Where Do I Begin?

My heart is so extremely heavy today; I've felt an overwhelming need to write out my feelings and to share my sadness. I can sum up my distress in one single word and most of you will understand.

Orlando.

Y'all - this fallen world we live in is so cruel. That old adage "tragedy occurs in three" is slapping us all in the face this week. 

The politics surrounding the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando  is quite frankly disgusting. We all have the right to our own views regarding equality, gun rights, or any other issue but at the end of the day, we lost people. 

People like you and me. People with families, and careers, and dreams. Things like the Orlando shooting shouldn't happen...but they keep happening. In a world so full of hate, all I can think is that we should just love one another. I know that is somewhat idealistic but honestly I don't care. 

I could spend hours ranting about gun laws, gun safety, terrorism, immigration, mental health...none of that will change what has already happened. So instead, I'm praying for Orlando. I'm praying for the victims and their families. I'm praying for the LGBT community. I'm praying for the shooter. I'm praying for peace and comfort. 

A horrific nightmare has been unfolding over the last 24 hours at Walt Disney World. A two year old child was dragged into the Seven Seas Lagoon by an alligator on Walt Disney World Resort property Tuesday night. The media is reporting that the family was on the beach area of the Grand Floridian waiting for either the nightly fireworks show or outdoor movie, both official Disney activities. The child was "wading" in the water with his parents nearby when an alligator grabbed him and pulled him into the water. 

The news of this attack is gut wrenching. My first thought is to this sweet baby and his parents. I can't even imagine the terror and torment of this happening to one of my children. I have been saddened to see attacks on the parents in the comment sections of most news articles or social media posts I've read.

I've never been to Disney World or even to Florida but being from a coastal state I know about the dangers of gators and I know that they are prevalent in Florida. However, I never once thought about the fact that there would be alligators at Disney World. I had no idea that Disney World was built on swamp land or that the man made lakes and lagoons are connected to natural water ways. I honestly assumed that dangers like that didn't exist at Disney. Ridiculous in hindsight, but it's the truth. I've also learned that while there are a lot of "no swimming" signs in the waters at Disney, there aren't so many "look out for wildlife" type signs. I have heard from 100s of Walt Disney World patrons (in Disney vacation planning groups that I'm in) that have said that they have done the exact same thing this family was doing when the attack happened. They too have let their children or grandchildren put their feet in the water or wade in just a bit. They honestly had no idea of the risk. It may seem like common sense to Floridians but for people visiting from other areas of the country or other countries entirely - they may not have a clue. 

 It is my understanding that attacks like this are very rare; I pray that moving forward there will be changes made at Disney to protect patrons and that visitors will be more aware of their surroundings. 

#prayforOrlando

Time To Catch Up

I have been on a blogging hiatus of sorts for the last 9+ months. It used to be that my blog was one of the most important things in my life, second only to my children. I would stay up late at night working on posts and get up early and do it again all day the next day. This blog was my baby. 

When Chris and I got together, I slowly did a 180 and my blog became less and less important. Eventually, I stopped posting all together. I didn't realize it at the time, but I needed a serious break from blogging. I put a lot of pressure on myself when it came to my blog because it was my business and I wanted to be successful. The last post that I published was on January 4th of this year, my birthday. I quit posting on social media except for personal use and even that tapered down to a trickle. I just shut it all off and enjoyed what was going on around me. For months, I didn't even log into my blog. I didn't drown myself in stats, PR inquiries, design, posts, editorial calendars, etc. I just didn't care about any of that anymore. 

Over the last few months, I have found myself missing this space, this community. I made so many friends while blogging, became a part of this community that is pretty fantastic. I miss that, a lot and I miss expressing myself in this space, writing about whatever the hell I feel like writing about. I miss my readers (and I'm hoping there are still some of you hanging around!), and I miss the great opportunities that I was presented with because of my work on this blog.

I'm approaching blogging a little differently this time around; I have to remember that this blog is my part time thing and not my full time, only thing. 

So much has happened in the last 9 months and I can't wait to catch y'all up!

February: I accepted a job in the oil and gas industry. The company I work for is only a few years old and is growing like crazy. The opportunity was a really exciting one that I just couldn't pass up. I love being a part of something that is developing and expanding all the time. I currently supervise the most awesome team of billing coordinators and I sincerely L.O.V.E. my job! 

