What's Up Wednesday

I love getting to post about what is going on in our neck of the woods (a little late)! Hopefully I'll look back on these and reminisce about this time in our lives. Feel free to join me and comment about what is going on with you!

The last Wednesday of the month, I'll be answering these questions.

And today's bonus question is... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EASTER TRADITION? Lets get started!

1.    WHAT WE'RE EATING THIS WEEK...

Ever since we got back from New Orleans, I feel like I'm running on empty. Things have been absolutely nuts with our schedules, I feel like I am constantly one step behind on house stuff and now Henley has a double ear infection (so extra cuddles). I feel like a mess! All that to say, we are having super easy dinners this week...as in frozen pizzas, ready to make tortellini, skillet lasagna and a night of Ben on the grill.

2.    WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT...

I think we got out first "winter" day yesterday! I am still wishing we could get just one snow day. I am all about the cozy days that force me to slow down. I don't think we are going to get one this year, but a girl can dream.

Henley's first snow day in her fleece-lined jeans!

I also can't wait for Henley's second Easter! Her Easter basket is already filled (by the Easter bunny, of course), and I can't wait for this year's Easter Egg Hunt!

Last Easter

3.    WHAT I'M LOVING...

Every season I feel like we have gone through this awkward phase for Henley with shoes. She needs the next size up, but I don't really want to buy a new pair when the weather is changing and she won't be about to wear them for long. I have been looking at Target for some cute transition shoes for her, but they never have her size. I was there by myself this Sunday (can I get an amen?!) and check again, and I finally found the right size hidden in the back. I am loving these shoes! I am also loving the ones I snagged for myself!

And how cannot I not love some new jellies!! Henley has always had a pair of jellies to wear for the warmer weather, so we grabbed her two for the summer and she got to wear them this weekend! LOVE!!

4.    WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

Last weekend we had the BEST weekend at the zoo! Apparently, in January and February the price is only $5, so we took advantage of that since it was 70+ degrees outside. We had such a great day! Henley loved the time she got to spend with her cousins, aunts (minus Martie) and uncles. She also loved getting to see all of the animals and other things going on around her. She was hysterical trying to make some of the sounds, and she could not get enough of the kids water area. It was the perfect day!

I love days where you come home absolutely warn out in a good way! Henley even skipped her usual nap time and rallied with the troops to stay awake the whole time we were there. She totally crashed the moment we put her in the car.

5.    WHAT I'M DREADING...

I love a good closet cleanout, but I hate hauling the boxes out from our storage and the mess that ensues right after. I'm assuming we'll be putting away our winter clothes pretty soon and getting out the summer ones. I don't know how y'all do it, but I have a tub for Ben and a tub for myself for all of our out-of-season clothes. It's kind of a mess at first getting all of the new clothes out and the old clothes in, but it so helps with space saving.

6.    WHAT I'M WORKING ON...

Well, I started going into the office as the Ranchman Properties Assistant this week. I'm really only going in on Mondays from 8-12, and then I'll work from home for the rest of the week. I'm by their office pretty much everyday, so I can go in as needed too. I will say that I really enjoyed it this week. I like having an extra purpose and putting my professional hat back on!

7.    WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT...

I'm super excited about Easter, but I am also excited about Spring Break! We don't have any big plans this year, but I think my sisters and I might head up to the farm and just enjoy a few days of relaxation. Any time spent with family where there are lots of kids, talking, cooking and relaxing sounds like a good time to me!

My nieces a few Easters ago

8.    WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING...

I was in an in between stage for a couple of days last week while I waited for my new book to come in the mail, so I grabbed a couple of magazines at the grocery store. I always need some elliptical reading material! My mom used to subscribe to People magazine, and my sisters and I absolutely loved Fridays, especially in the summer time. Now, it feels like such a treat when I buy one!

In New Orleans, Ben and I decided that we wouldn't watch tv at night for a while. It has been really nice actually, and we have done lots of reading, going to bed earlier, talking and getting things done. We also took a break from the Bachelor this season, but with social media, I got sucked back in. I have been catching up on it with the ABC app during the day. Also, Ben and I are loving getting caught up on OJ vs. The People on the weekends. Can someone please explain to me how he was found innocent?????

9.    WHAT I'M LISTENING TO...

Janae posted this playlist last week and I am loving it. She titled it her "calm" playlist and that was just what I needed at the time. I had lots of cleaning to do, and I wanted something that would help me get things done. I am listening to it all the time now!

