Paint

I have never painted a wall before...never.

When I was younger that job was left to my parents or the professionals they hired. Since then I haven't lived in places where I could freely paint the walls. But now that has all changed.

With little mister on the way, I really wanted to paint part of the nursery.

This is the first paint I ever put on a wall. Technically, just the second two squares on the right since my husband did the first two. I got the inspiration from an episode of a TV show I saw one time. It was an older episode so I was never able to find a video of it (or instructions from it), but I did locate a picture.

The inspiration from an episode of HGTV's Design on a Dime.

So we rolled up our sleeves, picked which green we wanted, and gathered the supplies.

While it was difficult to get down on my hands and knees at almost 26 weeks pregnant, I thoroughly enjoyed my first painting endeavor.

Exhausted but feeling accomplished!

After the main painting was done, I had to cut out and paint the stencil on the wall all the way around the room. Thank goodness the height was right so I could sit in a chair and do it! The stencil was only 10 inches long so it took a LOT of repetitions!

Dabbing away at my stencil

This is actually the section of wall I am probably most proud of accomplishing. The stencil covered the light switch making it almost impossible to keep it flat against the wall to get a clean pass. I really only had one shot at it and it turned out beautifully. :)

Pesky light switch...

All in all, it was a wonderful first experience painting. I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of the nursery with you in a big reveal post soon...hopefully before little man makes his appearance but who knows at this point! :)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Book Review: Whatever You Grow Up to Be

"Whatever You Grow Up to Be" by Karen Kingsbury is a sweet story of a mother and her son as he grows and they explore all his interests and what he could become when he grows up. From prince to rock star, the possibilities seem endless as she watches him grow and move through life. Their story comes full circle in a very sweet ending.

This book was so sweet and colorful. I can't wait to read it to my little boy when he's born later this year. The sing-song verse and repetition are exactly what makes children's books so fun. The illustrations are wonderfully colorful and playful. Not to mention how the story tugs at your heart, especially the heart of a mama watching her little boy grow up and come into his own.

Overall, a very sweet book for moms of boys. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Blessed Child

I love Ted Dekker. So when the opportunity came up to review a book of his that I had not previously read, I jumped on it!

"Blessed Child" is one of Ted's earlier works and is a collaboration with the late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade. The story revolves around the young boy, Caleb, who flees from Ethiopia with Jason and Leiah. But all is not as it seems...especially not when it comes to Caleb. The whirlwind of intrigue and mystery that begins to surround the trio attracts more attention than they bargained for...and could prove deadly.

I loved the pace of the novel as it pulled me in and didn't really slow down until near the end. The break is strategic as it gives the reader a breather before launching into the intense, roller coaster ending! While it is part of a set of two books (the sequel is "A Man Called Blessed"), I did feel like this worked as a standalone novel as well. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Oh Baby!

I know I haven't been doing many updates on my pregnancy but really there hasn't been much to update you about. Things have been going smoothly: minimal sickness, exhaustion, lots of research about cribs and such. Believe me, I'm not bragging about this smoothness. I almost feel left out of all the pregnancy stories that friends have shared since I don't have much to say. So...nothing worthy of a full update has really been going on...until now! :D

On Wednesday we had a check-up with my OB doc which included the midterm ultrasound. It's so hard to believe that I'm already basically halfway done with my pregnancy! We are less than 5 months away from meeting our little one! The next few months will be filled with painting and nursery prep, furniture shopping and buying, and organizing the house and nursery so they are ready to receive our new little one. But now one more detail has fallen in to place...

We got to see our little one for only the 2nd time, but they had a big reveal for us!

Meet the newest little Clark!

We can't wait to meet you Little One!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Dan and Meghan

Sochi

They're almost here!! Only 30 more days! One month!

I absolutely love the Olympics! There's just something about watching some of the best athletes in their fields compete from around the world that is eternally exciting. Even to the point that I've watched (and enjoyed) curling!

