simple joys

There is nothing like a night at home with this guy laying by my feet:

Adding to that joy by:
watching a movie on my laptop, in bed
eating a night snack of an orange (of course) and some animal crackers
feeling cozy while a major spring storm is brewing outside my window

Especially enjoying the relaxing after a full weekend of showing the house and being blessed with more showering of love for our babe. Sunday was the last of our showers before baby and I can honestly say I have enjoyed each shower in their own ways. Sunday was special because it was thrown by my aunts and included great grandmas & great aunts as well. Here are a few pics from the celebration:

the great grandmas

Auntie Chris & Aunt Karri

the momma and her momma

the moms & their girls

They also included the verse below in the celebration and after how much the picture of sheep meant to me from Israel, it was really meaningful. My Auntie Chris made up a magnet with this verse for everyone to take with them as a reminder to pray for us. The thought of walking this path of parenthood and knowing others are praying for us in this way is a huge encouragement to me.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
-Isaiah 40:11

If that weren't enough joy for one day, we found out when we got to youth group that there was a surprise shower planned for our night. Laura & Kelsey got a delicious cake, planned all of our games for the night around baby relays (like eating baby food, drinking coke from bottles, etc) and they blessed us with 4 packs of diapers!

Loved this picture of us because it really seems to capture us, right where we are in this season. Including the fact that I have been wearing those earrings and that necklace almost every day for the past few weeks in effort to even out my growing belly, purely based on the rule that the bigger you are, the more freedom you have to wear larger accessories!

Poor Ryan, this was the only shower he got to attend & the one gift he got to open was diapers. He seemed pretty excited though, maybe the practical side of him as a guy knows how helpful they will be!


So so happy and appreciative that all of the people we love are walking with us but it just makes these nights at home that much more valuable. This guy is waiting so it must mean it is time for bed.

work shower

It feels like these weeks are just flying by with the busyness of having a house for sale, a baby to prepare for and all of the celebrations in between. Last week my sweet friends at work threw a shower for me and it was such a neat time with women I trust and appreciate.

my female co-workers: Kris, me, Shanon & Lisa

The shower was at our office, the perfect space for entertaining and the guest list was made up of the women in the office and all of the wives of the guys I work with. Over the years, they have felt more like family than work acquaintances and it was really special to think about the fact that this group watched as Ryan and I got engaged, came to our wedding, journeyed with us as a young couple through the sale of the business and now in this stage of becoming parents.

Because Christy is part of that group and was there as a friend, she also took a few pics of the night. I told her I am starting to feel like she is my personal life photographer. haha! Love how she captured the fancy food and ambiance of the evening.





The whole theme was centered around our bedding. Which I actually stumbled upon during a quick trip to Target for something all together different. I wanted something gender neutral (obviously) that felt like "us", not something too cutesy but I really did still love the animals. My favorite part is the detail within the outline of the animals and Shanon surprised me with poster size drawings of each of the animals as decor for the shower. The giraffe was my favorite!

Here is a pic of the bedding pattern itself:


Instead of playing any games, they had each person write a piece of advice and they had to read it to me before I opened their gift. The things that were shared were both thoughtful and heartfelt, many sharing with tears about their own experiences as a mom. I felt so encouraged hearing from a Godly group of women. Here is the whole group:


Yet another night where I felt overwhelmed by people's generosity & excitement for Ryan and I. I love knowing that there are so many people who are almost as excited to meet this little one as we are.

more shower details!

Still smiling thinking about how great it was last Saturday to be in the presence of so many friends that I love. Michelle really was a great hostess with such attention to detail and that totally complimented the scene of laughter, story-telling and fellowship. I love my friends because I didn't even have to introduce them to one another; by the time I thought about it they were already chatting it up and getting to know each other.

Here are some more pics from the shower (including a photo shoot with each friend at the end):

adorable diaper cake!

The other April/May mommas: Amber & Molly


And the photo shoot begins!










35 and 37 weeks, a little different than how things were at 28 & 30 weeks (compare here)

A very special morning with memories that I will carry with me far beyond this baby being born. It feels like such a special festive time and as much as I LOVE being on the other side of a party, as in envisioning, crafting, planning, I am totally enjoying this season and am feeling so incredibly blessed.

showered & picking numbers

Yes, I do shower daily, despite what the title might imply :) From what I hear from my mom friends, I should enjoy that blessing while it is easy and I am not trying to manage a little one while getting myself ready. That was just one of the many priceless tips picked up yesterday at the sweet shower that Michelle hosted. Here is a picture of the whole group of girls:

So many great friends from different circles of my life, all in one room. More to come on the shower details from the games to the thoughtful gifts & cards, not to mention the DELICIOUS food. Cake pops anyone?!


