Baby # 3 Update {20 Weeks}

20 Week Bump!

I can't believe I am already half way done with this pregnancy! Time seems to fly by faster and faster with each pregnancy and I know baby girl will be here before we know it! I thought it might be fun to do a little questionnaire for this particular baby update--I always enjoy reading them on other blogs :)

How far along? 20 Weeks

Weight Gain: Oh, yes! Really, I'm right on track for weight gain. For my first two pregnancies I had a really hard time embracing my ever changing (and expanding!) waistline. This time around I feel so incredibly relaxed about the whole thing. Pregnancy really is a beautiful time and it's so brief. It's felt really good to just sit back and enjoy the changes that are happening to my body.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely. Honestly, I had to start wearing stretchy pants by week 10! Haha--my uterus pretty much was like, "Ohhhh right, yeah I've done this before." ;)

Stretch Marks: (Knock on wood) Not yet! I didn't get any stretch marks with Lily either. I think my body did all it's stretching the first time around :)


Sleep: This baby has not caused me any sleepless nights as of yet. My almost 4 year old on the other hand...that's another post for another day ;)

Exercise: Chasing after 2 kids every day counts right?!

Best Moment of this Week: Having my 20 week ultrasound and seeing this precious girl up close! We decided to take Jack with us to the appointment and I'm so glad we did. He loved seeing the baby move around and was so fascinated by the whole thing!


Miss Anything: Not yet...but ask me again in another few months :)

Movement: I feel little kicks from time to time which is fun. She's about the size of a tomato so the kicks don't really pack to much of a punch...yet.

Food Cravings: Red bell peppers and sour jelly beans. Not at the same time :P

Anything making you queasy or sick? Every once in awhile the smell of cooked meat will get to me and any lotions or perfumes that have a strong fragrance are a no go for me.

Gender: Girl

Have you started to show yet: Yes! I noticed a big jump from 12 to 16 weeks. She just keeps growing and growing every week and I love it!

Labor Signs: No

Belly Button In or Out: In

Wedding Ring On or Off: On

Happy or Moody Most of the Time:  I will say that my least favorite part about the whole pregnancy experience are the hormonal changes. Normally I'm a pretty easy going gal, but when I'm pregnant I'm just a bit more...spicy! However, with all that being said I would say I'm happy most of the time. :)

Looking forward to: A family trip to Carlsbad at the end of May and in July I'm whisking the hubby away for his birthday...I'm not telling him where we're going until the day before we leave! :)

My Inner Self {Seeing Past the Imperfections}

Yesterday Jack had his first gymnastics class. It's basically a 55 minutes class that consists of running, jumping on trampolines, swinging from ropes and walking on a balance beam...right up his alley! While I was sitting in the bleachers proudly watching him tumble I noticed a woman sitting next to me. She looked to be about my age, maybe a little older. And she was...perfect. Well, not perfect. I realize nobody is, but she definitely was put together. From her perfectly done hair and makeup all the way down to her beautifully manicured nails; not to mention her darling designer dress, jewelry, shoes and handbag. The girl looked completely and utterly fabulous. I didn't really think much of it at that very moment, but the image of her "perfection"stayed with me throughout the day...and even until this morning. I woke up, went to the bathroom to wash my face and really started looking at my face. It turns out I have a lot of imperfections (according to myself). And once I moved past my face I really started doubting how I look on a day to day basis.

I never take the time to "do" my hair.
I rarely wear makeup.
I try my best to dress cute, but if I'm being really honest I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about what my "look" should be on any given day.
I never get my nails done. It's a luxury I can't afford these days.
I can't get regular facials. Even if I could afford it who has the time when you're raising toddlers?

Anyway, I started feeling bad about myself. Really bad, actually. And I spent over an hour online this morning researching the best places to get facials in my area for the lowest price possible. I was crunching the numbers trying to figure out how I can swing getting at least a facial every month, because according to the image I saw in the mirror this morning--I need it.

                                                                   Source: sunshineandpearls.tumblr.com via Dawn on Pinterest

After some number crunching it turned out...I can't swing it. And really, I already knew that. Any extra money that we have simply cannot go to facials--or manicures--or any other sort of beauty regime for myself. Not now. I felt a little dejected, but then it dawned on me...I chose this life. This homemaking life. Together my husband and I decided that we should start a business, just as we decided that I should stay at home to take care of our family. If we both had made different choices then maybe we would have more money to spare on things for ourselves, but we didn't. And you know? I'm really okay with that. For all the things that we financially cannot do right at this moment, we are making up for it in the love and enjoyment in living the life we both have always dreamed of.

