this world is not my home...

My home lies somewhere beyond the blue.

I understand and am joyful in knowing that this world is not my home. But until I get there I am glad to live in this place we are...looking to my home somewhere beyond the blue.

Until next time,
Brit

update.

The last month has gone by too quickly... Here is a revised version of what life has looked like:

1. Loving on Rylee
2. Packing for the big move to Tarzan
3. 2 week road trip to visit 4 states and a bazillion excited Rylee fans
4. Loving on Rylee
5. Back home to pack some more
6. Learning how to function(and still be nice)on less sleep than ever
7. Loving on Rylee

I have more pictures and posts to share about our trip and of course our little girl. Stay tuned...

until next time,
Brit

finally here

Rylee Joyce

weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. and reaching a height of 21 1/2 inches.

who knew you could love so much.

until next time,

Brit

maternity pictures!

Last week Jer and I had our maternity pictures taken by our dear friend Brandi Marshal! It was such a beautiful day and she took some beautiful pictures! I have been sooo excited about them I had to share some of them too!


You can see more of our pictures + her other work on her FB page or at her blog! Thanks a million Brandi!

Until next time,
Brit

encouraged and hungry

I stumbled onto this blog (as I do most of the ones I love) and have found such encouragement. Kind of the point of Operation Nice I suppose.

Well I felt like I needed to re-post one of her recent postings - I had a dream just last night that I was out shopping and came across a Chipotle! Jer and I go through withdrawals here in the 806 because they seem to be missing all of the best food places: Red Robin, Qdoba, Noodles, and Chipotle. You can imagine how ecstatic I was in my dream to find a Chipotle and enjoy some of that great rice (my mouth is watering)

Anyways while I can't enjoy that mouth watering burrito I've been dreaming about I can help them out with this project and feeding others...

Today's Assignment:

Forward that Junk Mail! For every ten junk emails they receive at nojunk@chipotlejunk.com, they'll donate a dollar to The Lunch Box organization, which provides tools for school districts that assist them in making good food available for their students. They need 500,000 emails to donate $50,000, and right now they are at 102,842.

Until next time,
Brit

homemade

Gotta love the husband for being such a crafty guy. We were not overly excited about any of the burp clothes we found to purchase so he sugested making some of our own - and he did! We also made up some more exciting onesies...

Until next time,
Brit

31 Bits

Been following a dear friends adventure in Uganda through her and her new husbands blog. Through her I found out about an incredible business (I'd rather call it a movement) called 31 Bits.

I think this is such a unique and wonderful way to reach out - beyond cliche no doubt. These girls from Cali teamed up to enable some women from Uganda and help them use their creative talents to better sustain the livelihood of themselves and their families.


Find them on facebook or at their website and see what incredible things they are up to...and do some shopping while your at it!

Until next time,
Brit

watermelon baby

Full Term! I know its so repetitive, but I cannot believe it! We have made it to 37 weeks and we are now full term - you can come any time now baby....really. This is the last fruit sizing for baby, and then we can actually stick her on a scale! Baby is now the size of a watermelon, and man oh man does it ever feel like it!

Tonight is also the last of our birthing classes. We are working on infant CPR tonight and spending a lot of time on Road Rules for babies in the car! Hopefully after tonight Jer and I will finally be able to figure out how to hook the car seat into our car correctly.

Soon and very soon!

Until next time
Brit

converse love

I am a lover of converse. but also other things too, on these chucks you can proclaim that other love to the world!

also loving that 10% of the proceeds will go to help fight aids - Found on I Heart You

until next time,

Brit

Yellow Kitchen

starting to like this...

(found here)

(found here)

(found here)

(found here)

until next time,

Brit

yard sales

This weekend Jer and I are planning to hit up some of the local yard sales. Can't wait to rummage through those dollar bins...


A little unsure about doing it all with the weatherman calling for a high of 107...ah well, you can't beat a good deal!

Have a happy hot weekend!

Until next time,
Brit

color mood

Since we are moving into our first home in August we are finally getting a choice in wall color! While we are so excited about this, it has also been a challenge in narrowing down our crazy creative thoughts into one color scheme.

Color can have mood altering affects on a room, that being the reason for color choice in places like hospitals, restraunts, spas, and businesses.

Blues

which can represent peace, tranquility, order, cleanliness, stability and conservatism. It is also said to slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature and reduce appetite.

Green

representing nature, health, youth, vigor, inexperience, envy and jealousy. Soothing and calming and said to have healing powers (maybe why surgeons wear green in operating rooms...)

Orange

expresses energy and is used for attention getting purposes symbolic of balance, flamboyancy, enthusiasm and vibrancy.

Red

associated with danger, strength, violence, anger, and desire. Evokes a fight response and can raise blood pressure as well as heart rate.

