The original plan for this day was to get the heck outta dodge. Or, Fort Worth. Whatev. At first, it was family camping, but with dropping temps and sick family members, that got scrapped. Since the following day was a holiday for husband and I had already taken off from work, we toyed with the idea of just picking up and heading to Austin for an impromptu adventure. It should be noted here that I love the idea of being spontaneous, but the trait is rarely applied to actual living. So, naturally, the more I thought about how messy my house was, or my empty fridge, the less inclined I was to "escape", just to come back to the mess I already had. So, we stayed put and settled for making a pact to a) clean our house, and b) get out of said clean house.
We decided to hijack the husband's littlest siblings and take them hiking at a nearby state park. These two are close in age, best friends, and always carry the potential of giggles & messes (usually together). We don't get to spend as much time with them as we would like, so outings like these are fun (and slightly unpredictable). So, we walked through the woods, letting them be our trail guides. They are pretty dang good navigators, though we did have to have a discussion about not choosing paths only fit for those under 5 ft tall (read: Jon and I ran into some tree branches). We headed back when it started to rain and it took less than 10 minutes before they were conked out in the backseat. I love the sound of giggling kids. Also love the sound of sleeping ones. :)
We capped off the night with a movie with my side of the family & staying up late watching something (?) on Netflix. It was not all that spontaneous, but it was still an adventure. I'll take it.
Highlights:
1) Lunch at Cracker Barrel - finally satisfied my craving for those Dumplins! (YUM.)
2) Underestimated the seriousness of chilly temperatures. We made fun of the kiddos for their extreme layers and gloves, but I think we were a bit jealous by the end of our hike. In an effort to keep warm/show I'm still cool, I raced the kids. They won (but then I was warm, so really, I win)
3) It seems Miles can tell the difference between squirrel poop and raccoon poop. Best advertisement for the Boy Scouts of America? Yup.
Love & Close-to-home Wanderlust,
K
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
October 6 - The Day The "Cold" Came
It started on Friday evening, you could feel a change in the air. By Saturday morning, it had arrived: COLD. Now, I fully accept that I am a Texan, born and bread, and that these temperatures are not considered much beyond the title of "chilly" in the northern US. But, y'all. It was deliciously, autumnally (is this a word? It should be), wonderfully cold.
I spent the morning prepping at the shop, accompanied by (what else?) Christmas music. If ever there's a reason to listen to that stuff early, its the first cold front of the year. After wrapping up there, I headed home to get cleaned up (because smelling like pie isn't as nice as it sounds), and prepared myself for a day of chilly weather at the baseball fields. Both my boys (nephew and brother) had double headers that day. I got to see one of each of their games (both wins!), with a little best friend shopping in between. By the time the 2nd game was over, we were chilled to the bone, even it if was still in the 50s. Husband made sure to get in a good amount of teasing about Texans their lack of cold-tolerance. Whatever, Yankee!
Wrapped up the day with a big bowl of tortilla soup from my favorite local Mexican restaurant, Antonios. Delicioso!
Highlights:
1) Wore my first scarf of the year! I chose a Burberry-esque plaid, skinny jeans, boots and a cardigan.
2) Drank a salted caramel latte. Um, YUM.
3) Spent some good huddle time with my mom under blankets at brother's game. Life lessons we discussed: Tights aren't pants, ladies. Also, yelling at your pitcher son, "you have to throw strikes!" probably isn't helping...I doubt he was planning on throwing crappy pitches.
Love & Cuddle-Worthy Days,
K
I spent the morning prepping at the shop, accompanied by (what else?) Christmas music. If ever there's a reason to listen to that stuff early, its the first cold front of the year. After wrapping up there, I headed home to get cleaned up (because smelling like pie isn't as nice as it sounds), and prepared myself for a day of chilly weather at the baseball fields. Both my boys (nephew and brother) had double headers that day. I got to see one of each of their games (both wins!), with a little best friend shopping in between. By the time the 2nd game was over, we were chilled to the bone, even it if was still in the 50s. Husband made sure to get in a good amount of teasing about Texans their lack of cold-tolerance. Whatever, Yankee!
Wrapped up the day with a big bowl of tortilla soup from my favorite local Mexican restaurant, Antonios. Delicioso!
Highlights:
1) Wore my first scarf of the year! I chose a Burberry-esque plaid, skinny jeans, boots and a cardigan.
2) Drank a salted caramel latte. Um, YUM.
3) Spent some good huddle time with my mom under blankets at brother's game. Life lessons we discussed: Tights aren't pants, ladies. Also, yelling at your pitcher son, "you have to throw strikes!" probably isn't helping...I doubt he was planning on throwing crappy pitches.
Love & Cuddle-Worthy Days,
K
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
October 5 - The Day I Babysat
Husband texted me early in the day to tell me that his sister was offering free tickets to Screams, a local(ish) Halloween theme park. While I love Halloween, my appreciation is more of the "ohh, look at what Martha Stewart did to those pumpkins with glitter" variety. Not so much on the "Some guy is chasing me and I think I just peed myself" kind. So, despite his pleadings, I told him he could go, but I was out. I jokingly said "me and Ella (his sis's kiddo) would stay behind. Fast forward a few hours, and they decide to take me up on that offer.
Now, I haven't been a babysitter since high school. And even then, they were kids, not babies. That isn't to say I don't love babies, because I very much do. But the thought of them when their mothers aren't standing within a 10 ft radius is a little frightening. But, she's my niece. She normally is such a good baby, and she likes me and knows me enough that this should be smooth sailing, right? Umm...
