GOALS FOR 2018 + READER SURVEY
I've always loved the New Year. New starts, blank calendar.... a whole new year before us! The past number of years I have prayed for a word for the year. I did that this year and can't wait to share it with you but before that I want to share some goals of mine.
I've always loved the New Year. New starts, blank calendar.... a whole new year before us! The past number of years I have prayed for a word for the year. I did that this year and can't wait to share it with you but before that I want to share some goals of mine.
Are you a goal setter? I am but I suck at follow through. This year I want to get waaaaay better at following through. I'm re-reading this post I wrote last year on goal setting tips and actually putting these tips into motion.
A huge thank you to everyone who gave me your tips on instagram!
Here were a few of them:
- write them down + keep them visible
- make a strategy for each goal
- be specific
- make them fun! (love that tip from my friend Jbakes)
- do a one month goal and check in half way
- set weekly goals
This year I went with the Day Designer and I LOVE it. There is a super thorough goals section which really helps you break down your goals and how you should achieve them (monthly actions, weekly routine, daily habit, what progress looks like).
Here are my 10 goals for the year...I'm telling them to you because you can help keep me accountable right? ;)
- Grow in Prayer Life
- Build a Stronger Marriage
- Make Memories with the Kids
- Get to 140lbs (my pre-Luca weight)
- Build GT's Young Adult Female Small Groups
- Take Better Care of Self
- Blog consistently throughout the year
- Grow in Social Media
- Grow Beautycounter Biz
- Further Educate + use Essential Oils
So there are my 10 goals for the year! 10 seems a little insane so I have to see what is manageable. We're going to Mexico on Saturday so I'm excited to be unplugged and start planning/executing the first steps to some of these.
I'm also very excited to consistently blog this year! I would love to hear what you want to see on the blog this year...please take a minute to answer the survey below...it means a lot!
Happy 2018 everybody. Would love to hear what your goals for the year are so we can slay it together!
XO,
laura
2017 IN REVIEW
Well hello there 2018! It seems so surreal that we're at the very start of a new year, but I feel like that every...single...year. I have a lot of plans for this year but before we start talking about all that, I want to take the time to look back on the year.
2017 seemed like three years to me. It was a year that so so so so many things happened.
Well hello there 2018! It seems so surreal that we're at the very start of a new year, but I feel like that every...single...year. I have a lot of plans for this year but before we start talking about all that, I want to take the time to look back on the year.
2017 seemed like three years to me. It was a year that so so so so many things happened.
January- I started the year with all the plans. Luca was 7 months and I had half a year of maternity leave yet. I felt like I finally had a handle on being a mama and I was excited to do allll the things in 2017...little did I know that London would be conceived 10 days into the year, ha. I tested positive at the end of January and it definitely rattled me. I like to say that I had my plans and God wanted to teach me that His plans are always better.
In January I also got to see my all time hero...BETH FREAKING MOORE! That was amazing!
February- Even though I was on mat leave, I still ran our church's teen girl conference, Illuminate! It's a lot of work but there is a great team I have the privilege of serving with. The weekend was so so fun and it's such an honour to be able to be a part of seeing girl's lives impacted. Can't wait for this years!
Also in February, my friend Rachael shot these photos of Luca and I. I still treasure them so much.
March- In March we started planning our living room reno. We decided to do built ins and a new fireplace. James did such an amazing job and I need to get my butt in gear and shoot the room because I can't wait to show you.
April- Early in April, we made it public that we were having another baby! I took a couple trips that month...We got to check out my in-laws cabin on Pender and I went to Whistler to celebrate my besties 30th!
May- I went back to work in May. It was bittersweet. I love my job and was excited to be around adults but it was hard to leave sweet Luca. It all worked out though. We had great care for him and I realized I loved being back at work.
In May we also had our gender reveal! That day was definitely one of the highlights of my year....especially Luca's face..lols
June- Luca turned ONE and we celebrated lumberjack style!!! I can't believe how much a baby grows in their first year....my little lion entered toddlerhood. He started taking his first steps just before his birthday and started fully walking near the end of the month...such a milestone.
July- We took a mini vaycay to Pender again in July. On that getaway we realized that getaways with toddlers are not relaxing at all..ha. Still had fun though. James also turned 28!
