Hey Friends,

Just a quick little update for all of you! With my due date fast approaching and less and less time to get everything done… I will be taking a little break from the blog for a few weeks. Most likely, I will be back sometime in late February or early March – it just depends on how long it takes to get settled into my new role as a mama.

Just some fun updates for all of you…

{Baby Shower} My in-laws held a lovely shower for me at our church the other week (I was surprised!). We were blessed with so many wonderful gifts and baby supplies. It was such a special day and I know our baby is very loved already! His nursery, diaper stash, and wardrobe are all ready for him now (thanks to our parents, relatives, and church family!)

{Heart Update} From the recent echo cardiograms I’ve had, Daniel’s heart is still very stable. We will know more once he’s born and they can do a direct echo cardiogram on him (instead of through me!). Please be praying with us for a safe delivery and a healthy, thriving heart! ♥

{The Nursery} The nursery is just about DONE! I am so excited to have the nursery done ahead of time. There’s just a couple tiny things that still need finished but if Daniel were to come home tomorrow, his nursery is ready for him! I didn’t really stick with a theme after all… instead everything it’s just blue and grey, but everything coordinates nicely and I love how his room turned out. I love going in his room often to look around, sit, read and pray.

{Reading} I’ve been trying to fit in some extra reading while I still have the time! Here are some books I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this month…

• Mama Natural’s Week by Week Guide to Pregnancy – I finally finished it! Even though it’s a week by week guide, I went ahead and finished the book early (just in case Daniel decides to come early!) It was a long book but well worth the read. I will definitely be referencing this book again for any future pregnancies. 😉

• Mother Culture – this book was recommended by Jami Balmet from The Homemaking Foundations Podcast and it sounded so good. My parent’s gave me the book for Christmas and I have been enjoying it ever since! The subtitle makes it sound like a homeschooling book… and it DOES contain a lot about homeschooling, but there is so much in this book that applies to life and motherhood in general.

• Own Your Life – Sally Clarkson is one of my favorite authors and I’ve heard lots of good things about this particular book. I am just a couple chapters into it, but so far it’s pretty good! I don’t agree with everything theologically, but she has some pretty helpful advice about living fully right where we are and making the best of the life God’s given us.

>>> Speaking of books, did you see my 2019 Book Round Up?

{My One Word for 2020} Last but not least… I want to share about my one word for 2020! The word I chose for this year is THRIVE. I chose this word because it means to “grow well”.

Looking ahead, it’s going to be a busy year filled with lots of adjustments. I don’t just want to “survive” my first year as a mom or “survive” the rest of deputation, moving, and everything else on our agenda… I want to grow and THRIVE through all of it.

The verse(s) that I’ve chosen to go along with my word have already been a huge encouragement and I’ve been learning so much from them already…

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Takeaways from these verses…

• In order to truly THRIVE my hope and trust must be in the Lord!
• Trees that are planted by the water do not “cease from yielding fruit” even when hard times come.
• Where am I planting my roots? I need to be planting my roots in the rich soil of God’s Word.

Did you choose a word for 2020? I would love to hear about it in the comments!

Final Thoughts

Well, that’s all for now… I will be back again once we are settled into a new routine with baby. We can’t wait to welcome our little man and bring him home as soon as possible! As always, your thoughts and prayers are so appreciated! ♥

In the meantime, feel free to take a look at some of my Top Ten Posts or peruse the archives for old posts you may not have read yet!

Until Next Time!