Family Friday: First Trimester

Hi Family & Friends!

So, as most of you probably know by now, Daniel and I are expecting our first baby in June 2015!

We are so excited and incredibly grateful for this gift. We have wanted to have kids ever since we got married in 2010, but the timing has not been right. Then when we did feel like we were ready to start our family it didn't happen quite as quickly as we thought it would. Needless to say, we were overjoyed when we finally found out we were going to have a baby.

We actually found out on Daniel's birthday which was a really fun surprise! I had a home pregnancy test leftover and knew that it was about the time when I could take it, but I really didn't think that I was pregnant. I just thought I'd take it for the heck of it and then would surprise Daniel if it was positive. Well, I took the test and at first everything looked like it was just another negative. I left the test and went into the kitchen to make cinnamon rolls for Daniel. Well, a few minutes later I went back into the bathroom to throw the test away and my stomach jumped when I saw a faint second pink line! I was totally shocked and walked up to Daniel with the test and said, "Well, Happy Birthday!" For a split second I my stomach dropped and I thought, "No turning back now" haha! But pretty much immediately Daniel and I both felt a lot of peace about it and were both so overjoyed at this wonderful news.

Since then we've gotten to tell our parents, siblings, and friends and have enjoyed sharing that news with our loved ones. We've had 2 doctors appointments and were able to see the baby both times. We saw the heartbeat flicker on the first ultrasound and at the second one we had a sonogram first (to hear the heartbeat) and then had an ultrasound to see the baby. It was fun to see him/her the second time because he/she looks much more baby-like now.

Our Social Media announcement

The first trimester has been good - just the typical symptoms (nausea, fatigue, etc). I saw on a few blogs this fun questionnaire they answer each week during their pregnancy and I thought that would be fun to answer! I'm just going to answer it for the whole first trimester since I'm at 12 weeks.

How far along? 12 weeks
Total weight gain/measurements: 3-5 lbs
Maternity clothes: I've bought a couple of tops because I feel like my stomach looks bloated; I can still wear my regular pants.
Stretch marks: Not yet
Sleep: Good! I have slept a LOT this trimester
Best moment this trimester: When Daniel and I got to see the baby and his/her heartbeat on the ultrasound monitor.
Miss anything? Hmm.. cheese dip! I'm not sure if I have to avoid it, but since I only eat it when we're at restaurants I'm not sure what they put in it so I avoid it just in case any of the cheese used isn't pasteurized.. I'm sure I sound like a first time mom!
Movement: Nope
Food cravings: The first week we knew I was pregnant I really wanted Fruit by the Foot. Since then I've mostly just wanted carbs and protein (aka: sausage biscuits..)
Anything making you queasy or sick? Coffee! And broccoli.
Gender: We don't know yet
Labor signs: No, thankfully!
Symptoms: Nausea (most often at night), extreme fatigue, general digestive discomfort at times, some unusual (for me) moodiness, acne.
Belly button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: I think mostly happy!
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender!!

Well, I hope you enjoyed this update! I'll try to be better about posting pregnancy updates and pictures (especially on "Family Friday").

Love,
The Logans

Weekend with Sarah

A few weekends ago my middle sister, Sarah, came for a visit! Her husband was out of town for the week so she decided to come see us for the weekend.. and we're glad she did!

On Friday night we ate some supper (turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, & veggies), visited, then Sarah and I watched Father of the Bride and ate some ice cream - yum!

On Saturday we got up and enjoyed donuts (courtesy of sweet Daniel's trip to Publix), got ready, and headed out to do some bham exploring. We ate lunch at The Boot Pub in the Preserve and it was delicious. Here are some pictures from lunch:

Sarah & I outside of The Boot

After lunch we headed over to Kohls to look at baby stuff!! So fun! At this point Sarah didn't know for sure if they were having a boy or girl so we didn't buy any gender specific clothing, but we had lots of fun looking around. Everything is just SO cute! I bought a white fuzzy sleep sack for the baby (gender neutral) so I was glad to finally get to buy something for my wittle nephew! Once we had thoroughly explored all of the baby section we checked out the jewelry and Sarah was able to find a Christmas gift for *someone* on her list. 

