Magical Moments with a One Year Old

It still feels very strange to hear myself say "I have a one-year-old." Wait, when exactly did that happen??

Meet Jonah Brooks

If you haven't guessed it (or seen my Instagram posts), Jon and I had our baby!

Meet Jonah Brooks!

5 Reasons You Should "Babymoon" (and 4 cheap ways to do it!)

I know "babymoons" haven't always been this super trendy thing, but I can't understand why! Getting away for a quick weekend before the Little Dude gets here was one of the best things we have done to get ready (arguably the best thing! Read about it here!).

Why should you go on a baby moon before your first kid makes his/her entrance??

"Babymooning" in the Outer Banks!

I honestly had never heard of a "babymoon" until two or three years ago, but their trendiness seems to be on the rise! I think for some great reasons, too. Our babymoon to the Outer Banks totally helped us feel more relaxed and relationally ready to welcome our son into the world in the next couple of weeks!

Our Gender Reveal (and the party!)

This last Friday was a day I have been looking forward to for an entire month. It was the day we would finally find out if August would bring us a little dude or a little dudette!

Where do I head first? Pinterest, of course. Gender reveal parties are so super trendy right now, so I had no problem getting some party inspo. Jon and I struck a compromise between the super casual cookout that he wanted and the cutesy baby feel that I wanted.

We weren't sure if we were going to find out the sex of the baby at first, but decided to find out for a few reasons.
1) I'm a planner, and not finding out sounded a little stressful (lol at being a new parent and second-guessing every decision ever)
2) It would be a great opportunity to invite people to be a part of this baby's life before it was even born! While you can totally do this without knowing what "it" is, we have just recently tapped into a new and awesome community in our church, and we were/are super excited to involve them in our lives in new ways.
3) We wanted an excuse to celebrate this pregnancy, and already surround this little kiddo with celebration!

So, with that, we planned our reveal party!

Keeping Up with the Capra's: Holidays, Snow, and... Springtime?

Welcome back to normal, holiday-free life everybody! Honestly, it's always a bummer when the holidays are over, but there is also something fresh and inviting and exciting about a new year, a new planner, and unlimited possibilities for the coming months.

I took a longer break than I planned, but something in me is always hesitant to jump back into blogging before I feel excited and refreshed. This keeps me from treating it like an obligation or another homework assignment. So, I'm sorry for my absence, but not sorry for how I've spent it!

Holidays!

Jon and I are so fortunate to live very close to both of our families, and we were able to spend a lot of time with all of them, for Christmas and New Years. It was great! And fairly restful, since we didn't have to travel. 

And of course, it was our first Christmas with Penny-girl;)

My favorite part of the holiday week, though, was our Christmas Eve service. I didn't go to a lot of Christmas Eve services as a kid, but since Jon and I have grown to love our church so much we didn't want to miss out. It was a candle light service, and if you've never been to one, let me tell you what surprised me most: how much light fills a room when everyone is just holding one, tiny candle! It was incredible, and symbolic, and brought tears to my eyes. 

New habits

I have a word for the year I want to focus on (more on that later) instead of making a bunch of goals, but I've still be trying to pay attention to the habits I'm bringing into to 2017. For the last two weeks I've been reading more and doing yoga every couple of days, along with drinking tonssss of water. January is such a great time for optimism and big goals, but I'm still trying to keep is low-key and realistic, especially since I'm still in classes. 

Snow days

Our corner of southern VA got a bonafide blizzard last weekend! It shut down schools for a whole three days, and I got Jon home for an extra week day. We took the pup on a lot of snow walks, but spent more of the days holed up inside watching movies and watching the snow fall.

Jon's Birthday!

This week, along with the snow, we celebrated Jon's birthday! I didn't get any pictures because he was at work all day and we didn't get to go out...  Even the rum cake I tried to make him didn't work out! We did, though, get to go out the next night for AYCE crab legs with his family which was a lot of fun.

Happy birthday to my crazy funny husband, you're my greatest gift of grace and I love you more than anything 💘👫 #Studly #studlieststud #studhubby

A photo posted by Casey Capra (@caseygcapra) on Jan 10, 2017 at 6:17pm PST

And after snow... comes 70-degree, sunny days???

Yes, you read that right... we went from snow on the ground to a 70 degree day that promptly melted it all away! But hey, I ain't complaining! The sunshine was a welcome change, and Penny and I enjoyed our walk feeling less like winter and more like spring!

I obviously don't have an current posts to share with ya'll, but I'm very excited about what I have planned to share with ya'll in the next week or two!

