Where Did July Go?!

It is hard to believe that there is only ONE day left after today in July!  Wow - time seriously has been flying.

Since I'm behind on blogging, I will just bombard you with pictures (as if I don't do that already :// ), in order to catch you up!

Ready?

• We went to The Bolton's pool!  Tiffany is pregnant with their second and is due in a month, so she hasn't been up for much company this summer, so we were excited when they invited us over for a low key Saturday afternoon by the pool :) 

Tiffany, Baby Sloane, Me, Anne

I'm the only one looking at the camera!

• Sean and I went to Anemia's for brunch!  My cousins have been telling us how yummy their Sunday brunch is.  We were happy to finally give it a try. It did not disappoint!

We had mojitos, yum!

• On July 18 this adorable little bundle was welcomed into the world by Kevin & Kristi (Sean's brother).  His name is Caylum Sidney Parks, and he is so darn cute!

I love his little squishy face in this picture

Wide awake! 

Asher being sweet to his new little brother :)

• Looking at this picture makes me want to make this again!  I found a recipe for creamy orzo with veggies and chicken sausage.  We eliminated the sausage to make it vegetarian, and y'all.  This dish was just perfect. It was flavorful and creamy.  We even used brown rice orzo to make it a bit more healthy.  SO GOOD!  Good thing I bought an extra bag of orzo. I think I might need another batch of this in the fridge this week!

• Another new recipe for us was grilling some fruit!  We have been wanting to do this for soooo long, and always forget, or by the time we are done cooking and eat, we don't feel like going and turning the grill back on!  We had my in-laws for dinner and after shrimp fajitas, we grilled up these yummy plums!

• Look at these crazy mushrooms that popped up in our mexican heather!  

• We celebrated Alison's 31st birthday this past weekend at The Foundy/Chicken Scratch in Dallas.  Very cool place SP and I had read about in Southern Living this past spring.  It was fun to finally go and experience it in person!

My old co-worker Nicole and her boyfriend Mike came to see us!

• We kept Clyde (Bolton's dog) this past weekend.  He is such a good dog. We love him, and he loves Sean!

• I decided to clean out my closet - dress portion only!  It felt so good :)

• Oh, & after cleaning out my dresses....I sort of kind of went to Anthropologie and bought 2 more dresses, whoops :)

• Lastly, we tried a new restaurant in Keller this past Sunday for breakfast.  It was really yummy, but even better, this place actually has CHARACTER.  Yes, in Keller.  Believe it people!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!  We will just be around trying to do as little as possible this week.  SP has some issues with his esophagus.  Not sure exactly what is wrong, but he hasn't been feeling well. Last night after he went to the doctor, I made him this yummy blended vegetable soup to enjoy :)

Visit On a Whim

Last Thursday evening, Sean and I went out to dinner with his parents.  On our way home, I got a text from my friend Lauren (college roommate, sorority sister, and bridesmaid.  I was her maid of honor!) asking me what I was doing this weekend (i.e. last weekend).  Turns out, she and her husband Jonathan decided on a whim to come to Dallas for their anniversary.  They originally planned on staying in Dallas, but after a little sweet talking, I convinced them that Fort Worth was way cooler and they should stay here instead :) 

Jonathan wanted to spend his afternoon at Cabela's and Lauren wanted to shop!  So, Sean worked in the yard all day, Jonathan played at Cabela's all day, and L and I shopped till we dropped!  We spent a lot of time at a few stores that she doesn't have back home in Shreveport, like Anthropologie and Sephora.  Next, we headed to TJ Maxx Home Goods.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  Lauren is the best person to go to this type of store with.  We walked around it at least 15 times, each time finding a new treasure! Check out what I found...

The table runner and large wooden bowl!  It is exactly what my table has been needing!  I really have to give the credit to Lauren because she had the eye for these.  And to be honest, I wasn't convinced about the bowl...but once I got it home and on the table with a few of my things in it, I fell in love!  I totally trust Lauren and her design skills.  After all, her house is pretty flawless....

