Category Archives: holidays

food, holidays, random thoughts, travel

Currently – The Fort Worth Edition

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Y’all, I had a GREAT trip with Hubby this past weekend, but I am glad to be home! I’ve got pictures to share and stories, too, so I’m linking up and doing a Currently about it all! Here goes…currently button

Thankful for || my parents! They came all the way up here for the long weekend to keep our three crazy babes, so that we could have a lovely, kid-free weekend. They are the BEST!

Traveling || to Fort Worth, Texas for Hubby’s cousin’s wedding! It was a great excuse to have a lovely weekend away, see his fun family, witness a sweet couple’s vows, and party! It also happened to be the weekend of my 30th birthday, so we did a little extra celebrating!

I had to take a picture of the plane for my kids!

Eating || Tex-Mex and Texas Barbecue! We had our first Texan meal at Riscky’s Barbecue, right across the street from our hotel. It was delicious – we went with pork ribs and brisket tacos!


The rehearsal dinner that night was at Los Vaqueros in a neighborhood called the Stockyards. YUM. That’s all. Yum. Oh wait… and also margaritas. Saturday was Terra Mediterranean Grill for lunch (we always love Mediterranean food) and dinner of course at the wedding.      
Sunday was my birthday, and I wanted a big breakfast, so Hubby sought out the Ol’ South Pancake House. Definitely DELICIOUS and obviously a Fort Worth landmark.

This was called a Southern Skillet. Best ever.

Exploring || Downtown FW. We stayed mostly in the same area for the weekend, straying a couple of times to different neighborhoods, but we really loved the downtown. It was very obviously family-friendly (Santa was in the middle of Sundance Square!) and kept up very well. Locals said that it’s only gotten as nice as it is in the past 15 years or so, but it’s beautiful now. It also helped that everything was decked out for Christmas! There are fun shops, great restaurants, cafes, nice hotels, and more. We didn’t have to look very hard for things to do!

I didn’t remember until I saw this, but JFK spent his last night in Fort Worth.
In Sundance Square…
GIANT TREE. And it was real!  
The Water Gardens were really neat… and I wish we had seen them at night, also. They apparently light up!


Enjoying || being home and back with our kiddos! It was great going away for a weekend, but also great to come home!

Join us – what have you been up to currently?

crafts/diy, holidays, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently

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Happy Monday! Christmas is in full swing around here. I’ve even wrapped two presents! Okay, fine. Those were for a Dirty Santa swap we did with our small group last night, but still. It counts! I’ve been spending time doing a little extra baking than usual, making holiday plans, coordinating who gets to attend which parties (why are so many of them on the same day?!) and still trying to find time for little things with just my five family members. It’s surprisingly tough. Anyway, I’m linking up today with Becky at Choose Happy and the other wonderful bloggers to talk about what we’ve been up to currently. Link up, comment, and join us!

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Wearing || all my favorite sweaters! It’s finally cold enough to wear a sweater without getting hot during the day, so I’ve busted out my favorites…

Crafting || with peppermints! I’ll post about this later when we’ve done it, but my plan is to melt peppermints (hard candy ones) inside metal cookie cutters to make ornaments! A friend had posted pictures of their (successful!) attempt at it, and I thought it looked like a cute and easy way to let the kids do a fun craft. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Playing || Heads Up! We’ve always loved this as a party game, but last night with our small group buddies, we played for over an hour! We really like it, and the fact that you can get new decks when you start repeating (and there are always updates) is really handy. It kills your cell phone battery, but it’s just so fun! We had a great time with the Act It Out category last night.  

   

Eating || Breakfast with Santa! EK was the only one that got to go (boys were at the doctor that morning) but she had a great time with her grandparents and cousins! She told Santa she just wanted candy canes. Ha! 

 Watching || Disney on Ice! We went with our sweet friends (who have kids almost the exact same ages as our three) to Greensboro to see it, and I’m so glad we did! It was almost too long… J got a little antsy towards the end, but we all made it through, and they were enthralled! 

    
 

Well, there is our family update. What’s been going on with you and yours?

faith, holidays, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Slow Down.

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Y’all. Time is flying. Weather is cooling, decorations are twinkling, and the days go by so quickly! That could have a little bit to do with the fact that the sun is only up for ten hours, but eh… who is paying attention to that?

