Easter Egg Fun!

Rick and Bubba

Stephen and I had the opportunity to attend the Rick and Bubba show this morning to celebrate our sixth anniversary! It was so much fun and kind of surreal to experience the show live in their studio. Stephen introduced me to Rick and Bubba shortly after we met, a morning radio show that he has listened to since he was a teenager, and I have been trying since we've been back in Alabama to get golden tickets to the show. They are such funny guys but are also born-again Christians that definitely use the platform that God has given them to openly share their faith. It was a perfect way for us to celebrate our anniversary. Stephen and I headed out (not even) bright and early for the show, and James enjoyed the morning with Nana and Grandpa. After the show, we enjoyed an oh-so-fancy-schmancy lunch at Zaxby's, because that's just how we roll (we like what we like!).

For anyone that's familiar with Rick and Bubba, they did sing the anniversary song to us after the show and also played the gender prediction game with us. Apparently they have like 98% accuracy with guessing the correct gender of the baby you are expecting based on a series of questions they ask, and after giving us the rundown they guessed "girl!" ha! Stephen said we would be the anomaly, wouldn't we? Rick and Bubba think maybe our doctor got it wrong and told us to follow up with them when the baby arrives. I'm hoping we are truly just the anomaly - I'm not ready to take back all our baby boy stuff at this point! Thankful for the opportunity to share a fun morning with the big man in my life and be greeted so sweetly by my little man when I got home. I am truly blessed!

Hillsong - Desert Song

I feel like we have been journeying in this desert place for so long now. Some days my flesh is just so weary and tired from our present circumstances of waiting, praying for open doors, trusting daily for His provision (I feel stretched to my limits and He stretches more.), and I am longing for this season to be over soon. But until then I am going to hold fast to Him, resting in who He is and who He says I am in Him -- knowing that this refining can and will be used for good in my life. 

Six Years Together!

It's hard to believe that Stephen and I were married six years ago today. These past six years have literally flown by! So much has happened and there have been so many unforeseen twists and turns in the journey, but through it all we have grown closer to God and closer to each other. I'm thankful for each day that God has given us and pray that God will grant us many, many more years together. 

Today didn't leave time for a lot of celebrating between church this morning and a quick lunch before Stephen had to head off to work this afternoon (our life is so crazy right now! Lord, please let this season be over soon.), but we are looking forward to Stephen's mom coming on Tuesday (Stephen's off day) to keep James so that we can celebrate just the two of us! I e-mailed the Rick and Bubba Show a couple of months ago (a popular radio show here in Alabama that Stephen has listened to and loved for years!), and was able to get two golden tickets (they are free but just very hard to come by!) to celebrate our anniversary. We are both are so excited and looking forward to a morning full of laughter! We so need it!

We were able to snap our annual anniversary picture on our chair and a half before church this morning. I love looking back at these pictures and seeing how our family has changed over the past six years. James was so excited to be a part of this picture (I guess he sees the framed picture in our house from our 5th anniversary daily), and he went and laid on the chair about five minutes before we actually took the picture in anticipation. (He also asked that his hair be brushed so that he could look nice! ha!) I wasn't able to lay on my belly this year like previous years, but we still got a pretty cute picture to remember anniversary #6!

Never Say Never...

There are lots of things that I said I'd never do...Oh, haven't we all!

 Or never dreamed I'd do. Or never knew that it was even possible to do, so I didn't think that I'd ever do them... This is getting confusing, but I think you get the picture. I should just never say never, because every time I say "never" I usually do whatever that never is.

I remember telling God while sitting in Mission Friends one Wednesday night as a little girl that I didn't really think I'd ever want to do missions, or be in ministry, or have to move around a lot and be away from my family... (clearly, you see where this is going, and that's not even what this post is about!)