What was your favorite part of the holidays?

Have you had any schizophrenic weather lately?

Linking up with some awesome parties here!

The Modest Budget: Summer Date Day in Annapolis

Instead of going home on the weekends, Jon and I are staying up in Maryland until we finish this job. This means we have more time to study/do homework, but it also means we can have some time to go exploring a little bit, too!

This past Saturday we took a much-needed date day to Annapolis, MD. We're been working 12- to 14-hour days, so even though we are up here together, we haven't been able to spend a lot of relaxed time together.

It was so refreshing to have some time together (and just check out the hot lunch date I had! *all the heart eyes*)

Shirt: Forever 21 // Shorts: h&m // Sandals: Trendsetter // Bracelets: Alex & Ani and Francesca's
(Similar links below)

One of our goals before we leave MD was to get some crabs (duh) and we checked that off our list!

We walked up and down streets, wandered around the Naval Academy, bought some t-shirts, and admired expensive clothes. To finish it off, we drank Starbucks on the steps while we watched this adorable kid named Tad play the ukulele.

My long sleeves probably weren't ideal for a day in the sunshine, but the lightweight fabric was perfect. And how fun are these neon shorts? Quickly becoming my favorites; I'm finding they go with almost anything! (Both things were from a year or two ago, so I linked some similar looks below!)

It was a great date day and the most restful weekend we've had in a while. I love married adventures!

How was your weekend? Do anything crazy?;)

Linking up with More Pieces of Me, Still Being Molly, Elegantly Fashionable, Fizz & Frosting, Pink Sole, Michelle's Paige, Claire Justine, Garay Treasures, Why I Do DeClaire, Sandy A La Mode, Myriad Musings, The Fashion Canvas, Two Peas in a Blog, A Good Hue, Walking in Memphis in High Heels, Pumps & Pushups, The Pleated Poppy, Sydney Fashion Hunter, Shopping My Closet, Cappuccino & Fashion, Classy Yet Trendy, The Mummy Chronicles, Jersey Girl Texan Heart, Happiness at Midlife, Stylin' in St Louis, Penniless Socialite, Mix Match Fashion, Doused in Pink, East Coast Nat, The Red Closet Diary, Sept-Farm, Claire Justine, Bright on a Budget, The Closet by Christie, Two Thirty Five Designs, Jolynne Shane, Adri Lately, Rachel the Hat, Posh Classy Mom, Birdie Shoots, Lizzie in Lace, Life's Sweet Words, & and the new linkup at My Bows & Clothes

Keeping Up with the Capra's: Celebrations!

Happy Fourth!!!

This week was fun, but also a little... off. I don't know about you, but celebrating the Fourth on a Monday caused me to get a day (or more) behind on everything! I was not adequately prepared, and I've been trying to catch up all week.

But on to the updates!
These past two weeks have been full of things to celebrate, and I'm excited to let you in on a few!

First Giveaway and First Promo Code!

Lots of cool opportunities have been coming my way, and I've been so excited!! The promo code that I offered a couple weeks ago from Shop Sevan is still available, and they have been so fun to work with. They have also added new products since I posted, so go check them out.

And last Friday I let ya'll in on a sweet opportunity to win some cool stuff in a giveaway with a few other bloggers! It was really fun to check in every day or so and see who else entered. The giveaway has now closed, but I like the idea of giving away free stuff, so maybe you'll see more of that here? Whatcha think?

GF Vegan Muffin Success

What do you do when you have a vegan friend over? You learn how to bake according to her food preferences and your food intolerances! 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a disaster in the kitchen typically, but I am proud to announce that not only did this taste good, I made them without anything being spilled, burnt, inconsistent, or terribly late! 

And yes, it's a small accomplishment, but hey! small accomplishments should be celebrated! I really do love baking, and can't wait til we're back in VA and I can experiment with more gf vegan baking.

Our First Fourth!

(Wow, that sentence sounds incorrect!)

Jon and I were both at different Young Life camps last year for the Fourth, so we finally got to spend one of my favorite holidays together! Independence Day has always been one of my faves because there isn't the stress or the prep involved like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter, which means everyone can feel a bit more relaxed. Not only that, but my parents have a party every year for my extended family (on both sides!) and it's a great time to be reminded of how blessed I am that all of my family lives within 40 minutes of each other.

Beautiful Commuting

Sometimes the 4-hour commute to work is a drag, but the past few trips have been full of gorgeous sunrises or sunsets! And I can't help but feel like God put them there just for me sometimes, just to remind me that He sees me and loves me and cares tell me that.

