This past weekend we had some friends come to town!

I met Mandy (of House of Rose) at Blissdom this past year..

and we quickly became really good friends. We are similar in so many ways.. and I feel beyond blessed to have discovered our friendship through the blogging land!

I was so excited about their last minute decision to make the 10 hour drive to come see us...

More details on the weekend soon!

I wanted to share something that I

had so much fun doing for our company!

I have seen the idea of 'Hotel Gift Bags for your wedding guests' all over pinterest.

I don't plan on getting married again anytime soon....so I jumped at the chance to leave our weekend company a little surprise goodie bag for when they checked into their hotel!

We have a tiny house. and although we offered them the basement...I think they appreciated having their space at a hotel. It was good for the kids to have a break from each other too I think. Lots of fun giggling shenanigans were going on all weekend. ;)

It was so fun being super sneaky and leaving it at the front desk for them!

Sienna tagged a long on our "mission."

I made up a little tag the night before to look like a hotel privacy sign.

Just welcoming them and I even put one of their blog's logos on the car.

(Dollars and Roses) I can't help but brand things.

Then I loaded up a gift bag (from target) with everything a family

in a hotel room with 3 boy toddlers could possibly need! snacks. juice boxes.

fruit. super hero stickers. car stickers. and sticky lizzards.

Pretty sure the hotel management was THRILLED with the

sticky lizzard stuck to the ceiling.....

My husband also threw a beer in the bag as I ran

out the door to the hotel.. For Jeff. I heard it was appreciated ;) 

It was fun seeing the photo of the bag pop up on our instagram

feed while we waited for them to come from the hotel to our house!

I thought it was a good way to start off the weekend. ;)

Even if you don't have photoshop to create a tag.. a hand written

tag on a bag full of goodies would mean so much to your visitors!

You could even leave it in the guest room of your house...

or for when they are about to leave.. to take for the drive home!

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I was so excited...when Jacquie, a blog reader, left a comment on my blog's facebook page about being from pittsburgh...I checked out her blog, The Sweeter Side of Motherhood,

 and saw how completely ADORABLE it was!

She is not only a busy mama to two sweet girls.. she is a baker.. an artist..

AND a photographer.

I was so excited to connect with her and have her take some family photos for us.

Her price was incredible..it made family photos actually possible for us!

She was so good at keeping it fun for our girls while capturing great shots.

If you are in the pittsburgh area.. stop over and say Hi and schedule a shoot!

She just invited us over for a princess play date... can't say no to that!

Even prince Micah was invited. ;)

So nice meeting other creative joyful mamas.

Happy to have connected... and excited to share our photos. :)

sorry...I couldn't edit this down any more than this.

**Already printed and put some of these in frames I love them so much!**

LOCATION- Backyard.

My dress- target(current). sophie's-old navy(current)

sienna's dress- target(handmedown)

micah- polo from target, shorts(handmedown)

Our neighbor was so sweet to let us use part of their yard...

he even went out and mowed it and scrubbed down the benches!!

I love my man.

He is my rock. and 'he's got da muscles.'

 

 

Thanks for following a long as our family has grown.

Feels like just yesterday we had sophie!

and then sienna! and then micah!

We are so blessed... exhausted-ly blessed. ;)

We are going to try and do family photos more often....

most of our family photos are taken with a phone camera!

So glad we have these memories captured. Love these sweet people.

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7 months postpartum...

Some days I feel like one hot mama...

and others I let my insecurities get the best of me.

My post baby weight loss is at a standstill.

Everything I've lost so far has come off from nursing, chasing kids and

going to the gym "ever so often." I eat healthy but haven't gone crazy over it.

I am realizing that getting my body back after my 3rd baby is going to take

more effort than with my first two! With them, I nursed it ALL off.

But Micah doesn't nurse as much (shocking I know.)

I'm really trying to love myself more... and that means to take time to get healthy...

but even more, to not focus on the "problem" areas every time I see a photo of myself.

Harder said than done! 

I am so not brave enough to post a photo of me with no makeup...

but this is with a swipe of foundation. As natural as I can go...

and this is a big step for me!!!! haha. (I feel lame being that girly but its' true.)

 These sweet little ones are the reasons for

my under eye circles...

the stretch marks..

the dirty hair on top of my head.

Totally worth it.

This post is for all the mamas who are feeling like me!

You are beautiful and courageous and sacrificial.

Try to love yourself today...and realize that God looks at you

and is so in love. Like insanely in love with you.

And He sees the things you have given up or had to bear...

and He takes note of each and every hardship or cross you have carried.

From the big sufferings in life that can leave us feeling worn...

to the "small" crosses of longggggg nights up with WIDE AWAKE babies. ;)

I hope that my inner beauty will shine through...

past my blemishes and squeezy arms. ;)

I hope that I can learn to see the beauty in myself that God sees in me.

I hope that insecurities never hold me back.

and that my girls learn to love themselves.....

by seeing their mama love herself.

"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."

Song of Solomon 4:7

"You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated

my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace."

Song of Solomon 4:9

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