Paxton's bedding

We finally decided on bedding for Paxton's nursery... I feel like it took me forever! I really wanted to pick our fabric and have my mom make it, but I couldn't decide on a color scheme so I decided my best option for baby #1 was to just find something pre-made. I wasn't head over heals for this one until I saw that I could get an incredible Black Friday deal online, and even then I was still debating. But when it arrived and I was able to feel the fabric, I fell in love. It's super cozy and the accent colors leave a lot of room for creativity. We'll do something similar with a high chair rail, possibly bead board, and same paint color on the bottom.

It's almost Christmas...

And my blogging skills have clearly NOT improved.

Here are a few pictures to sum up the last several months...

I finally conquered the weeds at the end of September/early October and Royce helped me put down a new layer mulch to try to keep them under control until Spring. So far so good!

At the end of October we celebrated our good friend, Sam's, 30th birthday. This picture with Mel is one of my three pictures from the evening. My camera skills are just as good as my blogging skills. ;)

On November 13th, Royce and I ventured to Fredericksburg for the wedding of my dear friend, Taylor. Taylor and I met in high school at summer camp and our friendship continued throughout college at UMHB. It was a wonderful to celebrate with her on her special day.

TISD gave us the ENTIRE week of Thanksgiving off, so I was able to take a quick trip to Boulder to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. This was my first time to visit them without Royce, but Killeen ISD didn't have off until Wednesday. :(

We spent Thanksgiving day in Houston with my side of the family and then visited Royce's parents in Austin for a night on our way back home. I've decided that too much car time while you're pregnant can result in some awful low-back pains!! Hopefully we'll be a little more stationary over Christmas break. :)

Weeds

Royce and I have a semi-unspoken deal that he mows the lawn and I take care of the flower beds.

Well, this is what the first trimester of pregnancy has done to our front bed...

It drives me absolutely crazy every time I look at it, mostly because I have zero energy to do anything about it. Perhaps as the weather cools off, I'll feel up to spending an evening outside. Until then, it is what it is.

Baby Update...

We had our second baby appointment this afternoon and got to hear that sweet heartbeat again. :) I have to say, the first appointment was a little more exciting because we got to SEE the baby, but it made me all the more excited for our October visit when we find out the gender!!

1 month and counting... WOOHOO!

Fall brings changes...

It was a whirlwind of a summer in the Mitchel house, but I have to say it was definitely our favorite we've spent together so far. We were blessed to have the opportunity to take THREE separate trips this summer.

The first was to Riviera Maya, Mexico with our friends, Jonthan and Bridget Jones. We found a great deal on an all-inclusive resort and we were able to stay for 6 nights!! It was incredible and a great way to kick off the summer.

Our next trip involved a road trip with my parents to our favorite small town in Colorado- Lake City! After spending the summer of 2008 in Lake City, we're convinced that there is no other place that celebrates the 4th of July the way LC does. It's small-town excitement at it's best, and we love being apart of the festivities. We also loved soaking up time with my brother, sister-in-law, and sweet little niece. When we returned to Texas, we celebrated 3 years of marriage with a low-key evening at home. It was actually really nice because we were exhausted from our travels!

Our last trip was a new destination for us... every year Royce's parents plan a family trip with all of the kids, and over the years they have become more and more adventurous. This year we traveled to Costa Rica! The beauty of the rainforest is everything everyone says it is, and more! I couldn't get over how lush and green everything was, although I shouldn't have been surprised because it was their "rainy season." We enjoyed zip-lining through the rainforest, touring a sulfur volcano, and an ATV tour of 8 different beaches. It was truly unforgettable and we felt blessed to see more of God's mighty creation.

When we returned from Costa Rica we knew school preparation would begin within the next week. During that last week, we were surprised with the news that I was pregnant! This was certainly not something I anticipated to juggle, along with my first year of teaching, but we know God's timing is best and we are very, very excited for this sweet little blessing.

School is now in full swing and as I near the end of my first trimester, I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not as much sickness these days, but I think the kiddos help keep my mind busy. :) I'm loving the land of 2nd grade and I can't wait to get to know my students more. In addition to being the girls' head soccer coach at Heights, Royce took on the boys' assistant Cross Country coach position this year. He's really loved it so far, but the early morning practices get harder and harder each morning. :)

It'll be another year of changes for us, but we're always grateful that His love and provision remains constant. Parenthood, here we come!

Feeling Reminiscent...

One of my favorite things to think about about is meeting Royce and remembering how God developed our relationship over the years... in February we will have known each other for 5 years, which seems like yesterday and forever ago all at the same time. I can remember everything so clearly, but when I think about everything we've experienced and been through together it amazes me! I hope these memories remain embedded in my mind forever because they are so sweet.

Since my blog title is "Feeling Reminiscent," I decided to post a few pictures taken while we were dating... The picture at the top of my blog was our very first photo together. It was taken about a week after we met and it's my absolute favorite because I had no idea that this boy I was sitting next to at a bowling alley would eventually become my best friend that I'd get to spend the rest of my life with!

(These were our Halloween costumes one year... Soccer Coach and Soccer Mom. The funny part is that this will probably be reality in 5-10 years.)

.

I love you, Royce, and I am so thankful for you! It's a blessing and honor to call you my husband and best friend (for .life.).

Settling In

Well, we did it! After two years in our newly-wed mobile home (often called "The Love Boat" as it has a history of housing newly-weds) we made the move from Salado to Belton. It's been a fabulous three weeks of unpacking, nesting, a million trips to Target, Lowes, and Home Depot, hours of painting, and taking care of a house that we can officially call "ours." We absolutely love being here and can't thank the Lord enough for blessing us with this gift.

Apart from being blessed with a wonderful new home, Royce and I have also been blessed with two new jobs that we absolutely love! Royce landed a teaching job at Harker Heights High School and is also the new varsity girls soccer coach! His desire to teach stemmed from the desire to coach soccer, so I'm thrilled that he finally has the opportunity! Even though he always imagined himself coaching a boys team, I think coaching girls will equip him for whatever comes next!! :) I, on the other hand, was unable to find a teaching job this year... but two weeks before our move an Instructional Assistant position at Kennedy-Powell Elementary became available. I know without a doubt that God's hand was orchestrating the whole process. The timing was perfect and the school is only 10 minutes away from our new house! Not only does it give me the same schedule and holidays as Royce, but I also get to love on kiddos all day and develop added classroom experience. We're so grateful for our new jobs and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us this year.

Here are a few of the rooms that we won't be painting for a while... (I'll post the painted rooms later.)

study

formal dining

formal living

kitchen