My Daddy's 50th

Yesterday my dad turned the big 5-0! 

My dad was my #1 growing up, and I was a Daddy's Girl through and through. Most of the time I would have preferred a hunting trip with him over anything, and I loved growing up watching him tinker in the barn or skinning deer at the farm in the winter. He's the wisest man I know and I tear up thinking about how blessed I am to be his girl.

(Also this manly-man wore hot pink socks and a tie just for me on my wedding day; if that ain't love I don't know what is;)

You're the best Dad I could ask for!

This week's (lack of) posts

I don't like making excuses for why I'm not posting, and I already struggle with feeling like I have to give a reason for why I did /didn't do something. So I won't give excuses, but I will say that this week has been tough, and that I needed to remind myself that it is okay to fall behind in order to get spiritually/mentally/emotional refreshed or to take care of myself.

I am not defined by my grades or the amount of posts I crank out in a week, and that has been comforting to talk to the Lord about this past week. I also needed to be reestablished in the fact that I could fail all my classes and never blog ever again and I still wouldn't be defined as a failure in His eyes.

This may sound like a downer way to end my "Celebrations," but it isn't, because I love being reminded of who I am to Jesus!

But I just wanted to let ya'll know that it wasn't the plan to go MIA all week;)
In case you missed anything the last two weeks, here ya go:

The Modest Budget: Striped Summer Blazer + a Promo Code
When a Blessing Doesn't Feel Like a Blessing
Currently July + A Giveaway

_________________________________

Next week's agenda (if I ever get caught up on homework;) includes an awesome swimsuit company, discussion on insecurity, Alaska pictures, and maybe a discussion on what marriage is teaching me, or maybe living with food allergies/intolerances?

How did you celebrate this week?

Linking up at Momfessionals, Sept. Farm, Claire Justine, Bright on a Budget, More Pieces of Me, My Bows & Clothes, & Lizzie in Lace

Keeping up with the Capra's: Summer School and Hubby's Rescue

It's the weekend! While weekends are not very long for Jon and I, they still mean that we are back in Home Sweet Chesapeake for two nights (and I get to sleep in past 5am!). So weekends are still worth looking forward to after we get through our 4-6 our drive home.

I have enjoyed writing these updates every other week. And since Facebook and phone calls are not my preferred way of keeping up with people, this is my way of letting people into my life I guess.
So here are my five updates for this Friday!

1. Summer School

This is my first summer of school since probably ninth grade, but I am determined to graduate August 2017!

Unfortunately Regent academic advisors don't like to inform you that you are on track to graduate a year late until after you have been going to school for three years, and they leave you to cram as many classes as possible while you work full-time... But that's ok! I'll take it.

And while most people curl their lip at summer classes, I am still really enjoying my psychology major. Maybe I'm still in the "honeymoon phase" of a degree change, but I do not mind the reading.

2. Cuter...ish

Jon and I have returned to our northern home to finish out this job. (Hopefully we will be back home for good by the end of the month, but there have still been no promises.) But one of my biggest complaints about this job is that it is that I basically wear jeans and a t-shirt every day. Not only that, but we are out in the heat #notcute.

However, Jon helps me out with that by sneaking around behind my back and buying me earrings and taking me on dates;) (These are earrings Jon bought me from a gift shop in Alaska!)

3. Graduates!

Jon was a Young Life leader at Grassfield High School for 4 years and I was a leader at Deep Creek High School for 3 years (and at Grassfield for 8 months). Because of that, we have developed strong relationships with several high school students. These kids each have a special place in our hearts, so it was really cool that Jon was able to watch two of his closest high school friends graduate the day after we got from Alaska!

Unfortunately we had to go back to work before I could watch those precious kids from Deep Creek graduate... I was so sad! But both Jon and I are excited to continue these relationships as they enter young adulthood.

4. Hubby to the rescue!

This morning as I was sitting in my car I spilled my entire coffee on top of a Thirty-One canvas bag from a few years ago that was packed with my planner, notepads, ipad, and other things. The ruined bag would not have made me upset particularly, it was mostly just the feeling of failing at trying to take care of my things so that we can be saving. 

Thankfully, Jon was there to witness it, and (after laughing for a quick second at my clumsiness) instantly jumped up to empty the bag and pour three bottles of water on top to scrub the coffee out before it stained. 

Tears were (mostly) averted, and I was again reminded, in a small, unplanned act of love, how lucky I am to be married to this man.

