Making Room for Baby - Part I

As I've mentioned before, Jon and I decided to renew our one-bedroom apartment lease even with the arrival of our baby boy this December... which means a shared room situation for at least a couple of months. Of course I'm taking this as an excuse for projects and getting creative with fitting baby Nathan into our lives and small apartment. Although we still have a few months to go, I'm a believer that it's never to early to start planning and getting things ready ahead of time, rather than waiting til the last minute.

I started off with the measurements of a simple IKEA crib and figuring out that shifting our dresser over  about a foot (and we have plenty of room to do so) makes room for a crib in the corner of our room where my tall mirror currently stands. I'm also going to plop a changing pad on top of the dresser to turn it into a changing table, and aligning the bed and nightstands with the dresser means plenty of room for a simple rocking chair in the other corner.

With the excitement of finding out we're having a boy and finally giving our child a name, I dedicated some of my time at home last week with some decor projects. Since we're in a shared room, I thought a nautical theme would be appropriate in order to not turn the room completely into a baby room. Also, our room is mostly grey and white, so I thought navy blue would mix well. Baby Nathan isn't getting his own room, but I still wanted to at least dedicate his little corner to him.

I started with some inspiration from Pinterest and then went to Michael's for supplies and the creativity sprung from there.

(Pinterest photo used for inspiration)

Materials used: Large letters (for initials), Small wooden letters (to spell name),
2 Wooden frames, Blue acrylic paint (permanent), paintbrushes,
Scrapbook paper, Sheet protectors (not photographed), Boat Kit (only $1!)

Since I was dealing with permanent paint, I did all the painting in the
balcony and covered the table with some butcher paper to protect it.

Painted the small letters and frames blue, making sure all sides and
edges that would show were painted evenly.

Cut background paper to fit perfectly inside frames and cut and pasted my
own nautical design. Placed small letters to fit on large letters.

Glued letters on with wood glue. Wrapped paper design in sheet
protectors (frames didn't come with glass) and cut to fit inside frames.
Taped back of paper design to the frame for extra support (although
they fit pretty snug on their own).

Building the boat kit.

Painted everything but the sails blue.

Finished boat with sails glued.

I'm pretty proud of the finished product. Saved money by making instead of buying decor and I think the fact that I made it myself makes it that much more special. Hopefully Nathan will like boats and the decor can carry over into a little boy's room. :)

The next project I'm going to tackle is the re-organization and arrangement of storage space in the closet and eventually the rest of the room. I'm sure I'll be posting some before and after pics during the next couple weeks!

~Angie

It's a BOY!!!

 IT'S A BOY!!! We are thrilled and feeling so blessed! Little Nathan Andrew, we can't wait to meet and hold you!!

       

*Photos by Fabiane Photography - more from this shoot coming soon!

We had our ultrasound appointment this past Wednesday, the 23rd, and I must admit I was a little anxious for the news. I really wanted to find out whether this little one was a boy a girl so we could start calling him or her by name and I could start preparing all the little things we'd need before the arrival. I was nervous that we wouldn't be able to find out, and while many parents are able to prepare without knowing, I just wanted to KNOW.

Jon was able to leave work early so we could go to my 2:30 appointment together. We were so excited to finally be able to find out. So many speculations, but now we'd be able to see! Ever since the beginning of this pregnancy, I think it's safe to say that 85-90% of people who told me what they thought said it was going to be a girl. And I must admit that I was leaning towards the girl side too. Even my grandma, who rarely gets these things wrong was sure it was a girl. But sure enough, the evidence is there that it is definitely NOT a girl!

We patiently waited as our sonographer measured different parts of the baby, until she finally got the image and said, "So you guys wanted to find out right?" and there it was, she didn't have to say it but she did, "It's a boy! Good thing you guys wanted to know because it would've been hard for me to hide this one!" Jon and I just looked at each other in shock and started laughing! Of course we were happy with the news, but with so many people guessing girl, I guess that's what we were expecting! The sonographer went on to continue her job and we got to see all of his ten little fingers and ten little toes. We are so thankful to God for this healthy little boy, who is right on track with his development.

Here are some of the pictures from the ultrasound...

3-D image of face

Profile of face

His little feet!

