The Ultimate Wedding Week: Before the Ceremony

It's time for another installment of the "Ultimate Wedding Party"!  Today's link up can be found over at Along the Way with V&J, so go join the fun if you want!  

I for one am having a blast looking through all of our old photos again.  We have a few in the house and the best ones are in an album, but seeing all of the candids and the various photos ones that are not displayed has been nice.  But enough about that... let's get on with today's topic.

Because our wedding was in Miami in June (yeah, call me crazy) our ceremony did not begin until 6:00 PM.  This was planned in an attempt to avoid the daily afternoon rain shower and horrendous summer heat and humidity.  Since the festivities started so late in the day it allowed us plenty of time that morning to relax and soak it in.  I stayed up at my parents' house the night before with a couple of out-of-town friends, and all of us headed down to Miami pretty early to meet for breakfast.  It wasn't like I could sleep the night before anyway!  The bridesmaids, moms, and grandmothers all met at the Original Pancake House for the most important meal of the day.  Josh's grandmother surprised me and paid the whole tab, which was so sweet!

After breakfast we headed over to the bridal suite and literally spent the day lounging in the robes I gave everyone the night before.  It rained off and on (which I was excited about as you can see above... for the luck aspect of course... plus it rains on every important day for Josh and me it seems) which was perfect "lazy day" weather.  We ordered some light appetizers from room service for lunch and then around one o'clock I had arranged for two ladies from the salon come to us!  One of my bridesmaids did all of the make-up (except for mine and my mom's) and we all took turns getting our hair done.  As a thank you to the girls, I paid for all of their appointments since they had already done so much for me.  If you talk to the salon in advance, many places are willing to set up group discounts, which I took full advantage of.

In all honesty, having the hair and make-up people beautify us in the suite was probably one of my best decisions of the day.  I was so excited that it was my wedding day and I really felt like staying in one place with no real agenda allowed for me to stay stress-free and enjoy every second.  It was just a full day of girlfriend time, which never gets old.  The only thing I would change would be to have the photographer come later, after I was ready.  I really really wanted the "getting ready" photos, but now they just don't seem as important.  I would have much rather had an extra hour on the back end of the night (since you pay the photographer by the hour) for more reception photos.  I also probably would have used more of his time between the ceremony and reception to get photos of just me and Josh, since we got very few.  And don't even get me started on pictures of me by myself before the ceremony... because there are none.  Nope, not a single picture of just me in my wedding dress.  Sad but true.  And I do not blame my photographer one bit as he was fabulous and only following the schedule that I set.  The good news is, in a lot of the pre-ceremony candids that he did take, I have several of my Nana whom we lost last year.  So in a way, I guess it was all worth it after all, but I just wanted to throw in a little bit of my advice just in case a future bride stumbles across this.  My two cents are done... moving on.

Meanwhile in the boys' camp, the day started early for them as well.  We got married at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, which just so happens to be where I (still) work, where Josh and I met, and home to one of America's most famous courses.  What kind of future wife would I be if I did not get the boys out on the course?  My only rule was to make sure the groom didn't get sunburnt, and he didn't.  He did tell me, however, that it was pretty much the worst round of golf of his life since his mind was on other things.  Hmmm... wonder what that could've been.  All in all, a good time was had by all, except for maybe my father who hates to golf.  So my other advice?  Don't golf with my dad.  He would be okay with me saying that here.

A perk of me working at our wedding venue is that the staff did some extra favors for us, so the groomsmen all had a suite to get ready in, too.  I will say that I actually really like their getting ready pictures, maybe even better than the ones of the girls.  Then again, maybe I just like seeing the boys all decked out in suits... they all looked so handsome:

The suspenders and aviators were part of the grooms' gifts and were a big hit!  They also were given real Cuban cigars on the golf course... only the best for our big day!

