The past few days, I have been smiling more than usual. The crisp, rainy weather may have a bit to do with it...also to blame, the christmas music that Drew blast's through the house while we make tortellini..or that we found out I have a baby girl in my tum. Life is hard and ugly sometimes, that's the truth..but goodness, it is wonderful. 

I have been enjoying my new job and value the times I get to set a Thanksgiving table, or create a centerpiece for a winter wedding. What I most adore is the people I meet...

Last week, I was answering phones and finishing paperwork when a spunky middle age woman stopped by the showroom. I was tired of sitting, so I decided to join her in the obvious linen swatch dilemma that was battling her. We ended up chatting about pregnancy, soccer, and red wine before we decided on a hue. She was throwing a party for her 100 year old grandmother. I asked this stranger about her grandmother and the woman's face lit up the gloomy showroom. "She wears a different color every day. One day it's red pants, a red shirt, and red shoes..the next day ALL yellow!!" She exclaimed. We laughed and I asked her what her grandmother's secret to life was. The woman in olive green smiled and became calm. "She's happy." 

Secretly inspired by this 100 year old, Andrew and I made a "joy" list over chinese soup the other day. He told me that making smoothies, working on his truck, dinners with his wife : ), and dogs bring him joy...among other things. We laughed at how often food items came up on our individual joy lists. 

Sometimes it takes a stranger to remind me to "be happy." What a beautiful simplicity. I often add to my joy list when I have a moment of absolutely blissful joy. You know what I'm talking about!

Here's mine as of today. 

Seasonal candles. 

Good music. 

Fam time. 

Anthropologie. 

Baking treats. 

Fresh flowers. 

Australian Licorice. 

Thrift shopping. 

Green tea. 

Killer boots. 

Honesty. 

Worship. 

A day of with Drew. 

Walks. 

Yoga. 

Baked Mac n' cheese. 

Reading. 

and a new one..baby clothes. 

I hope you are having a joy-filled day. 

J

A lime-sized babe

I don't remember it being Thursday already, or the last day of summer, or me being 13 weeks pregs....this week has been jam-packed with lunch dates with gorgeous babes, lots of workin, a new 2nd job, watching 2 sets of kids, grocery shopping, running..so busy that I didn't even realize a very special something until late this afternoon...

...I totally, absolutely, definitely have a lil belly. It's tiny but debuting itself! I love that I don't have to suck it in anymore, that my stomach is actually supposed to be growing! Fabulous!! Genius!!

A few of life's recent nuggets-

Be a friend who is THERE no matter what. Through new adventures of marriage, break ups, pregnancies, depression, joy, tragedy...to be able to stick like glue, even if you can't necessarily relate, are exhausted, or haven't a darn thing to say. A friend who sticks like glue. Life is freakin crazy, always..but there is WAY more than enough time in the day to pick up the phone and call up a friend. Even if it's for 5 minutes. SO important. 

Smelling good is one of the most important things in the world...(to me) : )

Some of THE BEST advice I got when I was preparing to be a wife was this, you won't really know how to do something until you just do it. WHAT?!! I can't read 98475 books and become an instant, overnight, guaranteed pro? Just do it. You can prepare but you'll never really get it until you just do it. Get married. Devote your heart to the Lord and he will help you figure it out along the way. Become a Momma. Commit yourself to that little bub, commit your bub to the Lord and you will figure it out. Thanks Terri! 

Sing in the shower. Please. Free therapy! It forced you to an instant state of carelessness...shoot-maybe you're the next X-factor contestant! Work it!

Blood Orange sorbet is like crack cocaine. Not that I know what crack cocaine is like. But get your paws on this sorbet and you will be begging for another hit-promise! 

There is no better place to be than being home with my hubby Drew. No matter how beautiful the scenery elsewhere, there is nothing like sitting at our little dining table with homemade grub and funny stories to tell from our day. Life really is that simple. 

Real quick bub Harris update. I crave salt all of the time. All day, errry day. I have only succumbed to this desire a few times..once being a large fry from Mcdonalds. I know, fast food kills you. Secondly, it's true..the 2nd tri is WAY better than the first. I feel like Jeniece again. Happy, joyful, and wanting to workout allll of the time! Drew and I think about our little bub every day. Cannot wait to find out the sex! Everyone has been saying it's a girl, but Drew and I are excited either way! We want to embrace every little phase of development-such a blessing. COULD NOT ask for more. 

<3 you guys. 

10 weeks with the lil bub inside

First of all, I must admit I'm listening to Christmas music right now, LOVING it. :)

It's been a pretty easy bub road thus far. One day of throwing up both meals was the worst. Food tasting bitter some days. Feeling overjoyed one day and being overwhelmed and moody the next...pretty much the extent of my first 10. Drew has been a ROCKSTAR. Letting me lounge, crave bean burritos, and process new feelings and emotions. So blessed.

I'm bringing back a tradition I religiously practiced in my old blog. My top 5. Current joys, memories, excitements, ideas, food, you get the idea. 

1. Grooveshark. This online music player allows you to enter your favorite artist, press play, and sing your heart out! Grooveshark provides the opportunity to save self-made playlist's and has no annoying ads between songs. Check it out at http://grooveshark.com/#/. Also, search "Never Alone" by Jim Brickman feat. Lady Antebellum. Loving the lyrics..and anything by Lady A. 

