Texas Lou

Archive for the ‘Outdoors’ Category

I have so much to be thankful for this week!

1. I am grateful for a fun weekend with my kiddos! We spent Saturday at the Fluvanna County Fair and Rodeo. It was my kids’ first fair and rodeo and we had a blast seeing old friends and new friends, riding rides, making bird feeders, playing in a corn pit, playing on bouncy houses, learning about lady bugs, watching professional axe throwers and log rollers, playing on big construction vehicles, watching cowboys, bull riders, and mutton busting, and enjoying each other!
2. I am thankful for beautiful weather and a fun day swimming at the river with our best friends!
3. I am so very grateful it is the first day of school and we are all getting back into a routine. We had an amazing summer and now we are ready to get back into it!
4. I am thankful for my best friend Lindsey and that she always plans fun things for us including a sunrise hike last weekend and a fun family day at the river.
5. I am thankful my kiddo is feeling better after a short virus and that he was recovered in time to go to school on the first day.

Happy day friends!

Hi friends! I am so grateful lately! Let me tell you why!

1. I am grateful for getting to spend tons of time with family over the past few days! We’ve had pool parties, 4th of July cookouts and firework celebrations, a Cousins’ Night dinner, and a girl’s weekend at the lake! I LOVE my family and am so thankful for the opportunity to spend so much time with them this month!
2. I am thankful that my mom always welcomes us with open arms and makes us feel 100% comfortable and at home despite the fact that my 3 little boys might accurately be compared to wild animals at times!
3. I’m thankful for the chance to be somewhere with clearner air. The air quality in Virginia has not been great due to the Canadian wildfires so I’m glad our lungs are getting a bit of a break.
4. I’m thankful for Buc-ee’s and that you can find tham outside of Texas now! Best place to stop on a roadtrip EVER!
5. I’m grateful for fun times this summer!

Have a great one!

Hi friends! I am so thankful lately and here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. I’m thankful for warmer weather and longer days. We have been spending so much time having fun outside. Yay for spring!!!
2. I’m grateful for amazing friends! We got to have so much fun with a bunch of our friends this weekend.
3. I’m thankful that Covid surges are over for now and things feel more normal.
4. I’m thankful for my boys. I am enjoying having fun with them at this age so much right now! We’ve been playing chess, jumping on the trampoline together, and going on hikes!
5. I’m grateful for finding my assertive voice. It took me a long time to find it but it feels good to be able to stand up for myself and my family and voice what I want without extreme anxiety!

Have a wonderful week!

Good morning friends!  I’ve been trying to be extra grateful lately!  I’ve been getting back into meditation and trying to remember to practice/teach gratitude with my boys.  We have a chalk board in our kitchen, and when I can remember, I ask them what we are thankful for that day and we write it on the board.  I’m hoping to raise them to always look on the bright side of things and practice gratitude regularly.  Here are a few things I’m grateful for today:

1. I’m thankful for a beautiful weekend spent outdoors!  Ben, the boys, and I did so much outside including a summer kick-off carnival at ACAC, 2 pool days with friends at ACAC, the Farmer’s Market, playing outside in our yard, going for walks in our neighborhood, putting up the umbrella on our deck and enjoying lunches and dinners outside, and spending an afternoon at the lake!  What a blast it was!  I hope my boys are learning to love the outdoors and I’m sure the vitamin D is doing us all some good!
2. I’m thankful for an easier pregnancy this time around.  While it certainly hasn’t been easy in the general sense of the word, for the most part, it has been easier than a twin pregnancy and I’m so grateful for that because here I am at 30 weeks and am still somewhat able to keep up with the boys and do lots of activities with them.
3. I’m so grateful for my boys!  Every day they are teaching me to be more patient and appreciate life more.  While I don’t always realize it in the moment, I am learning slowly that there is more to life than a clean house, checked-off to-do list, and TV at the end of the day.  I’m doing much better at going to bed with a living room full of toys on the floor and a kitchen sink full of dirty dishes.  While those things still bother me, the boys remind me constantly that I only have this time with them at this age once so I’m trying to soak it up more.
4. I’m so thankful for my baby.  I’m sure it is partially the hormones talking, but I am getting so excited about holding him and nursing him and seeing what he looks like.  I don’t remember feeling those things much with the boys because I was so focused on keeping them inside for longer and preventing premature birth that I didn’t have much time to get excited for them to be here.  I’m so glad that so far, according to my doctors, premature birth with this baby is looking less and less likely.
5. I’m grateful for good friends who help me be a better parent and reassure me that I’m on the right track.  I have some great friends who are traveling down this parenting road with me and if it weren’t for their help, support, reassurance, and great listening skills, I’d probably be in a much darker place about how I feel about my parenting.  Thank you friends for being there!

Have a great day!

Hi friends!

I have a weekend full of gratitude to share!

