Project 31: Day 3

Kylee with her love on her wedding day.

Day 3. Who is someone you know who inspires beauty?

For this day, I have chosen to write about my friend Kylee Ruth, who is truly beautiful inside and out, from top to bottom.

I have always thought Kylee was pretty. She’s fashionable, has a beautiful smile, great hair, and can look great even in sweats with her hair in a bun. (Yep, she’s that friend.) :)

But looking inward...Kylee has one of the most beautiful hearts I’ve ever seen. Her love and passion for her Lord is so apparent in her daily life that it is contagious. She has this amazing ability to delve deep into people’s hearts, showing a level of care and love that not too many people have for others. She encourages people towards the Lord in the most gentle way I’ve seen. She is truly, truly inspiring.

Kylee Ruth Powers Dawson- I love you, and I’m so thankful that I am blessed to call you my friend! (now get your butt back here to Ohio...) ;)

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Project 31: Day 2

Day 2. What makes you uniquely you?

I’m finally moving on to question number two! I’ve been stirring on this one for a couple of days and to be honest, it’s been pretty tough because I don’t see all that much about myself that is unique. Thus, I resorted to asking the husband late last night as we were falling asleep.

“What’s unique about you is that you have one side of you that is super friendly, loving, and caring toward other people. But then another side of you is fiery, bold, and sometimes a little bit stubborn.” It’s true. Somehow, these two different sides of me merge into one being, and make for a unique me.

Besides this phenomenon, I’d have to say that the rest of what makes me unique is the random combination of my personality traits, characteristics, hobbies, values, and life circumstances. Hopefully the rest of this project may reveal more of some of those.

peace and love, my friends :)


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how we found out about .her.

Our ultrasound appointment was scheduled for a Friday, which was perfect for our plan. We took an envelope with us to the appointment that had a card inside. On the front of the car, it said "it's a...." and then on the inside, there was a place to check boy and a place to check girl. We wanted to technician to keep it a secret from us and just write on the envelope whether our little person was a he or she.



So we went out to our favorite restaurant, J. Alexanders.



Can you believe we held on to that dang envelope until we were almost through with our appetizers?

He was teasing in this picture, about to open the card. He actually came around and sat in the bench by me and we opened it together. Here's what we saw.....

One of the first things Chris said after we opened the card was that there will be no drama in our house, and that needs to start now. HAHA. Does he even know me? *just kidding.....

Yah! So excited about our baby girl!!

Project 31: Day 1

Day 1. What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty is an inward serenity rooted in confidence in Christ. There are so many characteristics that stem from this, but when I take a look at the beauty around myself--be it people or nature--I see it all pointing back to this. Jesus is what makes things and people beautiful. Nothing more, nothing less.

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Project 31

I’m joining in on Mandy’s project over at She Breathes Deeply (if you haven’t checked out her blog, you totally should). I may not be able to do a consecutive 31 days, and I may randomly interject other blogs, but I think this will be a good challenge for me. If you’re interested in joining, head on over to her blog and sign up!

From Mandy.....

What is "Project 31"? It is a collection of thoughts, ideas, and
women who potray beauty in a inspired way. "Project 31" is you celebrating
your God given beauty, and celebrating the beautiful women around you. The
meaning behind the project is taken from this:

Proverbs 31
10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “ Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Pretty good stuff, huh? Wanna join in? Here is the challenge...
For 31 days, blog each day about things that celebrate your God given
beauty, and the beauty of the women around you. I attatched a list below
you can follow, or you can make up your own (please link back here,
though).

Here are the questions for the project....