This season of waiting, of already and not yet has even more meaning this year. Not only are we celebrating the coming of Christ as a helpless babe, but we are also celebrating Christmas… a first christmas for D, a second for J (and likely his first in memory) and a fourth for EK (and she is all about the traditions since she remembers some things from last year). 

We also have parties, church services and gigs to plan for. This is all in addition to leaving town all of next weekend, and leaving the kids with my parents. Hubby’s cousin is getting married, and I am turning 30. It just seemed like the right time. But what will we be missing when we go?

EK remembers our advent calendar each day, and understands when we tell her something special is happening. For instance, tomorrow we have breakfast with Santa with Hubby’s family, followed by Disney on Ice with some dear friends. It makes for a busy day, but a wonderful time  for our kids. I am just as excited as they are! 

But there is some trepidation there. With our littles, it’s proven to be hard to get anywhere, much less on time. It’s hard to pack everything we need, feed everyone on time, and let everyone get their rest when they need it. I know this is a season, and a short one in the grand scheme, but I am lost in the details. 

I am struggling to not lose sight of the important things, as I cross off my to-do list, see my gift-buying list get shorter, and attend more events than I ever thought possible. How did I get so busy? Didn’t I decide to stay home so that life could be more simple? It just seems more hectic as we get closer to Christmas. 

I know I’m not the only one feeling this way… I can’t be. Others have full plates or young children or both. All parents balance their work and home lives, and try to make Christmas magical for the children. But as life gets crazier, I find myself pining for morning pajama dance parties, pb&j lunches and movie-watching evenings. I just want to relax and read Christmas stories with my family, and there doesn’t seem to be time. 

So here, in the eleventh hour, I choose to slow down. I’m not adding anything else to my full calendar, or looking for any other happenings. I want to watch Christmas movies more evenings than not. I want to drink hot chocolate. I want to drive around our neighborhood, looking for lights. I’ll unplug, bake cookies, take naps, and read those Christmas books over and over. My kids will love it, because they love slow time with us. They’re not begging to travel or go to events. They’re not asking for fancy toys and huge presents (yet, anyway). I will slow down and enjoy this magical time of twinkly lights, sugary treats, family and friends, and the baby Jesus’ birth. We all need it. We all need love and grace and hope that even in a busy, and sometimes scary world, there are good things. 

food, food, holidays, home, mommyhood

Currently: Thankful

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Hey everyone! Look at me getting this out on a Monday! It’s like all my kids are napping at the same time, or something… I hope everyone had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did. I’m linking up with Becky at Choose Happy again this week, so join us and let us know what you’re up to currently!

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Thankful for || my family. Y’all, Thanksgiving was great. It wasn’t busy, and it wasn’t the most exciting one we’ve ever had. But it was great. My parents were here for most of the week, and my brother and his girlfriend were here for a day and a night. We really loved having them in town, and a low-key Thanksgiving was just what we needed.

  
Anticipating || Christmas. As I’ve mentioned before, advent is my favorite time of year, and I’ll probably say it again. The idea of already and not yet is the beauty of the Gospel. Jesus has already come and saved us from our sins, but he’s going to come again! The opportunity to celebrate this again and again every year is exciting to me, and I would “do Christmas” every day of the year!


 Listening to || Glory in the Heights. It’s a song written by the friend of a friend, and we incorporate it in our Christmas worship services at my church. Here’s the YouTube of the story behind it. You can download it on Noisetrade! It’s SO GOOD.

Baking || sugar cut out cookies! My kids love them, and love making them. The recipe I have (I’ll try to post it this week!) is okay to freeze, so we are going to make a double batch, and freeze some dough in small chunks so we can make a few cookies fairly often. It’s hard for us to finish a whole batch of something before they’re stale, so I love to use recipes I can either half or freeze.

  

Cleaning || all of the things! I had a really productive day today, folding a lot of laundry, several loads of dishes (we were really lazy after dinner last night), cleaning the floor and counters in the kitchen, and changing sheets on every bed in the house, I was feeling like superwoman. There was a lot of coffee involved.

So now, tell me… what are you up to currently?

faith, holidays, home, mommyhood, My Big Jesus

Trimming the Tree: Thought Processes of Preschoolers

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus!

I was so excited this year to get my Christmas decorations out and spend an evening with my family trimming the tree. Advent is my favorite time of the year and I love starting the season with music and lights and family.

