Friday Favorites {No. 17} Married Christmas!

Pic by Me!

Goodness!!!  Sorry I'm getting this up so late!!!  At least it's still friday, right?  :-)  Today's Friday Favorites are a combination of pictures I took and pictures my Dad and sisters took.  Hope you enjoy!

Friday Favorites {No. 16} Twas the week before Christmas...

I love our sweet little tree in our dear tiny apartment.  The LED lights look blue in all the pics I took, but they are, in fact, very white.  :-)

Recipe Time: Breakfast Pockets!

This recipe is SO fun and easy to put together.  Andrew loves when I make this meal and I really enjoy it too!

Friday Favorites {No. 15} Rain and Christmas Trees!

  

What a good week!  Had some ups and downs, but still such a blessed week!!

:-)

Sunday morning it rained... and the trees looked SO cool through our car's windshield.

Recipe Time: Crumby Chicken!

 Need a yummy and easy chicken recipe???  I've got one for you that my family has done for years!  It is SO easy and fun to make!

And it's called Crumby Chicken... how great is that?! 

And, believe me, the name describes what it looks like, not how it tastes!

Friday Favorites {No. 14} Beginning to look like Christmas!

Not really outside... no snow that has stuck yet.  But that's okay... there's plenty of Christmas inside to make up for it! 

Six Months

"I've watched the sun rise in your eyes
And I've seen the tears fall like the rain

Friday Favorites {No. 13} South Dakota!

LOTS of pictures today from my AMAZING trip to South Dakota!  Andrew and I drove out with my friend, Hannah, to stay with friends, Jake and Mikayla (and their new baby, Lydia!), for the week of Thanksgiving.  What a fun time!

beautiful spontaneity

Last week one of my dear friends spent an evening with my family.  It is so wonderful to just enjoy life with people you love...

Friday Favorites {No. 12} Living the Dream

This week's pictures hold memories that will be with me until the day I die.  On Wednesday I travelled with my Mom, two of my sisters (Jessica and Natalie), and a group of dear friends to see "Les Miserables" live at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.

Yes, I believe in dreams coming true.

Baby, it's cold outside

The first snow has come and is almost gone.

My husband and I were staying with my younger siblings while my parents were on a weekend trip.  My youngest sister was snuggled up in bed with me when eight-year-old Samantha came into the bedroom to wake us up.

"There's snow outside, Rachel!"

Bekah's eyes flew open and I knew it was time to get up.

What a sweet yesterday... Natalie's Birthday!

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening with my amazing family (including my grandparents), celebrating my lovely sister's birthday.

Friday Favorites {No. 11} Oh, Autumn!

Pictures from a walk, pictures of people I love, pictures from life...

Five Months

For me, the most amazing thing about being married is

Andrew.

I know, sounds silly... like, "well duh, Rachel!"

Friday Favorites {No. 10} Senior Year Photo Shoot

These pictures weren't taken this week, but I know that sharing them is long overdue!

My sister, Jessica, is wrapping up highschool this year and I asked her if she wanted to do one huge photo-shoot with a couple different outfits OR multiple shoots during different seasons throughout her senior year.  She opted for the latter (my preference, YAY!).  So, here are my favorites from our first photo-shoot of Jessica's senior year!

DIY Sweatshirts-Restyled... Four of them!

I LOVE sweatshirts.  When the weather turns cold I am ALL about staying warm!

I also LOVE cuteness.  When the temperature drops I am ALL about staying warm AND cute.

So... I would like to share FOUR ideas for restyling a sweatshirt so you can be cute and warm at the same time these autumn and winter months!!!  These are all VERY easy.  I'm only capable of the basics when it comes to sewing; if I can do this, so can you!

O Lord...

... You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Friday Favorites {No. 9} Oh, the Outdoors!

  

What a fun lot of pictures from this past week!

Old hotel balcony...

Love this place!

Friday Favorites {No. 8} Festivals, Babysitting, and Sisters!

  

What a fun week!  Busy at times... crazy at times... but really good!

Samantha, Natalie, Jessica, and Josh with two of our friends who took part in a reenactment last weekend.  The whole festival was great; very crowded and so many things to see!

Dear...

