four friday faves.

This Sunday is a big day for Target. The store is launching a limited edition Lilly Pulitzer line, and the word is that it will likely compare to Black Friday. I have never considered myself to be a Lilly customer before, but I'm planning to jump online very early in hopes to snag these...

[1] Fan Dance Maxi dress for Hollis
[2] Boom Boom Bandeau Swimsuit
[3] Nosey Posey Embroidered Clutch
[4] Eyelet Shorts

four friday faves.

In honor of our baby girl turning 3 yesterday, here are some of my favorite shots of our Hollis-bug. :)

four friday faves.

Being that it is Good Friday, here are some things we will be incorporating in some way this weekend. Every year, my goal is to be more intentional than ever before ... with myself and with our children. It's easy to get wrapped up in egg hunts and candy [and we definitely love for our kids to enjoy them too], but we want the emphasis to be on Christ.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [Romans 5:8]

[1] The Jesus Storybook Bible ... Nothing can replace the Bible, but this is good for in addition to. The illustrations are beautiful + captivating.
[2] Resurrection Eggs ... The kids love when we get these out each year. Such a great tangible way to teach the events of Easter.
[3] "He Has Risen!" Donuts ... So excited to try this for the first time on Sunday! We've made the resurrection rolls before, but I was looking for something with little to no prep time. :)
[4] One of my favorite worship songs ... "In Christ Alone".

His ways.

This is a pretty serious post for a Saturday, but it's one I knew I would write eventually. A few days before Valentine's Day, we [meaning myself, our family, our CC group] were hit with a tragedy we did not see coming. In a matter of only hours, we went from praying continuously for the health of a fellow CC mom to utterly heartbroken that she didn't make it. Here's the story...

Leah [pronounced lay-a] was one of the moms in Matthew's class @ CC. Her sons Elijah & Joshua are part of the all-boy class. Even though we saw each other and spoke every week, I didn't know Leah in the way that many others at CC did ... I spend most of my time in Hudson's class, mainly only joining Matthew's class to watch his presentations each week. So, Leah and I didn't interact a lot. My biggest interaction with her was at Earth Fare two years ago. It was my first trip to Earth Fare, I had all the kids, and it was pure mayhem! Each of the boys had a mini cart, which constantly tempted them to want to race them through the store, Eli threw up in the produce section, and I was about to lose my mind. :) Times like that always make me feel like there are judgmental eyes surrounding me. Then I saw Leah. She was new to CC at the time, so we introduced ourselves, and I vividly remember that interaction. At first I wasn't thrilled to see a familiar face with all the chaos around me, but I immediately felt at ease with Leah. She "got it," I could tell she wasn't judging me, and she was so pleasant to speak with. It was the calm I needed that crazy afternoon in Earth Fare.

Fast forward to Monday, February 9th. I was sitting in Matthew's afternoon writing class at CC, and one of my friends read a Facebook post about Leah needing prayers regarding kidney failure. She had just given birth to their third child, daughter Zivah, only 4 days prior. It was shocking. We knew it was serious, so several of us left the classroom and prayed together. By 7 o'clock that night, we had gotten word that Leah's heart had stopped, and that doctors weren't certain she would make it through the night. I know countless prayers pleading with God to save her were heard by our Creator that day and into the wee hours of the night. It was literally devastating to find out the next morning that Leah had died. Knowing how sad I was, I couldn't fathom what it was like for her family and friends ... for her husband, Dan, and those sweet boys ... and that baby who barely met her mommy.

Talk about a giant faith-tester. I had so many thoughts and emotions, all stemming from one central question: "Why didn't God save Leah?" As a mom, this is/was so hard to swallow. It's personally one of my biggest fears. However, over and over God brought to my mind two verses that brought comfort and encouragement and a bit of understanding:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither 

are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." [Isaiah 55:8]

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together

for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." [Romans 8:28]

My faith was tested and thankfully strengthened as a result ... More than ever, I believe and know that God's ways are eternally minded. That's all that truly matters in life. If just one person comes into relationship with Jesus because of Leah's death, I know God's purpose was just that. I also know that Leah loved God, and was fulfilling His calling on her life here on earth. Therefore, God's promise in Romans to work "good" out of this devastation will hold true. Amid the deep, deep sadness felt by those who love Leah or those of us whose heart just breaks for them, these verses offer hope.

One of the most profound things I heard said that week was this: "Let us not mourn for where she isn't, but rejoice for where she is." As difficult as that may sound, that is the reality for those who love Jesus.

In conclusion, this song was played at Leah's service. So fitting.

four friday faves.

I just love Sephora. Everyone who works there [that I have encountered anyway] is extremely helpful and knowledgable .... and they do not work on commission, so I trust their input/advice. What's even better about Sephora is that they have an amazing return policy. You can return pretty much anything, whether opened & used or not. Here are a some of my favorite purchases ...

[1] Urban Decay "Naked2" Eyeshadow Set ... there are endless possibilities!
[2] Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer ... love how moisturizing this is.
[3] Tarte Cheek Stain ... the application was intimidating at first, but I found it to be easier to control how little/much I want.
[4] Laura Mercier Invisible Pressed Setting Powder ... this stuff is amazing. Leaves such a nice finish that covers up any dewy-ness, yet isn't cakey.

four friday faves.

Hooray for today being the first day of Spring! I have accessories on the brain, so here are a few things on my wishlist from Baublebar ... which was introduced to me by my fave, Lolomag. [bonus: the entire site is 30% off through Sunday.]

[1] crystal mason ring in rose gold.
[2] crystal flurry studs.
[3] initial bar bracelet.
[4] wishbone pendant necklace.

thirteen years!

On February 16th, Gus and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. We were able to get away to Destin for the night, and had such a great time. I love shopping at the outlets, and thankfully I married someone who can easily tolerate and even enjoy outlet shopping too! We stayed at the Henderson Park Inn, which is such a great place to stay ... not the cheapest, but completely worth it. It's adult-only, all inclusive, and has the best breakfast. We discovered the Henderson Park Inn last year, and hope it will remain our anniversary go-to spot for years to come. [except for maybe the bigger ones like 15th, 20th, etc :)]

Our wedding day seems so long ago, yet the past 13 years have flown by so fast. Maybe it has something to do with the four little people who joined our family :) Here are some of my favorite photos from that incredible day. I could not wait to marry Gus!