Mani Monday: Glitter ALL the nails!!

 

So this week I had a little trouble picking out my color, so I put it to an Instagram vote!

 

 

 After much deliberation, and actually asking my Husband for his opinion as well, I finally decided to do the blue next week. This week, these colors won:

 

 

Here's how it turned out!

It turned out darker than I thought it would, but I just love glitter so I figured the silver would lighten it up a bit! All I could think about while I was painting was this cartoon:

Except saying "GLITTER ALL THE NAILS!!!" Hi.lar.i.ous.

 

 

Linking up with Vicki, Tara, and Heather! Thanks girls for hosting these great link-ups!



See you later lovebugs!

Rachael

My Husband Rocks Vol. 8

No husband is perfect and it doesn’t really matter. What matters is how I set myself up to think about him. If I focus on his failures, his annoyances, or ways in which I’ve felt hurt by him, then I will interact with him as a hurt and frustrated and disappointed wife. That makes for miserable living for me and my husband and those around us. But if I focus on his strengths, his potential, and the ways in which I feel blessed by him, then I will interact with him as a forgiving, blessed, and contented wife. And there’s no greater need a man has than to feel respected by his wife. If he feels like all he does is hurt, disappoint, and frustrate, then the same atmosphere and the same actions will be perpetuated. But if he feels that his wife can be happy and responsive regardless of his shortcomings, he feels respected and empowered. Then a positive atmosphere is perpetuated and actions, once destructive, can improve in an environment that is rich for cultivation and growth into deepened respect and intimacy."

(from the From*me Tees Mission Reflection)

 

 

 

This week I am joined by the lovely Lacey from Little Miss Nerd Girl! Check out her post here:

This week we are talking about Anniversaries. My favorite anniversary is actually from 2011, right before Natalie was born.

 We bought tickets for a few of the games where the Cubs were playing the Nationals. Even though I had gone into "pre-term labor" that previous weekend, we got it stopped and they sent me home and told me to take it easy. Well, that didn't happen because we weren't going to lose out on all the money we spent to go to the games!

 

 

We had a blast! We sat behind the pitchers box for a game (maybe two I can't remember actually) and then sat along the third base line for the last game. It was really a lot of fun, and it was our last chance to spend some really good time together just the two of us! (even though Natalie was tagging along inside my belly)


I actually hope to take a little bit of time just the two of us and go away for a weekend before Cameron gets here. I think we need it as a couple. Just a few relaxing days at a hotel room without the worry of bathtime, bedtime, meals, etc. etc. etc. before we jump back into what I like to call...


ZOMBIE MODE.

Here's hoping we get that time for us! We're going to need it!

 

 

We want to hear all about the loves of your lives!

<center> <a href="http://thegrowingtreeblog.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Husband%20Rocks"><img alt="The Growing Tree" src="http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh534/thegrowingtree/MHR200x200button.jpg" height="200"/></a></center>

*Next Sunday*

Ashley from Him & Her will be hosting with me! Topic of conversation will be:

The First "I Love You" - tell us the story! Or you can even talk about what those words mean to you.

* If you would like to participate *

Follow the prompt, or just wing it and blog about whatever you want, as long as it is about the love of your life! Don't feel like you can't contribute if you are not married, this is for anyone who wants to celebrate their significant other!  Then come back here and link up in the collection at the bottom of this post. Please grab the button and use it in your post, or post it somewhere on your blog!

The only thing I ask is to follow my blog and my co-host Lacey's blog via GFC, Bloglovin, Facebook or Twitter (icons at the top of my page - be sure to comment below and let me know how you follow and I will follow you back!) Then, take a look around at the other blogs linked up and leave them some love too!

* If you want to add the blog hop to your post *

If you want to participate in the hop and add the link-up to your post, click here and highlight the first code!

* If you would like me to add you to the advance email OR if you would like to co-host in the future*

If you would like to receive the code for the post before it goes live, or would like to co-host your very own My Husband Rocks Sunday Link-up, send me a message with the subject My Husband Rocks to:

 

See you later lovebugs!



Rachael

Little Miss Natalie

 

 

Little girl you are growing up so fast! Let me show you what we've been up to lately!

 

 

 

You have been OBSESSED with your blocks! You always drag over the bag and hold it up, as if almost to say, "Momma, play?"

 

 

You love to watch tv snuggled up with Momma or Daddy. Just the other day you almost fell asleep on Daddy before your nap! It was soooo cute!

 

 

You are getting really good at climbing up and getting down off of the couch. I'm not as worried about you, but you still don't have good footing and we have to catch you from falling off a lot still! No unsupervised couch jumping for you missy!

 

You still sleep in the most silly positions! This was about a week ago, and it was too cute not to document!

 

 

You love to wear your coat! Sometimes you will bring it to me, wanting to wear it even if we're not going anywhere!

 

 We officially got your hair into your first FULL pair of pigtails! You look ADORABLE.