Well, the last few weeks, I've been doing some things that I never thought I'd do. I've always been a little (or a lot!) frugal, but simply becoming an adult with lots of bills and becoming a parent with lots of expenses puts a wrench in the whole never spending any money plan. The last few years have been extremely challenging for us in many ways and we have experienced many disappointments and setbacks. But through it all and through many tears and trials, God has always provided everything that we've needed. We have never gone without. And while I'd be lying if I said that I'm not ready for this season to be over soon, I recognize all the ways that we've grown and all the valuable lessons that we've learned. I appreciate how hard my husband works, and so I have been looking for some ways to stretch our dollars further (and pinch pennies!) to help out and, in a way, express my appreciation for him as well. I've done quite a few things that I said I'd never do (and I know they aren't for everyone), but I've actually found that it's been kind of exciting and brought me a lot of joy to be able to help our family save in these ways. I thought I'd just share a few:

1. Homemade Sourdough Bread
I have recently started making our own homemade bread. Before that we had actually started buying our bread (and probably sometimes still will when in a pinch) at the "day old bread store" near our house, and we would end up saving around $2 a loaf. I know that might seem insignificant but over time it does add up. Well, I was excited to recently have my Aunt Tami share her homemade bread recipe with me. It does take some work and waiting (it's about a four day process), but it is so worth it. I am now on my third round of bread (and have been tweaking it and trying to perfect it), and it has been so much fun and also so inexpensive to make. We use it for sandwiches, garlic bread, french toast, etc. There are tons of uses. The recipe makes a lot but the loaves can be frozen, and it's also a nice gift to share with a friend.

2. Homemade Coffee Creamer
I randomly discovered that I could make coffee creamer when I was talking to Stephen about my love of coffee (exciting conversation, I know!) while wishing that I could find a way to not have to buy coffee creamer as often. My morning cup of coffee is, for sure, my one vice that I don't want to give up. I googled coffee creamer recipes and, sure enough, they are out there. It's supposed to be better for you and more cost efficient. Again, I'm sure we aren't talking about a huge savings, but it is still an area where savings can add up over time. The primary ingredients for the base are: 2 cups of milk, a can of evaporated milk, and flavoring of your choice - vanilla extract, coconut extract, peppermint extract, etc. (there are tons of recipes out there)! So simple! We mix it all up and keep it in a store bought container. It has a slightly different taste than the store bought kind, but Stephen says that it's actually more "frothy" and he likes it better.

3. Cloth Diapers
I feel nervous spilling the beans about this one...and haven't really told many people. Promise you'll still love us afterwards! Stephen was adamant that we would never (and I mean never!) use cloth diapers for our babies. We used all disposables with James, and it worked well for us. But now that we are a few months away from welcoming number two and just in a different place financially this time around, I started to look more closely at cloth diapering to just see if it could be an option for us. I read and researched (and talked to some friends who have cloth diapered) for a few days, and then I presented the idea to Stephen. And to my surprise, he actually said that he thought it was a really good idea! Again, I know it is so not for everyone, but we are going to give it a go this time around. It is going to be around a $200 investment for us upfront (and maybe a little more if we decide to purchase a few more diapers once we get in the swing of things), but the research says that parents will spend around $2,000 on disposables by the time a child is potty trained so I know that even after the additional laundering there will be a significant savings. Cloth diapers have come a long way and now look a lot like disposables (we are using one-size, pocket diapers), and since I know that I will likely be doing the majority of the diapering and laundering (and am not grossed out by it or grossed out by much in general!) I am excited about getting started and excited about the savings too. Of course, we aren't opposed to picking up a pack of disposable diapers to go on a trip or using them at night if that would be a better option...It's not about saving the earth (not that there's anything wrong with that) or being a stickler or pushing a certain agenda in parenting, it's truly about just finding ways that we are comfortable stretching our resources to work for us. Anyone that has gone the cloth diapering route, I am so open to any tips or suggestions that you might have.

Here are a few of the diapers. They are so soft and colorful! James likes playing "diaper store" with them. 

And as I was telling my mother-in-law the other night about these new ventures (ha!), I said "But I would probably never make my own detergent or anything like that...." And then the very next day these girls at the library were telling me about a recipe for laundry detergent that would cost me about $20 for the whole year and is also very good for sensitive skin and eczema (something James and I have from time to time). So, again, never say never.... I may just be giving that a shot, too, in the near future. :)


I know there are so many money saving ideas out there (on the internet, pinterest, etc.) that can be implemented these days. What are some ideas that have worked for your families? I would love to hear about them!

James and Daddy!

James will admittedly tell you that he's "Mama's boy" which is true (Lately, he's been saying things like "I'm Mama's boy and Jude can be Daddy's boy." or "Daddy, you don't marry Mama. I'm going to marry Mama."), but that doesn't mean that he doesn't love his "Daddy Bear" all the same. I captured this sweet picture of them the other night - they love to watch "funny videos" (America's Funniest Home Videos) together after Stephen gets home from work.

