Above and Beyond

Since becoming pregnant I feel like I have learned how to accept help from others for the first time.  Of course, I have always had tons of love and support from family and friends my entire life, so I don't mean that I haven't always had help, love and support.  However, being pregnant, moving, being a business owner and doing home projects at once leads me to absolutely need more help than ever before.  I have been so incredibly blessed by family and friends who have pitched in and helped in ways I never expected.  (A separate post about my incredible husband to come...he has been beyond fantastic and amazing with the move, a hormonal wife and endless home projects all while working 14 hour days and waking up at 4am)


Running Tippi Toes with Sarah is one of my favorite things to do, but over the past weeks with a move, etc I have found myself not able or working like I usually do, but Sarah has been incredible.  Even with 3 kids she has picked up my slack and I just feel so unbelievably lucky to be in a situation which allows me to have the support from Sarah as a sister and as a business partner.  She has made the craziness of the past weeks so much easier for me because she has taken care of work things and I just am so incredibly grateful.  The relief she has given me has helped me so much and has kept me feeling mentally and physically capable of doing all that we have to do.  Thank you Bear!

Then the day after we move in I am blown away by our friends Kim and Cindy who work with Chris.  They excitedly offered to come over and clean our house!!  Are you kidding me?  This was so helpful to me and the work and cleaning they did would have taken me 5 times as long.  They were happy to help, which made me feel less guilty about the fact they were scrubbing away and I just think offering to do something as unpleasant as cleaning someone else's house is one of the most selfless things I have ever experienced.  What an example of friendship, support and selfless they have given me.

Kim cleaning the floors!  So grateful!

Cindy cleaning our sweet 1980's kitchen!

Then this past weekend, my best friend Jen flew to Florida from Chicago and since the moment she planned this trip all she would tell me was that she just wanted to come and help us.  She was adamant that she wanted to help and wasn't worried about getting to the beach or doing the fun stuff that we would normally do.  So loving and kind!  Since the minute we moved into this house Chris and I have been working on it non-stop, but being 9 1/2 months pregnant I certainly am not doing as much as my head and mind wants to do.  Dadadada...Jen to the rescue!  She worked her tail off while she was here and I can't tell you what a difference her time hear meant to me.  When she came in on Wednesday I was overwhelmed with everything we still needed to do in Harper's room and in the house in general.  By the time she left Saturday (her birthday) evening I was feeling so much better.  She helped me get through the decorating choices in Harper's room (Jen has an incredible design eye!), we painted our great room (which is not a small feat) & harper's closet, put together the mobile, helped with the layout, shopping and then on top of all of the she treated me to a pedicure.  I know...it should have been the other way around!!

Jen is an all star shopper and as you can see is also hilarious!
 check our the eyes!

Jen painting Harper's closet

Friday morning pedicures!

We tend to like the same things...toe nail color and nursery decor!

Pic of Harper's room after Jen helped get me organized!

I just feel so blessed and appreciative for the love and support that Chris and I have in our lives.  I don't know what I would do without our family and friends and I am so excited for Harper to have all these incredible people in her life.  This has all humbled me and reminded me that being there for other people in such selfless ways is one of the greatest gifts a person can give.