Retail Therapy

Saturday I went to the mall to buy some necessities for Nicholas and came out with some little goodies for myself as well, I just couldn't resist :)
During Nick's first year I stopped wearing strong perfumes and lotions because I didn't want to overwhelm his little senses with such powerful scents.  So since he's bigger and walking now and doesn't have to be carried and risk having my perfume transfer onto him and his clothes, I'm welcoming perfumes back into my life!  There were so many great options to choose from and it was very difficult to pick just one!  My perfumes of choice need to smell fresh, clean, fruity, a little sweet, and need to have staying power - but never so strong that people sitting at the next table from you at a restaurant can smell it {that happened to us before we went shopping - yuck!!}.  So, these were my options:

Hippie Chic won over the other three but it took me a while to finally make my selection.  Once this bottle runs out and I need a refill I might purchase the Bvlgari Omnia or the Armani one....oh who knows! By then there will probably be a whole slew of new perfumes to chose from. 
And then of course, I had to go to Sephora and pick up this super versatile eye shadow palette that I have been lusting over for quite some time now.  Urban Decay did release a new version, Naked 2, but I like the original better.

This super fab palette also includes a brush and a bottle of their lid primer.  I love how these colors can be worn solo for a simple daytime look but also layered to match a more dressy evening outfit.

Now I couldn't leave Jacob out of our little shopping fun.  His shirt of choice is usually a traditional Polo shirt and fortunately for my wallet Dillard's was having an amazing sale.  Almost the entire Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer collection was on sale.  Polos were half off!!    
And one last little treasure I discovered was a new store, Call it Spring.  A pair of some cute and comfy flats caught my eye and an awesome handbag.  I couldn't decide what color to get the bag in so I figured I would go back later if I really felt like I had to have it.  After walking around the store and looking over all the merchandise, I kind of felt as if I was inside Aldo but with much nicer price tags.  When I got home I whipped open my MacBook and hit up Google -  sure enough, Call it Spring is an Aldo Group brand.  And luckily I didn't purchase anything because once I was on their website, I saw an opportunity to get a 10% off coupon.  All you have to do is sign up for their newsletter.  So you see, good things do come to those who wait :)     
What kind of retail therapy have you indulged in lately?

Recipe Roundup

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen snap shots of some of the delicious new recipes we have tried recently.  All were great and of course we now have some family favorites. 

 Loaded Fruit Smoothie

Now this smoothie recipe is pretty much a mix of two pins I found on Pinterest.   The Martha Stewart oatmeal smoothie and another pin that showed making smoothie bags - baggies with 1.5 cups of sliced fruit and 3 frozen tablespoons of frozen yogurt.  And by frozen tablespoons of yogurt I mean using an ice cube tray with 1 Tbl of yogurt in each cube space.  The baggies are meant to be tossed into the blender with as much juice or milk as you like.  For me, the smoothies came out tasting like only milk or only orange from the juice so I wound up with about 6 baggies just sitting in my freezer....until now!  

Loaded Fruit Smoothie

1 - smoothie bag*

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons honey {this will depend on how sweet you like your smoothies}

1 cup coconut water {again this will depend on you - how thick you like your smoothie.  Start off with 1/2 cup and then slowly add as needed}

*for my smoothie bags I used strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and bananas.  I imagine any other fruit would work too.

Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken

I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with anything that's "Hawaiian"....it could be associated with my dream of one day living on a beach...regardless, this sandwich was delicious!

Mexican Lasagna

This was a big hit with the Hubs and I!  Nick loved the black bean, corn, and cheese layer. 

Taco Pasta 

 It all turned out great! The only thing I would do next time is add some ketchup or tomato sauce to give the ground beef some color and a little more flavor.

Italian Chicken with Basil, Tomato & Parmesan Seashell Pasta

I like to cook chicken tenders more than chicken breasts because they cook faster and are much more juicy.  I recently discovered these salad dressing mix packets and decided to use them as seasoning on the chicken.  Best idea EVER!!

