Butterflies

Ok... Butterflies still exist! Yes, those little tiny fluttering's that make your heart race. I was sitting at work chatting with one of the girls there and all the sudden the butterflies filled my body as I saw Julius walk by the window and then into work. Those butterfiles sure caught me off guard and so did Julius but how grateful I am for those tiny fluttering's because it was just the reminder I needed and with the spirit of thanksgiving lurking around in my thoughts...I'm pretty sure he just might be my favorite blessing.

...and then this happened while I asked him to take a picture with me.

It's the death stare and I know it all to well.

{favorite picture of all time now}

a fourth of a century...

 I had my twenty fifth birthday a few days ago and just now taking some time to think about my twenty five years. They have been full. A lot has been on my mind as of late and most of it is stemming from the ungratefulness I have at times. I recently had a conversation with an Armenian woman who told us about her life in Armenia and the poverty she grew up around. I don't think I'll ever understand the poverty of which she grew up in or the hardships she endured {for example taking a bath once a month, or curling her hair with a piece of metal she found in some rumble} but it has made me reflect a lot on how blessed my life is and has been and how full of gratitude I should be for these past 25 years I have had.

Thank you Mom & Dad for teaching me the principles of life. 

A big thank you to my siblings who have had to put up with me {and my sass} for the last 25 years.

Thank you to a husband who loves me and supports me.

and little thank you to Ivy girl

...it may sound a little silly to some but she has filled my life with a lot of love these past few months and I am grateful for that.

To the next five, ten or twenty some years and birthdays to come, I hope I continue to have gratitude in my heart and give love to all around.

Who knows what will transpire in these years to come {hopefully a baby} but I know it has been designed by a Loving Heavenly Father and for that I am most grateful!

halloween

It was a pretty uneventful halloween with only a handful of tricker- treaters but what made it all the better was these cute little puppies! All of the Gillmore siblings have dogs and their names are Ivy, June and Lily. It might have been cruel and unusual to dress them up but there was some definite cuteness going on!

Ivy was wearing the tool dress.
June was bat-dog.
Lily was a trailwalker.

 It was IMPOSSIBLE to get a decent picture of them all together.

 Ivy called it quits and snuggled up to the straw man.

Happy Halloween!!!

5 years & San Antonio: Riverwalk

We took a long weekend to go and visit Arizona. It amazes me every time I go there how much it feels like home. I'm not completely sure why I have such deep feelings of home connected to that place other than it was the place where Julius and I started our life together...5 years ago. I was just a young, naive, young woman in a new place far {and I mean far} away from any familiarity but I think it was there I grew into a woman. I grew as wife to and was blessed with a loving and tender husband who was patient with my insecurities and understanding that I had some growing out of a young woman into a woman to do. It's hard to believe it's been five years. The milestone isn't that grand but it's a milestone none the less and I'm grateful for these five years because I have grown in ways I never would have if it weren't for Julius. Especially these last two. They might be the hardest yet but they have meant the most to me. They have taught me indescribable things...things that only a loving Heavenly Father would want me to learn to better myself and to better my family. These past two years have taught me how much I want and desire to be a mother. They have taught me that the Lord's timing is better and usually different than mine. They have taught me how to love. They have taught me to have an open mind and see things through eyes that aren't mine. They have taught me how much I love Julius with all that I have and how I wouldn't be who I am today without him. To the next five years and many many more. I love you Julius and am so happy that you chose me and I chose you.

On the way back to Texas we stopped in San Antonio to stroll the Riverwalk.

I can't stop laughing

Oh, I have not been able to stop laughing since julius added some caption to this already fantastic picture of Elder Park. 

Galveston

I headed down to South Houston with little Miss Ivy to meet up with our friend Stacie and her two cute pups. We had such a blast. And I was completely shocked by the charm of Galveston. The homes were beyond adorable and you could tell they had stories to share...Oh, how I can not wait to go back down and explore a little more.

Ivy loved the sand...the water, not so much but we're working on it :)

life through my iphone lately

Here is miss Ivy showing off her oh, so delicate chicken legs.

Someone burrowed through my shorts to find the "perfect" sleeping spot while I put on my mascara.

She got a HARNESS!! That she hates but with her instantiate need to greet everyone and give them some of her best Ivy love {usually kisses all over the face and hair biting if you're extra special} it was time for her to be tamed.

I took a trip out to Arizona to help out a good friend of mine move this past month and it was so great seeing her and getting to have some really good girl time but I must say it was one of the hardest trips away from Julius {and now Ivy too} EVER. Distance makes the heart grow stronger...I know this for a fact even more than ever. I love my little family and can not wait to be near my real family in Texas in just a couple weeks.

tennis & a puppy

Not the best of ideas to combine tennis with a puppy. She did okay for about a minute and then wanted to run on to the court and sit her little tush right next to my feet. She didn't quite grasp the concept of tennis {she's only 3 months old, we'll give her a break this once}. Maybe when you're older baby girl we'll try the tennis thing again, but as for now we'll keep it to the two of us.

Tennis is one thing that I'm really grateful I get to share with Julius. Even if he wins every.single.time.

fireworks, friends & our fourth of July

We spent our 4th of July in great company. 

Although the humidity and head index made me oh so uncomfortable {along with almost everyone else} it finally cooled off just in time for fireworks.

J & I threw the baseball around for a bit...oh, how I love that man.

Happy Birthday America

{here's to many more birthday's}

 {our friends the Hallows}

 {Just the girls}

 {Bostyn and her pine cone throwing skills}

 {out of focus, but I secretly like it}

 {it was quite the show}

I love this country and am beyond grateful the sacrifices that have been made in Her behalf.

Our father's God, to thee,

Author of liberty,

  To thee we sing;

Long may our lands be bright

With freedom's holy light.

Protect us by thy might,

Great God, our King!