10.    WHAT I'M WEARING...

I got the perfect basic tees and tank tops at H&M in New Orleans last week! I am wearing the tanks non-stop and I loved wearing one of the tees to the zoo. They are super comfy and I have a feeling they will all be a spring/summer staple!

I have on one of the shirts with a tank underneath. I was comfy all day long!

11.    WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND...

We have the annual Keller Williams banquet for Ben on Friday. I love going to this every year. It is a chance to get all dolled up and see people we love, but might not get to see all the time. We have such a good time every year. Other than that, I don't think we have much going on. Ben is super busy at work right now and has another event on Sunday, so I have a feeling that Henley and I will do lots of playing. What can I say...my best friend is a 14-month-old!

Last year's banquet

12.    WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH...

It's March!! I just love March even if there is nothing going on, but just because it is the start of spring! Flip flops, shorts, and all of Henley's cute spring clothes! I can't wait!

I am also looking forward to birthdays - my niece, Charlotte, turns 5, and my sister, Christie, turns 30! I love celebrating birthdays!

13.    WHAT ELSE IS NEW...

I think we covered it all...Henley currently has a double ear infection, but she is such a champ. I only knew because she had a low grade fever yesterday and was a little whiney. Then I tried cleaning out her ears and things escalated. Other than that, she has been an angel. Even after the doctor (before antibiotics because I couldn't open the dang bottle), she was back to her giggly self!

14.    WHAT IS MY FAVORITE EASTER TRADITION...

Growing up it was going out to my Mamaw and Papaw's farm and having a big Easter Egg hunt. There were so many places to hide those eggs and we always had the best day out there with cousins and family. Now, it is going over to my sister's house with all of my nieces and nephews and watching them do the Easter Egg hunt! This year, Henley will get to participate! I doubt she'll have any idea what is going on, but she can walk and she will just love all of the chaos!

New Orleans Part II

After a super fun night and "staying out late" (midnight for me is late), I was happy to sleep in on Sunday morning. I did wake up a few times to make sure Ben was up and out the door for his classes at 7:30, but I miraculously fell back asleep and didn't get out of bed until 8:30. Hallelujah and amen!!

I got ready for the gym and headed downstairs to grab something light for breakfast, but the line at the in-hotel Starbucks was ridiculous, so I headed back to our room to grab a bar. I don't know what it is about nice hotel gyms, but it takes very little motivation to get me there. I enjoy them so much! I got in a good 30+ minutes on the elliptical followed by 3 rounds of 3 different bicep, tricep and ab moves. I was fully satisfied and ready to enjoy New Orleans!

After a great phone call with my parents to check-in on Henley, I showered and got ready quickly before meeting some friends. They had brunch while I was getting ready, so I grabbed a snack from the hotel and headed out on the streets on New Orleans. I walked about a mile to meet them and then we hit up the World War II Museum just down the street.

Y'all...even if you're not a museum person, this museum was incredible. It was a little overwhelming because there was SO MUCH information to take in and things to see, but it was definitely worth the time and money.

I loved getting to see the planes and automobiles. You could even go up on different viewing bridges and see into the planes where people would sit and where all the different guns went. It was awesome! There were three different buildings and by the last one I just couldn't read or watch everything anymore. My brain was full! Everything was just so interesting! I loved the movies playing throughout each building and how it took you through the entire timeline of the war. There were so many things I didn't know. I highly recommend going to the World War II Museum. It was phenomenal!

It was about 2 o'clock when we finally got done, and I was more than ready to eat something. The friends I was with were going to head back to the hotel, but there were a few different places I wanted to go, so I just set off on my own to explore the city. My first stop was food!

I reached out to people on Facebook and Instagram asking for suggestions of what to do in New Orleans and most of them were restaurant suggestions. A good friend suggested the Ruby Slipper for brunch, and when I looked at my phone map, there was one close by. Thankfully I got there with about a half hour to spare before they closed.

Sidenote: If you have known me for a long time, you may know that this is a big deal for me. I can't say that I've ever really planned my days around eating good (not necessarily healthy) food. In the past, it's been a struggle for me to fully enjoy trips because I want to be adventurous and enjoy every aspect, including the food, but I've always been so wrapped up in my body and weight and all of those things. Anyway, this trip was so fun for me because I have made big steps in the past couple of years. Ben and I talk a lot about how much more enjoyable it is now that I can be present for everything and fully enjoy where I am without stressing. I'm sure I'll discuss this more in another blog post sometime, so lets get back to business.

