Tuesday, December 28, 2010

new endeavor

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas.  having my family here was probably the best present ever, and it was quite sad to see them head back to colorado yesterday.  we spent the week laughing, eating, shopping, watching movies, hanging out, wrapping and unwrapping presents, and celebrating the greatest gift of all, the birth of christ.  please keep them in your prayers as they leave for africa on saturday.

i wanted to give a little update concerning my latest endeavor.  i am finally stepping out and pursuing one of my dreams...a career in photography.  check out my new photo blog.  i would love your comments and feedback.  God has really blessed me with a supportive husband and family as well as some potential clients here in abilene.  you can read the rest of the story in "the beginning" section of my blog. 


kuddos

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

for the shoppers

11 days until Christmas!  this year, i have decided online shopping is the way to go, especially if you can take advantage of free shipping deals.  not only is it easy and convenient, but you can actually shop in your pajamas, which is a good thing for a pregnant woman who wears her flannel pj pants more than she would like to admit.  i also find myself very excited to check the mail everyday.  if you are still trying to find some last minute gifts, look no further.  check out these awesome stocking stuffers for the photo enthusiasts in your life.

1. pretty sure everyone needs one of these, even if you are like me and only like 3 drinks on the starbucks menu. 
the camera lens mug

2.  or how about this fun little camera camera to remember your elementary school days.
the juice box camera
 3.  a seat belt camera strap is bound to be reliable and durable, right?  
the seat belt camera strap
4.  tired of a boring old flash drive? check out this super cute usb drive.
5.  you can never go wrong with a new t-shirt.  
camera strap tee
6. who wouldn't like opening their mail box to find a polaroid postcard?
polapost mailable frames
7.  last but not least. probably one of my favorites little gadgets from this website, magnetic lenses for your iphone. choose the fish eye, macro, or wide angle, or just splurge and get all three! pure awesomeness!
camera phone lenses

happy shopping!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

13 and counting...

happy 13 weeks, baby deal!  i sure hope that my firstborn loves birthdays as much as i do and doesn't mind if a one day holiday turns into a week long event. 
this week, the baby is roughly 3 inches long or about the size of a peach and already has a fully developed brain and facial features.  amazing.  here is the newest picture of the little one that was taken last week.  so what do you think, boy or girl?  i'm pretty much dying to know.  baby names and decorating ideas for the nursery are often on my brain these days.

12 weeks

 i decided the other day that i needed to start exercising again. 9 weeks off from any form of physical activity is quite a significant break. although i'm still feeling sick at times throughout the day, i seem to have more energy and am ready to be more productive with my days.  after reading several reviews on amazon, i settled on two pregnancy work out dvds that promised to whip me into shape.  since the gym is 20 minutes away, my plan is to alternate between dvds, walking, and making trips to the base. interestingly enough, amazon sent me an email the next morning saying they would ship one of my items separately for quicker service, free of charge.  apparently, even amazon knew just how out of shape i am because they chose to expedite the arrival of my perfect pregnancy workout dvd rather than one of david's christmas presents.  talk about a blow to the self-esteem.  needless to say, i went on a walk this morning.  :) i sure hope you all are ready to see some bulging biceps from this new mama in the weeks to come.


some other things occupying my time these days include: unpacking our closet and getting settled in our lovely new home, online shopping for christmas, napping with my kitties, removing said kitties from the christmas tree (see photo below), and stalking photo blogs for inspiration for a maternity shoot with one of my besties this weekend.  so excited! oh, and i'm proud to say, i have cooked five times since last week. i know, pretty awesome. what can i say, i'm loving cooking in my new kitchen. i just dislike menu planning, grocery shopping, grocery unloading, motivating myself to actually start cooking, and cleaning up.  if it weren't for those things, i would probably cook three times a day. :)
{don't worry, no ornaments were harmed in the removal of my tree climbing cat.  unfortunately, i can't say the same for my arms.}
december is flying by at a rapid pace, and i'm very excited for all the company we will be having over the next couple weeks as well as celebrating the birth of christ and the incredible blessings he has lavishly showered upon us.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

ultrasounds, christmas, and green olives

today is the big day....my very first ultrasound.  i get to see my little {olive} and hopefully hear its fluttering heartbeat.  i'm a little nervous and excited all at once.  it's like christmas morning came early this year.  be ready for an update...maybe even later today. 
the size of baby deal