May: Chris graduated from UTI! Oh, what a long road that was! I am so proud of him; he worked so hard and stayed focused. He pushed through, even on the days that he didn't want to and he finished. It was definitely not easy most days, but we made it through together.

Also in May, we got married :)  I'll be doing a full post on the wedding at a later time, but y'all, it was perfect! 

June: In June, I had surgery. I'll be doing a more detailed post on my surgery at a later date, but for now I'll say this: I'm fine. 

July: My company moved it's headquarters to the Greenway Plaza area of Houston. For those of you who aren't familiar with Houston or where I live - that's a 45 minute drive from where I live, on a good day. I had to change my schedule in order to avoid major traffic issues so now I wake up at 3 a.m. in order to make it to work by 6 a.m. The struggle is real y'all. I'm learning to love it and the area that we work in is pretty hip. Also, I do have this awesome view from my office: 

August: I became "softball mom" to the cutest little 8U softball player I've seen! 

We made a big move in August also! We moved into our "for now dream house" (because our real dream includes a lot of land in the middle of no where!). We really  lucked out with this house; we love our neighborhood and our neighbors, the kids have tons of friends on our street and within the neighborhood, and our home is pretty much amazing! Chris and I still look at each other sometimes like, "Is this real?"

Then, our "baby" started his first year of "big kid school" and our little lady started 2nd grade!

The kids are both doing fantastic in school and they are loving every minute of it! I was worried that James would not adjust well because he is more on the shy side, but he has done so awesome! 

October: Our beautiful little girl, who is not so little any more, turned 8.

She's so sassy! :) 

There are so many other moments over the last 9 months that I would love to share with you, but it would take me another 9 months to recount them all. I hope you'll be satisfied with the highlight reel! I'm so excited to be back in the writing "saddle." A big thanks to all of you who hung on while I was on my little break!

Life Lately

Man Alive! Life has been so busy lately; it seems like summer is flying by (actually, this whole year has flown by) and I've been caught up in a million and one things. So today I'm gonna get y'all caught up on our life lately. 

At the end of May, Chris and I traveled to Baton Rouge to see the King of country music, George Strait, perform the second to last show of his final tour, ever. We had a fantastic time but we've both agreed that we will probably never go out of state for a concert again. We barely made it to the stadium in time because we sat in traffic for like, 4 hours. It was awful. However, it was totally worth it! George was amazing and I'm so grateful that we had the opportunity to see him on his last tour. 

Our baby girl graduated from Kindergarten! When we sat down and started comparing her pictures from her first day of school to her last day of school, we were blown away. We realized how much she had changed and how grown up she looks. Father Time, please slow down!

Chris is still going to school and he started a new job several weeks ago. He landed a position at a great shop and is gaining valuable experience as an entry level tech. The best part? He actually loves his work there. The second best part? He is home at a reasonable time every night and he no longer works weekends! He also started the motor swap on his Mustang. My garage has officially been taken over by car parts (but I don't mind!).

I've been extra busy lately too; I've put my photography business on the back burner a little bit - mostly because I like to shoot outside and right now - it's hot! No one wants to be a hot sweaty mess in pictures and I'm assuming no one wants a hot sweaty  mess of a photographer either. 

Recently, I took a position as an assistant editor for a local online publication. It's been a great experience so far and I love that I'm able to use my knowledge of blogging and social media marketing at a higher level. 

I'm also looking for a full time, outside of the home, job. I just can't seem to sit still! I've been on 5+ interviews in the last two weeks and I"ve got two more lined up this week. I'm kind of holding out for the "perfect" job and just seeing what is out there right now. Wish me luck on my search!

I'm back on my weight loss bandwagon again (imagine that!) I've done well not to gain any weight but I kind of hit a plateau and stopped trying to lose. I'm planning ahead for an elective surgery in the not too distant future though and I'd like to be in the best shape possible going into the procedure (more on that at a later time). 

Father's Day was amazing! The kids and I worked hard on our gifts to Chris; we were so excited that we ended up giving them to him a day early! 

The kids made Dad this awesome candy card and you can see it all over his face - he loved it! They were so proud of the work they did and they felt great knowing that he was so excited about his gift!