If you're wondering about the name Nathan Andrew, we had chosen this name for a boy... actually since before I knew I was pregnant. Nathan is part of JoNATHAN which both mean "Gift of God". Andrew is for the "A" in my name, we liked the way it sounded together and that it means "manly and courageous". Also, as an unplanned bonus, his cousin Leo's middle name is "Andres" which has the same meaning as Andrew. Speaking of the two, can't wait to see them playing together! Yay for boy cousins not even a year apart!!!

-Angie

Reflections on a Devastating Game

As I lay here, reflecting on the most devastating World Cup game in history, I couldn't help but notice all the life lessons that relate here. It may be silly to some of you, I know soccer is just a game, but to those who take this game to heart, maybe you can join me in these reflections. What I write here are only my non-sport expert opinions and I'm not looking to make excuses for the loss nor bash the team. I'm simply stating what I've seen and my interpretation of it.

It's no question the Brazilian team this World Cup was not as strong as the team has been in the past. They were, in my opinion, too dependent on the star player and kind of all over the place- not working as a team at all. We were fortunate enough to go as far as we did, but unfortunately couldn't follow through to the finals. It wasn't just any loss, but an embarrassing record breaking loss. I do recognize, however, that the team had a lot of pressure on them. They were in their home country, and it was almost as if winning this cup would save their country. They didn't want to let their people down and then to add to all the pressure their star player and team captain were unable to play the semi finals. The team wasn't as prepared as they should've been and this loss is the result of it.

The most embarrassing of it all was reading how people were reacting on social media. People bashing the team out of spite because of their own country's loss, and even Brazilians losing the pride of their country over one bad (REALLY bad) game. At the end of the day, it is what it is- a game. One team wins and the other loses, but they both deserve respect for making it as far as they did.

After a lot of thought, these are a few life lessons I thought of...

Be prepared
- In life, unprecedented things happen and you always have to be prepared for it: You have a savings account even though you have a steady job just in case something happens to you or your job, when planning you make a plan B or C in case plan A doesn't work out, in sports you train how defend when your opponents attack, and in your walk of faith you learn to be prepared for when trials and temptations come your way.

Don't depend on the past
- It's one thing to be proud of what you've accomplished in the past but it's another to depend on it. We need to constantly be improving ourselves, do more, and work harder. If you find yourself constantly pointing to past accomplishments, ask yourself what have you been doing recently. As a teacher I need to constantly be learning more, reading more and improving myself as an educator. As a Christian I need to constantly check where my relationship with Christ is right now, and how have I reflected the love of God every day.

Learn from your mistakes
- Don't be a sore loser. In life you win and you lose. You make embarrassing mistakes you wish you could go back and change, but the greatest people are those who learn from their mistakes. You learn and you grow and you keep trying until you get it right. As humans we constantly mess up. We sin, we disappoint, we fall short, but we should always be trying to better ourselves, growing each time we fall.

Learn to take criticism
- Part of growing and learning from your mistakes is learning to take criticism. Our natural tendency is to defend ourselves, but sometimes we need to hear it- we need an outside point of view in order to see what we can't see ourselves. Just as in art, critiquing helps an artist master his or her techniques, in life hearing the hard stuff helps us better ourselves.

Depend on others
- As humans we were designed to be dependent on other people. We need family, community, friends, co-workers in order to function. A community works together in order to survive, a team works together to accomplish a goal, and above all things we are dependent on God. Living independently just doesn't work. You need others to help you when you fail, to pick you up when you fall, and to encourage you to get up and try again.

Don't depend on others
- Although this statement seems to contradict the one above, I mean something different by it. As Christians we can't let our faith and relationship with God be dependent on the "rocks" in our lives. It's great to have friends who are strong in faith, have great leaders in our lives, and listen to great messages or read great devotionals, but my relationship with God is solely dependent on me seeking him on my own. It's easy to follow someone's else's bandwagon, but it's important to have your own quiet time/personal worship in order to have that close relationship with God.


I apologize for the lengthy post, but these thoughts were spinning in my head and I just had to get them down. May someone be blessed by it.

- Angie

Hello July

Although I was very aware of what month we are in (and even updated my office calendar last night) I was taken by surprise when one of my emails this morning was titled "Happy 1/2 Year!" How has half of the year gone already??? With a baby due early December, that only gives me like 5 months! [Side note: let's take a moment to recognize that pregnancy lasts more like ten months than nine. 40 weeks divided by 4 weeks in a month equals 10, and I'll be halfway there in just 2 weeks!!!]




Back to July. This month is a pretty exciting one for my hubby and me.

1) We go on Vacation to California!!!

