A Rich Legacy

Many of you have spoken this into my life already, but this morning it really hit me: Carmen was born into an incredible legacy of women. We have been richly blessed with some of the most amazing people in our lives. From her blood aunties, grandmothers and great grandmothers, great aunts and second cousins, to her sisterhood aunties to the mothers of her little "friends" to some of my closest girl friends to the women in Charlottesville who will forever be in our lives - each and every one of them is a beautiful, God-glorifying woman who I would be proud to have Carmen model herself after. I seriously am in awe at how many of you there are and how special you are to us. I will try my hardest, under the guidance of our heavenly Father, to be someone that Carmen wants to be like. But if that's not enough, I rest assured knowing that the women already in her life are perfect pictures of godly grace and beauty. What a gift it is! What a blessing to have these women praying for Carmen and loving on her and teaching her the ways of life. I pray that she grows to be just like each of these women in some way. I pray for her to find her closest friends (ideally, other daughters of the above mentioned women;)  and that they will be sisters for life. There is something incredible and unspoken in real, best friendships between women and I so deeply want Carmen to experience that as she grows older. I pray that she carries on the legacy she was born into. I'm so thankful for you all and how you already love on Carmen in so many ways!

Grocery Shopping

Man oh man, can grocery shopping be stressful. I think it's the budget looming over my head that makes me cringe every time I have to buy something expensive or I decide to get something not on my list. I'm not a great sale hunter and I've learned that I can't buy ahead or stock up on items because I will waste them. We try it all. I jump around from Wegmans to Trader Joes to BJs to Harris Teeter to Giant to online ordering and back to Wegmans. I mix it up nearly every week. 

BJs surprises me and has a big selection of the organic foods we buy. It's absolutely the best/cheapest way to buy organic. As a family, Michael and I have committed to using organic dairy products, meat and poultry, and certain produce (I usually follow the dirty dozen rule). It definitely limits my choices for shopping and also costs a bit more, but I feel it's worth it. My dad laughs at me and my organic preference, but he grew up on a cattle farm and had all the quality red meat, chicken, fresh milk and veggies you could want. No need for the "organic" label there. I have it in my mind that wherever I'm purchasing from did not raise their food that way so give me "antibiotic free" please. I'm the first to admit, I'm not that educated on the subject but I'm friends with folks who are and I've been listening to them. Michael and I both agree that you can taste a major difference in organic meat and dairy. Especially ground beef. 

On a side note, this only pertains to the food we cook in our home. We eat whatever is served us in other's homes and it doesn't stop us from eating out. I have Chick-fil-A usually twice a week, Carmen too. We get our fill of regular chicken there. But Carmen gets organic raisins and Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and organic hot dogs so I feel like it evens out. :) 

I tried out Walmart today. I felt like a huge snob because I had a bad attitude about it. But I think I did save some money AND they actually had the Horizon's brand there. I did however put back the stew meat that I had originally thrown in the cart. It made me sick just looking at it.

And wow, this is the most boring post ever. I'm sorry. It's late (OK only 8:45pm) and I'm alone and have been alone most of the day so I kind of feel like I'm talking/blogging to my Community Group ladies. But I'm not.... so  we're done here. 

Christmas Parties

I love parties. I love to attend them and I love to throw them. Christmas is deliciously filled with parties! We are going to one on Friday night and then having one ourselves on Saturday. Normally I would be oh so beyond thrilled excited and would have already set up a mock display of how things will look. But I have been battling a nasty sinus infection for the past week and a half. I have head aches all day that drain the energy out of me. Poor Caribelle, she's such a good sport to put up with my lack of energy. Antibiotics are helping out now.

I was hoping the weather would be somewhat cold and Christmasy this weekend but it seems like we'll be in the 60's again. Normally I'd love this freakshow warmth, but I'm serving a soup bar. Who wants to eat soups in warm weather? Oh and a hot chocolate bar....who wants hot chocolate in warm weather?? We're all going to be sweating and taking turns standing outside just to cool off. But it's too late to change the plans now. Soup, hot cocoa and Christmas are coming.

I'm also going to attempt this cute little brownie tree.

Should be easy, except the cutting out of circles...I may be serving brownie crumbs stuffed in a cup if this doesn't go as planned.

But even if the soup, hot chocolate, and dessert fail, we're doing a dirty santa ornament exchange and those are always funny. Should be a sweet time together!

