Mother's Day

This past Mother's day was a really good one. DJ and the girls did a great job spoiling me and I felt so much love through them. I started out my weekend with a walk down memory lane and the moment I became mom to these three girls. 

As the girls are getting older, I'm definitely missing the sweet cuddly babies they were. Although those were some really hard times, they were also filled with beautiful moments. 

Gretchen

Megan

Adalyn 

I had posted these pictures on Instagram and so many people commented about Adalyn's dark hair! She had dark hair until she was about a year and a half, it slowly started to turn over time. 

Personally; I just miss the tan I had. 

The girls started my day off with breakfast in bed. Thankfully, they let me sleep in first and then brought me a menu so I could choose exactly what I wanted. 

After breakfast, I had a little scavenger hunt and each one led me to a present. And y'all, if you can zoom in and read these clues that Megan made- I was dying! 

Gretchen bought me the book Spare. 

DJ bought me a water filter for the camper and I was so confused and a little disappointed until we used it this past weekend while we were camping and now I'm so thankful that he grabbed this! 

I also got a new purse. 

And a bottle of wine! 

Adalyn had made me a card at school. 

And then they surprised me with a new bench for our front patio. 

And the girls even cooperated for a little photo before we headed off to church. 

And DJ cooperated too! 

After church, they cleaned house and I was able to finish Queen Charlotte on Netflix. It was the most wonderful day. 

I'm so thankful to my girls that made me a mom & to DJ. 

 

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's day weekend was perfection around here. I felt lots of love from DJ and the girls; they spoiled me well. 

Friday evening started with some cuddles from Adalyn. 

And then Saturday morning, I told them that I really wanted a clean house for Mother's Day, and one that I didn't have to clean! I layed in bed watching Outlander, while DJ and the girls got the house clean. I finally got up around noon to get in a workout, and have lunch, before we headed to.....

McKinney Falls! We've been wanting to go to McKinney Falls since we first heard about it, but with all of the restrictions in place it was hard to get in to! You have to have a reservation and spots fill up fast! 

We started off with a small hike down to the Indian bluffs. 

The area was closed off so we couldn't explore too much. 

So we hiked over to one of the Falls area. 

Lots of people were swimming and jumping off, and there was a large rat snake crawling up the walls! Yikes! 

We made our way over to a "beach" area and the girls got right in! 

The water was cool which was perfect because it was hot outside! 

Eventually, DJ and the girls made their way back over to the falls..... and to where the snake was spotted. I happily sat and watched from my spot. Can you spot DJ in the red shirt? Gretchen was brave enough to jump off the edge! 

Eventually they made their way back down, and I kid you not, that snake was in the water so close to them, they finally came back over to where I was sitting. 

The girls swam some more far away from that snake! 

I loved spending the day with them outside. 

Eventually we hiked our way to a different set of falls, and no snakes were spotted. 

This area was much less crowded, and we opted to stay at the top. 

Saturday evening I came home and put on a new set of nail dashes. 

Sunday morning, we opted for late service so I could sleep in. After lots of presents and homemade cars we headed off to church. 

Adalyn had a soccer game Sunday afternoon, and afterwards we got ice cream. She may be the messiest ice cream eater ever.

Just look at this face! 

We finished the evening with a steak dinner. I was able to watch more of Outlander, get my workouts in. It was a wonderful weekend. 

Mother's Day

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday.

Truth be told, yesterday was not an easy day for me. I just felt very reflective on the women that I know that struggle with infertility, have lost their own mothers, or who have lost their children. My heart just aches for all the women on Mother's day that either aren't a mom or just feel a loss and sadness. I just feel that every single woman, mother or not, should be honored and loved and praised, because being a woman is hard work! By dingy, we literally do it all and even if you don't have kids, you're making an impact in someone's life, and I just feel you should be honored and loved too. And for those that have lost a child, my heart just aches for you. You were prayed for yesterday. 

I wanted to take some time today and share with y'all about three very special women in our life and just brag on them a bit today. 

