I came across this quote on the internet today (I wish I knew who said it)…

Being that I’m working on two more vintage-style aprons, it just made me smile. I wear my aprons all the time. I have one for bread making day, which is thick and sturdy since I get super messy, and the others are just the thin cotton type. They sure keep my clothes from getting oil and butter stains on them (I was having some major splatter issues for a while there), and Mark tells me I look super cute wearing them over my dresses. (She shoots, she scores)! Here’s the quote:

“As the search for domestic bliss continues, a search that includes cleaning and decluttering, cooking tasty nutritious meals, educating children, and the care and feeding of husbands, women will celebrate the difference they make in the lives of their families. They know an apron is like a uniform that conveys authority, unconditional regard, and motherly wisdom all at once. Apron Moms know aprons are about cooking and cleaning but they are also about emotional availability, hospitality, and femininity.”

What can I say, I just love to serve with my apron on.

Our first ultrasound for baby #2, at 12 weeks, went great. Our 18-week ultrasound was awful (mainly because the woman who did it was so incredibly rude I almost left the office crying). My sweet OB took pity on us and sent us elsewhere for a third ultrasound, at a completely different office this time. We prayed and asked the Lord to give us a sweet technician who’d let us see our baby’s face, and boy did He bless us with answered prayer!

Today we had our third ultrasound (at 23 weeks) for baby #2. The lady who did it was sooo nice. She gave us eighteen pictures of our little sweetheart, instead of the usual four, and four movies too! The baby weighs 1 lb. 5 oz., is about a foot long, and is measuring right on track at 23 weeks (except for its belly, which is measuring 25 weeks). We are pretty sure this is because baby #2 takes after it’s grand-dads! Haha. Everything looks really great and healthy, praise the Lord. We definitely have another wiggle worm on our hands though… the baby was moving so much we had a bit of a hard time seeing its face, and it got the hiccups the same time that Samuel did! (Sammy and Daddy got to see the baby on the big screen too)! That was pretty entertaining to hear and feel.

When we got home, we compared Samuel’s 21-week sonogram with Baby #2’s 23 week sonogram. We are completely amazed at how much they look alike! See for yourself. Here’s Samuel:

Here’s Baby #2:

Another one of Baby #2, and his/her foot:

(Just so you know, the black spots you see in the pics are not holes/dents in the baby, but shadows from the baby’s arm on its face). We are so thankful to Jesus for a great appointment and a healthy baby. We can hardly wait to hold our little angel in our arms! And Sammy’s been kissing the baby in Mommy’s belly a whole lot lately, so he’s pretty excited too!

I thought one of my favorite Nat King Cole Songs was the perfect title for this post. You see, my life is peppered with funny moments of people thinking I look much younger than I am. It used to be really annoying, as I wanted to look mature and hip. My mom said, “You’ll appreciate it one day!” Well, lately I’m starting to appreciate it! So I guess that means I really am getting older (oh no)! But I figured, these incidents make great stories, and I really need to keep a running list of them. So here they are:

My mom tells the story of a man coming up to me at a picnic one day, and he says, “How old are you, 5?” Deeply offended, I respond “I’m in third grade, and I can READ!”

On the day of my senior prom I went with my mom to get my nails done. The manicurist says, “This sure is a special treat for such a young girl, not many 12 year olds get taken to have a manicure!” I was mortified. Here I am, hoping to look super hot on prom night, and she thinks I’m 12… Great.

It’s the summer of my junior year in college and I’m home on break. I go to the grocery store with my mom and wait next to her as she checks out. The manager rings us up and says to me, “It sure is nice that you’re helping your mom do the grocery shopping.” Yes, I say. “Maybe some day when you have your drivers license, you can do the shopping for her!” My mom about falls over laughing and asks him how old he thinks I am. “Oh, she can’t be more than 13!” I am in shock. My mom tells him, “She’s 22 and will graduate college next year!” His eyes bugged out of his head but I could tell he felt really bad. Geesh, get me outta this store already!

I’m 26 and working as a designer at OneCreative. All alone at the office one day, the UPS man drops a package off. When I go to sign for it, he hesitates and asks, “Is there someone else here who can sign for this package?” No, I say. Why can’t I sign for it? “Oh, you have to be 18 years or older,” he responds. What? I start laughing. I tell him how old I am and he does not believe me. I show him my wedding ring, tell him I’m 26, pay a mortgage, etc. He still does not believe me and won’t let me sign for the package. It’s not until I’m about to whip out my driver’s license that he concedes, although still skeptic… like his job is on the line if he gets caught letting a kid sign their name on this box. I can’t believe this! My bosses and I have a good laugh over it when they get back to the office.