Shortly after my revelation I turned to 1 Peter 3: 3-4 and found this gem;

³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

It still takes my breath away every time I read it. How blessed I am to serve a God that sees beyond my fine lines and the scar on my face and only looks at my inner self. That is truly the place where my  time and energy should be focused on "up keep" really.

I've never been a girl that spends hours getting ready and I don't foresee that changing. Now that I'm raising a daughter (and soon to be two daughters!) I want her/them to see a woman who is confident and God-loving, not a woman who is obsessed with her appearance and picks herself apart. Now, please don't get me wrong--I don't think it's wrong to look nice or to spend time looking nice. I just know that for me everything has to be in it's proper place of importance.  After realizing I couldn't afford monthly facials I felt inspired to google a DIY sort of facial and I found something I'm excited to try! Lauren Conrad posted on her website an easy 5 step facial that you can do every month (or as often as you'd like!) from the comfort of your own home. The link to the post on her website is here, but here's an excerpt right from her blog:

What you will need...

• gentle facial cleanser
• exfoliating scrub
• washcloth
• face mask (clay-based for oily skin, cream or gel mask for dry skin)
• face moisturizer

Instructions

1. Clean. Remove all makeup and then wash your face, neck and ears with a good facial cleanser.
2. Exfoliate. Using your fingers gently rub an exfoliating facial scrub in small circular motions all over your face. Make sure you focus on areas around your nose and forehead. If certain areas of your face are oilier than others, give that section an extra scrub. Go the extra mile and do a lip scrub too! Click here for my DIY lip scrub recipe.
3. Steam. There are a few ways to steam your face (over the stove, using a steamer), but the safest way is to do the washcloth trick. Fill your sink with warm water and soak a washcloth in it. Ring out the towel and then press it to your face. Repeat this 2 to 3 times.
4. Mask. If you have oily skin, use a clay mask. For dry skin, I suggest using a hydrating cream or gel mask. Depending on the mask, leave it on for the suggested amount of time and then rinse completely. (DIY Alert: Making your own mask is very easy. An orange and yogurt mask is especially simple. Mix 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt with the juice of about one fourth of an orange. Spread the mixture evenly over your face and rinse after 5 to 10 minutes.)
5. Hydrate. Last by not least, moisturize! Smooth a nice, thick moisturizer over your face and neck.

I'm doing this tonight! And I might even try making my own mask with Greek yogurt--sounds yummy! :) I suppose my point in writing this post was to gently remind myself that I can't compare myself with anyone.We are each uniquely made, with various strengths. Our harshest critics can be ourselves, at least I know that's the case for me. But I truly believe that if we keep loving God and loving ourselves, nourishing our inner self--life will be so much more lovely. And the next time I see that perfectly put together woman, I will smile knowing that God is still putting me together too.

First Quarter Recap

Well, myyyyyyyyyy goodness. It has been about 4 months since my last blog post! Yikes! Oh blog--how. I've. missed you. SO much has happened in the last four months. Too much to fit onto one blog post so I guess I'll have to do a recap.

First off, my hard drive to my laptop crashed around the beginning of January (hence, no blogging). It has been a MAJOR bummer. I've learned two important things about not having a computer in the home for the last couple months: 1) It is completely possibly to function everyday without a computer. A computer is definitely a convenience and a luxury, but not a necessity at this point in my life. With that being said however, I really hope to have one again soon ;) And 2) I really really really love blogging. Of course I knew before that I enjoyed blogging, but I didn't realize how much I did until I couldn't do it whenever I wanted to.

