Amen! It's Friday!

It's time for some Five on Friday fun! 
[one]  I have to start out by saying that this is DAY 2 of the Radiant Conference and I am so unbelievably excited for what today holds in store for me! Yesterday was the beginning of it all, and for it being only 2 hours last night, I was truly moved! Although it was a long day {working and then hitting up the conference immediately after until 9pm}, it was so worth it! I seriously am so excited to spend today with some great speakers and Godly women ... the entire day! Don't worry, there will be a recap post next week! :) 

[two] Where the heck does time go?! Seriously, tomorrow is MARCH 1ST, and I'm blown away at this. And with that being said, I need to get my butt in gear and focus on a few major things in life that I've had in the works...let's do this! 

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[three] I failed. I failed at the Made to Crave bible study... and that's okay. I was pretty excited and moved to join in on the Online Bible Study with Proverbs 31 six weeks ago, but it wasn't realistic to follow their time frame. I sensed it from the start, but I didn't give up. Well, now it's six weeks later and the end of their study - and I failed. However, I will do this study on my own this summer and reflect on all the blog posts that were shared on Proverbs 31's study blog. I know it's in the cards for me to do, but I want to be able to do it at 100% and give it my full attention. It wasn't fair to only be in halfway. 

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[four] We received our tax return refund! Can I get an Amen?! 

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[five] IT'S THE WEEKEND! How would this fact not make it on today's top five? :) Praying this weekend brings lots of joy and quality time with loved ones! 

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Linking up with THE GOOD LIFE BLOG.

Why We're Waiting...

I got a lot of feedback on my previous post about babies. So, I'm at it again. Mostly, to answer the aging question, "When are y'all going to have kids???" 
The question mostly comes up like this:  "Y'all have been married for over two years now. Aren't y'all thinking of having kids anytime soon? What are you waiting for? When are y'all going to have kids?" 
As previously mentioned, we do want kids. Just not right now! Seriously, why can't people just accept where you are in your life, whether it be single, married, dating, baby-less, a house full of little ones, loving on a dog/cat, living in a mansion, struggling in an apartment with no white picket fence - WHO CARES?! Okay okay, that's really a topic for another day {it's coming, don't worry}. 
via Do those precious toes make me want to have a child of my own? Of course! But seriously, what's the rush? Some may disagree with me, but this is my blog. Therefore, my opinions. You can leave if you want, I don't mind. 
Yes, Colten and I have been married for over two years.  Yes, we both want to become parents.  Yes, we have baby fever.  Yes, we're waiting. 
Why? Let's take a look at the reasons why we're waiting, shall we? It's really why you're here anyway... 
Finances. Surprise, surprise {not!}, having a baby costs bookoos of money. I'm talking lots and lots of paper. LOTS! I don't know from personal experience {obviously}, but it's no secret. It starts with the moment you are aware you're pregnant. It's doctor bill after doctor bill, and it's only the beginning. For nine{ish} months, you will attend numerous doctor appointments to check on your baby as well as your own well-being. Fun fact: we're not rolling in the dough. Therefore, we know that we want to be more financially stable before even attempting for children. Before you go rolling your eyes at me {yes, that means you!}, I am completely aware of the fact that no one is ever able to afford having a baby, and if we wait until we can afford it, it'll never happen. Preach elsewhere, please, as I've already mentioned - I'm aware! But there's a huge difference in being able to afford a baby and being financially stable for a baby to enter into our lives. If you want more details on that, you just let me know. :) 
Marriage. Marriage is not something that I take lightly {no one should}. I vowed forever with my husband, and by gosh, I'm going to enjoy every minute! Which also means I'm going to truly cherish every single second that it's just 'two' in our family. For those of you thinking, "but it's already been two years..." Yes, it has, but can you ever really have enough time with your spouse? Seriously, Colten and I don't get that much time together {definitely not as much as we'd like}, so we're really not rushing into adding another HUGE and LIFE CHANGING commitment to the mix right now. We want to truly enjoy each other and learn more about each other, which we do every single day. We want to stand by our commitment to stand by each other. That doesn't mean that marriage is out the window once a baby comes into the picture, but I want to be able to experience life with my husband by my side and be sure that we have 'married memories' that don't involve waking up in the middle of the night to a blood curdling scream from a newborn that only has to poop. Ok? Okay. 
It's not our decision anyway!  Wait, what? Yes, you read that right. It's not mine or Colten's decision when the right time is for us to have children {if we even can}. We firmly believe that it will happen in God's timing. He holds our future in His hands, and if it shall be, it will be. Colten and I have such a want to one day become parents that we know it will happen one day, one way or another. It may not be easy, but through our current state of 'wanting', we're also learning a lot. Roman's 5:3-5 says: 
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 
We are learning perseverance and building our character to be better parents one day than we would be today. I have unfailing faith in our Savior that his will shall be done through me. If I'm meant to become a mother, it'll happen in God's timing and in God's way. 
However, that doesn't mean that I'm not human and want a baby so badly some days, because I do. God knows the wants and desires of my heart, which leaves me clinging to these two verses - 
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.   -Mark 11:24 
Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.   -Psalm 37:4
God knows what he's doing. He knows better than I could ever imagine. And because of that, we're waiting. We know that His timing will be impeccable, as with all things, and I will just be content having 'baby fever' until it happens. That doesn't go to say that I will be happy waiting until I'm in my 40's to have a baby, because let's face it, I'm a pretty impatient person. But God knows all of this. It's really nothing new to Him. My patience will definitely be tested during this time of 'waiting', but I know it's what's right. For all involved parties. 
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  -Psalm 37:7 
Yes, God, I hear you! :) 
How amazing is it to be at peace knowing he is working for me, even though I cannot yet see it? When we rest in God and trust Him to take care of us, then we stop trying to make things happen on our own. 

