It’s our 4th Wedding Anniversary, and I’m crazier about Josh Blanton than I was then! 🥰 God gives His best to those who leave the choice up to Him, and I’m quite convinced He gave me the best. 💙 He has cared for me and served me so selflessly especially these past few days (hello, postpartum season 😅), and I am so grateful for him. He’s hard-working, loves Jesus, loves our kiddos, and loves me. He’s super good-lookin’ too, which is a major plus. 🔥 Happy Anniversary, @joshuaclay412! I’m glad you’re mine!

I’ve had this beautiful chorus on my mind the last few days, so after Raylen woke up from her nap, I sat down to play through it (while she happily destroyed my AirPod case). 😄💙 (This is “In the Presence of Jehovah” by Geron Davis)

Gracious, I love these two. Raylen loves holding her Daddy’s hand, walking into church. Yesterday, the flowers looked extra pretty and she kept having to stop and tell us about them. 💙 We’re soaking up these last few days of her being an only child! But we’re also super excited to meet her baby brother any day now!

My “quiet time” isn’t always so quiet these days. 😅 I try to get up quite a bit earlier than Raylen so my time with God is just quiet and focused, and really let it set the tone for my day. But that doesn’t always happen. So, we just let her join in. She looks at pictures in her toddler Bible, plays with toys, and just enjoys staying in there with us. We read aloud, sing songs, and include her at a level she can understand. Her attention span is short for sure, but I want her to know that time with Jesus is important throughout her whole life. 💗

Today is my favorite day of the year— it’s Josh’s birthday. 🥰 I surprised him with a weekend getaway (which is really a miracle in itself…I am not the planner in our relationship, and keeping this a surprise was tough for me! Haha) We spent a couple days at the Grafton Lodge on Lake Lure (an adorable bed&breakfast we highly recommend!). I am so thankful for him, and can’t believe I get to walk side by side with him through life! Gracious, I’m a blessed girl. 😍💙 Happy Birthday, @joshuaclay412! I love you so much!

Josh bought me a Dutch oven for Christmas, since I’m learning the art of sourdough bread-baking. But I’m learning that a Dutch oven is a wonderful pot for so much more than bread. It fries beautifully and heats evenly. Mine is the enamel-coated from @lodgecastiron. This is one of our favorite soups, and it’s also the first time Raylen helped me cook! 💗 You’ll see her cute little hand dropping some potatoes into the pot. ☺️ Here’s the recipe!
* 1 lb ground Italian sausage
* 6 slices bacon, diced (divided)
* 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
* 1 tsp minced garlic (or more if you prefer)
* 2 Tbsp flour (cornstarch can be substituted)
* 32 oz chicken stock
* 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
* 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
* 1/2 bunch kale (a couple of handfuls) de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* Pinch of red pepper flakes. optional

* Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over MED-HIGH heat.  Add a small drizzle of oil, then brown sausage, crumbling as it cooks.  Drain well, then remove to a plate.
* Fry bacon is residual sausage grease until crisp, then remove to plate with the sausage.  Drain all but 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of bacon grease.
* Add onion to pot and cook 5 minutes, adding garlic the last minute.  
* Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic in pot, then stir to combine.  Pour in chicken stock, stirring as you pour.  Add in potatoes and bring to a boil.
* Gently boil about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.  Add in cooked sausage, most of the bacon, heavy cream and kale.  Stir and cook 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted.
* Taste and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.  Top with remaining bacon and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from @the_chunky_chef. So yummy!