My parents called and asked if me and my tow-along wanted to come for dinner and the ranger game, along with my Grandmother. Someone fixing me dinner, and the safety net of two women who raised me being close by? Be there in 5! She did so great for the first little bit, charming everyone with her baby fat rolls and big grins. But about 15 minutes in, she realized "hey...I don't really recognize this place. Or these people...what the...WAAAAHHHHH!". Or something like that. We tried to get her to eat the dinner her momma made for her (homemade applesauce, which sounded great to me). She was not having that mess. Mom to the rescue, #1 - as a grandma, she had a plethora of toys for the wee one's distraction. We tried food again, and this time mac & cheese from my plate went much better. We had only minor melt downs for awhile (she would crawl away, all smiles, then realize I wasn't right next to her, then she'd wail. We repeated this quite a number of times). Then, the biggest test of all - bed time. She was giving me all the signals that we were a go, but oh boy, we were not. After reaching what I can only imagine is pure loathing for me and my attempts at lulling, Mom/surrogate Nana took over while I stood helplessly by. It reached a point where all I could do was laugh. After a few more back-and-forths, she finally just passed out in my mother's arms...who then passed out in the recliner. They snored together, it was cute. Also, my mom wouldn't put her down for fear of waking the sleeping bear. She continued to sniffle her in sleep for the first 10 minutes or so. I thought we were golden, as I got the message that Ella's parental units were on their way back. Until she woke up, and we repeated the "where am I and who are these scary people?!" thing. Thankfully, we were able to distract her with a puppy until they got there. I'm sure they didn't plan on their kid being awake so close to midnight, but I count it a success as she wasn't crying when they arrived. In retrospect, I have two things to say: 1) I hope that baby still likes me and that I didn't scar her for life, and 2) if/when I have a baby, I'm sequestering my mother in my house in case of emergencies, for at least a year.
Highlights:
1) We had snack day today. The theme - Asian takeout! I had great plans to make these yummy sesame meatballs...yeah, I totally phoned it in. Taste of Asia to the rescue!
2) My parents made the best comfort meal - fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, peas, rolls, mac & cheese, asparagus, squash. MMMMmmmmm.
3) The Rangers lost. Pretty badly, too. The best part of the game, though, is that Ella fell asleep right during the 9th inning. So, imagine a sleeping baby, and a room full of whispered cheers/boos at the television. It was comical, to say the least.
Love & Adventures in Aunthood,
K
Now, I haven't been a babysitter since high school. And even then, they were kids, not babies. That isn't to say I don't love babies, because I very much do. But the thought of them when their mothers aren't standing within a 10 ft radius is a little frightening. But, she's my niece. She normally is such a good baby, and she likes me and knows me enough that this should be smooth sailing, right? Umm...
My parents called and asked if me and my tow-along wanted to come for dinner and the ranger game, along with my Grandmother. Someone fixing me dinner, and the safety net of two women who raised me being close by? Be there in 5! She did so great for the first little bit, charming everyone with her baby fat rolls and big grins. But about 15 minutes in, she realized "hey...I don't really recognize this place. Or these people...what the...WAAAAHHHHH!". Or something like that. We tried to get her to eat the dinner her momma made for her (homemade applesauce, which sounded great to me). She was not having that mess. Mom to the rescue, #1 - as a grandma, she had a plethora of toys for the wee one's distraction. We tried food again, and this time mac & cheese from my plate went much better. We had only minor melt downs for awhile (she would crawl away, all smiles, then realize I wasn't right next to her, then she'd wail. We repeated this quite a number of times). Then, the biggest test of all - bed time. She was giving me all the signals that we were a go, but oh boy, we were not. After reaching what I can only imagine is pure loathing for me and my attempts at lulling, Mom/surrogate Nana took over while I stood helplessly by. It reached a point where all I could do was laugh. After a few more back-and-forths, she finally just passed out in my mother's arms...who then passed out in the recliner. They snored together, it was cute. Also, my mom wouldn't put her down for fear of waking the sleeping bear. She continued to sniffle her in sleep for the first 10 minutes or so. I thought we were golden, as I got the message that Ella's parental units were on their way back. Until she woke up, and we repeated the "where am I and who are these scary people?!" thing. Thankfully, we were able to distract her with a puppy until they got there. I'm sure they didn't plan on their kid being awake so close to midnight, but I count it a success as she wasn't crying when they arrived. In retrospect, I have two things to say: 1) I hope that baby still likes me and that I didn't scar her for life, and 2) if/when I have a baby, I'm sequestering my mother in my house in case of emergencies, for at least a year.
Highlights:
1) We had snack day today. The theme - Asian takeout! I had great plans to make these yummy sesame meatballs...yeah, I totally phoned it in. Taste of Asia to the rescue!
2) My parents made the best comfort meal - fried chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, peas, rolls, mac & cheese, asparagus, squash. MMMMmmmmm.
3) The Rangers lost. Pretty badly, too. The best part of the game, though, is that Ella fell asleep right during the 9th inning. So, imagine a sleeping baby, and a room full of whispered cheers/boos at the television. It was comical, to say the least.
Love & Adventures in Aunthood,
K
October 4 - The Day We Watched Him Win the Game
First off, let me just say that I'm disappointed in myself. It was National Taco Day and I DIDN'T EVEN EAT A TACO. It was so sad, really. I mean, I ate a burrito bowl, so that's like half-credit, right? I'm sorry I failed you, food world. To make it up to you, I'll eat tacos every day for the rest of my life (but seriously, doesn't that sound like the best plan? Ever??)
To be quite honest, I don't really remember the first part of this day. It involved work, and I believe some Parks & Rec at lunch, but beyond that....well, it obviously wasn't that memorable. After work, however, is when the fun began.
