A Texan Odyssey

Back in August we drove up to Boerne, Texas to attend a family wedding. We actually missed the ceremony due to faulty GPS instructions...but we all had a blast at the reception afterwards! The next morning after breakfast we visited an  antique shop  and then decided to spend some time at Cibolo Creek on our way out of town. The boys had a lot of fun seeing a bunch of geese and ducks (and a few turtles!) up close, although Connor kept trying to run off on his own! He is becoming quite the independent little boy! Here are a million some pictures we took of our morning by the banks of the creek.

Dress & Sandals (TJMAXX) Plaid Shirt (Target) Purse (Ross) ...is a no no, but a sweater dress that is as comfortable as pajamas is perfectly fine! I found this one on clearance at TJMAXX recently and know I'll get a lot of use out of it this fall and winter. The above pics are from last Saturday for some errands and park time with the family, and the one below is from Sunday before church. It was a lovely weekend, despite all of us still having the sniffles. We got groceries after church, picked up lunch, and then settled in to watch the latest Doctor Who episode. (Still waiting for this season to pick up a bit...) Sean's allowed to play games on the weekend so Ryan got him set up on the computer and I got Connor down for a nap and then we enjoyed our mini date together. With iced coffee and snacks of course! Oh and speaking of snacks, I'm still trying to get back into better eating habits, I've made some progress but I'm not where I'd like to be yet....

 Shirt & Shorts (Old Navy) Boots (Marshalls) Watch ( Fossil ) I've been feeling pretty frazzled lately, especially after a weekend spent at home with a sick baby (just a cold thankfully), and then getting sick myself. Lack of sleep and falling back into poor eating habits don't help either. (Like that scone pictured above!) I've gained some weight back and that sends me into a cycle of feeling bad about myself and then eating sweets to feel better, and then feeling like a failure for not having better self-control. I need to pray for strength to do what's right for my health instead of giving into the momentary pleasure of junk food. I know I feel better and have more energy when I follow a paleo diet, but I keep slipping up and vowing to "do better tomorrow." Last week I made cookies and strawberry cobbler for the family, and today it was a toddler on a nap strike that drove me to sweets. Ryan rescued us from cabin fever after work and we went ...

Dress ( Target ) Bag (Target) Sandals (Ross) Watch ( Fossil ) I bought this dress a few months ago and finally got around to wearing it last Sunday to church with the family and then out to lunch afterwards. We put Connor down for a nap when we got home and Sean had already changed into his "soft shorts" (what he calls his comfy exercise shorts) so it was just me for the pics. I think I'll like this outfit more when it's cooler out and I can do some layering with it. Anyway, obligatory mention of fall...my DIY autumn wreath is up again. I did wait until September 1st to put it up, even if fall doesn't officially start until the 23rd (according to google).  Fall in south Texas comes even later, but when you're inside (with the a/c on!) you can fake the feeling of fall with nice scented candles, hot chocolate for the boys and maybe a pumpkin here or there.  Linking up again with the lovely Adri and Jessica from  Adri Lately...

Tee and Shorts (Old Navy) Sandals (Target) Bag (Gift) Watch (Fossil) Sunglasses (Kohl's) You know it's been hot lately when you step out into 96 degree weather and think it feels cool! The Texan temps lately have been at least 10 degrees higher than that so today was a nice reprieve. I didn't bother with any extra layers though! A soft tee and my trusty four year old denim shorts were just the thing to stay cool and comfortable while grabbing lunch with the family and running some errands. Next on the agenda is to hit up the pool when the baby wakes up! Enjoy your weekend y'all! Oh and I'm linking up to Adri Lately and Jeans and a Teacup with Flashback Fashion Fridays (a day late, oops)! Around this time four years ago I posted this outfit! It's certainly a lot more feminine than today's sporty look! (Linking up to  The Stylish Housewife  and  The Pleated Poppy )

Robot Lego Party Commence! I made Mr. Robot Man from tissue paper and wrapping paper. The kids had fun posing with him! For the robot containers I just covered cylindrical tissue holders with tape and then decorated them with pom poms for eyes, pipe cleaners for arms, and card stock designs for the front panels. I used a few rubber bands as well to separate the different parts of the robot. Sean helped and now they're being used to hold his paint brushes. Waste not, want not! We had a variety of snacks available, (junk food and healthy options) and a bunch of pizza, plus favor bags filled with an assortment of twizzlers for the kids to take home. I made the banner and Ryan, Sean and I worked on the big lego robots. And to continue in the tradition of last year's birthday post , here are some of Sean's favorite things at age 5: Favorite color:  "Uh, black. Actually I think I don't like black, I like blue." Favorite  number: ...

After looking at the last post I just wasn't satisfied with the layout of the room...so I went back to the drawing board! I've been liking the look of desks next to the bed lately, so I thought I would try it out in my own space. Tried it, loved it!! I know it's silly to get so excited about moving a piece of furniture...but something about this arrangement just feels right. I already used it for devotions and to do my makeup yesterday. I foresee myself getting lots of use out of it in this location. Plus I get to watch Sean playing outside! Removing the clunky old computer from the desk freed up the space for writing, drawing, etc, and when we get a laptop soon it will fit just fine. (Anyone have any good laptop recommendations?) I saw a picture of this room from almost two years ago and got inspired to bring the same artwork and bedspread back in. The blue comforter from the last post got the boot! Next Sean and I got to work painting an abstract piece for tha...

I recently made a few small changes to our master bedroom to spruce things up a bit without spending any money. We have yet to buy a new bed frame after our last one broke, and I was tired of looking at our mattresses sitting directly on the floor. They're still on the floor, but with the addition of a bedskirt and a larger comforter (that we already owned), it's not quite as obvious! I also pulled out the leather part of our old headboard and propped it up behind the mattress. It's comfortable to lean back on, but it's just a temporary fix since they're not attached to anything. Eventually we'll buy a nice new bed, but in the meantime this will do the trick! I swapped out the two tree pictures for an old frame full of my son's artwork too. It's nice to add a personal touch to the space, even though I'd prefer one large piece of his work rather than several small papers in the frame. That's something I can switch out later after I find the r...

V: Dress (TJMAXX) Sandals (Ross) Bracelets (Loft) S: Top (Gift) Pants (Target) Shoes (Target) C: Romper (Carter's) Shoes (Marshalls) Last Sunday was Sean's 5th birthday! We celebrated with family and friends on Saturday and had lots of fun! I'll put up a post soon with pics from his party. If you want mediocre ideas for a robot lego party...check back later this week! Hah! We wore these outfits to church on Sunday. Well, Sean and I did, Connor was still napping when it was time to leave so Ryan stayed home with him. Sean's been staying in the service since children's church is out for the summer, but we survived with plenty of crayons and activity books. After church we ran to Target to spend Sean's birthday money! He picked this lego set (his first big kid set) and we've been enjoying putting the different creatures together. I broke a nail trying to get two pieces apart though! A lego brick separator has already been ordered to prevent that ...