2) July 12th is our 8 year Anniversary!!!

3) We find out (hopefully) whether we're having a BOY or GIRL!!!


I will definitely be blogging about our California adventures (especially now that we bought a new camera for pictures) and Baby Brito's big gender reveal!


Happy Summer!
-Mrs. Brito <3

One Year

Today marks one year of our marriage. It's crazy how one year flies by so quickly. The waiting for our wedding day felt like eternity, reasonably since we dated for almost 7 years beforehand. But since the day we said "I do" it seems everything went fast forward. Before we knew it we were back from our honeymoon, the Summer was over, we were celebrating our "first married" holidays and birthdays, we became aunt and uncle, found out we too were soon to be parents, and here we are celebrating year one.

Okay, so it didn't go THAT fast, but looking back it sure does seem like it. Year one was filled with "firsts", new experiences and adventures, celebrations, struggles, victories, and learning. I must say, considering all the stories I've heard about how the first year of marriage is the hardest year, I think we nailed this one. I don't want to claim to have the perfect marriage-- I don't. There were struggles and there were arguments and disagreements but we were able to handle them. Why? Because we were prepared. The year of our engagement we agreed to invest in our "marriage" as much, if not more than our wedding. We read books, talked a lot about our plans and goals for the future, went to a marriage conference as "pre-marrieds" and got pre-martial counseling. Our foundation was on a Christ-centered relationship and our goal was to live out God's intention of marriage. We learned quickly that we needed to first look at ourselves before trying to fix each other, and that if we put each other on a pedestal we would only fail each other-- only Jesus is perfect and can satisfy all our needs. We also learned to prioritize what is really important in life and not argue over little things that don't really matter. But most of all, we learned to point each other to Christ.

Jon, or should I say "Mr. Brito",

This year has been one of the greatest years of my life. 

Thank you for always striving to be the best husband you can be and for always seeking God first.

You are so gracious to me with your servant heart and unconditional love.

Thank you for supporting my dreams and passions, even when it means quitting my job

For picking up my slack around the house when I don't feel well

And for always trying to make sure I'm "okay".

Your hard work, determination, and "strive for more" inspire me, and yet you don't lose focus of the important things in life.

You know the right time to make me laugh, but not everything in life is a joke and you know that too.

Thank you for choosing me to do life with.

I love you.

Happy 1st Anniversary!

and

Happy (kinda) 1st Father's Day!

Love,

Mrs. Brito <3

Summer Dreamin'

As we enter into the month of June, I can't help but love the feeling of Summer taking over. Although Summer doesn't officially begin until the end of the month, it sure is starting to feel like it! The days are warmer, the sun is out longer, and after weeks of not feeling myself it serves as a chance at a new beginning. So this season, in between the big things we're looking forward to (one year anniversary and vacation to California), I've set a few goals for myself...

READ the Bible more

EAT more fruits

COOK new recipes

LEARN to make delicious summery drinks

DINE out in our balcony at least once a week

HAVE picnics

SPEND more quality time // less money

EXERCISE daily

ENJOY the simple things

GO to the beach on free days

BUY a decent camera

WATCH the sunset

CELEBRATE life // milestones

I'm sure I'll come up with more along the way, but this should be a good start. I can't believe this will be our second Summer together as a married couple. I also can't believe it will be our last Summer together as a family of two. So here's to enjoying the seasons in life... Cheers!

Baby Brito

I've already mentioned the little bub on the way, but here's a little more about our little surprise...

It was down to the final days of my sister's pregnancy... Baby Leo was already passed his due date and I was the one driving Barbie to and from the doctor's appointments to check on her status. It was Sunday when I realized I was already "late", so Monday after taking Barbie to get checked only to be sent back home again, I decided to buy a test on my way home. In a rush to find out right away, I overestimated how much a had to go the bathroom and wasted 1 of the 2 tests on only a few drops of pee. The faintest blue line came across but it was so faint that it wasn't believable enough. I convinced myself that was the line "to be filled in" with a positive test. With the big event of a the arrival of my nephew I decided to keep this little discovery on hold... If I didn't get my period by later in the week I'd take the second test.

Barbie was admitted into the hospital that Monday night to begin the inducing process, but since the actual inducing wasn't going to take place til the next day, that's when my mom and I were going to go. We arrived at the hospital Tuesday late morning and stayed throughout the whole process. The plan was for only my mom, brother-in-law, and grandma to stay in the room to watch the birth and I was only going to stay up until they kicked me out. Up until this point, I had only watched labor and births on TV, so this was my first live experience. I must say, it was very "informative" for letting me know what to expect, but all I could think in the back of my mind was "this might be me in just a few months" and "if I am... There's no turning back now!"