They also made a little garden together behind our house the other day while Stephen was off work. We are growing quite a random assortment of things: watermelon seeds on clearance at Lifeway last summer, my tulip bulb from Valentine's Day, a little tomato plant, and some rosemary from Stephen's former employer. I definitely do not have the greenest thumb, but I'm hoping that we can take care of this little garden and yield a little bit of fruit. We'll see... :)

James actually took this last picture. See his little shadow?

28 Weeks!

How far along are you? 28 weeks (Only 80ish days left!)

Total Weight Gain? Just trying to keep it real (and maybe make some other expectant mothers feel better about their own weight gain), but I am right on track to gain the full 35 pounds. I know some people only gain 10 or 15 pounds in the course of their pregnancies, but that has just not been the case for me with either pregnancy. I am exercising very regularly and not eating excessively, so I am just accepting that my body is doing what it needs to do for a healthy baby. I feel like my belly has grown much more quickly this time around (making me worried that Jude might be a 10 pound baby!), but I was measuring right at 27 weeks at the doctor this week. It's hard in our culture to watch the scale creep up, but this is just an area where I can grow (no pun intended) and focus less on outward appearances. Pretty sure motherhood is, in almost every aspect, about dying to self anyway, and this is just one of many ways. (ok, getting off that soap box now!) :)

How big is the baby? Jude is equal in weight to a chinese cabbage: about 2 1/4 pounds and almost 15 inches in length.

Maternity Clothes? Mostly all maternity. It is just the most comfortable thing at this point, so I'm just embracing it. :) I was happy to have found a $5 maternity swim suit at a consignment sale this week. Our neighborhood pool will be open for about a month before Jude's due date, and I plan to take James up there every day that I can. I naively thought that maybe my tankini swimsuits would stretch to fit my expanding belly...that was a sight to behold already, let me tell you! 

Sleep? I'm sure I have slept better, but I don't really have a reason to complain either. Just having a little boy that finally sleeps through the night helps with me waking up and feeling a lot more rested than I have in a long time. Of course, I know this is all going to change very soon...ha!

Best moment this week? I'm assuming passing the glucose test (no news is good news?) and having that behind me. Also, the boys' room has really come together, and I am feeling more and more ready for Jude's arrival. (Second babies of the same gender definitely don't need a ton of new stuff but there are still things that you realize you don't have, i.e. summer newborn clothes when your other newborn was born in the winter). My mother-in-law has also blessed us with some matching outfits for James and Jude that are very sweet and gets me excited about the future with the two of them together. 

Movement? One active little guy! Lots of movement, especially at night!

Food Cravings/Aversions? I'm in the stage where all food just sounds great and tastes better than normal. But I'm still definitely preferring "real food", i.e. I'd choose a steak over a milkshake, hands down! 

Morning Sickness? Nope! Really feeling great! 

Gender? A sweet boy! Jude Brooks Johnson! 

What I'm looking forward to: I'm just trying to savor these last few months as a family of three and spend as much quality time with Stephen and James as I can. As the day draws closer, I am really getting excited about meeting Jude (I wonder a lot about what he'll look like) and welcoming him into our family. I know there will just be so much joy and love all around when he arrives! 

Sunshine and Sweet Blessings!

James and I have been soaking up the sunshine the last two days while Stephen has been working, and it seems like we've been living outdoors. I have always been a warm weather person (even when I'm big and pregnant), and I just love to be outside as much as possible on 70 degree (or warmer!) days.

We also were blessed with a very generous gift this week. A couple in our small group is in the process of selling their house and trying to find a new one, and the sale of their house was contingent from the buyer on them having the play set in their backyard removed. They offered the play set to anyone in our small group that wanted it as long as they were willing to move it. Stephen's Dad was able to meet him after work on Tuesday afternoon to help him take it apart and load it in our van (so glad it all fit!), and then helped Stephen bring it back to our house to begin putting it together. I have said for a long time that I would love to be able to get James a play set like this, but, honestly, it was just not remotely in our budget (I don't even know what they cost but know it's probably a lot!) at this point in time so this was just a huge, huge blessing and we are so incredibly thankful for it. James tells me daily how much he loves his play set and I know that we will be spending many days outside in the near future enjoying it! :)