An {Amazing} Night to Remember!

After a rough week last week, I'm happy to announce that Friday night was exactly what I needed! And it all started with a text... 

That's what my husband texted to my sister. Hilarious! Y'all, this man melts my heart! I never get tired of the silly, amazing randomness that comes from him...ever! Needless to say, we went out that night! 
I drove to my sister's place and selected her outfit for the evening, and then we accessorized. That in itself was therapeutic! :) As I drove home, I kept a lookout for restaurants that wouldn't be far from the house to head to - we were tired of the same old places: Olive Garden, Chili's, etc. That's when I saw it: the Brick House Tavern & Tap. Hilary looked up the menu online and she had me at 'Drunken Chops'! Colten okay'd the restaurant, and we were off! 

We were already having a blast and the night had only just begun! Some time with a few of my favorite people started the process of getting me out of the funk I had been in all week long! Thanks y'all! :) 
When we walked into the restaurant, we were asked if 'one of their couches was okay'. Umm, excuse me? A couch?! YES PLEASE! 

Y'all, never in my life had I even fathomed a place like this - it was AMAZING, for lack of a better word! Then it was time to order drinks. And yes, that picture above includes their huge drink menu...anything you can think of, they have it! Hilary ordered the margarita, Colten ordered the Zombie (with a two-drink limit), and I wanted a glass of wine. The waiter then asked if I was only going to have one glass ... umm, I don't know? He proceeded to explain that it would be cheaper to purchase the bottle than another glass, and they cork the wine and let you take it home if you don't finish it. Yes, please! 