After hours of pushing for natural birth I was only kicked out along with everyone else once they decided to do a c-section. My nephew was finally born Wednesday morning at 5:16am! We waited until we were able to see both baby and mommy before heading home. Due to my lack of sleep, I ended up staying at their place to nap and then spent the day there since my dad was flying in later that night. Jon joined us after work and we went down to the hospital once again so that the new grandpa and uncle could meet baby Leo and so that my mom and brother-in-law could swap hospital shifts.

That night I slept like a baby, and only remembered my mission to take that second pee test once I woke up the next morning. I nervously ran to the bathroom and it didn't take long before that blue line appeared right before my eyes. I couldn't believe it... I showed Jon when he got home and we were both so shocked yet so excited.

Although this little bub wasn't planned by our standards, there's no question in our mind whether he or she was planned by our Creater. We are thrilled to receive and care for this little bundle of joy gifted to us! We are so thankful that everything seems to be healthy thus far, and we pray it continues. Here are a few of baby Brito's first pictures :)

Left: the very first ultrasound on April 15th at 6 weeks, 5 days. Right: Leo's reaction to the news!

This ultrasound is from our appointment today, at 12 weeks, 6 days:

Any guesses for boy or girl?? We will probably find out July 23rd, baby permitting... the legs were crossed today so hopefully he/she won't do that to us on the day it counts! Besides that, the forehead gives me a little inkling this little one will look like his/her daddy... or at least have his forehead! We'll see!!! :)

Nature Walks

This Spring there's nothing I'm enjoying more than a breath of fresh air. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is stick my nose out the window and take deep breaths. I've always enjoyed fresh air, but it seems this pregnancy has taken it to a whole new level. All I'm saying is... my husband should be very thankful the pregnancy landed in the Springtime, otherwise he'd be coming home to wide open windows even in the middle of Winter.

Since I wasn't already on a heavy exercise routine, doctor's orders was to take it light and she basically summed it down to walking and speed walking (BORING). I decided that if that's all I'm allowed to do, I was not going to do it trapped on a treadmill inside a gym while it's gorgeous outside. So I've resorted to nature walks outside, and even got my husband to tag along when he can.

Oh the sound of the swishing trees and chirping birds. The crunching under my feet as I walk on the rocky trail and the running streams of water. The views, oh the views... and of course that sweet smell of fresh air and greenery. We walk and talk about life and our plans and dreams for the future. We look back at how God has orchestrated everything thus far and we smile in faith that He will continue to do so. And sometimes we don't talk and we just listen to nature- to the swishing, chirping and crunching.

So far our walks have taken place in the trails of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown. We walked there a couple times during our dating years and it is also where we took pictures the day before our wedding, so it is filled with sweet memories. It's so funny how the same place can look so different after a few years or even months and especially in a different season.

(If you look really closely you can see a deer between the trees)

Off to meet my hubby after work for another little walk!

-Angie

Balcony Love

We started moving our stuff into our apartment in the beginning of June of last year, just about 10 days before our wedding. We bought our bedroom furniture, bathroom amenities, and left the rest to furnish after the honeymoon. The week we got back, we bought our sofa, tv, and began furnishing our living room/office area. The poor balcony was left for last since it came last in our list of priorities. The Summer came and went, and only now that Spring has begun again has our balcony gotten a little bit of love. 

Since it's only the two of us I decided to go with a folding table, set for 2 with 2 chairs. The table expands to seat 4 when there's company, but rather than storing 2 extra chairs I decided to go with a storage bench that can be easily moved for extra seating when needed. 

I originally had wanted to tear out the carpet and put down an easy to assemble/disassemble flooring I had found at Ikea. That was before we got the surprise of a little one on the way (due early December)! We decided on renewing our lease for one more year this June, but this will most likely be our last Summer at this apartment, so it was a no-go on investing in flooring.

