What a great month!

November has absolutely flown by and it's been wonderful.

On November 20 I had an ultrasound done on my sweet little baby.  We found out we're expecting a 

BOY

in April!  We are so thrilled!  This is baby boy #3 for us and I honestly couldn't be happier.  We got a lot of the "Aren't you trying for a girl?" questions this time around. 

I feel like the good Lord gives you what you need and He puts who He needs here on this earth.  So who am I to question a thing as trivial as the gender of my baby?

I'm happy he's our little guy and he's special to Chris and I because we were blessed with him!

So here he is!

Measuring great.  Fluid looks good.  Heart, spine, and brain are totally healthy.

Could there be a greater blessing?

He's beautiful!

Oh now come the questions about his name!  I wasn't sure until we found out he is a boy.  Then I started looking a little more and as I was reading through names and came across the one, it hit me.

Trey!

It's prefect because it's an English name (so are our older two, Tristan and Beckett) and because it's traditionally the name of a third son.  Totally fitting!  

So we've been calling him baby Trey and the older boys have been doing the same.

It has stuck and has a perfect ring with our last name, so we're happy!

Now to think of a middle name... we're throwing a few things around including Chris's mom's maiden name which is also sort of a southern tradition.  Good thing we have about 4 months left to decide! ;)

So after all that excitement and many, many tears of joy from me in the doctor's office, we got to do something totally fun that afternoon!

My sweet, darling friend Carrie from Photography by Carrie came by our house and we did a mini photo shoot.  We rounded up some blue balloons and this fun vintage trunk that belonged to Chris's mom and she started clicking!

This mini shoot was inspired by the every popular Pinterest, of course!

I'd seen several of the photos on there where people reveal the gender of their baby by having balloons fly out of boxes labeled "Boy or Girl?".  

All very adorable!

We just did our own take and I think the ones with the blue bouquet were my favorites!

I haven't done this with my other two babies, so these will definitely be a very dear keepsake for years to come. 

We did do an actual maternity photo shoot with my other boys which I'll be scheduling with Carrie for when I'm showing a little more, probably around Valentine's Day!

I'm currently making myself crazy with getting the house all decorated for the holidays and moving and building things upstairs.  Well... having things built.  ;)

We have a playroom upstairs for the boys that is now going to be closed off and made into a bed room.  So hopefully the construction guy will be here this Thursday to get that going!

A few years ago, I had some build in cabinets installed up there and we are now having those moved to the basement in my office (squealllll!!!) to make room to accommodate the baby's furniture.  

Tristan has been in a twin bed for a while and Beckett absolutely loves it!  He has been sleeping in the crib-made-into-a-toddler-bed so we decided it was time to make that back into a crib for baby Trey and get him a big boy bed just like TT!   I'm also in the process of redecorating his room in a vintage baseball/sports theme.  He'll be 3 soon, so I'm thinking it's time to get the baby things out.

They grow too fast!

I think that's all for now.  I hope to post pictures of my holiday decor along with the changes upstairs in the kid's rooms and downstairs in my office soon.  Stay tuned!

I hope everybody had a beautiful holiday weekend!

Lisa

Thankful

I've noticed everyone on Facebook has been posting each day of the month of November what they're thankful for.

I decided to write a bit on what I'm thankful for here on my blog since I'm not that great at keeping up with a facebook post each day. Time just seems to get away!

Most of these things are what I thank God for every night in my prayers.

+I'm thankful for my family.

+I'm thankful for my home.

+I'm thankful for the health of my family.

+I'm thankful for my husband's job that allows me to stay home full time with my children.

+I'm thankful God has made me a mother.

+I'm thankful for the baby growing in my belly.

+I'm thankful for Chris.  He's the best friend, husband, father, and everything.  

Chris and I got married shortly after I turned 22.  We met, fell in love, and about 5 weeks later we were married!  It was a whirlwind, but 5 years and 3 kids later I'm just as in love with him as ever.  I remember having my birthday that year and people telling me to make wish.

  

So here I am, working at a full time job in a busy operating room, college degree and all, and I have nothing figured out.  It was like everyone was always asking what was next for me and I wasn't sure.  I had sort of resolved to start traveling soon and thought that would be my next move.  I didn't have anything holding me to where I was.

So that year for my birthday I didn't really make a wish.  I said a little prayer and sort of told God that whatever He had in store for me was in His hands.  I knew it would be something great, but didn't have any earthly idea where I was headed.  I had pondered getting a more advanced degree as well, but nothing was really clicking yet.  

So I just "Let go and let God".

A few weeks later we were at a co-workers birthday party where we started talking and the rest is history.  Just a few days later we both knew.  This was definitely what God had planned for us.  Even more evident in our beautiful children, I know my life is here with Chris and them. 

I'm so thankful for keeping my heart and mind open.  

It's highly unlikely I would've thought this is where my life was leading.

I've been blessed beyond measure!

 My babies and me on a wagon ride to the pumpkin patch.

