full of thanks

I spent Thanksgiving at home in my beloved hometown of Carlsbad, New Mexico. It was wonderful...here are some highlights....

My mom scheduled my sister and I massages. Massages in Carlsbad aren't at fancy spas, but rather in intimate massage studios. The one we went to is actually a house turned into a massage studio. Is studio the right word? I don't know. I do know the massage was awesome. Whew. It felt good. I think my massage lady is also some sort of Indian healer. Lots of Indian paraphernalia all over the studio, complete with Indian inspired music. So great. I was totally "feeling it". 

Here's my cousin Blair and I. She is a firecracker. She wants an iPhone for Christmas and has a bunny named Snowball. I'm pretty obsessed with her :). She was the flower girl in my wedding and danced harder than anyone at the reception. The girl has moves!! 

Here's me with my stylish sister, who blogs here, and my incredible mother, who doesn't blog. Can't imagine my life without these two.

What is a trip home without looking at old pictures?? My mom always has some classics out and I love looking through them. Here's a pic of me at age 13....15 years ago. Goodness. How awkward am I? How cute is my sis? Why are my parents dressed matching like contestants on Dancing with the Stars? 

More old pics. Here I am on my first Christmas!!! This is the Christmas card my parents sent out the Christmas of '83. Kind of cool how though Christmas card designs have advanced, they are still pretty much the same. My mom is a total babe. I already feel like I look 10 years older than she did in that picture!

Here's Roberto with my cousin Blair's dog, Bella. Isn't she pretty??! We love bullies, almost as much as Jamie over at Velcro Dog :). 

Hi Daddy! Yes, I call my dad, Daddy. Deal with it. There he is after an unsuccessful morning of hunting. Very uncharacteristic for him, he is usually successful! Actually we had quail one morning for breakfast that he shot. It's a Neal family Christmas tradition, but we are not going to be there for Christmas, so we just had them over Thanksgiving break. They were yummy. Every meal I had at home was yummy! Why is food so good at home?

Check out this wrapping paper. I don't think words can really describe how much I love it. I got to open a Christmas present early and it was wrapped in this. #ilovedisney My mom got me this gorgeous fur stole that I want to wear everyday. It's beautiful!

Last but not least, a blurry pic of my pug son, Doug. For some reason we have this dog Harley Davidson hat and we put it on him. He's so cute and entertaining. I miss him!! Even though he has a really bad habit of peeing everywhere. 

So concludes the highlights of Thanksgiving. I am thankful for that break. I think all the love from home and from my family will be enough to power me through December!! Yay Christmas season! 

TV History

Can you believe it's Regis's last day???

I grew up watching Regis and Kathie Lee. My mom LOVED them!! Regis is still so cute.

Check out Huff Post's 15 Amazing Moments from his career.

ch-ch-changes

Whew. What a week kids, what a week.

Two pretty big things went down this week. First off...drum roll.....Robert and I are having a BOY! 

via

i guess our baby will be a hipster... if he wears this? i don't think Bob will allow that. 

We got a sonogram on Wednesday and they told us that it's for sure a boy. We're excited and continuously praying for the little guys' health. It's fun to know what the sex is...I'm glad we decided to find out. I thought about being old fashioned and waiting, but I love knowing. Robert wanted to find out. Good call, Baby. :)

*also, it's weird to say "we" got a sonogram. I got a sonogram. Robert watched, probably wondering why he was there. ha. jk.

Secondly, we are moving! Officially! We are signing on a new place today. It's a good thing, we needed to upgrade from a one bedroom place to a two bedroom place. #obvi. Now, the search is over and we've found our new place to call home. It's bittersweet. I know we need to move, and I want to (been really pushy about it...ha) but, the thing is, we've lived in our place our first two years of marriage and I love it. It's become home and it's going to be sad to leave.

love this. important to remember, when i'm stressing about what's NOT done about the never ending task of decorating :)

via

i love definitions. yes, i am a nerd. 

I'm thinking I will cry on our final days at our current home. Pregnancy hormones? I mean, come on, tears are a given. Plus, it is a little sad. I think I'll survive though, just maybe. :)

Saying that, I'm glad it's happening now. I'm ready to knock out the whole moving bit, while I'm feeling good (for the most part) and not obscenely big. It's going to be a low activity move for me, which will be weird. I always go into "energizer bunny power mode" during moves. Not this time...no more helping the movers. No more carrying boxes and furniture and sweating profusely, while burning calories. It's going to be difficult for me, but probably not that difficult since I'm so freaking tired all the time now.

