It's Crazy Around Here...and so is this post!

I must warn you before you read...this post is a modge podge of different topics & a bit unorganized, but so is life right now...

It's so crazy around the Keith house right now...Matt's basically living at Journey and I'm also crazy busy getting ready things ready for our grand re-opening on August 12th, as well as playing the role of mommy, wife, and a 7 month prego lady! We're 1 week into what we knew would be a crazy 2 weeks of final preparations and I'm doing okay...I had a bit of a melt down on Wednesday evening when Matt finally got home at 9:30, but my friend Heidi came to my rescue last night and made me come to her house for dinner & rest. (Which by the way is the reason I'm able to say I'm surviving today...taking time to let someone else cook dinner for you & make you put your feet up and rest works WONDERS sometimes!) 

Keep us in your prayers over the next week as we make final preparations at Journey for the 12th. If you're in the Raleigh area, you don't want to miss August 12th at Journey! We have the grand opening of our new kids & student space, a cd release of Journey originals, which by the way is AMAZING, relaunch of our student ministry, a connect party for reveal of new growth groups for the fall, and some other top secret things that are going to be awesome! God is doing some big things in and through Journey Church and I am so thankful to be a part of his work! 

This week I haven't had a chance to read any of my favorite blogs...I have about 50 unread posts in my favorites on my google homepage, but this morning as Laney was napping I happened to briefly scroll through and see that one of my favorite blogs that has been out of commission for almost 2 years is BACK and I just have to share it! If you get a chance, mom friends that like to read and friends that like to decorate... check her out! Such a great blog! If Carrie lived near Raleigh, NC, I totally feel like we'd be friends! 

Speaking of blogs...I owe you all 2 posts and I haven't forgotten, I just haven't had time to pull pictures off of my camera. Posts about the 2nd part of our vacation back in July & Laney's 1st birthday party are coming as promised...I just need to get through August 12th and maybe I'll get those pictures off!

And lastly, on top of the madness around here we've began our rearranging & planning for Baby Ben. Last weekend we moved our futon out of the office and gave it back to Matt's parents (who it belongs to anyway) and now I've begun trying to figure out how to organize our office into a playroom/office and prepare Laney's room for another crib. My sister is coming for the day tomorrow to help me figure out how to decorate each, as I'm feeling a little shabby and too tired to do it on my own.

Craziness in the Keith world right now, hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Anyone taking advantage of tax free weekend?

Pray I keep my sanitiy!

~Magan

Currently

 This post was inspired by one of my best friends in the world and I thought it would be fun to give it a shot...

loving: life, we are crazy busy but I wouldn't trade it. We have the sweetest little girl, a sweet baby boy on the way... Matt & I both are serving with one of the best ministries in Raleigh who are truly doing what it takes to make Jesus famous and doing life with some awesome people.

reading: I wish I could say I was reading something. I've often thought about finding a good book to endulge in, especially at 3 am when I can't sleep..maybe I should work on this...suggestions are appreciated! 

waiting for: well...many things...August 12th would be the most recent "waiting for." We have our grand re-opening of the expanded space at Journey, new CD release, relaunch of our student ministry, fall connect party, and many other awesome things. We're also WAITING on baby Benjamin...just 2 more months :)

excited about: Beginning to prepare our house for Benjamin's arrival this weekend. We're starting to convert our office into a playroom/office this weekend. Yay!

missing: Same as Sara, my best gal friends AND sister time (who is a best gal friend)

 

Sorry ladies...this it the ONLY picture I have of all of us

 

trying to: Not wish my pregnancy away...it's not been the most comfortable, but it's probably my last so I want to soak up what I can of it.

working on: Some design ideas for Laney & Ben's room AND our office/playroom. For those of you who don't know me well, I LOVE to decorate but I never have time.

enjoying: Family Day! That's today...every Friday is family day. We try hard not to work on Fridays and to make the most of our day as a family since we work most of the day Sunday. Today we're doing some organizing & heading to the pool with Matt's best friend, Dave.

using: The couch as my bed! I know, kind of a lame to use as my "using," but really...I'm not sleeping well in bed so I usually end up on the couch around 3 am. 

wearing: Maternity clothes! Ha! Looking forward to getting back into my wardrobe after pretty much 2 years in "whatever fits."

planning: Reoccuring theme here...planning for baby Ben. Reorganizing, shopping, showers, more organizing...for the next 2 months.

