…things will be a lot different at my sister’s house. Anyone who walks into their house can see things have already started to change, the decor is rightfully turning from contemporary chic to baby items galore. The spare bedroom in their house has meaning now, painted the perfect shade of blue, blankets and stuffed animals picked out for him, a crib waiting to be slept in, a chair waiting to rock him.

I don’t think my sister has left one stone unturned, one thing left on her list not checked off…or will be checked off very soon. She’s ready, waiting, expecting and also I can see not trying to form expectations. Yes…things are going to change. My sis with her beautiful hair and flawless face, will still be beautiful and flawless, but she’ll carry herself differently…a little more tired, a little more frazzled, maybe a little more flawed and a lot more beautiful.  My very cool brother in law will still be cool, but in the “I carry a diaper bag and I’m proud of it” kind of cool. Gaming will be done with a baby on his lap, he’ll learn to make lunch one handed.

No one can truly tell them what is going to happen. Believe me, I’ve tried! They know all the stories, all the advice, they’ve gone to classes and read books, sis and I have talked for hours and hours, but all of that won’t replace what is going to happen the day he is born. Labor…she’ll finally have her story to share. The first time they walk through their front door, a family….did they really let us take him home?? and what do we do with him now?? That first night…and the sacrifices that will follow that don’t really feel like sacrifices, just natural acts of love.

We get the privilege, those of us who surround them, to witness a beautiful transformation. One guy…one girl…who love with an everlasting love…transform into parents, a family. Life won’t ever be the same, in a wonderful, amazing way.

Love you guys…can’t wait for Ethan to arrive…more photos to come later.

…or you might miss it…

6 years goes by in a flash.  It feels like yesterday  it was just Jeremy and I, no cares in the world. No mortgage, no responsibilities, we traveled light, we ate exotic food, stayed up all night because we wanted to (not because we had to!), went to the movies with 5 minutes notice, jumped in the car for spur of the moment trips to the beach, slept in, had a clean house…

and then she was born…     and life finally began.

I am blessed to be her mom. She makes my days brighter, she lifts the clouds, her sing-song heart is contagious, she teaches me about Jesus’ love. (I literally just overheard her in the living room, “this is the best day of my life!”)

Happy 6th Birthday Abs, you are so beautiful, inside and out.

I had the privilege of hosting (along with tons of help from close family!) my sister’s baby shower a couple weeks ago. I had so much fun putting it on, it was an honor. Boy was I in “shower” mode those last days leading up to it! Kendra and I don’t keep secrets…and it was so odd to not tell her so many secrets about her shower! The day came and we got to spend the afternoon with a fine group of ladies and baby Ethan was showered with many many beautiful gifts.

I didn’t take very many photos of the day, I was determined to enjoy the shower instead of worry about taking photos…but here are the very few that I did get.

Thank you to those who helped with the shower…I would not have been so beautiful without you.

Kendra…I’m glad you had a lovely time. He’s almost here!

I wanted to get her reaction when she walked through the door, it was perfect!

Can you guess what game we played?

Such a beautiful pregnant mama…

…yesterday was Our Day…a day of reflecting, a day of looking back. Wow things are different….they look different and we act different…a good different…a great different. The day was normal to say the least. Work, kids, grocery shopping, quick phone calls & short texts to each other. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love our normal. I don’t know if it is our maturity, our experience or our comfort in each other, but sometimes it feels like maybe normal is the new romantic? It was one of the busiest days for him in months, seeing each other only a couple hours out of the 24 that was supposed to be ours. Sure, this weekend the kids will spend a few hours with family and we will celebrate but we joke that we didn’t really feel married until a few days into it, so we can celebrate it a few days later.

My point is…every day is ours. Sure its not all sunshine and we make mistakes, but we love each other that much and want to spend the rest of our lives together. At the very end of the day, when he got home much later than normal, I opened the door to a man I know very well, a man that its taken me 9 years to get to know and there is so much more to learn. I think of the boy that I married, and as much as I love that boy….this man knows me…and he knows what makes me happy. Standing there with not a dozen roses like years past but a simple plant for my garden. How beautiful that every time I see the new daisies that will bloom in my garden, I’ll think of the year that rest and comfort took over in our marriage. Where expectations were a thing of the past and we were able to laugh about where we’ve been and be excited about where we will go. Because next year I’m sure things will look much different all over again…