Dress: Pink Lily Boutique || Shoes: Similar styles Here & Here || Necklace: Fashionable || Bag: here

Becoming pregnant has helped me to discover all sorts of new places. One boutique in particular is Pink Lilly. I’ve teamed up with them to bring you this adorable non-maternity dress. What I love about this boutique is they have such a large selection of styles it made it easy to find a dress I could wear now and after she is born. I also like that Pink Lilly has a maternity section so us moms-to-be can feel included.

This past weekend my whole family was together to celebrate my mom’s 60th birthday. All she wanted for her birthday was for us to be together and to not be in charge of any decisions. We sat by the pool and went to dinner. Kept things super simple. But the best part is we were together. And that is something that doesn’t happen everyday for us now that my sisters live far away.

When I think about my daughter, one of the things that I hope for is she will have awesome siblings like I do. I love having two sisters that I can call on at anytime (as long as they answer their phones). However, what I am most thankful for is that they are more than just sisters. They are stead-fast, life-long friends that just happen to come with being apart of this family. I consider myself very lucky in the sibling department.

But like I said, they live far away. One works in Houston, and the other is moving to Boston in the fall. So the everyday act of having someone to hang out with is something I miss a lot with them not being in Nashville. They just don’t love this city as much as I do…yet. I am secretly hoping their future niece will help change their minds.

Since my actual sisters are not presently here, I am thankful for the friends that I think of as sisters. They are also stead-fast, life-long friendships that I have found throughout the years. And these girls hold some very special places in my heart. I consider them family and know they will have just as big a role in my daughters’ life has my actual sisters do.

God is so great that He doesn’t want us to do life alone. Since He is always there with us we are never truly alone. But He is also there for us in human form – through friendships. He brings people together to lift up His name while lifting up each other. It is a beautiful representation of His love for us.

So today I ask you to thank those friends around you that make you better. The ones that will encourage, love, support, and even correct you no matter what the circumstances. Because those friendships are an amazing gift that only He can provide for us. I pray that my sweet girl is hopefully blessed with not only siblings, but friends that are as valuable as mine.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." - John 15:13

This post was sponsored by Pink Lily. Opinions are my own. All products were selected by me. Thankful for partnerships like these to make a TAD more faith possible.

There is something so comforting about ice cream. It is often craved on hot summer days when you need to cool off, or as an after dinner treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.

It’s a big hit in our family. My husband is ice cream’s biggest fan. If ice cream had an Instagram account, he would be its number one follower. One place that we particularly love is Jeni's in our local 12th South neighborhood of Nashville.

It’s not uncommon for us to pop in for a waffle cone on any given day. In the past, when we lived about a half a mile away, Adam would hop on his bike and tell me he was going for a “quick ride,” only to return 20 minutes later with a whole pint of Brambleberry Crisp in tow. “What? I exercised while getting my ice cream,” he would say as I gave him the look of crazy when he returned.

While Adam and I may not see eye-to-eye on what constitutes a workout, we can agree on our love for ice cream.

My personal favorite is Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flakes – formally known as the Buckeye State. They had to change the name because most people in Tennessee didn’t know what they were talking about when using the word “Buckeye” to describe ice cream. This is Big Orange Country, after all! While The Buckeye State is my number one pick, I do explore other flavors – The Green Mint, Black and White Cookies, Vanilla Bean. All are delicious, worth the calories, and oh so satisfying. But, there is just something special about the Buckeye State.

Just like we have our favorite flavor of ice cream or dessert, most of us also have a favorite Bible verse – one we resort to when we need that little reminder that God is with us. That verse that provides us the comfort of His love that satisfies our soul.

Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my go-to verse for years. Since high school, that verse has been my soft landing in times of trouble and happiness. I love when it pops up in places where I am neither expecting nor looking for it. It is almost like God is sending me a secret message that only He and I know about. My heart flutters when I hear it in a message on Sunday, or when I see it in a book I am reading.

I think I love it because it is so straight forward. As someone who worries (a lot), I need that reminder often. This verse is clear and to the point.

“Trust in the Lord your God and lean not on your own understandings. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

While I have a favorite flavor of ice cream, there are other flavors that I turn to from time-to-time. And while I also have my favorite verse, there are other verses that I turn to for guidance and comfort for a number of reasons. Here are a few:

For Friendship:

“A friend loves you all the time, but a brother was born to help in times of trouble.” – Proverbs 17:17

For motivation:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

For grief:

“I’ll refresh tired bones; I’ll restore tired souls” - Jeremiah 31:25

For love:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above” – James 1:37

For celebration:

“People cannot understand the wonderful things God does. His miracles are too many to count.” – Job 5:9

What’s your go to verse? What’s your favorite go-to ice cream?

- Taylor Ann