... Pumpkin Spice Latte, how you charmed my palette yesterday evening after thrift and craft shopping.  You warmed me from my lips to the very ends of my toes, reminding me why autumn is my favorite season.

Friday Favorites {No. 7}

This week's pictures are fewer than usual,

simply because my week has been crazy and

 my camera hasn't gotten as much use recently.

Still, I hope ya'll enjoy these pics from my week!

stop. read. ponder.

 

Something for us all to consider today.



Fun and Easy Chicken Burrito Recipe!

Friday Favorites {No. 6} Crazy Assortment!

This week's group of pictures covers a range that made it quite impossible for me to come up with a title to tie it all together!

Hopefully the diversity will be enjoyable!

life lessons

I'm learning so much about life...

that it is not always perfect hair and makeup, a dreamy look in the eyes, the perfect kiss, mouth-watering food, hot coffee, and pleasant and profound words...

that sometimes it is frizzy bedhead and worry lines, weary eyes, missed moments, not knowing what to make for dinner, the coffee getting cold again, and nothing much to say...

Friday Favorites {No. 5} Of Weddings and Family

  

Last weekend my dear friend, Caitlin, was joined in marriage to her true love, Zach.

I wasn't able to sit terribly close to them, but I did want to share some of the pictures I took at their lovely wedding.

For more than three months now...

"Oh, to be married to the

one you do love and love most

tenderly and devotedly.

Friday Favorites {No. 4} Of Family and Fishing

One of the pups from the most recent litter at my parents' house!  Besides being a homeschooling, stay-at-home wife and mother, my Mom also breeds Golden Retrievers!

From my Journal... prayer of the backslider

"Backsliding":

this is the title of the prayer my little black book flips open too.

This book has been an amazing source for me these past six months or so.  Now it hits me hard with the first word I read.

Something MUCH more important than Friday Favorites...

My little sis

has officially freaked me out by turning

seventeen today!

My mind is whirling, thinking,

"Hey, wait a sec???  Didn't I just turn seventeen?".

Apparently, without my awareness or permission,

the years have continued to fly by and now my

sweet, adorable, loving, crazy, awesome

sister, Jessie, is having a birthday.

Friday Favorites {No. 3}

At home, at the beach, at the antique store...

so many amazing places to take pictures!

My sweet, handsome hubby!

Friday Favorites (No. 2) Warning: Picture Overload!

This week I went on a picnic with my family at a lovely park!

I was able to get Fall Pictures for the school year of all six of them, which was SUCH a blast!

Friday Favorites {No. 1}

Here we go...

Daniel Joseph... is Five!

this and that!

I must admit, I enjoy being a wife.

There are some days I realize that I have no idea what I'm doing...

okay, that's most days, if not all days.

BUT!

I really am enjoying this new stage of life.

In fact, Andrew and I have both said that it feels like we've always been married... we haven't really had to adjust to it, except for in a couple ways, but nothing straining and serious!

I'm so thankful.

sojourn

Hard days.

They do come.

Even when you're living happily ever after.

Beauty and the Bubbles

My sweet sister, Jessie, was able to spend a couple days with Andrew and me this week!

What a loverly time we had! 

Lots of chips and salsa.

Other unhealthy meals.

Ice cream.

Gallons of coffee.

Staying up late watching movies.

Sleeping in.

Hairdos!

Manicures.

Shopping.

Doing lots of dishes.

Duets with keyboard and violin!!!!

AND!

This quick photo-shoot:

a thousand words

Isn't it lovely when you can rely on pictures to do most of the talking for you?!

So, here is my life as of late... portrayed with few words...

because sometimes they aren't needed.

Because there's more to a wedding...

... than cool hairstyles and saying "I do".

After doing my post of wedding photos, I realized how perfect everything looked...

You couldn't tell that we were sweaty and tired.

You couldn't tell that certain things came together last-second.

You couldn't tell that I had lost my voice.

:-P

There are so many things that made that day uniquely ours.

And I wanted to share some of those other, special pictures...

some very beautiful and sweet,

others just simple awesome because they paint

thousands of words and memories...

and have become some of my favorites.

the random and beautiful

My life has been a toddler chasing bubbles... it's true! Have you ever noticed how a small child never stops chasing those bubbles, even though they continue to disappear as if they never existed?