I got box after box of carefully wrapped decorations from the attic, as visions of sugar plums danced in my head, and as my mother forcibly held my almost 2 year old son back from climbing the ladder after me. My 3 1/2 year old daughter, well-acquainted with the magic of Christmas, danced around the room, alternately shouting about how excited she was about the artaments and shouting at her brother to not break them.

We unwrapped the shiny, sparkly goodies and helped the first round of them get on the tree. I put the most fragile as high as I could, and let the kids do what they could reach. J quickly lost interest upon learning that actually putting the string around a branch was difficult, and resorted to pushing all the buttons on the ones that made noise (cue the off-key renditions of Disney songs and light shows that could cause seizures).

Having only broken a couple of ornaments so far, I felt like it was going well. The next day, however, as I admired our handiwork, I noticed a few things. This is what my preschoolers must’ve thought:

First of all, ornaments look best on the bottom of the tree. Either that or they didn’t bother to reach above their waistlines. Clusters of ornaments hang at my knee level and below, mostly including the “fun ones” or ones that my daughter made.

Secondly, once a kid got hooked on one branch, it had to have at least four ornaments before moving on to the next one. Branches are weighed down so heavily that I’ve moved several ornaments off to relieve pressure.

Third, similar ornaments must be hung together. If they came in a set together, they were meant to be hung near each other. Why spread them out evenly? (Close proximity of polka dot hats and silver garlic blubs – thanks Hubby for pointing that shape out.)

Lastly, the tree is not the only place for ornaments. The kitchen table, nightstands, and the middle of the floor are all acceptable places for tree ornaments to be residing. Note: if they make noise, they’re in a kid’s hand all the time.

All in all, I kinda dig it. I can have a tree worthy of Southern Living when I’m an empty-nester.

faith, holidays, mommyhood, random thoughts

What I’m Thankful For This Year

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I try to be thankful every day. As I’m sure you know, some days it’s easier than others. I spent the last couple of weeks trying to do small kindnesses, just paying a little love forward. It was wonderful to see the way it changed someone’s attitude sometimes, and the times I didn’t see it, it was good to know that someone would be blessed by what I had done. We are blessed to be a blessing!

This year, I’ve posted pictures in my Instagram every day of things that in thankful for, and they’ve often just been spur of the moment things, however I was feeling right then. But here’s a list for you, of a few things that are gratefully heavy on my heart today.

 My family. I mean the ones that brought me into this world and raised me. I have incredibly hardworking and loving parents, an awesome brother who I am glad to say I’m friends with, a sweet, sweet grandmother (and three other grandparents in heaven who I miss). I have aunts and uncles and cousins galore, all who I wish I saw more often, but they’re all truly wonderful. Family is awesome, y’all.

My family. NOW I’m talking about the family I’ve started… Starting with the most wonderful husband in the world, who loves me so well each and every day, even when I’m grumpy. I also have three healthy and happy children, all of whom we are able to feed, clothe, teach and treasure. Nothing is better than that.

My home. We live in a big house that keeps us dry and warm. That’s an incredible blessing. Not to mention, it’s also a safe place for our family and friends, and we have already, in our five years in it, made wonderful memories here.

My education. My parents worked hard to get me the best education available where we lived, and then send me on to college. This is a privilege and I am so thankful for it.

My town. Y’all, Winston-Salem is the coolest. It’s a great community full of innovative and excited people and I love living here.

My church. Reynolda has changed my life in so many ways, and I will always be grateful. The people there are nothing short of fantastic, loving, and grace-filled. They are my people. 

Those are just a few things… just a start. What are you thankful for this holiday?

food, holidays, home, mommyhood, random thoughts

Currently

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I just can’t get my updates out on Mondays anymore. Sheesh! I guess not much has happened since my update on Thursday, but here goes anyway! I’ll link up with Becky as usual! Here’s what I’m currently doing…IMG_0614

Eating || fried eggs. Why I’ve just rediscovered their deliciousness, I’m not sure. But I cannot get enough of them! I’ve always loved eggs in basically any form, but right now, frying them (over medium) is my jam.   

  Listening || to Christmas music! Not all day, every day yet, but the local radio station has switched over, and I’m also planning my advent music at church, so it’s just been a nice transition. 

Enjoying || the lovely weather right now! We’ve had clear skies and cool (but not cold) afternoons. It’s perfect, and we’ve all enjoyed some time outside! 
Thankful for || this season of preparing our hearts for Christmas. I’d always loved advent, and just before it gets started is a great time to set our hearts in a posture of gratitude. I am blessed immensely, and I choose to be grateful for the people and things in my life. 

