A Purposeful Peek

We were fortunate to spend last weekend in one of the most charming and lovely places in the South - Charleston, South Carolina.  You can't help but feel like time stands still when you walk through the cobblestone streets past the Victorian style homes with huge rocking-chair front porches.  And the food...oh, the food! Here are the highlights of our weekend getaway, and places I would highly recommend visiting next time you find yourself in one of our favorite cities...               We arrived on Friday night just in time to pick up our race packets for Saturday's main event: The Cooper River Bridge Run .  I have been so fortunate to feel well and stay active for the first half of my pregnancy, and even at 5 & 1/2 months pregnant, I was not about to miss out on this race that we had registered for months ago! We checked into our hotel, the Embassy Suites in downtown Charleston - a charming place to stay and pac...

I've always had a fascination with names.  Every name has a story, a meaning, a purpose.  Some are more intentional than others, like a woman I met on the elevator at work who told me her baby boy's name is Sirod...because it is her own name spelled backwards (Doris)!  Then, I have a friend who felt so certain she was having a baby boy that she never considered a single girl's name...so when her daughter was born (surprise!), she handed the baby name book to her husband and said "pick one." Fortunately, he did a great job and selected a beautiful name. It seems I'm not the only one fascinated with the meaning and history behind names. There are thousands of books, websites, and databases that are dedicated to categorizing, analyzing, and archiving baby names.  One of my current favorites is The Baby Name Wizard , a website with a tool called the Baby Name Voyager , which graphs the popularity of baby names over the last 100+ years as well as their meanings....

It's March Madness around here. And what better way to celebrate than with some close friends as we revealed the gender of our little one at our "March Maternity Madness" celebration?! It had rained all week long, but the sun came out just in time for a beautiful Saturday afternoon cookout, and we kicked off our "Game Time" event with 30 of our favorite people.  It was Team Pink vs Team Blue… scroll down to see who won! *All photos below provided by our talented friend Bob Bonnett of http://www.bonnettphoto.com  Team Pink vs Team Blue What's a party without some good food? Game-time snacks Awesome basketball cake made by my friend Danielle Beautiful flowers from our family and "He -r- She" party favors Sweet gift from some thoughtful friends The kids' table Breaking the news with a basketball piñata... Seeing pink! Gathering the goods The winner! ...

Hello, friends! Today, it is my privilege to introduce you to a childhood friend of mine who recently published her first book, featured today on this virtual book tour.  I grew up across the street from Abby and her family, who are still dear friends of mine to this day.  In her book, Abby shares her story of heartache and survival from a battle that almost took her life.  Growing up, I witnessed some of her initial story firsthand, through the eyes of a child, but I never understood the full extent until I read her honest account in this book.  I encourage you to pick up a copy - no matter what your life's battle, you will find encouragement through the words of my friend, whose faith and transparency are awe-inspiring!   Genre: Memoir/Self Help About The Book Paperback: 196 pages Publisher: Bettie Youngs Book Publishers (March 17, 2014) ISBN-10: 1940784174 ISBN-13: 978-1940784175 About The Book I want. I want you to want ...

It started out as my mother's idea for a family photoshoot, and it turned into something so much more… The incredibly talented Taylor at HolliB Photography captured a moment that will never be replaced or recreated. This is now one of my all-time favorite memories, and I am privileged to offer you a sneak peek inside one of life's greatest joys...    What was all of this in reaction to........? "For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I have asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28 We are blessed beyond measure by God's faithfulness and perfect timing!  It has been incredibly special to hold what felt like the world's best kept secret, but our joy has been multiplied as we've shared this news with family and close friends over the past few months. We look forward to this new adventure as we welcome the L...

January was cold and snowy here in NC, and my mind has been drifting to warmer, sunnier places. And when a good friend of mine recently told me she booked her plane ticket to Greece for her upcoming honeymoon…memories of my own Greek honeymoon flooded my mind with visions of winding cobblestone streets and delicious gelato around each corner, towering ancient structures and crumbling remains of history, crepe shops tucked inside painted doorways and romantic moonlit dinners with an unobstructed view of the Parthenon.  I thought of the deep blue Mediterranean Sea and the salty breeze off the water, the windmill-dotted Greek islands and walking in the footsteps of ancient Biblical figures. And, ohhh, Santorini! The bright white domes and vibrant blue rooftops, the ornately adorned donkeys climbing the 500 stairs, the windmills of Oia and the island's famous lighthouse, black sand beaches and cliffside villages. And most of all, the sunsets… Should you ever find yourself in Greece,...