Catching Up

We got back from Cabo on Monday night and have been non-stop since! I promise to post the BEAUTIFUL pictures of Cabo over the weekend- it was wonderful, we loved it, and we are trying to recover from unplugging for 6 days.

Wednesday night we went downtown to see David Crowder Band. They are on their final tour and we knew a handful of their songs. The line to get into Stubbs was so long! It ran up Red River one block and then down 9th street to IH-35 and then along the frontage road!

We met up with Ben and Kristi (my cousin) in line and saw most of the show with them. It was super humid and hot, so we left the middle of the pack with them and saw some of the show from the fringe where there was more of a breeze.

It looks like a cool night in these pictures. Pictures lie!

I do love seeing a large crowd raise their arms and worship together. Hearing everyone sing "How He Loves Us" was the experience I was wanting. It happened during the encore.

Note to future Stubb's concert goers, these are not the right shoes. My cute new sandals were filled with rocks from their hillside theater all night. Don't be cute, be smart. Tennis shoes are a must. For me, I think an air conditioned arena with my own seat is now required. I am old and I think I am okay with it.

Happy Birthday Kyleigh

Happy 10th Birthday Kyleigh! We love you so much and are so proud of you!

We saw Kyleigh for a few minutes last weekend and gave her the TOMS she has been asking about for months! I love being able to give her something she really wants. I almost always get her shoes for her birthday- she knows they are coming and loves it! My kind of girl!

Have a great day sweet girl!

I'll Take Credit for This

During her bath one night, Abby wore her silly bands.

She then proceeded to take them off one by one and match them to her Gabba toys.

Marcus claims he would have never matched them up by character and I'm certain I've been matching things up for a long time!

Meet Tall Man

Do you remember the song "where is thumbkin?" from your childhood? Abby loves that song- they sing it at story time every week.

I had no idea there is a full 5 finger version (thumbkin, pointer, tall man, ring man, and pinky) and Marcus sings them for Abby with voices. She loves tall man and wanted to show him to me! Stinker!

Wordless Wednesday: Oh So Lady Like

Guns Up

I pulled out the cheerleading outfit Abby wore last year and it didn't even cover her bottom. She has seriously grown so tall over the last few months. I'm so glad she can cheer for the Red Raiders this season in another outfit we had waiting from our friend Katy and her Mom, Diane. She one is luckily long enough!

As a reference for those that don't see Abby often, when Marcus is holding her and she is eye level with him, her feet are just below his hips at the top of his thighs. I can't wait for her 3 year well check to see what they say!

Takoba Date Night

Sorry for the lack of blogging the past few weeks... for the first time in almost 3 years I am just enjoying the life I am living. I don't have to cram lots of fun stuff into 2 days a week and try and blog about it all week. I am not reading as many blogs and coveting their time with their children. Our time at home can be boring and routine and while that makes for a great life, it doesn't always make for great blog content.

Parent's Night Out is back at church and Abby is finally at the age where it is fun for her, too! Marcus and I love going to dinner alone and spending only $4 for sitters. Plus, she is with her friends and enjoying crafts, pizza and snacks, and play time.

Friday night we had dinner at Takoba, downtown on East 7th. It is seriously so good- I highly recommend it. We shared grease, I mean queso, for an appetizer. Served with warm flour tortillas it was so good!

I had my favorite tacos al pastor and Marcus went all kids of funky with his dinner. He had grilled veggie tacos with guacamole and chipotle mayonnaise. Instead of rice and beans, he had Potato and Poblano soup and cactus. Weirdo! He said the cactus was spicy and just tasted really green.

He was also happy to enjoy a Lonestar on the back patio with our dinner.

Even though Abby didn't nap on Friday and we kept her out past her bedtime, she was easy and happy. Win Win for us!

Fun Times

After dance class on Wednesday, we had lunch with our church friends in class with us- Anna and Hannah and their Moms, Joy and Johnna. I can not tell you how many times I wanted to be THAT Mom- eating a casual lunch with friends and Abby in my workout clothes. It was wonderful and I loved it!

When leaving Anna asked Abby to hold her hand. So sweet!

Today while Abby was at MDO, I had my hair colored. It is bright red and scares me a little. I feel like my hair is so rock and roll that it makes the rest of me seem so... easy listening. Katy assured me it will fade into the red I envision soon. I feel a little silly right now! Part of the shock is that it had been 4 months since my last color- I was a faithful every 7 weeks girl before. I think I forgot how red I was previously!

We are having a great week playing, working out, and snuggling!

Name That Skyline!

I spent the weekend with my friend Andrea in Houston for a hotel sponsored familiarization trip. I attend these a few times per year- it is a chance to experience the hotel and city as my attendees would. Andrea joined me since this one was shopping-themed and Marcus and I will both be gone later this month for our trip to Cabo.

We stayed in two different hotels- both connected to shopping malls. The first place we stayed had an Italian restaurant inside and this display of grappa, a special Italian wine that they soak for more than 6 months. I am not much of a drinker, so I didn't try it. I have been told is it very strong!

On Saturday, we stayed at the Galleria mall area hotel and had this for dessert at lunch- Nutella Crepes with mint, pistachios, and strawberries. Amazing! We also had a massage on Saturday afternoon and a fun wine game and dinner that night.

It was wonderful to see Houston and it's finest hotels and shopping as a tourist and not a meeting planner!

Golf Balls

We ran into Academy recently and Marcus took Abby while I shopped for some workout gear. I found them in the golf section and both had big grins on their face!

Marcus would LOVE for Abby to want to play golf with him. I think most Dads think about that and her interest in playing "golf balls" gave him hope!

She was so excited when she would get the ball in the hole- she raised her arms in excitement!

She also practiced lifting weights with Marcus and this is her strong face- ha!

We had a child-sized set of plastic clubs, balls and holes that we finally pulled out for her. She has played "golf balls" a few times since.

Weight Loss Update and Our Morning

Since joining our local YMCA about a month ago, we have loved going! Sometimes Abby and I go in the morning, I go during naptime on the weekends or we meet Marcus there when he gets off work. Abby will act shy when being checked into childcare and then it playing and laughing within minutes. She'll even tell you "I love the Y" when we are leaving. She likes to rub Marcus' arm after we workout and tell him "You are sweaty sweaty sweaty".

The fact that they had face painting on Thursday may have something to do with her affinity for the place!

Since doing the HCG diet in May, I have not gained a single pound back and lost even more. This morning I weighed in 20 pounds lighter than I did on April 25, 2011 when I started. Exciting! Between the diet and starting working out after years, my metabolism is really responding! I am running more than I have in my whole life and starting to enjoy it. I ran my fastest 5K and did my fastest mile in the last week. It feels good.

I also think being home it good for caloric intake. I eat less because we are busy and we eat out less because it is no longer in the budget.

Since it was nice this morning, Abby and I walked to the local park (about 1 miles round trip) so that she could play. She was super excited! We took the frisbees (disc golf) and had them go night night. Her imagination amazes me! We checked on them while we were playing and even had to whisper around them.

We came back before it heated up and she did puzzles while watching Mickey Mouse and eating breakfast. Have you tried the Apple Streusel bread at HEB? It is in the bread aisle with red border on the wrapper- really good! Abby calls it cake bread.

We are having a lazy morning and then it is off to lunch at Chick-fil-A and then I am headed to Houston for the weekend and Marcus has lots of fun planned for Abby including a reunion weekend with her baby friends!

First Day of School

Abby started her Mother's Day Out (MDO) program on Tuesday morning. We have really been talking up her new school and her new teacher Ms. Nicci (pronounced Nikki). She was excited to go on the first morning.

We selected a small Baptist church near our house and even drove Abby through the parking lot on Sunday night to help prepare her. She did just fine on drop off- a small little fit, but she was laughing during it. It is like she doesn't care to make a fit, but finds it funny. She can wear me out!

She was there for 4 hours. In that time, I worked out and then drove into NW Austin to have a couple of meetings and do some work. I grabbed lunch in the car while checking emails and then picked her up at 1:30. She is a late napper, so I didn't expect her to have slept during the allotted nap time and she didn't. She must have lost her listening ears that morning because she was a little toot during pick up. She threw herself on the floor in the hallway and other parents had to step over her with their sweet children to leave the building. I was told she "had some hard listening moments". Oh dear Lord!