The Ruby Slipper did not disappoint. I asked the waiter what he would suggest and he gave me a couple of different options. One was a special not on the menu, but seemed huge, so I settled on the Eggs Cochon. Ohmygoodness...it was amazing!! I told myself I'd just eat half, so I'd still be hungry for dinner, but I just couldn't stop. Holy yum!

pulled pork, buttermilk biscuits, poached eggs...how can you go wrong?!

The rest of the day just consisted of me wandering. It was fabulous! I went into lots of different stores and just took my time. Oh how I took this for granted before I had a baby! I ended up buying some awesome basics at the H&M before heading to Jackson Square. I went in and out of lots of shops and enjoyed a lot of the art and shows people were putting on. Around 5, I decided I might want to head back to the hotel. I passed by an Anthropologie and obviously HAD to go in. I thought it was just a stand-alone store, but it was a mall and I just kept wandering. I found so many wonderful things at the Francesca's. My brain was on our trip to Hawaii this summer, and I found some great things for the trip. I can't wait to show you my new pieces!

I finally made my way out of the mall and headed back to the hotel. I met the cutest elderly couple on my way out of the mall who were heading back to the same hotel and needed some direction, so we ended up walking and talking together. I love making friends!

When I finally got back to the hotel Ben was exhausted and hungry. I picked out a restaurant to go to earlier in the day, but he wasn't feeling it when it was dinner time. I went back to my trusty Facebook suggestions, and we headed to Mandina's. Unfortunately, Ben was hangry by the time we got there and the wait was over an hour, plus we needed to be back for an event by 8. We finally decided to just head to the event and see if there was food nearby. The restaurant across the street was open, so Ben grabbed a quick poboy, we split a Bourbon Pecan Milkshake (yum!) and we headed to the event.

Our event was at The Napoleon House and I absolutely loved the venue. It was super dark, so I didn't get many pictures. We enjoyed a night with friends and ended it in our hotel lobby. There was a big restaurant and bar, so we hung out and talked with everyone staying there.

Day 2 of New Orleans was wonderful! Stay tuned for the rest of our trip!

Boys II Men and New Orleans (Part 1)

I must admit, I was a bit sad/overwhelmed on Friday afternoon. Between trying to get myself and Henley packed up for 5 days away from each other and thinking about being away from Henley for that long, I was in struggle mode.

I'm not quite sure how, but I eventually pulled myself together and got us all ready to go. We headed up to my Papaw's house, where my parents were visiting, to drop Henley off. I totally cried and Ben asked me if I was going to be sad the whole trip, but I knew she'd be in good hands!

Once we said our goodbyes, we headed to Durant, Oklahoma, for a night of fun. We stopped on the way for dinner at Olive Garden because we thought the casino restaurants would be packed. I don't know what it is about sitting at the bar on dates, but it just feels so fun to me! We had a great dinner and then made our way to the casino to see Boys II Men.

You guys...they did not disappoint! Those boys and can SING, and they've got some killer moves! The concert was amazing and the people watching was pretty outstanding too. You wouldn't believe the range of people that were there! After the concert, we headed to our hotel like old folks. It was about 10 o'clock and we knew we had to be on the road around 6 the next morning, so we decided to snuggle for the night :)

I didn't spring for the stay at the casino, but our hotel/motel was only a couple miles away. It wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad either. The best part might have been seeing Ben's face when he saw that the door to our room said "Presidential Suite." Those are surprisingly affordable when you are in Durant, Oklahoma!

Y'all, no joke...being without your child is so weird! At the hotel, I could have sworn I heard Henley cry as I dozed off and popped straight out of bed!

Anyway, we got on the road bright and early on Saturday morning. We hit up the free breakfast rather than going across the parking lot to The Waffle Shoppe (greatness) because free is always amazing, and then hit the road around 6:30. The drive to New Orleans is a LOOONG one! I swear the whole way there we never went through an actual city. Of course, when we got on the bridge with about 20 miles to empty that led us into the city, the railroad tracks beside it caught on fire and traffic was stopped. Don't worry it was just rubberneckers...no real reason. Oh, nothing makes me more mad! I was sweatin' whether or not we would make it to a gas station...I wasn't pushin' the F250. Thankfully we made it and then pulled into our hotel around 4:30. I think I heard angels singing!

