surprise.

It's REAL awkward to try to write a blog post after not writing anyyyyything for 3 1/2 months. 

I guess the only good explanation for this hiatus is...

We're having a BABY! 

It's true, and we are ecstatic. Brian left to go to Korea for a couple months and I started feeling real sick and then I realized I was kind of sleeping all day. I put two and two together, took a test, and that was that. We were pregnant. 

We were definitely surprised and a little bit shocked at first, mostly since Brian was away and it didn't feel real quite yet. Now that he is back and we have let our secret out, we couldn't be more excited. We feel so grateful that the Lord would bless us with a sweet new life growing inside of me. 

We've been so blessed to have gotten to see our baby and hear the little wooshing heartbeat twice already. Everything looks great, and I am a little over 13 weeks along right now. I mostly look like I have just finished eating a large hamburger, which at most times is truth. I have been craving hamburgers and watermelon and indian food like it's my job. The nausea has subsided greatly, and I am feeling 100x better than the first 12 weeks, thankfully. My taste for coffee has completely disappeared, though, and I'm praying it comes back! Will it come back? I miss my warm mug in the mornings. 

Brian has been the best caretaker and gets me snacks all day long. He always checks to see how many oz. of water I've finished and is constantly refilling my water bottle. Our midwife told him he must make sure I drink at least a gallon of water a day, and he is taking his job very seriously. And for this girl, who kind of hates water, a gallon a day is pure torture. 

So, there is our fun news! Now that the cat is out of the bag, I plan to update this here blog much more frequently than say, every 3 1/2 months or so. Thanks for celebrating with us!

2012. a look back.

I already wrote a "goodbye, 2012" blogpost. 

But then I decided I wanted everything that happened in 2012 in one place. With some pictures. 

So that's what I did.

//

January: 

The first of many snowy nights in Virginia. Brian spent his nights and days out in the field doing training, while I spent my days holding, playing with, and feeding babies as I nannied for 7 month old triplets. I also got to start a bible study with some of the other wives that ended up being such a blessing to my heart. I miss those ladies! We spent a night with our dear friends, Luke and Kate, in a swanky hotel in DC just for fun.

February:

I spent many of my nights watching Brian do work, write orders, study, etc. We traveled to North Carolina to send Brian's older brother Kirk off to Afghanistan. I made a trip home to Charlotte while Brian was in the field again. And we got to spend our first married Valentine's day together! We really enjoyed our cozy little apartment and loved having people over to feed them dinner. 

March:

I started a blog! New Years Resolution only 3 months late. I wasn't that great about writing posts, but I'm working on it! We found out Brian received ground supply as his job and it took us a while to come around to the idea of it. My love turned 23 and we celebrated with some sweet friends. One of my best friends, Megan, came to visit me and I got to show her our life in Quantico. I spent lots of my nights with Kate, Angela, and Lauren while our boys were out in the field. 

April: 

We found out we were moving to Japan! And we were so excited. I had four of my favorite little ladies and their awesome mama come visit me while Brian was again out in the field. We had the best long weekend together exploring around DC. We spent lots of our weekends with Luke and Kate. And Brian and Luke always fell asleep. And we went to a NeedtoBreathe concert. 

May:

I celebrated my 23 birthday with sweet girl friends since Brian was gone that night. Brian graduated from The Basic School! Both sets of our parents and Brian's brother, Evan, came to his graduation. My cousin Adam, and his girlfriend, Liz, came to visit us and we showed them around DC.  We made a trip to Brian's alma mater, VMI, for an engagement party. Then we got to take a quick getaway to celebrate one year of marriage. The best year of our lives. 

June:

We spent a lot of June on the road traveling to and fro. Trying to see as many family and friends as possible. Just taking every opportunity to spend quality time with the people we love. We loved being together, as we spent much of the past 6 months apart. We went to my cousin's wedding and then spent a week at home in Charlotte. We said bye to friends in Virginia and packed up our stuff to send to Japan (which, still hasn't made it to us!). Brian headed to North Carolina for training and I headed to Mississippi be in a wedding of my oldest, sweetest childhood friend, Bethany. And we got to spend a week at the beach with Brian's family. It was so relaxing and fun. 

