Favorite Moments 2023

I really like doing this year-end recap and looking back on our year - lots of fun moments with my little family.

JANUARY

- We always start the year off right with Drew Baby's 10th birthday - can't believe 11 is right around the corner for her!

FEBRUARY

- A small but big event - Trent got his braces off after just over 2 years - it shocks me every time I look at older pictures, his teeth were SO crooked ha.

- I started using Noom which has been a great experience for me.

MARCH

- Nothing super exciting in March apparently, but we will always enjoy Spring Break.

- And I loved posting my favorite bluebonnet pictures through the years!

APRIL

- We went to the first ever Two-Step Inn music festival in our little town and had a BLAST. {We already have our tickets for next year, and I am so excited - one of my favorite bands is headlining - Turnpike Troubadours!}

MAY

- We had a lot of fun celebrating Brent's 43rd birthday!

- I was able to chaperone another fun Girl Scout event at Great Wolf Lodge for Drew's Juniors troop.

JUNE

- I was finally able to take Drew to see Wicked!!! We had a great weekend with my mother-in-law.

- We had another great weekend at the LJA summer event.

- Trent turned 14 - I still can't believe I have a high schooler.

JULY

- We went to Arizona with our kids and my parents - a trip to remember forever. [Posts here, here, and here.]

AUGUST

- I had a great 43rd birthday.

- The Swope family beach vacation was a hit!

- We had a successful start to the 2023-24 school year with Trent and Drew starting at a new school.

SEPTEMBER

- We took a Gurley grands trip to the Houston Natural Science Museum.

OCTOBER

- Brent and I celebrated 19 years of wedded bliss. I never posted about our anniversary trip, but we took a few days and went to a little town in the Hill Country and had a great time. Wine tastings, yummy food, and lots of time together.

NOVEMBER

- Paige moved schools to be where Trent and Drew are...I haven't posted about this move yet, but it was a big moment in 2023. I've got some life updates coming soon...

DECEMBER

- Baby Patnode #4 was born! {Life update post will share his name!}

- The LJA holiday party was so much fun!

- Paige turned 7...hold me. My baby is getting so grown up.

- Will post about ending the month, but we had a great Christmas AND finished the year with a fun trip to Las Vegas to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday.

I also saw a lot of great Broadway musicals {besides Wicked}: Pretty Woman, Ain't Too Proud, Hairspray, Six, and The Book of Mormon! Looking forward to more in 2024.

What a great year! Cheers to 2024.

Holiday Wishes!

Happy 7th Birthday, Paige Noelle!

 It's our baby's birthday! The past 7 years have flown by in a blur.

I say this every year, and I mean it every year.

I am so thankful I convinced Brent for a 3rd baby.

This child is truly full of joy and sunshine, 

and we would have missed so much happiness without her in our lives!

Happy 7th birthday, Paige Noelle!!!

Paige's 7th Birthday Party

We had Paige's birthday party on Saturday. We kept it simple and had her friends come to our house. She wanted to paint nails and play games, so that's what we did! I didn't get many pictures because all the girls were just running around like crazy - but she had such a great time.

Opening presents - lots of crafts and girly accessories!

I was so stressed as they all painted their nails

{I originally said the moms would do it but they REVOLTED}.

Well, guess who spilled nail polish remover on the table 

and removed the varnish in one section?

NOT one of the little girls! It was ME!!! GAH!!!

She always creates the most...interesting design at H-E-B! {grin}

Getting those candles just right

Happy birthday, Paige!!!

Lots of little girls who love our Paigey!

Favorite Things Party

Have you ever done a Favorite Things party? I hadn't until a few weeks ago and thought it was such a fun idea and made for a great holiday party. I also think you could do it anytime - it's not exclusively a good holiday party.

We did it with the AmpedUp instructors for a little holiday get together. Everybody brought an app or drink to share and then we played our game!

All the instructors who were able to join!

The favorite things - can you guess what I brought?

How the game works is pretty simple:

- Everybody brings 3 of the same thing at a set price point - you can have people wrap them or leave the unwrapped - we went with unwrapped.

- You decide an order for selecting gifts - we played games and you went in the order of how you finished. In the first round of selecting, the same gift can only be chosen 1, but in rounds 2 and 3, anything can be taken whenever.

- Enjoy your gifts!

The games we played {the options are endless for how you can choose}:

- How many marshmallows you caught in your mouth with a partner throwing them at you - absolutely hilarious

- Name the Christmas movie based off a quote - I really thought I would do well at this game and was terrible!

- Drew names out of a sack

I came home with 1) Starbucks giftcard and water bottle, 2) travel jewelry organizer, and 3) yummy smelling epsom salt bath salts. Maybe I'm dumb and everyone knows how to play this game, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

LJA Holiday Party 2023

We had Brent's work holiday party Saturday evening. I have a lot of fun going to Houston twice a year for Brent's work activities, and this was no exception! We went up Friday and made a weekend out of it with his co-workers, Riley and Derek and their wives.