Second, (drum roll, please........) We're having another baby! It looks like it's going to be another girl and she will be joining our family around mid to late September. The kids are excited--M and I are excited--and overall I am just bursting with joy over my healthy, growing family. :) I'm feeling really great (and er, really round) at the moment, but it took me awhile to get here. The first trimester was ROUGH. I wasn't sure I could get any sicker then I was when I carried Miss Lily, but this baby proved me wrong! All day, everyday for the first 15 weeks felt like I was living in puke purgatory. Sounds awesome, huh? Anyway, life has been smooth sailing now that I have my energy back. I love this part of pregnancy, because you get to sport a cute little belly, but not yet have to deal with all of the uncomfortableness quite yet--it's bliss! I definitely feel like I'm savoring this pregnancy more than my other two. I don't know why exactly, but I guess I feel like now that I've experienced two healthy pregnancies (and thus two healthy children) that I'm able to fully appreciate this little miracle inside me. I'm not concerned with how cute I look or don't look, how much weight I'm gaining, or complaining about every little uncomfortable change my body is going through--I'm just enjoying. And savoring. And saying many many prayers of thanks.

Mbaby (girl!) #3 at 12 weeks

12 week bump.

16 week bump.

Lastly, the kids are getting much too big, much too fast. Story of my life, right?
Jack is going to be FOUR in just 5 short weeks. He's making the jump from one to two days a week at preschool in the fall and he couldn't be more excited! I've seen him grow so much in the last 9 months since starting school. He loves reading and painting, as well as talking about all the different shapes and colors that he sees. He is so smart and so funny and so so so strong willed. I wish I could blame all this strong willingness on his dad, but I'm afraid he inherited a double dose from both of his parents. We're all working on this though. ;) And at the end of everyday no matter how nutty my son has made me I can say with 100% honesty that while I have one heck of a strong willed boy, I also have one heck of a sweet one too. I really don't think I have ever met another little boy as sweet as my Jack. His heart is so big. I already know he's a kid that's going places.

Swing into Spring.

What?!!

Easter 2013

Lily turned two about a month ago and spends most of her days talking up a storm ("no" is her favorite word), playing with her princess dolls, reading and following her big brother around. She idolizes Jack and always runs to him when she's hurt or upset. He is always so sweet with her and very protective of his little sister which really warms my heart. Now that she's two I'm noticing her assert her independence a bit more and throw a few more tantrums than usual. Overall, she's still a very easy going little girl. I can't get enough of her long curly locks and her oh-so-cute glasses. Oh yes! Glasses! Another new development in this first quarter of 2013--our girl can't see! Well, I shouldn't say that. She can see, just not very well. About two months ago her right eye started crossing which prompted us to take her to a pediatric opthamologist. We then discovered that Lily has extreme far sightedness. It was a little bit of a shock to hear, but I am just thrilled that Lily is finally seeing the world with clear vision.

Happy Birthday Lily!

Easter Lily

Such a big helper!

Well, that's the recap! I know there's a bunch of stuff I missed, but what-do-ya-do? I know what you do--BLOG MORE! And that's what I intend to do. Lots of fun stuff in the months ahead that I can't wait to share. And I'm really enjoying (and will continue to enjoy!) soaking up and savoring these last few months as a family of four :)

The First and The Last

It's hard to believe it's the last day of December and thus, the last day of 2012. It's also hard to believe that I only wrote twice this month on my blog--the first and the last days of this joyful month. Perhaps that's as it should be. While I definitely haven't been lacking with things to document, I also didn't feel as motivated to get up and write. With the tragedy our nation suffered with the Sandy Hook shootings I wanted to spend even more time snuggling with my children, savoring the moments of their tininess and innocence. We spent a lot of time baking cookies and laying on the couch watching Christmas movies together, set to the background of our sweet lit-up Christmas tree. Many mornings and nights looked like that and those days were just perfect. There was also a lot of time spent with family--grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles--and feeling just very blessed that we our surrounded by so much love.

There was a little bit of busyness as always, but it was all fun...

Cruising for Christmas lights.

And there were plenty of "baby hot cocoas" consumed by this guy.

This beautiful baby celebrated another birthday. I am one lucky girl to have her as my mentor and best friend--love you mom.

The Daily Christmas Dinner. The best photo we could muster with two feisty toddlers.

We were on the nice list!

Marcus and I agree that 2012 brought about the BEST Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that we've ever shared together. For the first time in years we weren't rushing around going from one house to the next. We were actually able to relax and SAVOUR the time with our family of four as well as with the rest of our families.

