Welcome to my *Dream Home*

Please come in! ..and make yourself at home... :)

Today's post is just for fun as I mentioned yesterday.  The creative juices have been flowing but with a lack of decorating funds, energy, and a home of mine to do as I wish it makes it hard to do anything with inspiration.  That's why I've decided to use my wonderful Blog as an outlet.  *None of these pictures belong to me, all were found around the web and to the owner of the homes it actually is...I love it! 

Here's our coffee for the tour...

Unless you'd rather have yours in this cute travel cup?

 

Having a Beautiful view is a must. I seem to find myself in love with either a home by the beach or in the country. Either one would be amazing!

 

Here are a couple adorable homes to give you a feel for my style... 

I would of course have my desired Garden..and for the fun of it I'll throw in a garden shed!

If make your way further back you'll likely find a hot tub, and look at that view!

But you can't have a beach home without a few chairs to sit and enjoy the sunrise/sunsets.

 

Lets go in though because I'm dying to show you around!

*Welcome*

Here is my favorite space. The kitchen! I love to bake, cook and did you know the best conversations are held in the kitchen?

My Farmhouse kitchen sink! Yes please :)

If you come over for dinner I'll definitely prepare a delicious meal to serve in the dining room.

This is the BASEMENT. *Sigh*One day! (here is the sectional couch my husband wants so badly. Not this exact one but something like it.)

I love a clean pretty bathroom. Who wants to take a bubble bath in a drab dirty room? So here are a few styles you'd probably find in my home.

This is our bedroom. I didn't really find my favorite while looking but these two have wood floors and are still cute!

This is my cozy chair and a pile of books because it's a must-have

This first picture is my computer desk where you'll find me writing in this very blog.  The other room is my scrapbook/sewing room. A whole room for crafting..that's just too good to be true!

Need to take a break? Have a seat on my comfy couch please. :)

 If you look around the room you'll likely find nick knacks similar to these...

Alright lets see the garage! It's neat a clean just the way I like my home.

If you were staying the night you'd be staying a this room.  I love bench chairs with a nice view outside.  I hope you'd feel comfortable here!

 AND..A mud room.  I love the idea of walking in with my hands full and having a place to hang my purse and coat in an organized fashion. I love the bench for little ones too.

 

Doing the laundry is a chore..but maybe if I had a beautiful place to do the laundry I wouldn't mind it as much. :) Who thinks of this stuff? These laundry rooms are way to fancy!

 My other favorite room...Garrett's room of course. I love the beach theme and the over-sized chair to nurse him in.  I just noticed he has his own bathroom? Neat!

Well we've come to the end of our pictures so we can choose from two rooms to lounge, finish our coffee, and enjoy a warm conversation...

Thank you for letting me share my cherished dream home with you! Maybe one day, right?

~Laura~

My husband is taking a nap and our home is quiet which makes now a great time to write. I have a lot on mind these days reaching far across the board, politics, news, family, my son, marriage, God, people, and the list goes on.  I admit that i'm a passionate young woman with a sharp tongue, NOT something i'm always proud of.  I also admit that after reading too much in the news i'm up in arms about the way our world is and it takes God pulling my arms down and reminding me, He is still a sovereign God. 

Do you know what the neatest thing is? When God reaches out and you didn't even ask for it.  I told you in my last post about my current funk of not spending time in my bible so i've pulled the Bible out again along with the many other resource books and journal.  I paged through a few books of the Bible that I was considering studying but ended up in Daniel.  Do you know how perfect this book is for me at this time?  I know the general story of Daniel but after digging through some passages and the history I feel God led me here on purpose.  Our world parallels the same culture Daniel was dealing with when He was taken captive along with his friends.  This book is teaching me how to remain faithful to God in a world that's sinful.  I love that God does these things for us! I didn't ask, but He knew that right now I needed to be reminded of His sovereignty and He laid the story of Daniel before me.  Thank you Lord! 

Darren and I picked a name for our son! It was not what I'd call a fun process but having a name for him is wonderful now. 

*Garrett Hudson Moore* 

Darren told me we can't have anymore boys because we don't have anymore names.  Him and I differ on taste in names, which isn't a bad thing but makes it more difficult to decide. It was fun to share with family last night.  I told my brother Anthony right away because the poor guy is left out all the time. He didn't know it was a boy for a long long long time because his sister figured he'd hear through the grapevine.  I'm thankful for my families reaction, they all said how much they liked the name.  It's hard to pick out a name and have that feeling 'what if people don't like it'.  But i'm excited that my tiny man has his own name and if he were to come now I'd be more okay with it. (But he should not see that as an invitation to come early!) My fears lately have been going to the hospital early and him not having a name.  That would be the very last thing I'd want to think about!

