March 31st, 2019

So the puppies officially have names!!

March 30th, 2019

Dad, Mom, Jax, Mike, and I enjoyed a delicious dinner together tonight at Jen's Guesthouse in Willow Springs!

March 27th, 2019

We adopted two puppies!! 🐕🐕



Well it’s official, we’ve got two little furballs coming home in less than fifty days!! ♥️🐾 Unfortunately things didn’t work out with Charlie having puppies (that pooch is too stubborn for her own good!) but we’ve decided it’s okay, because now we’re able to give a home to two sweet pups who otherwise wouldn’t have one. Our pups were born just two weeks ago and are doing so well already! They come from a litter of seven and will be enjoying time with their siblings over the next few weeks before they head home with us. We cannot wait until they’re here, and we are so beyond excited for our family to grow by eight paws! 🐶

This little nugget, who is so cleverly being referred to as “Green” for the time being, is one of only two males from his seven puppy litter! He’s sable in color, unlike either his father or mother. He and two of his sisters share the same markings! 💚



This sweet girl, aka “Yellow”, has clearly already perfected her “puppy dog” eyes. Her litter turned two weeks old as of yesterday! She and her sister “Pink” could be twins with how similar their black and tan markings are! 💛

This handsome guy’s name is Ghost, and believe it or not he’s the pup’s father! None of the seven puppies from his litter ended up with his gorgeous white color. Fun Fact: White fur for shepherds is a recessive gene, so it’s actually not very surprising that the pup’s don’t resemble their dad!



This beautiful girl is the pup’s mother, Thea! She has black and tan markings just like “Yellow”, so there’s a good chance our pup could also end up looking this beautiful when she grows up! 💕

And here's pictures from when they were just one day old!!

March 23rd, 2019

My nerdiness hit an all-time high today at our first ever trip to C2E2! 🤓🕷🕸🤟🏼 I had SUCH a blast today--more than I ever could’ve imagined! The costumes were absolutely mind-blowing, the art and merchandise was simply amazing, and the atmosphere was so fun! I had such a wonderful day walking around dressed up as Gwen Stacy alongside my Miles Morales. 😘 Mike & I got tons of compliments on our costumes; I never would’ve imagined how many people would want photos with us! 😲 There were two little girls in particular who were so excited to get a photo with Spider-Gwen...it absolutely made my day. ♥️ It’s safe to say that I am already looking forward to next year! 😉

March 22nd, 2019

Miles Morales & Gwen Stacey are ready to take on C2E2! We are so beyond pumped!!

March 17th, 2019

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! 🍀



While I may be a Polish Czech, my darling husband is part Irish! One of the best parts about getting married is gaining brand new heritages and traditions to celebrate! It was my first year making corned beef and cabbage, and I’m proud to say it turned out just scrumptious! 🥘🥬 My dad and brother joined us for dinner and St. Patty’s celebrating. (While my dad is 100% Polish, he’s also from the South Side...so of course he loves a good Irish meal! 😊) It was so lovely getting to carry out traditions my husband has always had in our own home! I can’t wait until one day we’ve got little ones of our own to teach and celebrate our traditions with. 💚 (Even though they’ll be much more Polish than they will be Irish... 😉)

March 16th, 2019

So I'd say that we're pretty excited about C2E2...

March 14th, 2019

As part of our Marvel re-watch, we obviously had to head back to the theaters to see Captain Marvel a second time so we could watch the films in proper order. ;)

March 12th, 2019

So I've officially named the stray kittens that hang out around our back porch.

This pretty girl is Duck.

This guy is Goose.

And the black male is Coot.

March 11th, 2019

Ugh, I am severely going to miss these munchkins after we say goodbye in April.

March 10th, 2019

Fun times were had at the annual Plainfield St. Patty's parade today!

March 9th, 2019

March 8th, 2019

Tonight we made an ice skating cake! Terri Gardner hired us to make this pretty cake for her daughter Katya's 15th birthday party tomorrow. We are so pleased with how it turned out!!

March 7th, 2019

We saw Captain Marvel tonight and it was SO GOOD! (And yes, this was the best picture I got of the title screen. 😅)

March 6th, 2019

Happy Ash Wednesday!! ✝️

"[Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me]...with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning." --Joel‬ ‭2:12‬

The first line of that verse always takes my breath away. Even now, after sin and failure and broken promises, He calls me to Him. In all His tenderness He says, "Return to me." It seems impossible, inconceivable...miraculous! Even after I have been short-tempered with my loved ones? Even after I have been uncharitable in my thoughts and speech? Even after I have failed a million times over? "Yes," He would say, "even then." 🌻

And I do return, because I know I need Him. I know that without Him, I am like the dark ash rubbed across my brow--a reminder of my own substance. So I will begin this Lent by returning my heart and mind to God, diving deeper into prayer. I will fast so that my desires will make way for my deeper desire for the Lord to emerge. I will give to those in need, be that monetarily or with my time and love.

I’m committing to taking even more time to sit and call upon the Holy Spirit to teach me to pray. I will allow my daily spiritual readings to stir that conversation in my heart that needs to happen with our loving God. I am committing to more regular examination and asking Him to help me fine-tune my interior life...so that my exterior life is a reflection of the goodness that resides within.

Let’s enter this season of hope together, ready to encounter our Lord in our sinfulness. He is ready to do the work of bringing about new life--even now. ♥️