We thought we might hit up a few different stores, but after exploring Kohls we were pretty wiped out. We stopped by the library (my favorite place! haha!) and got a Modern Family DVD to watch that night, then we headed home. The weather that weekend had finally started to cool off and the crisp fall air was delicious! When we got home we left the front door open so that we could enjoy the cooler temperature and the feel of that fall air. That worked out well because we also decided to paint our nails... :) 

Rimmel London Mintilicious

Since Daniel and I moved we opted not to get cable. This really hasn't been an issue because we don't watch a lot of network TV (we just use Netflix or DVD's from the library). The only show I miss seeing live is 19 Kids & Counting! So my sweet parents have been recording the episodes for me and mailing them to me- how thoughtful is that? I had a couple of episodes that I hadn't watched yet (and Sarah is a fan of the show, too) so we watched that while we painted our nails (in the color shown above). It's funny how the simplest moments can mean so much, because I have to say that sitting on the living room floor, watching TV, and painting my nails with Sarah was one of my favorite parts of the whole weekend!

On Sunday we went to church, stayed for fellowship for awhile afterwards, then headed to Zaxby's! :) That is one of Sarah's favorite places to eat (and hey, I don't hate it either!) and she picked that as where she'd like to go while she was in town since she doesn't get to eat there very often! After lunch we headed home to pack up and Sarah had to hit the road.

We had such a fun time with you, Sarah! Come visit again soon!

Now, who wants to visit next?

Roopville Homecoming Festival

Last weekend Daniel and I had the fun opportunity to visit the Logan side of the family and attend the Roopville Homecoming Festival. This is a yearly event and is always so much fun! The first time I ever visited Daniel's family (when we first started dating) was the weekend of the festival so it holds a special place in my heart. Roopville is a small, friendly town and this yearly event is always tons of fun. 

The town itself is just the epitome of Americana - it feels like you're going back in time or visiting a fictional location (like Mitford or Stars Hollow). Speaking of Stars Hollow, are there any other Gilmore Girls fans out there? Whenever we're in Roopville I always feel like I might bump into Taylor or Babette. I especially felt this way this year when I saw this car parked in front of Aunt Cathy's house:

Lorelai? Did you come for a visit?

The festival begins with a parade (which I'm afraid we usually miss because we get there too late! haha!) and then after that you can explore booths that line the street, visit the petting zoo/pony rides, or get some yummy food. This year Daniel got a cool wooden bowl and I bought a homemade candle. It is called "Autumn Leaves" and it kind of reminds me of the way Christmas trees smell. So, needless to say I love it! :) 

We made sure to stop by my favorite vendor - the one that sells kettle korn popcorn and fried Oreos! The kettle korn is seriously the best I've ever tasted (much better than the kind you find in grocery stores) and the fried Oreos are hard to describe.. they are unbelievable! The vendor sells the Oreos in a little dish of 4 so we only buy one and share them with anyone who wants one (you really can't eat more than one!). Here is mine mid-bite:

We also bought BBQ from another vendor and had some cream soda for lunch. Can you say, "sugar rush"? :) After we ate we did some more walking around and visiting with family and some of the family friends who live in town. Then later in the afternoon this goodness happened:

Dad Logan and Aunt Cathy made some homemade peach ice cream - yum! Even Diogi had a bowl and she l o v e d it! :) After eating so much goodness all day, we enjoyed an afternoon/evening of talking and laughter with the family on the front porch.

Family pictures in front of Aunt Cathy's house :)

The magical town of Roopville even has a mini "library" where you can take a book & leave a book.

Me & Daniel enjoying the day :)

The Petting Zoo which included a kangaroo, tortoise, and a piglet!