August- In August we went to Vancouver for a couple days to visit my bestie and her hubs. We headed down to the states for a quick Target trip, visited Cultus Lake, shopped and watched some amazing fireworks. It was such a lovely vaycay. I also turned 31 in August and had some maternity photos shot.
September- My friend's threw me an amazing baby shower and I finished up work. I thought that maybe London would come early (as I was due on October 7th).
October- BABY MONTH! I was off work and I waited and waited and waited and London finally came (12 days late) on October 19th. I said goodbye to my incredible grandma, Nanny Rosa. I miss her so much. October was a surreal month as our family saw death and life in a few short weeks.
November- James started working again in November and God showed me that I could do the whole two under two thing! James also went away on a Christmas album tour and I survived three nights on my own...we all caught colds and it was HELL but we made it through. Oh and we had these family photos done..heart melting.
December- Christmas came and went. Lots of family time and way too many sweets. We celebrated NYE watching one of my dear friend marry the love of her life. It was a beautiful way to end the year.
So that's 2017 for you. SOOOO many things happened and it feels like a blur. I'm hoping time will slow down a wee bit in 2018 because I want to soak in allllll the time I have with my baby girl and little lion.
Hope you had an amazing 2018 and praying that your best is still to come this year!
XO,
laura
Most photos (all the good ones, ha) done by Rachael Alexandra Co.
2017 CHRISTMAS FAMILY PHOTOS
What a difference a year makes...or two. Seriously...look back at our 2016 photos...and our 2015 photos. The familia has GROWN and I just feel so dang blessed. My Nanny Rosa would always call Luca "tesoro" which means treasure and that's really what these two tiny humans are...treasure. Gifts from God that are entrusted to us. What a privilege and blessing...I need to remind myself that, especially in the throes of wiping snotty noses, cleaning blow outs, dealing with a fussy babe, etc.
We had our fave, Rachael Alexandra do our photos and we couldn't be happier. If you live in Victoria and are looking for a family or wedding photographer, book her!!
Photos with a camera shy 17 month old and a newborn can get a little hectic but she managed to give us amazing shots...even with Luca running away the entire time, ha.
Seriously, how sweet is our London girl. She is such an amazing babe. We all have a cold right now and she is such a trooper. Already sleeping like a dream (8 straight hours, hellllo!) and just providing pure cuteness all around. I couldn't imagine life without our dream girl.
It's kinda funny because as we were getting ready for the photos James and I were fighting. We resolved it on our way to the photos but it's a reminder that a few photos can give you the impression that everything is all dreamy but EVERYONE has issues and fights and insecurities and struggles. Just keeping it real folks :)
Love these treasures of mine.
XO,
laura
BOHO BABY GIRL SHOWER
A couple weeks ago my dear friends threw me the sweetest baby shower! Baby girl and I got mad blessed by our amazing village. Seriously, I have the bestest friends, family and church family!!
How stunning is that cake!!!!??? Rachel Cakes made it to replica that invite and she absolutely nailed it! It also was waaaay too delicious! If you live in Victoria, I HIGHLY recommend hiring her!
I ordered the shortbread cookies for favours from Cookie For Occasions and they were SO good.
My dress is from Pink Blush. I've gotten so much use out of it and I know I will post baby too as it's set up to be a nursing dress as well!
I also designed the invite...if you want to order, please contact me!
Huge, huge, huge thanks to Courtney and Rachel for planning such a killer shower. Thanks to my mother in law for hosting!! And all of my girl gang who loved on baby girl and I...she's going to be so blessed to be surrounded by amazing women like yourselves!
XO,
Laura
SUMMER FAMILY PHOTOS
For mother's day/mum's 60th bday this year, my siblings and I got together and purchased our mama a family photoshoot. Our mum raised four children and she must have done something right because we all turned out ok...lols, JK LOVE YOU MUM.
But seriously, our mum is a champion, she was a single working mama and worked her butt off to support us kiddos. I'm blessed to have 3 amazing siblings and have gained a beautiful sister in law, wonderful brother in law, gorgeous niece and incredible nephew in the deal too!
Family is a beautiful thing, but let's get real...it's also messy and holds a lot of pain too. But where there is pain, there is opportunity for healing. I look at this photo of my family and I see so much redemption. I see God's incredible work of healing and restoration. He's not done yet but oh, if you could see how far we've come, you'd get weepy. Miracles happen.
How stunning is my family!!
All photos by Rachael Alexendra + Co (duhh!)
XO,
laura