What really turns me on...

Got your attention didn't I?! Well, I'm sorry to say this will not be a 50 Shades of Gray-type post. I'm sure everyone who got directed here from a search engine looking for something naughty will be disappointed. I'm not going to talk about R-Patz and Zac Efron (although, they are delish...K-Stew what were you thinking...) I'm going to talk about my main man, the hubby....

It's funny because I was totally one of those girls that always dated jerks. I dated the guys who cheated on me, were embarrassed to let people know how serious we were, basically treated me like dirt. I had really low self-worth and self-esteem because of this, and I kinda dated- or was involved with one after the other after the other....how I ended up with such an amazing guy, is truly the Lord's work.

Now instead of wanting someone because they played games with me or messed with my mind enough to make me think I needed them to be happy, I am so insanely hot for my husband who is everything all of those guys were not. I'm turned on by a man who at any given day and at any given time is thinking about protecting and providing and doing what is best for me and our daughter. I have a man who is so insanely in love with our child that he'll change diapers, and wake up in the middle of the night, and get up early on my days off so I can sleep in just so he can spend more time with her. I have a man that makes me feel sexy, and I feel good about myself because of who he challenges me to be, not because he's messed with my self-esteem. I've got a man who loves his family; not just Noah and me, but his mom, dad, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. He talks to both of his parents, and both of his sisters- every single day. He tells his best friend he loves him before they hang up from a phone conversation. And y'all, you know what is best of all....he loves MY family. And we're straight cray-cray. He loves my parents, he loves my brothers (who in the past have threatened to kill him), and he loves my grandparents. He often says that he could hang with my grandparents all day, even if I wasn't with him. The thing I love the most-most-mostest about my man is that he loves the Lord. He is a great example to Noah and me, and everyone who is around him of how to serve the Lord and recognize His hand in all things. He tells me all of the time how grateful he is that our Heavenly Father has seen fit to bless us so abundantly. He takes zero credit for his success as a business owner, and zero credit for all that he has worked hard to provide us with. He gives it all up to the Lord in thanks and praise.

Noah and I are two lucky girls, and we don't ever forget it!! God has blessed our family by giving us the best husband and daddy ever- and it doesn't hurt that he's really really, ridiculously good looking! I hope all of you are so blessed! Peace and Love, Layne

getting a few things off of my chest...

As y'all can see, I've made some changes to my blog: A new name, a new look, and I'm hoping a bit of a fresh start for me. I've been feeling very strongly lately that I need to start blogging again, to have an outlet for a whole slew of emotions, ideas, and opinions that have been jumbled up in my mind. This blog will be my catharsis, but also, I'm hoping that returning to this blog, with it's schnazy new look will help me keep focus, and prioritize what lately I've felt I have let fall to the wayside. Specifically, I want to be able to write about my growth as a Christian, my duties as a wife, and experiences as a mother. My desire is that I'll be able to strengthen myself in all three of my most important roles in life, and that by sharing myself with you we will be able to grow together, learn from one another, and have a little fun along the way.

So with my first post back in ages I'd like to get some things off of my chest, a few opinions, tidbits, and words of wisdom for you ;) I love y'all a ton, I'm excited to be writing again.
Peace and Love, Layne

~ God is good.
~ You will never regret a work out once it's over, it is an instant mood lifter.
~ Sing to your children, I promise you they will remember it, because I remember being sung to by my parents.
~ Give people the benefit of the doubt, always try and see the good in everyone. It will make you a much happier person!
~ I am so grateful for my friends who point me in the right direction, who love me no matter what and who "speak truth into me". <3
~ Pray out loud and with purpose, the Lord is really busy, so make sure you mean it!
~ Talk to your spouse. About everything. You have been given a built-in best friend, make use of them!
~ Always opt for more veggies!
~ Try not to beat yourself up about things, but don't ever settle for being mediocre.
~ Give God some QT each day.
~ So much media attention is being given to the Boy Scouts of America, and ChikfilA right now regarding their political and ethical decisions as organizations. I've mulled over it, and tossed and turned, and tried to think of eloquent things to say, and personal statements to make and all I can come up with that seems to express how I feel about it all is this: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40
~Go Team USA!