Once we were all checked in, Ben needed to go get registered for his conference and we had about 2 hours before we needed to meet some people for dinner. I wasn't about to just sit on the bed and watch tv, so I hit up the super nice hotel gym for a quick 5K. I felt so much better afterwards. Then, I did the super classy, blow dry the sweat out of your hair (my LHJH athletic girls can feel me) and got ready.

View from our hotel room

We met some friends at their hotel and then headed to dinner at  Tujacques. We got our own room at the restaurant and dinner was fabulous. Can we just discuss the way things smell in New Orleans for a sec? Good grief...you enter the restaurant through a downstairs bar before going upstairs to be seated and it smelled like straight throw up. YUCK!! Thankfully, things were much more sanitary upstairs and our meal plus wine was delish!

After dinner, we moseyed on over to Bourbon Street to meet the rest of the crew where they were. We walked into Pat O'Brien's, but they had already moved on, so we ended up at a small little bar for a while talking to a lot of people. Although we were on Bourbon Street, I didn't feel like anything ever felt too crazy. I mean it felt like we stayed out late to me, but we did head to Harrah's around 11:30 and back to the hotel around midnight. I guess you can call us old folks, but I will just abide by the rule my parents always told me..."nothing good happens after midnight!" To think I would be begging to go to bed before midnight now, when I was begging to not be the only one who had to abide by city curfew back then. Hindsight really is 20/20!

Stay tuned for how I ate my way through the rest of the New Orleans trip! Good grief, they've got some good food in that city! :) I also walked my way through the entire city as well. Man my feet are still red and have blisters the size of Texas.

Valentine's Day Questionnaire

Hi friends!! I hope everyone had a LOVELY (see what I did there?!) Valentine's Day! I enjoyed mine in the wonderful New Orleans, Louisiana. We had so much fun on our trip! I am so thankful for the extra time I got to spend with my special valentine!

I will be back tomorrow with the first part of my trip recap, but for now, since I missed Valentine's Day with all of you, I thought a little Valentine's Day Questionnaire might be fun. I saw this on Janae's blog last week and loved it.  Enjoy!


1.    Who is your Valentine this year?
This will be Ben and my 8th Valentine's Day together! I cannot believe it has been that long, yet it feels like we have been together forever. We also have our sweet little valentine, Henley, again this year! She was only 2 months old last year and this year, she seems like she is just so big. We won't be with her on the actual day, but we will celebrate with some good family time when we get back.

8 years ago

2.    Do you have any Valentine's Day traditions?
Ben is not super into Valentine's Day, so I try my best not to put much pressure on the day, but we do have one tradition I love...Ben has made a special dinner for me every single year we've been together on Valentine's Day. I LOVE IT! My favorite meal he makes is Miso Glazed Salmon. I used to be obsessed with The Cheesecake Factory's version, but wasn't too fond of the calories, so Ben started making it himself and it is off the chain! :) This was our first year for him not to make dinner, but I'll take a trip to New Orleans any day!

3.    Have any interesting Valentine's Day stories?
The first year that Ben and I were dating, I was a total brat on Valentine's Day. He kept telling me he had something special planned, a surprise, but I kept bugging him. One of my very best friends from high school played basketball for A&M at the time, and Baylor just so happened to be playing them that night. I kept asking and asking him if we could go to the game, and he kept telling me to just let him take care of things. He eventually got irritated with my antics and told me what we were doing. Of course, it was perfect and I would have been so happy with the surprise. We went to the basketball game and sat in the very front no less, so I got to see my friend. We even ended up getting on the kiss cam!! After the game, we went back to Ben's house and he cooked me a fabulous dinner. It was a perfect night and I felt like a total idiot for being a brat!

4.    Favorite chick flick? Book or movie?
Hmmmm....this is a tough one. I am such a sucker for a good love story. I am going to be totally predictable and say The Notebook. I could not get enough of this movie when it came out and I read the book as well...both were absolutely amazing! I'm pretty sure that I cried from about 10 minutes into the movie.

5.    Do you have any favorite Valentine's Day recipes? Desserts or meals?
Definitely the Miso Glazed Salmon I mentioned above.

6.    Flowers or candy? If candy, what kind?
Flowers for me - I have never been a candy person. Actually, neither Ben nor I like candy at all, so it's definitely flowers for me.