I'm happy to finally have use of this outdoor living space. In fact, I'm typing this post on the balcony itself.  :)

Table, Chairs, Chair Cushions, Bench - Ikea

Bench Pillows - Home Depot

Shelf - Home Goods

Watering Can, Lantern - Ikea

"Life is Beautiful" Frame - Home Goods

Bird House (repurposed from my Bridal Shower Card Box) - Home Goods

Spoken For

Being a teenage fan of The Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn, and more recently a follower of Alyssa's blog, I literally squealed at the announcement of the two ladies co-authoring this book called Spoken For. The book came out earlier this month and I just had to purchase it. It is a very easy and straight to the heart read. I recommend it to everyone, but especially to all teenage girls & young ladies.

We often give into the lies about ourselves based on how the world perceives us or how we feel about ourselves, but the Bible is very clear about what God says about us. There is a powerful and extensive list included in the book, but I just had to share a few...


What God Says About You:

- You were made in my image (Genisis 1:27)
- You are my treasured possession, my peculiar treasure (Exodus 19:5)
- When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18)
- I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1) I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3)
- You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
- My thoughts toward you are as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:17-18)
- I have loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
- I will never stop being good to you (Jeremiah 32:40)
- I will take pleasure in doing good things for you and will do those things with all my heart and soul (Jeremiah 32:41)
- I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)
- I am your provider. I will meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33)
- I am the Bridegroom and you are my bride (John 3:29)
- I revealed my love for you through Jesus (John 17:26)
- I am for you and not against you (Romans 8:31)
- I will never allow anything to separate you from my love for you (Romans 8:35-39)
- I did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
- I desire to lavish my love upon you because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1)
- My love for you is not based on your love for me (1 John 4:10)
- I will one day wipe away every tear from you eyes, an there will be no more crying or pain or sorrow (Revelation 21:4)
- I have written your name in my book (Revelation 21:27)
- I invite you to come (Revelation 22:17)

Throughout life, we may feel unwanted, alone, rejected, "not worth it",  unloved, enslaved, (you name it) but these are all lies that keep us from accepting the truth. The truth is:

You are wanted. You are pursued. You are loved. You have been called. You are of great value. You are a peculiar treasure. You are set free. You are covered. You are promised. You are spoken for.

I hope these words are as powerful to you as they were to me. If you'd like to explore more of this, I strongly encourage you to read the book.

-Angie :)

Why I Left

I am writing this today mostly for myself. I've been struggling lately about the fact that I'm home with no job. Yes, the thought is thrilling, but as the days pass I start to forget why I left and I begin doubting myself. I start feeling useless or even guilty that I'm home. It was a scary step to take considering I didn't know what would come next, but I knew I had to take that step, I knew it was time.

In order to fully express myself here, I won't put a name to this school where I worked. It was late July when I got the job. The timing of my jobs that year were perfect. I graduated in January, substituted at the day care I worked at throughout college for some time, then got a call from the school where I student taught to cover a maternity leave from April to June. I finished right before getting married, went on my honeymoon, and then started the job search once I got back home. It wasn't the ideal "public school teaching" job I was hoping for, but they offered me a position right away and I figured it would serve as good experience for a year and help me get my ideal job eventually.

It was the middle of the summer, so I figured things were out of the ordinary and would get back to normal once the school year started. The school year began and lets just say that within that month I was named the preschool teacher of THREE different classrooms. I let it slide because I thought, "well it's the beginning of the year, kids are still enrolling, and there's a teacher about to go on maternity leave so they're just trying to figure things out". Once I was finally in a classroom for more than 2 weeks I thought, "things will get better". But it didn't.

I quickly learned that this school was more interested in the business than the best interest of the children. There was "quantity over quality" all over in every problem I had with the place. There were days that I would sit in my car during my lunch break and just cry because I was so angry and frustrated. Nothing I said or did would make a difference, because even if the director agreed with me (which she did), she wasn't the one that made those decisions, corporate was.

I began dreading going to work because I didn't know what my day was going to be like. Whether it would be a bad day or an "okay" day. At this point Jon had already given me his "blessing" to quit, but in between thinking of the best interest of my students and fear of feeling like a "quitter" I kept pushing to stay until graduation in June.

I had already made the decision to quit, and there were many reasons and situations that led me to do so, only I had timed it to happen in June. When February came around, my schedule started getting played around with and it started to get ridiculous. While this job was giving us a cushion financially, it became less and less worth it with all the stress it entailed. Many of my co-workers needed their job, but   I was only there because I wanted to put my passion and education to use rather than staying home -- only I was so limited there.