I rushed to the shop to help that handsome husband of mine finish late prep. The plan was to stop by Fuzzy's for $1 taco (what?!), but apparently that was everyone else's plan, too. So, no dice. And no tacos. At this point, we were running late for lil bro's baseball game, so we settled for Taco Cabana bowls. On that note, as we left the shop to head for TC, husband turned left, away from TC, instead of right. Now, mind you, the inspiration for this restaurant came from a huge billboard, saying "EXIT HERE", sitting right in front of us at a stop light. When it turned green, though, he made a u-turn and headed away from the giant, well-lit sign. I said "why are you going this way?" and he rattled off some answer about turn-arounds and no direct exits. In the past, my backseat driving has caused a few (so many) fights, so I kept quiet. Fast forward 5 minutes later when we sit in front of Taco CASA, when the lightbulb finally comes on - "Hey, wait. This isn't Taco Cabana!" When I explained where the actual destination was, he said "Well, why didn't you say something? You should've told me." - HERE YE, HERE YE - LET IT BE KNOW ON THIS DAY, OCTOBER 4TH, KK SMITH WAS GRANTED AFFIRMATION, VIA VERBAL DECREE, THAT DIRECTIONS ARE WELCOMED BY HER HUBSAND IN THE EVENT OF HIS VEHICULAR/DIRECTIONAL ERRORS. Ahem. Also, for the record, I didn't say anything because I really thought he saw the HUGE sign. Nope. Haha
After the game, despite my increasingly weighty eyelids, I headed to best friends' house to help with grading papers. I'm in awe of her patience and chosen career path every time I help with this task. Also in awe of her ability to pretend I'm not stupid when I don't know the answers to 9th grade biology questions myself. Gotta love her! I crawled into bed some time into October 5th, and that was that. I very, very good Thursday.
Highlights:
1) Brother made the game-winning tag! He also did pretty well at bat this go-round, and he's quite the little base-stealer. AND, this was after he had a soccer game at 5:30 (before his baseball game at 8). More energy than me, that's for sure!
2) I was supposed to run today. I did not run today. Oops?
3) Husband had his first out of school student sighting. He was at the concession stand and a young girl said "Why are you so dressed up?", to which he replied "Because I just came from work". She said "oh, where do you work? You look really familiar....". His professional, adult response: "I can't tell you!" *runs away*. Oh, that man of mine.
Love & Taco-less Thursdays,
K
To be quite honest, I don't really remember the first part of this day. It involved work, and I believe some Parks & Rec at lunch, but beyond that....well, it obviously wasn't that memorable. After work, however, is when the fun began.
I rushed to the shop to help that handsome husband of mine finish late prep. The plan was to stop by Fuzzy's for $1 taco (what?!), but apparently that was everyone else's plan, too. So, no dice. And no tacos. At this point, we were running late for lil bro's baseball game, so we settled for Taco Cabana bowls. On that note, as we left the shop to head for TC, husband turned left, away from TC, instead of right. Now, mind you, the inspiration for this restaurant came from a huge billboard, saying "EXIT HERE", sitting right in front of us at a stop light. When it turned green, though, he made a u-turn and headed away from the giant, well-lit sign. I said "why are you going this way?" and he rattled off some answer about turn-arounds and no direct exits. In the past, my backseat driving has caused a few (so many) fights, so I kept quiet. Fast forward 5 minutes later when we sit in front of Taco CASA, when the lightbulb finally comes on - "Hey, wait. This isn't Taco Cabana!" When I explained where the actual destination was, he said "Well, why didn't you say something? You should've told me." - HERE YE, HERE YE - LET IT BE KNOW ON THIS DAY, OCTOBER 4TH, KK SMITH WAS GRANTED AFFIRMATION, VIA VERBAL DECREE, THAT DIRECTIONS ARE WELCOMED BY HER HUBSAND IN THE EVENT OF HIS VEHICULAR/DIRECTIONAL ERRORS. Ahem. Also, for the record, I didn't say anything because I really thought he saw the HUGE sign. Nope. Haha
After the game, despite my increasingly weighty eyelids, I headed to best friends' house to help with grading papers. I'm in awe of her patience and chosen career path every time I help with this task. Also in awe of her ability to pretend I'm not stupid when I don't know the answers to 9th grade biology questions myself. Gotta love her! I crawled into bed some time into October 5th, and that was that. I very, very good Thursday.
Highlights:
1) Brother made the game-winning tag! He also did pretty well at bat this go-round, and he's quite the little base-stealer. AND, this was after he had a soccer game at 5:30 (before his baseball game at 8). More energy than me, that's for sure!
2) I was supposed to run today. I did not run today. Oops?
3) Husband had his first out of school student sighting. He was at the concession stand and a young girl said "Why are you so dressed up?", to which he replied "Because I just came from work". She said "oh, where do you work? You look really familiar....". His professional, adult response: "I can't tell you!" *runs away*. Oh, that man of mine.
Love & Taco-less Thursdays,
K
Friday, October 5, 2012
October 3 - The Day of Donuts, Duels & Deep Weirdo Stares
Sometimes I feel like I've lost the ability to succinctly and interestingly sum up my days. And what's frustrating about this is that it was a beautiful, wonderful day, well worth a little delving into. Oh well.
As I recount how my hours were actually spent, though, I realized just how busy I was. And how most days that were that jam-packed would've left me drained. And how much a dose of good will offset all the bad tossed my way. This kind of retrospection rings with the truth that your life, your day, your time, it's all what you make it. Your day is the ship, and your attitude is the sail. Hope you enjoyed that little slice of philosophical cheese...
So, as obviously inferred above, the day held a lot of work. Work work, pie shop work, cleaning my messy kitchen work. The boss lady brought donuts, which added with guilt-walking off said donuts, helped the work work thing. Once that wrapped up, I headed to the shop to help that handsome hubby of mine with pie shop cooking. Side note: I have a strong smell memory tied to onions sauteing in butter. Brings up warm and bubbly feelings of holiday cooking, and my first cooking lessons (which, coincidentally, occurred in the fall, making another seasonal tie to this otherwise normal kitchen aroma). Combine that moment of sensory stimulation with the slight crisp in the air as dusk fell - I was one happy fall-loving lady.
