Good and faithful friends and readers, please redirect yourself to:
to visit my new site!
I’m sad to leave my existing followers but please continue to tune in on the new site!
Can’t wait to share this journey with you!
Hope you enjoy and I’ll catch you on the flip side!
xo,
Oh me oh my it has been BUSY for us lately! This is short and sweet! (I plan on blogging tonight, though!) We returned from San Diego on Friday and haven’t stopped since! We have no Internet until Wednesday evening… Eek! The good news is our house is under baby nesting DEMOLITION! So, I will be blogging from my phone which is a nice feature but I don’t particularly love it. ALSO my blog face lift is FINISHED but I haven’t been able to transfer anything over (no Internet…boo!) So I’m learning a bit of patience here. Thanks for hanging in there. I’ll be back in full force shortly!
Xo, kates
Vegas: 89 miles away.
Don’t you hate when trips come to an end???
We do! We are so thankful for such a great getaway but MAN, driving home stinks!
The mouthfuls of delicious In-n-out haven’t stopped us from some pretty awesome car conversations. Conversations questions such as if you wrote a book, what would it be about? Or, what is your PERFECT day? It has been enjoyable thus far!
To be honest, it was so refreshing taking a break from social media and the blog. Thanks for letting me relax! I hardly checked my phone… It was nice! Hmmmm so what did we do? Slept, ate, got showered with love and gifts for baby, and hugged our two families a lot! (I’m looking forward to eating normal food again!) the San Diego weather was beautiful… Halo LOVED it! Next time we return, we will have a carseat… Crazy!
Here’s some visuals!
Even more important than our trip is our nieces BIRTHDAY and EASTER!
We are looking forward to celebrating two of our loves, Avery and Jesus!
I hope you’ve had an enjoyable week and we wish you a very Happy Easter!
Xo,
Kates
Ps: the new blog is coming along FABULOUSLY! I can’t wait to share!
And we’re off again! Im blogging from the wide open roads today. This is the last trip before baby Ireland arrives! Pretty CRAZY, huh? We’re looking forward to a week of family hugs, a family baby shower, beach sunsets, and yummy food and drinks! AND hubby/wife time away from work and normal life. We’re looking forward to all of it! Follow me on Instagram to get some visuals!
I’ve been spending the car ride responding to reader emails… I just want to say THANK YOU to YOU, my readers. I’m feeling extremely humbled by all the support from new and old friends, especially those I’ve never personally met before. I’m so thankful for the blogging community and to the sweet emails, comments, tweets, and likes that warm me up! Emails or not, the love doesn’t go unnoticed so please accept this big cyber hug!
Here’s our top 5 family tips to beat the boredom blues while road tripping!
1. Play the countries game! Name a country and whatever letter it ends in the next person has to start their country with. Example: Peru. Next player says Uganda.
2. Put the radio on scan. Sing along to all the new stations, especially the Spanish ones!
3. Stop frequently and try a new snack at each stop.
4. Sing TV commercials (especially if you can’t sing!). Example: “The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup!”. You must attempt in your BEST voice. Warning: you may laugh your brains out so make sure you don’t have to pee! And don’t be shy, belt it ladies and gents!
5. You think you know your driving partner? Play the questions game! Ask your partner, buddy, or family member any question. It stirs up good conversations (and hopefully not arguments!)
What are your tips to beating the boredom blues?
HAPPY SPRING BREAK Y’ALL!
Xoxox,
Kates
Thank Goodness It’s FRIDAY!
This post is going to be completely random… welcome to my brain!
You know I am a big fan of devotionals. Although I think they are all worth sharing, this one is awesome! Coming straight from ONE: A Marriage Devotional by Jimmy Evans.
Read on!
Dreaming Big
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Research proves that the best marriages are those with high goals. It’s important that you set goals for your marriage and keep your expectations high. However, high goals must also be accompanied by realistic expectations.
There are two extremes that cause a lot of marriage problems. On the one hand, it is common to see couples who have very high expectations for their marriages but also have a fairy tale mentality that everything good is just going to fall into their proverbial laps. Unrealistic expectations set them up for heartache and disappointment.
On the other extreme are the couples who don’t want to be disappointed so they keep their expectations low. Sometimes these couples are cynical because of failed marriages in their past or chronic problems in their present marriage.
Finding balance is the key to success. You must set goals and have dreams for your marriage. You must also realize that there will be challenges along the way and enemies you must face and overcome. By the way, the journey toward the dream is as important as the dream itself. It is on the journey that you learn to depend on each other, trust in each other, pray together and ultimately become close friends and intimate lovers.
Another important issue in setting high goals is to learn to establish practical disciplines in your relationship that move you toward your goals. They need to be things your regular schedule can accommodate and things you’ll stick with. Here are a few practical suggestions:
+ Have a date night every week. Do something special and work hard on that night to keep your romance alive.