I'm guessing that's a universal pregnant thing. Being tired. I feel like every time I see anyone doing anything that exerts more energy than walking, I get even more tired and a little bit despondent. I think "I will never be able to do that again." (Why am I so extreme? Really NEVER, Alexis? okay.) For example, when I see fans at a college football game on TV, or if I think of a party that involves standing for longer than 10 minutes. I think, "how did I do that before??" Then, I want to take a nap.

ppppppffffffftttttttt. pregnant girl promblems? 

I don't know though...there are those TLC stories where the women don't know they are pregnant until the give birth. Those stories are even more hard to believe now that I'm pregnant. How on earth do you not know that something is very very different?? But, as they say in all the pregnancy books, "every woman is different". Oh the wise pregnancy books with all of their helpful tips. "eat healthy! exercise!" are common themes in What to Expect When You're Expecting. Sigh. Even Robert is suggesting that I start watching what I eat and exercising more, now that I'm feeling better. Of course, this causes me to want to kill him and then eat a large pizza by myself, but I know he's just "trying to help". And what's even MORE annoying about it, is that I know he's right. ugggl;akdjfl;sdfjl;sdjkfl;

But somehow, in my head, it becomes a total man vs. woman thing. I think, "he has NO idea how i feel, i will eat WHATEVER  i want!!!" Which, I'm sure is a REALLY healthy mentality.

Hmmm, what else is new. Well, I'm in maternity clothes or really large clothes, full-time now. Robert said this morning I don't look pregnant exactly, just thicker. THICK. Who doesn't love being thick?? #awesome

Poor Robert. He can't win here. hahahaha.

He really is great and very supportive and always giving me false compliments. I'm a lucky gal, I could NOT do this pregnancy thing without him. No way. Noway. No. Way. I feel so lucky that he is with me through this. I can't believe I get to have a baby with the greatest guy I know. (cue vomit) but, really, I love him. Duh.

Final thoughts...I was emailing a cousin of mine this week. She was offering to give me some of her maternity clothes. How awesome of her, right? She was talking about how annoying it is because you only wear them temporarily. Also, she has two baby girls and she was talking about how quick they grow out of their "cute clothes" that you "have to have". It's all temporary. It's an important thought to remember, about life in general. All these things we are bombarded with day after day. They are temporary. This life is temporary. It's about more than us. What is really the goal we are striving for? It made me think of probably my all time favorite Bible verse. I sent this to my Granny when we found out she had pancreatic cancer and the pastor read it at her funeral. It chokes me up right now and of course, I was hysterical at the funeral. But, this verse is so important to remember....

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

"what is unseen is eternal." Always hits me hard. God is eternal. His Word has stood the test of time. Fix your eyes on Him. Fix your eyes on a life that serves Him and serves others. It's so easy to forget this. I do everyday over and over. But, that's why Jesus died...as an atonement for my humanness. Because of that we can live by grace and grace alone. Nothing else, because we are always going to fail. It's what we do after that failure that matters. Seek Him again. Pray again. Don't lose hope in Him or in yourself. 


That's all I got today guys. TGIF. xo

Stuff I like this week...

Well, I like that today is 11-11-11. How cool is that? It doesn't take much to excite me these days.

I like that I'm feeling less like death. I'm still nauseous sometimes and tired a lot, but oh so much better. Cheers to week 14 of pregnancy.

I liked these two gift guide helper things this week. I've been looking for gifts for the fam.
- Daily Candy - Gifts Under $30
-Tory's Gift Guide - Gifts under $150
Yes, it's time to holiday shop. Bring on the materialism and stress. Ha.

I like this pug holiday card that I got today at Highland Park Pharmacy after I had lunch there with Sarah.

widdle widdle holiday pug 

I like that I have some new followers!!! HEY, GUYS!!!! 

I realllllllllyyyyyyyy like this post from one of my fave bloggers, Apollinas wrote this week. READ HERE. Amazing. 

I like that my boss hasn't been in the office this week very much (ha), but when he has been here, he's been in a good mood. It's the little things. 

Last but not least, I L-O-V-E that my great friend, Jamie (that I've mentioned several times on here), has started a little business. She is monogramming like crazy!! Who doesn't love monogrammed gifts?? I really don't know, but I know that I do. Check out her blog and monogramming here! Be sure to contact her for your holiday monogramming needs...her prices cannot be beat!! 

Alright, that's about all the the liking I can think of. :) Happy weekend everyone. 

Friday Fun

Go to this website and play around. Trust me. Just do it. It's fun.

yeah i did

eat this ALL last night.

chicken fried ribeye from The Common Table- comes w/ mashed potatoes. yeah, ate those too. 