Making Progress

We've been making lots of progress on the boys' bedroom, and I would say that at this point it's mostly finished. (I say mostly because I'm in full-blown nesting mode and feel the need to clean and straighten basically everything right now, so I can't really hold myself to being finished with anything until Jude arrives! ha!) I know there are a few more little projects that I want to complete, but, honestly, there isn't much more that I can squeeze into their cozy little transportation room before it would just be overwhelming. (But like I mentioned in an earlier post, I just really wanted our boys to share a room and was determined to make that happen even in a smaller space. I'm glad that they will have a room for sleeping, and a separate room (or who am I kidding, the rest of the house) to spread out and play.) I really love how everything turned out. I love the classic colors, the little-boy feel, and how relatively inexpensive it was to pull everything together. It took some searching to find things that were color-coordinating and also a great price, but I feel like it all came together nicely. It's probably one of my favorite places in the house now, and I love to peek in there all the time, especially in the early morning hours when everyone else is still asleep. :) Here are a few pictures of the room:

 We made Jude some letters to match James' letters. Stephen also made some wall art of James' birth stats (there are tons of them out there on Etsy and other places these days!), and he will make one for Jude as well (to go in the blue frame) after he's born. I think Stephen did a great job, and I am continually blessed as his wife by his many skills and abilities! He is a jack of all trades!

 James' half of the room!

 And Jude's half of the room! (James wants me to get that truck out of the crib all the time, and he says that he should just play with it because he doesn't think Jude will really like it! ha!) 

 The bedding, mobile, and little plush truck were all separate finds at really great prices, (pieces on clearance to make way for newer stock, I guess!) but I think it all came together so well!

Here is the view of the room from the outside when I scoot by to visit the bathroom (now hundreds of times a day, quite literally). It just makes me smile to think about my two tiniest boys every time I peek in. :)

And in other news, James is making great progress with potty training. I guess, by progress, I should say that he is basically potty trained and it only took a few days (he isn't having accidents, is staying dry all night and day, etc.) I guess the only real hurdle now is just getting him more comfortable with using public bathrooms, but that's never particularly enjoyable for anyone. It's so easy to feel so much pressure as a Mama about when to do things (and how to do things!), but I am so happy that I waited until he turned three to start full blown potty training. It was the right decision for him (and that's what I'm all about! No two kids are alike or two mothers or two families...and I think we have to give ourselves grace as mothers to make the best decisions for each individual child and not compare ourselves to others.) 

And on the topic of progress, I did have a little scare a few days ago and seemed to be having too many contractions at this point and called the doctor just to inquire about it. They suggested I come in and get monitored, and then because of some possible heart-rate decelerations she sent me over to L&D to be monitored longer. Thankfully, we are all okay (I'm not progressing!) and I don't expect Jude to be coming anytime soon. I have learned that I really truly need to heed the advice to not overdo it, try hard not to stress over the circumstances of life, drink lots of water, try and lift my 30 pound child less, etc. 

26 Weeks! (Past and Present!)

I am already 26 weeks pregnant today with baby Jude! He should now be about the size of a head of lettuce and is probably weighing nearly two pounds already. I'd say that sounds about right. :) 

I was looking back at old pictures today and comparing baby bumps at this point with both boys.

Here is sweet James in his Mama's tummy at 26 weeks. 

And here is my precious Jude at 26 weeks. (Along with his brother, James, who believe he has a baby named Boat in his tummy. Oh, he makes me laugh!) 

After looking at these pictures today, I never really could determine which tummy looked bigger. And, honestly, the thing I found myself pondering the most while getting a glimpse of my much younger self (with no need for any dark circles to be edited out!) was all the things that I wish I could tell that expectant mother from three years ago. I wish that I could tell her that she was about to embark on a journey like no other, and that (as prepared or as organized as she could ever try to be) there really is no way to truly prepare for what awaits her. I wish I could explain to her the powerful and overwhelming love that she would feel the instant the tiniest baby was laid upon her chest (a love that can hardly be explained in words, even to her younger self.) I would tell her that there would be lots of sleepless nights ahead of her, and tears, and times of fear and anxiety, and moments when she would feel that she would not survive another day from utter exhaustion and had nothing else to give of herself, but that in the midst of difficult days would also come a sanctification that motherhood brings from learning first-hand about self-sacrifice and loving someone else above yourself. I would tell her to pray for wisdom from God on how to best parent this little child entrusted in her care before listening to all the other voices and opinions swirling around her and to trust the mother's heart that God has given to her. I would tell her not to worry and to enjoy each moment. The days really do pass so quickly, and, before she knows it, all the big worries of the day will have a way of working themselves out in due time. I would tell her that while she strives daily to be a grace-full mother to her children, to not neglect to freely offer grace to herself as well. And I would remind her that although her life will not look glamorous in any way and when critical people cause her to doubt just about every decision that she makes, that she is embarking on a wonderful and worthy calling from God. He will carry her each step of the way, so just keep her eyes fixed on Him. The reward will look more like holding a dirty little hand when she crosses the street and rocking a colicky baby all through the night that can only be comforted in the arms of his mother (things that may not look like rewards at all if she lets her perspective get clouded), but that the daily investing in a little life is of eternal importance.  I would remind her that as much as she loves that little baby boy, God loves him even more. So trust Him.