We spent the evening at the park with our church family. I ate far more pizza than I should have, but the day's donuts (and tiny slice of pie....don't judge me!) weren't holding me over very well. I held my sweet, sweet nephew, who giggled (and sometimes growled, my favorite trait of his), cooed and snuggled up on my chest. Oh goodness, how love that baby and his kissable little rolls!
His older brother was not so accepting of my kisses, so like any good aunt, I threatened him with a sword. Not one to back down from mock violence of any sort, he accepted my invitation for a duel. After seeing I was not going to be allowed to come away the victor, I let surrendered and he walked away with his tiny puffed out chest and thanked me for his victory. Ha! I hope he never loses that imagination.
I've had my fall decor out for 3 days now, but only got as far as pulling things out of boxes. I just couldn't drum up the motivation to finish (or really start for that matter). This night was different, though. I needed my home to reflect the dancing leaves (butterflies are for spring; fall gets dancing leaves) inside my chest. So, its not all the way done, but there's finally some symbiosis between my heart and this house. I've always said my home looks her best when dressed for fall. If you'd see it, you'd know. Like me, she was made for Autumn.
Highlights:
1) Best: Husband somehow got to singing that classy 90s tune, Sex & Candy by Marcy Playground. A line in the lyrics reads "Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?". I caught hubs singing "Who's that casting deep weirdo stares in my direction?" I died. Maybe it was the late hour at which this occurred, or his sincere surprise at my challenging his accuracy, but I couldn't stop laughing.
2) I blogged again. Hooray! It was half a month smooshed into a post. And it wasn't very detailed. Should we be celebrating this level of mediocrity? Ha.
3) A branch fell right in front of my doorway. Normally, I would find this annoying, but thanks to the plethora of ripe pecans that also fell in front of my doorway, I'll forgive my resident flora for their intrusion. Pecans...mmm.
Love & Misheard Lyrical Goodness,
K
As I recount how my hours were actually spent, though, I realized just how busy I was. And how most days that were that jam-packed would've left me drained. And how much a dose of good will offset all the bad tossed my way. This kind of retrospection rings with the truth that your life, your day, your time, it's all what you make it. Your day is the ship, and your attitude is the sail. Hope you enjoyed that little slice of philosophical cheese...
So, as obviously inferred above, the day held a lot of work. Work work, pie shop work, cleaning my messy kitchen work. The boss lady brought donuts, which added with guilt-walking off said donuts, helped the work work thing. Once that wrapped up, I headed to the shop to help that handsome hubby of mine with pie shop cooking. Side note: I have a strong smell memory tied to onions sauteing in butter. Brings up warm and bubbly feelings of holiday cooking, and my first cooking lessons (which, coincidentally, occurred in the fall, making another seasonal tie to this otherwise normal kitchen aroma). Combine that moment of sensory stimulation with the slight crisp in the air as dusk fell - I was one happy fall-loving lady.
We spent the evening at the park with our church family. I ate far more pizza than I should have, but the day's donuts (and tiny slice of pie....don't judge me!) weren't holding me over very well. I held my sweet, sweet nephew, who giggled (and sometimes growled, my favorite trait of his), cooed and snuggled up on my chest. Oh goodness, how love that baby and his kissable little rolls!
His older brother was not so accepting of my kisses, so like any good aunt, I threatened him with a sword. Not one to back down from mock violence of any sort, he accepted my invitation for a duel. After seeing I was not going to be allowed to come away the victor, I let surrendered and he walked away with his tiny puffed out chest and thanked me for his victory. Ha! I hope he never loses that imagination.
I've had my fall decor out for 3 days now, but only got as far as pulling things out of boxes. I just couldn't drum up the motivation to finish (or really start for that matter). This night was different, though. I needed my home to reflect the dancing leaves (butterflies are for spring; fall gets dancing leaves) inside my chest. So, its not all the way done, but there's finally some symbiosis between my heart and this house. I've always said my home looks her best when dressed for fall. If you'd see it, you'd know. Like me, she was made for Autumn.
Highlights:
1) Best: Husband somehow got to singing that classy 90s tune, Sex & Candy by Marcy Playground. A line in the lyrics reads "Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?". I caught hubs singing "Who's that casting deep weirdo stares in my direction?" I died. Maybe it was the late hour at which this occurred, or his sincere surprise at my challenging his accuracy, but I couldn't stop laughing.
2) I blogged again. Hooray! It was half a month smooshed into a post. And it wasn't very detailed. Should we be celebrating this level of mediocrity? Ha.
3) A branch fell right in front of my doorway. Normally, I would find this annoying, but thanks to the plethora of ripe pecans that also fell in front of my doorway, I'll forgive my resident flora for their intrusion. Pecans...mmm.
Love & Misheard Lyrical Goodness,
K
October 2 - The Day We Talked Tattoos, Adoption and Crazy Dreams
I decided to try and make my day easier by taking out one of the yummy crock pot meals from my bulk-cooking day. Only problem: last week, for the first time ever, I burned up my crock pot dinner. We're talking my beautiful cut of beef ended up a nicely blackened charcoal briquette. In my rushing around, embarrassing as it is, I had yet to tackle the monster that was the post-burn crock pot. SO, I just threw the "crock pot" meal in my dutch oven on low and went for a run. Seemed to work alright, though I'm not willing to judge the recipe based on my alternate cooking methods (it was Honey Rosemary Chicken, btw).
So, running... I am 3 weeks into my 12 week training plan, and thanks to my lack of follow-through, its still pretty tough going. Every week I start with renewed vigor to really stick to the plan, but then life happens and I have lost the ability to get up at a decent hour....oh well. A run is a run, at this point!