5. Falling behind.... and latest links

Like I talked about on Wednesday, this week has been a hot mess... starting out with both of us trying to online school and blogging done on one laptop! It doesn't really work...
On top of that, it took us a couple of days to "recover" and catch up on sleep from our trip to Alaska.
For that reason, I'm feeling a little behind, but I know what it feels like to let blogging and homework control my schedule and stress me out, and I don't want to get to that point.

If you missed this weeks links, let me catch you up!

Last week:

The Modest Budget: Top 3 Fave Thrift Skirts
4 Things I Would Change About My Wedding

This week:

The Modest Budget: God is Bigger than... 

Have a fabulous, restful weekend!

NOVEMBER (the October goals continue!)

Hello all!

I know, I know, I'm such a slacker, I'm posting about November goals halfway through the month...;)

But before we get to that...
Want to know how my October goals went?
Of course you do;)

X 1. Physical - Cook THM once/week 

This was a total flop (sorry, Mom). I cooked THM once or twice over the month, and I started limiting or cutting out foods... but this was a goal that I quickly realized was simply not practical when I get home late in the afternoon four days of the week.

✓ 2. Spiritual - Focus on one book of the Bible

Reading through Hebrews this month was great, and I really got a lot out of focusing on one book specifically! I only got halfway through the book, but it wasn't because I wasn't reading... it was because I was trying to soak it all in!!

X 3. Young Life/Ministry - Girl's night

This was another goal yet unfulfilled... mostly due to the fact that I was out of town for an entire week, and Jon had to go and get his appendix taken out!! (Yes, babe, I'm blaming this one on you;)

However, I did get some awesome hang out time with some high schoolers, even if it wasn't in the form of a girl's night.

✓ 4. Home-making - Buy mums and pumpkins!

This one was a quick success... Mostly due to the fact that Jon surprised me and brought mums home for me one day! We also spent a Sunday afternoon at a pumpkin patch, which was one of the best dates ever.

✓ 5. Baking - Bake something pumpkin at least twice

Success again! This one was also pretty easy though. Besides the oat flour pumpkin banana bread that I made (and also don't recommend...) it was so simple to slip pumpkin into a few recipes like pancakes. Love me some pumpkin pancakes!

X  6. Academic - NO MORE LATE ASSIGNMENTS

This was probably the biggest failure of them all. However, I could come up with an excuse for all of my late work...

✓X 7. Marriage - Take at least one hiking/camping trip

This one was a little bit of both. We did take an awesome trip to the mountains to ride bikes and enjoy the beautiful fall leaves, but we also went with 11 other people - my family! So while this wasn't the marriage-based getaway I was hoping for, it was a BLAST.

X X 8. Post-wedding - Order printed wedding pictures AND Finish thank-you's to send

I knew this one would be the most difficult to accomplish... but I got SO CLOSE! I have less than ten thank-you's to send, and I have picked through most of the pictures to find my faves to order (which was a much larger process then I was prepared for! Whew!)

✓✓ 9. Personal Improvement - Practice guitar twice a week AND finish one book

Proud of myself for this one because it did not affect anyone else, it was only for me. And I accomplished both! (PS the book I read is a great Christian book for engaged couples on preparing for and then encouraging marital, God-honoring physical intimacy called Sheet Music. It's practical and hilarious).

So there you have it. 

As a result of my 50% success rate I have been hesitant to make as many goals for November, considering the school year and Young Life year is only getting busier within this month. But I do have a few, less specific goals:

1. Keep reading Hebrews

I mean, why not?;)

2. Be Thankful

When I'm not thankful, what am I? Salty. Discontent. and a little Grumpier over all. So to keep Grumpy Casey from making her unwelcome appearances, greater thankfulness is in order.

3. No Instagram

Taking away Instagram, even just for the past 11 days, has helped me be more thankful. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of seeing what others have that I don't, and where do I see it most? Instagram. So it needed to go.

4. Clean the house as I go about my day (don't save it for the end of the day or the weekend)

This should be obvious, but if a cluttered and messy house causes me stress, why not keep it from getting that far in the first place? (I'm really starting to sound like my mother now...;)

5. Read another book (Eric and Leslie Ludy's book The First 90 Days of Marriage)

Eric may be the most incredible pastor I've ever been taught by, and his wife is just as amazing. After reading about their marriage and seeing it firsthand, why wouldn't I want to hear their advice? Sure enough, this book is packed full of godly wisdom.

It has been both humbling and exciting to be reminded that I would share my successes and failures at the end of the month with all my readers here. Looking forward to see what I accomplish this month.

I hope ya'll are having a fabulous fall and are enjoying the simple things in life!

Happy Fall-ing!