They find such ecstasy in touching those floating orbs of color and light before they vanish.

I'm learning to find beauty in similar orbs of color and light. Little things in the everyday.

The random and amazing bits of joy that disappear so fast, but thrill you in every fiber of your being when you touch them even for a moment.

"For this reason..."

"...a man shall leave his father and his mother,

and be joined to his wife;

and they shall become one flesh."

~ Gen. 2:24

The One Month Mark

One month ago...

I got myself hitched.

How crazy and amazing is that?!

I apologize profusely for my lack of posts.

Our dear, sweet little apartment still lacks an internet connection,

so I am only able to check email or have

ANY

contact with with outside world when I walk down to the

main office where there is free WiFi and,

as I mentioned to my sweet friend, Abby,

oldies music playing in the background.

Every Little Moment

With a list of things to do

today...

and three days till the

wedding,

what better thing is there than to sit at my

laptop and write

one last post as a

single gal.

Special note slipped under my door by my special brother,
Josh.  Thank you so much, buddy!  I love you too!

If We Were a Band:

We would always take

pictures for our

albums in front of

old barns...

or places of a similar

rustic

nature.

In My Life...

I've been spending as much time as

possible with my

beautiful new camera...

an unexpected birthday present.

So, ladies and gentlemen,

I'd like to introduce you to my

beloved

Dominic

("Dom" for short).

Because pictures are just fun!

As a gift to me for my

birthday this month,

my sister,

Natalie,

did a photo-shoot with me!

I thought I would

share my

favorites.

:-)

She did such a good job

and it was a

blast editing and

putting in some special effects!

April Getaway Part Two: Beauty of Simplicity

My family has always enjoyed

simple getaways.

If given the choice between a

crowded theme park or a

cabin in the woods,

we would all

definitely

choose the

latter.

:-)

April Getaway Part 1: The Journey and Arrival!

It truly was the

"calm before the storm".

This overnight getaway last week was

such a blessing and

SO much fun!

Now that wedding preperations are in

full swing, I thought I'd

post some pics from the

trip!

Time Travel 2... the *real* girl

First of all,

thanks so much for the sweet

comments on my last post.

Posting these following pics is even more

fun for me!

I hope you enjoy these too!

Time Travel...

Putting together

pictures for a slideshow at the

wedding has meant

diving into

piles and piles of

old photos.

Its felt overwhelming at

times,

but has been more

fun than

anything.

So, I thought I would

share some of the

pictures...

from worry to praise...

I sit here.

Downstairs family computer.

Coffee warm.

Background noise: Dog's paws on hardwood floors, Mom and Littles singing Scripture, Joshua's pencil tapping, Rush of traffic on the highway, soft hum of the computer, some kind of learning movie playing in the distant family-room.

A million thoughts, like usual.

Photo-Shoot: My Loverly Mom!

This is the dearest

lady in my

life.

She carried me

safe inside for

nine months when she was in her

early twenties.

She brought me into the

world.

My life in pictures...

Since I haven't had

(or made)

much time for blogging

recently,

AND because I don't have much

time this morning to

write...

I've decided to let pictures

and a short comments underneath,

bring you all up-to-date!

I truly have missed blogging...

hopefully I'll be posting again soon...

but,

who knows?!

Hope you enjoy this time of

catching up!

Family Vacation Part 3, Photo-Shoot and Departure

Oldest to youngest,

down the stairs.

I love these people I'm with

so much!

Family Vacation Part Two, Hike and Water Park!

On Day Two of our vacation

we went on a family

hike!

Family Vacation Part 1, Cabin in the Woods

Last week my family

escaped to our favorite

getaway spot.

It was a short three-day, two-night

trip,

 but it was so wonderful!

One-hundred-and-fifty-two hearts...

I have discovered something monumental:

Sometimes life and

blogging

don't mix very well.

;-)

Even with so much happening,

I sometimes am at a

complete loss when I sit down and

try to think of something

post-worthy.

at age seven.

When I was seven

like her

we didn't have a digital camera.

My memory

is so full,

bursting with

pictures of the mind.

trust. five minutes.

This week's Five Minute Friday...  Trust.