In My Perfect World...

Last night I was thinking about how quickly weekends come and go. It's 48 precious hours spent away from work, doing what I need/want to do, with the people I need/want to do them with. The only problem is that it seems to fly by. Before I know it it's Sunday and I'm racing through the grocery store trying to figure out what in the world we're going to eat for the week and whether or not we're out of toilet paper and dryer sheets.

In my perfect world I'd be a bit more organized. I'd actually use my meal planning binder, I'd pick out my clothes each night before bed, I'd wash my hair every other day, I'd get up 10 minutes early so I could make my lunch every day, I'd have a basket in my refrigerator for lunch items to make said lunch packing easier, and since it's my perfect world an all, I'd make time to work out. Notice I said MAKE not FIND...because I can find the time for a pedicure or the bachelor or a glass of wine but I seldom find things like the time to work out. :)

Between pinterest, blogs and common sense, I'm equipped with a few tools to make my life more organized so why is it that I put it off? Is there something you do religiously that helps you get through the week?

That concludes our Monday deep thoughts...talk amongst yourselves...

Current favorites/weaknesses/loves...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on Kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string...

These are a few of my (current) favorite things!
A cup of hot apple cider or homemade hot chocolate almost every night...

I feel kinda bad having a wish list so soon after Christmas, but I think this watch is adorable.

I'm loving TOMs ballet flats arriving this spring!

I love the knife I gave Dave for our 5th anniversary. We try to stick to the traditions for fun and 5 years is wood. He gave me a lovely wooden frame and some gorgeous earrings (not wood :)

As my mom always says, "leopard is a neutral", and I'm loving my new leopard flats I got on super sale at the J.Crew outlet! I have my sister to thank for the tip!

My new wine glasses I pretty much stole from Anthropologie! Before Christmas their sale stuff was take an additional 50% off and I got these for $5 each!! I'm in love. Too bad they only had 5 left...I would have bought 12 if they had them.

Don't even get me started. This ice cream rocks my world and unfortunately, it's rocking my waste line! We bought this before Christmas and I just finished it last week. I'm literally willing myself not to go get more before it disappears! It's a seasonal flavor. I won't even tell you how it's a slice of Heaven when you put a scoop on top of a brownie...I'm so naughty.

In keeping with the food theme...I've only experienced this greatness once in my life, but I had these delicious pumpkin-spice waffles with apple cinnamon butter, roasted pecans and dried cranberries at Penelope in NYC during "Sister Trip 2011" and it was beyond...It's the things better dreams are made of. :)

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad....I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad! ~ Frauline Maria

The Pursuit of Happiness...

We had a really fun Friday night where we got to feel kinda posh for about...oh, 3 hours. Some dear friends of ours had a suite for the Spurs game and they invited a few of the little people to tag along. :)

We had a great time, enjoyed the Spurs win, and for anyone who knows my affection for the Mavs, please don't feel confused...I'm still totally MFFL. My loyalty lies in Dallas, but Dave is a born and raised Spurs man so we're a house divided. On this occasion I gave Timmy D credit where credit is due and gave 1 or 2 "Go-Spurs-Go". Here are the 2 photos I got before the game even started (I hadn't even taken off my coat) and before I dropped my camera. May it rest in peace.

In other news, our sermon on Sunday was really great and I wanted to share it with you. The title was "The Recipe for a HAPPY Home" but the message can be applied to all relationships really. Marriage, family, friends, colleagues...it's a recipe for healthy interaction. Here is the CliffsNotes version: **I'm sorry for the spacing issues. It's pretty much impossible for me to fix!

H- Humor

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” ~ Psalm 126:2

The home should be a place of joy and laughter. Your home should be fun! Fun for your kids, fun for friends to come over, fun between you and your spouse. People want to "hang out" in places they enjoy with people they enjoy. Make your home that place.

A- Affection

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. ~ Luke 15:20

We need affection from those we love. A hug, a pat on the back, a touch on the arm, further more a kiss, holding hands...we want to feel affection from those we love and children need affection. Hugs, sitting in your lap, holding their hand as you go for a walk, the act of touching (obviously I'm speaking of healthy interaction) builds affirmation and shows affection. Be the one to teach your children what healthy, normal affection looks like. It will go a long way in shaping how they view affection and how they seek to fill a void if there is one.

P- Praise

I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:2

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

We should be an encouragement to one another. We should be building our family and friends up, encouraging and supporting, commending and praising, not tearing them down and being an accessory to low self worth and value. People tend to live up to your expectations. Set the bar high, encourage people to achieve and praise them when they do and encourage them along the way as they need encouragement. We can teach and we can rebuke but we can do it in a spirit of love continuing to place value in each other.

P- Pardoning

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~ Ephesians 4:32

Unfortunately, we're human. We're going to sin, we're going to hurt one another, and those closest to you tend to be the ones who hurt you the most. It stings the most when it's inflicted by someone you love. We need to be people who forgive. Not holding grudges or keeping score. We can't neglect proper discipline but we need to discipline and move on releasing them from their "debt". God didn't give us what we deserved, He gave us what we needed. And that is freedom from our sins. Who are we to not forgive others just as we have been forgiven?

Y- Yielding

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. ~ Joshua 24:15

The most important of the bunch...be yielding. Love Jesus. Teach your family to love Jesus. Yield to God's leadership and Lordship over your home. He has great things in store for you and your family and there are blessings that come with rooting your home in Christ.

I enjoyed this acronym and I think it's a great reminder of the important things. I hope I can be a wife, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker who extends these graces to those in my life. I hope you all had a great weekend! Just another manic Monday...let's do it!

Who Wore it Best?

The apple certainly didn't fall far from the tree! My mom picked up my Nana for their trip to Dallas today and she just sent me this text message:

The Bobbsey Twins take Dallas! Hysterical! I love it.

2,628,000 minutes....

Loco,

Happy Anniversary! How would I have known just 5 years ago that marrying you would change my life so completely? I never dreamed I would enjoy serving someone the way marriage calls us to serve. You make it easy because I know I am appreciated and you never hesitate to serve me in return. Who knew I would go from ordering my steak well done and eating it with ketchup to ordering medium to medium well and eating it with no condiments?? And don't even get me started on the fact that I actually ENJOY watching shows like Swamp People and Sons of Guns. It's like I don't even know myself!

Truly you are my soul mate, my partner in crime and my best friend. God gave me my perfect compliment in you. This year I feel like we really got a dose of the "for better and for worse" portion of our vows. Having a doctor say that it would be difficult for us to have children together was a blow that I never dreamed of. The thought of not seeing your blue eyes in our child, or seeing if they got your nose or thinking of the amount of sunscreen our super pale kids would need was almost more than I could bear. But as I think of the man that you are, the reality is that I don't need them to look like you...I just need them to be like you. Your integrity, your honesty, your humility, your wit, your selflessness, your respect, your ambition and your love are just a few of the characteristics I am excited to see you pass on to our children.

2,628,000 minutes...that's approximately how long we have been married. I can't imagine a minute without you!

All my love,
Combo Loco

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments so dear

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets -In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles - In Laughter - In Strife

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure A Year In The Life?

How About Love? Measure In Love
Seasons of Love.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life Of A Woman Or A Man

In Truth That She Learned Or In Times That He Cried. In Bridges He Burned Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out, Though The Story Never Ends

Let's Celebrate, Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember the Love
Measure In Love

Oh you got to you got to remember the love

You know that love is a gift from up above

Share love, give love, spread love

Measure, measure your life in love.

Above all, love each other deeply. For love covers a multitude of sin

~ 1 Peter 4:8

Sunrays and Saturdays...

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and rang in the new year in style! We enjoyed great time with family over the holidays and now we're settling back in to normal programming.

December 31st and January 1st are always the same for me. I say (about 100 times) "I can't believe it's *insert year*!" Time flies! Each passing year I realize how quickly the time goes and how we need to make the most of each moment.

I never have many complaints. Life is good. God is good. We are blessed. But I was ready to wrap up 2011 and usher in a new year. I realize it's just a new month. Sunday turns to Monday and the reality is that it's another day. But a fresh calendar year just symbolizes new things.

2011 was a hard year for us. After a year and a half of trying for a baby we began the countless doctor's visits to get to the bottom of our issue. We began seeking answers in 2011 and we ended 2011 with a failed attempt at a pregnancy. There were a lot of hard times, a lot of tears, a lot-a lot-a lot of prayers, tons of encouragement from friends and family, tons of doctor's appointments and a lot of disappointment in between January and December.

There was also a lot of joy. A lot of growing...both as a couple and individually in our relationships with God. At the end of 2011 we still don't have a baby, but we have hope. We have hope in the God who gives life and peace and joy. I do not regret 2011...I am thankful that in the midst of a year of trial we had a lot of triumph. We have wonderful friends, family and prayer warriors on our side and God has shown us time and again that He is good and that His plans are far better than any we could imagine!

As I look forward to 2012 I can't help but think of the goodness 2011 brought...

The BIG 3-0 and a FUN weekend of surprises and celebration with family and friends!

Thank you!!

I RAN...for "fun"...for the first time in my life...and I didn't die! I ran my first race with 25,000 of my closest friends - Capitol 10K Austin, TX.

Mumford and Sons!! It was amazing.

We took a really fun trip to Savannah with my family...

My sister and Brad got engaged!

Dave and I enjoyed a FUN weekend Staycation here in Austin using all Groupons :)

We spent a few Saturdays exploring our city and enjoying time together...

Sister-sister found THE dress!

I had an amazing sisters week in NYC with my sister and sister-in-law! We honestly did it all and had a ball doing it!

We took Tennessee by storm with my in-laws. We visited Dave's grandad and I fell in love with fall all over again!

Had a legit spa party at my house!! Had the most fun with my girlfriends E-V-E-R!

My brother and Rebecca got engaged! Turning 30 AND having your "baby" brother get engaged in one year will really make you feel old. ;) Lots of weddings to look forward to in 2012 for this fam!

Happy New Year!!

From me and mine, to you and yours, I hope you have a blessed 2012!