Christmas Eve day was spent with family in Malibu for lunch followed by a quiet and cozy dinner at home with just us four...thank you Pick Up Stix ;) After dinner, we got the kids ready for bed and then Jack helped me make cookies for Santa. This is the first year that he really got the whole Santa thing and to see the sheer joy of the season on his face was nothing short of magical. Once the kids
were settled and asleep Marcus and I ventured out to get all the gifts wrapped and in position. It was so wonderful spending that time with my hubby and knowing that we were making memories for our little ones that they will never forget. M even let me watch Christmas movies of my choice all night long! I've got a keeper I tell ya ;)

Cookies for Santa.

`

Santa came!

Christmas morning was perfect. I woke up around 6am to prepare my Monkey Bread and pop it in the
 oven. It was my first year making it and we're all in agreement that it needs to be an annual Christmas morning tradition! The kids woke up shortly after, around 7:30am. They took their time opening gifts and had an absolute blast! M and I enjoyed our coffee and soaked in all the "oooohs and ahhhhs", smiles and laughter. After everything was opened the kids quietly played with their toys and M and I were able to watch "It's a Wonderful Life". The movie title certainly was reflective of how we were feeling at that moment.

The rest of the day was just as wonderful as the morning. We went over to my parents and had the most wonderful breakfast! This is the one meal I look forward to every year and my mom absolutely outdid herself! After breakfast we opened gifts and after that was all done we just sat around feeling completely stuffed and jolly. Marcus made me homemade hot cocoa (I mean with real shaved chocolate and everything!) and it was SO delicious. Did I mention he's a keeper? ;)

We had a little downtime in the afternoon so we went back to our house so the kids (and daddy) could nap and I could start organizing the mounds of toys. Before long it was time to head on over to my in- laws where we opened more gifts and then consumed the most amazing Cuban Christmas dinner! My mother-in-law is Cuban and made everything from scratch. Pork, rice, black beans and then homemade Cuban pastries for dessert. We all had seconds and maybe even thirds. It was to die for! I think all the Martinez's are in an agreement that Cuban Christmas just might have to be an annual Christmas tradition as well!

Like I mentioned earlier, M and I ended Christmas Day in agreement that this was the best Christmas ever. I don't know how next year could top this year, but I have no doubt it will. When you're surrounded by so much love and an awesome family like we are, every year just has to get better.

Monkey Bread for my little monkeys.

Cousins in their matching jammies.

My hubby makes the BEST hot cocoa ever! Perfect on a cold Christmas morning.

And now here I sit, New Year's Eve 2012. I'm always a little bit sad after Christmas is over, because its just a holiday that always seems to go by too darn quickly. However with that being said, I really can say whole heartily that I soaked up this holiday season and completely enjoyed it! Now that it's NYE I feel excited about the beginning of another new year. Even though beginnings can be a little bit scary, I like them. To me it represents a fresh start and a chance to be better than you were before. I have quite a few resolutions this year, but I think the mantra that I want to carry with me most this next year is, "Be better than yesterday". A better wife, a better mom, a better daughter-sister-and friend. A better servant. A better follower of Christ. I know if I become better at the last one, everything else will follow suit. :)

Many blessings to you and yours in the New Year! :)

Every Good Thing.

Today was just one of those days. When I first sat down to write I noticed this post began to turn into a complaining/venting session. I absolutely believe that one should always be honest when they blog, however I also believe in being productive when I blog. I want to feel good about what I write and upon further reflection of the aforementioned post I decided that it didn't help me work through any of the things I was feeling. And really at the end of the day-- a bad day is just a bad day, not a bad life. Simple as that.

Tonight as I was washing my hair and talking to God {everybody talks to God in the shower, right? ;P}and the word being whispered to my heart over and over again was thanksgiving.

My thoughts then wandered to a dream I had a couple weeks ago. In my dream my grandma kept showing me the bible verse Philemon 6. When I awoke the next morning I had remembered the dream and told myself to check if that bible verse was even in the bible--I wasn't even sure there was a book of Philemon! Anyway, wouldn't you know the day got away from me and it wasn't until a few days later that I decided to look up that verse.

I'll have you know there IS a book of Philemon! ;) It's a very short book with only 25 verses, but what I found extremely interesting was that in my bible the only verse that was highlighted out of all 25 verses was...can you guess? Yep, verse 6.