It’s the weekend of our 5 year wedding anniversary, and Mark and I are vacationing in Scottsdale, AZ. We can’t find our way out of the hotel lobby and to the pools outside, so a concierge comes to help us out. He told us all about the 9 different pools and where they were located. He then described the “Mother of Pearl” pool with it’s fancy shell walls. But as he was talking about this particular pool, he got a funny look on his face, slowed his speech and said, “Well, the Mother of Pearl pool is really a pool for the adults, because they like to swim laps and be undisturbed, but any other pool you want to swim in is quite nice…. We’re thinking, are you kidding me!? Here I am, standing next to my hubby and looking pretty pregnant in my bathing suit, and he thinks we’re trouble-making teens! We decide to give him a break and laugh ourselves silly out at the pool.

That night, we’re dining out at Roy’s when the manager comes over to check on us. He asks if we’re celebrating anything special. “Why yes, it’s our 5 year wedding anniversary!” Mark says. The manager’s eyes bug out. “Five years! What, did you get married right out of high school!? You don’t look old enough to be married that long!” He about died with shock when we told him I was turning 30 this year.

The next morning Mark and I are filling out paperwork, about to have a fabulous massage. The girl sees I’m wanting a prenatal massage and asks if I’ve ever had one. “No” I say. “Oh, is this your first pregnancy?” she asks. I tell her, “Actually, it’s my third.” Shock ensues. She can’t believe it and thinks I look way to young to even be at child-bearing age.

So, I just laugh, and try to be thankful that I don’t look as old or older than I am! Because I know soon enough the gray hairs will come in and give it all away, and then people will be giving me the senior discount without even asking me how old I am. Hey, at least it makes for good stories!

What a wonderful day we had today, celebrating Samuel’s second birthday. We can’t believe how fast it’s come and how much he’s grown in a year! He really is our big boy now.

We entered his room this morning singing the birthday song, when what did we find, but the most precious boy in perfect attire — his birthday suit! Yes, he had stripped off his PJs and his diaper during the night. (He was really ready to party down)! Since he loves balloons so much, we decided to have a balloon themed party today. Balloons floating in the kitchen, balloon plates and napkins, etc. He was squealing with delight and kept signing “more” every time he heard the birthday song.

Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Scott came over to celebrate with us. Mommy made chocolate zucchini cupcakes and Samuel had two star-shaped candles he tried to blow out. He is so precious (blowing more like he’s trying to warm his hands than get a good hard puff out for candles). He had such fun we did it twice!

Samuel had a blast playing with his new toys. We were quite impressed that in the last year he’s learned how to tear open the wrapping paper and get very excited at the party. He probably favors his lil “ready, set, go” cars and his sit and spin the most. How we wish they made those toys a lil bigger for the adults!

Samuel, you are Mommy and Daddy’s joy and delight. We are so blessed to call you our own. We love your silly faces, fun personality and tender heart. You already exhibit the joy of the Lord that we prayed for so earnestly. God is so good to us! We’re excited to see what this year will bring for you. We love you, our sweet and most precious son. Happy Birthday!

Recently I’ve been into all that is fall. For me, this means more time in the kitchen baking meals and treats that make the house smell divine! Squash dishes, ginger snaps, pumpkin bread, and of course soup!

It also means that as it gets colder outside, we’ll eventually retire the bicycles for a season and find things to do inside. My favorites include sewing and reading of course! Right now I’m reading A Thousand Splendid Suns which is pretty good so far. And I’m onto my third vintage-style apron, too. I bought some really fun Michael Miller fabric called “Mrs. Perfect” that I think will be…. perfect! What a fun gift to give to friends who love to cook.

Another thing to love about fall? Long socks with crazy patterns. Target always has good ones.

I love the restfulness the fall and winter season brings. It gets dark by 5:30p.m. We tend to eat earlier and wind down for the evening. It’s so good to stop and rest. And after a long summer with many hours of yard work and feeling like you have to go, go, go until 9p.m., I’m ready for a bit of a break. The Lord is so good to give us seasons, and I’m rejoicing in all the fun fall things to look forward to!