We headed to small group after running/dinner, where we started out in 1 Peter and ended up discussing tattoos, orphaned babies and our genetic trait of crazy dreams (in mine, Jon was dying, in a tree house, when the Joker came by and threw exploding rocks at us from his Corvette. Rude!) My aunt and uncle crashed our Bible study, where we tried to convince him he should let his daughter get a tattoo. No dice, but we get an E for Effort! On a related note, I think a 1 Peter 2:17 could make a cool tattoo: Show Respect, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, Honor the King. Sounds manly. Haha.
Highlights:
1) Husband kept me laughing. And as usual, he took advantage of our open windows to yell inappropriate things. He's crazy, but I love him.
2) Watching my cousin prepare herself for the mission field is inspiring. He equips the called, y'all.
3) Today was my aunt and uncles wedding anniversary. When I saw them they were coming back from a walk, then retiring for a relaxing evening. Yeah, they both totally forgot. :)
Love & Manly Tats,
K
So, running... I am 3 weeks into my 12 week training plan, and thanks to my lack of follow-through, its still pretty tough going. Every week I start with renewed vigor to really stick to the plan, but then life happens and I have lost the ability to get up at a decent hour....oh well. A run is a run, at this point!
We headed to small group after running/dinner, where we started out in 1 Peter and ended up discussing tattoos, orphaned babies and our genetic trait of crazy dreams (in mine, Jon was dying, in a tree house, when the Joker came by and threw exploding rocks at us from his Corvette. Rude!) My aunt and uncle crashed our Bible study, where we tried to convince him he should let his daughter get a tattoo. No dice, but we get an E for Effort! On a related note, I think a 1 Peter 2:17 could make a cool tattoo: Show Respect, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God, Honor the King. Sounds manly. Haha.
Highlights:
1) Husband kept me laughing. And as usual, he took advantage of our open windows to yell inappropriate things. He's crazy, but I love him.
2) Watching my cousin prepare herself for the mission field is inspiring. He equips the called, y'all.
3) Today was my aunt and uncles wedding anniversary. When I saw them they were coming back from a walk, then retiring for a relaxing evening. Yeah, they both totally forgot. :)
Love & Manly Tats,
K
October 1 - The Day We Repeated Fall's Welcome
Monday was a bit of a welcome reprieve from the weekend's rushing pace. As indicated by the previous posts, I was emotionally zapped and ready for my heart to rest a little easier, and thankfully, I had just the right cocktail of things to make that happen.
We went to T's t-ball game, which didn't disappoint in the entertainment area. The special of the day was the entire team dog-piling the ball every time it hit the ground. This happened at least 3 different times, that I saw, and it was just as funny the 3rd go round as the first. My bro/his uncle also took the time to make signs for us to hold up each time Tavin was at bat - he looked so proud when we yelled his name! I'll have to be honest, though, I didn't pay as much attention in the last half of the game, due to this little snuggle bug:
I stole him from his Grandpa, but I don't feel too bad :) He talks to himself as he's falling asleep. Pretty much the cutest thing ever.
As for the origin of this post's title: We were originally going to have lasagna rolls for dinner, but for sheer comfort and ease, that turned into lasagna "stoup". Best friend joined us, and we ended up watching Gilmore Girls to close out the evening. It dawned on us then that roughly one year ago, right as fall made its entrance, we did the exact same thing. Same meal, same show (which always makes me feel "fall-ish"). New tradition? Maybe so!
Highlights:
1) My nephew's Kool-aid 'stache; his "Hey KK!" greetings, his asking his dad for bubble-gum for the big game, and his outfield dancing. He's flippin' awesome.
2) Ate my first homegrown pecan! Technically, you're supposed to let them cure for a couple of weeks after harvest, but I couldn't resist. Tasted surprisingly maple-y!
3) My apparent knack for getting the littler nephew to sleep. Twice in two days - I'm a pro, guys.
Love & Kool-Aid 'Staches,
K
We went to T's t-ball game, which didn't disappoint in the entertainment area. The special of the day was the entire team dog-piling the ball every time it hit the ground. This happened at least 3 different times, that I saw, and it was just as funny the 3rd go round as the first. My bro/his uncle also took the time to make signs for us to hold up each time Tavin was at bat - he looked so proud when we yelled his name! I'll have to be honest, though, I didn't pay as much attention in the last half of the game, due to this little snuggle bug:
I stole him from his Grandpa, but I don't feel too bad :) He talks to himself as he's falling asleep. Pretty much the cutest thing ever.
As for the origin of this post's title: We were originally going to have lasagna rolls for dinner, but for sheer comfort and ease, that turned into lasagna "stoup". Best friend joined us, and we ended up watching Gilmore Girls to close out the evening. It dawned on us then that roughly one year ago, right as fall made its entrance, we did the exact same thing. Same meal, same show (which always makes me feel "fall-ish"). New tradition? Maybe so!
Highlights:
1) My nephew's Kool-aid 'stache; his "Hey KK!" greetings, his asking his dad for bubble-gum for the big game, and his outfield dancing. He's flippin' awesome.
2) Ate my first homegrown pecan! Technically, you're supposed to let them cure for a couple of weeks after harvest, but I couldn't resist. Tasted surprisingly maple-y!
3) My apparent knack for getting the littler nephew to sleep. Twice in two days - I'm a pro, guys.
Love & Kool-Aid 'Staches,
K
Thursday, October 4, 2012
September,part 2: Laying my Isaac(s) Down
"I'm not afraid of storms,
for I'm learning how to sail my ship."
- Louisa May Alcott
for I'm learning how to sail my ship."