+ Commit to having a vision retreat this year (which I talked about in week 44, A Common Vision).
+ Be creative and energetic in meeting each other’s needs.
+ Brush up on your manners. Recommit to appreciating each other and honoring each other.
+ Go to at least one marriage seminar this year, and read at least one marriage book together.
Be inspired to set some new goals and keep dreaming big dreams for your marriage. God created you for greatness.
Talk It Out | What goals have you set for your marriage? Do you have realistic expectations of how to attain them? Write down your common goals and pray together, asking God to help you realize your dreams.
Walk It Out | Make this week’s date night specifically for her. Husbands, let your wife choose what you will do on your date, and put extra effort into making it special for her!
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Married or not, we are all dreamers! Even the men!
I like that this forces couples to really think, talk, and set some goals. IT’S vital, I believe.
So tomorrow on our Spring Break ROAD TRIP (wo0-hoo!) we will be doing some goal-setting.
(Don’t WORRY, MVP. It will be in between March Madness sports radio!)
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Like I stated before, my blog has been going through a face lift! I’ve been searching for various color combos and stumbled across a new site that’s worth sharing!
Design seeds- For all who love color
It’s a great resource for any party planning, web planning, or house planning!
You’re WELCOME!
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I’m going to be completely honest.
Every morning I ask myself, can it get ANY bigger???
And it does.
Good thing there is a little miracle growing in there because this belly is taking OVER.
10 weeks until we meet baby Ireland!
I’m SOOOO excited!
You know what ladies? All this big belly business is SO worth it.
My favorite word: embrace
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Lastly, we told Halo she’s going on a road trip.
She doesn’t look too excited!
Happy FRIDAY!
Thanks for hanging with me!
xo,
Kates
You’d think it’s Christmas morning in our house today!
The MVP is giddy like a child over MARCH MADNESS.
This is the one weekend that we were NOT allowed to get married, not allowed to be on vacation away from a TV, and not allowed to ask to do honey-do’s.
You know when you are dating and you ask all those silly questions like whats your favorite color, food, and holiday???
Well, when it came to holiday, his response was “March Madness”.
At the time I was perplexed, for I didn’t know March Madness existed in the holiday category.
Six years later, still a bit perplexed, we (including Halo) celebrate March Madness as a holiday in our home.
MVP sets aside vacation days, I however, am going to work. BOO HOO.
Over the last six years I’ve gone from amateur to a seasoned vet when it comes to The Big Dance.
So ladies and gents, here’s some terms and tips I’m quite proud of.
ENJOY!
1. Never pick all number 1 seeds to go to the finals
2. Do pick a cinderella team to make it to the sweet 16
3. It’s okay to pick teams based on the coaches shoes or school mascot
4. Always pick a 12 over 5 upset. ALWAYS.
5. Bracketology: a confusing mess of stats, rankings, RPI, and match-ups
6. Buzzer beater: heart-pounding, man-yelling, fist-pumping excitement
7. Never ask MVP (or your man) to make dinner the first two days of MM
8. Be prepared to watch the replays and highlights NON STOP and don’t complain about it
9. Must have completed bracket in hand, available to refer to, at all times
10. Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley will be our new morning alarm
11. My BEST TIP! Embrace this holiday with your man…he’ll love it (and it’s actually quite fun!)
Here’s my bracket…It’s on like Donkey Kong!
My prediction: Louisville Cardinals over Indiana Hoosiers
MVP’s prediction: Indiana Hoosiers over Louisville Cardinals
Halo’s prediction: Gonzaga Bulldogs over Butler Bulldogs
See YA.
xo,
kates
Greetings from the couch, y’all.
I hate calling in sick, really.
I was wishing on my little stars that my throat would stop being so mad at me last night, but no.
I’ve been exhausted the last couple of days and apparently, it got the best of me!
In fact I tweeted last night that I asked the MVP to brush my teeth for me. No joke!
So as I am sitting here gargling with salt water every two hours, snuggling a puppy, and surfing the net, I figured it would be a good time to blog!
About what?
A loving husband through the night.
Nurse Halo Gums to snuggle, blog for me, and give me kisses.
And a roll of toilet paper.
And of course,
1. Hot water and sea salt every two hours
2. Cough drops
3. Ocean nasal spray
4. Throat spray
I’m praying I feel better before we leave for vacation this weekend!
Note to self: SLOW DOWN.
Wishing you a healthier Wednesday!
xo,
A huge thank you from me, MVP, and BABY for all the love yesterday!
We had a great time celebrating the Dad-to-be and revealing the name.
Here’s some pictures from the fun event!
The boys scoring the brackets…
The finished brackets!
Apparently we are pretty transparent because almost EVERYONE guessed her name…you guys know us so well!