Well, I hope you enjoyed following along on our day in Roopville! We had a great time and can't wait to go back next year! 

Happy Friday!

What Spring Break might look like if your husband is in school..

Next week is Spring Break for Daniel and it couldn't be coming at a better time! He has been working so hard this semester and I think he is in need of a break. He is so faithful to his school assignments, work obligations, family time, and service in the church. I'm a proud wife! But, I am relieved that he will have a little bit of a break next week.

Now, if you thought I was talking about this kind of Spring Break, you would be mistaken:

This was the tamest SB picture I could find..

Instead, I've planned a week of fun dorky surprises for Daniel. They aren't actually surprises anymore because I already told him about it, but I hope they'll still be fun. We'll be staying in town because of work and church committments. After wracking my brain for ideas and scouring Pinterest for some fun date ideas, here is what I've come up with for us to do after work:

-Trip to Steel City Pops

-Building a blanket fort in our living room, blowing up the air matress, renting one of Daniel's favorite movies, getting some of Daniel's favorite snacks (I've got strawberry poptarts on my list..), and having a movie campout in our living room

-Moe's and Mario Kart tournament

What about you? Do you have any plans for Spring Break?

Love,
Laura xoxo

February Challenge (2/7)

Well, since I have a bit of time I thought I'd continue with the February Challenge. Today's challenge is family and how this relates to honoring why you are dedicated to your health.

I'd say family (past, present, and future) is a primary motivator for me. In my past my parents taught me the importance of eating healthy, well-balanced meals. With our lunches my mom always made sure we had a fruit/veggie of some sort and most of our meals always represented a balanced diet. We grew up eating whole grain bread and drinking skim milk- these were just what we were raised on so I've always liked the taste of whole grain foods.

In the present I've found that my family is a motivation for me to be healthy. I want to be able to live a healthy life on this earth and be here for my husband and all of our family. Because I care about my loved ones I feel the importance of caring for my own health as well since this will directly affect them.

As this relates to the future I'd like to be in good health for my future children! I want to stay healthy during any pregnancies and want to be healthy and active enough to be there to care for and play with my future kids. I want to be sure that the things I teach our children about food are good things. I don't want to teach them bad habits (such as emotional eating) and I want them to learn how to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. My parents gave me a great gift by teaching me those things and I want to be sure to pass that along to my future kids.

What about you? How does your family inspire you to take care of your health?

Love,
Laura

Date Day!

2013 has brought with it some really strange weather in our part of the country! We've had warm days, cold days, threats of tornadoes, a snow day.. you name it! So on one warm weekend we decided to make the most of the unseasonably mild weather and enjoy a day outside.

After visiting the Moss Rock Preserve the last time the Logan's visited we have been wanting to go back. We put on some walking gear and headed to the preserve. We noticed when we were there last time that there was a cute little pub in the preserve area so we stopped there for lunch first before beginning our walk.

The Boot Pub

Post lunch/Pre hike :)

After enjoyed a delicious lunch we headed out to take a little hike/walk through the preserve. The weather was just perfect! It wasn't too hot or cold, and there was a nice cloud cover that kept the sun from heating things up too much.

Here is a view of some of the things we saw along our hike:

Here are some of us:

And here are some of my brave cutie:

We had such a fun date day together getting to enjoy each other's company and the great outdoors!

Holiday Greetings!

So, I am incredibly late in posting this (better late than never, right??), but I wanted to share some pictures and memories from our 2012 Holiday Season!

We began the season by traveling to Troy for Thanksgiving. We were so thankful for the long visit we got to have there with Dad, Mom, my sisters, brother in law, and Meemaw. It was such a special few days together. As you can see from the picture below we did a lot of eating! It was so good!

Our delicious Thanksgiving feast at Mom & Dad's house

On one of our last days there we went to see the new James Bond movie, "Skyfall". I found out that this was Meemaw's first James Bond movie!

