2017. Every day. (01.29.17)
01.29.17
Sunday afternoon was such a perfect day outside. I took a few minutes to work on what I needed to get done for the week, make a couple of lists and enjoy the sunshine outside on my porch. My Mom loves well and sent me home with cake from her house on Saturday. Lemon cake, my favorite.
{01.29.17 – Bonus}
Sunday afternoon I worked on several things at my table, homework, some reading, etc., and little Auggie had a good nap after our walk in the sunshine. Little dog. Big world.
01.30.17
It’s Super Bowl week in Houston and our city started the week showing off with the best weather. One thing about taking a photo every day is some days someone needs to take your photo. So, I’ve decided this will lead to more conversations with strangers, and this day a sweet nurse sitting with a very expectant mama-to-be on a park bench gave Auggie a little attention and snapped our pic.
{01.30.17 – Bonus}
When I lived on the road traveling full time I ate so many bagged salads. I haven’t had them in a couple of years. #burnout. But, I recently picked up a Sunflower Crunch Dole salad on a whim and it is so good! This is probably the 3rd one I’ve bought, I will probably burnout on them as well. But, I would definitely recommend giving this one a try!!
01.31.17
Already one month of 2017 in the books. Time is ticking. I have always loved watches, from a very young age and can remember saving various brand items to mail in for watches as a kid. That love hasn’t changed and I’ve collected a few watches as an adult too. Over the last couple of years, slowly but surely the batteries have died, but, I’ve still had one to wear, so haven’t messed with getting them replaced. Also, because I’m a little gun-shy after the last time I ran to the mall to get a watch battery I came out and my car had been stolen. But, I finally found a local neighborhood jewelry shop that fixed them up! After getting them back, I think I might get rid of a couple of these I don’t wear often. #ebay
{01.31.17 – Bonus}
Lunch with my Mama! She came to pick up little Auggie and take him to the 4G while I went out of town for a work trip. Also, introduced her to Torchy’s queso. Best ever if you’ve never had it, you should get to Torchy’s as quickly as possible!
02.01.17
Back to the hotel. Work trip. It was so surreal to be back in the very same hotel and conference I was a year ago. I have really no recollection of being there, of the hotel layout, the meeting space, the parking garage location, none of it. Last year I drove to this same conference the day I buried my little Barney and was so distraught. It’s a miracle I gave my presentation without a breakdown and I am so grateful, still, a year later for those who prayed me through that day.
{02.01.17 – Triple Bonus}
As I made my way to the conference I stopped at 2 tables with dear friends. Khara and I met through a Discipleship Group at my church. We were in large group and she told me one week “I want to be friends with you”. She has an infectious personality, loves her family + littles so well, was so authentic in our group and also has great style. I also wanted to be friends with her. “Grown up” friendships can sometimes be hard; do people have capacity to add friends, want other people to keep up with/invest in, etc.? But, I’m so glad Khara said those few words to me! Our year of discipleship knit our hearts, so even though we typically just get to chat a few minutes each week at church, days like this at the table over a few cups of coffee are such a treat.
Melissa and I are college besties and she lives an hour west of me, so lunch for us doesn’t happen on the regular. Twenty years of life have definitely knit our college crew together, and when we get face to face time, all together or any combination of the 4 of us, it is such a treat! Melissa and I have so many of the same likes; planners, pens, organization, structure…our brains work a lot alike. I think we probably first bonded as friends in a college ag class over our neatly taken notes. Haha! She’s an amazing wife and mama to 2 boys that our crew loves cheering on in all matters of sporting events. Last year I stopped and met her in the parking lot of McDonalds on my way to this same conference and she gave me an angel of comfort in memory of my Barney. I don’t know that I could put two sentences together, but I was so grateful for a little break in my trip and seeing a dear friend along the road. Long time friends are a gift.
I’ve long read The Big Mama blog and met Melanie a few years ago and get to see her every now and then at Houston events. She posted that her church was hosting a Women’s night in San Antonio on the night I was arriving, so I made plans to attend. Melanie is a gifted communicator, through written word that can make you laugh out loud and well up with tears in the next sentence and in person just the same. Her memoir of friendship, Nobody’s Cuter Than You, is one of the best friendship books. I gave signed copies to my college besties because we are only a couple of years apart and so many of the details she describes in her friendships are just the same for our group. Fun that I also got to meet her bestie, Gulley, this night. Melanie spoke a timely message about words, their impact and scripture that reminds us about purpose of our words. Of course catching up with her for a few and discussing all the things from dogs, ministry and fashion in rapid fire was also a treat.
02.02.17
This day on the calendar is a hard one for me. I was grateful to have a night planned with friends at a fun Polished Austin event. If you’ve listened to the Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, you know what a great hostess and friend Jamie is to her guests. The event was a live taping of the Happy Hour with Jamie, Jenn Sprinkle of The {well} Studio and Hallie – Polished Director for ATX. The topics were friendship and success, things girls often struggle with and such truth was shared about investing in our friends and recognizing/defining our successes. Fun to meet Jamie after, and that she has a book coming out later this year! Can’t wait to read it!
{02.02.17 Double Bonus}
If you live in Austin and need to host an event, you should definitely consider Mercury Hall. This place is a dreamy venue. Whitewashed walls, stained glass and old hardwoods. Swoon.
Thursday marked one year of losing my Barney. I blogged about a year ago and a year later {click to read}. Miss that little pup, but so grateful for my little rescue Auggie dog who’s healed a huge hole in my heart.
02.03.17
I love the giant mirrors in hotels. Headed to last sessions of the conference. Last day in a hotel. Last trip for a little while. After 3 weekends away I am glad to be headed home with not much planned for this weekend!
{02.03.17 Bonus}
The conference had free head shots, which is a perk you should never pass up! Head shots are expensive, plus scheduling a photo appointment, etc., all things that make head shots easy to procrastinate. This photog was great, he took several shots and now I have several free shots saved to use. #notphotoshopped
In the last 7 days I’ve been to Waco, San Antonio and Austin and made a few Bu-cee’s stops for gas. Which also means my favorite travel treat, Bu-cee’s sugar roasted I-don’t-even-know-what-they-are pecans! Yum!!
02.04.17
Early morning trip down south to see the littles at basketball. Cole had 12 points in his game and the girls got leadership stickers today in cheerleading! So fun to see them in action. Rise, shine, put on a hat and hit the road! I love Saturdays that allow for leggings and baseball caps!
This week brought a calendar date I dreaded, but turned out to be a week that had quality time with so many people, which was a real gift in the midst of a hard memory.
Thank you for reading, and would love for you to stay in touch!