My Word for 2020

I'm not surprised by the pictures chosen for my Instagram Top 9 of 2019 - weddings and babies with some faith reflections sprinkled in there - sounds about right. . . 2019 was the year of giant moves from CT to OH, starting a new job, tons of wedding prep, marrying my best friend, traveling to Thailand and Japan, finding out we're pregnant, adding a puppy to the mix and making preparations for a kitchen and bath remodel that will start in the new year. So, I had to laugh when Jen Fulwiler's Word of the Year Generator displayed "pause" as my suggested inspiration for 2020. This year has been filled to the brim with newness and transition, with hopeful beginnings and growing pains, with joyful...

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Merry Christmas 2019

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, The Roses  (minus Zelie because she refused to be in a picture - not that Millie did much better. . . enjoy some outtakes below.) ...

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Holiday Work Party

I've always been a skirt and dress kinda girl. Not necessarily fancy, but I especially find dresses to be an easy way to look put together and only have to worry about shoes to match instead of multiple pieces. Plus, if you add tights to the look, it works for all seasons! Skirts are basically the same with just a tad more effort. In my wardrobe, that basically means tucking in a black or white top and calling it a day. I clearly spend a lot of time getting ready ;) On Friday we had a celebratory Mass and Christmas luncheon for work. M and I had gone Christmas shopping the night before and I kept my eyes pealed for a potentially party outfit as we browsed, but I didn't see anything that...

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Befriending Mary in Advent

I’m certainly not the first pregnant woman during Advent that has found herself pondering a new connection to Mama Mary. And perhaps it’s not just the time of year, but the act of carrying life inside of me that has sparked those feelings and reflections. Maybe I would feel similarly if I were pregnant in June or July . . . or maybe there’s something special about this overlap of seasons where we wait in joyful hope. I’ve written about my love for Advent before. I like to shout from the rooftops the wonder I feel anticipating Emmanuel, my favorite name for Christ. A normally impatient person, this season annually calms my urgency and allows my heart to settle and wait for what I know...

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26 Weeks and Getting Ready for Christmas

  I get weekly pregnancy updates emailed to me that usually include some reference to the size of a baby at each week and what symptoms might be included. Today it said something about week 26 being the last week of the second trimester! It also acknowledged that some consider week 27 the last, but either way you spin it, this baby is coming. And while I am eager with anticipation to meet this little peanut (and find out if it's a boy or girl!), I am acutely aware that there are roughly a million things left to do to prepare for his or her arrival. Construction planned for the house has placed nursery nesting on hold as it will make some changes to that space. We have a solid...

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23 Weeks Pregnant - Trying to Embrace Change

I had Mike take these pictures of me last week in efforts to better document this growing babe of ours. Those 5ish photos previously shared on Instagram are just about the only ones I've had taken during these 23 (well now about 24) weeks of pregnancy. Overall, my pregnancy has been relatively easy. I've had all the "normal" symptoms at all the "typical" times and thankfully they have been very mild. Some morning sickness the first trimester, but never any vomiting. Some heartburn the past few weeks, but rarely bad enough to grab the antacids. I've been incredibly lucky. Poncho | Sweater | Leggings | Shoes | Earrings What has been the hardest part, is something I've struggled with...

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2019 Advent-ures

I. Love. Advent. I've probably shared it before (if not here than definitely on Instagram) that Advent is my favorite liturgical season and possibly my favorite time of the year. (Wreath DIY can be found HERE in the Advent-ure post from 2015.) There is something so incredible about preparing for Christ's birth while already knowing that Jesus has come. That beautiful tension of the already, but not yet, is a mystery that I love leaning into and journeying with as I anticipate the coming of Emmanuel - my favorite name for Jesus. God is with us, friends. Maybe not always in the flashiest, most clear of ways, but God is here and what a gift the Incarnation is to the world. -- This...

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The Proposal

Y'all, I get married this month. No matter how many times I say it, or type it, or think it, it just doesn’t seem real! Between our engagement last June, planning a wedding across states, a move home to Ohio (way sooner than anticipated) and a new job, life has been a little crazy. There has been so much going on, and weirdly enough, now that we are in the home stretch I think I am finally starting to catch my breath. Maybe all of the to-do’s or done? Or maybe I’m forgetting something on the list? Either way, there is a welcome change of pace happening right now, and I am not going to fight it. Now that I am starting to slow my roll and have a moment to think, I wanted to write...

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Blessed Conversations - Misericordia

Blessed is She just released their newest Blessed Conversation Study, Misericordia, on the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy (more of my favorite things!). The study follows the examples of 12 Catholic saints - 11 lay women (meaning not nuns or sisters) and 1 religious (a sister whose name you can probably guess even if you aren't Catholic 😉). It was written by 4 of our amazing writers and designed by the incredible Erica Campbell of Be A Heart Design! There are 12 sessions (one for each amazing woman) in this beautifully bound book which is different from the individual studies we have released in the past.  My copy arrived this weekend and It 👏🏼 Is 👏🏼 Gorgeous! ⠀⠀ Y'all,...

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Reflections After a Month Back in Ohio

I've been back in Ohio just over a month and it still feels unreal. Maybe it will take being here longer than a summer vacation timeline, but my mind hasn't quite grasped the fact that this is home. I'm home. Sure, there is more settling in to do. M and I are working on various projects in his (soon to be our) house whenever we have free time. I'm enjoying living with my college roommate once again and all of the joy being near old friends has brought. My new job is exciting and filled with so much potential. Some days seem slower than others, but there's been tangible growth even in this short amount of time and I can't wait to see how the Spirit moves. In the same breath of feeling...

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Currently January

Y'all, I move this weekend. I seriously can't believe it. I've been so productive the past few days home and am so thankful I decided to spend them getting things set in CT instead of taking the extra week in OH. I've been cleaning, packing, reading, working out and even blogging. Let's keep this energy up, shall we. Seriously though. Can I bottle it somehow? Work starts again tomorrow morning and I am already dreading that alarm. I'm a little late to the game but still wanted to join in on Anne's "Currently" link-up this month. It's a great way to get some creativity flowing and even begin some of those to-do lists. Choosing - joy. Actively, intentionally, and radically....

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