Philemon 1:6

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

Philemon 1:6

So, what does this mean? I'm not sure really. I've never been one to take dreams literally and I don't foresee that changing, but I will say that I do believe whole heartily nothing is out of the realm of possibility when it comes to the power of God. Perhaps this verse was meant for me for today; this very day that I've been struggling with worry? Either way, I just pray that God uses this verse and any worry that I may feel to do a work on my heart. To shape it and mold it so that I can be more like Him and to have full understanding of every good thing that I have all-the-time.

This is my simplest and most humble prayer.

Living.

Source: tumblr.com via Amie on Pinterest

I love blogging. It has definitely become a creative outlet and joy over these last few years, but as any busy mom knows--it can be difficult to find time to sit down and write.  Sometimes it seems like when I am able to take a moment and reflect I only write about all the "highlights" or exciting moments from that particular week or month. Now don't get me wrong--those moments are important to document, but sometimes just regular 'ole everyday living can get lost in the shuffle.

Today was Jack's preschool day. Wednesday might just be his favorite day of the week. He loves school SO much that he asks to go everyday. I tell him that mommy's bank account and heartstrings can only afford one day a week and that seems to make enough sense to him at the moment. I've really come to enjoy Wednesdays as well, because it frees up some one-on-one time with Lily. I see now how important it is to make quality time with each of your kids and I'm glad that Wednesday has given me that weekly opportunity with my girl.

After I dropped off Jack we went to the new Walmart that opened in Fullerton. I had to buy a telephone and I thought it would be a good opportunity to scope out the toys to get some ideas for Santa this year. From there we went to my parents house where we met up with my mom, sister-in-law and Nana to discuss this years Thanksgiving menu. It turns out I will be making Salted Caramel Brownies, Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting AND sauteed vegetables. Mmmm! I can't wait! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I can't wait to see how all my dishes will turn out.

All that menu planning left us starving so we all decided to grab a quick bite. While at lunch I made a last minute decision to make my homemade chicken fingers for dinner (they're the kids' favorite!) so I quickly jetted to the store after lunch to pick-up my items before Jack got out of school.

Once we got home from school both kids napped for about an hour and a half and it was absolutely glorious. {I really do appreciate quiet time so much more now that I have children.} Once everyone was awake I popped in a Christmas movie to distract them so I could get to work on dinner. While I was cooking I decided to listen to some Christmas music on Pandora and let-me-tell-you: Christmas music is good for the soul. I'm certain of this.

The kids loved their dinner and asked for seconds (that's always an ego boost ;P) and from there it was bath, books, prayers and bed.

At the moment the kitchen is clean, the house is quiet.

Tomorrow (God willing) will be a lot like today. Wash-Rinse-Repeat.

This is my everyday. But I feel it's necessary to write about it, because it's special even though nothing particularly extraordinary happened. I'm just living my life and living it the best way I can. I'm trying to hang on to the memories of the new things my children discover and remember the random acts of love they show each other and try not to forget the way Lily looked while she was trying so hard to keep her chicken on her fork tonight at dinner or the way Jack looked right as he fell asleep at nap time. I'm trying to remember- and live- and savour---wash-rinse-repeat.

I know I won't remember the many days that look like today, because in reality there have been just too many too remember. It would be impossible to document them all. But what I will remember is how I feel right now and that feeling is truly grateful. I'm so grateful to be living this homemaking life that I've chosen. I'm completely blessed that I get to take care of these wonderful little beings that call me "mommy".

Day to day may look the same, but I'm living it fully and wholly enjoying my journey.

The Last 10 Days {Surgery + Anniversary Getaway + Halloween Memories=Blessed}

 The last 10 days have had moments of tears, pain, relaxation and romance. Oh, and costumes and candy too. Quite a week, right? ;)

Last Tuesday I had my surgery to remove my skin cancer. I was a little bit nervous the morning of, but all my fears quickly went to the wayside once I met with my doctor. Dr. Rotunda basically told me that he was going to remove all my cancer and barely leave a scar on my face. It all sounded too good to be true, but I felt very confident that he was the right man for the job. And really at the end of the day--I HAD to get this taken care of. I wasn't overjoyed with the idea of a scar down my face, but I know that things can always be worse and a scar on my face was really the least of my problems.