- Louisa May Alcott
The 3rd week of September started in what seemed a rather unassuming manner. We had a potluck at church, we visited a sweet friend in the hospital, my momma had her birthday. As the hours and days trickled on, the stress mounted. At my day job, huge deadlines approached, words of disappointment were being cast at me, and I felt like I was failing. At the pie shop, people were sick, employees were calling in, customers were upset, friends were stressed and exhausted, and the finances of it all loomed over us like a huge storm cloud. A meeting was called for Thursday and we met with trepidation. I knew what was coming, but I tried my best to avoid thinking about it. The shop is/was in trouble, and something had to be done. The meeting ended without resolution, and we agreed to postpone an official decision. Four best friends being business partners means your normal ports in the storms are unfortunately being pounded by the waves with as much intensity as you. So, I was left racked with tears, emotions, and empty cries of "WHY?" Didn't God know what terrible timing this all was? Didn't he listen when I laid my plans out - didn't he know things were FINALLY starting to fall into place with everything else?
I went through the motions on Friday and Saturday, going to a company picnic at the zoo with my hubby, making pumpkin pie for the first day of fall, and even being treated to dinner in celebration of best friend's first official paycheck (Sidenote: Mellow Mushroom - SO GOOD. I'm mad at anyone who new how good this was and never forced me to go there before now). Sunday morning came, and in church I struggled through singing words that my heart refused to respond to. Looking back, I don't remember when, or what song or spoken word triggered it, but I knew what He was telling me: This doesn't define you. We spend our earthly lives being identified by what we "do". Its nearly the first question anyone asks upon introduction. Despite all the growing pains, I loved being able to tell people "I own a pie shop" and watching their surprised faces. So young! So brave! Embarrassing as it is to admit, I loved to think what people must think of me. So much pride wrapped up into something so temporal. And when faced with the threat of it all crashing down, I panicked. And yet He says: THIS DOESN'T DEFINE YOU. This shop, nor any other fleeting, earthly thing. Its success: not you. Its failure: not you. Let it go, kid, 'cause you're mine regardless. I drank in the moment, so thirsty, like I couldn't swallow enough of the peace he was pouring my way. We spent the afternoon at Antique Alley, which was a rather unsuccessful treasure hunt, an unspoken something hanging in the air as we knew were meeting that evening to once again make a final plan. We met, and I didn't bawl my way through this time. Despite my peace, nothing was becoming any clearer. No direction laid out, no decision dawning on me with secure enlightenment. Just...nothing. Three plus hours later, we narrowed down our options, but a general air of discord still hung thick. We just didn't have an answer.
Monday morning, I read these words in my devotional:
"Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ"
"Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ"
In retrospect, those words seem much weightier than how I originally interpreted. In that moment, as silly as it sounds, God was calling me to give up Facebook. I needed silence. I needed to truly understand my addiction to social media; to realize my false sense of security and my embarrassing reliance on other people's opinions of me. To be free from the chains of comparison, that great and swift thief of joy. To know just how high of a throne I had placed my pride upon. It seemed small, and yet it it was, as the devotional said, "a stronghold of obstinacy". I had known for awhile how much damage it was doing, but I justified and reasoned away my own concerns. And to be honest, the first few days were uncomfortable. I reached for my phone every 10 to 15 minutes before remembering I no longer had access. I felt disconnected. But I felt good. And as an aside, it's a week and three days later, and still no regret.
The week went on, busy as always, but streaked with sunlight through that ominous cloud that seemed to follow me around. We celebrated my cousin's birthday, and my momma's; there was time with family, friends, and moments of joy. For various reasons, our meetings kept getting pushed back, and in all honesty, I thought for a fleeting moment that maybe we just wouldn't need to meet at all! Maybe this was all just a brief, though cruel, joke. But Friday came, and it was decided it must take place. I thought I was doing good, making progress, but then I broke. I just broke. I poured my heart out, to my mother, to my husband, and to my God. Let me interject here that I thank God for parents who will stand in the gap for me, who will speak God's truth to me, who will help me prepare for battle, even when the can't fight beside me. The thorn in my side was the unfairness of it all. Why now? Why me? Why us? Hadn't we paid our dues? Shouldn't this have been easier? That what-ifs, of past, present and future, felt like weights on my chest, and I just couldn't breathe. I went into our meeting empty, still directionless. I prayed for the only thing I could think of: unity between my partners. Thankfully, this is what He gave me. We concluded with a plan of action, if vague. I felt....OK. I am not ready to share exactly how we will proceed just yet. Mostly because I am a creature of habit, and change, good or bad, takes time for me. The words feel foreign on my tongue, so I'll save them until the bitterness wears off.
And, to my surprise, the tantrums weren't over. The anger, disappointment, and sadness of not getting my way bubbled up over the next few days, resulting in some raw emotions and sometimes ugly behavior. My eating and sleep schedules were off, so that didn't help either (contrary to general belief, it isn't just infants who need daily structure). Saturday was long, and offered the distraction of friendship and kitchen-work, two things I can luckily get lost in. I spent the day in a bulk food prep session, helping to stock the freezer of an about-to-pop expectant mom, and my own in the process. 4-5 hours for 12 meals - not a bad trade off! With Jon's new job, I needed all the help I could get. Downside: I smelled like onions for DAYS. Bless that man of mine, I came home to dinner prepped (thanks, Olive Garden), and a movie cued up just for me.
Sunday morning was rough (read: more bubble-over outbursts on my part). Once we got to church, I spent most of the service trying to figure out if I should say something. Do I ask for prayer? What do I pray for? What can I say or not say? And one after one, the testimonies kept coming. The words of encouragement prefaced by "I don't know who this is for, but...." The unifying truth in it all - we serve a jealous God. And if you have taken his cross, but want to cling to something else as your identity, He will do what it takes to get you to let go. And in the end, what He has is so much better than anything we could attempt to piece together for our lives. And these words cut me deep, not just because of the shop, but because of every other "thing" that hadn't gone according to my plan so far. So in a moment of embarrassing (thought it shouldn't be) brokenness, I asked for prayer. I honestly declared my emptiness, my confusion at what God was up to, and the truth I knew: that I prayed for a radical life, that in April of 2011, God started a stirring in me that hasn't quit. And I don't know if this is answer to my request for said radical life, or what. but I needed prayer. So there it was. I like keeping my walls up, but they came down that morning. And that beautiful, honest, spirit-led body of believers rallied around me. No matter how "first world" my problems seemed (and the fact that I recognize that they ARE first world problems speaks of a lesson for me, too). We prayed, we hugged, I wiped my tears, and then we moved on. To be honest, I'm not sure I said the right words in that moment. But I said the only thing that would come out. For a careful and relatively shy person like me, that moment of vulnerability was incredibly hard. But, maybe that's the point. I'm not sure that what happens or doesn't happen with this shop is God's master plan. And in that I mean that for all I know, its just a very little piece in my much bigger story - a means to an end.