We got to the hotel, changed out of our travel clothes, and met up with more of Brent's co-workers at a tiki bar. This place had some fun drinks and cups and the decor was awesome.

Coquito - Puerto Rican version of egg nog - YUM

I want this mug haha

This shot was TERRIBLE - artichoke liquor - GAG

*We didn't know it was artichoke liquor when we ordered*

You gotta love a drink with a lantern on it!

Saturday morning was nails and brunch!

This is now an annual required picture {grin}

It's a good morning when you have this many drinks

Brisket hash, lavender mimosa, and a holiday mule - YUM!

It was fun to see the pool area so decorated - 

picture on right is when I was at the same hotel for Wicked in June!

With my hot date - I am obsessed with my dress - I got it on clearance for $20!

With my LJA wives

Susie and I did the 360 cam this year

We ate, drank, danced, laughed...had a great time and shut the party down at 1AM. Sunday came too quickly - we had a fun lunch at Chuy's and headed back to Austin to get the kids and settle back into real life with lots more holiday and birthday fun.

While we were away, my parents had our kids plus Patty's big 3 - so there was LOTS of fun happening at their house!

Drew made her holiday cards and had lots of help.

Always a good time with cousins

I always joke with Dez that it's time to shopping for dresses for the next party - can't wait for our next trip in June. {grin}

Baby Patnode #4 is Here!

Our newest {and last...we hope} Swope love made HIS appearance last night! Patty has been dealing with pre-eclampsia, so her doctor has been monitoring her closely and planning to induce. And December 7 was the day!

Baby Boy Patnode

December 7, 2023 @ 9:16pm

6 pounds, 13 ounces

20 inches

I got to visit him today, and I'm in LOVE! I'll share more pictures and a name next week!

Monthly Musings: How We Holiday

Maybe one day I'll do one of these Monthly Musings posts in time to link-up, but here we are...still behind. Ha!

1. Favorite holiday traditions?

The simple answer to this is: All of them. {grin} But here are a few I really love:

• Decorating with the girls - my guys are not interested ha
• Looking at lights around town
• Brent's work holiday party
• Our 'routine' for where we go {see below}

2. Favorite holiday fashions items or accessories?

I have a million Christmas shirts, and it kills me that my kids have ZERO percent interest in holiday clothing! The girls used to wear matching dresses, and I LOVED it, but we are past them wanting to wear dresses without being forced.

I also have a few pairs of Christmas pajamas and LOVED the year we all matched. I think everybody has a Buffalo check pj something that still fits except maybe Trent. We probably won't buy more styles but I like that we have 1 set!

3. Share your favorite holiday recipes.

I would say I have 3. 

Christmas wreaths 

{my granny used to make these every year}

Cranberry tea

32 ounces of cranberry cocktail

32 ounces tea {I boil decaf tea bags}

1 cup of sugar

lemon juice

cinnamon sticks

Christmas potpourri - not an eating recipe ha

{I stole this from Natasha}

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon

fresh orange slices

cinnamon stick

Simmer on your stove to make your house smell wonderful!

4. How do you celebrate the holidays?

We have had some variation of this routine for almost our entire marriage.

Christmas Eve - we used to go to Brent's grandmother's house but now we go to my parents' house and visit with my parents and my sister and her family. We open presents, eat, drink, and enjoy our time together. I cannot believe there will be a newborn with us this year!

Christmas morning - we wake up at our house and open presents here and enjoy a lazy morning with breakfast and some adult beverages. Last year the kids and I went back to my parents' house, most years we just chill at home all day!

Christmas night - we go to Brent's parents' house with his parents and brother's family. Dinner, presents, drinks!

5. Do you go to see holiday lights?

Yes! We will drive around several times throughout the season but usually just once as a family of 5 {the girls and I enjoy it the most}. Last year we went to a neighboring town with the girls and Brent's mom. We'll have a warm drink {hot chocolate or chai or cranberry tea} and listen to carols. One year I keep saying I want to go to Johnson City {about 90 minutes away} that has spectacular lights...but we haven't made it yet.

6. How do you decorate your house for the holidays?

So much! Christmas explodes at our house. For the past 2 years, we've FINALLY had lights on our roof {I've wanted them forever}, and there are decorations in basically every room of the house. One of my favorites is my tree-covered kitchen island. Every year I think I have enough trees, but I keep buying them - I guess I've decided I can't have too many.

This year's view - makes my heart so happy!

7. If you get a Christmas tree-is it real or fake?

Growing up we always had a fake tree because my dad has bad asthma. I swore when I grew up I would have a real tree...and then I married a man with the worst allergies known to mankind! So we are #teamfaketree over here. It's beautiful and cost-effective and easy...but I sure do love the smell of a real tree!