Before I knew it, the afternoon was upon us and it was time to get in the dress... the moment I had been waiting for!  Here's the thing about my dress... it really did pick me rather than the other way around.  I knew exactly what I wanted when we went shopping, tried it on, and thought that it might be a winner.  Before making the purchase, however, my consultant wanted me to try on her favorite dress in the store.  I have to admit, I hated it on the hangar.  For one, it was not even white or ivory... it was champagne... which I had never really seen.  But when I walked out of the dressing room, everyone in the store turned to look and my sisters and mom literally gasped.  Yep, that was the moment every bride hopes to have... I felt like a million bucks when I had it on, so I couldn't wait to wear it on our big day!

Once I was dressed the girls all headed outside for a few pictures.  Again, here is where I should have had time to get some bridal shots done, but my lack of planning did not allow for it.  Never fear, however, because my good (and very talented) friend Cory and I have some plans for that in the near future.  Any excuse to put it back on works for me!  But anyway, quite possibly one of my favorite pictures of the day was taken on our way to do pictures- I love this shot of the girls traipsing across the courtyard for some reason:

Here are a few of the shots he took of me and my beautiful friends:

Josh and I planned all along to wait until the ceremony to see each other, so we made sure to be out of each other's way for photos.  I believe they took theirs right before we took ours.  One of my favorites is the close-up shot of the groomsmen in the reflection of Josh's sunglasses:

By the time we got through this, the guests were beginning to arrive.  In fact, my only "bridezilla" moment was when one of the guests spotted me before the ceremony and waved.  I'm not sure why, but it almost sent me over the edge and I rushed to get inside!  Looking back it seems so silly as she was going to see me fifteen minutes later anyway, but in that moment, it was a big deal.  And if that was my only stressful moment of the entire day, I'd call that a win.  With official pictures done, guests arriving, and a little bit of time to spare, the room pretty much cleared out except for the bridal party, my mom, and my Nana.  It gave us some time to take our own little last-minute family shots.

The upper left is me and my beautiful mom, who made me promise to wait until she had hair again before having a wedding.  She had lost it all when she went through chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment, and not only did she have hair, but probably my favorite hair cut and style of all time that day.  The upper right photo is me with my mom and her mom, my Nana.  Like I mentioned earlier, we lost Nana last year and I still have a hard time believing that she's gone.  She was so excited when we found out that I was pregnant with a girl last year (the first great grand-DAUGHTER after four great-grandsons) and think of her a lot when I look at my sweet Lilly.  And I'll always remember how excited she was about her dress that day... talk about looking like a million bucks!  She practically sashayed down the aisle.  The bottom photo is my mom and her three girls... the two best sisters a girl could possibly ask for.  The two of them did more to make my wedding experience more special than anyone should ever deserve.  They sure know how to make a gal feel loved and everything they did and planned was so perfect and thoughtful. 

Shortly after these were taken my dad arrived to escort me to the ceremony.  Unfortunately nobody had a camera to capture that moment, but it's one that I will never forget.  There is a photo from the ceremony that I will post on Monday (in the ceremony post) that says it all though, so that will be coming next week.  If you have read all the way to here then I must say that I'm a bit impressed!  I don't think I meant to make this so long, but re-living this day has been quite a joy to say the least.  So thanks for letting me share it with you and I look forward to reading about the others who participated, too!

Oh, and to give credit where credit it due, most of these photos were taken by my fabulous photographer Jason Jerusalem.  The top two collages, the golf photos, and the bottom collage were the only ones taken by us non-professionals, but you probably could have guessed that on your own!

Happy Friday, all!  I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Reflections: Desert Song

This song has been on repeat in my brain for a few weeks now.  The funny thing is, I've heard it more times than I can count and for some reason, I always kind of took it literally.  Which doesn't make much sense really... because who would write a song that is about being in a desert (unless you're on a horse with no name)?  Then the other day I was running, and as a sidenote I have finally begun to enjoy running again (yay!), and I finally heard it the way I was supposed to hear it.  It was like God was trying to break through to me and I finally heard Him.  Loud and clear.

