One Year Older

And I suppose, another year wiser.  I’ve learned much this year and lived to tell you the tale.  This year my birthday fell on Thanksgiving.  It only happens every 7 years or so and this year I was lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving on Wednesday and have Thursday to myself. 

And I had so much to be thankful for.  Having a birthday near Thanksgiving takes being thankful to a whole new level.  I mean, people are listing their thanks everyday leading up to your day.  Very humbling if the day rolls around and you find yourself lost for words.  Thankfully that didn’t happen.

Reflecting on year 30 was on the tip of my mind.  Alex and I ventured out to Buca for a birthday lunch, aka the only restaurant open that was not serving Thanksgiving, and then headed to the movies.  And as we filled our stomachs into a garlic induced coma, we reflected.

Year 30:

-The year God gave us children.  Showed us not only how merciful and grace filled He is, but He answered years of prayer by allowing us to conceive.  Although we have yet to hold conception in our hands, He has heard us and that has been good for our hearts.

-The year we bought a house.  We hope to close tomorrow after a headache of things gone haywire…from a undervalued appraisal to renegotiating the price to getting everything in order, we’re hoping we’ll have new keys in the morning.

-The year our marriage turned 5.  I’m not quite sure what I would do without Alex.  The thought makes me sick inside and I’m so grateful for His support and encouragement of me…He makes me better.  Everyday.

-The year I made my own birthday cake.  Salted Caramel 6-Layer Chocolate cake courtesy of Martha herself.  And let me tell you, it was so incredibly delicious.  Being the nice person I was, I shared with those at work so we didn’t have to eat every last morsel.  Picture to come, but our camera cord is packed:(

I didn’t know last year what the future would entail.  The days to come were hidden from me and as I searched to know my heart and girl who lived within, I found refuge in Him.  He showed me glimpses, perfect photographs, of the girl within.  The passions within her heart, the words needing to come out, the reassurance that He was able to do the one thing I’ve ever wanted to be.  This past year will be far from forgotten.  And although not every one got crossed off the list, there’s always this year.

And I enter 31 with heartfelt gratitude, for 30 blessed years, undeserved.

Baby B…8 Weeks

One more week has passed and that means Baby Brogle is 6 weeks old today!  Things have been a little crazy around here.  Hitting 8 weeks brought all sorts of changes to our lives.  We were set to close on our house in a week but the house under appraised.  Luckily the seller agreed to sell us the house for $15,000 less than we had agreed upon which was a huge blessing, but it took them awhile to agree.  So we’re praying we can still close on time.  Boxes have filled our living room and we’re now officially living on essentials!  After last weeks little scare, it’s good to know things are getting in order.  Also, I celebrated my birthday!

How big is baby?
This week baby is as big as a raspberry!  Such a big jump.  Blueberry to raspberry seems like quite the growth spurt to me!  Although I can’t tell any difference, we definitely saw a difference between our 6 and 7 week ultrasounds, so we can only imagine what has happened from 7-8 weeks.

How am I feeling?
I’m still feeling great though I have definitely slowed down.  After our little scare I’ve been told to rest as much as possible and am currently on pelvic rest.  Work has been really gracious and has limited my hours quite a bit which has been nice.  So if I’m not working, which is only once a week, you will find me on the couch!
How am I changing?
Somehow I’ve been blessed with a belly that distends easily.  Not sure what is really the cause, but paired with the hematoma, I’m now wearing a belly band with most of my pants.  Mainly because the Doctor does not want more pressure on my belly than necessary but also because to be honest, it’s just more comfortable.  Though I do have quite a few pairs of jeans that still fit just perfectly!
Odd little facts:

Cake eaten:  Surprisingly just one piece
Years older:  1
Favorite part of Thanksgiving:  The stuffing
Bleeding episodes:  2
Shows watched:  Far too many

On Being Thankful

Thankful.  Grateful.  Content.  Overwhelmed.  Satisfied.

Words describing the heart giving emotion of thanksgiving.  We set aside a day but in reality it’s a lifetime.  Eyes viewing life through a lens of either thankfulness, disappointment, or selfishness.  What our eyes find their gaze upon…why, that’s soul changing.  With eyes lifted up, how can our hearts boast anything but thankfulness.  It’s when our eyes peer parallel or towards the floor when we get into trouble.  This is nothing new. 