July:

I was in a wedding of one of my besties from high school and college, Carly. It was so fun to be back in Chapel Hill celebrating two wonderful people. We moved into a hotel in Jacksonville, NC and lived in close quarters. It was fun sometimes and not fun other times. We spent a lot of weekends at the beach either with my wonderful parents or in Beaufort, NC with Sarah and Bedford and all their fun friends. Our great friend Nathan came with us on many of our beach adventures, though we were missing his wife Ellie, who was deployed. We also developed a great friendship with new friends, Jesse and Katy. 

August:

I took a fun trip to Denver and Boulder to visit friends and go to Brian's cousins wedding. It was such a fun trip, but I was bummed to have to leave Brian back home. Back in Jacksonville, I spent my mornings working out at Curves and Brian got to come home for lunch everyday. I made a trip to the beach to spend a girl's weekend with my mama, and then another to spend a weekend with my nana and my aunt and uncle. 

September:

Kirk came home from Afghanistan! We got to go welcome him home in Fayetteville and we were so so thankful for his safe return. We spent labor day weekend at home in Charlotte and cherished more family time. Brian graduated from Ground Supply Officers Course! He worked so hard and I was so proud of him. We headed back home to Charlotte to spend the last few weeks with family before our big move. We had multiple going away parties, got to spend time with all our siblings, and felt so loved by the people around us. 

October:

My two best friends came and spent my last day in Charlotte with me. October 3rd, we left for Japan! Tearful airport goodbyes with our parents, but were so excited for the road ahead. We spent a night and day in Seattle and had the best time thanks to Brian's sis, Erin, who has the inside scoop on Seattle life. We flew through Iwakuni and Yakota, and then finally arrived on Okinawa on October 5th. We went to the Naha Tug of War and were baptized by fire into the Okinawa culture. We were totally delirious because of the time difference and had no idea what was going on, but it was fun. We bought a car and started exploring as soon as possible. We got moved into our home and lived a floor away from our friends, Nick and Sarah. We visited the aquarium and spent our weekends just driving around/learning to drive on the left side of the road. And we ate enough sushi to kill a small human. 

November:

We found a church that we love here and immediately got plugged into a community group. We continued to meet new friends through church and where we live. We developed a fast and awesome friendship with another couple in our building, Joel and Jenni. Brian's job was busy busy, but he always had the best perspective. He works with great people, so we are thankful for that. We got to go to 2 Marine Corps birthday balls which was a great way to get to know the people Brian works with. We did lots more exploring of the island and had our first Japanese karaoke experience. We spent Thanksgiving surrounded by friends, new and old, and were thankful for being on this beautiful island. 

December:

We started making our house feel like a home, even though we have yet to receive our shipment. We bought a couch, a TV, and a few other pieces of furniture. We spent our weekends cozied up by the Christmas tree watching movies and being lazy. Brian's work days are long and we love love love spending our weekends together. We skyped and facetimed with family back home a lot and we're so thankful for technology. We had 12 Marines over for breakfast on Christmas morning and loved having a dining table full of friends. We took a drive out to Cape Zanpa on Christmas day just for fun. We brought in the new year playing monopoly with friends and are so happy to be here in Japan. 

//

And congrats for making it to the end. We can now officially put 2012 to rest. 

Happy New Year, dear friends!

i guess we're beach people now

Lots of our weekends here in Jacksonville are spent at the beach. Just relaxing, reading, refreshing and recalibrating (see how I did that? That was very baptist preacher of me). Except that we also eat a lot and I wanted to include that, but it didn't start with an -re. 

My wonderful parents have this great place on the inner coastal that's less than a two hour drive from where we are living in Jacksonville. It's just so easy to jump in the car and spend a night or two in a different place, out of this marine town and out of the hotel room. So easy in fact that this is exactly what I'll be doing this week. Brian starts a 3 week intensive supply course, and my dad is out of town, so I'm meeting my mama at the beach! Don't mind if I do. 

We also have some family on Brian's side that live about an hour away. They have been SO incredibly gracious and generous to bring us into their home, make us meals, take us out on their boat, and give us a place to relax. 

We are truly blessed by the people in our lives that love us so well. 

And yes, Brian likes to read and walk. It's cute. He learned that from his parents.

 

Oh who is that? Just your 2016 Olympic kayaking team. Look at that form..

on waiting

I really am trying hard to cherish this time, where life for me is slow and easy. I am SO, so quick to always want what's next; the next thing, the next place, the next group of friends, the next role in life. 