My surprise for Chris really floored him; I knew he was going to love my gift for him but I didn't expect the reaction I got. It was obvious to him that my gift meant a lot and that it truly made his day, which was exactly what I was going for. He is an amazing Dad and he deserved the best Father's Day ever. I feel confident that the kiddos and I definitely accomplished that with Father's Day at the Houston Astros game! 

Lately the kids have been hounding me to let them do chores around the house. Who am I to deny a child the privilege of housework? So, we made out a chore chart and put them to work. They are loving every minute of it and I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Cause we all know it won't last!

So that's the gist of it, we've just been busy, living life and enjoying our summer! 

What have y'all been up to?

 

#DecideToDrive {Alert and Without Distractions}

We're all guilty of it in some way. It's easy to do and sometimes it can happen without even realizing it. Unfortunately it has become the norm or at least it seems that way. Driving distracted. I think we're all guilty of it at some point. Talking on the phone, texting, flipping through the radio stations, eating, putting on make up, screaming at unruly kids (I do not do that, not one bit).

There are so many different things that can easily distract us while driving and it only takes a split second for a distraction to cause a crash. I'm guilty of driving distracted. I have two small kids that are in the vehicle with me 99% of the time and I do my best to limit distractions. I don't text unless my car is at a complete stop and sometimes I feel like even that is a bad idea. I'd by lying if I said I never get honked at when the light turns green and I'm still sitting there! My car is equipped with a blue tooth system so when I get in I always connect my phone. If I get a call while driving I can easily answer it by pushing a button on the steering wheel and I can talk through the speakers in my car. It's a feature that I love and use frequently.

I've noticed an increasing trend: it is typical to pass other drivers on the road and see them looking down at or talking on their phones, applying make up while driving (this one still baffles me!), or eating all while driving. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and The Auto Alliance (and myself!) want to increase awareness about the risks of distracted driving. 

Check out this wreck-less checklist:

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the nearly 33,000 roadway fatalities in 2012, there were 3,328 fatalities and approximately 421,000 injuries in distracted driving-related crashes. I carry my most precious cargo with me almost all of the time and I do my best to protect them at every turn. However, I cannot control the actions of other drivers on the road. Distracted driving puts the lives of innocent people at risk as well as your own. 

Remember, the most advanced safety feature of any vehicle is the driver. The AAOS and the Auto Alliance urges all drivers to keep their most sophisticated safety features engaged at all times: eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

What do you do to limit distractions while driving?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

What Mom Really Wants This Mother's Day

So, Mother's Day is only a few days away (go tell your guys so you can watch them panic!) and everyone is wondering what to get for their Mama. There are lots of gift guides floating around in "Blog Land" and they are fantastic! There really are a lot of great ideas out there and trust me I have a "lust list" of items that I'd love to get for Mother's Day myself. However, I have a list of things that I'd really like for Mother's Day; stuff that won't break or get worn out, doesn't cost a lot, and will put a real smile on my face. I'm here to tell y'all what Mom really wants for Mother's Day!

Mom wants to sleep in! Give Mom a break this Sunday and let her catch some extra ZZZZ's. Even if she is like me and typically can't sleep past sunrise set her up with a nice book, movie, whatever and let her relax in bed for an extra hour. 

Mom wants to eat! After working hard at sleeping in all morning Mom is going to wake up hungry; Feed her! You can make breakfast yourself or pick something up - as long as it is something she favors - she'll be happy. Promise. 

Mom wants to poop! ALONE! Yea, y'all, I went there. Mom had a big breakfast, her tummy hurts, give her some privacy! Dads - keep the kids out of the bathroom and don't let them scream at the door for her either. She'll come out less bloated and relaxed. Win-Win for everyone!

Mom wants y'all to shut the h*ll up! For the love of all things Holy, can you please just control your urge to argue, bicker, fight, scream, call each other names, etc., etc., for like, 5 MINUTES? That'd be cool if you could. (This one is directed to all of you lovely children!)

Mom wants to enjoy her family! Really y'all, all Mom wants is to enjoy her family. Whatever this means to you and yours, that's what you should do. Maybe you gift a fresh bouquet of flowers and go on a picnic in the park. Maybe it's a nice dinner out or to a movie. All Mom wants is to have a peaceful day where everyone is super extra nice to her. 

Moms, am I right?!

