Currently...

I am linking up with my sweet friends Randalin and Wendy today for a list of what 

is currently happening in my little world.  

Currently...

Cooking a sweet corn, home grown tomato, zucchini, and black bean skillet over 

wild rice.  This is by far my favorite time of year for cooking thanks to the over abundance 

of fresh produce peeking around every corner.  Between our own personal harvest and 

the generosity of neighbors and some of my patients, we have been enjoying home 

grown, organic fruits and veggies at every meal.  To be able to stock up on such 

treasures from your own backyard, your meal laced with the dirt of the earth you call 

your own, is truly a gift to me.

Wearing cut off jean shorts, Shawn's white tshirt, and bare feet.  

You know: the usual.

Wanting to get started on redoing the front of our house and adding our very 

own interpretation of curb appeal.  I've always wanted a big, bright red front door with 

black shutters, two big rocking chairs and hanging ferns.  It's a project I've been itching 

to get started on but know it's wise to wait and save a little money first.  One of the 

biggest lessons that Shawn and I have learned through buying and renovating our home 

is to take it slow, be realistic about our budget, and prioritize carefully.  The

renovation project for the front of our home is cosmetic, it is not a necessity.  Therefore, 

we will tie up the important projects for now, like a new air conditioning unit and 

updating the electrical work in the living room, while simultaneously squirreling more 

money away in our savings.  By the end of summer, that red front door just might

 be a reality.

Listening to "Blood" by The Middle East.  In the soundtrack of my life, this song 

is playing as Shawn and I hold hands and watch the girls playing on the front lawn.  It's 

for those nostalgic moments that make you want to jump on a tire swing and 

count the stars.

Watching "America's Got Talent", "The Bachelorette",  "RHOC", "Mad Men", 

"Nurse Jackie", "Game of Thrones", "Real Time With Bill Maher", "So You Think You

 Can Dance". Have I mentioned my affinity for cheesy reality shoes and 

mindless entertainment? 

Safari Summer

We kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a trip to a local exotic animal zoo for a 
summer festival.  In celebration of a job well done this school year, Isabelle got to invite 
her cousin, Sarah, and one of her best friends, Cade, for a fun filled day.  With Brees at 
my aunt's house for the afternoon, Belle was pretty excited to have her mama all to
 herself, running from one exhibit to the next with her arm linked in mine.  It was 
important to me to have this time with her, to give her my undivided attention.  She
 has worked so hard this school year and it was a real joy to spend the day with 
her celebrating the start of summer.  We played and danced and ate good food and
 rode horses and saw lots of animals.  We met up with more cousins and some of our 
friends in the park, three women and nine children total: what a wild bunch!  And 
despite the blistering heat and the miles of walking and the huge crowds and long 
lines, everyone kept their smiles on and their spirits high.  After a stop for ice cream
 on the way home, we all ended up back at our house for a late evening swim.  Brees
 came home with hugs and kisses that she had been saving up all day and we sat back 
and relaxed.  And as I sat on my patio and watched my children play with their cousins,
 their giggling voices ringing through the warm summer night air, I couldn't help but 
feel blessed.  It was a good day with the people I love.

Steppin' Out Saturday: Safari Park

Happy Memorial Day, dear friends!  May we all take a moment today to remember 

those who have given their lives in service for our country.

We kicked off our three day weekend with a trip to the local safari park.  In celebration of 

a job well done this school year, I treated Isabelle, her cousin, and her BFF to a day with 

the animals.  It was an absolute blast and I have so many photos to share.  Today, we 

are spending the day at the lake with friends, enjoying the sun and sand and good 

company.  Peace and love to you all!

Steppin' out for the weekend:

On Mama>>Shorts, tank, and blouse: Old Navy//Flip flops: Reef//Hat: Target

On Belle>> Tank and flip flops: Old Navy//Shorts: Target

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Friday

This week has been about settling down into a sweet summertime routine, finding a 

new groove and slowing down our fast paced school year agenda.  With no school bus

 to catch, we've been sleeping in until 7.  With no homework to do, we've been 

staying outside a little later.  The whole household seems to have taken a collective 

deep breathe and it has left me feeling happy, rested, and content.  Throw in a three

 day weekend and my cup has truly runneth over.  For the next few days, we plan to

 spend as much time with family and friends as possible as we open our pool, BBQ grill, 

and hearts to our new routine, our summertime routine.

I hope that you are all enjoying the start of this new season.  I leave you with a few photos 

of my little one from yesterday afternoon.  Brees loves nothing more than to be in

 the kitchen with her Mama, mimicking my every move in her little play kitchen. 