So this weekend is the big packer vs. bears game.  My facebook friends have began the trash talk.  Some of what they say is plain old funny while others seem to seriously loath the other team.  I am a packer fan and have always had a sweet spot for them being raised for most of my life in Wisconsin.  It will be a fun game to watch and share in the excitement with fellow packer fans. *Please don't lose, I don't think I can handle all the facebook status' if we lose. :) Darren has been a great sport in cheering alongside of me for my other team.  We are colts fans in this home and it was part of the deal when I married him that I would switch..in fact I think it's somewhere in our vows? haha just kidding! But I have enjoyed watching the colts and getting to know the players.  It's actually been fun to have two teams to cheer on.

Darren is scheduled to leave this next week for about a month.  Why is it that I was able to handle his long deployment but this short time apart has me digging my heels in?  I think it has a lot to do with being spoiled this past month with him and not wanting it to end! I'm crazy about this guy, I love when He walks through the door and finds me to give me a kiss.  I love that he makes me laugh the majority of the time he is home.  I feel like every time he comes through the door my greatest friend has just arrived.  Isn't that fun?  I don't mind waking up at five and awkwardly rolling out of bed to make some coffee and stick breakfast out for him. 
I think marriage is hard because we're human beings.  We are bound to hurt the other person eventually and it takes a lot of guts to get up and say sorry when we've said something hurtful.  The other night Darren responded to a question and it wasn't really kind even though I'd been pestering him. (Sometimes i'm annoying! Can you believe that? lol) I got up and left the room feeling hurt and frustrated.  Then a little while later he came by me and apologized.  In a split second I forgave him and we moved on.  That's all we need to hear sometimes.  I treasure that my husband is in love with me and willing to admit when he has wronged me.

In many ways Darren has reminded me of Jesus and how he is willing to forgive me in a split second when I've sinned.  He never needs time to think about it...we're forgiven right away but He needs to hear our 'sorry'.   I think marriage is easier when God is at the center of our hearts and we're putting the other person first.  I hope that this time apart from Darren will again be a time of blessing and a tool for building our marriage.

Tonight Darren and I are going on a date.  We're not sure where but i'm looking forward to dressing up and spending a nice evening with my husband.  I do realize that this could end up turning into a night in with pizza and a movie but that will be just as wonderful!

There's something else we need to talk about today. STRETCH MARKS. :) Here are a few things I've come to realize..

1. They're super itchy

2.They're not the most pretty thing but I've accepted them

3.They stretch....Just yesterday they weren't as long...

4.I love what they symbolize

5.The butters and creams failed but I like putting them on still just in case maybe they'll pull through and I will wake up one morning to no marks. :)

6.They make my stomach look funny on top of the already big ball of cuteness but they're my mommy marks and I'm okay with the inevitable pudgy to come.  It may take some getting used to but I realize that i'm still beautiful to Christ and my Husband.  

JUST FOR FUN:

I know that this should be a post of its own so i'm going to post tomorrow, but would you like to see a glimpse of my dream home? I've been watching HGTV, TLC, and browsing decorating websites which have all left me inspired to fix up the house I don't have.  The military limits the amount of work you put into your home because you know the boxes will be coming out soon.  I'm okay with that but sometimes I really wish we lived in a home in the country and could fix it up.  Maybe one day? I thought it'd be fun to take to my blog to create the home I don't have because the inspiration need to come out somewhere!  So I hope you'll stop in tomorrow and join me in dreaming. :) If not I hope you have a GREAT weekend!

Laura

It will never be the same...

Around 5:00a.m I crawled awkwardly out of bed to make Darren coffee and I caught a glimpse of my baby's bed.  I realized in that moment that 5 a.m..more like all hours of the night will become a new normal.  Life isn't going to be the same but I can't wait to share with you the adventures ahead of me as a mom.  I do hope you'll stick around and read this blog even if it doesn't make sense because lets face it i'm going to be lacking in the sleep department.  I'm not sure how much time there will be to sit down and write for an hour and sip coffee.  Oh coffee...I'll be needing plenty of that in the near future!

I've been thinking about God a lot lately.  I'm not sure that it reflects in my recent posts because we've been in a funk.  Unfortunately that's happened plenty in the 16 years of knowing Him as my savior but I love when I figure it out.  For example the past month life has been wonderful but I've hardly uttered more then a paragraph to him! Do you know where my Bible is right now? Under my bed...and it's collected some dust.  You can't shake God once you've experienced having a relationship with him and how sweet it is.  It's hard to be consistent because it's a conscience choice to seek Him everyday and submit your will to Him.  There's always going to be distractions and it's important to choose to be disciplined in my walk with God at any cost.  It feels good to see where i've fallen short and make things right.  I want God to walk me through the rest of my pregnancy and provide me with the strength to deliver this baby. He's faithful and so good to me!

Today our stroller came and I opened the box and took everything out and took a picture of it and then tried to put it together....
It's still not put together because I'm afraid to break it and it seems better to wait until Darren gets home. I did give an honest effort and it was a pitiful site to see. Anyways, he's become a pro at putting things together. :) I told him that I don't know what I'd do without him! And I figure this is his way of experiencing a tiny ounce of the pain I'll be going through soon. ;) Is that mean or what?