What are you doing for your Mom this Mother's Day?

An Evaluation

My little guy has an appointment on Tuesday with our school district to have his speech evaluated. James is 4 and to me he speaks just fine. However, several family members and friends have urged us 
to have him tested. So tested he will be.

I'd say 98% of the time, Chris and I understand James completely. However, sometimes he mumbles, talks too fast or too quietly. Sometimes he gets confused and forgets what word he is trying to say. As parents, we don't want to think that anything is wrong with our son. We can understand him just fine and we constantly work with him to speak louder, clearer, and without mumbling. We decided to move forward with the evaluation anyway. 

If it is found that his speech needs improvement he will enter into a weekly program for the remainder of the year and then next year he will be eligible to attend Pre K. This makes me very happy. Our boy needs interaction with other kiddos and it would do him some good to not be stuck up my skirt all the time. He is definitely a momma's boy. 

All in all, we of course want what is best for him. I'm a little nervous about his evaluation and just worried about my boy in general. 

If you've been through this with your kiddo I would love your input! 

Selfie Sunday

A few days ago I decided to clean out Addison's Leap Pad; She plays with it a lot, recording videos and taking pictures. The Leap Pad has all these cool features where you can decorate your pictures with accessories or just color on them. Addison is kind of obsessed with doing that.

One thing I didn't know is that Addison has apparently mastered the selfie! As I was looking through the photos I extracted from her leap pad, I couldn't help but giggle. This little girl likes taking pictures of herself, a lot!

There were so many random photos of her on her leap pad; I just loved these where she is making funny faces. Addison and I are known for taking pictures with funny faces. This girl is a beautiful mess!

My girl is on the verge of making a duck face; don't worry I'm going to have a talk with her about that! She looks so grown up in that picture and I don't like it one bit. Also, I'm not sure what is up with the picture of her eyes closed tight but I thought it was cute.

I'm cool with her having fun taking self portraits on her leap pad but I'm thankful she doesn't have access to the internet! I'm definitely not ready for that!

Do your kiddos like to take selfies too? 

Tips for Managing Stress

The amount of stress in my house this week has been completely through the roof; I've been hiding out (not blogging) because I can't seem to focus on anything. Chris and I have been faced with some hard decisions as parents and trying to navigate our way through it all has been hard. Actually, hard is a complete understatement. Through it all, we have been and will continue to be by each others side - and without him, I'm pretty sure this week would have devastated me. We've managed to help each other reduce our stress a little bit at a time, day after day. 

I'm not one who typically gets overly stressed out, but after this week I've learned some new coping skills and I thought that it might be beneficial for some of you if I shared them. 

Stay Connected

In stressful times it is important to stay connected to those who are close to you. Reach out to your partner or family and friends. Seek advice from a trusted source or just chat with a close friend. Sometimes it helps to just have someone who will listen. It's best to express your  feelings instead of bottling them up. 

Avoid the Stressor

If at all possible, avoid the source of your stress. If a person at work is causing you undue grief, stay away from them as much as possible. If it's a situation in your life that you have to face, do so head on but try not to dwell on it for long. Do what needs to be done and move on.

Stand Your Ground

Make your decisions and do not falter. You know what is best for you and those around you and although some decisions are hard to make you must do what is the most beneficial for yourself and/or family. Be assertive. 

Don't Try to Control Everything and Don't Worry Unnecessarily

Unfortunately there are times in life where you just can't control every  aspect of a situation. You shouldn't spend too much time analyzing, worrying, and trying to figure out every little detail. This is easier said than done but if you can focus on the here and now you will be better off. 

Take a Deep Breath and Relax

Take a hot shower, go for a walk, laugh, enjoy the company of others, write in your journal or sweat our your stress with a good work out. Do something that will relax you and center your focus elsewhere beyond whatever is stressing you out. 

Everything I've mentioned above we've put into play this last week. I've stayed connected with Chris, my mom, his mom, and other family and friends. They've listened, given affirmation that we're doing the right thing, supported, and given advice. Without them I would still be second guessing our decisions. I've avoided the situation as much as possible when I could and I've stood my ground and will continue to do so. I will not waiver in my decision. I am guilty of over analyzing and worrying about things that I have no control over. I'm trying to let go of that and focus on the things that I can control. Chris has really helped me to relax. Hot showers, coffee on the porch (our favorite), couch cuddles, and late night talks have helped to soothe our souls. 