It was time to stand up for what I believed in and I knew it. Rather than just quitting, I came up with a proposal and brought it to the director and business manager. I was more nervous than I was on my interview (and if you know me you know how hard it is for me to speak up). If they accepted I would stay until June, and if not I would hand in my two-weeks notice, which was already typed up and in my purse. Although they agreed that my proposal was in the best interest of the children, it was no surprise to me that they couldn't accept because "corporate wouldn't allow it". So I pulled out my letter and handed it in.

A few weeks later I heard a message about King Saul and David. The pastor was preaching about abuse of authority. Although many christians say "you just gotta put up with it", that's not true. God doesn't leave to you fend for yourself. David did put up with King Saul trying to kill him for some time, but God told him when it was time to "go" and he left.

This message was confirmation to me that I did the right thing. I knew it was time to go. Sometimes the enemy tries to make me think that I was weak, or I wasn't good enough to handle it. Or now that I'm on the job search again I start doubting or feeling guilty that I'm at home while my husband is working. I'm in an odd place now, but I am certain that I made the right decision, and I am even more certain that I had to do it without knowing what would come after because that was the only way I would be trusting God. By the way, God totally blessed us with like 3 more snowstorms as soon as I gave my notice (I say "blessed" because we were blessed financially with Jon working those snowstorms).

So if you're still reading this, thank you. Please pray for me as I continue my job search that I will have peace while I wait and that I will find a job where I can use my gifts and passion for the glory of God.

-Angie :)

Just Do It

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I haven't had much of an exercise habit since before my wedding... which is about to be 9 months ago a week and a half from now. Sure, I had a few days that I decided to do Zumba or yoga in my living room, and the "desire" was there to make it a habit, but it just didn't happen. I can sit here and make excuses that it was my work schedule or that the location we live is pretty much impossible to get around without a car or that we didn't have a membership to a gym, but the reality was that I was just lazy. The idea of having a healthy and fit lifestyle was appealing to me, but I had lost the rhythm of it and I knew it would be work to start all over again.

So about 2 weeks ago, after leaving my job (that's a whole other story) and finding myself at home with not much of a schedule, I decided to take this opportunity to just do it. I confess that my motivation may have started at the mall. I've had my black Nike's for a while, but I wanted something a little more colorful. I couldn't bring myself to buy them since I didn't currently have a use for them... so that day I turned to Jon and told him if I ended up buying them, we had to join a gym. And that's what happened.

We are now members of a gym so close to home that if we didn't live on this busy route we could probably walk to.

Why am I sharing this? Because it's not too late. It's easy to say you're going to start "tomorrow" or "next week" or "next month" but it's hard to actually do it. In my life, this is very similar to the time that I spend with God. Whether it's reading the Bible, praying, devotionals, quiet time, etc. It's easy to dream about having of habit of a devoted time every day, but it's hard to actually do it.

JUST DO IT

That's what I'm telling myself to exercise, and it's actually proven that chemicals release in my body to make me feel good afterwards, making me want to continue.

JUST DO IT

That's also what I'm telling myself to spend time with God. Because a lot of times I'm just distracted by other things and I forget how sweet that time is when I actually do.

JUST DO IT

Because if you wait until you "feel like it" you'll just keep saying "tomorrow", but a lot of times the feeling comes after the action.

A Pause in Time

In my first post I listed a few of my most cherished moments on my wedding day. I purposefully left one out, only because it was actually on the day before the wedding. To give you a little background- we had scheduled an engagement session with our wedding photographer back in the Fall, a good couple months before our June wedding. We had set it up at a time she was in the area since she lives out of state, but when the time came... so did Super Storm Sandy. Considering we didn't want flying trees as our background, we ended up canceling our session which left us with the only only option to book a session on her next trip to NJ- for our wedding. So I booked a session the day before our wedding. Yes, I knew I had a million last minute things to do, but I was determined to make it work. It sounds like craziness, and I was probably being more optimistic than realistic, but when I look back at it... It was PERFECT.

It had been a busy rainy week. The rehearsal dinner was the day before, and the day before that I gotten into a car accident, hitting a deer on the highway (I KNOW!) and ended up having to rent a car. I had just checked into the hotel and it was pouring rain. Being that I was still a little shaken up by the accident, and worried about driving a brand new car around, I almost canceled. But the rain started slowing down and I decided to go.