I spent the remainder of the day basking in the comfort of family, of babies sleeping on my shoulder, of good southern food, four-wheelers and birthday presents. I'm grateful he knows the salve to help heal my wounds.
My husband asked me today "How does your head not explode?" and to be honest, I have no idea. So many thoughts and questions run rampant in my feeble little mind. I don't know what He's writing, but I know it isn't about me. My plot twists won't change His character. Thank goodness. Thank Him.
And, to my surprise, the tantrums weren't over. The anger, disappointment, and sadness of not getting my way bubbled up over the next few days, resulting in some raw emotions and sometimes ugly behavior. My eating and sleep schedules were off, so that didn't help either (contrary to general belief, it isn't just infants who need daily structure). Saturday was long, and offered the distraction of friendship and kitchen-work, two things I can luckily get lost in. I spent the day in a bulk food prep session, helping to stock the freezer of an about-to-pop expectant mom, and my own in the process. 4-5 hours for 12 meals - not a bad trade off! With Jon's new job, I needed all the help I could get. Downside: I smelled like onions for DAYS. Bless that man of mine, I came home to dinner prepped (thanks, Olive Garden), and a movie cued up just for me.
Sunday morning was rough (read: more bubble-over outbursts on my part). Once we got to church, I spent most of the service trying to figure out if I should say something. Do I ask for prayer? What do I pray for? What can I say or not say? And one after one, the testimonies kept coming. The words of encouragement prefaced by "I don't know who this is for, but...." The unifying truth in it all - we serve a jealous God. And if you have taken his cross, but want to cling to something else as your identity, He will do what it takes to get you to let go. And in the end, what He has is so much better than anything we could attempt to piece together for our lives. And these words cut me deep, not just because of the shop, but because of every other "thing" that hadn't gone according to my plan so far. So in a moment of embarrassing (thought it shouldn't be) brokenness, I asked for prayer. I honestly declared my emptiness, my confusion at what God was up to, and the truth I knew: that I prayed for a radical life, that in April of 2011, God started a stirring in me that hasn't quit. And I don't know if this is answer to my request for said radical life, or what. but I needed prayer. So there it was. I like keeping my walls up, but they came down that morning. And that beautiful, honest, spirit-led body of believers rallied around me. No matter how "first world" my problems seemed (and the fact that I recognize that they ARE first world problems speaks of a lesson for me, too). We prayed, we hugged, I wiped my tears, and then we moved on. To be honest, I'm not sure I said the right words in that moment. But I said the only thing that would come out. For a careful and relatively shy person like me, that moment of vulnerability was incredibly hard. But, maybe that's the point. I'm not sure that what happens or doesn't happen with this shop is God's master plan. And in that I mean that for all I know, its just a very little piece in my much bigger story - a means to an end.
I spent the remainder of the day basking in the comfort of family, of babies sleeping on my shoulder, of good southern food, four-wheelers and birthday presents. I'm grateful he knows the salve to help heal my wounds.
My husband asked me today "How does your head not explode?" and to be honest, I have no idea. So many thoughts and questions run rampant in my feeble little mind. I don't know what He's writing, but I know it isn't about me. My plot twists won't change His character. Thank goodness. Thank Him.
Love & Learning to Sail,
K
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
September, part 1: Waiting, Rejoicing, and the Inbetween
There are few flips of the calendar pages that make me as happy as moving from August to September. It's the gateway for my hands-down favorite part of the year - crisp breezes, falling leaves, all things pumpkin, chili, fleece, hayrides, Thanksgiving through Christmas. The "-ber" months have it, y'all.
But, this is TX, so we rang in the first week with 100+ temps, of course. In an effort to live the dwindling (hopefully?) days of summer, we spent a good amount of time outdoors, complete with pond swims and barbeques. Labor Day was wonderful, spent sleeping in and having a pancake & waffle feast with family. It also was the first time this year I busted out It's A Wonderful Life. I know, its too early for Christmas, but you can't tell me that movie doesn't give you feel-good vibes, which are seasonally-unbiased, in my opinion.
On the 4th, Jon took that all important test for the newly-opened-door job (see last post). Then we waited and waited. And waited some more. Test results wouldn't be in for 7-10 days, but that didn't stop us from checking scores starting the afternoon of test day.
My sweet little men started fall ball, including t-ball for my nephew. Let me just say, I've never seen anything so dadgum cute in my life. T-ball is my new fav, hands down (after all, I can totally relate to the distracting importance of a nearby butterfly vs actually paying attention to some game).
Back to the test, we waited even more and on Friday, I finally got the call - he passed!! No contract yet signed, but the job was his for all intents and purposes. *breathes huge sigh of relief*. I'd love to say I was so trusting and calm during this wait, but I'd also love to say I'm the queen of England, and neither would be true. I was the picture of an anxious child who chose tantrums over trust. Nevertheless, I hung my head and said thank you, and I'm sorry, and I'll do better next time. He didn't wait long to take me up on that offer, but more on that later...