I am not going to go through the whole song (and if you want to see the full lyrics or listen to it you can check out this post), but rather this verse in particular:

"This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow"

You see, lately I've been feeling... well... drained.  And a little bit beat up.  And for some reason, this feeling has made me want to run from God rather than run TO Him like I probably should have been doing.  Part of me is maybe a little miffed with Him because we just had this incredible church launch and are seeing the fruit of our hard work every single day, so why would He let me feel empty?  And then I realized that of course I'm empty... my family just went through a harvest.  We planted our seeds, put in months and months and months of cultivation, poured our love into people, taught folks how to lead and find their purpose, and by the time we launched TurningPoint Church, we literally did not have much left to give.  That is, unless we fill ourselves up again. 

Before moving here, we lived in Small Town, Illinois (as many of my readers know) and corn fields were everywhere.  I loved seeing the tiny sproutlets in the spring, and my favorite time of year was when it was about knee-high, bright green, and waved like grain does in the wind.  Before I knew it, it would be taller than I was, and the green would turn to brown.  And then, almost overnight, it would all be cut down.  Gone.  And those fields would be bare, and sad-looking really.  It was just mud and dirt where all of that green life once was.  But guess what?  In the spring, it happened all over again, but it wasn't on its own.  Nope.  Those farmers were out in the bitter cold in their huge tractors tilling up the soil and planting again.  Those fields needed to be prepared to reap a harvest again.  So what I'm saying is, it's time for me to start preparing myself again, so that I can be of some use and pour out my love and gifts to better the Kingdom.  Once is not enough, and if I sit here in this post-harvest funk too long it won't do anybody any good.  If anything, I need to start getting back into my Bible on a daily basis, listening to sermons and podcasts online, and showing my love for God everyday.  He has more planned for me than just the launch of TurningPoint, and I want to be ready for whatever He has next for me whenever the time comes. 

I am always in awe of my husband for the diligent time he puts into the Word daily.  He gets up early or locks himself in his office for hours at a time, just to read, pray, and research.  But now I realize that if he did not do these things, he would be empty in no time, with nothing to give.  So many people rely on him to offer wisdom, advice, encouragement, and love.  He lives in a harvest everyday, so he knows that he has no choice but to make sure he refuels, prepares that soil again, and sow those seeds so that he can go at it the next day, too.  Now that I've actually experienced a true harvest in my life, I want another one.  And another.  And another.  It's been amazing to be a part of these past few months.  But next time... I will remember to immediately start preparing for the next one rather than finding myself here in this void.  Next time I'll remember to diligently seek Him in that season of giving.

I hope this song spoke to you in some way or opened your eyes to a new truth.  I love this song because we all have these seasons in our lives - the times we're in that dry desert, feeling like we never hear from God; the times we're walking through the fire, when we face trials and pain that we cannot fully understand; the times we walk through the battle, when everything that we think we know and stand firm on comes into question; and yes, those times of harvest when we realize that we were a part of something bigger than ourselves.  And wherever we may find ourselves, we do have to make a conscious effort to praise the God who made us.  It takes work, no matter what season we're in, but it is always oh so worth it. 

So tomorrow I am back at it, diligently filling myself up again with what He wants to say to me, because...

"All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship"

You can check out Brittany's reflection from The Desert Song here or add your own link below.  Next week's topic is below the link-up:

Brittany picked next week's "assignment" and we will be studying in James chapter 1.  She writes:

"I love the book of James because of its practical application and insight into how we can better bring glory and honor to God through our Faith and Love for HIM!  I'm excited to get back into it by starting in chapter 1. Can't wait to hear what God speaks to you through this study."

On that note, I can't either!  Thanks for sharing (if you chose to do so) or just for stopping by!