2. Swimming. Unlike a lot of my friends, I never swam or played Water Polo in school. I decided I needed a change up at the gym so I picked up a sexy one piece (30% off at Big 5 right now), purple goggles, and a cheap swim cap. Luckily, the closest gym to our house has a great pool! Swimming is great for endurance, muscle strength and cardio..I may just be falling in love with it! 

3. Impromptu camping trips! I came home from work and informed my spontaneous husband I had work off the next day. He got that look in his eye and asked me if I wanted to go on an adventure. (The answer to this question is ALWAYS yes)..the next thing I knew, he threw our sleeping bags, tent, and some water bottles in the car. After sundown, we hiked up to Garcia trail in Azusa, pitched our tent, and slept under the stars! I love being in new places and there is SO MUCH left to explore around California! 

4. Fresh Flowers. I mean, this one if so obvious, but I must include these beauties! I recently got a beautiful bouquet of yellow wildflowers from my girlfriend Cara..next thing I knew, I was snipping away and placing the beautiful stems in mason's all over the house. It's crazy how much a little bouquet can bring instant happiness to any room!

5. Starbucks Refreshers. I still can't decide if I like "cool lime" or "very berry hibiscus" better.. yum! I love these refreshing drinks! Coffee isn't settling so well with my stomach, so these are my go-to! try one and grab a grande for me!

I hope this Friday finds you counting your blessings and laughing loudly :) 

A New Calling

As I spoon crunchy grape-nuts from my bowl to my mouth and write my shopping list on a post-it for Target, I think about how much in my life has changed.

I live with the love of my life. It will be 4 months on the 10th of September. We get to go to sleep with our feet touching and spend the mornings on the front porch with friends and hot coffee. He tells me the truth about my attitude and helps me prepare for interviews. I encourage him to get a mentor and to measure the coffee beans and water before he makes the coffee. We pray together, eat together, laugh together and have recently cried together.

Drew and I at our 8 week OB-GYN Appointment!

Not much of that will change in the next couple of months, or the next couple of years for that matter.  What will change is that we will have three different sizes of shoes at the front door, not two. Baby lotion will be on my Target list. Instead of a self grape-nut feeding, I will be holding a bottle up to our little bub's lips.

There is a playground that I pass by every day when I go on a run. There are countless mom's in workout clothes tugging around their little ones...we're all familiar with the scene. Laughing with them as they slowly slide down the "big slide." They talk with other mom's about their crazy morning's and wave goodbye when it's naptime.

That's my job. Strapping on my little ones shoes so he/she doesn't trip. Making sure their bottle is not too hot to drink. To live out loud for Christ so that our little one will see. To treat others with kindness and respect. To pray about everything and know that God can do ANYTHING. To honor God in the way Drew and I treat one another.

I may be getting ahead of myself, but let me tell you...when you see a little bean in your tum, your life changes. Dramatically. Your paradigm shifts and you begin to smile (and sometimes cry) every time you see a dad throwing his little girl up in the air.

So this is my cheers to life. As I sit here in my tie-die shorts and pony-tail in our half-painted blue chairs, I cheers to the new adventures and to the the new calling on my life. Let's do this.

More of You, less of Jeniece

How long does it take for you to get ready and out the door in the morning ? As an approximate, it takes me about an hour, lets be honest-usually more. An hour of finishing laundry, applying lotion, plucking my eyebrows, applying makeup, reading the paper, making oatmeal, looking for deodorant, jumping on top of Haley in her bed, walking outside, face-booking, you get the picture. Jam packed full of...stuff?

Welp, here goes. Come along with me as I replace that hour with reading the bible. Until May 26th. No more dinking around in the am before work. One hour-bible reading, simple as that.

Join me?

I leave you with a Brennan Manning qoute- "If we maintain the open-mindedness of children, we challenge fixed ideas and established structures, including our own. We listen to people in other denominations and religions. We don't find demons in those with whom we disagree. We don't cozy up to people who mouth our jargon. If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or: either creation or evolution, liberty or law, sacred or secular, Beethoven or Madonna. We focus on both-and, fully aware that God's truth cannot be imprisoned in a small definition. "

— Brennan Manning

Real Simple & Bubbles

My future mother in law, Laurie had no idea know what she was doing to me when she ordered me a subscription to Martha Stewarts, "Real Simple" magazine last Christmas.

When I finally get my hands on the mag (when you live with your parents and siblings, you will most likely get your magazine after 6 other people have dripped salsa on it and accidentally ripped out your favorite column and taped it to their door) I don't even open it. I must wait. Wait until it's time to take a bath.

When the right moment hits, I turn the water on to boiling hot and pour in a heaping cap full of Laura Mercier Honey Bath. The bubbles begin to form as I step in and wiggle my toes. Just writing this, I can feel this moment; one of simply pure relaxation. I grab my Real Simple and place it on the side of the tub. An hour has passed and I haven't even noticed. I read about new recipes, ways to stay fit, and how to be a better friend. I am reminded that I can take a 15 minute walk outside and it has the potential to take my day from blah to fabulous!(so true, fresh air does wonders) When my eyes begin to close, I know I must change locations! From bath to bed I go!

Baths aren't for everyone, but I dare you to try it. If you don't have a bath, be friends with someone who does! Can't wait till my next month's Real Simple comes! Thanks mama Laurie!