When we got home, I mentioned I had been looking for the right thing to hang on one of the walls in the dining room...

I few months ago, I thought about doing old china plates.  I have a nice collection of them and could spare a few to hang on the wall.  SP has never liked this idea. But, when Lauren said it, we convinced him otherwise.  I think it takes a little push sometimes for him to see my vision!  And I mean, why does he care?  He's a guy!  Aren't they supposed to not care about these things?  Not my guy!  But regardless...Lauren helped me lay them out and come up with the design.

So now I am just hoping my mom isn't freaking out knowing all these plates she bought me as a wedding gift are now going to be displayed on my wall :)  Don't worry mom, I still have plenty to go around! Except for the small ones.  I am out of those now!  We have something new to hunt for again :) My goal over the weekend is to get these darn things hung up!  Sean informed me yesterday that he is sick of stepping over them, whoops!

So after shopping and a bit of r & r, the 4 of us met back up in the Fort Worth Stockyards!  We took them to Joe T Garcia's, which is a FW staple!  Jonathan went to TCU for a little while so he had been before, but Lauren was a first timer.  It was a hot night, so thank goodness for fans!

The view out West

After dinner, we took them downtown off W 7th to Bar Louie.  We lucked out by getting 4 seats...right by some misting fans!  Lauren and I were cracking up because it was almost impossible to take a decent picture with those darn misting, high blowing fans constantly on us!

It was such a fun day, and I'm so glad they came in town.

Since You've Been Gone

Dad,

It has been a month.  And in that month, there hasn't been an hour passed that I haven't thought of you. There have been so many times where I have the urge to go grab my cell phone to tell you something! I then smile and realize you already know.  I sometimes wake up out of a deep slumber and think you're there.  Maybe you are?  It is the craziest, coolest thing.  I like to think that you are there, anyway.  I have many dreams with you in them.  I can't really remember them, but I wake up knowing we had a good time together while I was asleep :)

Yesterday, I was driving in the early evening and looked up at the sky.  Tears started streaming down my face.  I can't explain it.  I was just overcome with the beauty of it.  I swear since you've been gone, the sunsets, weather, and winds have been more beautiful, stronger, and severe.  I just know it's your big presence up there!  I went from a few tears to a big smile thinking about you.

You are all around me all the time, I can feel it.  I have always felt closest to God while in nature.  Seeing the beauty of it.  Now, not only do I feel close to God when I see these beautiful skies, I feel close to you.  And I love that.

This has always been one of my favorite Zac Brown Band songs, and now it holds even more meaning.  I would say, dear dad, you definitely enjoyed the ride.

This is for you!  Enjoy :)

July 3, 2013

July 3rd marked our two year anniversary!  It is so hard to believe it has been two years since this happened...

Gosh...what a perfect day.  I would not change a thing about that day back in 2011. Well, ok...maybe one thing...the temperature!  But seeing as how that is completely out of my control.  Nothing.  It was perfect.

So back to this year...we really didn't have anything planned for the day, but we did know we wanted to go somewhere yummy for dinner.  We had a really hard time finding anywhere to go because all of the places in the area we were trying to visit were closed for the week of the 4th!  I know, crazy!

While we racked our brains for the rest of the day on where to eat dinner that night, Sean went to the grocery store to get stuff to make a yummy breakfast!  Oh, and I was smart the day before and bought a bottle of bubbles for the occasion.

I have always loved the idea of giving the traditional anniversary gifts to each other.  I just think it's really neat.  So year 2 was cotton.  I splurged on some very. nice. dress socks for SP!  He absolutely loves them!  I think I might be in trouble now because I doubt his $12 Banana Republic socks are going to cut it for him since these beauties came to town.  He wears dress socks every single day, so it was well worth the splurge!  Downside (other than his obsession) is that I am now getting fabulous emails from Barneys NewYork with beautiful items attached, like Prada handbags.  I mean.  Like I need that :)

Spotted: SP already wearing his new socks within 30 minutes of owning them! 

