listen.

This sermon called "The Gospel Demands Radical Sacrifice" by David Platt has wrecked Ben and I...in the best way. I don't want to add a single thing to it - so listen!!

Radical Sacrifice

::shower time::

One of the best parts about being pregnant has been being able to share this time of life with 2 of my closest friends! With all of the crazy change physically and emotionally, I have been so thankful to have family and friends to talk to about it with who have been through it or are going through it and can reassure me that I'm not losing my mind!

Matt and Lindsay found out they were pregnant about a month before Ben and I, which was crazy enough and then a few months later, Julianne and Smith found out they are expecting! Julianne started planning a joint shower for Lindsay and I after we found out the gender of our little ones. Her sweet mom and mother in law also helped host a beautiful shower for us a few weekends ago. It was so fun to officially celebrate the Winter's baby girl and the Wright's baby boy!

Thank you to Julianne, Gretchen, and Creecy for planning such a beautiful shower, our babies are spoiled already!! Also, thank you to each of the friends and family members who were a part of celebrating with us, we are so thankful for you!! 

::nesting::

A few weekends ago I lost my mind. 

I think months of pregnancy emotion came spilling out at once and the only solution was talking about making some progress in the nursery. Don't ask me what happened...I'm just going to blame it on what they call "nesting". 

Well, thankfully, Ben knows how to love me through those moments and started dialing. Within minutes, we had bought a crib! I don't know why but making that decision and being done with the first big purchase for little boy's room felt like a weight had been lifted and we were actually about to start working on a nursery! It made it feel a little more real. 

So a few days later, Pottery Barn called and said the crib had arrived in the store and was ready to be picked up. I drove there in my little Jetta thinking it would be fine, but I severely underestimated the size of a crib. While a teenage boy with noodle arms loaded the crib for an hour, I channeled my inner MacGyver and strapped it down with a bungee cord I found in my trunk...thank you, Ben. 

But I made it home from Durham, crib still in tow. 

Joe came over for some extra muscle

That same weekend, we also chose a paint color. In our defense, these samples all looked gray/blue online...not purple or pink. 

We ended up going with Valspar Sea Salt Blue and we love it! 

Pictures of our progress coming soon! 

lately::through pictures

nan and eli

amos found out he LIVES for paddle boarding

sweet eli loves everyone

lovebirds

growing up and getting loud! 

naturals 

NCSU beat FSU!! 

memory lane with tyler at NCSU

ramblings.

my. mind. won't. stop. tonight.

train of thought...go: 

1. Some of our dearest friends just had their first baby girl!! I cannot WAIT to meet her and to talk to Christina about how everything was and how she's doing as a first time Mama. Ryan and Christina, we are so excited for you two and can't wait to share this next phase of life together, we love Carson already! Check out these 2 babes on their wedding day...those are some good genes right there. 

2. Ben's two best friends - Tyler and Stewart - really more like our best friends. Tyler lives in Raleigh and is going to grad school at NC State, but we rarely get to see him since our lives are so busy and on different schedules. SO our solution is what is keeping me up all night. We are starting a new tradition - 

Monday night Dinner and Downton. Tyler, our little Brit at heart, knows me too well and introduced me to this show last year and my life stopped for a good few weeks while I became obsessed. Can't wait until January and Maggie Smith, my girl! Until then, we'll just have to rewatch every episode :) 

Favorite pic of us 3 - engaged to the wrong man ;) 

Stewart, Stewpac, Stewbic...we're just missing you. Living in D.C. is not as cool as living in the same town as your best friends, ok? Stewart has an ok job in an ok city following his ok dreams....National Geographic and Washington D.C. or Raleigh?? Just kidding we're just sad, this past weekend was a tease because Stew was supposed to come visit but ended up not being able to so this is a shout out to you Pac! We love you! 

3. We got to spend the whole weekend with these two: 

Graham helped a pregnant sister and tired brother out by painting the nursery with Ben while Laney and I got to spend some good BFF quality time together which included pedicures, latte's, and catching up on our favorite TV shows. We also went on a double date to the early premiere of: 

Do yourself a favor and go. LOL's from all 4 of us...and that's not common for Ben at a movie at 10:30pm. 

4. I am 26 weeks pregnant. Everything is going great right now and I am so thankful for second trimester. Baby boy is extremely active...kicking, dancing, flipping, punching etc. all the time. I have my glucose test at the doctor tomorrow so we're praying for a healthy report! 

5. I finished this book about a month ago and I still can't stop thinking about it: 

Thank you Kate and Sally for knowing me and loving me so well and encouraging me to read this. I am still challenged by Jen's words and her heart every day (also still laughing at her sarcasm and feeling like we should be best friends with her). Not sure what it's all leading to, but I'm praying that the Lord would use the desires of my heart and the stirrings in my spirit for his glory. We shall see! 

Well, as I was sitting here finishing my thoughts, a cockroach just crawled literally up my entire body all the way to my face. I screamed bloody murder, jumped out of bed and threw the computer on the floor. It's still working, Ben is still sleeping, and the cockroach lives. I, however, will now be up all night...great.