We were sad to leave, but took comfort in the fact that we'd all be seeing each other again soon for Christmas.

Daniel enjoying reading with Gracie on Mom & Dad's porch

Daniel survived his finals and came out of the semester with all A's! I was one proud wife. He is such a disciplined person and I couldn't be more proud of him. Amidst his finals and papers he took a break to take me on a Christmas Tree date! We went out to eat at a place called Newk's and enjoyed a yummy supper, then we headed over to where the Boy Scouts were selling Christmas trees.

 It was a lot of fun to look through the trees and pick out which one we wanted. The Boy Scouts were so cute and were trying so hard to be "big boys" by carrying our tree around for us. It was pretty adorable.

Selection of trees

Boy Scout Tree Sale

After we found just the right tree we took it home and enjoyed having a real tree fill our apartment with that wonderful tree smell during the Christmas season. Here was our final product:

Our 3rd Logan Christmas Tree

The Nativity

The Night Before Christmas (one of my favorite Christmas traditions!)

Some yummy scents to warm up our apartment

We also had an Advent Tree this year which was special. During college I bought a purple tree to have in my room and as it worked out that was kind of perfect for our Advent Tree. My sweet Mom cross-stitched several Advent themed ornaments for us to add to our own Advent Tree. I wasn't sure how it would work with my old purple tree, but as Daniel pointed out purple was just the right color for Advent! So, thanks again, Mom! :)

Our Advent Tree

Close up of the ornaments

Just a few weeks later it was time to celebrate Christ's birth! We traveled to LaGrange first to visit with the Logan side of the family. It was a great visit, but we definitely missed Andrew! During one of the days we were there we drove to visit Aunt Cathy. Going to Aunt Cathy's house is like a little slice of heaven. She lives in the Logan family home and has done such a wonderful job of keeping the family memory alive in her preciously decorated home. Her house is perfectly nestled in a tiny little town and it really feels like you're going into a story book or something when you visit there.

View through the front window

Aunt Cathy also has a sweet dog named Diogi (D-O-G). If you know me you know I'm a huge dog fan so I always enjoy getting to keep company with a sweet pup.

Sweet Diogi trying to take a nap

Diogi and I holding hands :)

Aunt Cathy & Diogi

We had a great meal, enjoyed visiting, took a walk around town, then watched "The Polar Express" together. One cool thing Aunt Cathy showed us were these neat figures she got while she was overseas awhile back. You light incense (I believe) and it caused the figures to look like they have smoke coming out of their mouths (see below). They were so cute!

And here is one last picture from Aunt Cathy's house to show you just how magical it is:

Told ya.


So after our wonderful time with the Logan side of the family we drove to Troy to see the Butler side of the family. It was a short, but truly sweet time together. We arrived on time to go to the Christmas Eve service with the family, then returned home to make Christmas cookies and have a visit together.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

On Christmas morning we got up and Sarah & Chase drove over to spend the day with us, too. We had so much fun giving each other gifts, listening to Christmas music, and celebrating the birth of Christ. 

We had quite a few laughs at the expense of the poor pups, Buddy and Gracie.

My darling Buddy

I love this picture of Gracie- caught her mid blink!

For the first time in his life Buddy complied with wearing a jacket of some sort and looked awfully cute in his Christmas sweater. I guess in his old age his isn't as concerned with fashion as he is with warmth and actually kept his sweater on for most of the visit. Gracie got a rain jacket (just for fun), but it actually came in handy when it was raining on Christmas night. She normally won't go outside when it rains, but once her hood was up she went along with it. Hilarious!

After such a fun Christmas we reluctantly headed back to the real world to get back to work and other commitments. We are so blessed! I thank God for our precious family, sweet friends, and most importantly the gift of our salvation which is found in Christ. What a special season!

So grateful for all of our sweet friends & family who sent us Christmas cards! We loved having them up.

Can't wait for the next holiday season, but first cheers to a Happy 2013!