The Ultimate Wedding Week: Rehearsal Dinner

I mentioned last week that I was going to participate in the "Ultimate Wedding Week" link-up over at Fresh & Fancy so today is the first installment!  Feel free to join up and link your post over at A Charmed Life today! 

Technically I missed the first topic, which was engagement photos, but that's because we actually had informal ones taken and I don't actually have any digital copies.  It's a long story. 

But anyway... back to the subject at hand.... the rehearsal dinner!  Somehow along the way the cowboy boot theme came up in the events surrounding our wedding.  Granted, Josh wears them constantly (and did want to get married in them!) and if we could have found one in the area, we probably would have had our ceremony in an old barn.  But alas, we lived in South Florida where old barns with character are few and far between.  But this cowboy boot theme popped up for my bachelorette party (at which we went line dancing... for the first, and probably last time!) and then again for our rehearsal dinner.  We had decided that we did not want to spend a ton of money, wanted it to be casual and fun, and wanted to invite not only the wedding party, but our extended families that were in from out of town, too.  Knowing that a restaurant would not provide all of that, my parents were nice enough to open their home for the occasion.  Looking back now, it's a bit bittersweet as that lovely house was just sold a couple of weeks ago and is being packed up as I type this.  It has an amazing backyard / pool / patio area for entertaining and we took full advantage!  We decided to keep it very simple and ordered barbeque from a local place down the street and decorated the tables ourselves using checkered table cloths, cowboy boots, and daisies.  Simple and fun:

My mom ordered the cake from the Publix bakery (which makes the best cakes... I so miss shopping there!) and in true mom fashion, kept with the theme of the party:

We kept the food inside to keep the bugs and humidity away and the weather was perfect for us all to stay outdoors to eat and hang out.  There was really no agenda, but we did take a few moments to thank our families and recognize our wedding parties.  Josh gave his groomsmen suspenders to wear under their jackets the next day, which were all different and picked out to fit their individual personalities, and aviator sunglasses.  My ladies all got pink fuzzy robes and slippers to lounge in while we got ready the next morning:

The Boys - Merritt, the Groom, Bud, Josh V., Michael, Kevin & Kyle

The girls - Abby (technically a grooms-gal), Christie, Elizabeth, Angie, me, Mindy, and Carmen

The big surprise to us, however, were the gifts given to us!  We did not expect anything (nor need any more love showered on us at this point) but my mom surprised us with an "Illinois survival kit" since we were moving the following week, complete with mittens, scarves, hand warmers, and other cute little items she picked out for us.  Then my bridesmaids gave us a scrapbook they made, each doing particular pages about growing up and times that we spent together.  It's still one of my most favorite gifts ever!

The rest of the evening was all about spending time with the people we love the most and don't get to see enough of.  And that's truly all we wanted out of that night:

Our entire wedding experience already feels like ages ago, especially now that we have two little ones in the house, but it really was one of the best weeks of my life.  To any future brides, my advice for everything would be to make it fit your personality.  Josh and I are not fancy people, nor are most of our families or friends (no offense, guys!).  So we planned this night to just fit who we are and picked an environment that would be conducive to let everyone get reacquainted and spend time together.  Marriage is not only about two people, but two families, coming together and it was important for us to create an opportunity for them to get to know each other, too, and I think that's what made that night so special.  People may not remember the food that was served or the decorations that were so carefully planned, but they'll remember the good time they had and the people they spent their time with.  I think that's what life is all about anyway. 

Oh, and one last thing.  If you do happen to choose a venue with a pool, don't wear white.  Chances are, the bride will end up being thrown in.  I pretty much expected it anyway:

That's it for today's link-up... link up with me tomorrow for our weekly Reflections and check back on Friday for another wedding week post!

Jake's Birthday Express No. 2

"It's a train-a!" 

