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Three years ago today my long list of titles was added to.

It was a title I instantly cherished.

I still don't know what it is that I have come to realize from gaining this name. What subtle power it seems to hold.

All I know from everything I've learned is that how very much 1 little person can change your world!

Because this big person knows first hand how much has changed from said little person. Because 36 months ago this girl became an aunt.

Happy Birthday to my Beeto! I hope you have a wonderful day little man, pirate, basketball star, and superhero! You have so tightly wound this aunt around your little finger and I am so excited every time someone asks about you! 1 hour
1 year
2 years

3 years

I love you so very much and I hope that you have a day just as special as you are! I pray for God's blessings to be in abundance over you today and the year ahead! Enjoy celebrating you!

Birthdays and weddings and changes, oh my!

Well, hello everyone! Yes this is a real person and not an automated messaging service that has been featured several times over the last few months! Pardon the informality's of my posts lately! There are reasons and I will give you 12 of them.

12 weeks to be exact. It has been 12 weeks of abnormal and crazy and I think we are on the downhill climb to normalness...

Who am I kidding! No normalness at all...just sanity...ok still stretching...it will come to me eventually!

Last Saturday my sister said, "I do." She was beaming and all the weeks of eeps came down to a 30 minute ceremony {that was beautiful} and a fabulous reception! Once the pictures come in from the photographers I will be sure to post more on the big day. As for now enjoy this lovely taste!




I am so excited for them as they begin life together. They were made for each other and they compliment each other so well that it is impossible to question the handiwork of Christ in their lives!

February is birthday month around here. That's not entirely true. It seems that way at times! This year was one of those times! Both mine and the Bean's birthdays {11 days apart} are in February! This year my parents gave us a trip to the circus! It was such a fun time together as a family! We took my gma along who had never been! She kept squeezing my arm with excitement!




Bean and I in front of the sign!




In late February we had a snow storm...ish. I was really hoping for a good snow this year and all of the 2 times it snowed the ground was too warm or the day was too warm. All that to say the snow stuck around for about 1 hour after we woke up the next day. I did get a half day and we made some creatures!


Because the weather was so warm the trees had already started budding! I loved snapping this of the new tree bud against the snow on the ground!



As I mentioned, February was birthday month! My friend, JM's birthday is at the beginning of the month and we celebrated with some carne, games and sweet frog!

Bean's birthday is mid-month and she chose CFA and...

...sweet frog!



Bean with a friend of mine who works at SF

My birthday is at the end of the month and I had to teach the night before. Just after my birthday the next day I was headed to TN to drive back with my sister and the boys for the wedding. Knowing this information my sweet class took it upon themselves to give me a fabulous birthday eve. They made dinner, and took me to...you guessed it!

Sweet Frog!

I think there is a slight addiction! We love it and really enjoy going. Needless to say it's a given in our birthday celebrations!

I'm sure I'm missing a few details but there you have it. The last 12 weeks in 12 seconds!

It's been a crazy, crazy time but I love it all! I have so enjoyed being with my family and celebrating together!

Coming next week I have some more yummy recipes, fun repurposes I've tried over the last few weeks {yes, I've snuck in some time with the glue gun}, and hopefully an on time She wore that Wednesday!?

Thanks for reading!

thinking about "him"

My Mr.,


My thoughts are never far from you. It's been an interesting few months as I ponder our lives together. There have been several events that have caused me to think about things in my future. Our future. My sister and her Mr. tied the knot now a week ago. Many caring persons' comments began to surface bitter emotions to the reality that I haven't met you. I valued their concern that this day was "difficult" for me. However, there is a truth that I hope they understood. I am thankful for where God has me. I am thankful that I stood by my sister as she committed to the Father and to her husband to display the beautiful picture of how Christ loves the church. I am thankful that I was able to witness this union of such a beautiful couple as they begin their days together bringing the Father praise. I am thankful that I assisted in celebrating with them as they prepared, planned, and were pronounced put together by God that no man should separate!


Yes, my dear, I am thankful I did all this. I am thankful I did all this without a ring of my own...or even yet, a man of my own.

