h54f!

linking up with lauren to bring you the highlights of my week! my good friend, ashley, was in town from nashville, so we ate out a lot and shopped as much as we ate! gotta love good friends that just get what it's like to have a baby... even if that means strolling around indianapolis for an extra 20 min cause the baby's asleep in the back! anyways, here's my top five!

5. the weather here has DEFINITELY been bipolar, but there have definitely been lots of beautiful days, too! we've taken several walks, went to the park and enjoyed actually having a spring season!!

4. if the tools are out, this boy is one happy kid. also, if the tools are out, that probably means there are some projects going on around the house! we are in the middle of getting our garage cleaned, painted & organized.

3. along with the garage projects, we are hanging lots of stuff on the walls. and i'm pretty sure i narrowed down our bed options! now, to make a final decision and get that thing ordered!!! here's the new canvases we ordered! gotta love a big canvas!!

2. as i mentioned previously, my sweet ashley came to visit the thompson's! we originally met in florida, hit it off right away & have been cracking each other up ever since! she loved on holden, loved on me (she brought hello gifts & then bought a goodbye gift! she cray) & we had a good time!!

1. I'm sure you could've probably guessed, but my number 1 this week is welcoming my new and first nephew, archer. this boy has stolen my heart! there's also some crazy nostalgia going on because we kind of just pass baby stuff back & forth through our family, so archer has worn lots of holden's clothe!

link up with lauren & i!!! happy weekend, y'all! :)

anniversary getaway!

grant & i barely ever get away. when we lived in fl, any vacation days we had were spent flying to indiana or minnesota to visit family. it was always bittersweet that we were still jumping town, but didn't necessarily get a relaxing vacation! now that i'm a stay at home mama, i get to sing songs all day long & read dozens of books like it's my job, BUT... that doesn't mean you don't need a break sometimes!

grant's mom agreed to watch holden for a couple days so we could skip town and hang out in chicago sans baby! and ptl for that! :)

we pretty much shopped and ate the. whole. time. and both of those things are a million times more enjoyable when you don't have a baby with you! can i get an amen?

if you follow my instagram, it's no secret that i'm slightly obsessed with dunkin donuts. we had a dd within 5 min from everywhere in the fl city we lived in. now... i have to go to indianapolis or chicago (or florida!) for one! no fair!!!!

after coffee, the first thing on the agenda was home goods. if you aren't familiar, it's basically a tj maxx, but ALL home decor. it's my jam and i scope one out any chance i get!

-home goods selfie-

-the things you notice when you don't have kids distracting you. seriously creeped me out for a sec!-

since grant just moved into his office that he's leasing, we hit up ikea to find a few new pieces of furniture. we walked out with way more than we went for (hello, new home furnishings!), but I'd call it a successful trip!!

-all our ikea goodies!-

now that i'm in the routine of only washing my hair every other day, i'm getting creative. it was windy as all get out in the city, so a pony tail was a must! second day hair is sure growing on me!

we dined at cheesecake factory (one of our favs) and stopped at fair oaks farm on our way home, BUT the most exciting pat of the trip was eating at portillo's! anyone who's from chicagoland always raves about portillo's, so we HAD to try a local place! the closest thing i can compare portillo's to is fuddruckers. they're known for their hot dogs, but grant & i both got burgers. loved the decor & the experience! and the food wasn't half bad either! highly encourage you check it out if you're in the area sometime!

all in all, it was a great trip! quick, but great! and i forgot just how FABULOUS it is to get ready without worrying that the baby is gonna wake up from his nap or, more commonly, get ready with the baby stumbling over your feet! happy six, my sweet hub!

oh and ps-- my lil nephew is FINALLY here!!! lil (not so little) buddy was born on tuesday! i'll have a post about all the excitement next week! and yes... i witnessed my very first labor & delivery!!!!

six.

6 years ago, grant & i tied the wedded knot. we were 20 & 21, immature, naive & had lots to learn! thankfully, we serve a god of grace that catches us when we throw ourselves off of the proverbial cliff. the past 6 years have provided the highest of highs & the lowest of lows. and through it all, i have had a great man by my side! and thank the lord for that!!!!

6 years ago, we were:
-20 & 21 years old
-lived in lakeland, fl
-grant worked at victory church
-i worked at a commercial insurance company
-getting ready to start the wildest journey of our lives

makeup...

love this shot of my dad & i walking down the aisle! and you can see all the decorations my dad slaved over for days!

newlyweds! woop woop!

the past 6 years have been crazy! and i look forward to sixty more with this guy!! later this week, i'll be sharing about our chicagoland getaway!!

h54f!

it's friday!!! i don't work, but i still love weekends! weekends usually mean extra time with my hubby and holden's daddy, lazy mornings at home & getting together with our church family to worship! I always link up with lauren if you want to share your top 5's, too! (to link, just go to her blog & add your info every fri)!

here's my best moments of the week:

5. i have been trying to find a good local coffee shop. since grant is self-employed and i understand that WE can't survive unless our community supports our business, i strive to support other local businesses. well, i finally found one! and they're delicious! not to mention SO friendly, convenient & not any more expensive than starbucks. locals, you gotta check out java jo'z on creasy! i highly recommend the iced caramel latte!

4. i know I've said it before, but i have started taking pics of the house and hope to have a BIG reveal blog post in the next week or two! i think i haven't been motivated to post pics yet cause it's still very much a work in progress as far as decorating goes! i finally hung a few things on the walls & it's starting to feel like home! we hung this mirror in our entryway and i'm obsessed! target does it again! :)

3. along with the mirror, i got a little crafty this week! hit up hobby lobby for some craft paper and just went to town. i initially bought the paper for a flag banner to hang in the kitchen, but i used the leftover paper for art in holden's room! yay for making your own art!!!

2. our entire family is on baby watch. i go to bed each night double-checking that my phone ringer is on... just in case. my sweet lil nephew must just be so cozy that he doesn't care to come meet us (he was due tues)! so... since there are no signs of baby anytime soon, i suggested my sister & brother-in-law go out for a date. you know, in case the baby comes. well... he didn't take the hint that he could come, but holden & i had a fun evening with my niece, roslyn! roz is almost exactly a yet older than holden. they entertain each other, annoy each other & love each other. there's always nonstop giggles when they're together! love watching them play together!

-out for a walk & holding the dolly roslyn insisted he carry!-

-my future. two little ones on my lap trying to read separate books!-

-watching the rainstorm!-

1. eeeek my number one this week is that grant & i are going to chicago for a couple days! our 6 year anniversary is sunday, so we're gonna skip town for a bit and paint the town red. can't wait!!

 happy weekend to you all!!! hope you've had a blessed week! :)