Friday, June 30, 2023

Happy 14th Birthday, Trent!

So much has changed since this little guy entered the world 14 years ago.


One thing that hasn't changed is my immense love for my boy.


I hope if I've done anything right as a mother, he knows just how much he is loved.

Happy birthday, Trent, with all my love!


Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Currently: Feeling Hot, Hot Hot

Current Book

A little light reading for our vacation!

Current Song

Paige and I loved this one at church 2 weeks ago!
Bless the Lord

Current TV Show

Just finished this...WOW.

Current Podcast/Audiobook

I'm back on The Office Ladies podcast but just downloaded this book.
It's hysterical and enlightening all at the same time.

Current Drink

My mother-in-law makes cranberry tea a lot {even though it's SO HOT}
because Drew LOVES it. So I might have had some this week.
Consensus: it's good year-round!

Current Food

This is a bit of a weird one, but I am OBSESSED with my grocery store's parmesan crusted green beans! And they're a yellow Noom food, yay!

Current Shame-Inducing Pleasure

I might be re-reading a Nora Roberts series...for the 75th time!

Current Outfit

Instead of showing you another picture of me in workout clothes, ha...
Ah the joy of shopping with Drew - she hates everything!

Current Celebrity Crush

Surprise pairing that I LOVED in Ted Lasso ~
I want to restart the whole series!

Current Mood

I woke up crazy early today and gave up trying to go back to sleep at 3:45.
I read until it was time to get up at 5:00 to teach my body pump class.
So I am tired and grumpy, ha!

Current Anticipation

We leave Wednesday for the Grand Canyon!
And our favorite teenager has a birthday this week, too!!

Current Wishlist

To be able to find Trent's birthday present IN STOCK...sigh.
How is this little guy about to be 14?!

Current Movie


Current Picture

Fun work lunch!


Monday, June 19, 2023

Broadway Across America: Hairspray

In the last 11 months, I've seen 5 musicals! Nice comeback after not having seen anything since pre-Covid. Well, Thursday, I saw another musical through Broadway Across America, Hairspray, yay!


PlotIn 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on "The Corny Collins Show" and wins. She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny's reigning dance queen and bring racial integration to the show.

My date this time was a book club {and Jazzercise} friend, Tricia!

Review: Man, I loved this! I saw the Rikki Lake version of the movie YEARS ago so didn't remember the plot super clearly, and it was great. I laughed, danced in my seat, clapped along...had a fantastic time. If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend.

Fun surprise - Drew got to go with Nana on Sunday!

This ended the 2022-23 season, and I'm already looking to some great shows starting in the fall.


Friday, June 16, 2023

Summer Bucket List 2023

We've got a great summer planned, and we decided to make a bucket list for our adventures. I even got Brent interested in our plans for this year! Some of these will be spoilers for our upcoming family vacations - and maybe that's cheating, but we put them on our list. {grin}


1. See the Grand Canyon
2. See the beach
3. Go to Dave and Buster's
4. Make s'mores
5. Go to the movies [checked this off with The Little Mermaid]
6. Go to a baseball game
7. Have a cousin sleepover
8. Go out to eat for a 'fancy' dinner
9. Make pumpkin bread
10. Go on a hike
11. Go ice skating
12. Go to a movie at the pool
13. Participate in the library Reading Program
14. Fly on an airplane
15. Make homemade ice cream
16. Have a family movie night
17. Have a family night of golf/dinner 
18. Have a family game night
19. Go bowling
20. Volunteer/donate to a charity
21. Make homemade pizza
22. Go to a farmer's market
23. Take Dad to lunch
24. Mom and Dad 1-on-1 kid dates

This is a very ambitious list {with some items that I'm not totally behind if I'm being honest}, so we will see how this all shakes out over the next 2 months. Happy summer!



Wednesday, June 14, 2023

End of the Year Breakdown 22-23 School Year!

School has been out for just over 2 weeks, and we are loving these early days of summer! But before too much time goes by, I need to sum up how our year ended! There's a big possibility this was our last year at our beloved Montessori school, more on that to come, but I'm kind of in shock the last 6 years have gone by so quickly!

Trent Joseph

Trent graduated from 8th grade this year! And in typical Trent fashion we have a dichotomy of how his school year went - academics vs. behavior. {grin} Academically he had a great year! I got consistent feedback from his guides about him doing fantastic on his classwork - he always finished his assignments, helped his friends if they were struggling, was a participant in class discussions. Behavior, however, was a mixed bag - the fall semester he got suspended, we had to meet several times with the principal and his guides...it was a mess! He ended the year in a pretty good place, but it was a tough one.

He was asked to give the welcome speech at graduation, and he did a great job! And I was really happy he was asked to do it - showed the growth he displayed by the end of the year {or that's my spin on it}. Also, his lead guide was also one of his guides for 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade, and it was fun talking to her about the improvements she was from his start at Goodwater to the end.