What are you thankful for? What are you up to currently?

faith, holidays, mommyhood, random thoughts

Being Thankful

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On the heels of the #bloggerlifechallenge I did on Instagram in October, I’ve decided that this year’s November Thankfulness posts will also be on my Instagram account instead of Facebook. Some of them I’ll probably double post, but I really like Instagram as a platform for short, daily updates.  


I’ll continue using the #novemberthankfuls on each picture, and I’d love for you to join me! 

Gratefulness is something I value, and I try to teach it to my kids, even though they’re  young. I believe that changing your perspective to a thankful one can make you a happier person! So, it’s not too late to start. Just be thankful for one thing each day this month, and share about it! Follow me on Instagram to see mine!

food, holidays, home, random thoughts

Currently

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Oh, November. I love you. Except for the rain. I don’t love that.

Here’s this week’s edition of Currently! Since it’s the first week of the month, I’m not only linking up with Becky at Choose Happy, but also with Anne In Residence and Jenna at Gold and Bloom.

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Cooking || not much at all. I’m not ready to throw myself into holiday baking, and I’m not really a great cook, so I’ve taken a backseat on the food-making front. About the only thing I’m cooking right now is eggs. True story.

Planning || my worship services for the month. November is missions month at Reynolda, and our services are fairly centered around that. And since I have two Sundays (including this past Sunday) that I’m leading worship downstairs instead of at my normal service, I’m feeling the urge to be on the ball. I’ve already planned out this week’s, and I’ve got several songs I know I’ll use more than once, since I’m keeping the missions theme and hopping around venues.

Smelling || all the candles! I know it’s not time yet to get out my candles that smell like Christmas trees, but I have gotten out my cinnamon-smelling ones, and I’m totally loving it. 

 Appreciating || this time of year, in between fall and the holidays. I LOVE gearing up for Christmas and all that that entails, but this moment of rest in between Halloween and Thanksgiving is blessedly slow. November for the relaxing win.

Anticipating || lots of family time. Hubby’s family is having a reunion of sorts this weekend (and my mom will come to keep the kids for a few things), then next weekend my brother and his girlfriend are visiting. After that, it won’t be long until Thanksgiving. It’s nice that we’re going to see some of the family in short bursts, so that if we don’t get time together once, maybe we will the next time. We don’t feel so rushed. We’re also getting excited about a quick trip to Fort Worth in December for a family wedding, which also happens to be right at my 30th birthday! Hopefully we will find reasonable plane tickets and a few fun daytime things to do. I’ve never been to Texas!

Well, what about you? What’s going on in your November?

faith, holidays, My Big Jesus, random thoughts

The In Between

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This post also appeared on My Big Jesus! 

And just like that, Halloween has come and gone. The gorgeous leaves are mostly on the ground. The chill from the morning is lasting further through the day, which is shorter than ever. Already, stores have their Christmas things out, hoping to snag the earliest of shoppers. We are about to give the rest of fall a complete pass, hopping, skipping and jumping to the holidays. In fact, I was planning a New Year’s Eve party with some friends a day or two ago.

But before we go on, before we hang our wreaths, or even dress the Thanksgiving turkey, let’s pause.

  
Pause here, on the brink of what’s to come. Linger here, in the in between, and savor the anticipation of your plans and parties and presents. Treasure this time before it all starts. Prepare your heart for the busyness, joy, stress, and laughter. We’re sure to have all of those feelings and more.

Maybe this holiday will be the first without a loved one. Perhaps it’ll be your first holiday with a new love, or your child’s first time to really enjoy all that the holidays can offer. Whatever your situation will be this holiday, it’s not quite here yet. You’ve still a moment… just a moment to bask in the delicate juxtaposition of the anticipation and the calm, the already and the not yet. 

Isn’t that what it’s all about, friends? The already of the beauty of His creation, the sweet moments where we know He is near… and the not yet – the waiting for Him to call us home, for His glory to be revealed and our earthly selves to be redeemed. This sweet, sweet in between is our entire life, folks. We are calling to Him, begging for redemption and hope, asking to be changed and renewed. And He is answering, with love and wholeness, He is answering us every second of every day, until we go home to Him. 

In this season, I beg you to pause. Find Him in the moments of quiet, of already and not yet. Seek His face as you put away and bring out, as you tear down and build up. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, and bring you closer to Him. He will, y’all. He will.