Kill me. Sue me. I'm pregnant. It was delicious and amazing.

Not as amazing as the company though. I love my friends. They really breath life right into me. Thanks for the awesomeness last night, girls. You know who you are ;)

faith+pregnancy

So, I noticed throughout my "secret pregnancy journals" that I kept using phrases like:


"i have faith it will all be okay"
"i trust God's plan"


I'm paraphrasing myself here, but somewhere along those lines are the phrases I was dropping throughout those posts. I love how I just dropped them in there casually like no big deal. The thing is, it seems that those are the vague phrases that believers in Christ so often use and expect people to understand. It's like we are giving the picture to others that faith is EASY and trusting in God's plan when something unexpected happens just somehow miraculously happens.


HA. That is funny.


I'm here to say, that in my experience, that it is not the way it happens and it is usually NOT easy. When something bad happens in my life or to someone I love, my human nature questions God and when something good happens TO ME my human nature takes all the credit. Where is God and faith there?? Nowhere. But that is our human nature. We are conditioned to be selfish and to not want and need God. That's the stuff we have (or rather I have) to work on. Seeking God. Asking Him to be in our lives. Thanking Him. It's not our natural reaction to things.


But the reward of finding Him, is so great, that it is worth this turn from our own ways. You must trust me on this. I've tried living in ALL other ways, (okay, well not like Wiccan) and I've found the way of God and Christ is the only way that satisfies. That only way that truly makes sense. That has true purpose and true meaning. I mean this wholly and deeply.


Back to pregnancy....


So, I've shared that when I got pregnant, I wasn't planning on it. (Sorry, baby in there, you were a surprise! It doesn't mean I don't love you!) It was very unexpected. And sometimes I would cry and wonder a multitude of things....


-did Robert and I get enough quality time of just being married?
-WHY now? WHY?? when we aren't ready?
-can I handle this emotionally? mentally?
-how are we going to afford this? no really, HOW? ha.
-well, shoot. we need to move now?


on and on....


It's like you can't be a 20 something year-old (okay 28) and be getting your affairs in order when there's a babe in the picture. A baby means responsibility. A baby means stability is needed. A baby means "sh** is about to get REAL".


Of course, people do this everyday "that live in mud huts and spend one dollar a day." quoting Robert here. This is how he comforts me. haha. jk jk. He does a better job than that :). But, he's right. 14 year olds have babies, we can have a BABY. We are really okay.


And to quote my dad, "you are never ready." To have a baby that is. He told me that once and he is right. You are just never READY. But, you do it. And you survive. Crazy how that happens. Crazy. God knows what he's doing....doesn't he?? I think so, or we all wouldn't be here.


More of my cliche Christian phrases again? I just can't stop, can I?


Anyway, during these times when I was crying and wondering about all of this....I would pray. I would ask God to help me trust Him, I would tell Him that I was scared. I soon remembered that I WASN'T IN CONTROL of this. That HE is. And He's got me. He's got me and He's got Robert and he cares for us and LOVES us and he is not going to desert us now, but rather, BE with us.


These verses below, Matthew 6:25-34  have helped me see clearly over and over in my life in lots of situations and they did it again for this one...

Do Not Worry

    ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (omg duh! God loves me more than the BIRDS. I'm going to be fine!!)²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]? (yeah, this worry bit is not helping anything, except causing me to break out.)

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? (God will clothe me and prepare me for this baby, this pregnancy. Seriously, ye of little faith over here.)³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Love those last two verses. Can I get an AMEN. AMEN. 

Also, I remember reading this devotional (below) when I first found out I was pregnant. God was speaking to me. It's from a little devotional book called Hope for Each Day, Words of Wisdom and Faith by Billy Graham. (Sounds a little cheese, but it's a good one! Pick it up at your local Barnes and Noble. ha.)

September 9

Peace in the Storm

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Romans 15:13

A wonderful old hymn says, "He gives us peace in the midst of a storm."

In life we face all kinds of storms. We usually think of the personal "storms" that come our way- financial worries, problems in our marriage or family, illness, the betrayal of a friend, and so fourth. But we face other kinds of storms that threaten to engulf us also: storms of materialism, storms of secularism, storms of moral degeneracy, storms of injustice, terrorism, and war.

Do you remember the violent storm that came upon Jesus and His disciples one night on the Sea of Galilee? His disciples grew panicky- but Jesus stayed fast asleep. He was at peace because He knew God was in control. He was at peace also because He was sovereign over the storm, and He knew it would vanish at His Word: "Peace, be still!" (Mark 4:39)

His Word still calms the turmoil in our lives. Is some storm making you fearful today? Stay close to Jesus, for  His Word brings peace. 