The pouring rain became a drizzle by the time I got to the park. Yes it was wet, but we got some neat shots with my umbrella out of it. In the midst of all the chaos, and the anxiety of having a wedding the next day, it was like A PAUSE IN TIME. I am so thankful for those 2 hours I got to spend with my future hubby. We had been so worked up in planning our wedding, running errands, and checking off to-do lists that that time became like a breath of fresh air. We got to enjoy each other, have fun, and just embrace those last few moments together before the big day.

(Check out more of this shoot here)

I was reading my devotional this morning and this little piece of it seemed so fitting: "Life is so complicated. But God calls us to trust Him. To rest in Him, as He holds us in His hands, as He fulfills His promise to work the details of our everything together for our good."

In the end, I wouldn't trade the way things turned out for anything. I look back and know that God had his hand in what seemed like chaos, to make things happen the exact way that was the best for us. I look back and can't help but compare the scenario to every day life. Sure, we may not be planning a wedding anymore, but sometimes we can get caught up in the daily and weekly routines of life, and forget to actually enjoy life. Or we can get caught up in what seems like chaos, and forget that God is in control.

I pray that my life journey with Jon will reflect this. That we'll make it a habit to take a break from the craziness of life, take a pause in time, and simply trust God and enjoy the life He gave us - no matter the circumstances.

Love,
Mrs. Brito


*Photography by Melissa Young - melissayoungphotography.com

Love Day

I got this sweet postcard in the mail today from one of my best friends. I guess the good thing about having a friend living in a different state is that it gives you an excuse to use the good old fashioned snail mail!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'd like to encourage you to LOVE. Tell someone you love them - in a way that speaks to them. If you've never heard of "The 5 Love Languages", it's a really good read and can change your life! It's not just for couples, everyone has a love language so it applies to everyone!

According to Gary Chapman, there are 5 Love Languages:

1. Words of Affirmation

2. Quality Time

3. Gifts

4. Acts of Service

5. Physical Touch

I read the book about 2 years ago and discovered that my love language is quality time. My husband already knows...I could be all day with him, but if none of it is "quality time" I won't be satisfied. On the other hand, if he turns off the TV (or any other distraction) and gives me 10-15 minutes of what I like to call "FaceTime", that's all it takes!

So if you're interested, discover your love language by taking this quiz. Chances are that your love language reflects the way you love others, but not everyone speaks the same love language. Have your loves ones take the quiz too, and it'll make lovin' a whole lot easier. 

Happy LOVE Day!

Love, 

Angie

The Day I Said "I Do"

It seems that the only appropriate first post of a blog named "Life After 'I Do'" should be about the day it all began - the day I became Mrs. Brito. 

June 15, 2013 was one of the most memorable days of my life. Not only because it was the day I married my best friend, but because I look back at that day and I am overwhelmed by the all the warmth and love poured on us by our friends and family. God truly blessed us with a day full of love, joy, peace, and sunshine.

They say it'll be the fastest day of your life, and although I look back and wonder where time went, I can honestly say I enjoyed that day to the fullest and soaked up as much as I could. Here are a few significant moments that are so precious to me.

1. Waking up to sunshine and perfect weather after whole week of rain. I think of it and smile, because only God knows how much that meant to me.

2. Sleeping at a hotel with my bridesmaids the night before, and a peaceful morning getting ready all together. It was so precious to spend those last few hours as a "single lady" with my best friends who have been there in every season of my life.

3. Walking down the aisle with my dad, and then walking back with my HUSBAND.

4. Dancing to "Love Me Tender" with my husband, sung by the lovely Norah Jones and just embracing that moment. Dancing with my dad, who filled me with kind words throughout. And watching my husband dance with his mom as she cried in her first-born son's arms.

5. Arriving in our HOME for the very first time. And then, well.... ;)

The list can go on and on... but I guess I can say these are a few of my favorites. 

(Photography by Melissa Young - melissayoungphotography.com) 

Over the past few years I've learned how much I love life - from the simple things like a sunny day to the things like relationships that can get complicated, messy and yet be so beautiful. And by relationships I don't only mean dating and marriage - I also mean friendships, parent-child, siblings, etc. With a "Family and Child Studies" degree, it's no wonder I loved all my core classes in college. More and more I've found myself intrigued by books and blogs about life and relationships, especially those who mirror the way God created them to be. So I've decided to join the blog world and share my journey in life as well. It may be simple things like food and projects for the home, or things about relationships that I've learned, read, or been inspired by. Here's to something new!

*If you'd like to see some more wedding photos, click here melissayoungphotography.com/blog/?p=6192