How we've changed

3 Years

3 Years and Pregnant

2 Year Anniversary

1 Year Pictures

Wedding

Engagement Pictures

I was standing in the kitchen today making homemade blueberry muffins and had just made a homemade pizza for dinner when it struck me how blessed I am. Our child isn't even here yet and I am basically staying home now and loving it. I know not many women get to do that even with several kids. I just prayed and thanked God for everything He does for us. I cannot wait to be a mommy to Abigail and continue to be a wife to Kyle. He's so amazing :)

We got our pictures from Jenna of our 3 year anniversary and baby pics. I LOVE them. I am so glad we have taken pictures of us as a couple since we've dated. I have put up our pictures from the last 3 or so years of our lives. Some people think it's crazy to have so many pictures taken but we can look back at each stage and remember good and bad times. We can remember the most how far God has brought us and changed us into His image more. I also think about the deeper love I grow for Kyle in each set of pictures. He is such a wonderful man and husband...he's really good-looking too! I just thank God for everything He has done and everything He is going to do. I can't wait to introduce Abigail to our world and soon we will have pictures of 3 of us!

3 years

This weekend Kyle and I are celebrating our 3 year wedding anniversary! It is so crazy how time flies. Our actual anniversary is on Tuesday the 20th. I didn't fathom how wonderful and how much God has blessed me over my life so far. I always dreamt of marrying someone who would love me and God and who'd be my perfect match...well He has done that and much more. Kyle is the most wonderful husband in the world. He will soon be the most wonderful father in the world to Abigail (and future). So thank you for being so wonderful Kyle.

I went to the doctor today and now I'm going to appointments every 2 weeks! Exciting! I have to have another ultra sound though cause the fluid around the baby is a little low and so they need to check it again. I am pretty pumped though to get another one! Hopefully everything is ok though...I am sure it is. I am also right on target with my weight gain and I'm very pleased with my progress :)

MY GARDEN! So my garden is doing great! I picked green beans this morning with my mom and we got 2 good size bowls of them. I blanched them and they are drying out now so I can put them in freezer bags and freeze them. I also picked a bunch of my snap peas. They are yummy. I am going to cook some for part of my snack today. My mom and I were talking about what we're going to do next year and I'm excited because we're going to make our own tomato sauce and salsa...so I'm already planning that. The rest of my garden won't be ready till September...but I am curious how many more green beans will pop up in the next week or two!

Busy Times

July 7th, 2010

So a lot has happened since I last posted and much more to happen soon! Kyle and I went to visit our good friends Richard and Ashley along with Elliott in Chicago...what a cutie. It was a great time to visit and catch up on life. It's always to encouraging to just spend time with these friends especially because they are such great followers of Christ and build us up in so many ways. It was also great to ask Ashley questions about what it's like to be a new mommy and things she's gone through recently to help me know what to expect. The only thing that stunk was not enough time and hip/foot/leg pain for me! Being pregnant really does change your body and I'm annoyed. It's like I can't go a day now without being uncomfortable or having hip pain. I will not miss that when little Abigail leaves my body.

The other thing that is new is I am no longer working with Fitness USA...I am fully self-employed with Fit For Life! It actually wasn't by choice but they wanted me to sign a form that would greatly hurt my ability to perform as a trainer outside the gym. I told them I would not sign it so therefore I am not there anymore. It wasn't a surprise to me and I was ready for it. God times things perfectly.

I went and registered for baby stuff at Target and Babies R Us with my mom also. That was fun and a little overwhelming with some stuff. I am now just over 26 weeks pregnant and getting bigger! I am starting to notice more things that are making me uncomfortable. But thankfully I still enjoy the elliptical and can get a good cardio workout on it!

So more adventures ahead with the Jacob's family moving here...Jack was born on July 1st! 10 lbs 10 oz...what babies Lindsay makes! We are so excited to have them come and live here...it's like a dream. Plus Kyle and I will be celebrating our 3rd anniversary next weekend! Then my one of my dear friends Amy Clark is getting married on July 31st and I'm her personal attendant. So there are lots of things going on and this is just for July. August is a whole new story but we'll stick with July for now!

24 Weeks

June 22, 2010

Here's an update on my garden....wowee! It's growing big! I weeded yesterday and came out this evening and there were tons of new weeds! ahh! But it is fun.

I bought this table at a garage sale 2 houses down from ours and I paid $4.00 for it. I saw potential the minute I walked up! The last furniture item on my list to buy was a nightstand for Abigail's room that I can put next to the glider and have a lamp on it and put books underneath to read to her. I also wanted it mainly to be able to set things on it like a bottle or a drink for me since I know I'll be doing feedings and up during the night with her (I am excited about that though :)). So I knew that if Kyle were with me he'd say, "that's ugly, we shouldn't get it." But I had faith....lol.

