2018: A YEAR IN PICTURES

2018: A YEAR IN PICTURES 

JANUARY




FEBRUARY


MARCH



APRIL


MAY




JUNE



JULY



AUGUST



SEPTEMBER




OCTOBER



NOVEMBER





DECEMBER

Halfway There!!! Bebe Misegades 3.0

I don't know why God has blessed our family with another perfectly healthy baby especially when I have so many dear friends who are facing different circumstances right now. Roads I've never had to nor would WANT to travel. I'm so thankful and at the same time feel like life is messy and hard and flat out not fair sometimes. Why didn't these things happen to me? I don't deserve any of these gifts.But I will Praise You God for another precious life. And another gorgeous healthy growing baby. To my dear friends (you know who you are) ... I'm not in your shoes but I am on my knees and will battle this out alongside you. So hard to be heavy and joyful at the same time. Love to you! 

Welcome to 33

A few thoughts and lessons I have learned over the past year... 

+ Do not take your health for granted.  It can change overnight.  

+ Be thankful for REST. Make REST a priority. 

+ Exercise doesn't have to be punishment. Find something that you genuinely enjoy and stick with it.

+ You don't have to have 100 best friends.  You don't even have to have 10. The older I get, the more I realize that my circle may be smaller, but it's deeper. And I can be picky about who I spend my (very limited) free time with. 

+ Show up for people. If they are local... do something more than hide behind a text. Pick up the phone and call. Drop by for a visit. 

+ FIGHT for CONTENTMENT.  In your marriage. Your house. Your season. Your belongings. Stop the comparison game since all it does is rob you of joy. 

+ Find a creative outlet and make time to do it.  For me, it's reading and writing.  I put it on the back-burner for so long but it is something that makes me come alive.  Find your thing and MAKE TIME for it no matter how busy you are. You will be happy you did. 

+ Self help books are great...but NOTHING compares to THE WORD.  THE WORD is the source of all life and truth and wisdom.  Open it daily. 

+ Don't hold grudges.  They eat you up way more than the other person. Forgiveness is hard but necessary if you want to possess JOY.    

+ What you watch/ read/ listen to can really affect you.  Be selective.  You don't have to get rid of everything but have a sensitivity (AND BE WILLING) to get rid of stuff that is taking up unnecessary space in your head and your heart. 

+ Marriage is worth fighting for.  Having a built in cheerleader and best friend instead of an enemy or roommate/ co-parent is SO much more fun! Communicate. Choose love. 

+ Friendships have seasons. Some people you thought would be lifelong friends sort of fade away and then you meet someone new and to your surprise, feel instantly connected... like you've known them your entire life.  Be OPEN to new friendships and be thankful for the lessons that old ones have taught you.  

+ Don't try to control things... especially holidays and toddlers ha! I used to have unrealistic expectations about how certain days would look and pan out and that is officially out the window.  I have forced my Type A self to be a bit more of a free spirit... Wake up. Have a good attitude. Make PLANS .... BUT make the best of them if they go haywire! Dance in the rain, right? Lemons into lemonade? Trite but true. 

+ Be open to criticism. You are not perfect. Don't be shocked when people point that out. Be gracious. Be a safe place.  LISTEN before getting defensive. 

+ Shed the insecurity and just be confident in who you are instead of who everyone expects you to be.  Don't be a cookie cutter. Be who God uniquely designed you to be. 

Welcome, 33. I am thrilled to see what lessons you have in store! 

To my Angel Baby(ies) and my NEW Baby

Written on January 26th.  The morning we were headed in to the doc to confirm my pregnancy. 

_________________________

To my very first Baby(ies)

The sting of your loss is palpable. I can go back 5 years in an instant to that cold hospital and apathetic doctor.  Tears well in my eyes at the thought of it.  The waiting. The hoping. The praying. The painting. The writing. 

You are not forgotten. You are in a much happier place but I still ache because I am your Mommy. 

Hope because you taught us to pray big BOLD prayers despite medical opinions. 

Samuel because you were the child we prayed for so very hard. 

Well I am currently pregnant with your littlest brother or sister and the enemy is trying to steal the joy out of this experience just like he has done every time since I lost you.  But I am going to battle this out. 

We are going to be victorious. We are going to celebrate this life and this blessing and this hope.  