We talk a lot about listening and obeying in this house and it is our #1 struggle. I am certain it is the #1 struggle of most every 2 year old, but it is pretty bad when it is yours at the exact moment all other kids are being sweet.

Fingers crossed we have a better time tomorrow! Pray for me please ;)

Katy's Bachelorette Weekend

I went to Shreveport Louisiana last weekend to celebrate our friend Katy who is getting married later this month in Cabo. I have hesitated blogging about this weekend- it wasn't exactly G rated. :)

Katy will surprise you- she is beautiful and that can be intimidating. But, then you spend 5 minutes with her and you realize how nice she is and you try and set aside all of your judgments about pretty girls that you formed in high school. That isn't just me, right?

We had a wonderful time with great Cajun food, top notch people watching, a relaxing 5 hours by the pool, a little gambling and some stories that you'd have to be there to understand.

It was fun to be with 6 girls and have no drama- pretty amazing! We laughed a whole lot about the old man trying to hit on the middle aged women, the Seniors in scooters in the casinos, and the drunken stupidity of some people.

I had a wild weekend with some great girls and then happily returned to my normal life of sippy cups, iced tea and Mickey Mouse.

It is Here!

I am so glad football season is here! Abby was all decked out in her Red Raider gear on Saturday! She has some cute red and black this season thanks to our friend Blythe. This little dress is super soft and comfy!

Check out Raider red on the bloomers. Love it! We are hoping to do a game at the end of the season, but don't think we'll take Abby just yet. I think the noise would scare her and I hate to spend money and a weekend on an experience that she'll hate.

Saturday evening we also hosted our fantasy football draft. Always fun! We had 7 adults with laptops around the dining room and living room drafting for our league this year. This time of year holds so much promise- we are all thinking our team is a winner!

The party isn't complete without yummy food- Heather brought this bacon cheese pull apart bread she found on Pinterest. Divine!

Happy Football Season!

Big Girl Bed, part 2

While in South Austin last week, I was on the hunt for toddler sized sheet set and blanket. Abby has been in her "big girl bed" for a few weeks, but we were still using the baby blankets we'd used since she arrived. She would complain her feet were cold or she needed help covering her arms. She also would be uncovered most mornings.

I had the hardest time finding a flat sheet! I didn't want to use twin sheets and have her end up with bunched up covers because everything was way too big! Buy Buy Baby had white sheet set and then I bought a really soft and plain blanket at Pottery Barn Kids.

She has slept so much better in her new covers! Yeah! I love that she is snuggly in her bed, can adjust her covers on her own, and we can truly tuck her in at night.

Storytime Buddies

Eva, Madeline and Abby see each other at storytime pretty often. Marcus and Abby go most every weekend and sometimes both Eva and Madeline come too. Abby and Eva were in daycare together as babies and now, Eva and Madeline are in school together. Madeline's Mom and I have been friends for 5 years and we have gotten to know Eva's parents in the last year.

We love talking about these girls- their traits, sleeping habits, eating habits, personalities, and our choices and struggles as parents. It is so nice to talk with other parents!

I love seeing that Madeline is getting as tall as the other girls, Eva isn't shy for the camera, and my child is "not ready for her close up". We all described her as a toot for refusing the smile! A couple of the pictures she is covering her mouth with her hands to avoid smiling. We'll keep working on that :)

South Austin Trip

My Dad and Jacque are back after 5 months up north and Abby and I spent most of Thursday with them. We left at nap time and thus no good pictures could be taken. Abby was being a stinker! But, she had fun with them running and playing and showing them all her tricks. They gave her some fruit snacks and a stuffed beaver from her trip which sealed the deal- she loves visiting them! I love that with both my parents retired and living less than 2 hours away, we can visit them most anytime.

Since we were in South Austin (45 minutes away), we went to four stores I love that we don't have any closer- Buy Buy Baby, Home Goods, Nordstroms, and Pottery Barn Kids. We didn't buy anything at Nordy's, but Abby did love trying on the bracelets.

We had a package waiting for us when we got home- Abby's new silver TOMS. They are so stinkin' cute and I love that they led to a conversation about some kids not having shoes and how Abby gave a pair to another kid. We are always looking to bring home the message of "God loves a cheerful giver."