Consistency goes a long way, value the easy friendships

Chances are if you are a consistent friend, you are someone's "easy friendship" a.k.a- you are a treasure..

Day 5 at SS

" One who is constant, one who is faithful, one who is unwaivering in commitment to making friendship work (yes it takes work!), that one is a diamond in the rough..." keep reading here!

Fight for Positivity

 Day 4 on The Best Ships series posts on friendships.. 

This is one that is near and dear to my heart. Read on for the full post!

Day 4 @ Surrender Story..check it out :

" Surround yourself with other positive people. If you find yourself having a hard day, ask for prayer. I think when someone chooses to be vulnerable enough to say they are having a hard time but show that they want to get out of that hard place, respect that. Being positive keeps up on our guard so that when we are approached with a problem or a situation with a friend, we are more clear and true in our though processes and can better lead them to Truth."... read more here

Be OK With Balance

Day 3 at Surrender Story

"If you don't sense a balance in a certain friendship then re-evaluate, pray about it, take some time and see if it's something you can work on.  If not, this might not be the time to pursue this friendship. Healthy relationships are what we want! A friend who initiates once in a while, who celebrates your differences  and seeks balance, that's a friend to hold onto!" 

Read all about the friendship series here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Embracing Differences

Day 2 at Surrender Story

"When you learn to see things a different way, you get a chance to walk in someone else's shoes and that's  way better than being able to share shoes. Promise.."..read more

Don't hate, initiate.

Day1 over at Surrender Story.. .

"Ah! What an awkward word this can be. For some, it's an adventurous word. Truth: Some people are just naturally better at going out of their way to pursue a friendship or intiate hang out time. Whether you are good at it or not, that doesn't really matter. If you care about a friendship it's essential..".read more

Looking forward to natural childbirth

A sweet friend who was "encouraging" me to do natural childbirth er, maybe not..sent this to me.
Hilarious and very disturbing.
Home birth on crack.

Enjoy and have a laugh!

The Best Ships, a series

I'm starting a series of Lessons I've Learned in Friendship next week.

I will do a little teaser on this blog everyday but the real post, the serious part, will be on my other blog Surrender Story. So check there for the longer posts!

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So. Why a series and why friendship?

Friendship is a topic that is very dear to my heart because I love my friends. (that's simple enough). They are essential to my life. I was created to be in healthy relationships with people and I crave that. The things is this though: many of my relationships in my 29.75 years have been unhealthy, really hard, co-dependent, awkward, hurtful. Some, a select few, have been easy, instantly awesome, long lasting and real. They have "survived" the good, the bad and the ugly.

 The thing I have struggled with most is finding balance. I mean, don't we all struggle with achieving balance in all things? But female friendships can really be challenging! Don't get me wrong in this, I don't over psychoanalyze everything. I can tend to but I don't. Not on this, not anymore But I do think that good friendships take thought. They take time. They take effort. And that's where the trueness of a friendship can be tested.

I love the easy, carefree, silly, fun moments in a true friendship but let's be honest here: friendships can be messy. They can be hard. They go through different phases, and that's ok. I love that my friendships are constantly changing, going through seasons. To stay at the same place in a friendship can be just as challenging as a constantly evolving one!

I would venture to say, the more genuine effort you put into a friendship, the better off you are as a person. You learn to be selfless. You learn to love. You learn to be consistent, you learn to grow. Some of the most heavenly of lessons I have learned from my earthly friends.

 Even Jesus  needed friends. He cherished them. Some let him down, some betrayed him. But a few stuck with him until he ascended and some even died for him. He was the ultimate friend. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother or sister. He layed his life down for his friends (that's us!) So there is a lot to be learned from him (duh, understatement of the century!)

So starting next week, I will be sharing some of my opinions about friendship, some of my own personal struggles and learned lessons. I am not a psychologist. I am not a friendship guru. I am just someone who loves real relationships and craves to know my God better through them. This is a post I have prayed about a lot and have spent hours writing. 

It may be more for my benefit that I wrote it, I'm not sure yet. It was good for me to reflect as I worked out my thoughts and it was quite therapeutic for me to recall my past experiences.  I hope it will be a helpful week of posts for you too.

So I will see you next week with some tidbits of friendship here on Misinterpretations and some serious goodness over at Surrender Story. Tomorrow, John stays home just because so there will be no FiB Friday here! I'm going to the baby dr. and  spending some alone QT with my man. Go to Lauren's place and follow all the fun blanks over there!

Happy weekending :)

Baby Shower #2

Let me just say,

I am blessed beyond all belief that not only I am loved but that this little treasure in my belly is SO loved and SO celebrated and anticipated. I don't think it's like this for everyone who is expecting. How did I hit the jackpot?!?

