Becoming a Mommy

It has been a good while since my last post, and what can I say other than sometimes, life gets in the way.


I should tell you that I am days away from starting the most important job that I will ever have: Mommy!

As of today I am 38 weeks and 4 days into my pregnancy! I feel that I could fill up an entire book with all of the challenges, woes, and amazing experiences that have come to pass during these last 9 months.

We found out that we were expecting back in June of this past year and nothing has been the same ever since. My husband and I had always planned to have children someday, but were unsure of when God would bless us with that responsibility. He didn't make us wait, as we were very lucky to receive the good news shortly after we started trying. Zach and I both believe that we are blessed beyond measure and have been shown amazing grace and favor in this. We are proof that no matter how badly you mess up in life, God is good and merciful and will always give you the desires of your heart.

My pregnancy has not been all daisies and roses though. I was very sick from week 6 until week 12 and had to be put on prescription medication for my all day/all night nausea. Luckily, it worked like a charm and I was able to continue working. This was important for our family because Zach is finishing up PTA school right now and only works periodically on the weekends. My goal was to make it to the end of January at my job, in order for us to save enough money to live off of during the upcoming months with our new bundle of joy!

I am THRILLED to say that I made it! I celebrated my very last day at my job on Friday, and i'm now officially a "stay-at-home" mommy!

After all of the blessings that I have received throughout this time, it is hard for me to outwardly complain about what I am going through, but I will say just a few words

To all of the mommies that are and that will be: you are amazing and strong. There has never been a time in my life where I have had to give of myself as much as I have had to during this pregnancy. From what I have heard, the giving only increases from here on out and I am more than ready to take on that responsibility. Our bodies truly are broken for our little ones, and somehow, none of that even matters anymore. I am so grateful that God chose me to be my little girl's mommy, and I will never take that great honor for granted.

Any new mommies, feel free to comment or give me suggestions!

Xoxo
Brandy

A Dog's Life

Having a dog is one of the most amazing and wonderful things in the world. They greet you at the door each day after work with overwhelming joy and excitement. They love you unconditionally, no matter how many times you scold them or punish them. They make life more enjoyable when life seems to have turned it’s back on you. Not to mention, they have the most adorable face that you can’t help but love even when they leave you gifts that are hardly wanted.

Dogs are funny though, no matter how much love they show you, they will still chew up your favorite pen and rip apart your screen door without a second thought about the matter. My sweet, new puppy has made my make-up brushes her personal teeth sharpeners and my liquid eyeliner her play toy.

Most recently, my precious nine-month-old rescue has been quite mischievous around the house. Earlier in the week, she decided to peruse through my articulately organized closet to retrieve a pair of white pumps for her chewing pleasure. These white pumps also go by the alias of my wedding shoes. Now, I admit that when I first saw her gnawing away at one of the most precious keepsakes that I own, I may have overreacted, but who wouldn’t? After I punished her for what she had done, I looked into those big brown eyes and my heart melted inside of my chest.

Later in the day, I was working on a project in the guest room when I thought it to be unnervingly quiet in the house. See, having a dog or puppy is much like having a toddler. If they are quiet, they are usually up to something naughty. With bated breath, I walked into the living room only to discover my sweet puppy lying on the couch. Upon closer examination I saw that she was chewing on a foreign green stuffing of unknown origin. Then, I saw it. The corner of one of my throw pillows had been severed completely and a strand of green stuffing was rolling out of it onto the couch.

No matter how many shoes she eats or how many pillows she mangles, I can’t seem to stay mad at her for longer than five minutes. I guess that is what one might call “puppy charm”, and I hope that for her sake her charm never wears off.  I have a feeling that even if it does, one look at those big chocolate eyes and everything will be forgotten.

Truth be told, we are lucky to have pets in our lives. They teach us how to love deeply without expectations, and they show us what forgiveness looks like in action. We only get to keep them for maybe an eighth of our lives, 8-15 years at the most, so making the most of everyday is what they are intrinsically trained to do. We could learn a lot about life by simply living one day through our beloved pets’ eyes.

Moving Shenanigans

So, moving is great for many reasons!

1. You get to move in to a brand new house/apartment and get to decorate all over again! (Yay!!)
2. You get to find all kinds of new and awesome places to eat!
3. The shopping may be better in your new area (YAY Again!!)
4. And there's all kinds of new things to try and new places to go!

There is also some things that can be frustrating but yet...     ...comical in a way

Like for instance, I visited our friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart (my favorite place to go ever in the history of ever) just the other day. I simply needed a canvas and dish washing detergent- that was it. Well, this was an endeavor that I just wasn't prepared for apparently. For one, why is the layout of every single Wal-Mart different?!? Can someone explain this to me because I really don't understand the purpose. Anywho.. I was completely turned around and didn't even know where to start looking for the craft department. It was located in the very back on the right in our old Wal-Mart so I started there first. Well, sadly, I did not find the crafts back there....   ..so I found a nice employee- well actually he spotted me first. He must have took one look at me and realized I looked like I was in a foreign country, so he offered his assistance. I found the crafts no problem, and picked out my canvas. Okay, next stop- dish washing detergent! This should be an easy one right.. nope! I wandered around for a while and low and behold who do I see??? But the same nice employee who spotted me the first time! He looked at me kind of like, "wow.. what do you need now".. but I had no choice but to ask him or I would have been there for another 15 minutes roaming the long aisles of Wal-Mart. The detergent was in the middle of the food section... ...I mean really? I've never even seen that before! haha

Anyway, it's been a new adventure everyday! Don't even get me started about trying to find my way around town... thank the good Lord for allowing the human mind to create the "GPS". I don't know how we survived without it!

