Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Summer Bucket List

School is over and summer is here!  Our chalkboard has been a little neglected these past few months.  In order to rectify that, I decided to write out our summer bucket list!
No doubt we will get up to other shenanigans this summer but these are the things I wanted to make sure that we were intentional about doing.  What is one of your favorite summer time activities?

Friday, May 8, 2015

Five on Friday: 5.8.15 {Mother's Day edition!}

Since Mother's Day is this Sunday, this Five on Friday will be centered around that theme!  
one // Winston's arrival is not quite as I would have planned it but God is good and the outcome was a precious little boy that I already loved with all of me.  I remember being in recovery, covered with heating blankets because I was freezing, when Benjamin walked in holding Winston.  I remember saying, "Hello Winston, I'm your Mommy!" and he turned his head to look at me.  I was so overwhelmed in that moment.  He knew me!  He knew my voice and that I was his.  Our family came in with congratulations and the moments after were a whirl.  And then they left and it was quiet again.  Quiet with just him and I staring at each other.  Me thinking: "Here we go kid.  This is it!  What a wild ride we started on and I can't wait to see where it goes!"  It's funny the things you distinctly remember when your whole world has shifted.  I remember being so overwhelmed with gratitude and joy that God blessed me to be Mom to this precious creation!
two \\ My first Mother's Day.  Look at that round little head!!  It was a low-key, lovely day where I was able to spend the day loving on and being loved by my two favorite men-folk!
three \\ The lady in the middle, that's my Momma.  I have always considered my Mom to be my closest friend.  We never lived close to extended family so our little unit is quite close.  She and my Dad rooted my brother and I in biblical truths and put feet and hands to unconditional love.  I aspire to do for Winston what she has done for me.  In becoming a mother, I have leaned on her experience and loved having her as a sounding board to check our ideas on raising Winston.  I am eternally grateful for her patience and love, for the legacy she has created and that I am able to be a part of!
four \\ As Winston grows and develops, I love each stage!  It's probably one of the pieces of advice I give most to new moms.  Enjoy every step along the way; the good and the bad.  Take some time each day to just stare and soak in their every little detail.  Now that Winston is full blown talking, the conversations we have are awesome!  He is so comical and cheeky but at the same time sweet and sensitive.  His imagination is enormous and I love being a part of that!  Together we have mastered all sorts of animal and truck sounds, we construct the tallest towers and create colorful paintings together.  I adore this stage and look forward to what is around the corner!  

It is an amazing amount of influence that we have in our children's lives.  If I stop to think about it for too long, I get overwhelmed at the responsibility.  Teaching Winston how to be a decent human is not something that happens by accident.  It's all very intentional and purposeful.  And each stage brings new adventures to celebrate and challenges to face.  I am thankful to have Benjamin as a partner in raising Winston and that we both rely on God and His word for guidance and direction!

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20
five \\ In the past few weeks, throughout the day as Winston and I are playing, reading or running errands, he will say "Hey Mommy.  I love you!" and either give me a hug or a kiss.  How this Mommy's heart just swoons each time he does it!!  These words from his sweet mouth, unprompted by me saying it to him first, are treasures.  I am thankful for his sweet, sensitive, loving spirit.  I realize that this a reflection of the environment that Benjamin and I have created as parents.  Parenting is not something we are able to do on our own.  I daily hit my knees praying for Winston's day, his future, guidance, wisdom, energy, patience and an outpouring of love.  My God is the one who sustains me through each high and each low.  He fills in where I lack and that is my comfort.  My prayer is that Winston sees God in the way that we love him!  

I am incredibly thankful and overwhelmed to be a Mom.  It is an honor.  It is a privilege.  It is a title I wear proudly.  

Other Posts this Week

Linking up today with 5 on Friday:April | Oh Hey, Friday: September Farm + The Farmer's Wife | Friday Favorites: Momfessionals


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Monday, May 4, 2015

Houston Zoobilee

Happy Monday, fabulous folks!  Our weekend was quite full of great events, one of them being the Houston Zoobilee, a members appreciation event at the Houston Zoo.  We have been zoo members for a few years now but this was our first venture out to Zoobilee.  The two-day event happens after the zoo closes for the day.  Since Benjamin teaches on Fridays just around the corner from the zoo, Winston and I drove down to meet him for this fun, new adventure!

Each kiddo was presented with a map and a passport that had five different spots to get stamps after visiting specific animals.  Winston did a great job taking his passport to the volunteers and was always proud to show us what the stamp was!
One of the stops on the Passport was the Ring-tailed Lemurs.  I have loved lemurs since I was in middle school.  Their tails are fabulous and their movements just fascinate me.  Since the weather was a little bit cooler {for Houston} and the sun wasn't beating down, all of the animals were quite active making for some great watching.
We ate dinner right next to the duck pond.  Winston loved watching the ducks swim up and would exclaim, "I see a turtle!" every time one of them popped their heads out of the water.  He is taking after his Daddy with a fascination of turtles.
For us, no visit to the zoo is complete without a stop to see the giraffes.  For this event they had the giraffe feeding open for two hours ensuring that anyone who wanted to feed the gentle creatures would have the opportunity to do so.  Benjamin had not yet fed the giraffes with Winston so together they fed Miles the Giraffe!  
All throughout the zoo there were different activities for the kiddos: coloring, music, bounce houses, mazes!  Everyone who attended was treated to a free ice cream with a cherry on top!
Our last visit was to see Jonathan the Lion and as soon as he had this massive yawn we too decided to call it a day.  It was such fun to be able to enjoy the animals after hours and soak up the beautiful evening!
As we were leaving, each kiddo was given a color book at some grrrroooovy glasses!  This is how Winston felt about his time at Zoobilee!
Thanks Houston Zoo!

Friday, May 1, 2015

Five on Friday: 5.1.15

one \\ Winston and I were out of town last week visiting family in Pennsylvania.  Winston loves adventures that involves an airplane ride and is a great passenger.  We always have a good time catching up with great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins!  One of my favorite parts of taking him "back home", as I call it, is doing things that I did each time I visited growing up.  Collecting eggs from the chicken coop, visiting Gardner's Candy store, eating at Long John's!  
two \\ It's been over a year since I retired from the corporate world!  I shared a tidbit of how our first year full time together has worked out!
three \\ Freddy's is my new food obsession!  Their burgers are delicious and their shoe-string fries are  everything a fry should be!  Just thinking about it makes me want to drive there now to get some....  They also have amazing frozen custard!  Winston likes his with tons o'gummy worms!  Do you have a Freddy's near you?
four \\ This weekend Benjamin and I will be attending the Hunting Art Prize Gala!  It's a fun time to get dressed a little funky-fancy, eat some fun foods and spend time together perusing art.  It's held in a great venue with flowers are always over the top and amazing works of art in themselves.  This event is a family affair for us since my parents,  brother and his wife are attending as well.  
five \\ Do you use face masks?  If the answer is yes or even no, you should probably go to your nearest Sephora and buy a few of these fun Sephora Collection Face Masks!  At $6 a piece and only 15 minutes to enjoy, they the perfect pampering item for yourself, a sweet friend who needs encouragement or for Mom!  They all smell absolutely delightful and hey, who can use 15 minutes to yourself every once in a while? 

We have a few other events this weekend, one being Tacky Prom!  I am super pumped about it!!  Our theme is Under the Sea and the ladies made some killer corsages a few night ago.  What do you have on the docket for this weekend?  Can you believe May is here already?!

Other Posts This Week:


Linking up today with 5 on Friday: DarciAprilChristina + Natasha | Oh Hey, Friday: September Farm + The Farmer's Wife


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