Flashback Friday

Happy Friday.......and Happy Mother's Day!! :)

 

Being a mom is both my hardest and my favorite job in the world.  I always knew I wanted to be a mom.  What a blessing it is to be charged with the task of raising a child.  I am so thankful to grow up with an exceptional role-model and I will never take it for granted.  :) 

 

 

In our house, I have always held to one rule:  You can say anything you want as long as you say it respectfully.  I think it's important to give kids a voice and I want them to feel like they are being heard.  For example, if they didn't like a bedtime or a punishment or anything else, they have always been allowed to say so.  Of course, I'm still going to do what I think is right as a mom but I will listen to every single word they say. 

 

 

I am a lucky momma to the funniest little boy with the biggest heart and the most talented little girl with an independent streak a mile wide. 

 

 

 

May goals

Wow......it's already May?  It seems like every time I come up for air, another month has passed. 

If you have read this blog once or twice, you know I'm a freak for organization.  If I can find a way to make life more efficient, I'm all over it.  I have ongoing lists everywhere - groceries needed, things to do, etc.  This is the level of freak I am......all lists must be PAPER (no using the iPhone apps) because I need the satisfaction of physically crossing something off when complete.  Strange, right?!  The first step is admitting you I have a problem.  :)

I'm always looking for ways to make life easier.  Side note:  Do you know who is GREAT at doing this?  My husband!  I can't tell you how many times he has come home from running errands with some little something run more smoothly.  Anyway.....I was reading a blog last week where the author writes down goals at the beginning of each month.  For every goal, she is very specific about how to reach that goal.  Then, at the end of the month, she goes back and checks her progress.  Great idea!!  So I'm putting it all out there.....for the whole world to see......for some self-imposed accountability. 

Before we get started, this is a photo of my daily planner.  Again, I rely on good old-fashioned pen and paper.  This green sticky note follows my calendar every week as a constant reminder of what I'm focused on this month. 

Without further adieu, here are my goals for May.....

Goal #1:  Focus on my health  

Step one = Moms on the Run

I wrote this post last year when I first joined the local chapter of Moms on the Run.  I made it about half-way through the season before developing Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot.  I pushed too hard too fast but I really wanted to complete the Color Run.  I am proud to say that I finished that dang 5k but it took a toll.  I wasn't able to run again until the beginning of this year. 

Last week I joined the running club again this year.  The summer season is 18 weeks so I'm spending my summer with the walking group.  There's no hurry......exercise is exercise (that's what I need to keep telling myself).  If I'm injury-free by the end of August, I'll sign up for the fall season as a jogger. 

Step two = Yoga

Several weeks ago, I signed up for a yoga class through our local Parks & Recreation department.  We have had a few classes and I LOVE IT!!  To be honest, I didn't expect it to be as difficult as it is (I'm sweating buckets the entire time) but I'm hooked.  It's hard to explain but by the end of the session, I'm super relaxed with a renewed outlook on life.  During May, I will continue to go to my class each Monday. 

Step three = Drink more water

Since exercise and nutrition go hand in hand, this is where I'm starting.   Even though I've switched from drinking regular sodas to diet, I really need to incorporate more water into my daily routine.  During May, I vow to drink at least two bottles of water per day. 

Goal #2:  Time management

I have an hour for lunch each day and work about ten minutes from my house.  Instead of having a weekly lunch plan, I have been going with the flow.  The problem is that "flow" leads to a lot of shopping wasted time and fast food.  My office does weekly staff meetings during lunch on Wednesdays so I have four lunch hours free.  During May, I vow to spend only one lunch hour running errands (that may include an occasional trip to the shoe store and/or Chikfila) and at least one lunch hour at home. 

Goal #3:  Have fun and be creative

Life is so crazy lately that I haven't had time to scrapbook.  I really missing that creative outlet!  I found a local scrapbook "club" and they have an all-day crop this weekend!  On one hand, it's nerve-wracking when you're the new girl of the group.  On the other hand, how am I going to make friends if I don't put myself out there?  (Another mental mantra I'm holding on to.)  This month, I vow to do at least one fun/creative thing. 

Goal #4:  Etsy store

While my Etsy store is definitely a labor of love - and a way to be creative - I've been too wrapped up in the administrative side of the store (shipping, bookkeeping, etc.) lately.  During May, I vow to create at least three new designs.  Keep an eye on the store to see what I come up with....

www.etsy.com/shop/southerngirlupnorth

Goal #5:  Enjoy more family time

While this may be my fifth goal, it is definitely my FIRST priority.  This month, we are going to have Delanie's birthday party come hell or high water.  And I'm going to spend a much-needed (albeit fast) weekend with Garrett at Lauren's graduation.  Throughout the month, I vow to take advantage of the beautiful weather and spend as much time on the deck with Jim as possible. 

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday!! :)

This week's Flashback Friday goes to my sweet, incredibly handsome husband.  Out of the blue last week, here's what arrives at my office.....

Tulips are my all-time favorite flower!  They are only around for a week or two in the Spring but man do they pack a powerful punch.  They make me think of going to my parents' house in Grand Prairie.  Every year the neighborhood entrances would be full of these beauties. 

Snoozing in the sun

Remember this post and this post about the deck and landscaping out back?  The landscapers were putting the final touches on everything well after the first snow of our last Winter.  Guess what?!  It's finally warm enough to enjoy it!!

