Three years

Today, well yesterday by the time this posts, marks 3 married years for me and the Zacman.  

We've had a great journey together.  It started here.  

And soon a year had passed.

Then two.  

Now we are just weeks away from the biggest adventures of our lives.  A baby, and a new business. 

I've been fortunate to watch my husband grow.  To see him putting on his daddy pants.  The first time it really hit me that he was ready for, or at least comfortable with kids, was when we were out to dinner with my sisters and their husbands, with two babies in tow.  I watched him finish his dinner, get up from his seat, walk around the table and take Ollie from Annie so she could finish her meal.   I hadn't even asked him.  It was funny to see.  It made me happy.  

I see it even more regularly now.  It makes a girl's heart swell up a bit when her husband loves on a baby.  Not too long ago I was watching Caroline and Penelope when Zac got home from work.  He put down his things, then laid down on the floor to play with Pia.  He loves that girl.

He did the same with Ollie about a week ago.  Except Ollie is still unsure of him...and she promptly folded herself in half and hid her face in her feet.  It made him laugh out loud.  Me too. 

Now I get to see him prepping for his little man.  Doing things like building the crib and helping me sand dressers.        

Soon folks, like less than 12 weeks soon, Zac will join ranks with the other men in my life as a dad,

to our baby Clifford Stuart.  A baby that has grown so quickly I can hardly believe it.
At 8 weeks...

at 12 weeks...

at 20 weeks.

and now at 28 weeks he is a busy man, who spends his time dancing around and kicking ribs.
Our family is soon to expand.  Our lives will be even more full.  Our hearts will grow 3 sizes.
I love my husband.  He is my big man, my best friend, my baby daddy, and my favorite person in the world.  I couldn't have picked a better man to do all this with.

I am a lucky girl.

Garage Sale!

I don't know if you know, but putting on a garage sale is not high on my list of fun summer activities.  Going, maybe, but hosting, no.  There is a whole lotta prep work, followed by a whole lotta praying, then a whole lotta clean-up.  When Annie said she wanted to do a donations-only garage sale, I was not exactly pumped, but you get on board when you know it is a good cause.  And people, how can ya hate when this little munchkin is the reason for all of it.  You can't.  She makes you too happy.  

So the family rallied.  We dug out stuff from all corners of our basements and closets and proceeded to sweat off a few pounds hauling tables and displaying poorly thousands of things.

This is the sisters on the day in question.

And Ollie, flirting as usual.

Since the sisters and I have lived by the "you can do it all, and all in one day" philosophy for our entire lives, we decided to add a little fuel to the crazy fire.  After spending some of Thursday, and all of Friday morning setting up the garage sale, we had mom haul the cattle trailer to town loaded with Ethel Edith stuff.  Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  Get rid of inventory in the basement, and in our barns :)  Plus, we got an opportunity to make another donation from our business.  Win-win folks.  That's what it's all about. 

This is a view of our Saturday sale.  We were pumped because we sold enough on Friday to be able to consolidate a few tables.  We had SO many clothes it was unbelievable.  

Inside of the garage was lined on all sides by clothes and housewares.  

Mom kept telling me to put the ugly stuff in the back and the good stuff out front to draw people in.  I tried to assure her that when it comes to garage sales, no one really believes the gems are buried in the back.  But anyone that knows mom knows, when it comes to display, she is the queen-bee and better than you.  Really.  She is.  So there is no point in arguing.  It's just that occasionally, I forget.  Plus, mom cares more, and that is a dangerous combination that sets you up for losing the battle.      

I concede ma.   You are better than me.

Here are just a few pictures of the sale. 

Because garage sales are generally ugly, here are pictures of Ethel Edith stuff. 

And a few pictures of the best thing at the garage sale, Miss Ollie O!

She's big!

Aren't those fat rolls superb?  Ollie is chubby goodness at it's best.  I, on the other hand, am chubby in all the ways that make me wish that men had to carry the babies.  

Our garage sale was a complete success.  Aside from being sweaty and sunburned and snapping at Maggie out of hunger, I had a good time.  Plus, the family was able to raise over $1600 to donate to the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis.  How awesome is that?!  This weekend is the Buddy Walk in St. Louis and I look forward to that.  It should also be a good time.  My family consists of all my favorite people and they are stupid in all the best ways that make you belly-laugh til you cry.  

Thank you to everyone that came out to our sale.  That bought our junk (garage sale or Ethel Edith goods) and to all the family that donated to a worthy cause.  

The whole family, and our rockstar Ollie, thank you from the bottom of our healthy hearts :) 

Keeping in mind

I have been thinking lots, I mean LOTS about my job.  I am completely unsure of what I will do when my contract is up for negotiation again in August. I constantly worry about what I'm being paid and where I could make more and have better benefits and be able to pay more on my loans and save for a house and a practice and on and on and on.  So, when this came across my Youversion today, I felt compelled to share....cause I forget it. 

Hebrews 13:5

⁵ Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,"

Happy Easter

Happy Easter my blogland friends!  I hope you get to spend the day with friends and family, rest assured that as much as you love them, Jesus loves you more!    

 

Now, for a couple of verses about being thankful.  

1Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

1Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,

2Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

1Chronicles 16:34 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

I am thankful for salavation through Jesus, for a God that always has me in his heart, for my family, my dear friends, my co-workers whom I love, and my husband who cracks me up daily.

oh...and Reeses Easter eggs!

Riddle me this

If Zac is one of 6 kids, and all of those kids are married and have kids, how many dinner rolls do I need to bake for Thanksgiving dinner?  ( That's 14 adults + 14 kids = 28 people)

Also if Sally is three times older than John, John is 4 years older than Carl, and Carl has a 5 year old sister named Tammy, how old is Carl? j/k but really, how many rolls?

Hey, thanks

Things I am thankful for today:

1.  A very busy Baby Ollie
2.  A countdown to Disney World
3.  My niece Aubrie going to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
4.  My beautiful wedding ring
5.  Good books
6.  Being able to eat my lunch in a pretty park each day
7.  A busy day at the office
8.  That busy day being not too busy to write a blog
9.  Liter sized water bottles
10.  Maggie trimming my hair last night
11.  All of the messages on Annie's blog after her prayer request for baby Ollie

Kinda makes you wanna be thankful too huh?