Texas Lou

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Good morning! I have been so blessed to get to “live” in Texas for 5 weeks the last 2 summers allowing me to spend time with family that I don’t get to see very often. My time in Texas is coming to a close and that always makes me really sad (picture me kicking and screaming all the way back to Virginia in the minivan like a kid). I know that sadness can be combatted to some degree by practicing gratitude so here we go!

1. I am beyond grateful for this amazing family I’ve been born into! Not only am I lucky to have them, I’m also lucky to be part of a crew that makes so much effort to keep our bonds strong!
2. I am grateful for my mom. She’s amazing, she’s confident, she takes care of us all. I hope I can be half the woman she is one day. She has opened up her home, her time, her love, and her support to us. We basically come in and take over her house as this loud, chaotic family of 5 and she is always happy to have us.
3. I am thankful for an amazing vacation at our happy place with my family. We beached, we swam, we ate amazing home cooked food, we drank, we watched the Corpus Christi Hooks play and indulged in dollar hot dogs at Whataburger Stadium. We sang and danced and played cards. We shared our ups and downs and commiserated with and supported one another in our difficulties. I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation, in a better place, with better people.
4. I’m thankful for my best friend back home. She is an amazing person and is 1 thing that has me looking forward to being back in Virginia. I’m also thankful that she knows me so well and knows that I’ll be sad leaving my family and Texas and has been planning fun stuff for us in addition to checking on our house and pets.
5. I’m thankful that several close family members who have had surgeries recently are ok and healing well.

I hope you all are able to find a bit of gratitude in your day today!

Happy New Year friends! One of my new years resolutions is to practice gratitude more often. I had seen benefits from this over the past few years but have gotten away from it recently and I want to experience the benefits of it again. Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

1. I’m grateful for electricity. We went several days without power due to a winter storm and I am so thankful to all the linemen and the power company for restoring it!
2. I’m thankful for good customer experience from the airlines. Our flight home from Texas was canceled twice and despite the headache of it all, the customer service reps and all of the airline employees I worked with were so helpful and empathetic.
3. I’m grateful for a great life coach, my mom, who never tires of my endless requests for advice and help with life’s various struggles.
4. I’m thankful for the opportunity for my son to play basketball. I can see the improvement in his confidence and it has been so fun to get back into one of my favorite sports as I watch him play.
5. I’m grateful for all of the hospitality and help my family showed us while we were in Texas. Plenty of family members welcomed us into their homes and provided us with meals and places to sleep when we hadn’t planned on staying so long!

I’m wishing everyone a great 2022!

Happy New Year Friends! I really have so much to be thankful for lately!

1. I am sooooo very thankful that we got to spend a long 2 weeks with my mom and extended family for Christmas! We had the most wonderful time and I’ll always remember this trip!
2. I’m grateful that some of my family members who were very sick in the hospital with Covid are all home now and seem to be doing better.
3. I’m grateful for a safe trip to and from Texas. We drove for the first time and I’m glad we made it safely without any incidents. I’m also thankful for my husband who quickly and gracefully handled the minor car trouble we had on the way home as well as for the Honda service center, especially their employee, Carlos, who were able to quickly get our car checked out and ensure it was safe to continue driving (all with a fun kids waiting area too)!
4. I’m thankful for my boys’ school and that they are able to continue to attend in person and learn with their friends and teachers.
5. I’m thankful for the vaccines for Covid that are now becoming available and for all the people who have put their hard work, time, and expertise into developing and testing them.
6. I’m grateful that Ben, the boys, and I already had Covid and recovered without any issues. It is because of that, that we have been able to have some sense of normal back in our lives including getting to visit my family and meet my new nephew, traveling for Christmas and getting to see family we have missed so much, and having less interruptions or worry when it comes to school and protentional exposures.
7. I am thankful for hope for the future. I am very hopeful that this spring and summer, most of us can hopefully try to get back to somewhat of a normal life.
8. I’m grateful for my husband for agreeing to drive to Texas with 3 young children with me. He surely knows the way to my heart.
9. I’m thankful for my best friend Lindsey who checked on our house and kitties while we were gone and has never judged me or been scared to be around me throughout the Covid crisis. I may not have made it through the past few months as gracefully without her!
10. Lastly, I am grateful for life and love. I love life and I love all the people in my life whether I see them every day or once a year. I’m so blessed to know so many wonderful and kind people.

Sending wishes of love, happiness, and health to you all!

Hi friends! Boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!

1. I am so grateful we were all able to stay healthy so we could travel to Texas and spend time with my family this weekend.
2. I’m thankful I got to meet my niece and celebrate my sister and her husband’s gender reveal!
3. I’m thankful my sister and her husband provided us with a nice and comfortable place to stay.
4. I’m grateful for an amazing family who all make the effort to come together when we are in town, especially my mom who drove 5 hours to see us.
5. I’m grateful for my dad for buying our tickets with his miles so we could afford the trip.
6. I’m thankful for the most amazing weekend and that my boys could spend time and bond with my family.

Have a happy day!