My little guy had sunscreen in his eye. :(

 "Carving" pumpkins.  We used the fun sticker faces from the $1 bin at Target which they loved!

 TT saw the older kids actually carving pumpkins, so daddy helped in get in on the action.

My sweeties all dressed up for their party at preschool on Halloween!

T was a bat and B was a spider. 

After many, many, many mind changes they settled on these and were very happy.  I was also happy because I got them at a good price, they were easy on/off, and there was no face paint involved.  Also super cute and boyish!

Bye Bye Summer

Summer is.... gone?

What happened?

It sure did fly by for us!  My boys had a great time going to summer camp, playing in the water, getting dirty, and just being boys.

I had a great time watching them and definitely enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine.  I actually think I had a tan this year for the first time in forever!

My husband and I went to Mexico at the end of July minus the kiddos and we had a wonderful time.  We ate way too much, relaxed, and just hung out the two of us.  We shared our trip with our good friends Cliff and Lori and I really enjoyed some adult conversation with those great folks.

So summer has faded away and I think I'm ready to get back into the swing of work!

In February I decided that I wanted to take a little time off because both of my boys have birthdays in March.  

Then I said oh, just a little longer because we're going on a family beach trip at the beginning of May.  Well, by the time we got back from that I though oh, things are slow during summer anyway, so maybe I should just relax this summer and not do too much creating.

I did!  I've enjoyed the break!

It's really easy to get burnt out on the constant blogging, facebooking, shipping, crocheting, e-mailing, etc.

Dont' get me wrong, I do love it, but at times it just gets a little tiring.

Of course, I was still doing orders and keeping up with my shop.  But other than that, I really did enjoy the summer with my family.

I also decided that running two shops (Etsy and Big Cartel) was too much and actually unnecessary.  So I decided a few days ago to shut down the Big Cartel shop and just stuck with Etsy.  I feel like it's adequate for my business and more self promoting then the independent shop.

Etsy isn't my first choice, but it's certainly the easiest and best option.

Another thing I did over the summer was get my work in a local photographer's studio!

This is super exciting for me!  My first month in her studio, I actually did really well with sales!

That's another thing I've been concentrating on.  I enjoy it because I can sort of make whatever I like and just take it down to her.  No shipping, no taking orders, no e-mails or computer work involved.  :) It gives me more freedom with my creativity which is always great.

Here are a few precious photos:

 Colorful Pixie Hat

Photography by Carrie

Photography by Carrie

I just love these photos, these twins are so precious!

I'm out to go fix my hair and get some makeup on... the husband and I have a hot date tonight! ;)

Talk soon!

xoxo, Lisa

My Monday!

This morning was fun.

The boys woke me up a little before 7 (as usual), and we feasted on yogurt and bananas.

We took lots of pre-first-day-of-school pictures because my little guy, B, had his very first day of preschool today!

I can hardly believe he's already starting preschool!

I'm still holding out for his first haircut though. :)

Then I dropped the boys off and it was easy.  On them.

I proceeded to Lowe's where I walked around aimlessly for about an hour feeling kind of mopey.

Then hubs called and snapped me out of it.  

Told me they're getting big.

Need to socialize.

Gain independence.

All that crap.

Whatevs.

Anyway... I picked up some caulk for that big shower project along with potting soil and a few new plants for my big planters (finally!).

I also had some bigger hibiscus trees I centered in each of my two planters and then surrounded them with the wave petunias.  I can't wait to watch them fill out and bloom!

Pictures to come soon!

When I picked them up, Mrs. Amazing Teacher said they both had a great day. 

She also texted me great photos of the boys painting, playing, and napping during the day to let me know they were doing great.

(She totally knew I was having a hard time letting that little guy go... she's cool like that.)

Modern technology is awesome!

They played together,

 painted together,

and napped hard.

Then we were off to big boy's first swimming ever (lots of firsts today!).

It was fun!

He got in the water up to his calves and decided that was enough for him.

Being the mama I am, I told him he didn't have to and we could try again tomorrow.

I'm thinking it's more of a timidness around new people because he adores the water and loves swimming.

His swimming teacher is very warm and fuzzy 

so I have high hopes.

I came home to some giant turkey vultures eating a dead fish out of my pond.

Yuck-o... but I couldn't stop looking. 

They really are huge and look like turkeys.

And yes, they do circle above whatever they're about to eat!

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt caulking the shower.

Then it's off to lunch with a sweet girlfriend of mine and another swimming lesson for T!

xoxo, Lisa

Summertime!

It's been business as usual here at Tri-Bec Creations.

But... I have a whole new experience coming my way this summer.

Both of my babies are going to be going to "summer camp" at their preschool.

Okay, so it's only 3 days a week for about 6 hours, but I've never been away from them!

I've always been a stay at home mama and they've been with me pretty much 24/7 since they were born.  Maybe once a week or every other week do my husband and I go out for a few hours in the evening on our date night.

Other than that, they're all mine!

So, what do to with myself now that they're both going to be off learning and having a blast at preschool and sweet hubby is at work?

Well first of all, I'll probably have a small break down.  