My surgery began around 8am and was completely finished around 11:30am. Right off the bat that was wonderful news, considering that his staff told me to be prepared to be there all day! After he removed all the cancer he asked if I wanted to see my face before he began stitching me up. I told him I did and was amazed to see a hole the size of a dime on my cheek. "Won't be able to notice a scar, eh?", I thought. It seemed a little unbelievable, but I also felt a huge sign of relief knowing that the cancer was off my face. I almost felt a little relieved seeing the hole, if that makes any sense. After he diligently stitched me up he sent me on my way with an antibiotic, pain meds and instructions on how to care for the wound. He also told me not to do anything physically demanding for the next 7 days--ha! With a 3 year old and a 19 month old I tried my best with that last one :)

The first 7 days were a bit rough. It hurt a lot more than I thought it would and sleeping comfortably was very difficult. My cheek was pretty swollen the first couple days, but I faithfully changed the bandages and applied the ointment per the instructions. I had to wear a huge bandage and gauze on my face and that was actually very uncomfortable. (I hate complaining so much, but I'm trying to honestly capture the experience. :) This past Tuesday I went back to the doctor's to have a post surgery check up and to have my stitches removed. Dr. Rotunda said that my face was healing perfectly and that I had been doing a great job at taking care of the wound. He put a steri-strip on my face that protects the incision once the stitches are removed. The strip can stay on for a few days or up to a month and then will just fall off. Once it falls off I have to keep a regular band-aid on it at all times until my next appointment in December. It's been 3 days since my appointment and the strip is still on and my wound is getting better everyday! Today is the first day my cheek isn't sore to the touch and that is such a blessing!

I am so incredibly blessed to have such an amazingly supportive family around me while going through this whole ordeal. My husband and mom were with me throughout my entire surgery and my wonderful in-laws watched the kids the whole day while I was gone. They even stayed with my once I got home to help feed the kids dinner and put them to bed! My mom and sister-in-law brought dinner for us for the first two days which was beyond wonderful and helpful. I also received SO many encouraging texts, emails, phone calls, FB messages and prayers from friends near and far. I truly cannot be more THANKFUL for each and everyone of you.

Day 1

Day 10

Wouldn't you know? Four days post surgery I was set to celebrate the BIG 5 year anniversary with my love.  M and I had arranged to have our parents take care of the kids so we could spend two nights in Palm Desert. We had been looking forward to this trip for months and wasn't going to let my surgery damper our excitement :) I'm not even sure I can fully articulate what an AMAZING time we had. We did oodles and oodles of relaxing, swimming, t.v. watching (for those not in the know, we don't have basic cable so t.v. is a real treat for us!) window shopping at El Paseo, walking around The River and eating out at every meal! It was dreamy. We also did lots of talking--uninterrupted! You know, I knew this before our weekend away, but I truly love that man. I love everything he stands for, I love the person he's become. I'm so thankful I married him and I realize that I am one lucky lady to have him as my husband. He is always concerned with making sure I'm taken care of and that my needs are met. We are by no means a perfect couple, but I see that God perfectly planned for us to be together. We have been through so much over the last 5 years and are stronger and (I think) wiser now then when we said "I do". I love growing older with him and pray that we have many, many, many more anniversaries in our future.

5 year anniversary in Palm Desert!

We wrapped up these last 10 days with one of my favorite holidays, Halloween! This year was different from the previous years, because we had two(!) trick-or-treaters. Jack made the best looking "Batman" and Lily was the most beautiful "butterfly" that you ever did see. We spent a full hour and fifteen minutes trick-or-treating and walking all over our neighborhood. Even more impressive was that Lily walked the entire time! And she looked oh-so-cute ringing the various door bells with her brother. Before we ventured out into our neighborhood we had our annual "Dinner in a Pumpkin" at my parents house and as always, my mom outdid herself with everything! Being at my parents was a wonderful kick-off to a really fun night.

Halloween 2012

Snuggles for baby Ella

Lily and her Uncle RyRy

Looking fierce Batman

We stopped by Jack's god mom's too!

Ready to Trick-or-Treat!

Pretty full 10 days, huh? :P As we begin our November we have a very exciting election coming up in the next  few days along with another favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Jack and I also got Disney passes (thanks mom!!) so I foresee lots of Disney days in the upcoming month. What a wonderful time to be alive and living in the greatest nation on God's green earth. I have much to be grateful for and am looking forward to all the excitement and wonderment that November may bring. :)