Jake loves trains.  Or "train-a's" as he calls them.  No, seriously... it's L-O-V-E.  Almost to an unhealthy level.  As in, his Thomas and Percy engines are in his hands 99% of the time.  They are on the table at meal time, in the tub at bath time, in the car when we're going places, and in his bed at night.  Obsessed?  Maybe.  So with this in mind, we made birthday party #2 all about trains!  For starters, my super-talented sister, Mindy, made the invitations once again this year.  I'm referring to the cute invitations that look like old-fashioned train tickets that she so lovingly designed for me.  What?  You didn't get yours?  Oh that's right... I literally forgot to mail them.  Or hand them out.  Yeah, having two children in two years has officially destroyed my brain cells, so here is what you missed:

Next up?  The cake of course!  My mom made all of our cakes growing up, so I was bound and determined to do the same as soon as Jake came along.  And apparently I can't just buy a pan and decorate a pre-made design.  Nope, that would be too easy.  I of course have to come up with my own original concept and design and make it far more complicated than it probably should be... but also so much more fun!  So using the same concept that my (same... again, very talented) sister and I used to make her son's firetruck cake (seen here), I set out to make my very own Thomas the Train cake.  Midway through construction, I admit I had my doubts:

But... I think in the end we pulled it off!  My other sister, Angie, was kind enough to help my tired hands out by adding icing about half of it.  And both of them helped me make all of the green-themed food since the party fell on St. Patty's Day this year.  Here's the final product and the spread... my favorite were the fruit skewers (behind the cake):

The party was originally supposed to be at the park, but with a forecast calling for rain, we decided the night before just to have it here at the house.  Knowing that there would be a lot of kids of all ages, Josh looked into the possibility of getting a bounce house.  I knew as soon as he picked up the phone that we would end up with one.  What I did not know is that it would be huge!  So yes, we are officially "that" family.  I think my favorite part of the day though was right after it was delivered.  We were all still in our pajamas and Mindy and Jake's cousin Adam had spent the night.  Our families got our own private bounce time... it was priceless:

I have to admit, that purchase was the best decision of the day.  Our living room is pretty small and this kept the chaos outdoors.  So while the kids did this:

(By the way... a bubble machine = the best present EVER for a 2-year-old!

 The rest of us hung out and, well, admired Lilly mostly.  That child never gets tired of an audience:

Oh yeah, somewhere in the mix we had cake, ice cream, and presents, too, of course!

All in all, I think that Jake's second birthday party was pretty much as good as it gets for a toddler!  And even better, the adults had fun, too!  Even though I still can't quite believe he's another year older, I love making birthdays special... it's how they should be.  And my little Jakie is about as special as they come!

Happy birthday, little man!  

We love you more and more with every passing day!

Oh, and in case you're wondering... Jake's (and Adam's) shirts were made once again by my friend Jenny.  You can check out her blog here!

Here's Looking at TWO!

Two years ago at 11:20 PM on March 15th, my world changed forever... and I cannot remember life without this little guy.  At two Jake is a ball of energy, babbling non-stop in a language we only understand part of, climbing on everything (with amazing balance and spacial awareness I might add), loving trains, and giving kisses when asked.  Although I'm always a bit sad to see him growing up so darn fast, I love watching him grow, change, and learn.  I know that if I could freeze time like I always say I wish I could, I would spend my time being sad that I would never know what he'd grow up to be.  And if you ask us, this kid is going to change the world.  If he sees a stage, he's on it.  He can preach a sermon with such intensity that even though we don't know what he's saying (yet), he sure is convincing.  Our little fire cracker keeps me laughing everyday (and sometimes makes me want to pull my hair out) but I love him just the same.  I thought that this would be a good year to start "birthday interviews" where I would ask some of the same questions each year and record the answers, but apparently that was not part of Jake's plan.  However, this video captures our little boy perfectly at two... he babbles a lot, does NOT sit still, gets distracted if there is a toy around, and is always on the go. 

The happiest of birthdays to you, baby boy!  