Tilapia with Cheesy Zucchini Rice

This rice dish was DELICIOUS!! This was probably my favorite because everyone loved it - Jacob, Nicholas, and of course me.  Tilapia was fantastic too.  Great taste and if even the toddler enjoys it, you know you have a winner!

Baked Salmon 

Not only was this salmon amazing, but it was super quick and easy to bake.  And with a side of jasmine rice that was cooked in the rice cooker - bam! Dinner was ready in under 30 minutes.  That is MAJOR with two hungry boys in the house :)

I highly recommend all these meals and hope you try them out in your home.  Feel free to leave the link to your recipe posts in my comments so I can check them out too :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Wrap-Up and More

This post is so overdue!!  Things have been a little crazy at our house the past couple of days...we've been working to finish the pergola and cleaning up the garage a little at a time.  And I've been working to clean out and re-organize Nick's closet and playroom.  So, my apologies for the short absence, but I'm finally back!!
This past weekend wasn't too out of the ordinary for us except for the fact that Jacob and I were finally able to squeeze in Date Night and a new baby girl was welcomed into our family!!
Jacob had to work both Saturday and Sunday but the silver lining was that he was home by about 5:00 Saturday afternoon. That left us with enough time for a quick bite and a movie.  I snagged a coupon off of Facebook and we jetted to Chili's.  The coupon was for a free appetizer with the purchase of one entree.  Yes, our food choices weren't the best "health-wise" but they were so delicious and so worth every calorie!  

Darn Southwest Egg Rolls looked so delicious I ate one before I got to snap a photo!!

Afterwards we went and enjoyed the hilarious new Will Ferrel / Zack Galifianakis movie, The Campaign.  Sometimes a good comedy that is purely for entertainment (no thinking necessary here) is what you need at the end of a long week.  
Earlier that day, I had planned a Sunday brunch to celebrate my cousin's return home.  Not that she was very far all summer, just a few hundred miles, but Nicholas loves being with her so much {and of course we do too} that we couldn't help but plan a little get together right away.  We stopped at HEB after the movie and picked up some brunch necessities -  one of which included a bottle of pre-made Mimosas :)  Sunday morning couldn't come soon enough!
I wasn't expecting my cousin till around 11am or so, but when a text message came in at around 8am, I was a bit concerned so I checked it immediately.  It was her, but instead of saying she was on her way over, she informed me that her older sister was in labor!!  Baby Lucia was going to make her debut a few weeks early!!  This was all pretty exciting news for us and we couldn't wait for her arrival.  All day I prayed for a safe delivery and for baby and Mommy to be well.  Fortunately for us, all our prayers were answered.

Waffles & Mimosas...mmmm....and cheers to Baby Lucia!!

And here she is! Beautiful little Lucia :)  Left: just a few days old  Right: her first day at home on her fluffy bear blanket.  So peaceful...she's smiling while she naps!

Tuesday night was another "first" for Nicholas - his first night out of his ducky tub and into the big boy bath tub! Thank you Jesus for another smooth transition.  From birth to about 5 months he used the Puj tub in our bathroom sink.  I can't tell you how much I loved that thing!  Its lightweight, soft, comfortable, and isn't cold to the touch like some of those hard plastic tubs can be.  Not to mention, it's a HUGE back saver.  Standing at a sink to bathe your little one versus hunching over a bath tub will prevent a lot of back aches.  Once Nick was big enough to reach the faucet and turn the handles by himself I knew he needed to move to the bathtub.  But at that age, he wasn't sitting up quite yet so we used the inflatable ducky tub.  He loved that duck! The fact that it "quacked" when you squeezed the beak was so much fun for him.  He technically still fits in the ducky but I figured I'd try and give him more room.  Sure enough, he was in bathtub heaven.  Our little guy is growing more and more everyday and becoming pretty independent.  I'm such a proud Momma but so sad to see he's not our little bitty baby anymore.  Time flies!  

  How was your weekend and/or week?  What did you do?     

