress on our goals, get a fresh plan together and get after it. Decisions we make each day can help us get there. One small step at a time is what I remind myself! 

(Pinterest Source)

'Tis the Season

I can't believe it's almost Christmas. This season has gone so fast, and I feel like December has just flown by. I hope you're enjoying it! My very favorite time of year:)

I case you're working on any very last minute gifts, I thought I'd re-link to a few gifts I made last year. See that post here. It's also crazy thinking back to last Christmas, when we were trying to find a place to live. What a year it has been! 

Also, one year ago is when I was baptized:) Such neat memories with my parents and Nick.

 Last weekend, we had some fun Christmas gatherings! First was Nick's work Christmas party Friday night. It was fancy with cocktail attire, heavy h'ordeuvres, formal photos, giveaways, and meeting Nick's work people. It was great! We didn't take any photos at the beginning of the night, but thankfully we got some when we got home at the end of the night:) 

 The weather was perfect. About 60's, even that late at night! Last year, it was very cold, so this made it so much easier.

Saturday night, we met up with friends downtown for dinner and taking in the Christmas festivities downtown. There were carolers, a bagpipe band, and lots of families out and about, enjoying the great weather in December. 

 Sunday night, we had a Christmas exchange and snacks with our bible study group. We played Would you Rather, and Nick got to draw glasses & a mustache on my face. :) Ranger didn't know quite what to think.. 

Ranger likes to be under the covers. And I like it too, when he's in a sweet mood. 

Handsome boys! This was the night before Ranger's hair cut. It gets so long and we can't see his eyes. He doesn't behave well during hair cuts, so he only gets a few a year, and we take as much off as we can so we don't have to again for a while. Oh this puppy. 

I have to continue to profess my thankfulness for thieves. Especially in December, when so many are fighting getting sick themselves. 1) it smells great, 2) it saves me from getting wintertime ickies, 3) it works. 

I'm making this recipe this week when our family is together. I can't wait, it sounds delicious!

I wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas! 

 Today's Pinspiration:

Pinterest Source

Let us remember the reason for this season.

Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! Ours was really nice. It started Wednesday afternoon for me. I lucked out that my dad was off work and agreed to come over to help me put up Christmas decorations.

Blurry selfie after getting the tree up:)

 Ranger loved time with his Grampy and wouldn't leave his side. The place got messy really fast as I pulled everything out, but dad helped me get it out, decorate, and make things look less hectic;) for when Nick got home. We have some more ornaments to put on the tree, but I'm excited with how it came together and love sitting in the glow of the lights at night. Our first Christmas in this home! 

 Ranger got his first Christmas sweater :) I think it's the cutest thing to see this boy in a nice sweater. I'm sure there will be more family pics this season in this one;) 

We got a little Christmas shopping in this weekend, a lotttt of college football (good thing I've come to enjoy it!), great time visiting Nick's parents, delicious meals, and rest. 

I always look for beauty on road trips and it's always right there, waiting to be noticed.

I shared this recipe on Facebook, but wanted to share it here too - it's that good. I made it for Nick's Thanksgiving pot luck, after he signed us up for sweet potato casserole. The thing was -- I've never made sweet potato casserole in my life! He knew though that we had some on our counter from our farm batch we hadn't used yet. I looked for recipes and landed on this one. So easy and so delicious. I made it gluten and dairy free too! YUM. Here's the recipe I used.

Today's Pinspiration:

Today's Pinspiration

If you're looking for inspiration in your life, check out Steve Chandler. We listened to him on audio in the car this weekend and were impressed. He has books I'd like to read too! Simple but profound. 

This Christmas Season

I've gotten behind on my weekly posts - it's been so busy around here! I don't know about you, but I can't believe today is Christmas Eve - these past few weekends just flew by and were so busy!

No, I didn't get my nose pierced ;) 

This season has been filled with so many blessings, I'll share more on that in a later post. 

This Christmas, I'm glad we get to share it with both Nick and I's families. It's also Ranger's first Christmas which is fun for us. We just have two weeks of Ranger's puppy class left and he's been doing so good! Still some areas to work on ;) but he's made progress for sure. 

On December 14th, I was baptized. I hadn't been baptized before and it had been a long time in the making  (8 years ago, I gave my heart to Christ) and it was so good. In the way only He can make it. The pastor brought Nick up (after this photo) to enjoy it with me, and my parents were there along with some couples in our married's group. It was a weekend filled with love and so much gratitude for all Christ has done. 

 This snuggly boy took advantage of a warm place on the bed right after I got up, he snuggled into my spot on the bed. #meltmyheart

Ranger's first Christmas - I still can't believe how huge my tiny puppy is! 

So many co-workers were so thoughtful giving gifts - I got so many great and thoughtful gifts from them! My secret Santa this year was amazing - I gave her a few shout-outs on my Instagram during the week. 

Funny story about this happy mug - I had pinned it to my Christmas List the week before, and Monday morning, my secret Santa had it on my desk with other goodies. I was sure it had to be someone I was connected to on Pinterest so had a few names in mind all week. I was so wrong and the wild thing is she had no idea I pinned it! We're not connected on Pinterest, she just saw it and thought of me. I so love the people I work with and am always so thankful for them. 

Beauty on a December Texas afternoon 

I got my first red cup of the season on Sunday - after Ranger's class and during our Target run. It gave me the pick-me-up I needed to check things of my list that day.

Family photo by the tree:)

I'm so thankful for these parents of mine. 

Ranger and I, my mom and Ranger's mom (Indy) and my dad and Ranger's dad (Boo). Such a fun photo! 

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

This week's Pinspiration:

Source: this is also a free printable! Click the source link to get it.