singing: Yeah, I don't sing...but I've been enjoying some Kari Jobe Pandora lately.

needing: to have some "Magan time." I feel like we're so busy, I just want to refocus and clear my head. Maybe this evening...

learning: To do what's best for MY family...meaning Matt, Laney & myself.

listening: the View...ha! It's just what's on tv right now. Not really paying attention...

wishing: I was back at the beach.

doing: Starring at the mess of baby wipes Laney pulled out of her diaper bag a few minutes ago...

praying for: my mom, for discernment & strength from the Lord

mom sorry, I don't have a recent picture of just the 2 of us!

dreaming of: My sweet little family of 4 come October!

So, what are you currently up to???

-Magan

He Still Remains the Same

Tonight I was talking to my "little brother," Luke, about a situation thats happening close to us...we were discussing how God always provides in situations where we can't understand why things are happening and always in his perfect way. When all the waves around us seem to be crashing down, when we've done all we can, but things still go way worse than we could ever imagine...he's still the same. Right when we were having that talk, I heard a song come on my pandora that I've never heard before..."Everlasting God" by New Life Worship. It was like God was reminding me of exactly who is he right when I needed it so that I could be an encouragement to someone else.

Check it out here:

One thing I know that I have found
Through all the troubles that surround
You are the Rock that never fails, You never fail

One thing I know that I believe
Through every blessing I receive
You are the only One that stays, You always stay


You never change, You're still the same
You are the Everlasting God
You will remain after the day is gone and the things of earth have passed
Everlasting God

It pertains to so many other situations that I can think of right now, not just the one close to me...the shooting in Colorado last weekend, my friend Kelly's adoption, struggles friends are having in their marriages, a friend's sick mother and so many other things.

GOD is so good to us, he never fails...HE REMAINS the SAME! Praise the Lord!

Kids Exchange

It has been a whirlwind of a week! We've jumped right back into the madness at Journey with construction & preparation for the fall. On top of the madness at Journey, we've had a lot going on at home...getting caught up on laundry from the beach, cleaning house, babysitting for friends, & preparing for Laney's birthday party on Saturday.

I knew the Raleigh Kid's Exchange Consignment sale was going on at the fair grounds this week, but I really didn't think I'd have time to make it. I really wanted to...because obviously we have NOTHING for a little boy, we needed another carseat for Laney at school, and we're gonna need a double stroller soon. I contemplated all week trying to go and then yesterday a friend from church that was selling stuff offered her extra shopping pass to shop a day earlier than the public. Today was hectic, but I was determined to go...even if were just to look for the bigger items we need: a carseat & double stroller. I've had friends tell me about the awesome deals on clothes & toys they've gotten, but I knew I wouldn't have much time for that today (which I'm beating myself up for now because I could have shopped another 2 hours and gotten some really awesome deals on clothes for the kids.) The last time they had the kids exchange, I went the last day and didn't really find much, so today was a TOTALLY different experience! 

Here's what I came home with...

 A BRAND NEW carseat for Laney to have at her babysitter's house...I paid $50! It probably runs for about $120 in stores.

 A few things for Benjamin...a BRAND NEW fleece jacket, with tags on it...some overalls (all little boys need them!), some pjs, and a few onesies...yes, I got him a halloween onesie...he's born in October, he has to have it!

 A few things for Laney...a winter jacket, a little Christmas dress, a pair of jeans & a cute top.

Little people farmhouse! Laney is going to be so excited when we give this to her. Matt's parents still have the one he played with when he was little and she LOVES it. We've been looking for one for our house, but they sell for about $40 in stores and we had already gotten her a little people dollhouse to give her for her birthday Saturday... this one was $12 in excellent condition...still makes noises & has the pieces.

Overall I spent $100...not too bad for my 1st trip to the Kid's Exchange considering the carseat itself would have cost more than that. I'm looking forward to more shopping adventures at the Kid's Exchange and hopefully I'll be able to make a few more consignment sales between now and when Benjamin comes!

What's everyone up to this weekend? Like I said, we're celebrating Laney's birthday Saturday evening. She's having a ladybug picnic themed party...I'm super excited, I love planning parties and I can't wait to see Laney dig into her cake! Stay tuned, pictures to come!