 She is a happy soul, my baby Brees.

 

 

 

Baby Steps To A Happy Heart v.3

An ongoing list of steps I'm building to nurture a happy heart...

5.  Remember: everything happens for a reason...

My Type A personality has always driven me to be a person who is in control.  I have a 

plan, I work hard, and I make things happen.  All that drive and determination 

can, however, cause me to have a great deal of anxiety and a deep sense of 

disappointment when things don't go the way that I think they should.  I set a goal

 for myself and am relentless in achieving it, keeping a positive attitude and never 

letting anything deter me.  But, sometimes, things don't work out, plans change, life 

gets in the way.  It took me a long time to understand that, to appreciate that no matter

 how hard I work and plan and prepare, things aren't always meant to go a certain way, 

least of all MY way.  Ultimately, things happen for a reason and the reasoning is not 

within my control.  Looking back at all of my past failures and complications, I can tell

 you with certainty that the things that didn't work out the way that I had planned 

them actually worked out for the better.  My mama always told me that when one 

thing doesn't work out, it's because something better is waiting in the wings.  She is so 

right.  With each year that goes by, with each growing experience that I endure, I

 am constantly reminded that I do not need to be worried about controlling every

 single situation.  The most important thing to do is to strive to succeed, to work hard,

 and to enjoy the ride.  The rest is fate, all in the hands of something much larger 

than myself.  And when I feel disappointed or saddened because something didn't work 

out the way that I envisioned, I must remember that there is a reason.  And the reason

 is almost always perfectly perfect in its own way.

6.  Turn the music up...

Music is a part of me, the thread that holds me together.  My earliest childhood 

memories involve my brother and I teaching ourselves to play guitar along to my 

mama's records.  We learned to harmonize to "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" by 

John Denver, singing it over and over until we had it just right.  We weren't allowed to 

watch very much television growing up, my mom always pushed us outdoors or to 

dance class or choir practice.  She was smart to do so, my mama.  Music was always 

around us, a part of our everyday life, and it has always lifted my spirits and made me 

feel more alive.  My younger cousins always roll their eyes when I talk about how lucky 

I feel to have been a teenager during the 90's grunge era, how blessed I am to have

 grown up with a real musical identity.  Music that meant and stood for something.  And 

then I married a musician, a man who fills our home with my favorite sounds: guitars

 and drums and harmonicas and bass.  Our girls have a constant beat to hum along to, 

from rock to blues to country and folk.  To hear a song and let it take me somewhere 

else: that is a magical feeling for me, one that soothes my mind and mends my heart. 

 My song for the week is here.  It reminds me of date night, blooming night jasmine, 

Abita Strawberry, deep belly laughs.  It takes me somewhere like only a good 

song can.  

 

 

 

 

Sweet Summer Time

Fall and winter are for football, gumbo, and nights around the fire.  Spring is for 
gardening and iced tea on the front porch.  And summer, sweet summer, is for the 
water.  Summer is for spending the day in your swimsuit and bare feet, eating 
ham sandwiches on a picnic blanket, hours and hours playing in the pool.  And so our 
weekend went: morning, afternoon, and evening sessions of swimming, long naps, sun 
kissed skin.  Little girls giggling as their Daddy tosses them up into the air, sunbathing
 on floaties, music floating through the outdoor speakers.  School is out, the weather is
 warm, and we could not be more excited for the promise of long days in the pool together.  
We started making summer 2012 memories this weekend and, by the looks of it, 
we are off to a great start.  

 

 

 

 

Steppin' Out Saturday: Date Night

Saturday, Shawn and I stepped out for our first date night in what seems like
 forever.  Isabelle went to one of her BFFs house for a slumber party and Brees stayed 
with my mom for a couple of hours while my husband and I enjoyed a long, delicious 
dinner at a local seafood restaurant.  The food was fresh, spicy, and cooked to 
perfection.  Only in Louisiana would your waitress ask you "Would you like to add a side 
of fried gator with that?".  One of the things I miss the most about our pre-baby life is 
eating a whole meal, uninterrupted.  These date nights are so special and important 
because they give us a chance to catch up and enjoy each other, as well as a good meal.  
After a 4 course meal that dragged out over a few hours, we picked up a sleeping
 Brees, tucked her into bed, and then sat on our back patio and enjoyed a few beers.  It 
was a quiet, romantic night that made me feel all giddy and school-girl like.  
That husband of mine, he really does have my heart.

 

Dress: Rachael and Chloe//Wedges and bracelet: Target