Diamond in the Rough...Nursery Before

I have so many ideas and dreams for Baby Leavitt's little space. I want it to be french, vintage inspired with added touches of warmth and sweetness. It is so much fun thinking about what it could be yet by the time I am home I have no energy to actually make it happen. In fact, this is more of what happens in her room...

And this big box in the loft is her crib...yep, still in the box. So as you can see, I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Stay tuned...I will be sure to update all of you once I roll up my sleeves, slop some paint around, and put her nursery together. Well, Zach will likely be the one to paint the nursery because I get paint everywhere! Like floor boards, ceiling, bottom of my shoes that then track around the house...yea, no joke. Happy Monday all!

Grace and a Grateful Heart

Having a thankful and grateful heart...it seems so simple but in reality it is a difficult concept to actually apply to everyday life.  There are always those moments where I stop to digest what is around me and in me.  I wish I could say my heart was more connected to thankfulness and grace on a daily basis, but it isn't.  So I am striving to remember Christ daily.  Striving to realize grace and truth.  Striving to be thankful for the big and little things, the easier and more difficult things, the laughter and the tears.  God is molding me and shaping me through it all.  This morning my heart is sitting a while longer in the reality of grace and having a grateful heart, even though I don't particularly love the morning snow storm :) But of course, Payton loves to longingly look out on the snow capped mountains.  I thought I could learn something from her so I sat with her awhile and enjoyed the view myself.

 







Pregnancy Update:  I am feeling more of the discomforts of pregnancy and I am only 24.5 weeks! I don't mind it too much considering I know there is a human being growing inside of me and I get to meet her in about 3 months.  I am ecstatic!  Baby L enjoys swimming around and dancing throughout the day AND night! Her consistent growth also means I am growing right along with her. I haven't been as good at taking my bi-weekly pictures with Zach lately but I snapped a few self-portraits today for you all to see what I mean. And I have been told I waddle already...hmmmm.

Now more obvious from the front.

BooYa Baby Belly!

Apparently I don't have feet anymore...

Happy Thursday All! 

I hope you are encouraged today to think about grace with a grateful heart!

My Funny Valentine

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."     - C.S. Lewis

I love Valentine's Day. I think it's worthwhile to enjoy a day with the one you love no matter how commercialized it may be.  I missed my valentine this year and his absence certainly made my heart grow fonder.  In fact, I ended the day falling asleep missing my husband but incredibly thankful for the man I married.  I felt so loved by him, he is good like that.  

True love is a refreshing and challenging experience.  Having someone in your life that you love forces you to live with their best interests in mind and to put your own aside.  That is not to say that they don't do the same for you but love is definitely more than a feeling and fulfilling your own selfishness.  I feel lucky to still have those affectionate feelings with my husband and to know that we both strive to love each other deeply still.  So this year on V-Day, I spent some time thinking about the kind of love that I want to show my husband...and my sweet Baby L.  I know I will fail and I know I will be selfish at times.  But I will wish and pray and support them towards their "ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."  My funny valentine, who so loyally and genuinely lives life with me, already does this for me.  I am so thankful.  And he makes me laugh...A LOT!

"Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable."    -Thomas A. Kempis

  

22 Weeks and Counting

 Pregnancy update: I am growing bigger by the hour!! At least it seems that way when I look in the mirror. The only consolation for the expanding waistline is the fact that I know my baby girl is growing too. She is also moving around like crazy and sometimes I think I have a little sea creature swimming around in there. She is about 11.5 inches long, almost the size of a ruler. I can't believe it and I continue to fall more in love with her every day. I am so humbled by the little life that God has given me to care for and I trust that God will use me in her life to draw her closer to Him. As my 5 year old niece so sweetly told me this weekend, "it's getting fatter!" Yep, that's right people, Baby L is growing fast! I am 22 weeks (and a few days).

I am also more in love with Zach and so thankful for him as my husband (and of course so thankful he is my baby daddy). I have been a bit more sentimental and emotional these days so forgive me for being a little sappy.  


On a completely different note, I had to post a new picture of Payton. She needs a little blog attention these days, so needy! ;) Actually, I just think it is funny that she loves the snow so much; all snuggled up and comfy in her snow bed.

Snow Days and the Art of Doing Nothing

l’arte di non fare niente, translated as the art of doing nothing. I like to think I inherited this art form from being Italian. In the summer, a warm afternoon is the perfect set up for practicing this art. However, I have decided that a snow day is just as perfect! The art of doing nothing is not necessarily doing "nothing" but it is doing something solely for the sake of fully enjoying it. It doesn't require too much effort and it won't be a task that is checked off of the never ending to do list. It doesn't need to take up an entire day (for those of you who cannot stand leaving that to do list for another day), but it gives a break from doing, doing, doing.

Snow comes with the territory in Colorado. Most of the time, snow makes me miss California weather and the beach, especially since it is exactly the location where I most enjoy l’arte di non fare niente!

This is from December during our trip to California...oh how I miss this!

Even still, I should probably make the best of it and enjoy the snow more than I do...making snow angels, throwing snow balls, and sledding. But to be frank, I hate being cold and I don't currently fit in my snow pants :) Plus, the little bundle will get me out to play in the snow soon enough. Right now, I prefer the art of doing nothing like sitting by a fire with a good book and my hot cocoa in hand. I also prefer not leaving my house in the frigid cold and that is exactly what I did yesterday. I love when work calls a snow day and I can stay home and stay warm. Although I would have loved to spend the entire day by the fire, I took the opportunity to clean my seriously neglected house and do some laundry. And of course, I did still squeeze in sitting by the fire and watching the snow fall from inside! Payton, on the other hand, loves being out in the snow!

The snow day also gave me some time to dream about the nursery. I am always keeping my eyes peeled for little decorations for Baby L's nursery. I bought this birdcage at Tres Jolie. I love when I pick up something unique and on sale! If you have never been to the cute shops in downtown Littleton, you should check them out. As soon as Baby L is old enough, the two of us will enjoy afternoon tea at Tres Jolie, such a cute set up for a mommy and daughter date.

I hope you all stay warm and enjoy your weekend! Maybe you would like to practice the art of doing nothing too, I recommend it.