Words can not express how much we love you and how proud we are to be your parents!

Reflections

I am back from a week-long trip to sunny Florida (for work mostly, but I did squeeze in a little bit of fun) and trying to get back into the swing of things here.  A week away can certainly throw off the routine when you have two kids in the mix!  While I was down there, I did squeeze in a run, and although I realized that I am no longer used to the Florida heat, I was reminded why I do it.  My brain was in constant motion and I just got to think about me-stuff.  It was amazing.  And while I was thinking about me-stuff, a wonderful idea popped into my head, which I'm going to share with you today.  Are you ready?  Here goes...

In the past month I have hit a bit of a dry-spell in my daily me-time.  I had gotten to the point where I was pretty diligent about it, always reading or meditating on something "meaty," but lately I hardly even pick up a book, much less my Bible.  And I am not all that drawn to any particular scripture or chapter, so I just avoid it all together.  If I do happen to read or listen to something, it really just goes in one ear and out the other and I do not take much time to try and apply it to my life, so it just ends up being wasted time.  And in conversations with friends I realize that I am not the only one.

So here's where this little blog of mine gets put to use.  I'm teaming up with an incredible friend of mine who is also a ministry wife.  Brittany blogs over at Daughter...Wife...Mom...Sis and has such a way of taking everyday little things about life and finding purpose and meaning in it all, which I love.  After chatting with her the other day we came up with a plan to have an online self-reflection group of sorts.  Each Thursday we will choose and post something for anyone who wants to participate to read or listen to (scripture, a blog post, a song, a podcast, etc.).  Whatever we choose will be something that is accessible and free to everyone.  The idea is for whoever participates to read and really think about the message that week... and then apply it to your own life.  I am always amazed how people can draw such different things out of the same reading, sermon, etc. because of what they are going through at the time, and often times it is something that helps them get through it.  So take what we pick (although I think our husbands will be picking some things, too, to mix it up a bit) and then take the week to think and blog about it (or journal if you don't blog).  We'll be posting our own thoughts, too, and posting our blogs, along with yours, the following Thursday.  There will be the linky-button at the bottom so that you can add your blog to the list if you posted that week... add yours to mine, Brittany's, or both blogs so that others can read your insights and maybe see something from a new perspective.  I think it will be beneficial to everyone who participates, will mix keep all of us accountable, and will mix up whatever we are pouring into ourselves each week, which will hopefully avoid us getting into a rut.  Sometimes doing something different is all we need to refresh and renew our minds and to get our focus back on God.  I don't know about you, but I'm excited!

The first week's "assignment" (although I'd hate to call it that... this shouldn't be work!) was my pick and was chosen because it inspired the whole project.  Instead of something that comes out of a book, our reading this week is actually lyrics to a song.  I have heard this song a thousand times.  It's one of my husband's favorite and shuffles through on the iPod regularly.  But the other day it came on while I was running and I heard it... differently.  I don't know, it just spoke to me in a new way, which is how this online reflection time was born.  If you have not heard the song before, I have posted a link to the YouTube video as well as the lyrics.  Check back on Thursday morning to read our thoughts on it and to share your own.  I look forward to sharing with everyone!

Desert Song

(Hillsong United)

This is my prayer in the desert

And all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in my hunger and need

My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle

When triumph is still on it's way

I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow

Listen to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlgUUeQh0CQ

March 9th???