Michael's Birthday

Christmas is well underway now. Thanksgiving was super early this year and it's weird that it's still November. BUT November has been awesome for the Dauberts. Michael celebrated his 28th birthday with a long weekend of fun:

Thursday: I surprised him with a date night to go see Skyfall complete with hot caramel apple cider that we were allowed to take into the theater with us (it's been a couple years, I didn't know you could do that).

Friday: We had dinner a dinner date with the besties, Ash and Devin, at our home. My killer beef stew, Michael's favorite beer, dessert and fire pit on the patio. Oh and the latest episode of New Girl.

Saturday: Michael worked all day but we got a surprise call from our VA Beach Bff's - The Andrews - who were making a quick trip to Ikea. We got in the car and met them for a mini catch-up session over dinner...with 3 sweet children mind you. Our time together is never long enough Andrews!

Sunday: Michael chose to celebrate with a paella night. We invited the Vernons and Collins and David to come over all day to celebrate Michael. It was another fantastic evening of food, spanish wine and fabulous friends.

Monday: (Michael's actual birthday) We invited our families over for dinner and dessert - we ordered Cafe Rio for everyone - incredibly delicious. I crave it every day. We got him an awesome, home defense present.

And that was a great weekend! Nevermind Michael's incredibly painful infection that caused him to visit the doctors for 3 days and a horrible day at work when Monday was suppose to be his off day - we still made him feel loved and celebrated. He is the best and I am so thankful to get to spend my life with him!

Blank Canvas

Y'all, we got hit by lightening at the end of last month and it took out so many things in our house - biggest loss being the computer. Therefore, I have no way of updating the blog with cute happenings because there is absolutely nothing on our computer. We lost everything on it. Order is slooooooowly being restored in our home thanks to Michael and my dad.

I'm anxious to browse through Carmen's birthday pictures and share some. Should be darling.

Hair Bow Holders

Look what I have made recently:

I was really wanting one for Carmen and then two of her friends (Lily and Kate) had birthdays so I thought it would be a great accessory to try and make. Who doesn't love a cute personalized hair bow holder?! I get a little better each time I make one - Lily and Kate - I still love yours, there's nothing wrong with them. :) See how great Carmen's is? It actually works! I can now keep track of all her hair bows and easily pick one out to match her outfit. Anyone want one? Send me $10, I'll send you this. I have lots of ideas for new designs. Look at me, a peddler. See ya wedding planning business! Just kidding....

On to Year 2

Carmen is 1 years old!!!

We celebrated her first year of life and our survival of the first year of parenthood last week. Or maybe two weeks ago now. It was so awesome. I will share highlights once I get the professional pictures back.

I'm also very grateful for those of you aunties who gave her new clothes for the fall. Chilly weather has set in - anything under 85 degrees is chilly as far as this summer lovin' gal is concerned - and Carmen would have nothing to wear if it hadn't been for you all. Thank you!

All the mommies out there should be glad I decided not to enter Carmen into the Gerber Baby search. She would have won, I'm sure of it. ;) Here's a picture when she was 8 months old:

See? Tell me that's not a true Gerber baby. Don't be jealous. (However, my friends Lindsay and Michelle have pretty gerberish babies too. 3 way tie.) She's even doing something funny with her mouth here and it's still adorable. I don't even have to say the whole "I may be biased but" deal because I know it is what is. A lot of our friends have cute babies right now and that's a good thing.

Talking about Carmen that way isn't prideful right? RIGHT??...The Lord is always humbling me. If I look super great in a picture my BFF takes, then in the next 5 pictures of me are disgusting faces that are just natural shots but I remind me to deflate my ego because that's the real me. Or when I bake these fantastic, amazing, super perfect cupcakes from scratch and think to myself, "wow, I'm so good. I'm a fabulous, healthy cook. AND I can bake like nobody's business when I try," then the next thing I bake is like poop and I wonder what went wrong. Or when I'm so happy because all my clothes fit me so well and I think I look good, the next day my pants are too tight. Or when I think I have the house together and garden all pretty, food splatters and all the plants die. The Lord humbles me, almost immediately. Which is a blessing. I want to be more like Him. I want ugly pictures of myself hung up on a spaghetti stained walls with poop flavored cupcakes roasting in the oven. Cutest baby or not, my identity and hope is in the Lord and nothing else. He is so faithful to teach me His truths and it is most rewarding to rest in Him and His goodness alone!