Their guides also gave our awards and would describe the student and award before saying who it was given to. When they gave the first award for the student with the best attitude...nope, not Trent. The award for the most helpful student...nope, not Trent. The award for the kid who argued the most {'The Great Debater Award'}, Brent and I looked at each other and said 'that's Trent', and we were right, ha!

All the 8th graders!

Giving his welcome speech!

With the principal, Dr. Bruce, and his first guide, Mrs. Worcester {who retired}

Drew Kathleen

Drew had her first year in Upper Elementary for 4th grade. I would say Drew had an unusual year for herself - she loves school, but this year wasn't her favorite. It took her a long time to settle into her classroom, and I'm not sure I would say she ever felt really great. She made some new friends, which was great, but she missed her besties from the past 2 years. 

Academically, she had a great year. Her guide was consistently giving her 5th grade work which she was rocking. Behaviorally, she also had a great year. Even though she was technically young in her class {her class consisted of 4th-6th graders}, she quickly became a leader and a huge help to her guide. She and her guide really got along and had a very sweet relationship, it was fun watching them together.

No graduation ceremony for her so just a picture of her being weird {grin}

Paige Noelle

Our little miss Kindergartener also had a graduation this year! She finished her 3-year cycle in Primary with her beloved Ms. Lilana and Ms. Maria and had an outstanding year. She has absolutely loved school! She killed it academically and had great scores on the MAP testing she did. Her reading is off-the-charts {she's reading at a 4th/5th grade level}. And she is a leader in her class - she 'helps' with the little kids, reminds people of the rules and to stay on-task, she is a little teacher.

Kinder grads {their grad 'ceremony' was shared with another class}!

Paige and Ms. Liliana

Last day of school - pajama day!
She loved being able to bring Sackie and Kate to school!!

And with that, the 22-23 school year is wrapped!


Monday, June 12, 2023

Summer Fun with LJA

Last weekend was our semi-annual trip to Houston for a work event for Brent. Yes, that means I was in Houston twice last week for 2 different activities - Wicked with Drew Sunday and Monday and then went back on Thursday-Saturday for this, ha!

Brent's event is Thursday evening, but we have started a tradition of staying Friday night as well and having a night out with our friends!

All dolled up for dinner! I am OBSESSED with this dress.

A cute specialty cocktail

LJA Wives and Friends For Life

Friday morning we had breakfast in the hotel and then spent the majority of the day at the pool.

The absolute last breakfast I would ever eat - avocado toast, tomatoes and an egg

This pool is so amazing

My perfect afternoon at the pool!

HEAVEN

Susannah's birthday was Saturday, so we celebrated at El Tiempo Friday night. We all ate too much {are you a Texan at a Tex-Mex restaurant if you don't eat your weight in chips?} and then had a last cocktail at a bar in the hotel.


Happy birthday, Susannah!

In a short 6 months we'll be back in Houston for the Holiday party, ha!


Thursday, June 8, 2023

Noom Check-in #2

I have been using Noom for almost 4 months and am still loving it, yay!

To talk about numbers, I've lost just over 20 pounds, which is 2/3 of my goal!! I am lower than I was when I got pregnant with Paige, which is a number I haven't seen since I got pregnant and has been a huge milestone for me!

What I like about Noom:
  • Tracking food is super easy - this has always been the hardest part for me, and if I am frustrated with tracking food, I quit and go back to my old ways. Noom makes it so easy to track food that I am never frustrated!!
  • I enjoy the daily articles and am learning a lot - some articles are better than others, but I love that there is a purpose to this and it is WORKING to help me understand why we eat the way we do, make certain choices, etc. AND how to get smarter!
  • The coins as motivation - these coins literally mean nothing yet I get so excited to earn my coin every day. And I totally get that there is psychology behind the coins and I am the perfect target for this!
Psychology at its finest!

What I don't like about Noom:
  • Daily weighing - I'm still not totally sold on weighing every day. I do it {gotta earn that coin}, but when I see fluctuations that don't make sense, it can frustrate me. I am learning to have a better attitude about those fluctuations and I do agree that I have zero anxiety now about weighing. I do it, put the number in my app, and move on. BUT I think in the long-term I probably won't do this.
My non-scale victories remain largely the same: clothes fit that haven't in a long time, I can see the change in my face, wedding rings fit easily, getting back on track is easier after a treat day, etc.

All in all, I don't want to get too cocky about what I've achieved, but I'm really proud of myself! Next steps - lose the last of this weight and MAINTAIN by practicing healthy habits!!

No double chin, yay!


Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Wicked Weekend

After years of wishing, 1 full year of anticipation, 6 months of having tickets and a hotel room reserved...Drew and I finally saw Wicked this past weekend! I posted a few months ago about getting our tickets if you're interested in reading about that {grin}.