Sunshine + blue skies = Heaven

Jim and I spent last Sunday afternoon hunting down deck furniture.  After looking at several stores, we found the perfect set!  Everything was delivered on Monday.  Check it out....

Awesome, right?!  We are still debating on how to arrange everything but so far so good.  My favorite part of the dining table is that the center rotates like a lazy susan.  Love that sucker!

 

Everyone has already claimed their spot.  Delanie loves to stretch out on the couch, the club chair is mine (because I looooove the way I can curl up in it) and the recliner is all Jim's. 

Friday night came and the weather could not have been more beautiful.  I came home from work to this sight.....

Which quickly turned into this....

How cute is it that Sugar is curled up to Delanie's head?  She is so used to Delanie carrying her around that it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. 

Jim quickly joined the party....

 

Not five minutes after that shot, I looked up to find this.....

 

 

It didn't take him long to relocate to the recliner.....and start snoring......

It kinda drives Jim crazy how many pictures I take of him asleep.  Hahaha!!  Let's get a close up of that little siesta.....

 

The group was finally complete when the hound decided to join us.  Yes, that's her bed in the background. 

The wonderful weather lasted only through the night.  It's chilly again but hopefully we won't have to wait too long to get back out there.

Speaking of waiting..... the firepit got a little sprucing up too. 

Since that picture was taken, we have added two more adirondack chairs.  We are busy planning Delanie's sweet 16 birthday party so we can finally break it in! :)

Flashback Friday

Happy Friday!! :)

 

I got so lucky the day God chose me to be a momma to the two most precious kids on the planet. 

 

There are so many things I absolutely LOVE about these pictures of Garrett and Delanie.....

 

The way Delanie is lovingly holding Garrett's arm against her. 

Garrett's brand new haircut that he insisted was short enough to wear under a baseball helmet. 

Those adorable white ruffled socks.  I bet we had 40 pairs of those suckers.  She HATED socks with seams near her toes.....WHAT?!  We must have tried a thousand different types of socks until we finally came across these.  I bought every single pair in the store and ordered them in bulk online. 

The picture below happened naturally.  The kids were used to wrestling with their dad every night (they called it playing "knock you down").  When the photographer had Garrett lay on his stomach,  Delanie plopped right down on top of him.  He was mid-laugh during this picture because she reached underneath him and started tickling.  :)

Those crinkled-up eyes because the sun was shining in their faces. 

Grand Prairie, TX - Summer 2004

Good morning!

Trolleys, boobs and barbed wire

On Saturday in New Orleans, we only had one mission.......hit the French Market! 

The market was about eight blocks from our hotel and that was just long enough for us to get into trouble.  We decided to catch the trolley to the market.  Let me tell you this, honey......those trolley lines could not have been more confusing.  Charlene and I are pretty smart and it took us FOREVER to figure out which one took us from Canal Street to the French Market. 

 

Since we were waiting on the next trolley to arrive, I asked Charlene to pose for a few pictures.  I got this one......

 

and then this one......

 

 

before that trolley came damn close to hitting her!!  OK, I will admit that I'm laughing as I type this (you should have seen how fast she jumped out of the way!) but it was NOT FUNNY at the time.  Needless to say, Bea wouldn't pose for anymore picture on the trolley tracks. 

 

So I had to make due with taking pictures INSIDE the trolley.....

 

 

Bless her heart.....she had no idea that trolley was just a frog's hair away from her bootie! :)

 

She didn't trust the trolley for the ride home (I'm still laughing!) so we decided to walk.  So, of course, we ended up at Mr. Ed's - yes, again!  This time, I was all about the shrimp creole. 

 

 

Maybe it was the near-death experience of the trolley.....who knows.......but we got pretty slap-happy at dinner.  Truth be told, I was taking a picture of Charlene's new fleur-de-lis necklace and she decided to remind me that she got a much bigger "blessing" than I did in the boob department. 

 

Life is not fair.  Trust me.....the struggle is real. 

 

 

It's hard to believe this is the same Mississippi River that starts in Minnesota. 

 

We took the long way back to the hotel and I was busy snapping pictures the entire way.  The one below is the oldest bar in New Orleans (it still runs without electricity).  It's named after the famous pirate Jean Lafitte and it's supposed to be haunted. 

 

 Speaking of hauntings......evidently that's a selling point in New Orleans.  Who knew?!

 

They might not be able to keep the ghosts out but the Cajun equivalent to barbed wire (below) will work just fine for the human variety. 

 

These posts are everywhere in the French Quarter.  They were originally installed to hold horse's reins.  Cool, right?  They have all been restored and the aged metal is gorgeous!

 

 

 

While walking down Royal Street, we came across this window that looked straight into one of the Brennan's restaurant kitchens.  It was so cool watching them do their thing!

 

 

 

This was taken outside the police station in New Orleans.  Vieux Carre is French for "old square".  It's what the first French settlers called the French Quarter. 

 

One more quick pass through Jackson Square and this is what we came across.....

 

After making a quick pit stop at the fais deaux deaux, we finally got back to the hotel about 10pm.  Once we were settled into our jammies, we turned on the tunes and started scrapbooking. 

That right there, my friends, is my idea of Heaven!! :)