1. I’m thankful for my mom visiting this past weekend.  I know that it’s not always fun, easy, or cheap to travel so I’m extremely grateful when someone comes to visit, especially by plane.  As a matter of fact, when my sister and brother ask me what I want for Christmas, I usually say that I just want them to come visit!  I’m so thankful my mom was able to come and spend time with us.
2. I’m grateful for the amazing weather we had this past weekend.  It was so nice and warm out that mom, the boys, and I (and Ben)  got outside every day she was here.  We spent time at Fridays After Five, ate on the patio at The Bebedero, went to the City Market, shopped on the Downtown Mall, and played a bunch in our yard.
3. I’m thankful for my mom and her delicious home cooking.  Saturday night, she made us one of my favorites dishes, swedish meatballs, with green beans, strawberry, spinach, poppy seed salad, egg noodles, and apple cheddar jalapeno scones.  We also had apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream for dessert!  I’ve always loved my mom’s cooking and it is a treat when she cooks for Ben, the boys, and I.
4. I’m grateful for a mom who is a great role model for me as a mother and also a fun and amazing grandma to my boys.  Even though the boys don’t see her often since she lives in Texas, they always warm up to her right away.  It’s so important to me that they have a relationship with their family so I’m thankful for the people in my life who make the effort to make those relationships happen.
5. I’m grateful for my mom’s wisdom, knowledge, and smart advice.  I’ve had some financial things that I’ve needed to get in order for a while and mom helped me a bunch while she was here to get things organized and understand some financial information that I’ve been wanting to learn about.

Thank you mom for being amazing and being you!

Happy day friends!

Good morning!  It’s been a while but I keep coming back!

Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

1. I’m grateful that I live in a country where we all have the right to vote on this election day!  I voted this morning and regardless of who the winners are, I’m just grateful that I am a citizen of the greatest country in the world!
2. I’m grateful for a beautiful fall weekend filled with family time!  Saturday, Ben, the boys, and I ran the Wolanski 2 Miler to celebrate the retirement of my awesome OBGYN.  We then bought lots of goodies at the Farmer’s Market and continued on to Carter Mountain Orchard for some apple picking.  The boys had such a great time and I’m thankful I can give them fun and awesome experiences like these!
3.  I’m grateful to live in a city with such amazing preschool options!  We’ve been touring preschools to enroll the boys in next fall and there are so many great schools around that it’s overwhelming to choose one!
4. I’m thankful for the extra hour we got this weekend.  While I’m not a fan of it getting dark super early, it was nice to get that extra hour on Sunday especially when there are never enough hours in the day!
5. I’m grateful for a sweet sister.  She sent me a sweet card and beautiful bracelet to ask me if I’d be her matron of honor in her wedding!  I’m so excited for her and thankful to be her sister.

Happy day friends!

Good morning!  Here’s a quick dose of gratitude to keep me positive this morning!

1. I’m thankful for nice weather this past weekend.  Even though it was hot and there was a heat advisory, I’m still happy the sun was shining.  The boys and I were able to get outdoors quite a bit (while making sure to stay hydrated) and to me, that is much more fun than being stuck inside because of rain.  We went on walks, attending the Charlottesville Farmers Market, and went to the Greenleaf Spray Park with friends!
2. I’m thankful for my in-laws and all that they do to help us.  On Saturday, they watched the boys for a couple hours so Ben and I could have an old-fashioned date:  lunch at Beer Run and seeing Suicide Squad at Regal Stonefield (yay for free movie tickets)!
3. I’m grateful for technology!  This one shows up often on my list but that’s because it is a huge part of our everyday life.  I’m so thankful we have the opportunity to watch the 2016 Summer Olympics thanks to the internet and television.  It’s so awesome seeing the different competitors and matches!
4. I’m thankful that my mom found a new job and that it is located close to where her family lives.  She started her new job yesterday after being out of work since late February and I’m so grateful my uncle and aunt are letting her stay with them until she finds a place nearby.
5. I’m thankful for Carter and Morgan.  They are constantly reminding me what life is really about.

Have a great day!

Good grateful morning to you!  We had a fun and fabulous weekend to make up for the sad and uneventful one before.  Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

1. I’m grateful for amazing friends who are so nice to share with us.  My friend Lindsey and her husband and kiddos invited us to ACAC waterpark where they have a membership and we had so much fun with them!  There is an enclosed kiddie area with a kiddie pool and splash pad so I was able to take the boys by myself without an extra helper.  We had a great time, played in the water, and enjoyed lots of snacks by the pool.  Thanks Lindsey and Greg!
   

   Enjoying snacks by the pool

2.  I’m grateful again for amazing friends and daddies who watch kiddos so mommies can get some much needed relaxation and adult time!  Friday night, Sarah and I went to the free wine tasting at Market Street Wine Shop, something we used to do all the time B.K. (before kids!) and even ran into some old friends.  Then Lindsey, Sarah, Kaleigh, Sherry, and a couple others met up at Wine & Design to paint a tree at sunset scene.  Everyone brought delicious snacks and wine to share.  We had a blast and decided to continue the evening with drinks at The Whiskey Jar.  What an awesome night!  Thanks to Lindsey for planning and thanks to Ben, Ian, and Greg for pulling extra daddy duties and putting the kids to bed so we could all enjoy the evening!
   