The name is so meaningful to and we’re happy you “get it”.
I will be posting more about the name choosing process and why we chose her name but for now, we’re just enjoying the reveal.
Okay okay! We are happy to announce that baby girl Gums name is…
We cannot wait to meet baby Ireland!
We love you all,
PS:
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY to all our friends in IRELAND!!!
Hello sweet readers!
Today is a bit different from the rest.
I was a guest writer on the fab Chronicles of Ruthie Hart today and want you to check it out!
Here’s a sneak peek of the post… It’s got some WHOPPER-SIZE news for you!
ENJOY!
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Well howdy, new readers! It’s an honor to be writing alongside the lovely, Ruthie Hart. Thank you sweet pal for letting me take over your slice of the internet today!
Let’s get to it, shall we?
I’m Katie! You must hang with me; I tend to write a bit sporadic but I PROMISE after a while you’ll understand my style, and, maybe even giggle a little!
(AHEM! Please close the eyes to my grammar errors and made-up words, I’m seriously flawed in this realm!)
Well, I have BIG news. Like enormous WHALE-size news and I’ve waited for this guest post to share it. Lucky you!
If this is our first encounter then I must share a bit of ME in order for this to make sense.
I’m married to this HOT nerd.
He’s known around my block as MVP, you’ll never see me write his real name!
Ain’t he handsome?
Together we parent this petite rowdy pup. Meet Halo, our Boston baby girl.
We are happily expecting a baby girl in early JUNE! I’m 28 weeks and a few days to be exact. Pretty exciting, huh?
Here are some illustrations of the growing peanut thus far. The pictures aren’t fancy … forgive me!
Are you starting to feel a little more comfortable with me? Excellent!
So, almost 6 years ago while in college, MVP and I were dating in secret.
Most dates were spent on a golf course in hopes to be undisclosed. (That’s a whole different story!) We were on date number 4 sitting on a blanket talking until the wee hours of the morning. I was preparing to journey to Africa for three months and was determined to prove that it wasn’t a good time to start really dating. I would challenge him with complex questions, hoping he would answer them poorly so I could immediately pull the plug. I liked him, but I wasn’t in a place to settle down, so I thought. I was determined to prove that he wasn’t a good match for me. My plan backfired because he answered every question with such class…he blew me away! (I’m surprised he didn’t run when I started asking him such deep questions!) His answers were authentic and candid. He wasn’t trying to fluff the answers to get me to like him… which made me like him even more! Anyway, I asked him how he felt about stay-at-home-moms (SAHM). I’ve always wanted to be a SAHM so this question was a HUGE one. He said he hopes to be in a place that he can provide for his family and that if his wife wishes to stay home, he hopes for it too. He continued saying he would love his wife to raise his kids and that he’s looking forward to having a strong family unit.
GULP.
I stored those words somewhere in my heart and brain as he slowly worked his way into my life, never to depart.
Now we are approaching that very life we discussed 6 years ago. The decision seemed so much easier sitting on a blanket, before we became big kids!
After many prayers, conversations, and budget adjustments we have made our decision.
Drum roll please….
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Visit The Chronicles of Ruthie Hart to read the rest of the post!
XO,
PS: NAME REVEAL TONIGHT!
As you’ve been reading, tomorrow is the MVP’s couples diaper party. We have been shopping and prepping like crazy for tomorrows festivities!
We will be revealing baby girls name tomorrow and want YOU to be a part of the fun!
My brother-in-law gave us the genius idea to do a name bracket since basketball is on the brain lately!
(Bracket Challenge for March Madness is next week, ladies!)
SO, here’s the name bracket challenge!
One of these names is the final name…Can you win???
Fill out a bracket, take a picture of it, and email it to akupofkatie@gmail.com.
You could win a prize and your bracket will be featured on the blog!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
ALSO….
I love my sister being in town!
It’s been so nice going to appointments, shopping, and running errands with her next to me.
Today, we went to my last appointment with my High Risk Doc. I’m sad to leave him but happy I’m now considered a low risk patient! It’s hard to believe this is probably the LAST ultrasound before she arrives. WOWZA!
Here’s a 3D alien-like picture of her!
I always think these pictures are a little creepy BUT when it’s your own, they are cute-as-a-button!
Baby girl is healthy and BIG!
She weighs 3 pounds exactly and is STILL measuring tall. She is measuring a few days ahead but my due date is still the same. Doc says she will most likely be a BIG baby considering my size. Thanks, MVP for that!
We’re thankful that she’s healthy and continue to pray for healthy growth and a smooth delivery.
Also, thanks Auntie Melody for being there with us today!
Happy Friday, ya’ll!
Check back tomorrow MORNING.
BIG BIG BIG news (not just the name) is on the way.
I’m out!
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