Currently...{new regular entry}

Loving:  how much I actually enjoy blogging.  I started this blog because it was important for me that my customers and/or anyone who visited Royal Feather knew that a real Mom was behind the whole thing.  I wanted people to feel that someone genuinely cared about what they were buying.  And I really do!  I love being able to help out anyone with any kind of baby/toddler questions they might have.  But now my blog has allowed me to get my "voice" back.  Any stay-at-home Moms reading this right now probably know what I'm talking about.  Once you're home all day with your children, especially children who are still too young to have an actual conversation with, you feel like you've lost contact with the real world.  No one is around for you to talk about current events with or something you saw on TV or something you read online.  Your new world consists of Disney Junior, flashcards, Play-doh, and sidewalk chalk.  Which don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to give any of that up, but sometimes, you want to be able to connect with other adults.  And for me, this blog has been able to do just that.  So to all my readers out there, THANK YOU!!       Reading:  Does Goodnight Moon count?? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to read any age appropriate books {my age that is, not Nick's}.  I just don't have the time right now.  Any down time I am blessed with, I usually use it to write up my next blog, scour Pinterest for new recipes, or hang out with Jacob if he's home.  He works so much that there are days where we only see him for maybe about 4 hours.  Retail hours suck, real bad.  Fortunately for us, he's the Operations Manager at one of our local Big-Orange-Box-Home-Improvement stores but being a manager means he's a salaried employee....that means saying goodbye to regular 40 hour work weeks.  Work weeks for him are more like 50-60 hours.  But, he loves his job so that's all that counts. 
Watching:  I LOVE almost all the shows USA has been coming out with lately.  For the Summer, I'm hooked on Necessary Roughness, Royal Pains, Suits, and Burn Notice.  And ok, RHONJ and Teen Mom....I won't lie, I cannot miss an episode.  I've been watching those reality shows since they started so I feel like I can't just quit now!  I have to watch it all play out and see what happens to everyone.  Yes, I'm 27 years old and I watch Teen Mom.  
Thinking about:  Nicholas.  Last night was Nicholas' first night without a pacifier.  He's 19 months old and only uses a pacifier to sleep.  He's never really needed it, it was more like his security...something he was used to as being his companion since birth.  And I never tried taking it away sooner because I felt it wasn't hindering him in any way since he wouldn't use it during the day and I simply did not want to hear him crying at night.  It is very difficult for me to walk away from him when he's crying - with real tears streaming down his face.  But as I was washing dishes at the end of the night, the thought crossed my mind to try and get Nicholas to give up the pacifier.  While he was playing in the living room, I got out a pacifier and cut off the end.  When he came shuffling into the kitchen I asked if he was ready for bed.  As he got closer to me I knew he was going to want to grab for a pacifier {he knows where the clean ones are stored so that's where he was inching towards}.  When I gave him the newly snipped pacifier, he didn't even look at it and it went straight into his mouth.  Instantly, he started laughing! He took it out and inspected it and turned it around and would poke his little finger through the hole I cut.  He kept putting the pacifier back into this mouth and laugh.  As he continued this little game, I was telling him that the "mamo" {that's what we call it} was broken, that it just didn't work anymore.  I said that we were going to have to throw it away since it couldn't do it's job anymore.  Lastly I said, "Nicholas, we're going to have to say bye-bye to mamo and throw it away because it's broken, ok?"  He looked at me with his big beautiful eyes and simply took the pacifier out with one hand and said "bye-bye" while waving at it with the other.  He walked up to the trash can and tossed it in.  I literally had to fight back my tears...I'm even tearing up as I'm typing this!! I was so fascinated with how "grown-up" he was about it, he was so confident and independent.  He didn't cry all night and I simply cannot believe that getting rid of the pacifier was just that easy.  Lets see how the rest of the week goes!!     
Anticipating:  the next few months.  September is almost here and with it brings the beginning of Fall and the Holiday season.  Although living in South Texas doesn't allow us the privilege of chilly nights or changing leaf colors, simply being in those months makes me feel great!  It's not as hot during those months and all the holidays kind of snowball into one.  This year Nicholas will be old enough to go Trick-or-Treating {and I probably need to start looking for a costume but I have to deal with the heat issue so it's a bit challenging}, and then it's Thanksgiving, then Nick's 2nd birthday!, then Christmas, then New Years, and then a whole new year begins.  Jacob and I have even been toying with the idea of taking a delayed anniversary cruise at the end of December so that's pretty exciting to think about as well.  He has Inventory at his store at the beginning of December and I have my biggest selling weekend right after that - our Junior League hosts their annual Christmas shopping extravaganza {Dias Festivos} during the first weekend of December and I {Royal Feather} participate in the 4-day event with a 10x10 booth.  I really enjoy this event because it gives me an opportunity to actually talk to and catch up with all my customers in person.  So after all our hard work, going on a little vacation afterwards would be perfect!  
Wishing:  for courage.  For enough courage to face my fears and go and get a CT scan.  My migraines seem to be getting worse sometimes and there are moments where I swear I'm going to die at any minute.  I have prescription migraine medication, but at $120.00 {$500.00 without insurance - outrageous, yes I know} for only 12 pills, there are times when I say to myself "Its not that bad, don't take anything and just save them until it gets really bad."  Of course I decided to read up on migraines and aneurysms the other day and I'm convinced I have the latter.  I had a CT scan done a few years ago and it came out normal but I really do think I should do it again.  But I'm terrified of the results!!  I know, I just need to bite the bullet and do it.      
Making me happy:  our pergola is almost finished!!  If you follow my blog you know it's been a long time coming, LOL!!  Jacob has been working on this huge project all on his own for a couple of months.  When we talk about our plans for the backyard all his feelings of accomplishment wash over his face and he gets this huge grin, it really is cute.  He squeezes in time to work on it when he has a day off or gets out of work early.  He's painted and cut and nailed practically every board on that pergola all on his own.  Sometimes I think he's crazy for not asking for help but when I see that look on his face when he talks about how much he enjoys doing the work and feels like it's "therapeutic", I'm just happy knowing he is.  
So now, what about you?  What are you up to?  Feel free to try your own "Currently" post on your blog and link it up in my Comments for everyone to check out.  I must give credit where credit is due - thank you Danielle for inspiring me to start these regular posts.
Thanks for stopping by!   

