Life Lately

Things have been super busy in our neck of the woods. I am loving every second of this stay-at-home mom thing, but I'm not really feeling like I'm staying at home much. Between working for Ben, tutoring, ear infections, enjoying this weather, and seeing family, we have been BUSY...in a good way.

My sweet girl has been battling ear infections. Poor Henley didn't get sick until after she turned one, but now I feel like we just can't quite kick this. She had a double ear infection about 2 weeks ago, and after we finished antibiotics, about 2 days later, I noticed her eye gooping again. Thankfully the doctor just called in a stronger prescription and we have her 15 month appointment on Tuesday. If it wasn't for her eye being goopy, I would have never known she was sick. She is such a happy girl!

 

 

I absolutely love tutoring! I have gotten to go to a handful of games for my sweet kiddos and I just adore them! 

 

 

 

 A couple of weekends ago we attended the Keller Williams banquet for the Denton office. We always have so much fun and this year was no different. We had a blast dancing and singing all night long! 

 

 

Before the rain got here, the weather was just so so wonderful! Henley and I enjoyed being outside together so much! She could be on our front porch all day long. The girl just loves to climb up and down our stairs. She is an easy one to please!!

 

 

 

Denton had a super fun event called "Touch a Truck" last weekend. Next year we will definitely be inviting our cousins up to have some fun! We had a blast with friends and some bubbles!

 

 

Ben has been working a lot lately, especially on Sundays. Last Sunday after enjoying a fun birthday lunch with my family, Henley and I came home and continued to enjoy the front porch. Selfies are her jam these days. She likes to be able to see herself, so a lot of times, selfies are the only way I can get a good picture of her. I just can't get enough of my little nugget!

 

 



 

Thankfully, it looks like the pretty weather is back, but we had constant rain for a while. One of those days, Ben came home a little early and since there was a break in the bad weather, we headed up to the square for a little stroll. Henley loved holding her daddy's hand, climbing up the courthouse steps and she also enjoyed a chocolate milk from West Oak Coffee. Y'all, they have chocolate milk on tap...it's amazing!! I guess she was pretty worn out, because she fell asleep after dinner holding her daddy's hand again.

 

 

This past week was Spring Break for my sisters, and they all planned to go to my parent's house for a few days, so we joined them. We had a blast! Despite the rain, we were able to get outside some and play on the new play set, enjoy a few rides on the mule and play some volleyball. Cousin and sister time is the absolute best!

 

 

 

I think that about catches us up. We have had a fabulous few weeks!

 

 



New Orleans Part 3

On Monday morning, Ben didn't necessarily HAVE to be anywhere until around 11, so we hit the streets and headed to Café Du Monde. When we got there, the line was super long, but we were seated within about 5 minutes of getting there. Neither of us had ever had a beignet, and we were pleasantly surprised. Ben said it tasted like a funnel cake, but I would say they were MUCH better than a funnel cake. They were so much thicker and I loved every single bite!!

Can you tell we're tired? Oh, and it was super humid, so I didn't even try with the hair!

 

After breakfast, we snagged an uber back to the hotel and then walked together to the convention center where I grabbed Starbucks and Ben headed to his conference. I then took off for the day and walked miles and miles and miles. I admired all the fun houses as I walked. I am OBSESSED with the houses in the south. I love the look of the plantation homes. Hopefully, I'll have one myself one day!

 

 

I headed towards the Garden District where I meandered down the streets and ended up at the shops on Magazine Street. I loved browsing the shops there! I found some really cute shops, but unfortunately left empty handed. I tried on an awesome dress at Grandmother's Buttons, but I needed a size down. I was super sad!

 

 

After shopping for a while, I thought I would make my way to Bourbon Street and see if I could find any other cute shops and possibly grab a souvenir for Henley. That was a trek!! It started raining and was super humid, so I was a sweaty mess when I got to Bourbon. You can imagine how pleasant that was with the mix of nasty that Bourbon Street already has to offer!