 

Momma spent some quality outside time with you last weekend, since it was nice and warm outside. You have so much fun!

 

You love to watch Momma and Nana cook. You always have to be up where you can see too, so it makes it hard, but still lots of fun!

 

 You LOVE ice cream and frozen yogurt! Anytime Momma has any you always ask for some! Here you are enjoying your first big girl cup of SweetFrog frozen yogurt.

 

 

You love being pampered. Getting your hair dry, putting on lotion, you love it all!

 

 

You have been getting so tired lately! Sometimes we don't even get you into bed before you're falling asleep on Momma's shoulder! I don't mind though.

 

 

You also love to be rocked. Momma is actually quite enjoying this, because I know I will not have as much time to rock you once Baby Brother is here! I may look tired, but I am loving this time with you!

 

 

 

You are starting to sing and recognize songs. I've noticed it lately especially with "ABC"! It's so cute!

 

You have been jabbering up a storm! Lately it's been all about "kittykittykittykitty" - you say it really fast so it ends up sounding like Chinese, but it's seriously cute! I'm going to try and get a video of you saying it!

 

We celebrated Easter this past weekend, and you looked so cute! You had your first Easter Egg Hunt and you had a blast!

 

Singing with your cousin Nathan

 



 

You are still such a ham about taking photos! Lately you have been sticking your neck out to get closer to the camera just to be silly!

 

 

 ~Your first self portrait~

 



 

 We took you to the Chic-fil-a playplace for the first time this week, and you had a blast! There were two little boys there playing too, and the first thing you did was run up and give one of them a hug! You are definitely NOT shy, and you followed them around quite a bit! Chasing after the boys already! Your smile is just so contagious! I love you!

 

 

 

 Momma loves you more and more every day baby girl!

 

 

 

Row Merrily my Beauty,

 

Momma



On My Heart


I will be linking up with Amanda @ A Royal Daughter for today's On My Heart post. Amanda's blog and the way she lives her life inspires me, which is what this post is all about. I hope you hop over there and tell her hello!

 

I want to write about something today that I think may be a little bit controversial. I am going to try and put it into words that won't offend or hurt anyone, but just in case here are the subjects:

Same-sex relationships
Abortion/adoption
Religion
The Freedom of Choice

If these are touchy subjects for you, I would suggest skipping my post today!

 

We have been seeing a lot of things in the news lately about laws being passed allowing same-sex couples the right to a marriage certificate. If you're on Facebook, your feed is probably littered with it. I want to share something with you that a friend of mine posted, that I completely agree with.

"Seems to me if everyone were more focused on loving one another rather than proving a point there would be no need for all these = signs. Christians stop talking about what you are against. Gay community stop talking about what you are against. Show some love and let love do the talking. Both sides just sound like clanging symbols at this point."

It seems like a lot of people in this world today have an incessant need to be right, and for everyone that they are associated with (and sometimes even NOT associated with) to feel the same way they do, or they are WRONG and DAMNED to Hell. While I am a spiritual person, I am not overly religious, but I would hope that if I live my life to the best of my ability and be the best person I can be, that if God DOES meet me at the end of my time here on Earth, that I will be forgiven and accepted regardless of the things I have done in my life.

I really take to heart what she says about focusing on loving one another rather than beating down anyone who doesn't believe the way you do. Take abortion/adoption for instance. It has been my standing for a very long time that while abortion is NOT RIGHT for me, I certainly have no right to tell ANYONE else what to do. I would rather there be a safe, legal way to do it, then there to be no legal way and people dying from abortion doctors illegally performing surgeries that have NO idea what they are doing. Is adoption always the right choice? Maybe for you. But instead of pushing your ideals on everyone else, we should realize that everyone has the freedom to CHOOSE what they want to do with their lives, and that they have no control over anyone except themselves. (and most of the time your children...at least until they turn 18)

And the same goes for same-sex marriages. Is it for me? No. Is it for my friends? Maybe. Does that give me the right to judge them, tell them they are wrong, and disown them? NO!

Build up the people around you, because they just might be the people you end up needing the most. THAT is the right thing to do.


Peace and Love, man. Peace and Love.
 

Until later lovebugs,

 

Rachael

Mani Monday

 

 

So now that Easter is over, and the festivities are complete, I totally feel like Summer should be here! I got a pedicure last week (they wouldn't rub my feet at ALL! Something about pre-term labor? BOOOOOOOO I just wanted a foot rub!! lol) and I went with a neon almost Barbie pink for my color! So summery and fun, I decided it had to be on my nails too. I saw this pin a while back, and had originally thought I would do it in this color...

But now that I've seen this, I'm thinking Barbie pink is a perfect color!

 

  

Here's what I used:
 

Here's how it turned out:

 I. LOVE. IT. This is my best job yet I think! I am so excited to wear this all week!

 

Linking up with Vicki, Tara, and Heather! Thanks girls for inspiring me!



See you later lovebugs!

Rachael