Royal Feather 2.0

Friday was such an exhausting but HUGE day for me.  I have been working tirelessly for a few months on overhauling Royal Feather and Friday was finally my big re-launch.  I was battling a migraine all day plus had Nicholas running around the house, all while trying to get the last minute tweaks fixed in order to go live before the weekend.  I was so drained by the end of the day but I felt so accomplished afterwards that I couldn't help but be happy, regardless of the pounding headache.  It has almost been a year since I opened my store and in that time, I have decided to solely focus on children's gifts and accessories.  As much as I love interior decorating, my passion is my son and consequently everything kids-related.  So currently, I am liquidating all the Home Decor merchandise.  With that decision made, I felt the look of the store needed to be freshened up.
First, I was going to need a new logo to be the basis of my new foundation.  I noticed an ad for Blessed Design Studio in the sponsors column of a blog I had been reading.  I clicked on the button and instantly fell in love with all of her {Cindy - she's the owner} work and couldn't wait to contact her.  Working with Cindy was {and still is} fantastic!  She's so patient and eager to help you develop exactly what you envision.  After quite a few emails going back and forth, my logo and banner were created.  Next, I set out on building my new website.  
I wasn't too happy with how my website {the original one} didn't have a homepage, you were instantly thrown into all the products.  I wanted to have a landing page where I had the flexibility to change out photos in order to showcase new merchandise and/or sales.  I found what I was looking for at a different hosting site and made my move.  From there, I created "mock-ups" of how I wanted each page to look and then submitted them to the host for them to use all their fancy code to actually create my new shop.  I pride myself on being a fast learner, but I knew there was no way I was going to be able to teach myself how to actually build a new website from scratch with a 19-month-old at my side.  
After many long Illustrator/Photoshop nights and more email exchanges with my designers, my website was just about ready.  Once the pages were built, I now had the task of adding all the merchandise content - titles, description, images, inventory count, and meta tags.  I tried squeezing in as much "website maintenance time" into my days as possible, but boy was that challenging!  Between Jacob, Nicholas, laundry, meals, groceries, my blog, exercising, building our pergola, and some me-time, my peak computer-work hours became between 11pm and 3am.  Luckily for me, Nicholas sleeps in pretty late so I'm able to stay up late.  But going to bed at that hour multiple times a week sure can take its toll. 
But now, it's all done.  I can breathe a huge sigh of relief and say that I'm pretty proud of myself.  Of course I can't take credit for all of it, but I did do a pretty big chunk of it.  My vision and goal was to create a website that had a clean and inviting look for all my customers.  A website that welcomed shoppers and made them feel that they were going to have a good and satisfying shopping experience.  Especially one where they knew they were going to be making safe monetary transactions.  So to all my existing and new customers, I welcome you to the improved Royal Feather and hope you enjoy the shop.  I planned it all with you in mind and will continue to offer you the most modern and unique merchandise for your little ones.  

