Vinyls & Vino

As soon as I learned I was pregnant with our first, I began a running list of things for which I prayed.  I prayed for her to be healthy.  I prayed for her to be kind.  I prayed for her to love music.  I prayed for her to be smart.  I prayed for her to be born with a love for God burning in her heart.  I also prayed for her to have a vivid imagination. I was an only child until I was seven years old.  I kept myself entertained quite well, and had a pretty wild imagination.  I was always making up games, stories, songs... and friends.  I had SEVERAL imaginary friends throughout my first 7 years- and what's strange is how vividly I still remember them. I had Sara and Cara, the twins.  One was 10 and one was 12 (I obviously didn't understand how twins worked).  Sara had red hair, and Cara had green hair... they didn't stick around long.  Then, I had the buffalo.  Three, to be exact.  They lived in our backyard, and would play with me when I played outside.  Again, they were co

Man, where have I been? When I come back to this place, it's like visiting an old friend.  It's nice, it's comforting, but also it's a bit sad.  I get sad that I let time, distance, and life get in between this friendship.  I always vow I'm going to visit this space more often... and then I get back to life. So, what has life looked like since my last post, back in the summer of 2018? I'm married. I now have a son, who will be one next month. I've lived through the worst part of potty-training. I've lost a grandparent. I've lost some friends. I've gained some new friends. I've strengthened some dear friendships, thanks largely to technology. I'm feeling more and more "settled" as an educator.  I've continued to work on that life balance of work/family/friends/community/me.  (Still working on it.) I've learned about enneagrams. I've finally become a podcast listener.   We are living thr

This past Saturday, a couple of my best friends (two out of the three that will be standing up with me when I marry Michael) whisked me away for a day of wine, laughs and great food.  It was truly a special day... complete with a surprise visit from my mom and granny! If you live in the area and have never visited the wineries in North Texas, you're missing out!  We visited 4R Ranch Vineyards and Winery (my first time to visit!) and enjoyed the most beautiful views of North Texas Hill Country.  Wine Flights = Beautiful Next, we visited Blue Ostrich (a regular stop for me) and my mom and grandmother surprised me and joined us for a glass of wine. After the wineries, we loaded up our purchases and headed to Ancient Ovens , an amazing BYOB restaurant that serves delicious brick oven pizza.  Ancient Ovens is known for the beautiful scenery, and it did not disappoint!  We were too busy eating and laughing to take ANY pictures while we were there!

Before I shared a bathroom with another adult and before I had a child to supervise 24/7, I took baths to relax.  To me, there is nothing more relaxing than a tub of hot water, a bathbomb, some bubbles, some wine and a stack of magazines or a good book with some music (or a binge-worthy tv series)... I took these glorious baths two or three times a week.  Oh frivolous, self-indulgent me.. . These days, I have to wait until Scarlett is in bed (and actually good and asleep...) and Michael is out of the house to enjoy these moments.  At his urging, I've taken baths while he is here and/or Scarlett is awake, but it's just not the same.  If she is up and I can hear them in the other room, I feel guilty for being so selfish with my time (hello, mom guilt!).  Let's be honest, too- it's just not as relaxing if I can hear them in the other room:  the sound of the tv, them laughing/crying/babbling, Michael yelling at my cats, etc.  Relaxation is the end-goal here, and I'

This past week: I went hard into wedding planning mode (seeing as how we only have about 4 weeks left, it's about time I did...).  We shopped, we worked on details, and I have managed to cross most of my tasks off of my to-do list.  Still working on our playlists, so if you have any suggestions for must-play songs, throw them my way! I also enjoyed Michael being home a lot this past week.  His work-load was pretty light, and it was so great for he and Scarlett to have some extra time together.  Celebrating the Fourth mid-week made for a fun change of pace! I bought this dress from Amazon in a couple of shades, and after wearing it this week, I want to go back and order every color available. It is so comfortable and effortless, but doesn't forfeit style.  (Note:  Sizing isn't too off, but in order for the dress to hang as it does in the photo I would consider sizing up.)  I have a feeling I will be living in mine for the remainder of the summer... It seemed li

What a busy few days we've had!  (For this mama, the busyness was a welcome change from the monotony of summer break so far!) Michael worked like crazy last week shipping cattle, so this week was pretty laid back.  Monday off, Tuesday half day, Wednesday off, a partial day Thursday... and he'll be getting off work a little early today, too!  With all of this "daddy" time, Scarlett found herself turning in to a Daddy's Girl again. (This made Michael happy.  And Mama happy.  I got a break!  Whew!)  We loved having Daddy home with us.  They absolutely wore each other out with all the playing!  We spent the Fourth at my Happy Place- Waurika Lake.  I've been so blessed to grow up near a lake. (Although, growing up near a lake in Oklahoma isn't a hard task!  They're everywhere!)  We spent some time with family at a campsite, then took a boat ride, and Scarlett took her first dip in the water (which really means we held her and let her legs get