Just recently someone asked to pursue my heart. This heart that belongs to first my Father, then my father, and in the end to you. Trouble with this man is that he carried the characteristics I would desire you to have. Everything that is, but you. I had to look at him and honestly evaluate if I saw you. Truth is, dear one, that I didn't. Everything he possessed I wanted in my future mr. But not everything I wanted in a future mr. did he posses.


Please rest assured that this heart of yours is still in tact, whole, untouched, and longing for you. I can not lie. This waiting for you is hard. I recently put together a picture, subconsciously, that I wasn't expecting. As you may not know {yet!} I am a nanny. My job is long, tiring, and at times difficult. On the flip side, it is wonderful, a blessing, and a great learning time! There was a moment when I wanted to show my 2 year old something. Something she wasn't interested in. As I held her hand to guide her in the right direction she tugged and pulled with all her might in the opposite. The harder she pulled the tighter my grip became. I knew that the direction she was pulling in could ultimately lead to harm. Her harm. I knew that she was trying to get to something that she thought was better than what I had to show her. She didn't want to wait to find out what I had as a surprise. She wanted to go her own way.


In many ways I feel like that with my heart. The harder my heart longs for you. Looks for you. Even seeks you out of facades that are not real. The tighter my grip has to be. I am thankful though, that my grip isn't the only one holding on. I know my Father sees you. He knows what corner you are just around and His grip on my heart is strong, gentle, and His guidance is taking me to you. Not only Him, but my father is watching for those potential facades. My father is constantly in communication with my Father over the "right" or "wrong." I have little to worry about when I have the 2 of them treasuring my heart as it is meant to be treasured.



My dear, these days of waiting for you are long. The times without you are too often. I can't wait for you. Us. However, God has me here. Right where I am. Right now. Without you. Whereas I can NOT escape the truth that I long for you. I can not escape the truth that I desire to be WHOLE heartily where He has me. Truth of this matter is that last Saturday wasn't difficult for me. I miss you but I know that God hasn't brought you yet. So, my dear my waiting heart didn't ache because I knew that the same God that perfectly formed my sister and her Mr. together was perfectly forming you.

My waiting may be of some length. I don't know what the next moment envelopes. I can't see that far. But I have hope, a confident expectation, that in one of these next moments {or maybe the next to the next} I will find you, finding me, waiting for you.

I don't know when that will be. I don't think I want to. What I know for sure is that I can wait, resting in the perfectly secure arms of my Father, in the strong confidence of wisdom of my father, and in the H.O.P.E that I am not done and neither are you.

Waiting {patient and growing} and forever yours, Your future Mrs.

L.A.U.G.H.

One of the best things about my job is witnessing that amazing joy that these little ones have no issue exhibiting! Lately this little man has been super giggly (is that a word?)! He has been laughing over the smallest things and I can't get enough of it!

Man I love this kid!

Banana Whip

Whew! Wedding week month ok, fine, half a year is over. After tons of planning, hundreds of cookies and chunks of pineapple, 2 "I do's," and a toss of the bouquet the happily married couple was off! I will update more on all of this and other events soon, very soon!

As for now I want to leave you with a clean eating recipe that I have stumbled upon and L.O.V.E! If you are looking for a fun cool treat this is just the thing! My mind has been running all day long with the possibilities but I will update on those later {if they work out! =D}!

Banana Whip!

Peel and slice a couple bananas and put in a bag in the freezer. This step is VERY important.

a. if you don't peel and slice the banana it will be an absolute NIGHTMARE with a frozen banana in the peel!

b. if you don't freeze them then you won't have the texture, consistency, of temperature that you are looking for. **You can NOT freeze it after it's whipped. It doesn't whip!**

Take your frozen banana and throw it in your food processor. I used our hand held processor tool! Worked WONDERS!

It takes some time to get it all chunked up but be patient! Once it's all processed pour in about 1/4 cup of almond milk {you can use whatever milk you prefer but I love the way almond gives it a smooth nutty taste!} and continue in the food processor until it is all whipped. It does whip! It's CRAZY! I will try to get a picture of it next time! I ate it too fast this time! =)

Some variations that you could try is to throw a tsp. of cocoa powder, some strawberries, or nuts in towards the end of it's whipping process! It is so smooth! So tasty! So YUM!

Hope to have a real update soon! For now, go enjoy some WHIP!