7.    Are you running a Valentine's Day race or doing anything active? Have you ever run a themed race?
I have never run a Valentine's Day race. I was actually super active on Sunday, but no running was involved. I went to the hotel gym in the morning and then walked what must have been at least 6 miles throughout the day. I would love to run a Valentine's Day race though, that would be fun! I haven't heard of one around here, so I'll have to start looking them up for next year.

8.    Any memories (funny or otherwise) from elementary school making and passing out Valentines?
I just loved making the Valentines boxes where everyone walked around the classroom and dropped in the treat. I so wish I taught elementary school right now for that fact alone! I also always thought the candy-grams in junior high and high school were pretty fun/funny. I don't ever remember sweating whether someone was going to send me one, but I remember there being so much drama surrounding those things. So silly!

9.    Is anyone's birthday on Valentine's Day?
Not in my family, but one of the girls I tutor has a birthday on Valentine's Day. We had fun celebrating it with her the weekend before. She is such a sweet girl!

10.    Favorite cheesy/love song?
Hmmm....again, this one is hard for me. Since we just went to the Boys II Men concert, I am gonna have to say "I'll Make Love to You." I can jam to their music! I'm also a sucker for Celine Dion!

11.    Anyone proposed to on Valentine's Day? Know of anyone proposed to or married on Valentine's Day?
Last year, my best friend from college, Jenni, got married on Valentine's Day! It was the perfect Valentine's Day wedding...so pink and so beautiful!

12.    Your favorite kind of date? Out to a fancy restaurant or movie and takeout at home?
On Valentine's Day, I would much rather stay in. I don't really like to go out and pay for an overpriced meal with TONS of people. I love our tradition of staying in. In general, it totally depends. If I haven't gotten the chance to dress up in a while, I love being able to take the time to get ready and go out to a nice dinner. If things have been crazy hectic and I'm running on empty, I love to keep my sweats on and just snuggle on the couch with my man! My absolute favorite dates though are ones that just happen. I love being out with Ben running errands and doing things, and we just end up with a fun dinner and such. We just have fun together!

13.    Favorite quote for love or definition of what love is?
Goodness this is hard - I would say that love is when you can completely be yourself with someone unapologetically and when you care about the other's well being more than your own.

14.    Unrelated to Valentine's Day, but super important...how are we feeling about the return of Gilmore Girls?
Cannot hold in the excitement!!!!! I just finished the series and am beyond thrilled that I don't have to go too long without it! What the heck am I going to do when it's all over?!?!

YOUR TURN!!

Answer as many questions as you would like in the comments.

February Goals

I know it's only the second month of 2016, but I am really enjoying creating goals for each month and looking back at them. I peek at them every now and then throughout the month and it holds me accountable and makes me think about what I'm doing with my days.

For some reason I decided that the shortest month of the year would be the best one to fill up with A LOT of goals. I'm not quite sure what I was thinking, but I guess I will push myself out of my comfort zone this month and really strive to accomplish each one.

Without further ado, here are ALL of my goals for February:

1. ORGANIZE HENLEY'S CLOSET AND THE BOXES OF CLOTHES - This is huge for me this month. Henley's room has been an absolute disaster because I started this project at the end of January and just kept putting it off. I have made so much progress already with this one. Her closet is back to normal (I would still like to do some organization and maybe put some Container Store things in there) and all of the boxes of clothes my sister gave me have been sorted. I cannot wait now for warmer weather to put her in all of the things I found!

2. HANG THINGS ON THE WALL/CLEAN OUT PLAYROOM CLOSET - No judgement please...we have lived here since the end of October and we still have a lot of things that need to be hung on the wall. The playroom closet has become the catch all for things from the old house that I'm not quite sure what to do with yet. I need to get pictures up and at least figure out what I want to start looking for to complete our other walls.

3. BE BETTER AT SERVING AND KEEPING UP WITH FRIENDS - I am absolutely, 100% terrible at keeping up with friends. It's a horrible flaw of mine. I need to fix it...hence this goal! I would like to at least start texting my friends more frequently to check in on them and see how they are doing. A lot of my friends don't live super close to me, so texting or sending them a card (I love to write cards) would be great. My friends that do live nearby, I would like to be better at serving them. I have had this desire since I started staying home, but I have GOT to make time for it. I would love to have people over for dinner, or drop by their favorite drink on a busy day, or really help them in anyway I can.