That moscato was amazing. Yes, I know I probably need a thesaurus for this post, because everything seems to be amazing - it just was!!! AMAZING!!! And apparently it's pretty hilarious that the designated driver (me) continued to order a bottle of wine and drink half of it with dinner. Oops! :) Don't worry, I didn't drive home...
Colten wanted to try the fried stuffed olives (parmesan panko breaded, stuffed with italian pork sausage & brie cheese), which were apparently disgusting. We won't be ordering them again (I was smart enough not to try one...). Then was their menu. Oh My Goodness, their menu. They have a little bit of everything! BBQ baby backs, chicken fried steak, seared halibut, chicken & waffles, grilled mahi mahi, steak & shrooms, oven roasted chicken, atlantic salmon, prosciutto wrapped meatloaf, steak & eggs, drunken chops, classic meatballs, brick pizza, crispy center-cut pork sandwich, greek lamb burger, beefed up steak salad ... the list goes on and on! Seriously! 
I ordered the bbq baby backs (half rack of baby back pork ribs, slow cooked, glazed with whiskey bbq sauce & a side of fries) but substituted the fries for their cheddar mashed potatoes, Hilary ordered the drunken chops (two house brined center cut pork chops, whiskey bbq glaze, topped with onion strings & served with cheddar mashed potatoes), and Colten wanted the seared halibut (seared halibut finished with lemon thyme butter, over fresh haricot verts & russet thyme sweet potato hash). It was all AMAZING! Every single bite was finished and there were no take-home plates that night! We rounded out our evening with dessert: magic brownies for me and Hilary (walnut brownies topped with bluebell vanilla ice cream) and a bourbon cake with bluebell vanilla ice cream for Colten. Yum, yum! 

This was our view for the evening ... yes, that's a real fire! So....AMAZING! The entire night was just amazing! I am so unbelievably thankful for an amazing husband and sister to spend quality time enjoying a night out at a new place! We will definitely be going back to the Brick House ... time and time again I'm sure. We laughed so much and just really enjoyed each other's company. I couldn't have asked for a better night! 

Nothing.

It's been a rough week. I don't know what it was exactly about it, but it's one that's been honestly painful, in more ways than one. 

Do you ever just have one of those weeks where although nothing is actually wrong, you just can't shake not feeling 'right' or yourself? That was me. ALL.WEEK.LONG. I felt awful for a few days, and by awful, I mean completely awful, not wanting to move or breathe or do much of anything. And all of this at the same time as I'm feeling completely sorry for myself for having to work two jobs and feel as if life is completely passing me by and that I can't grab ahold of it fast enough. 
I NEED A VACATION.
And on top of ALL of that, my absolute all-time favorite blogger announced this week that she will no longer be blogging as 'full-time' as she has been, which is 100% understandable but has left me in quite a fragile state in which I don't know what to do about... I'm still waiting for her to break the news that she's moving to Texas - we'd be the best BFF's ever...for real! But I'm honestly glad that we've become friends through this blog world and I'm glad she's sticking around, if even for only a few posts a month. She knows I'll be reading! 
The part that really gets me about myself this week is that it's actually been a GREAT week! I, in no way, should be feeling this way at all. 
+ we did our taxes this week and learned we will be getting money back - hooray! 
+ Colten and I both received things we've been dreaming of for a while now (more on those to come later), which neither of us could have predicted earlier in the week. 
+ Monday was a holiday, so the work week was already shortened. 
+ I saw my sister several times this week. Maybe we're just sharing this feeling too - a feeling of 'blah' and emptiness. 

Normally if these things were to happen, I'd be completely giddy and super happy, as for me, it's all about the little things. I need to shoo away the black cloud looming over me. I don't know how I'll do it, but I know it will get done. I know this is a phase that I will get through and that nothing is really wrong...it's just been a weird week. A week I'm ready to put behind me and move on from. 

People have been asking:  Are you sad? - no. What's wrong? - nothing. Seriously, what's wrong? - I don't know. What do you mean you don't know? - I don't know.  What's WRONG?! - nothing. 
I've tried all of the usual suspects in trying to feel better:  - ice cream - wine - my husband  - mindless television - reading  - music - our adorable puppy
None of it's working! I'm praying that this weekend will be the rejuvenation I've needed lately and that next week will be the best ever! I'm chalking it up to hormones and that I just needed a period of time to myself in order to just be and not stress or obsess over other people and other people's problems. A time to just be ME and be okay with doing absolutely nothing. That's okay, sometimes. It can be good for the soul, right? Not every day is a good day and not every week is happy and joyful. I know this will pass and is temporary, but until then, I'm going to allow myself to be okay with nothing as my response. Is it okay that I'm okay with this feeling for a little while? 

A proposal!

The lovely couple.

My baby brother is ENGAGED!

This weekend was one for the books, as my little brother proposed to his girlfriend of 13 years! Colten and I headed to my parents' house on Saturday to help set everything up and to help celebrate that night! It was so sweet and so romantic...let the wedding planning begin!

Posted via Blogaway

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of Valentine's Day, five things I'm loving! 
one// I've really been having a blast with our 14 Days of Love this Valentine's Day! I'm so glad that I decided to really commit to the challenge on love on my husband selflessly! 

two// #pimpinjoy. I absolutely love the idea behind this movement! March 3rd-7th is pimpin joy week - spread joy wherever you go! For more information on what the heck is going on, go {here}. 

three// I'm particularly loving my new phone! Tomorrow will mark one week that I've strayed from Apple land, and so far, I'm completely happy with my new Android! LG. Life's good!
four// Sean Lowe {aka 'the Bachelor' from season 17} gave his testimony this week for I am Second. What is 'I am Second' you ask? Great question! 
I am Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.
To watch Sean's video about the difficulty of being on reality television in public scrutiny while clinging to his faith, go {here}. Y'all, it's seriously amazing! LOVE.IT.

five// I discovered the Avocado app this week, browsing random Android apps of course! However, I freakin' love it! And what a better time to discover this app for couples than the week of love?! I can't think of one. 
Avocado is the fun, private, and secure app for couples to stay connected. Send messages, share calendars and lists, doodle on photos, and more! Avocado keeps your favorite person as close as your phone. Why Avocado? Whether you’re miles apart or continents away, this couple app helps you and your boo stay connected anytime, anywhere. And just like home, it’s a private space for the two of you to collect and share a life. Colten didn't take to this app as much as I did {go figure}, but he has stuck it out for a few days and is learning to love it :). It's for Android or Apple, so there's no excuse not to try it with your significant other! 

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all! I absolutely adore my readers and always look forward to communicating with y'all. I hope you know that you are loved!! 

Linking up with THE GOOD LIFE BLOG.

14 Days of Love

I hate/completely despise/loathe/can't stand/am repulsed by/resent even just thinking about what to get/do for Colten for Valentine's Day. Every. Single. Year. He's a typical guy, for the most part. He gets his hands dirty, isn't overly sensitive or romantic, loves playing video games and anything camouflage. 
With that in mind, what the heck do you get for your man for Valentine's Day?! That runs through my mind every year, until now. In doing some actual research and scouring Pinterest, I came across a blog {surprise, surprise right? ;)} that had me at:  So remember how I kinda neglected my husband on Christmas.
Tiffany over at Raising Lemons posted about her idea for Valentine's Day last year, and I was hooked instantly. Check out her post {here}. Her idea was to go along with the catchy '14 Days of Valentine's' theme for her husband, but with a twist. Instead of doing corny little gifts every day {"I chews you," with chewing gum...}, she decided to focus on her husband's love language. Umm, thank you! From there, my 14 Days of Love commenced. 

Immediately, I knew I would be doing that this year, so I began on the several daunting tasks that laid ahead of me. I would start on February 1st and the last day would be on the 14th, Valentine's Day. First up: the list. I knew that Colten's love languages are acts of service and physical touch. How do I know? Well, he took the quiz, of course! Yes, there's a quiz. If you don't know what the love languages are, head over here to check them out! Since Colten tied on these two, I decided to incorporate them both into our 14 Days of Love. 
THE LIST 1. long kiss
2. wash dishes
3. foot massage
4. make the bed
5. buy groceries
6. long embrace
7. cook dinner
8. hold hands at the movie
9. breakfast in bed
10. 30 minute massage
11. laundry 
12. snuggle while watching tv together
13. Ace duty
14. full service 
Up next was creating a banner that would hold/display each day's surprise. Again, I went with Tiffany's idea but made it my own. I started with a trip to Hobby Lobby - where else? I purchased a pack of the mini craft sacks in brown, a tiny heart box {to trace the hearts}, and paper! 

I traced hearts onto some heart paper I purchased and cut them out. 

  Then, I numbered the hearts 1-14 and glued each one onto a craft sack! Seriously easy stuff here, y'all. 

  Next up were the cards - I used cardstock, cut them to size using the measurements of the craft sacks (2.5"x4") and then wrote the "physical touch" and "acts of service" activities on them. 

I then used jute that I already had at home to hang on our bar in the kitchen and attached the sacks using mini clothespins that I had purchased previously for my thankful tree. {Sorry about the unbelievably blurry pic on this one...}

We're on day 13, and Colten is loving it! I had to get a little creative for day 1 because we were out of town for the weekend. I wrote him a letter explaining the 14 Days of Love idea and even kissed the letter by signature for an extra special touch! I rolled up the letter, added day 1's card, and tied it together with some jute. Then, all I had to do was keep my big mouth shut until February 1st when I could finally reveal my plans! It's hard for me to keep a surprise a secret, so I was definitely tested. But, I did it! He really enjoyed the idea and has been looking forward to each day's activity. 
It's just a special way to really show your spouse that you love them {on a budget}, and what better way to do that than through their love language?! I considered our schedules in planning out each day's activity, and I definitely rearranged the order as we received our work schedules and things came up. It worked out because he didn't know what the next day held anyway, as long as he didn't snoop! 
Instead of just doing little things around the house, I added just a few extra surprises in the mix, such as a movie night! I incorporated the "physical touch" aspect by holding hands during a movie and will surprise him with movie tickets after he opens the card {that's tonight's plan}. I received an email from Treat.com that presented an opportunity to personalize my 14 Days of Love even further! I will be able to present the tickets in a personalized card, just for him! I was blown away by the cards from Treat and the ease of creating them! 
Treat.com is a Shutterfly affiliate that specializes in personalized greeting cards. I love what they say on their website: "Relationships aren't cookie cutter, so why should greeting cards be?" Seriously though, what a great idea! You're able to customize a card for any occasion {Valentine's Day, birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy, thinking of you, etc.} for anyone on your list! All you have to do is create an account {for free} and get to personalizing! With an account, you can set up reminders about something coming up that needs a card, schedule a card to be sent in the mail, and even send digital cards if time isn't on your side! 
I received two cards, one for Valentine's Day, and one to hold the surprise movie tickets and just to tell Colten that I love him. Look at how great they turned out...

The cards are way more gorgeous in person! The picture quality is clear {as long as you've uploaded a good picture} and the cards themselves are super thick! I chose to have them mailed to me so that I could give them to Colten myself, but Treat also provides the option to mail a card directly to the receiver. Super convenient! I know I'll be doing business with this company in the future. What better way to show a loved one you care than by personalizing a greeting card they can cherish forever?! No more cards being thrown away, people. This is a new era. 

No more missed birthdays, long checkout lines
or last-minute drugstore dashes.

We make it easy to stay thoughtful all year long—from the comfort of your couch.

*via*

The 14 Days of Love was a big commitment to take on, but I'm so glad I did! I was held accountable for all the things I said I would do, and by doing it through Colten's love language, I was really able to focus on loving him and not be distracted by my own wants and needs. It's definitely a Valentine's Day we won't forget!  
**I was not compensated financially for this post. I received these cards from the kindness of Treat's social media team. The opinions are 100% my own**

Letting Go

Letting go is a hard but necessary part of life. It's healthy. The absolute hardest part of this process for me is actually realizing when it's time to let go, whether it be of a situation, a feeling I'm having, friendships, material things ... I struggle in recognizing the when. 

Letting go is an art form and a process. It doesn't happen overnight. In fact, it looms over me and makes me constantly think about the particular situation for days and days, sometimes weeks and months! Confession: I struggle with letting go. Of anything. Story of my life! 
However, I've noticed recently that I'm finding it easier and easier to truly let go of things, people, situations that aren't good for me. It's not healthy to cling on to something or someone forever when in reality, you need to move past it. So I guess you could say I'm getting healthier :). 
A big part of my progress in this area is my faith. Becoming closer with God has allowed me to truly and realistically give it all to Him. This means it's taken care of. Whatever 'it' is, God's got a handle on it. Now, I've known this forever, but as with anything these days, it's way easier said than done. However, I'm really making strides in acting on it, and I feel amazing! 

I have a post-it note on my computer monitor that reads: 
"Sometimes the best thing you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess. Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best. Let go and let God." 
It's true! Putting this into action each and every day has helped me tremendously! I no longer fret over losing a friendship that I know isn't healthy anymore or getting rid of those clothes I'm never going to wear again. Like I said, it relates to every.single.aspect.of.my.life. For real. 
I'm not saying that I've perfected the act of letting go, but I've definitely come a long way. With that, though, I've still got a long way to go. But I'm proud of the progress I've made and where I am currently. I'm happier because of it. My husband is happier because of it. I stress less. I'm more calm in situations I have no control over. I'm learning to let go. And it's amazing. 
The really amazing part is when other people notice my overall happiness and the way I deal with something that usually would set me off. Case in point: very recently, Colten discovered his wedding ring was missing. Normally, I would absolutely lose it {and for a second or two, I did...}; I mean, it's your WEDDING RING! But, I calmly helped him look for it, at least until he came to realization that the last time he had it was at work. Ultimately, he concluded that he accidentally threw it away when he took his gloves off at work. {This would've been the time that the old me would've stormed off and yelled something not so nice}. Instead, I took a deep breath and gave him a hug. He was beside himself with losing it, and it was unbelievably obvious how hurt he was. Me blowing up at him wasn't going to help the situation. Instead, I let go of the anger I felt and told him that I loved him. Yes, he'll never have the ring I gave him when we were married. But does that change the fact that we're married or that we love each other?! Absolutely not. A ring is replaceable - especially if it's not something that's been passed down or anything. And the awesome thing is that I remember exactly where I got it from, and they still have the exact same ring, on sale. So, we will replace it and move on with our lives. He still loves me. He didn't do it on purpose. It was a mistake, and we all make mistakes. Who am I to judge him?! I took a deep breath, didn't obsess over the situation, and I let go. And oh how amazing it felt to not be completely caught up in my feelings of hurt and anger.  Letting go is good. 

How do you 'let go'? Do you struggle with it?

Winter Cara Box

Once again, I participated in the Cara Box exchange, hosted by Kaitlyn of Wifessionals. Things changed again for this exchange, as it is now hosted primarily through Instagram. Some people love the changes, and some don't. I have to admit that I was more on the 'not so much loving this IG Cara Box exchange thing', but I saw it through for this time around. 

My partners were Nicole and Kaysey, two of the most loving women I've met thus far! 
I sent a box to Nicole, whom sadly does not have a blog yet. Key word: yet! ;) I have high hopes that one day she will begin that journey, but until then, take it from me - she's the greatest! She and her husband have a heart for the Lord and a passion for serving others. I'm telling you, this woman is involved in so much! And it all involves her 'giving'. She's truly inspirational, and I've really loved getting to know her! Thank you, Nicole, for being a great Cara Box partner! 
I received a box from Kaysey from Thinking Out Cloud. This momma has a lot goin' on! She has two precious boys and captures her love for them on her blog - so fun. Take a few minutes and go check her out! I've absolutely loved getting to know her over the past few months, and as hectic as the holidays were, she still took the time to respond to my emails and check out my blog! She was so supportive with some personal things I had going on, and I'm truly thankful for her! 
I think I can also say that my love of all things pink definitely came through while we were getting to know each other... 

LOVE that tissue paper! She definitely spoiled me and went above and beyond! Every single thing I unwrapped just had me so thankful. She captured me to a T, and I know she put in a lot of effort to find things I would truly enjoy! 

That lotion smells amazing! Kaysey said it was her favorite, and it was pink and reminded her of me, so she added it. I love it! I literally put it on as soon as I unwrapped it. My mother in law also mentioned how good it smelled and wanted to know what it was called. This stuff seriously smells amazing. The candle also smells divine! Vanilla snowflake?! Yes, please! Especially down in South Texas, where the weather does {on occasion} get cold but no snow. Ever. I'm definitely all over that candle and love it like a fat kid loves cake! :) 
The notepad is great! I'm a list maker, so I'm always excited to have more notepads to fill with my infamous lists. My husband might not have shared my excitement, but oh well :). It's also magnetic, so on the fridge it goes! And that cross?! Let me just tell you about that cross. Uh-Maz-Ing! She mentioned in her note that she knows it's not pink, but this cross is one of her favorites and added it to the mix. Little does she know {she might...I forget what all I tell people about myself} that I have not one, but two cross walls in our apartment, and our decor is 'country', meaning mostly neutrals and browns with a TURQUOISE accent color! This baby matches perfectly! It may or may not already be hanging up ;). 
That scarf is to die for. I recently have had an obsession with all things scarves and she played right into that! It's unbelievably soft and is shades of pink to yellow ... gorg! It's also pretty lightweight, which is great because I just can't do big, bulky, wooly scarves - this is TEXAS! 
And, the best for last - that luggage tag. Want a closer look? Why, I'd love to oblige. It's worth it! 

First of all, it's pink. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! It also has Scripture on it... 
"With God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26 

We have a trip coming up, which Kaysey knew, and she knew I'd get a lot of use out of this! I seriously love it so much! We're not big travelers, mostly because we can't afford to be right now, but I now have my first ever luggage tag, and it holds a lot of special meaning to me! 
Basically, Kaysey rocked my world with every single thing she added to my box. She really captured ME, which I guess isn't too difficult - if it's pink and it smells good, you're safe :). But she went above and beyond with things that she knew held significance to me and that I would actually get use out of.  Thank you, Kaysey! Best.CaraBox.Partner.Ever. :) 

Holy Weekend, Batman!

I am on cloud nine. No, really, I am! And yes, it's Monday :). 
I had an amazing weekend, and I only have to work one job this week {plus earn overtime}! And...it's Valentine's Day this week! What could be better, really? 
Colten's mom came down to visit for the weekend and arrived on Friday night. Saturday, we started the morning with a trip to AT&T. Colten has been looking into their next program, and we went for more information. He has been in dire need of a new phone, as his was on the fritz and needed to be put out of its misery! So, we headed in, and little did we know that we'd be spending three hours there! 

When the employee calculated our plan to upgrade Colten's phone on the next program, we would actually be saving money on our monthly bill. Umm, yes please! The phone plan is calculated differently, as there's not an actual contract, and we had to change our data plan. Before, Colten was grandfathered into the unlimited data plan {which he never let me forget by the way...thanks babe!}. Upgrading with the next program, he would lose that option, which meant we had to go to a shared data plan instead of paying for both of ours separately. Anyway, after a lot of phone jargon and calculations, we were set on Colten's new phone - the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. That's right, he left the iPhone family! 

Okay, let me stop for a moment to just say how amazing the guy that was helping us really was. Seriously. He took his time {obviously, we were there for 3 hours}, but he answered every single one of our questions and recalculated everything several times to make sure the charges were right and that we were getting the best deal possible. Colten got $50 back for his old phone, which went to the cost of the taxes we'd have to pay that day. Other than that, we wouldn't have to pay for any of the phone right then. It would be added in to our monthly bill, which ultimately came out cheaper than what we had been paying - have I said that already? Oops. But it's important, here! :) 

The employee also asked if Colten still worked for HEB - umm, yes! To receive the discount on our monthly bill, he needed a pay stub. So, off Colten went back home to print out a pay stub, since we were just down the street. While he was gone, the guy accidentally put the upgrade on my line instead of Colten's. Womp womp. Or was it? 

He then calculated what our monthly plan would be if we both upgraded on the next program, and lo and behold, it would be $2 more expensive on our monthly bill, but still cheaper than what we have been paying month after month. So, long story short, I upgraded as well. But, seeing as I had no intentions of doing so until next month when my 2 year contract was up, I didn't know exactly what phone I wanted. And, playing with Colten's new one, the Android was somewhat appealing. Ultimately, I also left the iPhone family and bought the LG G Flex! 

There was also a promotion going on {of course...}: if you bought the Jawbone Jambox which usually valued at $199 {umm, no thanks} for $150 {still, no thanks}, you got a phone case & a car charger absolutely free {say what?!}. So, on Colten's upgrade, he got a free otterbox case for his phone AND a car charger, and we paid for the Jambox...pretty good deal! But wait, it gets better! Since I was also upgrading, he ran my phone, and I got $110 back for it! So, when it was all said and done {we only did the jambox promotion once, as we didn't want or need two of them...}, we paid $118 for two new phones, a jambox, and a car charger - a total value of $1698. Score! There was also an incentive to pay an additional $5 per month {I think} for the 10GB shared data plan. Now, let's think about this: 10GB for two people and our monthly bill would STILL BE CHEAPER THAN WE HAVE BEEN PAYING?! No.brainer. :) 

When we were done, the guy ran Colten's mom's plan to see what it would be if she were to upgrade using the next program, and no surprise here, she would end up saving money on her monthly bill as well! She also got the LG G Flex phone, and we said goodbye to our iPhones. All three of us! Needless to say, we put that guy through the ringer, and we all saved money! We also had to learn how to use our new phones, as we had never owned an Android before... Colten's mom did the same deal for the jambox, but the guy {I told you, he was awesome} gave her two cases for free, which meant I was also able to get a free phone case instead of forking out the $40! 

Upon leaving AT&T {finally}, we picked up lunch and took it to my sister at work, as promised! We may or may not have been a little super late...sorry Hil! But, it all worked out fine, and she was pretty entertained for her lunch break! We also got to see where she worked at the hospital, so that was pretty cool! And, it's always good to see my sister, so it was just a win win all the way around! She was also giving us Android lessons, haha! 

first selfie!

We had some other errands to run and some more shopping to do, and we finally made it home around 8:00pm or so. We pretty much spent that night playing with our new phones! There's so much to customize in so little time ;). Then, it was late and we had the munchies - so it only made sense for a late night Wal-Mart run! We bought some junk food and settled in for the night. Seriously perfect. I was in much need of a laid back, relaxing, fun weekend, and this was just what the doctor ordered! 

Sunday, we went back to the AT&T store because Colten's charger wasn't charging his phone, and his mom's voicemail wasn't accessible. Those two fixes were super quick, and hopefully we won't be bothering that poor guy anymore! He was seriously great, though! Then, Colten headed off to work and I began on the grocery list and menu for the week. His mom came with me and we went grocery shopping, and then she headed out for her trek home. I settled in for the remainder of the night, played with my phone, and watched some t.v. :) 
Sure, I didn't get as much done around the house as I wanted, but that's okay. I also didn't get as much reading done as I had anticipated for the weekend. But it was so good to not worry about any of that and to just enjoy some quality time with my man and his mom. It doesn't happen too often, so we really just enjoyed the moment and didn't worry about anything else. 

Holy Weekend, Batman! Such a fun & exciting, relaxing weekend with my husband and his mom. :)  How was your weekend?