Say what??!?!  I have been telling myself for days that I was going to get on here and post the rest of my February photo challenge pictures.  Project FAIL.  I've also been telling myself that I am going to get on here and finally post about our church launch that happened on February 12th.  Yes, a whole month ago already!  Post FAIL.  And don't even get me started about Lilly's 5-month post.  Yeah, we're zooming into month six and with Jake's second (can you believe he's two?!?!?) birthday next week, so I'm pretty sure that second child syndrome is going to kick in since he will soon take over the blog again.  Then today, I sat down at my computer and a reminder to link up with other ministry wives over at Kelly's Corner popped up and I thought to myself, isn't that supposed to happen in mid-March?  And then I checked the calendar and realized that somehow the first week and a half of March has gone by and I really have no clue how I missed it.  Life in the fast lane... it really will pass you by if you don't stop and look around once in awhile. Thank you, Ferris Bueller, for that gem.  Apparently my rock-star blogging pace did not follow me into March.  Soooo.... with so much to post (and so little time) I'm not sure which one of the many half-written posts to finish, but I guess I'll post the rest of my February photos since I would hate to leave a project incomplete.  Remind me next time I sign up for something like this, that it might not be the best idea for my scatterbrained lifestyle.  But here goes... days 22-29:

[22 - Where you work]

This could go one of two ways.  Technically I work here:

 

Beautiful, right?  This is the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida.  And believe it or not, as of last week, we have officially been purchased by the Trump organization.  As in the Donald himself.  I'm not sure what that means as far as my job will go, so these next few months should be interesting.  As long as I can still work from where I actually work, we'll be all good... which is here:

Yep, I am a lucky woman who gets to work from home.  Our office needs a serious makeover, but it was Josh's until about two months ago so I just moved in recently.  Notice the breast pump on the floor and the rubber duckie on the desk, which proves that my "real" job in life is mommy.  That's the one I like best anyway.

[23 - Your Shoes]

These pretties and I are getting acquainted.  I'm looking forward to doing many miles together.  We are signed up to do our first half marathon (after a VERY long hiatus to have babies) in May.  I hope they are kind to me.

[24 - Your Bathroom Cabinet]

I almost protested this one.  There are just some things that should stay private and this is one of them.  Not because we have anything to hide, but because, well, I am a really clean person and this is one area of my house that is not.  And my house is clean because I use places like this to stash.  Yep, I'm a stasher... my husband is amazed that I know where things are even though they are hidden in the most obscure places.  I just hate clutter.  So instead of taking a picture of one of my stockpiles, I took a photo of the bathroom cabinet in the kids' bathroom.  Which now makes me realize that I have a brand new stashing spot that I need to take advantage of!

[25 - Green]

How could I resist?  Lil is going to look adorable on St. Patty's Day!

[26 - Night]

This doesn't happen often, so I'm glad Josh got a picture.  Falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie is one of my most favorite things to do.  Falling asleep on the couch with my two little ones is even better.

[27 - Something You Ate]

Your hand WILL get slapped if you reach in for a bite of this.  Jake is the only exception, and he loves it just as much as his mama.  Our afternoon snack is one of my favorite times of day.

[28 - Money]

This is where our spare change goes... Lilly has the pink pig and gets all of the quarters and Jake has the brown pig and gets everything else.  One day I'll count and make sure my system is not making one kid way richer than the other.  Then again, girls are more expensive, so this might just work out perfectly.

[29 - Something You're Listening To]

My Pandora stations... such a random mix I know.  Generally I shuffle through all of them until Christmas and then listen to holiday tunes 24/7 for 2 months.

I DID IT!  Granted, I'm 9 days past the end of the project, but who cares?  I DID IT!  .  As much as I enjoyed doing this (and I really did!) I think I'll pass on doing it every month.  Taking the pictures is no problem, but I am not a person who can just post the picture with no description so it's just not for me.  Because every picture really does tell a story.

So what will I do in March, you ask?  Well... even though I told you not to let me do any more of these kinds of things, I'm totally going to join in the wedding season link-up over at Fresh & Fancy.  I may not do all of the days, but I'd definitely love to share my wedding memories since I started blogging right after our big day.  For those of you looking for something to blog about in March (aside from the usual), you should totally join in, too!  Who doesn't love to read about and look at wedding pictures anyway?

Happy March, everyone!  Hopefully I'll do better from here on out... but I won't make any promises!