Finishing the kitchen...

Well my goodness. 

Coach is not wasting anytime getting our home projects finished before the little one makes his/her debut. Which is totally fine with me! I do NOT want to be rushing around at the last minute about anything.

Amber's husband Ben does some amazing construction work, so over the past couple of days he has checked out the house and what we need to get done, him and Coach worked today, and he is coming back tomorrow to work on some more. 

Check out our new lighting under the cabinets...

I am SOOOO EXCITED!!! There are two different settings and I can actually SEE!!! 

We officially have a door frame..

Finished the trim...

And work on the mantle/fireplace has begun.

We are going to try and find a brick looking tile for the backsplash. They did such a GREAT JOB!

Can't wait to see how the rest will turn out!

Another beautiful Christmas Tree + Decor

 One of our Thanksgiving traditions and one of my absolute favorite things to do is go pick out our Christmas tree!

This sweet old man in town has them set up just about 5 minutes from our house and they are beautiful trees! The first year with Coach and I were together, we got our tree so big from there, okay maybe that was my fault, I didn't think we were going to get it thru the door and when we did, I thought we were going to have to cut more off because it almost touched the ceiling. NO WAY was there any kind of topper going on that one.

This year's tree reminded me of our first one together. It didn't stick out at the bottom as far as the other did but pretty close and it's so FULL and no holes. 

We are actually going to try and plant this one near the pond. He told me about his parent next door neighbor and how they planted one of their Christmas trees and y'all that tree is HUGE now! We have pretty much religiously watered it and I don't know how it will turn out but I hope it does take root and stay alive!

I know it's been up since the weekend of Thanksgiving but I am just not ready to take it down yet. I love all of our decorations! 

Oh, and as you can see, the bow did not get done this year. I felt good enough to get these decorations up and the next couple of weeks felt like poo sooo needless to say.. No bow. Just ribbon.

This garland was hanging from the mantle.. After the 5th fall I said whatever and laid it on the sewing machine.

I found this wreath in the attic and hot glued some pine combs I had spray painted red.

Love these snowmen!

I wish Coach could find some more antlers laying around so I could add to this ;)

Love love love red accents! My absolute favorite color.

Our ivory tree! I walked by it the other day and still get little whiffs of the fresh soap smell.

These glitter fillers are such a mess but beautiful.

Love these crowns I found at Hobby Lobby. I got the last four and they were 50% off. Whoop whoop!

What was your favorite decoration in your home this year?

Merry Christmas from the Hopper's! // Coming July 2015

FINALLY able to let this news out and boy does it feel like a ton has been lifted off mine and Shane's shoulders both!

We are expecting a little one to make his/her arrival around July 24th!

Aaahhhhh! Can you tell Kyli is thrilled?? Little girl has absolutely no idea what's about to happen to her little world. Ha!

So I was supposed to start the Monday before Thanksgiving and it didn't happen.. I really wasn't concerned because I never start on the exact day. Sorry if that is TMI. Tuesday rolled around and nothing but I was cramping like CRAZY! Wednesday nothing and starting to get anxious. Thursday one of my favorite clients came in her son is also playing with Team Elite now and she jokes with me about "I'm still waiting on my phone call to tell me your pregnant." I said, "No Jennifer, I am about to start and I am cramping like crazy so I know it's coming." In which her reply was, "Now that doesn't always mean that.. you know it can also mean the baby is implanting in your uterus." 

Insert really hot feeling all over and the word REALLY?? coming out of my mouth.

Friday rolls around and nothing and by this time I just felt like yup.. I know I am.

I did my first appointment, had a break, left and bought test, came back to the salon and took my first one. Immediately, it turned positive.

I cried.

Silly me with hormones!! I think I thought this because I made it to Day 59 on Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer and was finally getting some ab definition. LOL! 

Motivation for after the baby is born!

Got my second appointment done, took a second test, watched it turn immediately, left again for more test, returned to the salon and took a third one because 3 is one of our numbers and watched it turn +.

I'd say that we were pregnant. 

By this point, I was just running on adrenaline because I couldn't believe it. 

Never say NEVER folks! 

That's what I have always said.. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm the oldest and there were always babies around growing up.. I'm just not sure why never.

Of course, I didn't want to tell Coach over the phone. He waited on me that night to go to the gym, we made a trip to the dollar store for crackers afterwards, and that was the perfect opportunity for me to try and find a onesie. Well, they didn't have any so finally I found a bib that said Allstar on it, we got home, I wrote 'future' on it with a sharpie and put it in a box with the three tests I took. 

We had been talking lately about budget, so I thought it would be funny to preface with "I know I shouldn't have spent this money getting you this but I just couldn't resist and I wanted you to have it." Something along those lines.

"What is this?"

"Just open the box and see!"

First he pulls out the bib. 

"What is this? You pregnant? You pregnant? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??"

Uum yes Coach. Yes that is what those sticks mean. 

Then, all the color drained from his face and maybe after about 20 minutes of recuperating on the couch, he finally got up and hugged me. Bless him, he told me all the things that needed to be done before he/she gets here was just running thru his mind.

I can't speak for Shane but I ran on adrenaline and shock for about two weeks. We had to wait FOREVER for our first doctor appointment, December 3rd, and that was only blood work and paperwork. 

We finally made it to December 19th for our first Ultra Sound, we both met the Dr for the first time (LOVE him and he has delivered 3 of my cousins) and heard the heart beat at 150.

Our little miracle!

I was 9 weeks that Friday and in some of our pictures you can already see the arms and legs starting to form. 

If you have noticed my absence, its because the only time I have to blog is at night, and that is when I have felt the worst. I haven't thrown up but the nausea has been super fierce. My bed time has been out of this world, ridiculously early for me! Last Saturday, I woke up feeling like a new woman and almost back to myself and then Christmas Eve and Christmas Day night it was back on with a vengeance. Maybe I just did too much.

I have been journaling my thoughts and things that have happened so hopefully I will get those posted soon to share with you friends and family too and so I can remember this later on.

Still going to share our Christmas tree and decor around the house.. as well as our Christmas festivities.

I hope everyone had a VERY Merry Christmas!!

Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,  with whom is no variables, neither shadow of turning. 

James 1:17