I always look forward to seeing the opening and closing ceremonies with their pomp and pageantry, the figure skating with its grace and beauty, and even the high-flying ski and snowboard antics. The strategic maneuvering of curling, the sheer speed of short track skating...there's so much to see and enjoy! The hardest part? The two year wait between each Olympics!

So tell me, friends, what is your favorite part of the Olympics? Do you enjoy them as much as I do? :)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Third Anniversary: Colorado Edition

So I'm a little behind on updates...blame it on the pregnancy brain and lack of energy. Also, fair warning, this post contains a LOT of photos! But considering I took more than 1,200...I think I showed decent restraint. ;)

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On September 4th, Dan and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. 3 years feels both short and long at the same time. I feel like so much has happened in such a short period of time. The years have been wonderful, if at times challenging, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

To celebrate 3 years, we treated ourselves to a mountain retreat in Estes Park, Colorado. It was my first trip to Estes but Dan's first trip to Colorado at all! He was really excited to see the mountains and kept looking for them to come into view as we drove west.
 

Driving through the mountains on our approach to Estes

 We are so thankful to our friends, Jeff and Julie Abel, who recommended not only our hotel but places to eat and things to see as well. We had a room with a balcony right on the river that ran through town with a view of the mountains beyond and were right on the trolley route to and from town when we didn't feel like walking. 

Our View

We absolutely loved exploring the town of Estes Park. Our first couple of days we just explored downtown as we adjusted to the altitude. We enjoyed wandering around town looking at the shops, riding the trolley around the see more of the town when our legs (and lungs) got tired. The Stanley Hotel made for a delightful afternoon of touring and soaking in the gardens.

In front of The Stanley

Enjoying the gardens

Watching the fishermen while waiting for the trolley

After our adventures in town, we spent a whole day driving through and exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. Dan had brought out the map and decided, since the weather was nice, that we would take the dirt road up the mountain, then join the paved road for the rest of the trek through the park. It was quite exhilarating driving that little, one-way dirt road! Thankfully, there were plenty of pulloff areas to be able to enjoy the beauty around us from outside of the car. We also had some fun by setting our GPS unit to display our current altitude and then watching it climb! (Lots of pictures ahead!)

Entrance to Old Fall River Road

One of the first stops...he was bummed it was closed so we couldn't hike down to the river

Looking back down at the valley as we ascend

Spotted this guy at one of our first stops on the road

Love the sound of rushing water

Getting higher!

You can see the snow pack that still hadn't melted over the summer

Finally above the tree line!

At the rest stop at the summit...it was a little chilly up there!

We had lunch at the summit of the trail road and enjoyed looking around a bit before heading down the mountain on the paved road to continue our exploration. Rain clouds poured down on us until we got back below the tree line. The second part of our trip included crossing the Continental Divide, seeing elk and moose, stopping at a pretty lake in the nearby town, and a small yet exhausting hike (on a paved trail) at altitude just off the road. We were wiped out by the end of our adventures!

Dan at the Continental Divide

Both of us at the Divide

The little lake we stopped at just outside the park in a nearby town

They had a perfectly placed post for me to put the camera on to take the picture!

The two huge moose we saw near the park sign...not more than 40 feet from us!

Gorgeous! We totally fell in love with RMNP.

The female moose we saw (much further away from us) in RMNP.

Looking back down at the river valley.

It was amazing to be above some of the clouds!

Well, hello Mr. Marmot. (Seen on our trail hike.)

The trail we hiked (notice you can't see the vehicles for the altitude change).

At another lookout (all I wanted to do was sit down at this point).

Those white specks are birds...flying below us!

The two elk we saw...they were a little camera shy.

Overall, it was an absolutely wonderful trip and one that has had us talking about when we can go back to Colorado. :) I am so glad I was able to see the mountains again and immensely thankful my husband fell just as much in love with them as I am!

Amazing steak dinner at Orlando's to celebrate our anniversary :)

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Love! Here's to many, many more!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan