our lowcountry getaway

On a hot morning in July, we escaped for a few days on a much needed vacay. It had been an insanely long time since we'd gone away just the two of us. Minus the single night here & there… like 3 years. Yikes y'all! Needless to say it was beyond wonderful. Just to fly on the plane together with no baby to entertain, only a book resting on my lap to occupy my time. Lordy, it was happy days. We landed in Savannah then made a small drive over to South Carolina where the marsh drew us in and sloooowed us down. The smell in the air and the moss dripping from the oaks was almost too much. I wanted to bottle it up. We settled into our precious cabin at Palmetto Bluff and wandered the grounds just soaking up the feelin'.
There was no schedule, no alarm, just eating, talking, swimming, lounging, and taking pics of my sunning toes. It was glorious and just what we needed to recharge with one another. Sometimes the day to day of life can tie up your mind and this vacation was meant to help it all unwind. I loved just being with my husband and chatting and escaping. The gorgeous setting sure helped my mind dream on. We walked the docks after dinner and a little dolphin visited us under the moonlight - magical I tell ya.
Buttered biscuits, fresh oysters, pimento cheese, and s'mores filled by growing belly and a little bubbly at supper filled my mind. It's impossible not get swept away by the lowcountry. Egrets flying overhead and frogs croaking in unison at sunset. The way the tide is always changing. Coming and going in a hypnotic way. We were only there for 3 nights, but it did wonders and we promised not to let 3 more years go by.

We returned to find our girl, happy as a lark, camped out with May-May. Thank the heavens I ended up with such a wonderful momma. She came for a whole week and let us get away without a worry in the world. Miriam was thrilled to have her all to herself and they had such a big time playing school and learning new songs. Happy girls. I don't think Moosh missed me a bit! I missed her so, but in the very best way. We got one day to spend all together, eating mexican and telling details of our trip. Then it was time for Mom to head home. Boy was I blue to see her go, but what a joy to have the time that we did.

fiesta birthday 3

My baby turned 3. Poof, just like magic. Little legs shot up, toes inching out longer all the time and growing out of new shoes. Oh my, she's a little girl now!  
She's getting all big and independent now, reading books by herself from memory, taking off her own shoes, making her own choices and asking questions all the time. This morning… "mommy, where do elephants go potty" & "mommy, why is there a baby in your tummy." She's still kinda my baby too. She stays curled in her little bed until I come in. I'm sure that won't last long, but I love seeing that little grin all tucked in the sheets when I open the door. And the child loves to be carried, but who wouldn't?!
We threw her a birthday party on Saturday with a few friends. A proper fiesta with tex-mex, papel picado (flags), mexican brew, and a pink donkey pinata. I'd delivered some colorful invitations and the house was all ready with some special things from La Mariposa. Miriam had been really sick the day before with an ear infection so I was thrilled when she woke up feeling back to normal. She kept asking, "mommy, have my guests arrived"? Cute thing. All she'd been talking about was her party and her party supplies, and who was coming. It was all a very big deal.
Saturday was of course a scorcher, but the cold beer helped and the queso still went fast. Plus kids don't really care about the heat. They were all over the place, inside & out destroying my clean house in about 20 minutes. It looked like a bomb went off in the playroom. Why do I bother except that I want to pretend my house looks this orderly all the time. Birthday girl was miss popular and all her friends kept pulling her to play with them. It's good to be the queen for the day. We only had tearful moment. I asked her what happened and she sniffled "I spilled lemonade on my special party dress." Oh the drama! I think it was all the excitement that got her overwhelmed. Back to the party we went though and it was so nice to celebrate her big milestone with new friends and neighbors. I haven't met a lot of folks since we moved here, but the few that I have are very special.
I was so tired once it was all over and oh lordy did my feet hurt! The next day we totally peaced out and spent the afternoon eating watermelon outside while watching Miriam score in her new goal. Pure and good, you are so very loved baby girl.

birthday girl is… old

I took Bran for a walk around the block last night. The air was so hot and still. Bunches of lantana were sprouting all down the sidewalk and perfuming the air like grapefruit. Tree branches just sat motionless without a trace a wind. That hot air was stagnant, but it felt good on my skin and I was grateful for our quiet walk. I turned 35 yesterday. That's impossible to believe, but in an effort to embrace the here & now I'm letting that fact soak on in. I know I'm not "old" but baby that sure sounds old! I had a good mix of work and fun on my day. Ate a ladies lunch at the T room with Whitney (my favorite gal in Texas), opened a sweet card from my momma that of course made me tear up, played play-doh with a naked toddler, received a way cool pot from my husband, heard some jazz at a real dive bar, and heard happy birthday sung by my girl.
Anniversary number 5, baby turning 3, and birthday 35. I'm thinking there's some good juju going on from the numbers 3 & 5. Right? As I was walking in the heat thinking about getting older I thought about how quickly time flies by. I mean seriously flies! Good times and bad, life just keeps going by. Maybe it's having a child that shows you the passing of time. Maybe it's just with age and wisdom (hopefully). No matter, it makes you pause and look around at what you have and what you want.What I have are friends that called with wishes and gracious does that make you feel the love. So nice just to be remembered. So I'm going to try and really dig 35. Make it a good year and not complain about getting old and not complain too terribly much about this heavy heat!

I'll leave you with a video that totally inspired me this week. It's this years commencement speech at Trevor's old high school. "The death of a dream is usually the birth of another." Douglas Thomas has a poetic way with words and I promise it will leave you smiling.
 

sweet tooth

Since I'm off the wine (boo-hiss) I have had a major craving for something to indulge in. I've made the following and decided it was beyond my duty to share. I take no credit for these just found on Pinterest and fell madly in love.

No. 1 : Strawberry Yogurt Cake. For breakfast or a snack, it will change your life and you can thank me later. That is all.
No. 2 : Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies. So easy and simple. I doubled the recipe & froze them so they're always ready to roll. How nice to have something I can bake off and deliver to a friend in a jiffy?! The only thing is I thought they were too chocolaty the first time. Maybe I'm weird, but I halved the chips and they were mucho better. Just saying.

And just because I can't leave the week without sharing this little nugget. Here's my tiny dancer. Ain't she the cutest?! She adored her first ballet class this week. She walks on her tip toes all the time any way so I'm thinking this is the perfect fit!

celebrating, loving, and dreaming

If I were to describe the last 5 years I would say they were… eventful, inspiring, challenging, surprising, growing, blissful, hard-won, lucky, and blessed. Kind of like life. Just messy & complicated and amazing all at once. Together we promised to support one another and love one another through the good and bad. The love came so easy, but the real support has grown and progressed into something I'm so proud of. What I loved about Trevor that day as we stood in the grass, holding hands, and saying our vows is the same, but I love him in so many other ways now too. Mostly I love watching him be a dad and making Miriam laugh with her whole body deep down in her belly.

Trev took off work so we got to spend the whole day together - just us two love birds. Our big morning was spent at the doctor. A very special doctor, because our family is growing! I'm 18 weeks now and the truth is we're over the moon. Another baby. I can hardly believe those words, but baby it's happening. Even when you've done it before, seeing that tiny ultrasound is so overwhelming. Life changing. We had the doctor circle boy or girl on a little card I'd written out and seal it up. I wanted to wait to reveal at our anniversary dinner that night. Give us another thing to celebrate! So off we went to lunch at 20 Feet Seafood Joint to take our minds off the envelope. Amazing lobster roll and fish & chips. Oh my gosh it was delish and I wish I had some right this second. We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting shops that aren't so toddler friendly and just enjoying some time together. Our perfect day ended with a special dinner at Oak. We didn't find out what we were having the first go round, but that envelope was burning a hot hole in my pocket and we were both dying to find out. Vino was ordered, glasses were poured, and it was time to open. Dum, da, da dum… it's a B O Y! Oh me oh my!