Sean got me a cotton yoga towel that goes down on your mat to keep you from sliding in hot yoga.  I love it (well, I haven't exactly used it yet...but I have been wanting one, so I can't wait to try it out!).  He also got me a delicious smelling candle and giftcard from Anthropologie, and these lovely flowers!  He picked each type of flower out by himself and put the arrangement together.  I love him!

The card is a funny story.  He saw the card and really liked it...

After he opened it, he realized it wasn't appropriate for him to give me, so he just made it work anyway :)

For dinner, we went to Winslow's off of Camp Bowie in Fort Worth.  I had been before with my friend Courtney for wine and appetizers, but never for dinner.  It was really tasty and fun to go somewhere different and out of our norm.

Happy Anniversary, Sean!  Here's to many.  many. mannnnnnny more :)

Since I've Been Home!

I have been gone, as in away from my humble abode, practically all of June. And a whole lot before that too!  This past week and a half I have enjoyed being home :)

Here's what's been going on...

1.  I was able to hit the pool with my neighbor, Shemele for the first time all summer!  Since she is a kindergarten teacher, she has summers off.  I always enjoy getting to squeeze in some pool time with her at her parent's sparkling saltwater pool!

2.  I have received so many sweet flower arrangements and cards from people that have followed my father's journey with pancreatic cancer.

3.  I hung one of my dad's many clocks in our office.

4.  My cousins were in Gulf Shores all week.  SP and I took advantage of their pool!

5.  After pool time at Jennifer & Greg's, we went to Anamia's for margaritas and table side guac!  It's the best ever!  Seriously.  I actually want it now.

6.  We picked some delicious tomatoes from our garden.  They were so good and flavorful!  I'm now spoiled and don't like them from the grocery.

7.  We went to our friends house in Little Elm, Ryan and Melanie, for dinner and washers!  They made grilled salmon, stuffed mushrooms, and green beans.  It was really tasty, and washers was a blast!

8.  I went back to my cousins pool with Jenn and Elise!  And then, can you guess where we went?  That's right!  Anamia's for margaritas and table side guac!

9.  I made a few guilty purchases ://

10.  I had a lunch date with Kristen who I hadn't seen in mooooonths!  It was good to catch up, but why we chose to sit on the patio at Taco Diner on a summer day is beyond me.  We were both so sweaty by the end of it.  YUCK!

11.  I have become completely obsessed with these drinks from Starbucks. Seriously, I could drink one right now.  They are soooo good and refreshing (especially at the pool :) )  It is an Iced Green Tea Peach Lemonade.  YUM!  

12.  For the 4th, we went to Shemele's parents pool again!  Autumn and John, and Casey and Ray joined us with their girls.  We swam and grilled.  Didn't see any fireworks, but I think me trying to get on the whale in the pool might have been show enough!  It was very difficult!!!

Last 2 "standing".  Not surprised!

13.  I think I just realized I'm cramming 2 weeks into one blog post.  I can't keep my days straight, o'well!

14.  This past Saturday, Sean and I got to relax on the couch alllllll day.  I can not tell you how long it has been since that has been able to happen.  He only had to show one house in the morning, so the rest of the day we caught up on our DVR and watched Life of Pi (which btw, GREAT movie!)

15.  Drank a bottle of one of my favorite bottles of wine (I had help, don't worry!)

That squash...we grew it and ate it this week, too :)

16.  My old college roommate for all 4 years had her first baby late last night! Sadie James Gemelli.  8lbs 3oz 21"long.  She looks just like Emily!  So happy for she and James!

17.  Found this picture of my dad and I.  It is one of my favorites.  I think I like that we match, and I'm pretty sure we were at the beach, which I love ;)

18.  I apparently talk to SP and my mom a whole lot (no surprise there!)

19.  I have been wearing this old ring of my dad's.  I love it so much.  I feel like he is constantly with me now, and this ring just helps prove that!  

20.  We went back to my cousins pool to hear all about their beach vacation!  We played volleyball and grilled burgers.  We always have the best time together!  I love that they live so close and we can all hang out.  

And last but not least....

21.  We celebrated our 2 year anniversary!  I'll save those pictures for another post :)