Friends, if you are dealing with way too much stress I hope that these tips will help you. If you need a friend to talk to, I'm available. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate through this trying time. 

Challenge Accepted: Packing Creative Lunches for Kids

Thank you to Fruit Shoot for sponsoring today's post and encouraging me to share creative ways to prep fun lunches for my kids!

I'll be honest - packing school lunches is one of my least favorite things to do. The monotony of packing the same types of things over and over again really gets to me and I can only imagine how my daughter must feel every day when she opens up her lunch box to the same 'ol thing. I try to pack her favorites but surely she must get tired of eating the same thing day after day.

Recently I've been trying to amp up my "cool mom" status by packing fun and creative lunches. I've spent plenty of time browsing my "lunchbox ideas" board on Pinterest and that has been a great help! I've decided to challenge myself: for the remaining six or so weeks of school I'm going to do my best to pack my daughter a creative and fun lunch. This is going to be hard y'all! However, thanks to Robinson's Fruit Shoot drinks - I'm feeling inspired!

About #FruitShoot:

We want to share some of our favorite things about Fruit Shoot. It has a new no-spill cap, perfect for children of all ages, and contains no fructose corn syrup, making it a much better option than other flavored drinks.

This fun hydration drink is perfect for energetic, independent kids who desire fun on the go. It contains real fruit juice, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no added sugar or natural flavors.

Fruit Shoot lets moms balance the hydration their kids need with the taste that they love, making hydration fun for kids and easy for moms.

Fruit Shoot also features an innovative no-spill cap (no more juice stains in the car!) making it easy for kids to be independent and on the go. These vibrant fun colored bottles come in tasty flavors of Orange, Apple, Berry Burst, and Strawberry/Raspberry."

Monday's lunch was super simple. My kiddos LOVE those little pre made cheese and cracker packages you get from the grocery store. I don't purchase them often so they know they are getting a treat when I do. I spruced it up with some other finger foods because what kid doesn't like finger foods? Cherry tomatoes (my daughter's favorite!), some mandarin oranges and an Orange Fruit Shoot made for one happy kiddo!

I'm not sure how today's lunch went over yet because she is still at school but I thought it was pretty fun! I made an easy turkey and cheese wrap held together with just a bit of ranch dressing - another favorite! Add in her "go to" foods - chips, pudding, and tomatoes - she should be satisfied. I'm anxious to hear what she thought about the Berry Burst Fruit Shoot as well.

As you can see, Addison was really excited to try all four flavors of Robinson's Fruit Shoot!

Bonus: Right now with the purchase of Fruit Shoot, there is the option for a free download of an Angry Birds game - perfect for parents to play with their kids! Download the Angry Birds game and enter the code on the back of your Fruit Shoot bottle to play!

Fruit Shoot is available at these local retailers: Walmart, KMart, Kroger, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Spartan, Speedway, Meijer Gas, Sheetz, Kangaroo, WilcoHess, Handee Hugo, Family Fare, Giant Eagles, Marc’s, Dave’s, UDF, Traxx, Redi Mart, J Clarks

What do your kids enjoy in their lunchboxes?

Spring in Texas

Spring is definitely here - the sun is shining a little more each day, it's no longer freezing cold out, and my entire house is sneezing and sniffling non stop. My favorite season has always been Fall but I have to tell you guys - this year Spring is giving Fall a run for it's money.

Every year around this time Texas is blessed by a sea of wild flowers. Blues, reds, and purples have folks breaking their necks to get a second look. It's a long standing tradition for a lot of us Texans to take photos in the wild flowers every Spring. This is something I've always wanted to do but for one reason or another it had never happened. Until this past weekend!

My sweetie indulged me and drove us the hour and half to Bryan, Texas to my Aunt's place where she has wild flowers that take your breath away. I was so excited and grateful that he was willing to do that - and I didn't even have to twist his arm!

We got some beautiful photos thanks to my Aunt! I took some of them, but without her help I wouldn't have gotten any pictures of our whole family or of just the two of us. I'm so grateful for the photos and memories made and I wanted to share a few with y'all. We will definitely be making Spring wild flower pictures a family tradition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have any Spring traditions?