4. TRY OUT 2 NEW PLAY PLACES OR PLAYGROUNDS WITH HENLEY - The weather should be really nice for a lot of the month, so I would love to enjoy some time outdoors with Henley. The best playground in town is opening back up this month after a major remodel, so I can't wait to take Henley there. Also, one of my friends told me about a couple different indoor places that are great for the kiddos. I am hoping to get to a couple of them this month too. It is always nice to get out of the house and meet some new people for both myself and for Henley.

5. COMPLETE MARRIAGE RETREAT/GOALS WITH BEN - We should be getting this one done this weekend! I got Ben tickets to Boys II Men for his birthday, and he has a work trip to New Orleans as well. Both of this fall on this weekend/upcoming week, so we are getting out of town, just the two of us. I am super excited (slash sad to leave Henley, but it's much needed) to spend some time together by ourselves. We have the drive to Durant, OK, and then the drive to New Orleans to talk and complete our goals for the year. YAY!

6. PICK UP @ NIGHT BEFORE BED - I am growing weary of what I like to call the "morning mess." I tend to completely crash the moment we get Henley down and am left with dishes, toys, clothes, etc. to clean up in the morning. It's not exactly the best way to start off each day, plus there is always extra added to it once Henley gets up and starts moving. Hopefully this goal will help keep my sanity and start my days off on the right foot each morning.

7. GET RID OF THE CLOTHES I WON'T WEAR ANYMORE - I find myself trying on a lot of clothes lately that I just throw back into my closet after deciding I don't like how they look. I'm tired of only liking a few things in my closet and the rest just taking up space, so I'd like to totally clean it out and get rid of everything else. I feel like this will help me start buying things that I will actually wear. So, maybe look for me selling some clothes in the coming weeks!

8. START USING THE BIG CAMERA - I'm sure you've noticed that the pictures on here so far are not anything special. They are all taken from my iPhone. We have a fabulous camera that we got a couple years ago for Christmas that I would really like to start using. I wanted it to take pictures of Henley, but it has mostly been used for Ben's real estate business. Lets hope the pics on the blog get better soon!

9. STICK TO THE BUDGET - I generally do a pretty good job of spending the cash I get out each month, but with Christmas and the new house, I feel like I have just been spending spending spending. I thought February would be a good time to get back on track.

And if that is not enough goals, I decided to have a few extra for the month!

-We have a great new front porch at this house, so I'd like to start looking for some rocking chairs for both Ben and I and for Henley.

- I took a CHL class at the end of December and need to follow through with all of my paperwork.

- We are paying for a security system each month, but I hadn't called to get it installed at the new house yet. They finally came out yesterday and everything is good to go!

- We have some furniture that we slide around often and it keeps scratching the floors. We had tile at the old house in certain rooms, so I didn't notice it there. I did this last week and it makes me feel so much better!

Each month, I also choose a top five. If I don't get any other goals done, then I better get these five accomplished.

1. Marriage Goals 2. Stick to Budget 3. Try 2 New Places with Henley 4. Playroom Closet 5. Serve & Keep Up with Others

Phew!! That was a lot! Here's to a productive February!!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone!

Today is an extra special Friday, because it is my husband, Ben's, birthday! This is the 8th birthday that I have gotten to spend with Ben and I am thankful for each and every one. I am so happy this guy was born on February 5, 1987!

So, my one and only Friday Favorite is Mr. Benjamin Phillip Clark! I love you very much, Ben, and am so blessed to be your wife!

Scenes from the Weekend

It's almost the weekend, so why not relive last weekend?! I cannot wait for this weekend since it's Ben's birthday, the Super Bowl and we have lots more going on, but last weekend was pretty darn great too. Here are the scenes from our weekend:


Friday
Friday afternoon, one of our friends invited us out to a concert. Lets be honest...when he told me that it started at 10 o'clock, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to even stay awake til then, but we thought it might be fun to have a night out. I even suggested having Henley spend the night at the grandparents, so we didn't have to worry about getting home at a certain time. That's big for me!!

We went to a late dinner at LSA and then headed about 30 minutes north of town to the concert. There weren't a lot of people there, but we had a blast. It was great to be out with friends! We played pool and we danced and we ended up staying out way later than I've stayed out in a long time. On Saturday, Ben and I kept saying "can you believe people do this all the time?" I guess we're getting old!