Yellow

joy, happiness, optimism, cowardice, betrayal, imagination, and inspiration are all expressed through yellow. Often is symbolic of friendship.

very insightful. Now what mood do I want our home to have?...

Until next time,

Brit

just can't help it...

If you know Jeremy you know he is all about pigs. Anyone that has ever met him will find out that it doesn't take long for you to be reminded of Jeremy every time you see something pig...If you don't believe me take a look in our house at the assortment of random pig gifts he has gotten over the years.

Just like anyone I cannot help but to be infiltrated by this pig love he has. I'm always snooping through the cutest new pig creations on etsy, here are some of my new favorites:

1. Cute Pig Stationary Set
2. Pig Hat
3. Pig Onesie
4. Lil' Piggy Bib
5. Meat Free Baseball Tee

Until next time,
Brit

track nostalgia

It smells like track outside. The smell reminded me that 1 year ago this weekend I was in St.Louis racing at track Nationals in the 5K. Racing at Nationals or any meet in cross and track was such a phenomenal experience but I am nostalgic while remembering it because I am reminded that its all over. Running I will always have but racing is something of its own. I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given in my abilities to run and the ability to do it at the collegiate level.


It smells like track outside, bittersweet.

Until next time,
Brit

It is official

Just got the email from SBEC (State Board for Educator Certification) and I am officially certified to teach. (The email was much less enthusiastic...so I'm sharing the news a little more elementary!)

Until next time,
Brit

Honeydew Baby

Hello month 8! 33 weeks.

Jer and I started birthing classes last week and gained a lot of insight. We practiced breathing techniques (Jer made me giggle during the process, embarrassing.) and learned a whole lot about what to expect on the big day that is just peeking around the corner.


As of now our baby is the size of a honeydew! She is becoming so very playful...we often leave her in charge of big decisions...like what is for dinner that night. Jeremy will say "Ok baby, kick if you want this..." it takes care of our indecisiveness.

So anxious to meet our little honeydew face to face...7 weeks to go!

Until next time,
Brit

No greater gift

Just yesterday Jer and I were out and about doing some shopping and we stopped by Mardels to look at some ministry books etc. While we were shopping around we both got the usual comments: "Oh how far along are you?" "You look so cute!" "Boy or girl?" etc...

I was particularly touched by what one older man said to us after asking if this was our first and making other casual small talk. He made remarks about what an exciting event having children is and then said very boldly:

"Asside from salvation, there is no greater gift"

Jeremy and I smiled and responded graciously for this mans kind words of wisdom and continued shopping. For me, however, I could not get this strangers words out of my mind. What truth he had said and passed on to two soon-to-be parents.

With all of the preparation and excitement taking place in time for the baby it is sometimes easy to become distracted with all of the To-Do lists of pregnancy and bringing a child into this world. It was such an encouragement to be reminded that we have not only been given the gift of God's son, our Savior, but now He is entrusting us with a child of our own.

What an awesome gift. What an Awesome God.

Untl next time,
Brit

Pregnancy Fever

It seems like so so many of our close friends are going through the pregnancy process just as we are! It is so fun to be going through this exciting journey at the same time as friends and being able to share in the unknown and excitement of it all.

I just found out about another (I wouldn't call her a close friend...) who is expecting as well!

Kara Goucher! As you may know Kara is a runner rockstar in my book. Last year when we saw her run in Eugene she spilled the beans that her and Adam were wanting to start a family, and it just emerged that Kara is having a baby this September!

(Photo from here)

Congratulations Kara! Yay for runner babies!

Until next time,
Brit

Weekend Recap

This last weekend was filled with excitement! Friday, family arrived and we all went to the graduation banquets together. It was so much fun mingling with staff, students, and professors, and of course the food was incredible! After the banquets my wonderful husband had a surprise birthday party for me! Saturday was graduation - Yaayy! And on Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day with Jer's mom and my grandma.

What a wonderfully exhausting weekend! Loved every single minute of it!

Until next time,
Brit

Squash baby

Jeremy reminded me a few days ago that I only have 2 months of pregnancy left! It is so hard for us to believe that in that short amount of time she will be here.

I have started to get quite noticeably bigger! I weighed just yesterday at the gym and I have gained 17 lbs! woo-woo! I know that baby is growing rapidly too, I can feel it in her strong kicks and jabs to the ribs - Imagine a squash with an arm jabbing you in the ribs, that's what I've got going on (pretty uncomfortable, but incredible all at the same time!)

Tomorrow we have our 30 week ultra sound appointment! Yay! Can't wait to see her pretty face!

(Image & Info from here)

This month our little girl has started to develop a REM cycle while sleeping (not during my REM cycle unfortunately...) She also has 5 functional senses! Wow!

Until next time,
Brit