And here is a quick look at our current homepage:
1. Yes, that's our son Nicholas perfectly (yet caught by total coincidence) motioning for you to please "enter" the new shop :)  And I just LOVE this Palm Beach shirt on him- thanks Tom & Drew for your fabulous pieces.
2. After a horrible FedEx experience, we finally received our AMAZING shipment of Beatrix lunch boxes & backpacks - just in time for back to school!
3. Don't miss out on the Last Chance Home Sale!! Very little merchandise left...get one of these great pieces while you can!

Thanks for stopping by!

If You Really Knew Me

I started advertising on Sometimes Sweet this week and I am so happy to announce that my little 125x125 ad has created such amazing traffic to my shop Royal Feather.  Thank you Brenna for steering me in this direction and Jesus for all you continue to bless me with :)  Earlier this week Danielle, writer behind Sometimes Sweet, blogged about a post she'd seen "floating" around the blogosphere.  The post has been about revealing a little more about who you "really are" to your audience.  I instantly loved this idea because just this past weekend Jacob and I were discussing how some people (people we thought were close to us and complete strangers alike) have no idea who we really are.  Said people assume they know us, but they truly don't.  Should you decide to participate as well, post your link in my comments section so I can check it out!
Here it goes...if you really knew me...
you'd know that my husband and I live our lives for ourselves and Nicholas and no one else - period.  The decisions we make are what's best for the three of us.  We don't plot out ways to be better than others or to "keep up with Joneses" or to "one-up" anybody.  The house we live in, how we choose to decorate it, the cars we drive, the things we enroll Nicholas in, and what we buy as gifts for each other are things we simply want for one another and for absolutely no other reason.  Nothing annoys me more than to hear "oh, my child already has had that for so long, it's so old" or "oh, we have something like that but ours is better because x, y, and z" or, "you're son is barely doing that? mine did it at {insert some extremely unreasonable age here}."  Really?!  Seriously people!  Why does everything have to be a competition? Especially between children.  And even between adults too!  That just really irritates me.
you'd know that I was laid off while I was on maternity leave with absolutely no explanation - none, whatsoever.  As a result, I felt pretty depressed and lousy for a long while.  To be told "we're terminating you, but not your position" is pretty rough to hear.  And then when you're begging for an explanation and fighting back tears while holding your newborn and all you get is "I'm sorry you feel that way but the decision has been made", you just feel horrible.  I remember being on an emotional roller coaster - first sad, then angry and upset, then hurt, then worried and scared about our future, then angry again, and then finally acceptance.  Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't want to spend every possible moment with Nicholas, I was just so angry about how the whole thing happened.  Jacob and I weren't prepared for something like that.  I was ready to return to work on a Monday when I got the "phone call" on the Friday before.  Talk about leaving it to the last minute on their part.
you'd know that I love with my whole heart.  But I do have to be treated fairly and equally to show that kind of affection.  I've learned the hard way that being nice all the time doesn't get you anywhere but stepped on.  Too many times people have confused my kindness for weakness and I simply won't have it anymore.  If you criticize or judge my husband or my son, we're going to have a problem.  
you'd know that I'm kind of a homebody.  Now of course I do love going out on Date Night and trying out new places and restaurants or taking Nicholas to playdates or the library for storytime.  But sometimes there are days when Jacob finally has a day off and I just love to stay home and relax with my family.  We secretly call those days "Gray Shorts Day."  Somehow the 3 of us coincidentally have a pair of super comfy cotton gray shorts and we wear them on those days when all we want to do is nothing.  I know it's cheesy, but it's just one of our things that we enjoy.  Being home means I don't have to do my hair or makeup and I can just be Me without any judgements.
you'd know that my memory is impeccable.  Ever since I was a little girl I had this amazing ability to recall where I had seen or read something in vivid detail.  My sisters and parents would say I had a photographic memory.  And that's all still true today.  I remember the faces of pretty much everyone I've met, things that have been said to me (directly or indirectly), how I felt when things have happened, sometimes even what I was wearing on certain occasions.  So you better think twice next time you want to lie to me, it won't work :)
you'd know that I've always wanted a bulldog and to name her Lola.
you'd know that I'd love to just pack a suitcase for the three of us and live on a beach somewhere.
you'd know I would love nothing more than to be accepted by everyone.  It really bums me out when people have a false understanding of me - when they've been painted an unfair, one-sided picture of me and then just judge me from there on out.  Get to really know me first before you write me (and my family) off.
you'd know that I'm really bad at drinking water - always have been.  I'd rather drink Crystal Light or more recently cups of herbal lemongrass tea.  Even when I eat, I don't really drink much.  When my cousins and I were younger and we'd stay at my grandparents' house during the summertime, it used to really freak out my Grandma that I wouldn't really drink anything all day.  She couldn't understand how I liked to "comer seco" {eat without drinking anything}.  Those summers were such a blessing.    
you'd know that I'm a major night owl.  Right now, it's 1:57AM and I still have to proof this post before I publish it in the morning and possibly add some pictures.
you'd know that I wish I had more time in the day to read books like I used to, I've been watching General Hospital for over 12 years, when purchasing something new, pretty product packaging gets me every time, I can't walk out of Sephora without buying something, I'm afraid of dying, I worry about not being a good enough mother to Nicholas, my guilty-reality-tv-show-pleasures are Teen Mom and RHONJ, and the dentist absolutely terrifies me.
How about you?     