First up, DJ's step-mother, Dianna. She and his dad were married just a few short months before DJ and I met. They recently renewed their vows and DJ was there to support them. From the first time I met her, she was a mother hen. She hurries around and makes sure that every single person has their needs met. When we are visiting them, she's up early with the girls and waits on them hand and foot. She almost always has a little present for them and she lets us relax. She wants to make sure that everyone is able to relax and have a wonderful time. She plans every meal in detail and makes sure we have specific brands that we love. 

Dianna recently joined Young Living and we've been able to get even more closer while walking with her on this journey. 

She has a huge heart, and we just love her so much. 

Roxanne is DJ's mom, and her heart for her family and children is huge. She serves big time and is there for her children at the drop of a hat. She'll literally drop whatever she's doing and help her children whenever we need her. She also takes care of her father and has a huge heart for her own siblings. All of her kids live all over the United States, but she makes it a point to see us as often as she can.  She loves her grandchildren too, and definitely spoils them! She sends us bags of gummy bears a few times a year, and it's always a fun treat to get them in the mail! She loves to take some time to have her nails done. She loves to take her dad out to eat. 

When my brother in law was diagnosed with cancer last summer, she stepped up to help them out and be there for them. I know that they would be so overwhelmed without her help and since we live far away and can't be there physically to help them, we are so thankful that she's able to step in.

She just loves big and is so selfless and giving. 

My mom. 

My mom is my very best friend in the whole entire world. I wouldn't be an ounce of what I am today without her. We talk on the phone every single day, and sometimes multiple times a day. I can count on her when I need to cry or vent or share big news with. She gives the best advice and is honest and just listens when you need someone to talk to. She follows Christ and sets a wonderful example of what it means to love Him and be His daughter. She's selfless and loves big. She's probably the hardest person to buy for, because if she wants something, she just buys it herself! She's so willing to help out when we need her. She has a heart of gold. 

My mom can literally do it all. She loves to decorate, sew, craft, create, bake. She's so determined and just sets the best example that when you want something, you just go after it, or you just figure out how to do it yourself. 

She'd probably credit all that she does now to her own mother, who was her very best friend. I seriously cannot think of better women to have had in my life than the two of them. 

She raised my brother and I solo and I honestly don't know how she did it. I don't know how she survived us. I don't know how she didn't cry herself to bed every night, because I know I wouldn't have been able to do all that she did. She has style and grace, and is just that southern woman all wrapped up in the perfect package. 

Words will never be enough to describe all that my mom is or what she means to us. 

And finally, I can't go without thanking these three little girls for making me their mom. The test my patience every single day, and almost daily I think I'm failing them and letting them down. But, they don't see what I see. They are forgiving. They are innocent. They are crazy. They definitely keep me on my toes, but I know with the women they have in their lives, they'll be the best versions of themselves. They'll grow up one day, to be mother's too. And, there will be days that will be hard and ugly, but there will be days that are beautiful and moments that will etch in to their minds forever. 

Thank you to the women in our life. Thank you to the example you have given us. Thank you for always being patient and loving and caring. Thank you for being forgiving and selfless.

We love you.

Happy Mother's Day.

Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Well friends, once again Mother's Day is sneaking up on us. This year, I have all of our Mother's day gifts bought, but we're still waiting on one to arrive, before we can get it in the mail. Which means, I'll probably be late with at least one gift. Sigh. 

If you're not a planner, and you're running behind on the gift buying, then I'm sharing a few super quick (thank you Amazon gift ideas) for y'all! 

If you're in Texas, then you may have a Tiff's Treats nearby! They have Mother's Day specials, or you can stop by a store, grab some hot cookies, pick up some flowers and you're all set! It's totally last minute, but also doesn't appear super last minute! We are huge fans of their cookies, and it's a fun treat for all of us when a box comes home. 

I love the honest that Rachel Hollis pours out in her book, Girl Stop Apologizing. You can quickly order this one on Amazon if your mom loves books or self development. 

Shari's Berries is another quick delivery service! You can place your order and have them delivered right to your mom's doorstep. Plus, they're super yummy, and you can choose different treats as an add on. 

I received a Jade roller for Christmas and I love it! You can find them on Amazon or in most stores; this would be a thoughtful gift with your mom's favorite moisturizer. 

This Family Cookbook would be sweet, especially if you have time to pre-fill it with a few of the family recipes passed down from your grandmother or even your mother. 

This gratitude journal would be a sweet gift as well, especially with a pack of cute pens. Each day your mom can write down a few things she's thankful for. 

A pair of house shoes for summer; my mom loves wearing house shoes around the house, but she has a warm winter pair, and I love the detail of these with the bows. 

This fruit infused water bottle is a wonderful gift idea! I love that you can fill it with strawberries, kiwi, or even cucumbers and infuse your water! It's also BPA free and leak proof. 

Now, head on over to Amazon and get to gift buying! 

You have exactly three days, which should be perfect timing if you have Amazon prime!

Happy last minute Mother's Day shopping! 

Weekend Wrap Up

Hello Tuesday! I had to take yesterday off of blogging, because I was exhausted! I was able to rest and relax some, but not as much as I wanted. We were busy! 

Thursday night, Gretchen had her musical theater recital rehearsal. Thursday was crazy. 

We left school early, and got her to the rehearsal on time. DJ's mom was in town, so she and DJ came and brought Adalyn. They left for Megan's gymnastics performance (which, I'll have to steal pictures from DJ and share those later!)....

They started with the finale first. Which, is a genius, because then, after your number, you can go home. 

I knew that Saturday, recital day, would be crazy, so we took a few pictures Thursday night. 

After her rehearsal, we met DJ & his mom for pizza in our little downtown.

The girls were given dough to play with, which is always so much fun! 

Yum. 

We strolled through downtown, and made it home close to 9. #whoops. #solate.

We gave DJ's mom her mothers day present, and then started to put the girls to bed. 

Gretchen stayed up to study for a test, while I tucked the little girls in to bed. 

And, that's when things went haywire. 

DJ went out to the garage to grab a drink out of the garage fridge, and noticed water on the garage floor and leaking from our water heater closet in the garage. We had a water leak. 

About 30 minutes later, he had shut the water off, and we were scrambling to pack, wake up the kids, and get to a hotel. 

The 6 of us crammed in to a room, and we didn't get in to bed until around 11.

On the bright side, we enjoyed a continental breakfast at the hotel before heading to school Friday morning. (Thankfully, he was able to find a plumber and the leak was fixed, and water back on within a few hours.)

Friday afternoon, Adalyn's preschool performed the Three Piggy Opera. 

Do you spot my little piggie?

It was seriously the cutest!

And, this is what happens when you tell her to smile big. 

After school, we headed to look at campers again. 

A few weeks ago, DJ decided we needed a family hobby and that it should be camping. Since then, we've been researching and exploring campers in our free time. We had an appointment Friday night at 5:30 with a salesman, and when we got there he was with a customer. After waiting 45 minutes, and still not being helped, we left. At this point in time, we're still debating, and thinking we should wait a few more months, or even next summer, rather than jumping in right now.

Once we made it home, these little girls had their own dance class.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning for Gretchen's recital. Her studio has two different shows, and we were selected for the early show. yay. 

We actually arrived early! (I know, I can't believe it!) and I took advantage of taking a photo before the show, since the crowds are crazy afterwards!

Afterwards, her little sister was excited to give her flowers, but decided she would surprise her with them!

So, she hid them well behind her back. 

G was so excited!

We attempted some pictures afterwards, but it was windy and sunny. And I was suddenly thankful we had taken pictures before the show. 

Once again, these girls had their own little dance class. 

And then they helped DJ with yard work. 

On Mother's Day, I was able to sleep in, and woke up to a yummy breakfast. 

We made it to church, and as always, had to take our John Wesley picture. 

Gretchen made me a gorgeous pipe cleaner bracelet at church. 

And then we spent a few hours outside. I read a book while the girls played. 

I eventually made it to the gym, the grocery store, and home in time to meal prep before baths and bed time. 

We squeezed a lot in to our weekend, and it was just so good to be home after all the traveling we had been doing!