I went to the store today and while I was walking around an employer from JC penny stopped me to ask how I was doing and how far along I was.  Isn't it horrible that I was thrown off by an employee talking to me!?  He gave me a tip to come back in the beginning of feb. because they were having a big baby sale and congratulated me.  He was walking around the place with a huge smile on his face and I thought man that was really nice! So often we keep our guard up and who can blame us in the world we live in but it's wonderful to experience a friendly face with a good spirit. Today i'm thankful for a happy face that made my heart smile.  It brightened my day!

I don't know which book I'm going to study in my Bible but I'm looking forward to this evening taking out all of my resources and digging deep into God's word.  There is nothing more exciting then being surrounded with material that helps to unlock hidden treasures.  If I find anything i'll be sure to pass it along. :) Well I'm going to go eat dinner and enjoy some quiet time with God. Have a wonderful night!
Laura

I'm going to be a mom!

Maybe it's a 'laura thing' but it has taken 34 weeks for this pregnancy to sink in.  Isn't that a long time?!? It took a couple stretch marks, watching my husband put a crib together, and catching a glimpse of my huge tummy in the mirror!, oh and doing my baby's laundry.  :) It's real though, and I stood in the doorway of my little man's room and wanted to literally jump for joy because I had a picture of him sleeping in his bed. 
I don't know what kind of mother I'll be.  Maybe at first I'll be frazzled and unsure of myself.  I have time before he comes and in that time I want to do a few things.
1.Spend some time in the Bible studying God's word because I need to hear it.
2.Entrust every fear and concern to Christ because there are things out of my control.
3.Soak up each moment with my baby boy as he's still inside of me and love every minute of it.  He's going to grow up too quickly and I don't want to forget to cherish these times.
4.Surround myself with woman that love God and will be an example of the kind of mother I want to be.  I'm putting in a special order for you ladies wherever you're at.  Will God do an express order for me? :)

Darren is leaving again for a few weeks and then will be home right before the due date.  I will miss him of course and even more so with this pregnancy coming to a close. Now is when I need the most help and he'll be gone.  I hope that doesn't sound too selfish! We have spent one incredible month together.  We loved each other well and I grew a deeper respect for that man.  He really is incredible in every way and I was spoiled with all this time having him home for two weeks!
My mom is coming to stay with me though! I can't wait to see her because i've been missing her so much and she keeps me sane.  She really is my best friend next to Darren and I don't know where i'd be without her.  It will be wonderful to have her around and I'm loving the fact that she'll see her grandson when he's born.  That will be special having her there.
To keep myself busy i'm going to scrapbook, finish my cross-stitch, decorate the nursery, and read. I think keeping it pretty low key will be nice. I am blessed to have this life and be married to a man that takes care of me and lets me stay at home with our son.
Last Friday Darren and I had free tickets from our apartments to a local hockey game.  We had fun venturing out and doing something new.  I love spending time with him no matter what we're doing, he makes me laugh and enjoy life.
I talked him into a McDonald's run on the way home because a cheeseburger and fries sounded sooo good at the time.  We're still not ready to eat in the new jeep though.  I had a nice laugh when I told him how messy kids are and he said we'd teach him not to be messy.  The funny thing..the man was not kidding! :) 
Tonight I made chicken pot pie and pretty much danced in the kitchen because it turned out amazing.  I informed Darren that I made the chicken the correct way and everything turned out perfect! While he ate I awaited his response and he looked up to me staring him down and he goes 'MMM it's good!'  I'm not sure what us ladies are looking for? If he worshipped me after every meal i'd find that weird lol. 
Well I have officially pulled out the body pillow again.  Why didn't I do this sooner?  I haven't taken it out for a month and it's been the month I needed it the most.  Thank you Ej for passing it along! I can't wait to snuggle into bed tonight and find comfort once again. :) Darren and I joked about me finding him with it in the morning..the scary part is that this might happen!

I washed out my son's clothes today to give them a fresh-ness and it was honestly an enjoyable process because I was adoring every article of clothing and picturing my baby wearing it.  This will be a one time only thing i'm afraid.  However when I put his clothes away I realized he doesn't have enough! There is a lot of 6 months and up but for when he's first born there's not a whole lot.  He doesn't have enough pants either! But i'm not sure if it's best to wait and see how big he is.  I don't need to go out and buy a lot but there's a few things..like pants! He has enough onesies but it's still a little cold around here for him to just sit around in a onesie.  I'll figure it out :)
Alright well i'm going to end here tonight but here are a few pictures I took of the nursery. It's a mess right now but there's one of the dresser and crib.  I can't wait to decorate and buy his bedding then i'll have to post pictures of the completed nursery.  Hope you had a great day!
 



His crib! I love it :)



Darren did an awesome job assembling everything together!