Lovely to See You ATX

Last weekend, my Mom, Nicholas, and I traveled to Austin for a a little 4-day trip to visit family.  Nicholas has always done well in the car, whether it's short drives around town or much longer trips.  But I'm still always weary, fearing that this time is going to be the time he will have a major meltdown and I'll need to turn the car around and just come home.  But luckily for us, we can mark this trip as another success.  

Day 1 got off to a late start, not surprising since I hate packing and always leave it to the last minute (as in the morning of).  My Mom laughs at me and questions how I did it when I was in college and would come home for the weekends.  But it was much easier then.  I would literally just make sure I had the bare necessities - toothbrush, contact lenses & solution, glasses, makeup bag, & a change of clothes.  If I forgot anything, my backup closet at my parents' house would surely have something in case of an emergency.  But now with Nicholas, my packing list is more like - snacks, toys/books, baby shampoo, toothbrush & toothpaste, diapers, wipes, Desitin, pajamas, clothes, extra changes of clothes for emergencies, pillow, pack & play, crib/lullaby toys, baby monitor, and you can't forget those "what if" items like a thermometer, ibuprofen, bug spray, sunblock, and the list goes on and on.  Finally, we were on the road by about 2pm and were in Austin by 8pm and that's including a few pit stops.  I was pretty happy with our timing.
Days 2 and 3 consisted of making our rounds catching up and visiting family.  Because Austin is my old college town and ex-home of 5 years, I love to go back and try to squeeze in as many new places to see as possible.  Although I usually come back home with a list of quite a few places I wasn't able to fit in, I always tell myself that there will be a "next time."  
Day 4 came pretty quickly and I was sad to go but anxious to get back home to Jacob and to see all the progress he had made on the pergola (updated pictures below!).  After I made some "urgent" stops {Kendra Scott & Buy Buy Baby} we were back on the road at about 2pm again.  Nicholas and I are grateful to have had such a wonderful time!  We were able to get a lot done and manage to do it all with zero-stress which was fantastic!!  