Sunday, October 24, 2010

unexpectantly expecting

While many of you know about our little "secret," we figured it was time to write an official blog post announcing the news that has stirred up our lives and hearts. David and I are adding another Deal to the family (and I'm not referring to a puppy)!

the name tags we made for the big reveal
Over two weeks ago, I decided to buy a cheap pregnancy test to rid my mind of the sneaking suspicion that I might be pregnant.  I took the test in our hotel in Abilene while David was at work and went to fix some lunch while I nervously awaited the results.  Thinking for sure it would be negative, I headed back into the bathroom, turned over the plastic applicator, and nearly had a heart attack when I saw the little purple plus sign.  My first reaction was to sink to floor and cry because I was so overwhelmed with a myriad of conflicting emotions.

I had always thought for our first baby, I would tell David the news in a very fun and creative way.  Unfortunately, due to my shock, I called David crying and told him to get to the hotel as soon as he could.  Thinking something was terribly wrong, he asked me what in the world had happened.  Despite my tears, I managed to tell him that I had bought a test.  Pause. And that it was positive. To my relief, he told me it was wonderful news and began reminding me what an exciting miracle we had just stumbled upon.  Now don't get me wrong, I have had baby fever since before we were married and have wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl; however, we had hoped to wait until next year so we could go to Africa together in January, enjoy a family cruise in May, and also get settled in our new home.  Not to mention, David would be heading off to survival training for a month while I stayed with my family in Colorado.  But as I have learned over the years, God is in control and works all things together for good for those who love Him.  We are parents now...whether or not we are ready for it or prepared by any means.

I had a blood test taken the following day to confirm the pregnancy and was informed I was 4 weeks along.  David and I then decided we would tell our families in person when we drove to Colorado that weekend before taking our honeymoon.  We made name tags for everyone (Uncle Josh, Aunt Mikayla, Grandma, etc.) and passed them out when we arrived, mentioning that we may all need name tags since it had been awhile since our last visit.  Watching their faces as they quickly processed the subtle hint was priceless.  The next day, we met David's sister, brother-in-law, and mom for dinner and passed out some more name tags.  We also skyped with our dads and my grandparents to share the news.  We told everyone to try to keep it quiet because we wanted to wait a few more weeks before making it public, but as to be expected, no one, not even David and I, could keep a secret of this magnitude.  Figuring out the right time to tell people about a new baby is challenging, but we came to the conclusion that no matter what happened with this pregnancy, we wanted the support and prayers of our friends and family.

I am currently approaching 7 weeks and have already been plagued by some morning sickness which hit during the end of our vacation in the Bahamas.  David and I went to my first prenatal appointment last week before he left for Washington.  An ultrasound is supposed to be scheduled sometime in the next couple weeks.  My goal is to blog lots during the pregnancy, and of course, after our little one is born. 

the size of baby deal
a teaser for my next blog post :)

Friday, September 24, 2010

chaos

we are moving on wednesday.  life is chaotic.  the house is a disaster, and we are trying to pack clothes for abilene, our honeymoon, david's sere training, and my stay in colorado.  i must confess, i loathe packing for trips because it takes for-ev-er to figure out what clothes to bring.  oh and i always overpack.  you can imagine the overpacking that is taking place with three different trips on the horizon.  i feel a little like this woman.
kudos
despite the work at hand, we have a relaxing vacation to the bahamas to look forward to in a couple weeks.  taking our honeymoon 7 months after our wedding isn't such a bad idea after all.  :)
kudos
sorry this blog post doesn't have much to offer in terms of creativity and photos.  i will try to get the creative juices flowing again after this move.  check out a photo of our house before you leave.  many more to come, of course.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

bloggie goodies

check out this fun and creative giveaway: fortheeasilydistracted
on second thought, don't check it out so i have a better chance of winning something.  just kidding...i guess you can enter... :)  it's safe to say i'm experiencing mixed emotions.
kudos
just a side note...we are driving to texas tomorrow to embark on our house hunting adventure!  david and i are so excited to buy our first home!  i must say i'm feeling rather sappy lately for several reasons: (1) we just crossed the six month mark of marriage, (2) we are finally going on our honeymoon next month, and (3) we are about to start a whole new chapter of our lives together.  i.love.david.
kudos