I'm an attached mama. 

After I pull myself together, I thought of a bunch of things I could do!

There's always SO much to be done around our house, so I figured I'd get started.

With that, I decided to write a little blog post about what I hope to accomplish this summer with my precious 18 hours a week of freedom.

Mostly things related to fixing up our home, like (hold on to your bonnets girls) caulking our shower and painting trim.  

But also some fun stuff like trying my hand at decorating sugar cookies and organizing all of my crafting supplies.

So here's my list:

For the Home

1. Caulk the shower in our master bath.

2. Buy and hang new window treatments in our master bedroom.

3.  Organize and clean out our closet (oy).

4. Re-coat the borders of the mirrors in our master bath.

5.  Spray paint the curtain rods, shelf, and drawer hardware in our master bath.

6.  Paint and distress the coffee table and side table in our formal living room.

7. Clean out/organize the pantry including a list of foods we have on hand.

8. Make a list of recipes that I can rotate in and out of our weekly menu.

9.  Deep clean all kitchen cabinets.

10. Paint dining room furniture.

11. Paint wicker furniture and dining set on screened in porch.

12. Organize boy's baby boxes.

14.  Get photos in baby books.

15. Clean out toys and donate old ones.

16. Get our garage totally cleaned out.

17.  Trim, trim, trim that hellacious front flower bed.  I hate it.  I most truly, truly do.

18.  Clean and organize our garage downstairs.

For Me & For Fun

1. Practice decorating sugar cookies with royal icing.

2. Get out my sewing machine and just start sewing!

3. Plan a really fun and fabulous patriotic party.  Maybe even have one. :)

4.  Organize all of my craft supplies so I don't buy even more.

5.  Read a few books.

6. Try yoga or another fitness class.

7.  Grab a coffee and relax at the bookstore.

8. Go grocery shopping without screaming or begging for candy.

9. Have lunch with a girlfriend or two.

10.  Do some crocheting for fun and relaxation.

11.  Meet up with my hubby for lunch.

12.  Design a few new sweet little baby hats and send them to my favorite photogs.

These are the things I have in mind for my newfound free time this summer.  Of course, my main goal for summer is to spend time with my boys and husband.  Watching them grow, learn, and play.  

They're truly two amazing little guys and I can't imagine life without them!

We also love cooking here at home and hitting up our local farmer's market for fresh produce when it's in season.  I'm definitely looking forward to a summer filled with fun and sun!

I'm also going to be working on my photography skills by trying to take before and after photos of all of my projects!  I'm definitely very excited about slinging some paint around here and seeing what old things I can make new again.  I'll be in touch, blog world!

xoxo, Lisa

The Beach and a Few New Cuties

I'll admit, I've been in a little bit of a creative funk for... well, the past few months.  I think I got a little bit of spring fever with all that lovely weather we were having here in the midwest in March!

We had a lovely Easter, and recently enjoyed a week in lovely Pensacola Beach, Florida.  Now I'm back with some great photos and lots of ideas in my head!

 My two cutie pies ran straight to the beach!

 Fun in the sun.

 I love those eyelashes.

 I love them!

 Gorgeous view from our back porch.

Our own walkway right to the beach.

We had such a wonderful time.  Beyond playing on the beach and eating entirely too much, we didn't do much else.  The kids were in bed at a decent time every night (probably from being so worn out!) so Chris and I would hang out, listen to the ocean, play Yahtzee!,  drink wine, and even ordered in pizza a few nights.  No running, no schedule, no shoes.

My kind of vacation.

So now that I'm all refreshed, I'm ready to get back to work!  Here are a few photos I have from recently.

Little Lion Newborn Shell

Giraffe Newborn Shell

Photography by Jessica Rivera 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Newborn Shell

Photography by Jessica Rivera

 Meet Trixie

Photo shared by this sweet girl's mama.

Ribbit the Green Frog

JR Photography

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo, Lisa

A Busy Week!

There's been lots going on around the Tri-Bec house this week!  

Little Tri turned 3 this past week and we had lots of fun bringing special treats to preschool. We also hosted a birthday party for him and little Bec who will be 2 next week!

I know... how crazy am I? 

They're right at a year apart!

They're amazing, inspiring, and I totally adore my sweet little guys.

Precious party invitation by Lil' Sprout Greetings.

I adore them for many reasons.  One, they totally customize your invite, colors and all.

Two, they have a wide variety of invitations to suit your needs, including twin/joint parties.

Three, they're completely adorable!

Fast turnaround time, friendly service, and the list goes on!

Aside from that, I have some adorable baby love to share, as usual!

 Pom-alicious

Little chics pics by Lisa Rapp

Meet Tessa

Photography by Jessica Rivera

Strawberry Limeade Owl

Photography by Jessica Rivera

Mint Chocolate Owl- Coming Soon!

Photography by Jessica Rivera

Very Hungry Caterpillar Newborn Shell

The hat only can be found here.

Missy B Photography

How's that for super precious?!

Thank you all for stopping by today!

xoxo, Lisa