God is good. That's the long and the short of it. 

When he blesses, he blesses big. 

When you wait for something and pray faithfully with endurance, I personally think he rewards that in a BIG way. 

So, with that said, this second shower was just further proof that He  continues to bless me beyond just being pregnant.

Friends  are celebrating this kid, this answer to prayer like nobody's business.  Friends who have bought  me, John and Baby DJC gear, things, clothes, who have prayed continually before and during my pregnancy, who are consistent and present for this pregnancy- THEY ROCK MY WORLD. 

Thank you, God.

I not only got the desire of my heart but I got the bonus deal : Family and friends who are psyched out of their minds for the arrival of MY baby! Woot!

That being said, I've not only had one amazingly beautiful shower but I had another a couple of weeks ago.

Every detail was well thought out, well-planned and fit me and Baby to the 'T'.

I'll quit talking now.. enjoy the prettiness :)

friends everywhere!

we got hooked up :)

heaven.

She got personalized, that's for sure. She already looks adorable in it!

Some of my dearest and best. Faithful prayer warriors, for sure.

We're 6 days apart and our girls can't wait to meet each other :)

Lovely ladies who attended DJC's partay..

See? It was fabulous. And I loved it.

Coming soon..

Well, remember that one time that I told you about my  project ADD? Well, it's still very much alive and kickin', this ADD. It's rather intense to be real honest. (Yes I am aware that's not proper grammar..)

So, while having a million things to do (slight exaggeration), I still miss my blog. And I have about 5 (not an exaggeration) posts in my head that will make for interesting reading either on here or on my other blizzity, Surrender Story .

Coming soon:

•  Stolen baby projects
• Baby shower #2 recap and picture extravaganza
• Some sort of blog about friendship. It's probably going to be @ S.S. check there soon
• A montage of my pregnancy (as if you weren't already bored of hearing about it)
• and some other post that doesn't have a name in my head yet.

Sounds tantalizing doesn't it?!

Yep. Sure does!

Come back and check me out.

I would like to say that I will become more "regular" in my blogging  but we all know that's silly since a certain Dahlia Jane is going to be coming in 6 weeks or so. 

Apparently, being a stay at home wife/mom requires a lot more of my time than sitting at my desk at my old job did.  I'm sure the blogging world will go on but just in case you are so sad and miss my regular posting-

keep checking back!

Eventually I will stop being so spazzmotic  and settle down with the creating/nesting enough to formulate my thoughts into a witty post of some sort.

Have a happy week!

Find a pool, any pool, even if it's not yours and soak in it. It's going to be hot.

Itemized Fill in the Blank Friiday

A. I am 32 weeks pregnant now. Yikes. I officially feel it too. Not sleeping well at night, an achy pelvis and a sore back are my biggest and  only complaints to date! So far, so good.

B. Dahlia's knees are in my ribs as I type this. Such sweet little knees.

C. I have nesting ADD.

D. I am busy this next week.. childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes, dr. appointments, ultrasounds (hopefully) and other various things.  She is beginning to jeopardize most of my time.  My time is gladly jeopardized!

E. Baby shower #2 is next weekend and I. can't. wait.

F. This week my focus was: surrounding myself with lots of positive and little -no negative. It makes a difference in my mind, mood and attitude :) And plus, DJC  needs lots of happy vibes from a happy and calm mama.

Happy July 4th weekend!

1.   The best news I ever received was       that I was pregnant. FINALLY! That was a good day that began with LOTS of peeing on LOTS of sticks  .

2.  Something I'm looking forward to is   looking at Dahlia Jane Culpepper's face in person and kissing it A LOT.

3.  Something I would never do is     say never  .

4.  If I could choose someone to be my life coach (famous or not, living or dead), I'd choose  my counselor, Donna Ganote. That lady rocked my life when I was in high school AND my friend Janet. They would make a good team .

5.  If I had to put a label on my style it would be    evolving classic. I like classic looks but I like to mix stuff together to make a new species of style. Right now, however, it's just whatever is comfortable and doesn't make me sweaty. I'm looking forward to post pregnancy dressing even if I do have to adjust my sizes a bit  .

6.  One should always       take regular showers   .

7.  I want to      be able to get through child birth naturally. My world won't be overturned and ruined if I don't make it but I am hoping that it works out for reasons other than being able to say, "I did it naturally".  I am trying to amp up and prepare (how can you REALLY prepare for a baby coming out of your doo-dah!?) as much as I can before and I am praying A LOT.It's how I spend my sleeplessness :) .