8. Favorite holiday treats?

All the desserts and snacks - and no one is surprised by that! I love the peppermint cake pop from Starbucks, my beloved Christmas wreaths, trash mix is yummy too!

9. If you have pets, do your pets get and give gifts?

No pets this year, but I'm really hoping that changes by next Christmas!

10. Best tips to make the holidays less stressful?

Focus on what matters for you and your family - not what Instagram is doing or what your neighbor is doing and if you buy presents - start early! I keep a list on my phone starting in the early fall for when the kids mention wanting something or when I see ideas for family. It makes so much easier when I start shopping in November.

November 2023 Reads

This month I read 11 books bringing my total to 121 for the year! One of them has a high chance of being a favorite for the whole year, yay!

Another really solid month of reading - I had a couple of 5 star reads and several other really good ones! 

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith - This is the 7th book in the Cormoran Strike series {written by JK Rowling under a pen name}, and I LOVE these. The first few were just 'run of the mill' mystery novels, but they have been getting better and better. These are just absolutely fantastic and I love Strike and his partner, Robin!

Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones [audiobook] - Oh my goodness was this hilarious. I haven't watched SNL in years, but I loved Leslie Jones' Game of Thrones commentaries, so I was definitely interested in learning more about her. Listening to this definitely added to it because Leslie was hysterical. The book itself was heartfelt, funny, heart-breaking, insightful. Thoroughly enjoyed this!

You, With a View by Jessica Joyce - This was a fun rom-com. The premise took me a minute to get into {a girl finds letters from her grandmother's first love that she didn't know about and ends up going on a roadtrip they wanted to take...and the first love is the grandpa of her 'nemesis' and they both come}, but I ended up really enjoying it!

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare - It's impossible to believe this is fan fiction. This was absolutely fantastic. The story follows Hermione and Draco as he has become an Auror and is protecting Hermione from a threat. The plot was absolutely top notch with some good surprises, and I felt the author did a really good job of addressing the painful past between Hermione and Draco and made their relationship's growth feel natural and real. I'm not sure I can ever read the original series again without thinking of this and kind of wishing for this ending ha.

Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard [audiobook] - I don't remember where I saw this online, but it caught my eye because we have a 14-year-old! And I'm so glad I listened to it! It applies to tweens/early teens, and it was so good I want to buy a physical copy to read again and highlight. I highly recommend. I like that the author didn't put her opinion out there but just talked about HOW to have these important conversations with our kids and had practical examples. So whatever your beliefs are, this book can help!!

Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings - This was a quirky YA read about 2 neurodivergent teenagers who end up working together on an internship and of course falling in love. I thought it was really cute, but I didn't love the main character, Tilly, for a while - it took some time for her to grow on me and that detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. By the end, I really loved them both!

Chomp by Carl Hiassen - Drew and I read this together, and I knew Carl Hiassen was a bit of a quirky writer, but this was QUIRKY. She liked it a lot, and I thought it was ok, but it is 100% geared towards kids, so my review doesn't really count, ha. It's about a boy whose father is an animal wrangler and they go to help on a 'reality' TV show and the star is an idiot and hijinks ensue. 

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - THIS SERIES IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!! I know fantasy isn't for everyone, but I am obsessed. I didn't want this book to end, and now I'm listening to the audiobook. This 100% could be a series I buy for myself. Please I am begging you to read Fourth Wing and then this!!!

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske - I read the first book in this trilogy {A Marvellous Light} last year and LOVED it. And then I read the second book {A Restless Truth} last month and slogged my way through it. I was apprehensive to read the conclusion but ended up really enjoying it! The first book remains my favorite, but this was a good conclusion. This is a fantasy LGBTQ+ trilogy set in the early 1900s so it shouldn't be surprising that I enjoyed it! {grin}

She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson - I got this book in a work gift exchange last year and finally cracked it open. I love Abbott Elementary and didn't realize Quinta was the creator in addition to the star. I knew nothing about how she got her start in Hollywood and found this very enjoyable!

The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett - This was our Blog Friend Book Club pick of the month...and I have mixed feelings. It follows Sabine who has just lost her husband {who she was in love with, but he was gay and had a partner} and learned he had a family she didn't know about. It was a very interesting premise, and the writing had some really beautiful moments, but I think my biggest challenge with this was wanting more. Sabine was just kind of a 'meh' character - she was living her life as second fiddle {the assistant, the wife whose husband doesn't love her}, and I wanted more from her. It also had a very abrupt/weird ending, so I enjoyed it mostly but also was looking for more.

My average for the month was 4 stars and for the year it's 3.7, so I'd say this was a solid month! I'm at 121 books read with a goal of 125. Since I started tracking my reads, the most I've ever read in a year is 124 books, so I'm very excited for my final number!