Vacation 2012

For the 1st time in 2 years we got to spend a WHOLE WEEK at the beach and it was GLORIOUS!  We had planned back in January to spend half the week with Matt's family at Carolina Beach and half the week with my family at North Myrtle. It didn't work out quite the way we wanted, so we ended up spending most of the week at Carolina Beach, but we did get to spend 1 day with my family at North Myrtle.

We spent lots of time on the beach, played in Laney's kiddie pool, slept, ate a lot of Brit's doughnuts, took lots of pictures, celebrated Laney's 1st birthday, road the ferry to Southport for Provisions, and had the best week of vacation we've had in a while! It was definitely a much needed trip with all of the changes we've had in the past year and the many more to come between now and the end of this year. Laney had a blast & did not let the sand bother her a bit...she LOVED the ocean & "jumping waves" with her daddy. We took SO many pictures, and that's probably the best way to share about our trip...Just warning you...there's a lot. I can't just pick a few, there's too many good ones! I'll share some now & some in a second post later when I have time to dump pictures from my camera.

Laney is ONE!

My sweet Laney turned ONE today! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by, I know...I know...all of you other moms out there are thinking "you just wait!" But seriously, what a year! Matt & I have been so blessed with this sweet little girl to love on! I've been a slacker at blogging this year...so here's a few things about my Laneybug...

Her nickname has always been "Laneybug." She is such a HAPPY little girl and rarely cries...she cries if she is mad or if she is hurting. She loves to wave at anyone and seriously will go to anyone (yes, I know...we need to work on this as not all strangers are nice). She loves to sing & she loves to dance. Her favorite songs are "Singles Ladies" by Beyonce or Lecrae's "Jesus Musik." If she hears either of these songs, she will dance no matter what mood she is in or what she is doing. She loves to flip too...I know she'll either be a dancer or a gymnast because she is happiest when she is moving. She loves animals, especially dogs. Her 1st word was "dog" and she LOVES playing with our miniature dachshund, Molly. She can also say "dada," "mama," "nana," "bird," "yes," "that," and "this." She can sign "more," "all done," and "milk." She can shake her head "no" and when we ask her who loves her she can point at the picture of Jesus on her bible and then mommy and daddy. We've been teaching her this since she was born and we pray she always remembers it.  Laney's teacher at "school" says she loves to learn and we see it everyday. She's very inquisitive and likes trying new things. She may only be 16 or 17 lbs, but she's been eating table food almost as long as she's been eating things besides milk. She refused to eat baby food anymore at 8 months old so we started feeding her fruits & veggies...she loves to eat! Her favorite foods are green beans, tomatoes, & cucumbers. At 12 months old, she only wears 6-12 months clothes, but being little doesn't stop her. She's not walking by herself yet, although she has taken her 1st steps and can pretty much run with a little assistance. She'll be walking on her own before we know it. She can definitely craw like nobody's business!  Laney loves the beach (just like her mommy & daddy) and she likes to swing at the park. She is sweet, she loves to share (yes, I know this because she loves giving me her toys when we play)...

I could go on & on about my sweet Laney, but she is such a blessing to Matt & I. This year has been quite the learning experience, but I wouldn't take back one moment. I love her more everyday and I look forward to seeing how God grows my sweet girl in the next year! I love you Laney Marie and your daddy does too!!! 

30 minutes old, Rex Hospital... 7/10/11, 6 lbs, 12 oz and about 19 inches.
She was born at 3:10 pm.

She enjoyed her day with toys, naps, a boat ride to Southport, Provisions Company
for dinner, and a chocolate birthday cake at our beach house to top off her day!

Vacationing...Blog siesta over?

We're vacationing at Carolina Beach this week, it's been a few years since I spent a week at the beach so I am super excited we are here. We originally had planned to spend 1/2 the week with my family & 1/2 the week with Matt's family, but unfortunately it didn't work out for my family to come down so we're spending the week with the Keith's. We'll try again next year, but in the meantime we're planning to rest, relax, have family time, go on a date night, and enjoy Laney's 1st birthday celebrating at the beach. I'd also like to get a handle of my computer (bc the files are a HOT mess) & possibly start blogging again...in honor of Laney turning 1, I'd love to get my blog up and going again. I used to LOVE to blog & find time to do it...but...we've had A LOT of changes in our family since Laney was born & I let my blog suffer. Of course...with the commitment that when we have MORE changes in our family in October.