{SunBerry}Spa Water

Continue reading at Through the Eyes of the Mrs.

{MemoryLane}0-12 Months

p.s. I know the image quality isn't great on some of these..but I haven't had a chance to go back and edit with my new editing super-skills, so I apologize for that.

{Crazy Hair}

Striking similarity!?

We took this the other morning…

Zion's hair was in rare form.

When Jerry mentioned she had Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka hair, 

I couldn't resist but put the two of them side by side.

In other news…

It's going to be a bit quiet around here this week,

my in-laws are coming in from Ohio.

And we'll be mourning celebrating 

Zion's 2nd Birthday!

I will miss you while I'm taking a break!  

I'll be back soon, 

but in the meantime,

why not check out some 

oldies but goodies:

Zion's Rainbow 2nd Birthday Party Pin-spirations

Lessons Learned in Seasons of Lack

5 DIY Fancy Coffee Drinks

12 Days of Delish

Reflections

No Safe Place 

Battling Through

{Outside the Box}

I am by no means a crafty lady, but occasionally I do like to try things that stretch me outside my comfort zone.  I've really enjoyed seeing gallery wall ideas on Pinterest, and other people's blogs, as well as in homes of some friends in my neighborhood.  So I finally decided to pull out my craft supplies and attempt one myself…see how I did it, today on Imprintalish!

{Priorities}

by Kristin Smith

Finding balance in my life 

has always been a

challenge.
Continue reading at Our Reflection...

{MayDay}Winners!

First, let me just say a very big
THANK YOU
to all of you who came to link-up with us for the very first
MayDay Follower-Fest!!

I'm still clicking through the links and
making so many awesome new friends!  

A special thank you to my co-hosts:
Joanna, Lish and Elizabeth as well!!

Without any further delay,
here are the winners of the MayDay Giveaways:

Debs won the $20 Starbucks Giftcard

Michelle won the Extra Large Feature Ad

       

Maribel, Bronwyn, Dyea, Pamela & Laurel won Medium Ads

And finally:

Chelsea won the Large Ad for 3 Months!

The winners have been notified via email and
have 48 hours to claim their prizes
before new winners will be selected!!

Thank you again to all who participated,
I really hope you had a lovely time!

{BabyBelly}+Giveaway

These pictures were taken in April 2010,  just a couple weeks before Zion's big debut.They were a gift from a precious friend,and taken by Indigo Foto.This is the very first time I'm sharing them.
I didn't love being pregnant,but I loved knowing I was going to be a mother.It was a hard road to travel being that I had just got into the best shape I'd been in for years!
Now when I look at these pictures,almost two full years later,I wish I could go back there.I'm nostalgic.
There is nothing quite like the wonderof carrying a child in your womb.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

more{GOODIES}please

So you want more goodies?

Check back here tomorrow for photos 

from my Maternity photo shoot -

Nobody

has seen these pictures before.

I had serious body image issues when I was pregnant, 

and its taken almost 

two years of being a mother 

for me to get to a place where I can look back at these 

and love them.  

I can't wait to share them with you.

Plus!

I'm going to give you a chance to earn 

3 Months of Large Ad-Space (May-July) 

on Baxtron{Life}!

Mothering a Daughter

As May kicks off, I'm reflecting on my relationship with Zion.  She turns 2 on the 15th!  I can't believe how quickly it has gone by.  I'm sharing a bit about what I look forward to as the mother of a daughter, I originally posted this on Kristina's blog last month. 
Also, I'm taking a trip back to early motherhood over at Like A Bird, while Kendra is enjoying her time getting to know and falling madly in love with her precious newborn baby boy, Jeff!  Be sure to stop over there and congratulate her!


It is such a privilege and a responsibility to raise a daughter. I have always wanted to be a mom, and I can't tell you how happy I am that I had a daughter first.  She has opened my heart in ways I never imagined possible.  There are so many things I want for her to experience and enjoy in her life.

As her imagination begins to flourish, I look forward to creating a dress-up box for her; filling it with play clothes and old high-heels.  I look forward to watching her try on necklaces and jewelry, tiaras and heels.

I look forward to her begging me and the hubs for ballet lessons, or other dance lessons.  And watching her twirl in a little tutu in front of us.  She loves twirling already, and any form of dance makes her face light up.
via Kasey Albano
I look forward to passing on my love of baking.  Spending countless hours trying new recipes, licking the spoons and delighting in our creations.

I look forward to hair cuts and dyes and all kinds of hair style experiments.  She has such beautiful soft curls, and I am so excited to see her hair as it grows longer and she is able to do more with it.

I look forward to her being a little older so that we can travel as a family to Israel, and experience our faith in a fresh and inspirational way.  We're planning our trip for next year!

I look forward to shopping trips, where we can chat about our love of shoes, try on new outfits and sip our fancy coffee drinks together.

I look forward to her first roller coaster ride and visits to amusement parks, theme parks and other fun resorts!  We have family in Orlando, so Disney World seems like a great option in the near future!

I look forward to teaching her how to apply make-up, and doing her make-up for special occasions.

I look forward to learning all of her dreams and desires, her passions and purposes.  I look forward to watching her run confidently in their direction.

I look forward to all the major life events, achievements and milestones she will reach in her life.  I look forward to throwing huge celebrations every step of the way and being her number one fan, always.

And most importantly, what I look forward to the most, is her recognizing what Jesus did for us all, and fully embracing the gift of salvation and grace that is offered to her.

All images except photograph of Courtney & Zion with permission via Stock.Xchng