A couple of things.

Tonight I leave for Costa Rica!! I'm traveling with my friend Ashley, and we're meeting up with my husband who is already there with the MC team. We'll be spending a couple days in San Jose, and the last two days in Puentarenas. It's a quick, six day trip, but I am so glad to go! I'm so glad to be with Jeff while he's traveling this year. (Last year, I got to meet up with everybody in North Carolina.) The church we go to has close ties with Pastor Diaz and his church in San Jose. I've heard about how wonderful they are for years, and am looking forward to finally getting to meet them.

Speaking of Ashley...she is a gem, and will be such a fun travel partner! I've known her since she was 13, and now she's 21. My very first memory of her she was wearing black chucks. I believe she still has a pair. She's got quite the eye for photography...probably because she's got a unique eye for life. Well, she had an idea of a fun new project we just started working on...

It involves video and pictures at all of our favorite places. 

She's going to be documenting...my pregnancy!!! 

You read right! We're gonna have a baby in December. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it. I guess that's normal though, when two people fall in love...babies happen. 

Jeff and I are thrilled. We have names picked out. We can only guess at how dramatically life is going to change, and we are believing for health and miracles all along the way. We have no idea how everything's going to work out - - where we'll live, how we'll live off of one income, how stir-crazy I have the potential to get being in that tiny apartment all the time - - but we know that God has made our lives a living testimony of His goodness, so, it's all up to Him. And it's going to be beautiful and faith-building and glorious.

Meanwhile, I'm exhausted and queezy, but feeling really good, other than that!

Speaking of babies, my sister Heather just celebrated her first Mother's Day with little Ollie! She's doing it so gracefully and joyfully. Ollie is growing so much, and is healthy and strong. His eyes are able to really focus on faces now. He's got a strong grip with those long fingers of his. He's going to be the best cousin in the world, I can just tell.

One other fun thing, I just turned 33! My birthday morning I went to meet my good friend Connie for coffee downstairs at her apartment (yes, she lives in the same building - I highly recommend living near your besties). I walk in (late and nauseous). She had arranged for some of my favorite people to come over and have breakfast with me. It was so fun and SUCH a surprise! What Con did blew my mind, and was so special. I love all those ladies in my life. Then my pastors (they're like family) had THE HUGEST flower arrangement I've ever seen delivered to my office. It took two guys to carry it up the stairs, grabbing each end!!! I wish I'd taken a picture. It was stuffed with lilies, roses, hydrangeas...oh my. So lovely. Jeff and I were going to hit up a BBQ that night, but I ended up being sick all day and had to cancel. I slept most of the evening, then woke up and we walked downtown for some pho. He is the sweetest. He totally blessed me with my dream pedicure, spending money for summer clothes (I got this, this, this and this), some beautiful peonies, and a tambourine. Yes, I've been wanting a tamba really bad. :)

For some reason, holidays (particularly birthdays) aren't my favorite. I like normal, unexpected days. I'm sure it probably has to do with that feeling of being afraid of disappointment - WHEN I HAVE NO REASON TO BE DISAPPOINTED!! Anyway, that's a conversation for another day. But this day turned out to be so sweet and I felt so loved.

that's my new birthday tank!

I am blessed. :) Here's one corner of our apartment with all my fresh peonies Jeff got me. The amazing thing is that by the time those flowers were about done, they'd faded all the way to white and light yellow. I think that's incredible how peonies morph like that.

I've got a few other fun things coming up in June....a trip to Cabo with my dear 2nd family, the Somers. And a kayaking trip on San Juan Island with my friend Nikki. This baby in me is getting all the adventure before even being born. :-) And he's only the size of a kumquat!

So there's my little catch-up blog. Sorry for it's length! Thanks for reading. I'll be giving more updates now that I got the big news out of the way. Have a great week and I'll be back after Costa Rica.

Adventure isn't missing. :)

xoxo

p.s. This weekend I was wondering what Mother Theresa looked like when she was a young lady. 

Look at those eyes. What a woman.