When I'm in bad perspective and I look at my life right now, it seems like wasted time. Two months in an unknown place. Not quite long enough to make really strong friendships, but too long to not try. No job, no place to cook for people, no home to clean. I mean really, someone cleans my room everyday and I am trying to complain? 

Satan is so tricky. 

And then! I remembered this. 

Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings

 like eagles; they shall run and not be weary;  they shall walk and not faint. 

Isaiah 40: 31 

and this

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27: 14

Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength. My study bible says that to renew one's strength is to find 
endless supplies of fresh strength. 

Fresh Strength. I need that. Everyday.

So here I am, in my waiting room. Trying hard to be where I am, where the Lord has me.  And believing hard that God is storing up endless supplies of fresh strength in me for what's ahead. Believing that there is something great waiting for me in Japan. And oh, how sweet of the Lord  to give me this time. To be. To refresh. To store up strength. 

And yes, I could be filling my time with things. Ok things. Maybe even good things. 
But to store up strength for the best things? I think that's what God has called me to right now. 

And so, that is what I will do. 

Feel like you are in limbo? In an in-between? Remember that God doesn't waste time. 
He doesn't put you somewhere without a purpose. He has plans. Believe that today. 


THIS sermon series, so good. 

the mile high city

(forgive the amount of pictures in this post. I am on a "document every second on my life" kick.)

Oh, Denver. How I love thee. 

With your gorgeous views, NO humidity in August (my hair thanks you), and your expansive coffee and food selection

-- how could I not love you?

Months ago when we found out Brian's cousin would be getting married in Boulder in August, I decided that I would head out to CO early and spend some time with awesome friends that live in Denver. I have a whole group of college friends that moved out to Denver to plant a church in the heart of the city. It was so awesome to get to see their every day life, watch them live intentionally, and hear about how God is moving through their new city 

that they now call home. 

These friends are the real deal. Doing ministry in their every day lives, living out the life that God has called them to. None of them are on staff with the church-- just moved out here to work real world jobs. To meet people and bring them around the body of Christ and advance the kingdom of God. Nothing fancy or flashy, just working hard to make their life rhythm one of intentionality and influence. It's an honor to know people like them. During my time in Denver, I felt challenged and inspired and spurred on to live out what I feel like

 God is calling me to in my every day life. 

I love Starbees as much as the next person, but it was so fun to visit any and every local and unique 

coffee shop I found in Denver. Each one with different character and a totally different vibe. 

Oh, the food. I. Ate. So. Much. Honestly, I think I ate every meal and drank every cup of coffee with a different friend. It was so fun, and delicious. I didn't have a single bite of bad food. 

This would be the day that my sweet friend, Teresa, and I set out to hike for a little bit. However, the sky looked pretty threatening and dark-- so we settled for margarita's instead. 

Coffee date with my newly married friend Natalie. So fun to talk about and encourage each other in our marriages. I felt challenged to love Brian better through our time together, Nat. I love you!

 I got to have lunch with my LONG time childhood friend, Kristen! It was a spur of the moment decision to meet up and I'm so glad we did. Always fun to reminisce with friends that knew me before I was mature.. wait, I'm still not that mature. // Found my fave restaurant in Denver, for obvious reasons. Okinawa!

Teresa and our UNC friend, Lyndsey, took me to my first Colorado Rockies game. Honestly, the game was pretty boring, but I got a hot dog,  awesome sunset, and lots of good laughs with these girls out of it, so it was worth it! 

Took a good, long walk around Sloan's Lake with Stephanie on my last day in Denver. It was a perfect day, with an awesome view of the Rockies, and even better conversation with this gorgeous girl. 

Lunch date with Stew-- always a good time with this girl. Obviously, we love each other. More now than we did that summer that we lived together and fought a lot. But look at us now! Stew, you are a treasure. One of the most generous and loving people I know. I'm so thankful to know you!

And laaaaastly, Sydney. Sydney actually lives in NC, but in true Syd fashion called us all and was like, "hey, i'm in Denver, wanna get lunch?" Love you Syd, so glad you were randomly driving through CO.

//

Well, congrats on making it to the end of this epically long post. Long story short-- I am now begging my husband to move to Colorado when we get back from Japan. It's such a great place, with even better people. 

