January felt like 100 days and February felt like a week, so funny how that happens! February is typically one of my favorite months because it holds my birthday and our anniversary + Valentines Day and all the celebrations that come along with it usually means lots of fun quality time with family and friends, which I love!

Over the past 3 years, February has also held really big events or milestones – in 2016 it was our wedding, in 2017 I think it was somewhat normal, in 2018 we bought a car and in 2019 we bought a house on Valentine’s Day AND LUKE GOT A NEW JOB!!!! Luke and I joke that it’s always the shortest, but most expensive month for us!

February began with a fun girls day with Stevie, Mollie, and Hannah – we went to Pacos Tacos for lunch and then Black Cloud Tattoo and Piercing to get piercings. I have had horrible mishaps with pierced ears over the years and haven’t had them pierced in over 10 years so I got my girls together for support for getting my ears re-pierced because I’m a baby –  but it was actually pretty painless and it’s been a month and my ears are doing GREAT. I’m so excited to wear cute earrings this Spring! My cool friends got nose piercings and cartilage piercings, but leave it to me to play it pretty safe 😉

The next weekend Luke and I went to our favorite B&B Whispering Willows in Ridgeway to celebrate our 3rd anniversary a little early. It was so fabulous – no technology – just lots of good food, quality time with Jesus and each other, some antique shopping and REST.

Meanwhile, my parents were at the National Prayer Breakfast in DC supporting Clay as his fellowship plays a large part in the prayer breakfast. We SO wish we could have been there, I just love these 3!!!

We were supposed to close on our house on February 12th, but it got delayed to the 14th, which made a super fun Valentine’s Day memory! We got lunch at Groucho’s before heading to the attorney’s office and then signed our lives away! Then our amazing small group helped us move our entire storage unit into the house that night and then we had so many sweet friends and our families help us move in all weekend and we are starting to feel somewhat settled, despite still having no furniture 🙂

It was SO fun having neighbors and visitors pop in all move-in weekend and we were given some of the most thoughtful housewarming gifts! My friend Adam brought us the most beautiful fiddle leaf fig tree, my brother and sister in law and Luke’s cousin and fiance brought us the cutest baskets filled with bread, candles, salt, wine, etc…just precious! Linds brought us the cutest flowers and our neighbors across the street brought us a cake that weighs a ton – meaning it’s the real deal. SO DELICIOUS. We are overwhelmed with everyone’s kindness!

I know that the Lord desires to lavish me with his love and romance me in the most specific ways, but I think so often I am just not opening my eyes to see all the ways he does this. This month, my eyes have been opened to the smallest of things that have made me feel so loved by my Heavenly Father and I’m just so thankful. Two examples – every morning almost, there are red birds hopping and flying around outside our new house. My Nanny LOVED red birds and I never really see them out and about often, but I can’t stop seeing them in our new house. I have been heartbroken that my Nanny would never come over or enjoy this new season with us, but seeing the red birds has made my heart swell and my eyes brim with tears because she is with me always – in the memories she left me and the wisdom she taught me. I know that Jesus loves sending me the little reminders in the red bird that my Nanny will always live on in me and is completely whole and healed with Him!

Also, this is my first February since I moved into my new office and there is a huge camellia bush that blooms right outside my office window. I LOVE pink flowers and especially love that camellias bloom in the winter. God loves to delight us and these beautiful flowers remind me of that.

The last week of February kicked off Birthday Week as we call it around here and it sure has been a good one! 26 is already off to a great start 🙂 My parents sent me some delicious chocolate covered strawberries, Luke made me a yummy breakfast, I got cards and gifts at work and then my daddy took me to lunch. I received so many sweet messages from new and old friends and that’s my favorite part about my birthday – just hearing from all the people I love so much and feel so blessed to know. At youth group, my sweet small group girls brought me home made cookies and a few other treats and my sweet friend, Stevie got me the most adorable starbucks tumbler and a starbucks giftcard, which is definitely the 6th love language, IMO. I just felt so special and loved all day and isn’t that what birthdays are about!? 🙂

On Friday after my birthday, we went out for mexican with a bunch of sweet friends and then had our first hangout at the new house! Luke made brownies and so everyone had brownies + ice cream and we just had the best time around the kitchen counter and in camping chairs! Who says you need a couch and lots of furniture to invite people over? You don’t! 🙂 We’re enjoying the process of making our house a home and even though it’s tempting to do so, I don’t want to wait until it’s “all together” to invite people in and I’m so glad we didn’t.