I found a cute onesie that said "Trouble 1" on it for Henley, but that was about it. I looked for something for all my nieces and nephews, but sadly, most of the souvenirs were a bit inappropriate for kids ranging from 1-7 in age. Oh well! I did find a super cute shop that I had actually stopped in at another location the day before called Forever New Orleans. They had the cutest stuff and I ended up grabbing a photo print of Café Du Monde to add to the new house.

I scheduled a massage for 3:30 when I woke up that morning, so I thought I might as well start making my way back to the hotel. I walked a little further and realized that I was pretty close to Central Grocery where everyone told me to stop for a muffaletta. Since it was about 2:30 at this point and I had been walking forever, I thought it might be smart to grab one. Plus, getting one with Ben was out of the question since he doesn't like olives.

 

 

 

I was not aware that these babies were so big! I ordered a half and this is what I got. I ate a half of the half on my walk back to the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed it! Now...my walk back to the hotel was a bit of an adventure. I knew where I was when I went into Central Grocery, but I turned the wrong way when I walked out. My hint that I was headed in the wrong direction was the group of homeless people gathered in the middle of a median. I knew I hadn't been there before. So, I turned around and made my way, about half a mile, back to Central Grocery. I had about 2 miles to walk back to the hotel then, and I can't tell you how ready I was to get there. I was hot and sweaty and my feet were absolutely dying. I'm not sure I've ever walked so fast!

 

 

I got back with only about 20 minutes to spare before my massage, so I changed and headed up to the "spa." Now, let me say again, that our hotel was amazing and the workout facilities were beyond wonderful. BUT...there wasn't exactly a spa. I changed in the woman's locker room which apparently high school girls use before volleyball practice as well, and walked down the hall to a chair outside a very small room. Thankfully, the massage was great! Well, I can honestly say that I would have paid her to rub my feet alone for an hour, so I wasn't a tough critic. Anyway, the spa experience wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but the massage was perfectly fine.

 

Ben wasn't supposed to get done with his meetings until 7:00, so I was perfectly content to rest in the room until I needed to get ready for dinner. I enjoyed watching E! on the Red Carpet while I laid in bed and then panted my nails. Around 6:00, Ben walked in and said he couldn't take anymore of sitting, so they left and were ready to go out to dinner. C'mon! When will he learn that a girl needs fair warning to get ready?!

 

Thankfully, I get ready pretty darn fast when we are out of town because I don't have to think about what to wear, so about 20-30 minutes later, we were headed out the door to meet people for dinner. The place we had originally talked about going was pretty packed, so a few of us started talking about a new place. I suggested Café Adelaide because I had read such good things, and because Ben and I couldn't make it to Commander's Palace for brunch, but Café Adelaide was one of their restaurants. It did not disappoint!

 

 

 

Y'all...I wish I would have ordered about 10 of these Shrimp & Tasso Corndogs that we got as appetizers. They were beyond delicious!!

 

 





 

 

After all of my indulgences in New Orleans, I was ready for a salad. My salad was delicious, but you don't want a picture of that, so I took pictures of the other delicious meals. Ben ordered shrimp and grits that were amazing with truffle fries on the side for us all. I think I started eating the truffle fries with a spoon to make sure I got all the crumbs!

 

 

Dinner was a hit in my book! The wine was good, the food was good and the company was beyond good! Our group headed back to our hotel again and chatted for a little while, but we were all pretty tired and knew we had a full day of traveling ahead of us, so we headed to bed early (again, 11 is not early in my book, but it is New Orleans early!).

 

We couldn't leave New Orleans without a delicious breakfast. After sleeping in, packing up and getting in the car, we headed to Blue Dot Donuts. It was on our way out of town (not downtown), and one of my friends suggested it. Again, it did not disappoint. Now, keep in mind that I had not had a donut since about my freshman year in high school until Henley's 1st birthday. I could NOT get enough of these! I clearly don't know how to order after my break from donuts, but thankfully Ben does! I got a donut that I wasn't overly impressed about, but Ben got the maple bacon donut and a cinnamon roll. Holy Yum!! I also got some donut holes that were fabulous!

 

 

After donuts, we were on the road to see our little girl! I was so ready to snuggle her! It was a long ride home, but we had so much fun in New Orleans. It definitely did not disappoint! I hope we get to go back again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!