Denver friends-- thank you for making time for me, taking me to lunch, taking me to dinner, taking me to coffee, showing me your favorite places, letting me sleep in your bed and on your couches, driving me all around your great state, etc. etc. I love you all! 

weddings, moving, vacay, and life.

Ya know, I didn't promise much from this blog until I get to Japan-- so no guilt trips for not writing for almost a month. 

What have we been doing? Where are we living? Who even really knows.

Here is the last month in a nutshell.

I traveled to Mississippi for the wedding of a DEAR childhood friend, Bethany. The wedding was so sweet and simple and just lovely. Yall, Mississippi is another world. No joke. I was referred to as the girl from up north (north carolina, really?) and I found myself trying to talk with a country accent. 

Mississippi eatin', ya I could get used to that.

Pretty, pretty bride!

While I was in the dirty, dirty south Brian was busy packing up our life in Virginia to ship half of it to Japan, and bring the other half to Jacksonville with us. 

We will always remember our first home together. It was nothing special to look at-- but it was ours and we got to make a life together there and bring people into our home and it was real sweet.

Then somewhere in the middle of all the craziness, we got to spend a WONDERFUL week at the beach with Brian's family (missed you Kirk!). It was easy and comfortable and oh so refreshing to be with family. Vacation is key. 

Ivie.

 Max. 

After the beach, we literally threw our stuff into a hotel room and I hit the road to Charlotte to spend a few nights with some of my favorite kids. 

Then, I spent the fourth of July celebrating one of my high school, college, and Ghana besties, Carly. She married her best friend this past weekend and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It was such a fun weekend of reunion and celebration and so much love. 

Happy 4th!

 The GORGEOUS bride at the rehearsal.

 Yay for high school friend reunions! 

Did I mention the wedding was fun? SO fun.

Now, I'm here. In Jacksonville. Back with my husband and feeling somewhat normal after traveling all over the place. We are living in a hotel for the next 10 weeks and I might go stir crazy. But I'm trying hard to enjoy down time and make the most of it and really be where the Lord has me. 

 Hanging out in the bedroom, while the guys study in the living room. It's all the same.

Aaaaaand, we are caught up!

showing up.

Feels like we've been driving nonstop for the past month. Ever since Brian finished up at TBS we have just been going, going, going. I love it. I really do. It's physically exhausting, yes, but emotionally, SO refreshing. 

Since finding out about our move to Japan, Brian and I have been trying hard to take in every opportunity to get around the people that we love one last time. We are strong believers in the idea of showing up. Making that extra effort to be at events that are important to people that are important to us. Actions speak louder than words and we are trying hard to live that out over our last few months here in the states.
Yes, it takes work and planning and time; but we never, ever regret investing in relationships. 

And there really is nothing like being with family and people that you love. 

We spent the past week in Raleigh and in Charlotte, just spending time with family and our Charlotte friends. It was so wonderful and rejuvenating. Many, many memories made. 

And now, picture overload. Here we go. 

First up, we got to celebrate the soon to be newlyweds, Erica and Tyler! So excited for this marriage and what these two are going to do for the Kingdom of God.

(poor quality pictures, but high quality people..)

Then, my cousin got married, and it was beautiful and lovely.

Glass Cheerwine bottles? YES! 

Our sweet niece, Ivie Lu, had her first ever dance recital. Obviously, she is the cutie pliéing on the left. 

I got some good QT in with Ivie's baby brother Max, aka my new favorite person. 

Those CHEEKS. Seriously?

He was begging me to let him wear this shirt, I swear.

Hammocking. 

This is where I spent lots of my days. My parents back porch is glorious. 

I could read out there all. day. long. 

And sometimes, I do.

My family was all together! This may not happen for a long, long time and we enjoyed every sweet minute of it. Except for the minute in which this picture was taken. I was complaining because my arms felt awkward and I kept making everyone take more pictures. 

My awesome, handsome cousin Myles graduated high school! We are so proud of you, Myles!

And of course, an insta collage.

Bear with me for the next... 4 months. We are going to be all over the place. Living in a hotel for 2 1/2 months. Back in Charlotte for a month. And then onto Japan. I'm not making any promises about this blog, except that I WILL be more consistent once we settle down in Japan. So really, stick with me.

And pray for us, as this is the current state of our lives..