Thankfulness is flowing for so many reasons these days.  But that hasn’t always been the case over this past year.  I’m sure it wasn’t the case for many of you.  But today, on the morn of the feast of gratitude, I can speak thanksgiving over so many things.  And at the end of the day, they all lead back to the same perfect Someone.


1.  My Husband.  For provision, love, and grace upon grace. (Eph. 5:25-26)
2.  Marriage and its sweet covenant.  (Genesis 2:21-24)
3.  My family. all the drama and love intermixed.  (Colossians 3:20)
4.  Children. The ones we long for and the lives He’s given.  (Psalm 127:3)
5.  Friends. The body of Christ all around.  (Proverbs 17:17a)
6.  Shelter. A roof over our head.  (Psalm 91:1-2)
7.  Food.  Abundant blessing.  (Psalm 111:5)
8.  Water.  Refreshing and giving.  (Matthew 6:31-32)
9.  Church.  The House of Worship.  Faithful Leaders.  (Hebrews 13:17)
10.  Women’s Ministry.  Gives life to my heart.  (Titus 2:3-5)
11.  The sun/moon/stars.  Providing life.  (Psalm 113:3) (Genesis 1:15-18)
12.  Mothers.  Givers.  (Proverbs 31:28)
13.  Suffering.  For it produces gratitude.  (Romans 5:3-5)
14.  Fathers.  Providers.  (Proverbs 17:6)
15.  Bible Study.  The word abiding.  (Colossians 3:16)
16.  Provision.  All we need with perfect timing.  (Matthew 6:8)
17.  Prayer.  Power in a word.  (Philippians 4:4-7)
18.  Work.  Every kind, in every way, for the Lord.  (Colossians 3:23-24)
19.  Perfect timing.  There is a season for all things.  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
20.  The body of believers.  Brother, sister, friend.  (Eph. 1:16-17)
21.  Salvation.  Undeserved and life changing.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)
22.  Mountains, seas.  Abundant beauty.  (Genesis 1:9-10) (Psalm 95:4-5)
23.  Our 4 legged friends and animals of every kind.  (Genesis 1:20-24)
24.  Rest.  What we need to keep us going.  (Hebrews 4:9)
25.  The cold of winter and warmth of summer.  (Job 38) (Genesis 1:14)
26.  Worship.  Songs of praise; lifting of hands.  (Psalm 33:1-3)
27.  Healing.  Aids the body.  (Psalm 30:2)
28.  Grace.  Undeserved favor.  (2 Corinthians 12:9) (Romans 5:20-21)
29.  All nations.  Coming together.  (Psalm 96:3)
30.  The giver of Thanksgiving.  God in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Living in me, by the grace He has shown, through His son, on the cross.

“All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and your saints shall bless you!  They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power…My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever!”    (Psalm 145:10-11, 21)

Baby B - 7 weeks

Now that the news is out, I can let you in on the earlier weeks!  The road to baby, as you know, has not been an easy one, but instead a refining one.  But that to be said, we’re excited to hopefully meet this little one in less than a year.  After finding out we were expecting, we were both a little cautious and anxious as to what was ahead.  We chose to share the good news with family and a few close friends immediately, as we are so thankful for the prayers said on our baby’s behalf.

Weeks 4-7 went by quickly.  We had multiple blood draws to make sure my HCG numbers were doubling as they should.  With the encouraging news that things were progressing normally, we slowly allowed ourselves to enjoy this time with our little one.  And any time anxiety rose up in my heart, which it did on many occasions, I was thankful for the Word that fought against.

So here we are at week 7.  Our first ultrasound was scheduled for the 17th of November and we were very excited to see that little heartbeat beating away.  We went in and it was overwhelming emotion to see that little heart beat.   And since I love the “How big is baby?” emails and of course I want to document the whole 9 months, I thought it would be fun to have weekly updates.  So here we are at the beginning!

How big is baby?

This week baby is as big as a blueberry!  Considering how small it started out as, a grain of sand, I’d say it’s grown a bunch!  So amazing, especially after seeing our little one to think this little blueberry will soon be a flesh and blood baby here in the outside world.



So how am I feeling?