Ta da! Here it is sanded and painted the same day by me! I think it turned out pretty good.

Here I am at 24 weeks pregnant! Abigail is over 1.5 pounds! I only have one more 4 week appointment and then I go every 2 weeks then once a week! Time is flying but I am getting more excited for that special day. I have dreams about her coming almost every night. I am just so excited to be a stay at home mom and take care of her and my hubby :)

I will trust in Him who richly provides...not in my riches

June 15, 2010

So Kyle and I have been listening to a series from Andy Stanley about learning how to ACT rich. Most of us Americans are rich compared to the other 96% of the world. We have houses with air-conditioning, houses for our cars, go on vacations, and do home projects with "spare" cash. Basically, we usually have more than we need in materials. But too many of us put our trust in our money rather than God. When we're doing well financially we are relaxed and spend more money on "fun things" we want. When we're tight on money we get stressed and freak out about anything. It's been really good to listen to it because I am a frugal person and tend to be this way by putting my trust too much in money. He also talked about how little we actually give of our finances. Studies show that the more money people have the less they give. How interesting is that?! It's easy to give 1 dollar out of 10 dollars but it's a lot harder to give 1,000 dollars out of 10,000...there's so much you could do with 1,000 dollars! God wants us to be generous and take money off the top and give to Him first. We tend to get selfish and want to keep all our spare money to spend on going out to eat or buying new clothes or whatever the case may be.

Well, we've been trying to practice trusting in God each day and not relying on our riches by committing it to prayer together and separately. Well yesterday we got our car back and it overheated when Kyle went to Best Buy. We have to spend over 500 dollars to get a new water pump and there are other things that need to be fixed on it too. Surprisingly we haven't been worried or freaking out. Thankfully we have an emergency fund and can pay the bill with no problem but normally I would be freaking out because that's a lot of money to spend that wasn't expected. I am so thankful that God is in control of our finances and all we have to do is trust in Him and obey His word with tithing and being faithful and He'll take care of us.

23 Weeks!

I'm 23 weeks pregnant and loving it right now! Abigail is moving a lot now and getting bigger. I am feeling less worried about labor and more anxious to meet her. Kyle can feel her move too and you can see my belly move. We also have gotten more things for her room at great prices so it's very exciting! I can't believe I have about 3-3 1/2 months to go! I am just praying that I'll be able to start being home all the time the last month of my pregnancy to get the baby room done and such. How fun!

22 Weeks

June 9, 2010

I am at 22 weeks with this little Abigail. She is now just over one pound! It's amazing how fast time is flying. I read that in the next month she is going to grow faster and double in size...oh boy! I love it that there is a little being inside of me that Kyle and I made but I have decided that I don't necessarily "love" being pregnant overall. I feel constricted because I can't do a lot of activities I want to now (exercise), I get tired, and I have been getting leg cramps, foot pain, and charlie horses. I do so many things to prevent this stuff but it seems that you can't avoid everything. But on the other hand I am very motivated to get my body back in shape after the baby and nothing is going to deter that no matter what anyone says! Kyle has given me a challenge with a reward at the end of it for a physical goal within 6 months after Abigail is born...so it's on! Ha, ha.

Here's a preview of Abigail's theme for her room!

But my garden is also growing rapidly too. I got several garden books last week and have read through one of them. It's exciting because I feel like this is my very own project that I am in charge of outside. Kyle takes care of all the landscaping and such at our house so sometimes I want something to do that doesn't involve hard labor....like my wonderful garden! I am learning so many things about how to tend to my garden and prevent disease/pesticides and keep it healthy. Being a wife and soon-to-be mother is so much fun and I can't wait till I'm home all the time with all my projects I want to do!

Planting seeds

May 29, 2010

So my little seedling is almost 21 weeks along! Now she is the size of a large banana! And we know it's a she because of our ultrasound about a week ago. Abigail Louise Johnson is her name!! Kyle felt her move around inside me for the first time this morning...it was exciting also!

But along with my growing belly, soon I will have a growing garden. Mama helped me do all of it and I am so grateful cause I didn't know what I was doing. But I just started with one box and we planted corn, spinach, green beans, peas, onions, lettuce, and potatoes. I feel like we got a lot planted in one box. Now I can do a test run this year and see how everything turns out. I want to do more boxes next year and plant more things but I wanted to get acquainted with how it all works first. My task for next year will be making my own baby food for little Abigail. I want her nutrition to be great and cost little like ours. Besides, I think it'll be fun to cook things and jar it. I want to do tomatoes and make my own tomato sauce and salsa. Oh so much fun! Well, these next couple of months will be busy but I'll try to take pictures and post blogs about it. God is so good and life can be fun!

Have my markers of where things are!