This call came right on time for me to head out and actually be able to enjoy the weekend with two of my long-time pals. Friday evening we relived a bit of high school with a sleepover at L's parents house, including watching old videos, laughing at ridiculous pictures and performing dramatic readings of letters we once wrote to one another (my favorite - and boy was I dramatic at 15. Good thing that wore off...ahem). Saturday we busted out of bed bright and early to head to Fredericksburg, with an end destination of Burnett, TX. Saturday, in one summarized list: Driving, window-shopping, Funyuns, local coffee, non-existent marble falls, hiking Enchanted Rock, getting lost on Enchanted Rock, mountain side adventuring, showers, rocking chairs, local wine, live tunes, YouTube videos, unbelievable canopy of stars, sleepy girls. It was a wonderful, wonderful day. We wrapped up the weekend with an early wake-up call to catch the sunrise from our cabin's porch. Followed this up with an impromptu photo session and then the quiet drive back home (with a stop for some delish BBQ). I cherish my time with these ladies, and the cord God has tied between our hearts. I pray I never take that for granted.
I also fell in love with my camera again that weekend. I snapped an embarrassing number of pictures over those two days, and I didn't feel like stopping once I got home. I decided to annoy the heck out of my in-laws by snapping up photos of all of them (puppy included) as we all soaked up the gorgeous weather. I even gave my little SIL a quick lesson on photography (the blind leading the blind). After reviewing the many photos, some turned out good, some not so good, but I'm OK with knowing there's no way to get better unless you just keep clicking.
Its kind of a theme I've got going on right now, a hard one for a perfectionist, type-A to accept. Sometimes, you'll think its all lined up right, conditions are good, but the shot still ends up crappy. And we move on, knowing that the good and the bad mean the same thing - you're trying.
The 2nd week passed with a little less fanfare and a lot more busyness. We said goodby to some of our dear, sweet friends who were taking a huge leap of faith/adventure/greatness by packing up their stuff and moving to California. So we sent them off with late night pancakes and a packing party. Also, we got three champagne glasses and a wooden cat (left ninja style on our car after we had gone to bed) out of the deal. We'll miss them, but its a good thing to see boldness in the people you love.
So, praying, waiting, laughing, rejoicing, thanking...not a bad way to kick off the first half of the month.
Love & Learning to Obey,
K
But, this is TX, so we rang in the first week with 100+ temps, of course. In an effort to live the dwindling (hopefully?) days of summer, we spent a good amount of time outdoors, complete with pond swims and barbeques. Labor Day was wonderful, spent sleeping in and having a pancake & waffle feast with family. It also was the first time this year I busted out It's A Wonderful Life. I know, its too early for Christmas, but you can't tell me that movie doesn't give you feel-good vibes, which are seasonally-unbiased, in my opinion.
On the 4th, Jon took that all important test for the newly-opened-door job (see last post). Then we waited and waited. And waited some more. Test results wouldn't be in for 7-10 days, but that didn't stop us from checking scores starting the afternoon of test day.
My sweet little men started fall ball, including t-ball for my nephew. Let me just say, I've never seen anything so dadgum cute in my life. T-ball is my new fav, hands down (after all, I can totally relate to the distracting importance of a nearby butterfly vs actually paying attention to some game).
Back to the test, we waited even more and on Friday, I finally got the call - he passed!! No contract yet signed, but the job was his for all intents and purposes. *breathes huge sigh of relief*. I'd love to say I was so trusting and calm during this wait, but I'd also love to say I'm the queen of England, and neither would be true. I was the picture of an anxious child who chose tantrums over trust. Nevertheless, I hung my head and said thank you, and I'm sorry, and I'll do better next time. He didn't wait long to take me up on that offer, but more on that later...
This call came right on time for me to head out and actually be able to enjoy the weekend with two of my long-time pals. Friday evening we relived a bit of high school with a sleepover at L's parents house, including watching old videos, laughing at ridiculous pictures and performing dramatic readings of letters we once wrote to one another (my favorite - and boy was I dramatic at 15. Good thing that wore off...ahem). Saturday we busted out of bed bright and early to head to Fredericksburg, with an end destination of Burnett, TX. Saturday, in one summarized list: Driving, window-shopping, Funyuns, local coffee, non-existent marble falls, hiking Enchanted Rock, getting lost on Enchanted Rock, mountain side adventuring, showers, rocking chairs, local wine, live tunes, YouTube videos, unbelievable canopy of stars, sleepy girls. It was a wonderful, wonderful day. We wrapped up the weekend with an early wake-up call to catch the sunrise from our cabin's porch. Followed this up with an impromptu photo session and then the quiet drive back home (with a stop for some delish BBQ). I cherish my time with these ladies, and the cord God has tied between our hearts. I pray I never take that for granted.
I also fell in love with my camera again that weekend. I snapped an embarrassing number of pictures over those two days, and I didn't feel like stopping once I got home. I decided to annoy the heck out of my in-laws by snapping up photos of all of them (puppy included) as we all soaked up the gorgeous weather. I even gave my little SIL a quick lesson on photography (the blind leading the blind). After reviewing the many photos, some turned out good, some not so good, but I'm OK with knowing there's no way to get better unless you just keep clicking.
Its kind of a theme I've got going on right now, a hard one for a perfectionist, type-A to accept. Sometimes, you'll think its all lined up right, conditions are good, but the shot still ends up crappy. And we move on, knowing that the good and the bad mean the same thing - you're trying.
The 2nd week passed with a little less fanfare and a lot more busyness. We said goodby to some of our dear, sweet friends who were taking a huge leap of faith/adventure/greatness by packing up their stuff and moving to California. So we sent them off with late night pancakes and a packing party. Also, we got three champagne glasses and a wooden cat (left ninja style on our car after we had gone to bed) out of the deal. We'll miss them, but its a good thing to see boldness in the people you love.
So, praying, waiting, laughing, rejoicing, thanking...not a bad way to kick off the first half of the month.
Love & Learning to Obey,
K
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