1. Nick already digging into his Plum Organics snacks about 1hr into the trip  2. Pit stop at Whataburger  3. We made it!

My nephew Gabriel all dressed and ready for  his baptism

Top photo: my Mom, sisters, brother-in-law, Gabriel, and my nieces.  Nicholas was very excited for Gabriel and gave him a "high-5"

1. We just had to get some milkshakes from EZ's on our second night  2. Great view of the Capitol

 Nicholas was my lunch date at Jo's downtown in the 2nd Street District.  LOVE their Tuna Melt :)

Nick's Austin Children's Museum adventure with cousin Gabriel

Clearly the museum wore him out!  We barely had gotten out of the parking garage and Nick was already passed out!

1. Continuing our day at IKEA shopping for Nick's playroom  2. Of course I had to indulge my sweet tooth with the always delicious Tiff's Treats  3. Nick was finally out for the night

1. I couldn't leave Austin without stopping at Kendra Scott.  That place is dangerous!!  2. Food trailers on South Congress.  Too bad they weren't open for lunch yet

I gave Nick a little tour of my alma matter St. Edward's on our way out of town

1.  Nick debating what to eat for lunch at Chuy's  2. Back at home, Nick trying out his new circus tent...another fab find at IKEA :)

Thanks for a great weekend friends and family! Hope to see you again soon!

Pergola update:

It's almost done!!  Jacob managed to squeeze in the time to paint, cut, and nail (19) 2x6 beams in the scorching heat.  Amazing, right?!?  Pergola looks fantastic!

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Three Years Ago Today

I remember exactly where I was, what I was wearing, and who I was with when I received the call that my Dad had passed away.  I remember everything about that horrible day in detail.  Just recalling all of this even brings back the same feelings of anxiety.  Jacob and I were at his brother's wedding and the ceremony had just ended.  Jacob was taking pictures and I reached for my cell phone to check the time when I saw a flood of text messages and missed calls from my sisters and cousins.  I didn't think much of it and just returned the first missed call on my list.  My sister answered and through her tears all I heard was "It's Dad, you need to come home now.  Dad died."  As I stood there holding my phone I remember everything going silent.  I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't feel anything, and I couldn't breath.  "How could this be?!" I thought.  "I just talked to Dad two days ago and he was fine...he wished me good luck on my job interview (that I was having the day after I spoke to him)...it's Saturday so he's working at the ranch like usual, this can't be possible...how did this happen...why did this happen...is this just a sick joke...what do I do"...I had a million things running through my mind.  I somehow found Jacob and tried to tell him what was happening but as I was saying the words out loud, none of it was making sense.  We rushed out of the wedding and to my apartment  but I remember just crying and not understanding any of it.  I didn't even know what to pack because I couldn't even bring myself to believe that I would be going home to attend my Dad's funeral.  I think I just grabbed whatever I could and threw it in a bag and we got on the road.  That drive was the longest 6 hours of my life.  I had a throbbing headache and my tears just kept flowing.  
Once we got to the funeral home we were told that my Dad suffered a massive heart attack while he was working at the ranch.  They told us that even if someone had been out there with him, there wouldn't have been anything anyone could do.  He died instantly. 
These past three years have been extremely trying on everyone in our family.  We lost the rock and head of our family - how does one rebound from such a tragedy?  Everyday I tell myself that my Dad is in a much better place and is smiling down on us.  I try to not get sad when I look at Nicholas and think how unfortunate it is that he never got to meet my Dad.  I can't help but imagine what could have been.  I know that everything happens for a reason and that God's plan for us is all a mystery.  One of these days all my questions will be answered.  But until then, I remember my amazing Dad and all of the great things he taught me.  I pray he's resting in peace and for courage and strength to understand all of life's heartbreaks.        

Left: family wedding   Right: my 24th birthday fiesta

A thousand times we needed you
A thousand times we cried
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died
A heart of gold stopped beating
two twinkling eyes closed to rest
God broke our hearts to prove he only took the best 
never a day goes by that you’re not in my heart and my soul.

Source: Kimberly N. Chastain     We love you Dad and wish you were here with us every day.