I'm baaaaaaaacccckkkk!

 Heeeyyyy everybody!!! I've missed you. I wish I could say I was back for good on the regular, but to be honest I had to force this time into my schedule. But the good news is that I was able to make some time and I have the most fun stuff to share with you. In the midst of my full-time job, my part-time Zumba instructor gig, and being a momma I managed to sneak in some DIY home projects! (with the help of the hubby, of course) So, Noah turned 6 months old last month and we hadn't even gotten her a highchair yet. Yikes, we're bad parents, but I decided to look around for some good deals because we really didn't want to drop $100 on a highchair, and I found a wooden Eddie Bauer one on craiglist for $30 like this one....

I arranged to go get it and the lady texted me and said "Oh by the way....it's in bad shape"---so I decided to give her $20 and refinish it myself! It took some good sanding, priming, painting and sealing but I ended up with a dang cute highchair for my little monster. Here it is after the first coat of paint...

I went with a shade called "avocado" I've been wanting to add some pop of color into our house lately and this was the first step! Here is the finished project....

Hmmmmmmm, I don't know about you but I think it's still missing something.....

The little monster herself, and of course we had to christen it with a bowl of cereal, as seen below...

My friend, London, had an old wooden highchair in storage that she decided to refinish along with me....she had some pretty cool detailing on hers and deciding we should hand paint it different colors, here it is in the 'work in progress' stage:

The hubby decided to tackle a pretty big project, too. He decided we would try DIY wainscoting in our billiard room. It turned out to be a lot bigger project than we expected, and we were lucky that our brother-in-law had a free weekend to come and help. Here it is after the wood work had been put up and puttied...the walls were originally a burnt Sienna color and we decided to go with a gray called London Fog...

Notice Noah in the exersaucer giving us moral support while we were hard at work! We had Alan Jackson Pandora station on and she was bouncing around and dancing for us while we painted! Here is the finished product!

I think it turned out really classy! Now we're on the hunt for some fun wall art to add some funk and color to the room! 

Here's my little monster in her exersaucer, she LOVES bouncing in it....she's rocking her new do which is the round tuft of long hair on top of her head up in a rubberband with a bow....I couldn't stomach the comb-over anymore, the top hair was SO long and brown and the hair she has growing in is blondest blonde she was starting to look like a skunk!

Here she is giving a serious look-she didn't feel too well, but I think it's a funny picture, it looks like she's about to say: "Oh no you dih-unt!"

I know what you're thinking, and yes, that is an "I <3 Vampires" tank top. It was a gag gift from my mom one Christmas and I only wear it when I'm lounging around...I had it on while I was painting the highchair because I didn't care if it got ruined.....it was just peerrrffect that my neighbor I hadn't met yet came over and introduced herself to me while I was wearing it. Mortified. I did my best Southern Belle and flung my hand across my chest and said "Oh my how wonderful to meet you!!!!" all the while covering up the vampire slogan and silently hoping she hadn't seen it yet.....she probably went home and told her husband not to let their kids trick or treat here next year, haha!

What I've Been Up To Lately

Hanging out with Great Friends

Kickin' it mama style with this little munchkin

I've missed y'all a ton, but it's been impossible to blog lately. I'm putting off a lot of more important things right now to write this because I simply HAD to have a writing fix. So much has happened since I last posted so here are some updates in no particular order:

1. Noah is now almost 5 months old

2. Noah had her first accident when she rolled off the couch and hit her head on the coffee table. She's got a scar because, frankly, she's hard core like that.

3. I'm only 9 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight....I've been working it out like a gangstah. I'm so lucky to have an awesome husband who is willing to spare me for 1+ hrs each night!

4. We are basically home every other weekend and it's getting exhausting. I am SO glad that we have such awesome family to visit but I am WAY over packing and unpacking

5. Noah is rolling over...and over and over. AND talking up a storm. She can already recite the Gettysburg Address.

These things may not seem like much to anyone else but my life has been jam packed- super busy and never dull. I hope all of you have been having as good of a time as I have...Love, Layne