Well hope you enjoyed my story and have a wonderful night!

Until next time,

Brandy

New Places and New Faces

Sometimes in life, things happen. We spend all of our time trying to prepare for any and everything that could possibly go wrong. And it seems the more plans we make and the more prepared we are... the more that goes wrong.

I had plans too.

Plans that were turned upside with one text message conversation that changed the direction of our lives.

Long story short, my plans for the summer were never set in stone. Although I was unaware of this, it didn't change the fact that I was now faced with a dilemma. I needed a job and needed one quick, but in little Williamsburg, KY, jobs are hard to come by.

The plan was to move to Western Kentucky after I finished my Master's program, and try for a teaching job there. This wasn't supposed to be until next fall at the earliest, but more than likely it was going to happen in December after I finished student teaching. We never expected to watch our plans unravel right in front of our eyes.

Zach and I took a walk that afternoon, after we got the news. We walked through our quaint little town and talked about the direction of our lives. After hearing what each of us thought about everything, we made the decision to move to Glasgow, KY and start over there. It's a bigger area and there are more opportunities for our future there.

So after the grueling apartment search, the lease signing, the packing, and the moving, you will now find me sitting in our new office on our computer typing up this blog to catch all of you up!

We found a beautiful duplex out in the country that was perfect for us. Zach got his old job back at the YMCA for the summer, and they have graciously agreed to take me on as a Zumba instructor after I get my licence this weekend. If you know me you know that after last summer becoming a Zumba instructor was a huge dream of mine, and God has put me in a place where that dream can become a reality.

I'm still searching for a job, and still waiting to hear from a few schools about teaching positions. This is a frustrating and uncertain time, but God is walking with me and with us the entire way.

He never leaves us no matter how bad a situation may seem at the time. Although I am still in the valley, I know that the mountain is right around the corner and I will continue to have faith in a God who is bigger than all of my problems.

It's not an easy thing to do. It doesn't always look pretty, and it's almost unbearable some days. But there is always hope that tomorrow is a new day with new blessings! I ask that if you have some time, please say a prayer for us as we make this challenging transition.

Until next time-
Have a wonderful evening,

Brandy

Motivation Station

Okay guys, this post is a little different. I want to hear from YOU!

When I was in college and high school I was very motivated. Not just in my studies and schoolwork, but I was motivated to work out and be active and just basically be the best me I could be.

...however...the time has come where I have lost motivation and I am really struggling to get it back. I work basically full time and I am taking graduate classes. I am also a recent newlywed and spend time keeping up with the apartment and cooking, shopping etc. Not to mention spending time with my hubby. I want to know what motivates you? How do you get pumped up for that after-work workout? How do you fire yourself up to complete a daunting task? I would LOVE to hear from everyone! Please comment below and tell me how you get motivated!

My next post will be the top reasons that I hear for getting and staying motivated :)

Have a happy Tuesday!

-Brandy

Never Ending To-Do List

Do you ever feel like your to-do list never ends? You cross off 5 things, and 6 more magically appear on your notepad...yeah I totally understand that. Some days it seems as if I will never get caught up. I think what we have to do if we are in this situation is realize that we will never be completely caught up. We have to have our priorities in check and make sure we are doing what's MOST important first. For me, God is MOST important, and Zach is next in line. If I am spending my time with God, and giving Zach the next big chunk of my time, everything should fall into place.

Do I do this...? No.

If you are like me you struggle with priorities even when you know who and what should come first. Maybe you have 2 jobs, and you're in graduate school and you promised her you'd be at that event and you have 12 errands to run and you have two huge tests to study for that will determine your future and you have too many obligations to too many people and you're applying for that big first real job and you are trying to figure out your next step in life....and this and that and fifty other things that need to be done..

So here is the punch line-- give yourself a break, you're only human. Make time for yourself so you can "fill your own cup" and therefore be able to pour into others.

Remember, you are loved first and foremost by a Great God and He wants you to be happy.

I hope everyone has a fantastic day today!

Sincerely,
Brandy

Crazy Weather and Hump day Excitement

I haven't blogged in a while and I chalk that up to having a crazy stressful life. Now before you feel bad for me, i've done most of this to myself lol

I love to craft and upcycle things and pretty much do anything that involves a hot glue gun, my husband will attest to that. (Praise God for giving me somebody who is supportive of my crazy hobbies) Sometimes I will literally destroy a room during a project and he never seems to mind :)

So last week we had amazing and beautiful warm weather, and then Monday --it iced and snowed. I was sad, and I truly believe that weather has the ability to get me down. :(

But, alas!

Today is Hump day and it has been my very favorite day ever since this summer. This past summer I worked at a zoo and lunch time was always hang out with the animals time, which is amazing and I miss it terribly. So, one Wednesday afternoon, my fellow interns and I decided to ride the camels on our lunch break. CAMELS ON HUMP DAY! I mean c'mon that's probably the most awesome thing you could ever do right?

This past summer had its ups and down but I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

I am excited to see what this summer will bring. And I am excited/nervous to see where my life is going to take me in the next year or so. A lot is up in the air but I know that God has a plan mapped out for me and all I need to do is listen. I hope everyone has an absolutely fantastic HUMP DAY! Woop WOOP!

Brandy