I long to be at peace like Jesus was in the storm. To have that big of faith that I completely trust and GET that God is in control, but it's hard. Even Jesus's disciples, the guys that like invented church struggled with this. They were put in jail and beaten, they had more storms to weather then just being freaking pregnant. 

But, you know what Jesus told them over and over??

To have faith the size of a mustard seed. Well, a mustard seed....really?? That is pretty pretty small...

So, I try...to find a tiny speckle of real faith, just the size of a mustard seed. And I keep praying. Praying for my life, my loved ones, things I want to happen, situations I can't control. 

Matthew 17:20

 ²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

God is listening. Waiting to move mountains. Pray. Trust Him. 


That's what I'm trying to do through this pregnancy bit....so far...so good. I mean, good days and bad days for sure. But, I know I'm going to be okay no matter what happens.


(sorry a little Biblely and serious today....i like the Bible and i am a VERY serious person. ha. for real on the liking the Bible part though. ha.)


(also, my fonts and formatting are weird on this post. i don't know why and i'm trying to fix it and can't. #sorry)

Facebook Official

After much deliberation and urging of friends (MARY), I posted on Facebook today that I was indeed, pregnant.  Why does posting things like that make me nervous? Thanks anyone out there that is making me feel less insecure and "liking" or "commenting" on my status. ha.

How can I not post this pic though? baby scarf for Baby Scarff?? I mean, cutest thing ever. Thank you, Jill Klopp. You're awesome for many reasons, not just because you are clever and funny enough to send me this little scarf. :)

Robert's leg and my new maternity pants in the background. #weirdpic 

Also, like 10 people tweeted and uploaded this pic to fb yesterday. I'm sure you've seen it. 

via NPH's character, Barney, on How I Met Your Mother

I almost wanted to add to my Facebook official post that I'm just getting less awesome and pregnant. It sounded a little cynical and negative. So, I decided, maybe not. Instead, I'll just hop on the the "pregnant girl cliche bandwagon" and post on fb about my pregnancy which is one of the reasons why everyone is loving this quote so much. ppppppfffffttttttt

Anyway, on week 13 of this deal and I'm starting to feel like a human being again and not like a constantly hungover drug addict. So that's nice. That's about it over here...ready for the weekend!! TGIF andddd 

Wreck 'em Tech, BEAT TEXAS!!!!! 

My little sister is going to her first big weekend in Austin. Let's all pray she doesn't get arrested and survives, BUT has lots o' FUN!!! Nothing beats an Austin weekend in college. Some of my favorite memories have come out of those. Whew, good times. 

p.s. Don't forget to "fall back" this weekend. Yay for more sleep. Thank you friends who reminded me of this or I totally wouldn't have known. 

All things good....

No way

So, a while ago, Robert and I spotted this gold 1960ish chair at one of the nearby consignment furniture shops by our home. We thought it was kind of cool and different and we went to see how much it was. It ended up being around $400. Robert recalls that the salesperson told us that it was Flemish. We were looking for something that was like $40, actually $4 would have been better...Flemish or not. On the walk back home, Robert started telling me this really bizarre interior design idea he had. It disturbed and scared me on many levels. He told me that he thought it would be neat to have a gold chair like that one and then maybe like some kind of mannequin that sat in the chair. I really had to stop him there. I'm all for creativity and I don't want to live in an atmosphere that is a carbon copy of a Pottery Barn catalog, but I was really confused when I heard him say MANNEQUIN.

There will not be a mannequin in my house any time soon. I mean, never say never. But, seriously?? No.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I came across this in the Restoration Hardware sale section today.

al;sdkfjsdklafsdh???!! 

There are others out there that want to decorate with mannequins?? WHO? WHY? WHERE?

I immediately forwarded the link to Robert with the subject: OH MY GOSH. 

We just spoke on the phone and he said he felt pretty vindicated. Great. Am I going to have to start taking his design ideas seriously now? (jk, Honey, I do. #kindof) He also said he didn't picture his mannequin to look exactly like that. His would be maybe silver, but he did like how that one seemed very moveable. 

Why am I talking to my husband about mannequins??? File that under "The conversations you think you'll never have".  

This sort of reminds me about how my dad told me once that his idea of a perfect room was "an all white room with a leather yellow couch in it". What??? That sounds like a scene from Miami Vice, but to each his own, Dad. 

Men. Men and interior design is a scary thing.