   Some of the ladies and I at The Whiskey Jar

3.   I am so grateful I live in such an amazing part of the country where I can witness the beauty of nature every day!  Saturday afternoon, while the boys were napping, I was sitting on the deck enjoying the sunshine and watching for hummingbirds when 2 bald eagles flew right by me and landed in a tree nearby.  Ben and I watched them for several minutes with the binoculars.  I’ve never seen one, much less 2, that close before!  I’m so thankful I was in the right place at the right time!
   

   They’re difficult to see but you can spot 2 black blurs in the tree

   

   1 of the bald eagles flying above the house

4. I’m grateful for my boys and for being given the gift of twins.  Now that they are getting older, I’m getting glimpses of sibling love that just melt my heart and I’m so thankful I get to witness it.  Morgan LOVES to hug and kiss Carter (although Carter isn’t always the biggest fan since it sometimes turns into a wrestling match) and it makes my heart so happy to see the love between them!
5. Lastly, I’m thankful for my in-laws who help us in so many ways.  This weekend, they allowed us to use their membership to a local neighborhood beach so we could take the boys to the lake and let them practice using their new floaties.  They had so much fun and I’m so grateful to my in-laws for sharing these amenities with us!

Happy day friends!

Time for a little gratitude!

1. I’m thankful for a wonderful place to work that provides me with flexibility, a part time schedule, and working from home capabilities that all allow me to spend more time with my children.  They also have a wonderful wellness program that has helped me beyond any drug out there and has introduced me to the wonderful world of mindfulness and meditation.  And to top it all off, they have a bi-annual employee appreciation day!  I’m very grateful to work here!
2. I’m grateful for access to therapies for my boys.  Because they were born premature, they’ve been late to walk and talk and we are lucky to have a physical therapist and speech therapist who come to our house to work with us in addition to insurance that pays for it.  Both the boys are walking now and are starting to mimic our words so I’m very grateful for their continued improvements and development!
3. I’m thankful for the good things in life that have been happening for my sister and brother.  Within the past year and a half they have both started new jobs in their preferred career path, begun relationships with very nice significant others, and have found their first real adult homes.  I’m happy to see them happy!
4. I’m grateful for the internet and social media.  It has allowed my extended family to stay connected and plan a future family reunion that has been long overdue!
5. I’m grateful for long walks on autumn days.  My boys and I have been spending lots of time outdoors soaking up the last of the warmth and sunshine before winter comes and it makes me so happy to spend time with them outside.

Happy day friends!

Good morning friends!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day!  Here’s a list of things I’m thankful for today:

1. I’m thankful for a great 12 month checkup for my boys on Friday with no reactions to immunizations thus far!  I’m also thankful for the doctor’s go-ahead that we can start giving the boys cow’s milk instead of formula.  That is going to save us so much time and money!
2. I’m thankful for a fun-filled weekend!  After our doctors appointment on Friday, we met up with my friend Lindsey and her kiddos for some outdoor time and walking at Saunders-Monticello Trail.  Lindsey took beautiful photos of us a couple of weeks ago and wanted to give me the pictures.  Afterward, we met up with Ben and headed to Fridays After Five where we met our friends Chris and Cara and their little ones.  We had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather and dancing to the live music!  The boys did so great!  Saturday, after an awesome personal record-making 4 mile run, I got to spend some quality time with some amazing ladies helping to throw a baby shower for my friend Amy and her lil guy who arrives in August!  Sunday was low key with some quality family time.  Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day with brunch at Beer Run.  Sarah and Cora joined us for brunch and then we all headed over to Old Mills Trail near where Ben and I used to live and run together for a sunny walk.  Afterward, we took the boys swimming for the first time!  The weekend ended perfectly with a cookout at Ben’s parents’ house.  The boys got their share of hamburgers and fruit salad!
   

   Mommy with her boys in the pool for the first time

   

   Daddy with his boys in the pool for the first time

   

   Morgan at Beer Run for brunch

   

   Carter excited for brunch at Beer Run

3. I’m so grateful for the new drive-thru Starbucks in town!  Coffee and I are best friends now that I have 2 children who like to wake up before 6 AM and unloading and reloading the boys in and out of the car just wasn’t feasible for a latte but now my prayers have been answered and I can get my caffeine fix without waking them up!  An extra special thanks goes out to my cousin Megan for the Starbucks gift card she gave me…my bank account is grateful for that!
4. I’m thankful for the beautiful weather we’ve been having and while I’m thankful for the rain Texas has been receiving due to their drought status of recent years, I’m also thankful that all of my family in Texas is safe and sound despite the floods and storms.
5. I’m thankful for all my friends and family who bring happiness and smiles to my days!  Love you all!