Saturday
I was super excited about our Saturday even if I had to get up early after a late night. We planned to go out to my parent's new place and my sisters (minus Martie, we missed you) and my nieces and nephews were all there. We were so excited to spend the day together!

We woke up early to go pick Henley up and get breakfast together. We went to Royals Bagels which has these famous cinnamon rolls and OMG are they good! I only had a small bite (they are monstrous), but they are amazing! Then, we were headed out to the farm to play. That's what we did all day long...we played and played and played! Henley had a hard time taking a nap (I think it was her late bedtime), so she ended up just sleeping on me. I didn't hate it! After nap we played a little more and then the girls headed inside to cook dinner. We were so excited to make a Pioneer Woman meal! We made cheese enchiladas, pulled pork and the fixins. It was wonderful!

Since Henley struggled with nap, it wasn't too long after dinner that we did bathtime with the cousins and headed back home. We were all exhausted after a fun day on the farm!

If Henley could sit in a rocking chair all day long, I'm pretty sure she would be the happiest girl in the world.

 

Next time I need to make sure I get pictures of all of the cousins. These two tended to gravitate towards each other since they are only 4 months apart, but they did lots of playing with the big kids too.

Sunday
Henley had a rough night on Sunday night and so did this mama. She was up around 6 o'clock, so we went ahead and got ready for church at 8:30. As we were on our way to church, Henley fell asleep, so we turned the car right back around and headed home to let her sleep. She needed it and I got in a much needed nap as well.

Henley all ready for church!

Mama dressed and ready for church.

After nap, we headed to the park up the street to enjoy some time outside. This weekend was absolutely beautiful and we definitely took advantage of every second we could outside. After the park and lunch, the day was pretty low key. We played inside until Henley took an afternoon nap and then just hung around the house for the rest of the day. It was glorious and I can't wait for Spring for more weekends spent outside as a family!

Someone was ready to get to the park!

 

 

Oh and I can't leave this out...Ben's mom found tap shoes at the thrift store and Henley could not get enough of them this weekend. We put them on and headed out to the driveway on Sunday night!

 

 

 

Show & Tell Tuesday: The Way to My Heart

 

 

 

I missed the first two Show & Tell Tuesdays of the year, but I am so excited to join this link-up. I read all of the posts from last year, and cannot wait to participate. It is so fun to read posts from other moms and get a glimpse into their world. So, to get this party started, today is a look at THE WAY TO MY HEART!

 

 

Well, first of all, I am a sucker for my kiddo and my nieces and nephews. These kids don't have to do much to find the way to my heart. Hugs, giggles, and asking me to play with them is a pretty simple way to my heart. These kiddos have got me wrapped around their little fingers!

 

Forever and always, I will spoil these kids...and the ones to come!

 

There are lots of ways to my heart really. It's the little things for me. I guess there are two things that mean the most to me... 1. knowing that someone is truly listening to the things that I say and 2. someone making an effort to let me know that they are thinking about me or care about me. Both can be done in a number of different ways.

 

- picking something up that I like even though I didn't ask for it

- surprising me with my favorite drinks (Sonic Vanilla Coke Zero or coffee on a day I really need it)

- getting me a gift that I have just mentioned in passing

- getting me something that I would never buy for myself

- cleaning up the house, doing laundry, just helping me out without any prompting

- letting me talk and talk and talk about something I'm excited about and joining in the conversation like you really care

- letting me watch my favorite shows even if you have no interest

- knowing what I do and don't like at restaurants and being able to order for me

- giving me even just 10 minutes to myself sometimes without any interruptions

- loving my family or just being sweet and making an effort with them

- singing at the top of your lungs with me

- spending uninterrupted time with Henley and me doing the things we love

- loving on my Henley

 

 

I don't think I've actually ever done the love language test, but if I had to guess, mine would be gifts and words of affirmation. I am a gift giver. I love finding things that I know someone would just love and getting it for them no matter the occasion. I guess I desire that in return. I love to know that someone has listened to what I have said and is thinking of me.

 

 

So, that's the way to my heart!

 

 

I'd love to hear what the way to your heart is. With Valentine's Day coming up, maybe I should share your comments with your loved ones!

 

 

The next topic for Show & Tell Tuesdays is Favorite Pinterest Pins. I can't wait for that one! If you are interested in knowing what's coming up this year, a list of topics is below.