We got to Houston about 12:30 on Sunday {showtime was at 2:00}, checked into our hotel, freshened up, and headed to the venue.

The view from our room - love the Texas lazy river!

In the merch line

Love the Pride month playbill

Trying the specialty drink - The Ozmopolitan, yum!

Welcome to Oz!

The Gurley girls!

The verdict was Drew LOVED it! She sang along, grinned throughout, told me multiple times how much she loved it, it was as good as I could have hoped for! There was 1 specific line in a song she had wanted to understand for years, and I wouldn't tell her {it was a spoiler} and she said 'I can't wait to understand what ... means.' and when she figured it out, she gasped - it was so cute!

We walked back to our hotel after the musical ended and got in our suits to hit up the lazy river. Unfortunately, Texas summer hasn't really hit, and it was a bit chilly, so we didn't stay in too long. But then we ordered poolside dinner and had fun sitting out visiting and enjoying our time together.

Best hamburger she ever had, ha


We stayed up late gabbing and playing Skip-bo, and in the morning we lazed about watching tv, reading, and relaxing. After lunch we headed back to Austin, and all 3 agreed it was a trip for the record books!

Drew made this, so funny
Until next time, Broadway {which is 2 weeks for me ha}!


Thursday, June 1, 2023

May 2023 Book Review

It's book discussion day, yay! Cannot believe it's June 1, summer vacation has started...it's a great day. {grin}


I read 10 books this month. 3 audiobooks, 2 physical books, 5 e-books. 3 by authors of color. 2 books from my 'oldest 10 TBR'. This brings my total for the year to 58, 17 books ahead of my goal to read 100 books.


Blacktop Wasteland
 by S.A. Cosby [audiobook] - I don't remember why I put this on my TBR, but I listened to this and thought it was awesome. It was a dark story of a criminal turned family man who decides to do 'just 1 more job' when everything goes wrong. The story was so fast-paced, the writing was sharp, the narrator was awesome. Definitely want to read more by this author!


The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [audiobook] - I finished up this YA trilogy suggested by my friend Kathryn. It was fun, and I was mostly happy with the way it wrapped up.


Pride by Ibi Zoboi - We read this for my work book club, and it was a modern-day telling of Pride & Prejudice with characters of color set in Brooklyn. It was really fun, I liked comparing how the author changed the story or kept it the same to put this plot in present-day. I really liked the main character and thought the writing was great!


The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - This was one of the 'oldest 10' on my TBR, and we read it for Blog Friend Book Club...and it was a very controversial book/discussion amongst us. It follows 4 daughters whose father moves them to Congo in 1959 to be missionaries and what happens to them while there and in the decades to follow. I thought the writing was excellent, I loved how the author gave each daughter a voice and personality that was distinctly theirs, I enjoyed watching their growth {or in one sister's case...their lack of growth}. It was just ridiculously LONG. I want to read other books by this author, but I can't decide if I would recommend this one or not, ha.


These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Drew and I are keeping on with this series. I think this has been our favorite? She LOVED listening to Almanzo and Laura fall in love!


Outdoor Kids in an Indoor World by Steven Rinella - I'm always looking for inspiration to get the kids outside. I like being inside but recognize how important nature is for kids. I thought that was what this book would be about...and while it was, it also wasn't. The author and I were on such different planets about time in nature, I almost quit this one several times. The book itself was entertaining, the author had great stories that kept me engaged...but it was not at all what I expected, and I can't say I enjoyed it, but this was my fault and not the author's. Womp, womp.


The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - Another of my 'top 10' oldest books! I remember my sister reading this a million years ago, but it didn't sound interesting to me - the story of Dinah, Jacob's only daughter in the Old Testament. I read another book by Anita Diamant probably 5 years ago and decided to give this one a try and really enjoyed it! It's a beautiful story...although very slow-moving.


The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett [audiobook] - My in-person book club read The Mothers years ago, and I didn't love it {more so the topic than the book itself}, so I was curious to give this one a listen. It follows Black twins who are white passing and what happens when one starts living as if she is white and separates herself from her family. It was a fascinating character-driven story, and I cared very deeply for a lot of the characters! I was really invested and loved it...and then it just sort of ended? It could have been a 5-star read for me, but I just didn't think the ending did the rest of the book justice and fell flat.


Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan - So many people raved about this book, that I gave it a try...even though I'm not sure if I'm a Jodi Picoult fan or not. This ended up being my favorite book of the month, but I'm still not sure I'm a fan of hers or not? I don't want to say a lot about this book because I don't want to spoil it, but it follows 2 characters as one {the mother of a boy accused of murdering his girlfriend} moves the story forward and one moves it backwards {the girl who was murdered}. Within 1 chapter, I was hooked and thought it was incredibly well-written and engaging. It got a smidge tedious about 2/3 of the way through and then the ending felt rushed. Overall, though, an excellent read!