5 things i'm loving right now

It's finally starting to feel like summer around here!! :) :) For me, that means i am always in a tank top and shorts and flip flops. In just 3 short weeks, we will be heading to myrtle beach for a month for the leadership project once again!! i can't wait to live beside the beach again ;). here's 5 little things i'm obsessed with right now:

1. This swimsuit from target- call me babyish, call me color obsessed....i love this cute suit. I love it because it's ruffly and modest!!! I am all about a modest suit and this one is so cute!! i just got it and i know it will be my new favorite!

2. Kiehl's coconut lip balm. I have been using this stuff for years. It is amazing. Like a pillow for your lips. I get it at the Kiehl's counter at Belk and it lasts at least 6 months!! it instantly reminds me of summer.

3. These awesome pants from j crew outlet. they may look a little mom-ish, but i'm all about them. i am pairing them with a navy cotton peplum shirt or a bright orange tank for a more casual look.

4.This nail polish by zoya in "lovely." It is the perfect sky blue and looks great with a tan!! It stays on super long and is organic too. it's like clouds in a bottle.

5. Organix sea salt spray- i love this stuff. It is great for hair like mine that's wavy/curly and looks very beachy, plus it's only $8.00 at walmart!

No one told me.

No one told me....

that when you have a baby, your heart expands farther than you ever thought it could.

that i would truly find my calling in life in being called mommy.


that all my dreams and plans for something bigger and something more wouldn't seem so important anymore.

that my heart would find forever love in being a mom to my little peanut.

I love my little maggie so much. Lately, in moments of downtime, i find myself praising God and thanking Him that it took Him giving me a surprise pregnancy and a surprise baby to gently teach me these things. As many friends as i have that have told me how amazing (and amazingly hard too at times) it is to be a parent, i am really experiencing it. I am experiencing the nearness to God, the teachable moments that He has for MY heart in being a parent. Everyday He teaches me how messed up I am as i try to correct maggie's bad behavior, but then i turn and am faced with my own sinful heart.

As I rock Maggie at night, change another diaper, or cut up her food into little bites, i find myself grateful. I am grateful to God for a husband that loves Jesus and loves my family and wants to parent maggie well. I am grateful that i am free to stay at home with maggie every day, to teach her, nurture her and discipline her.

No one told me how much i would fall in love with my sweet little Maggie Grace. Nothing could have prepared me for the joy and hardship of becoming a mom, and seeing the depths of my sin even more.

God is so good.