I also wanted to mention that I randomly drew a number for the winner of the checkbook cover giveaway & Amanda is going to be paying bills and writing checks in style. Don't forget that you can still support Allison's trip to Liberia by purchasing one for $10 with $9 of it going to her travels. More info here.

birds & nests: feeling known

I'm sitting in the quiet of a Wednesday night in our house, after what was probably my second bath as an adult followed by a big bowl of strawberry shortcake and feeling very content. Blessed in fact as I think about the celebration that my sister-in-law Rochelle and some very sweet friends organized last Sunday as my first baby shower.

Rochelle & I

From the moment I walked in the room, I noticed the details down to every last napkin wrapped, every place setting laid and every nest perfectly arranged. And the cake that Dana and Kelsey made, wow! It was perfect and whimsical and fun and I felt like it was all so me. Which made the shower so sweet and as I mentioned before, made me feel so known and loved. Here is just a taste of what the afternoon looked like:





Wasn't the cake amazing?!

I felt so cared for and blessed by seeing women from all areas of my life at Evergreen as this shower was full of friends from small groups, bible studies, youth group, co-staff and simply women that I have grown close with over the past 6 years since we started going to church at EGM.

my table:

Evergreen staff & loved ones:

small group friends & accountability partners:

Of course my Mom was there, right by my side serving in her full future grandma capacity!

Evon made a special trip in just for the afternoon which meant a lot to me, especially since she really didn't know anyone at the shower.

My mother-in-law, Sheryl, Rochelle & I (the hostesses with the mostess):

We played some really fun games where people had to guess things about me, another where they had to play the Price is Right with baby supplies (and I got to keep them all!) and Rochelle also had each table decorate onesies. I wish I had pictures of those but I have to say, they were very creative. My favorite and the "winner" was one that has a giraffe & an elephant on it and then on the butt it reads "JUNGLE LOVE". so cute!

When it came time to open gifts, there was even more attention to detail as Torie had created a little "time to feather Bekah's nest" theme. So many of my friends are creative and talented that I received some very special and meaningful gifts that I can't wait to put to use like adorable burp clothes, hand crocheted blankets, and a custom diaper bag that I got to choose the colors for and will receive in a few weeks (I easily chose green and brown for that). I have to admit, it was a little bit different being on the receiving side versus the giving side and I continue to be very overwhelmed and thankful for people's generosity, support and utter JOY for us as parents. I wish Ryan could have been there in some ways to experience that blessing but it was just as fun to bring things home and share them and I doubt he would like being in a room with that many women for 2 1/2 hours.



I had to include this picture with the monkey outfit because Ryan REALLY likes monkeys on boy's clothing/bedding/anything really. We have both continued to feel like this is going to be a boy (although we will be SO happy either way) but for some reason I have just had that feeling since about the third month. Maybe it because we have a boy name we L-O-V-E and aren't sure on a girl's name yet? Can't wait to find out who is in there!

This was the last picture taken in the day and it includes some of my very favorite friends: Jamie, Kate, Me, Jana, Kelsey


All in all, so blessed and thankful for Rochelle who knows me SO well and made me feel so special!

my day off

Well, sort off. I have been anticipating today for about a month now as a day of major spring cleaning around here. So even though I have the day off, I am filling it with all kinds of cleaning that this organized, yet not into deep-cleaning girl, is not used to. I'm glad I am doing it now because I can't imagine where you put a belly that is nine months pregnant when you scrub your bathtub! And can you get carpal tunnel from scrubbing? I sure think so!

I realized that there are things that I cleaned today that I confess, have not been done in the five years we have lived in this house. I won't tell you what but just know they are major so if you have stayed at my house and seen them, I'm sorry! My companions today are double in number, due to the fact that we are dog sitting for my parents for another day or so. These two aren't any help to my cause:

But they are cute and I am glad someone is taking a nap!

Knowing that today was set aside for such activities, I fully soaked up the weekend and Saturday was blissful on a few levels including being part of Molly's shower. It was such a sweet time with the women that love her, a group from all pieces of her life. I think we are kindred spirits in many ways as we anticipate the arrival of our little ones exactly two weeks apart from one another. We love the little details of ribbon and words and her shower reflected exactly those things, so fitting for Molly. One of my favorite things was the fact that this scripture was incorporated into the time.

We had to document this time in both of our lives with a few pics of course! (notice that we are both rocking the same Liz Lange jeans from Target). Here we are at 30 weeks and 28 weeks: