A Special Birthday

In early October, Kaitlynn was thrilled to be able to celebrate a special birthday with one of her besties, Lily! Julie went all out planning such a fun evening of activities, which began with some fun shopping followed by a surprise group dinner and even more shopping. Then it was back to Lily's house for more girlie activities, birthday cake, and a fun sleepover to end the night. Kaitlynn felt so special to be included in Lily's special day, and I just loved all of the photos that Julie sent throughout the night showing all of the fun they were having. Happy birthday to Lily!

Homecoming Weekend 2021 (part 2)

With a successful Friday night football game in the books, it was time to move on to part 2 of Homecoming Weekend - the high school dance on Saturday night. This was Connor's very first time attending a dance with a date, and of course, the kids like to go all out on making sure it's a night to remember. Connor and his date, Marie, were pretty low key about the dance but the Moms were there to make sure they were ready for their big night. Dress, shirt, pants, tie, belt, shoes, hair, flowers, dinner reservations, transportation with driver, outdoor setting for photos, dance tickets, and the list goes on and on. So many details to pull off this one night! But it was finally here and Connor sure looked the part. He was officially ready for his special date.

Jeff and I drove Connor to pick up Marie and then take them to a local restaurant for some dinner before the dance. Marie looked gorgeous! The careful planning between Marie's mom and I ensured that their outfits coordinated beautifully, and the two of them looked so cute and comfortable together despite some nerves they may have been feeling. We took quite a few photos of the pair together, and then headed to the restaurant where they met some friends for dinner. Jeff and I decided to grab a bite to eat as well while we waited on the foursome.

After their quick dinner, we drove to a nearby spot for some obligatory Homecoming photos of Connor, Marie, and another couple. We were one of many groups in the same area but it was fun to capture the kids in some pretty pictures to celebrate their fun night. The funniest part of the photos was the initial picture requested by Connor and Marie to capture an awkward pose. They thought it would be funny to pretend that they were feeling awkward and uncomfortable, so this is the photo they ended up sharing on their social media. Ha!

The reality is that they weren't uncomfortable at all. In fact, they were having a great time together and couldn't have been any cuter in their couple and group photos. Looking great!!

They were all smiles after the photos but ready for the main event at the nearby school convention center. By the end of the night, all reports were that it had been so much fun and they all really enjoyed the dance. It was a memorable first date for Connor, and we were thrilled that it had turned out to be such a success!

The winner for my favorite photo of the night was this one. What fun memories these two had made for their sophomore year of Homecoming!

Homecoming Weekend 2021 (part 1)

Jeff and I returned from our east Texas road trip merely hours before the Homecoming festivities would begin for Connor and his friends at Katy High School. While we were away, Connor and Marie had exchanged their mum and garter with one another and then wore them to school as per tradition on game day, Friday. Even though we missed the exchange, my parents and Marie's parents had taken some photos and shared them with us. So fun!

We checked in with Connor throughout the day, and I think he enjoyed the festive atmosphere, pep rally, and mum/garter attire during the school day. Homecoming is a BIG deal and the school takes the traditions very seriously, to the point that they offer a mum hospital for kids who need a quick fix throughout the day. Hilarious!

The Homecoming football game was held later that evening at Legacy Stadium, and we were excited to be able to attend the game with my parents. It was sure to be an exciting game with Katy playing their cross town rivals, Tompkins. Connor donned his "Beat Tompkins" shirt with his Homecoming garter, and we were off to Legacy Stadium for the big game.

Connor's date, Marie, planned to meet us at the game due to her late theater practice that day. The atmosphere inside the stadium was exciting and festive. It had been years and years since I had attended a high school football game, and it was so much fun to witness the school spirit and enjoy the perks of the incredible stadium facilities in person. We all had such a great time cheering on our Katy Tigers to a big win while enjoying the high school Homecoming experience. What a great start to Homecoming weekend!

Road Trip Getaway (part 2)

Even though Jeff and I had to interrupt our road trip getaway with an overnight stop back in Katy for the Father Daughter Cheer Night, it was worth every second and we had the best time enjoying the experience. The next day, however, MeMe and Grandaddy were back in charge so that Jeff and I could embark on the 2nd half of our road trip. Our first stop was a much anticipated lunch at Jeff's favorite steakhouse, Taste of Texas. It was an early anniversary trip and lunch for us, and we enjoyed the most delicious meal that we'd had in a long time. YUM!

After lunch, we were completely stuffed but happy to be heading to our next destination in east Texas. The goal of this leg of the trip was to attend the First Monday Trades Days in Canton, a monthly outdoor flea market with an endless assortment of shopping finds. While this wasn't exactly Jeff's ideal adventure, we agreed that it sounded like a fun outing to enjoy the outdoors, people watch, and maybe even find a good deal or two. 

For our accommodations while in east Texas, I found an AirBnB property called Beavers Run in a small town near Canton that looked like a neat cabin in the woods. Little did I know that this place would turn out to be an incredible gem in the middle of nowhere. Down a mile-long secluded gravel driveway, set amidst a beautiful forest setting with onsite fishing pond, was the most amazing cabin property with a massive outdoor deck and a wall of windows overlooking the gorgeous landscape. Inside the home was just as impressive, with wall to wall custom millwork, a Joanna Gaines inspired design, and a true cabin feel with natural decor. While the AirBnB ad had looked nice when we booked it, this place in real life blew us away with the attention to detail and stunning design. What an incredible and completely secluded spot in the middle of nowhere!

Jeff and I were excited to explore the property, but we didn't venture too far into the woods before the massive spider webs scared me back to the main road. We were stunned by the beautiful setting around us and felt incredibly lucky to have found this amazing property to enjoy for the last leg of our road trip. Absolutely beautiful!

After our first night in the cabin, we got up the next morning and set out to Canton to brave the September heat and crowds at the Canton flea market. I had been here before with friends and knew what to expect - TONS of people, nonstop walking, and awful heat and humidity while scouring for unique treasures. While Jeff definitely enjoys outdoor adventures, this wasn't quite what he would prefer as a couple's activity, but we knew that fact going in and decided to give it a chance. We were all smiles upon arrival.

We found some great deals, including some yard art for Jeff, early Christmas presents for the boys, and a bedside gun safe Jeff had been eyeing for half-off retail price. But with the climbing humidity and step count into the 10s of thousands, it wasn't long before Jeff was DONE with Canton and ready to get back to the cabin. He was kind enough to let me enjoy a funnel cake and we snapped one last pic. Our faces were much more lined and exhausted with forced smiles by that point, HA!

On the way back to the cabin, we made a quick trip to Walmart for some fishing supplies so that Jeff could try his luck at the pond on the property. We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner in a local town before calling it a night - it had been a long, exhausting, but really nice day!

The next morning before heading back home, Jeff enjoyed a nice morning of fishing and even managed a great catch. He looks right at home with that fishing pole and seems to enjoy it more and more as he gets older. I loved seeing him in his element!

We felt incredibly lucky to have stumbled onto the amazing Beavers Run property for the last leg of our road trip getaway. Though we weren't fond of the hours on the road throughout the week, we enjoyed our time together to reconnect and spend much-needed time together without the distractions of our everyday hectic lives. What a blessing to have parents to watch our kids so that we can escape every now and then. And even if our getaway wasn't ideal or even close to what we might've envisioned, God blessed us with some unique activities and locations to make the most of our opportunity together. Happy early 16th anniversary to us!