Introduction

Hi everyone! A blog is something I've wanted to do for a few years now but just somehow never found the time and then recently I realized... it was never going to happen unless I made it happen. So here it is, my first blog post, which is actually (more or less) of an introduction to my family and I. I am April and I am blessed to be able to be a stay at home wife and mommy, I am happily married to the love of my life (and my best friend), Frank, the most amazing and wonderful man and husband in the world, and we have a beautiful 2 month old daughter, Bella Nicole, (born Dec. 8, 2013), and she is absolutely perfect in every single way imaginable. God has truly blessed me beyond compare and I am so thankful to call them mine! Also I have 2 sweet stepdaughters, Kristi and Tiffani, who are completely in love with their little sister Bella.
Now for a little about me... I am the second oldest of 5 children and have 1 older brother and 3 younger sisters and great parents. I grew up on a farm in rural southeast Missouri with quite a menagerie of different species... chickens (I loooove chickens by the way), hair sheep, ducks, geese, dogs, rabbits, fish, and at one time or another goats, wool sheep, cats and even a miniature donkey once! I now live in western Pennsylvania with my sweet hubby and daughter. I think Pennsylvania is a lot like Missouri overall, especially terrain-wise, but is just colder and we get more snow. My birthday is in early April (but I think my name kind of already gave that away haha), I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my husband and baby daughter... I also enjoy (in no particular order) blue skies, long walks, reading, daydreaming, crocheting, decorating/designing, photography, ice skating, music and singing, instagramming (if that's a word lol), Pinterest, crafting/creating/diy, shopping (thrifting especially), and snuggling with our sweet Bella.
I love cooking and baking and I've been doing so since my mom started teaching me at around 2 years old. In my mind there is just something so rewarding about feeding your family and making things that taste/smell good. :)

I have this notion that chocolate is healthy and I'm not changing my mind (haha), I love pretty much anything to do with the Eiffel Tower and Paris, also I have this gravy obsession, I reeeaaally love gravy... brown gravy, broth gravy, mushroom gravy, au jus, and sometimes even sausage gravy... I've been known to eat gravy for a meal and yes, I've even went so far as to drink it (haha). My other obsession is cupcakes... and I must confess, I actually dream about them on a regular basis (haha), at least there are no calories in dreaming, right? :)

I am a complete girly-girl and I love roses, peonies, lilacs and honeysuckle, along with anything pink, sparkly, gold and covered in sequins or glitter, polka dots or bows. I am a latté and frappe kind of girl. My favorite seasons are spring and autumn. My favorite musical artist is Owl City. I love the ocean, and I love contrails in the sky, I love freshly fallen snow that nothing has touched, I love in the spring when plant life begins pushing its way through the dirt and the earth begins to grow green yet again, I love warm summer days with blue skies and a slight breeze with white puffy clouds and contrails; and cool autumn days where you can put on a jacket and take a long walk listening to the leaves crunch beneath your feet, I love the afternoon sunshine when you can see dust and pollen swirling through the air. I am one of those people who pick up a dandelion and blow, scattering the seeds throughout the universe. I am amazed at the world which God has created and how much He blesses me every day. I see the world differently than most people, and I believe the most wonderful things in the world are to love and be loved.