It was a moment I won't forget and such a happy surprise. Trevor's face said it all. I think I'm still in shock, but I've got quite a while for it to sink in. The next morning we shared the news with Miriam. She was sort of in shock too, then excited, then all she could say was, "but I wanted a little sister." Sad pouty face. It's alright sweets. That's sort of a huge piece of information for a little girl to take in. We spent the rest of the weekend outside enjoying this unusually beautiful Dallas weather. Fleeting, but so delightful. Just the way the breeze feels on your skin makes you want to close your eyes and drift off into daydreams. We've been dreaming a lot around here lately. Here's hoping our dreams and love carry us far over the next 5 years.

carry the load

Our Memorial weekend was filled with the usual… the grill going, lawnmower grinding, baby playing in the sandbox, and ice cream on the front porch. It is such a treat to take that extra day off work and have a real weekend of relaxation. Of course Memorial Day is more than that. We all know its significance, but it's easy to look beyond. The last two years have made me look a little harder and feel a bit deeper for of those who've served our country. We attended Carry The Load again this year to support our buddy who was in the marines. Trevor walked 14 miles with his friends, but there were wives walking with pictures of their fallen husbands, parents with flags from their fallen child, and firefighters carrying hoses on their shoulders, but there were also children walking with their dad who had served and families showing support. It was emotional and joyful and mostly it felt important. Just important to show empathy and offer support simply by holding a small flag and cheering with the crowd. Miriam and her buddy Belle had a ball though we  did have to pry their flags away after a mini jousting match. It was a great day and weekend and great time to remember how much I love my family.

a tennessee scene

The other night I was in the kitchen prepping supper and American Roots came on KXT which was so perfect for a Sunday evening. Some zydeco mixed with Billie Holiday mixed with blues and all sorts of little songs I'd never heard. I love the calmness of Sundays. Wrapping up the weekend and taking time to get things in order before the work week. Miriam was playing with her new baby doll Sue (a gift from May-May) and tucking all her animals in for bedtime. I love to overhear her talking to her "friends" and creating this whole imaginary world. Trevor was outside checking his new smoker and working on the yard, which is looking mighty fab I must say. After our trip to Nashville our weekend was very purposely laid back.
We drove home (won't be doing that any time soon or maybe ever) for a visit and had a ball. Though we did bring in some major rain in with us that first weekend. I was all set to go to see Widespread with a group of friends, but ended up bailing last minute, because the show was outside and it was cold, muddy, and pouring. No thank you. I do believe I have seen my fair share. Of course Trevor put on his full rain gear and went full steam ahead. Tough guy. I retreated inside and had a lovely supper at The Wild Hare with my brother. Smart lady.

The clouds finally broke and nature gifted us with the most beautiful Tennessee scene. Each morning I would cruise to Currier's with the windows cracked and cool air breezing in. Fields of green and bushes blooming… Spring was alive in Franklin. Who knew driving to work could be so durn pleasant?!

By the end of the day I was coated with spray mount and my fingers were stuck together, but we got so much accomplished. Momma was the perfect babysitter and not once did Miriam put up a fight when I walked out that door. She was over the moon. A busy little gal, picking peonies, feeding carrots, and searching for critters outside. Life was good. Obviously Brando made himself right at home as well. I swear he smiles when his paws hit that open field. Sweet buddy cakes.

We fit in a rainy day playdate with the cousins and I can't tell you how much I love seeing them together. Warms my heart.

Our final weekend we packed a lot in and made it to Steeplechase at Percy Warner. It's by far my favorite event of the year. We hadn't been in a while so I was extra ready for the races. We were graced with picture perfect skies, cool air, and glowing afternoon sunshine. There were some thrilling races and folks were deep in the sauce by days end.
The weekend finale was a Mother's Day cricket match at the farm. We lounged around outside and enjoyed time with friends stopping by. Fried chicken, rolls, artichoke dip, and gazpacho was the hair of the dog for those still weary from a long day of revelry.

Dogs wandering, the percherons hitched and giving kids a ride. The match was won by the Brits which started rounds of Pims all over again. But we retreated inside, ordered pizza and collapsed after all the fun. One of my favorite weekends in a very long time. Then it was packin' time. Time to head back to Texas. Sad to leave and sad to say goodbye, but I was ready to say hello to our home and life in the Big D.