Day 1. What does beauty mean to you?
Day 2. What makes you uniquely you?
Day 3. Who is someone you know who inspires beauty?
Day 4. Style 31. Post a pic of you in your favorite outfit.
Day 5. Write a blog thanking someone who has made your heart come alive.
Day 6. Jaded beauty. Has the world's definition of beauty ever jaded you?
Day 7. Write a blog to encourage another beautiful woman.
Day 8. Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)? Share, please!
Day 9. What virtues do you value in yourself?
Day 10. What is Jesus teaching you as a wife, mom, or friend? (Or just woman in general?)
Day 11. Post a recipe. Or if you don't cook, try a new recipe and write about how it turned out (pictures please!).
Day 12. Write about what wears you out as a woman.
Day 13. Write about something you would like to change about yourself for the better.
Day 14. Style 31. Post an outfit pic!
Day 15. Write to encourage a friend. Inspire her beauty.
Day 16. Write a letter to your daughter, or a young girl in your life. Tell her what beauty means.
Day 17. Write about 3 things that make you happy.
Day 18. Describe your personality.
Day 19. Write about your favorite comfort food (we are women- we ALL have comfort food!
Day 20. Write about your job and why you love it or hate it.
Day 21. Write a letter to your husband to encourage him (or if you are single- your future husband.)
Day 22. What are some needs that need to be met in your community? Blog about how to extend your hand to those who need you.
Day 23. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Day 24. What is Jesus teaching you presently?
Day 25. Style 31. Post a pic of your favorite comfy clothes.
Day 26. What do you hope your grandchildren will say about you someday when you are gone?Day 27. Write a blog to encourage someone and build their confidence!
Day 28. Write about your insecurities as a woman.
Day 29. Write about "a day in the life of me." (Pics are great!)
Day 30. Who is your role model as a woman?
Day 31. Write about your dreams and goals as a beautiful woman!

I'll be back today or tomorrow with Day 1!!

his birthday

So Chris turned 25 the day after Christmas. Somewhat unfortunate timing, as it is every year. We always end up celebrating at least a couple of weeks later. Bummer, but he says he doesn't mind.

I was pretty excited to give him his gifts this year. I knew he'd really like them and it'd make him feel pretty special. Unfortunately, not everything went as planned....

This tshirt from Jeni's ice cream is about the only thing that went right....here's the birthday boy sporting his new shirt with his ice cream. Shirt reads "The Dairy Heir."


and Zoe....seems like she knew just what to do with the tshirt.



Next, I got him a new pair of loafers. See how excited he was?

Two things: for one, they didn't have his size, so I knew we'd have to take them back to a different store and exchange. No big deal. Second, too bad I didn't realize it's the dead of winter, snow and slush and ick on the ground, so he's still sporting his old loafers (which, mind you, have a hole in the side of them). But at least I know he loves loafers, and maybe some day these will wear out in the same fashion.

I can't really tell you how long Chris has been talking about an ipod shuffle. It's been a long time. So me, being the good little wifey that I am (just a joke), made this his final birthday present. Little did I know that our computer doesn't have the correct operating system to download itunes 10.0 which is the ONLY version compatable with this ipod. UGH. Thankfully, Wal-Mart refunded our money no problem, and Chris was able to find an older generation off ebay and save us ten bucks.



It would be so awesome if the story ended there. But when he got his ipod in the mail and plugged it in, we discovered the plug was just some generic plug that wasn't from apple and didn't work with the ipod. double UGH. So I guess the story isn't over, because he still hasn't received the new one, but the seller is making it right and supposedly shipping us the correct plug. Poor Chris has been waiting so long to workout with his ipod shuffle, and now he has to wait even longer.

So that's my super-awesome-I-love-my-husband-but-I ruined-his-birthday-story. :) Happy quarter of a century, Chris! I love you!

Task three: eating healthy

This is an on-going goal, not only for me and Chris, but I’m sure most of you as well! Why is it such a hard goal to achieve 100%?? I believe a big part of it is discipline. Isn’t that like anything else in life? Well, for us, time is a huge factor. With both of our busy schedules (which don’t exactly synch up, if you didn’t know that) it is a great challenge for us to find the time to prepare food. Simply put, healthy food takes more time to prepare than processed food. But we both believe that it needs to be a priority in our lives.


image found via weheartit.com

I don’t know what your food journey has been like, but I know that in mine, the times that I am eating the most healthy (lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc), I truly feel the best. Simply put, processed food makes me feel like crap. Which is a really good thing! I’m really glad that my body can tell a difference between the fuel that I am providing it and the fake-o stuff I sometimes indulge in.

image found via weheartit.com

So what's the plan?!?!

First off, make the time. This will be hard the next couple of months, but I'm hoping that once the baby comes and I'm able to stay at home, I can dedicate some serious time to getting our eating on track.

Second, portion control. Chris and I do ok with this at home. We've started eating our dinner off of a small salad plate--it's almost like a mind game. The more full your plate is, the more full your belly will be (when in all actuality, it's all your belly really needs). Where we still struggle with this and need discipline is eating out. We are going to try to share more and/or help each other stop eating and have leftovers for the next day.

We don't really have other concrete plans other than to just up our fruit and veggie intake. What's difficult about goals like this is that in order for it to be something that sticks and becomes a lifestyle, it has to be attainable. that's what we're aiming for :)