Preparing the Nest

I don't remember when I started "nesting" with James, but I know the last few weeks I have really had the itch to start getting some things ready for Jude's arrival. I'm sure it's a little early for some people, but, at the same time, the third trimester is now in sight and we are looking at 14 weeks or less until we are a family of four. This week I've started projects both big and small (from a Baby Book for Jude to the search for a twin bed for James). Yesterday, while Stephen was off, we went to price some twin beds from wholesale places in the area. Even at wholesale the prices were just higher than we had hoped, so on the way home I decided to check craigslist one more time. And we found just what we were looking for (at the price we wanted!) - a twin-size captain's bed with storage drawers underneath! The family that was selling it lived five minutes from our house, and we were able to pick it up and get it set up last night. :)

The boys are going to be quite cozy in their little bedroom, but it was really important to me that they share a room. My sister and I shared a room for most of our growing up years, and although we fought like sisters do at times, I just have fond memories of those years together. As I passed the room this morning and saw (now) Jude's crib and James' twin bed squeezed in their little transportation bedroom, my heart was filled with joy as I anticipated all the love and laughter in the days ahead between the brothers that would be sharing it. I know there will be adventure, mischief, giggling and staying up way too late, (beautiful) messes, and even some tears and disagreements at times - but most of all, I pray for friendship and love between James and Jude and a sweet bond that will last a lifetime.

Here are a few pictures of James' new bed. I will post some pictures of Jude's side of the room when it's a little more complete. I'm still busy preparing the nest...

Baby Reagan

I hope Aunt Leah and Uncle JP won't mind me sharing a picture (sent from Nana!) of their gorgeous, baby girl, Reagan Elizabeth, that was born on Thursday. We are so blessed to be an Aunt and Uncle to their three sweet blessings, and we look forward to meeting Reagan and seeing all FIVE of them very soon! I'm so thankful that James has cousins so close in age and that Jude will also have a cousin just 3 or 4 months older than him. I think there will be many years of fun, laughter, and adventure (with five under five!) whenever we're all together!

Fairytale Ball

We had a full, fun Saturday morning. We discovered a local (and amazing) donut shop in our area this morning. (I love local treasures and living in one place long enough to discover and enjoy them!) So we treated ourselves to donuts in the car on the way over to Home Depot to build a race car with James (while watching a little snow fall!). He loves the kids clinics so much at Lowe's that now we're double dipping between Lowe's and Home Depot. Stephen assured me this way okay. :) But building free toys almost every Saturday feels too good to be true sometimes!

After Daddy headed off to work, James and I attended the annual fairytale ball at our library (another local treasure that I just love!). They, of course, had lots of princesses but also a Jungle Book area (J's favorite), an archery game that was Brave themed, a story time with a snack, and more. It's harder to know how to dress a boy for a fairytale ball with things you already have on hand, but luckily we have a superhero cape and mask (party favors from Cousin Jonathan's birthday) and James thought that was a great idea. We did some superhero practicing the night before and some more today! I thought he was a precious superhero, but of course I always think that (being that I'm his Mama and #1 fan and all. :) )

I think he's falling although it kind of looks like he's a flying/jumping superhero. :)

He wanted me to fly him through the air like a superhero. This probably isn't the most advisable thing to be doing at
25 weeks pregnant, but I don't know how to do life any differently with this little monkey.

He loves Ms. Sarah (one of our librarians) and Ms. Sarah loves him!