To my new baby. I love you. I have already been daydreaming about you and how you are the missing puzzle piece to our family. We think you may be our grand finale baby and because of that I want to cherish every single moment of this last pregnancy. I do not want to be swallowed up by fear or anxiety. 

Baby - We look forward to seeing you today. Hearing that strong heartbeat and getting sweet affirmation that you are alive and well and growing big and strong in my womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are being knit together by the most loving and creative Father and I know He has big plans for you and our family.  

So to my Angel Babies- I will never forget you. I will celebrate you instead of fearing. 

To my new baby - You are a treasure.  A blessing after a very long and hard season of bad health. You are the crescendo to the beautiful symphony of our family.  My prayer is that we can enjoy every single note. 

XO

Mommy 

My Holiday Gift Guides: For HER. For HIM. For THEM.

I LOVE gift giving. I know it sounds cheesy but at Christmas I really do get more joy out of watching people OPEN their gifts, than receiving them.  This year I thought I would put together some of my favorite gifts for HER, HIM and THEM.  I hope you get some good ideas!

1. Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker // Guys I bought this for myself this year and my husband has basically stolen it. He takes it in with him while he showers,  does the dishes and bathes the girls...to name a few.  It is compact and comes in a variety of colors! (I chose the Mint because... duh! But the black may be a bit more manly.) 

2.  Yeti Stainless Steel Tumbler// This is my husband's newest obsession.  It will keep your coffee hot and ice in tact for HOURS.  Example: Go to church, return to your car, and your coffee is STILL hot! We've done it. 

3. Ugg Men's Slippers// This year Ugg released these cute slippers for MEN! If your man is anything like mine, he walks in the door and immediately go put on sweats and comfy clothes. These are perfect for lounging around the house and taking the trash out early in the morning. 

4.  New Balance Men's Sneakers // I have always loved New Balance shoes and I have to admit, these look really cute under guys jeans. Logan wears his all the time but I love all the new color schemes they come out with each season. 

5. Roku Express // You need this guys.  It is the same concept as Apple TV but a heck of a lot cheaper! If you have multiple TVs in your house, this is a great way to stream all your shows in every room of the house! 

1. Instant Pot // THE GIFT of the year! This is a pressure cooker that basically does an 8 hour crockpot job in under 20 minutes! INSANE and awesome! Definitely on my list. :) 

2. Lash Boost // Guys. TRUST ME.  This is a must-have product for your wife that will have her eyelashes looking fuller, darker, AND longer. Say no to fake lashes! These are ALL natural. 

3. Kendra Scott Gold Earrings // I bought these earlier this year and they go with EVERYTHING. They retail at a very reasonable price and have the BRAND Name that will make your wife smile. 

4.  The Magnolia Story // If you are anything like us, you love the show Fixer Upper. I also happen to love to read, so I have added this book to my wish list! 

5. Volcano Holiday Candle // These big candles are always a splurge but they smell amazing (like an Anthropologie store) and will last months. I love that they have them in holiday red and green this year!

1. Noodle & Boo Lotion // I bought this at Neimans back in the day and I still lather my baby in it.  It is by far the BEST SMELLING lotion for your kids on the market. Great baby shower gift as well. 

2. Kidkraft Kitchen // We got this for our girls last year and although it took forever to put it together, it was a HIT! My girls play with it all the time and it comes in a ton of different colors.  I went back and forth between the pink and the turquoise! 

3. Fire Kids Edition Tablet // We are getting this for Stella this year... shhh! It is cheaper than an iPad and comes with a 2 year warranty in the "off" chance your kiddo breaks it ;) No more shows on my phone taking up a ton of memory. 

4. Floral Headphones // You will need headphones to go along with your tablets and these are just precious and so adorable.  The ear buds don't stay in Stella's ears, so I think these will work much better and she will look super cute. 

5. Kidkraft Teepee //  This was our Christmas gift 2 years ago and it is still standing! We LOVE our teepee and we have been able to wash it several times so it still looks like new. I love all the color combos that KidKraft has for these. 

I hope this was helpful in giving you some ideas for your Christmas shopping! I am partial to Amazon because... #FREESHIPPING and #NOMALLSWITHCHILDREN 

Ha! Hope you are having a wonderful December so far!