I’ve been feeling great!  So far so good.  No morning sickness at all, but that didn’t surprise me in the least.  If I would have been sick I would have been the only female in my family to take on that symptom!  A little tired, a little sore, but all in all, no sickness to account for.  On the other hand we’ve had a few moments of uncertainty.  I’ve had quite a bit of bleeding and headed back to the Dr. on the 21st for ultrasound #2.  We saw baby growing away, heard it’s little heart beating at 150bpm, and found the cause of the bleeding.  I have what’s called a Subchorionic Hematoma.  It’s small, less than a cm and the doctor’s are not worried in the least.  Alex and I on the other hand have been resting in Him with a few bouts of uncertain worry.  But that’s to be expected I’m sure!

How I’m changing?

Not many changes going on yet.  Just the normal aches of pregnancy.  Looking forward to the days when there is a bump!

Odds and Ends

Weight gained:  0 pounds
Ultrasounds had: 2 (1 @ 6w4d and 1 @ 7w2d)
Oranges eaten:  At least a dozen
Boxes packed for our move:  A few
Pages read in my favorite baby book:  Too many to count

Looking Ahead

I cannot wait to be back in a house in time for Christmas!  I’m already looking ahead and thinking of where our Christmas decorations will go.  I don’t go all out and most of my decorations are rustic in style, but none the less, I’m excited.  Especially for our tree to go up!  The past 2 Christmas’ we haven’t put a tree up; there just wasn’t enough room.  So this year, it’ll be up right after we move in!

I know there are a lot of people who don’t want Thanksgiving to be lost amongst Christmas.  I’m in that camp too…especially since, like this year, my birthday will fall on the holiday.  But at the same time, it’s still fun to start dreaming of Christmas.

This year I’m racking my brain on how to display the Christmas cards in our house.  Normally they just reside in a bowl on the table for people or us to peruse through.  But this year, I’d love to do something different.  I’m thinking a garland of sorts to display our cards. 

What do you do to display your cards?

And speaking of cards…anyone order theirs yet?  I’m swooning over all the seriously adorable designs and I think we’ve landed on a couple of favorites! 





Not sure which one will win out, but can’t wait to hear what you have all decided on.   Are you a card family?  Or do you save the cash and do something else?

Don’t forget to hop on over to Tiny Prints to see what’s new.  All the above designs are from there and my favorite part about their site…you can add something to the back of the card for FREE!  That’s something I love to hear!

Happy card perusing! 

And don’t forget to inspire me with how you display your cards!!

The Second Half

I’m pretty certain our last tour ended with the dining room.  So here’s to the rest of the tour.  Before I get there, though, I do have to say, I really can’t believe we will be moving back into a house in 26 days!! It’s really a huge blessing, that I for one, was certain wouldn’t be happening for quite some time. 

When we chose our current apartment 2 1/2 years ago we were certain we would only be there for a year, tops.  But with the current market and some great self-control on my husband’s behalf, we’ve saved so much staying put and now all that hard work has paid off.  It feels really good and I’m pretty proud of my husband and his God-given abilities at saving, casting vision, and providing for our little family of two.  Seriously, if it were up to me, we would’ve bought right away, just because, and who knows what would have happened!  Working on self-control, that’s this year’s lesson:)

But back to the tour, because, let’s be honest, that’s what is exciting.  Next up, the kitchen.  It boasts original 1960’s cabinetry that for the most part is in excellent condition.  Just a little TLC to the interiors.  We plan in the future to remodel the kitchen and take down the wall separating it from the living room, but that’s a dream away! 

                                   seriously, who doesn’t love pretty lace curtains:)

Next up, the living room.  I’m excited for this space and the fun that will be had here for years to come. 

Colors will change, but it gives you an idea.  The sweet iron railing leads the way to the front door.  Not sure what to do there!


This is the spacious lower level where we envision football game watching (once a new couch is on the agenda) and playing with toys…hopefully!  The lower level also houses a large laundry/storage area, a 3/4 bathroom, and a bedroom.  The only picture I could get of the bedroom was off the mls, but yes, there is carpet all over the walls, as well as corkboard.  Taking you right back!

And here’s the upstairs floorplan in case you are like me and a visual will help you envision the home.  Seriously, I do not have that gift of seeing something from nothing.  That my friends, would be my husband’s area.