Rooted & Slow

Lately, I’ve felt like I’ve had a lot of overstimulation. I’ve also started feeling very overwhelmed and anxious at home. This has had me thinking about those two words that kept coming to mind as we ended Christmas and started the new year: rooted & slow. I’ve been thinking a lot about what they mean to me and how I want to apply them to my life. While I know it won’t be easy, I really feel this pull to live simply and intentionally this year. To take root and slow down.

📸:An early morning in July 2023

So, we have a lot of stuff again. I have no idea how we do this every year. This stuff usually causes a lot of noise in my head. From the cluttered dressers to the pile of clothes that my closet has no room for. To the extra furniture in the living room and the shelves of DVDs, we don’t ever watch. And then all of the “forgotten” items that we’ve tossed up into the attic. There are some days when I want to take it all out into my backyard and set it on fire. But that just seems wasteful. So, last weekend I decided that another decluttering session and closet cleanout were necessary. There’s just something about having less in my home that makes me feel really happy. I’ve also been telling myself lately that I need to be intentional with my purchases. While I know I have to have a set of work clothes, I should be able to size down my everyday wardrobe. And there shouldn’t be a need for me to purchase more for at least a year or two. Since the idea of simplicity is calming to me I feel like I need this in all areas of my life.

We’ve also been discussing housing options lately. And for the longest time, I didn’t feel ready to make a huge decision about where we would live. Which is why I have always liked to rent. There was always that “safety net” of being able to move once my lease ended if I needed to. Or to renew if I was still good with where I lived. And if for some reason I had to break my lease, there were options that seemed much easier than what would come with a mortgage. However, while I’m not entirely sure when this happened, my views have changed. I want to stay in one town now. I don’t want my daughter to have to switch schools for a third time. I want to own something and make it ours. And if we expand our family, I want to have the extra space. So, we’ve recently been looking into what our options would be, by choosing to stay here. We’re looking into purchasing and remodeling our current home, but also what the cost would be to build a new home or purchase an existing one closer to town. We aren’t huge fans of purchasing closer to town, as we love living in the country, but we haven’t ruled it out completely. The more we’ve talked about our options, the more I feel this need to be rooted in one place.

Something else I’ve really wanted to put effort into - because being busy seems to be a common theme for us - is slow living. Currently, we have plans almost every weekend, and that’s on top of several activities during the week. While I know some of it can’t be avoided, like Emery’s school functions. Some other stuff can be voluntarily cut back on. For example, I don’t have to make it to every run group meet-up. I don’t have to make three trips to town just because. I don’t have to say “yes” to every little request. And while I am grateful for my job, I don’t need to volunteer extra time when I don’t have it. Boundaries. What I do want to make time for is waking up early to have coffee with my husband on our back porch. I want to make time for cleaning and keeping my home maintained. I want to be perfectly okay with a boring day. I want to make time for our animals and dogs and maybe add a few extra livestock to the “farm”. I want my calendar and planner to be open for the most part. And I don’t want to feel like I’m spread so thin that I can’t do anything besides survive.

So, that’s what’s been on my mind lately, what I’ve been feeling in my heart. I went back to revisit the last post I made about this and watched some of those YouTubers I had linked in the post. I needed some inspiration and some help to get a plan together. I’ll do phases again, to not get super overwhelmed. We completed the first round of phase 1 (decluttering kitchen and closet) last weekend, and I’m hoping to finish that up this weekend. But I really feel ready to dive into these ideas this year. To look into what these words truly mean to me and how I can actively apply them to my life. Here’s to rooted, slow, and simple living.

Simplifying

Lately, my home has been an enormous cause of stress. There were things everywhere. Storage containers were stacked and shoved in every little nook. Cabinets were overflowing with plastic food containers. My tiny closet was bursting at the seams. My hanging shoe rack was so heavy the door sagged. The bathroom was a mess, and everything was overflowing. On most days, I wished I could just stay in my car rather than face the anxiety-inducing chaos that my home perpetually stays in. Then there were the days when I just wanted to stay in bed and not even bother because getting everything in order was daunting.

One evening as I dumped the contents of the laundry basket on our bed - knowing dang well that I would just be stuffing it all back after a few hours, I looked over at Corey and said, “I need a housewife.” No shade to housewives out there. I know you keep households running, and what you do matters. Corey laughed and replied, “I don’t think that will work.” I glared at the clothes, but he wasn’t wrong. However, I find it hard to set aside time to maintain our home between school, work, and the slumps of depression I occasionally fall into. And this is so frustrating to me. I wish I had an extra me that could dedicate hours to staying on top of daily chores, errands, and cleaning. Hence, my wish for someone that could stay home and maintain order in my home. After our little conversation, I placed some clothes in the dresser, and the rest went back into the basket just like I knew they would.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

As I lay in bed that night, I started thinking about our stuff. Why did we have so many things? Why was our house so cluttered? Why was I holding on to things I hadn’t touched in months - years? That’s when I hit up the good ole’ YouTube. And I came across these three creators - Madisun Gray, Malama Life, and Wild We Roam - each going through some version of minimalism. Now, let me pump the breaks - I was not about to go full-on minimalist. But they all brought up really great points. They each talk about making intentional purchases and putting money aside for experiences. They made videos about reducing excesses and donating what you don’t need. And they all tend to live very simply with the idea of having a slow and joyful life. And I desperately wanted a version of that for myself. Because when I take a step back and look at the bigger picture - I want to spend more time enjoying life than being stressed out by it.

So, around the 6th video, it clicked that things were just that - things. More stuff doesn’t actually bring joy or happiness into your life. Sure, there’s excitement for something “new,” but that quickly fades away. And I felt that this could apply to all areas of life. Why was I following creators on social media that I didn’t really care about? Why was I holding onto size L and M clothes? I will never be that size again, and I know it. Why do we have paper clutter in boxes - bills and receipts from years ago? Why did we have so many pots, pans, and food containers? Why was I keeping the extra, half-empty bottle of shampoo/conditioner/hair products? It was like I had opened up Pandora’s box. I kept asking “Why?” to everything, and the answers were no longer good enough.

The next day I sent some ideas to Corey, and we decided to start decluttering as soon as possible. We would break it down into rounds/phases. We picked a Saturday that we were both free and began Round 1. We purchased bedding, curtains, and cookware set. Corey decluttered the cabinets and placed our old stuff into throw-away piles and donation boxes. I went through our bathroom and walked out with a 13-gallon trash bag full of items we no longer needed. We reviewed our cleaning supplies and eliminated many toxic solutions we weren’t using. Some stayed, but only because I hate wasting money. We cleaned the living room and got rid of extra décor and tables. When we reached the bedroom, we cleared off our dressers, swept under the bed, and decided to go through our clothes. I even threw out old makeup and makeup brushes and organized the items I had left. By the time we were finished, we had a truck bed full of trash and several boxes and trash bags full of donation items.

And that was just Round 1! Round 2 will consist of me going through my closet again and hitting my shoe rack and storage containers pretty hard. Then I want to do a thorough paper decluttering. We will go through some of the same rooms we’ve already covered to see if we can eliminate anything else. After some thought, I’ve decided to eliminate a few more things. Round 3 will have us going through all the storage containers, shelves, and boxes in the laundry room. And then, we finally start on the outside of our home for Round 4. This is probably the most daunting part of it. A lot of stuff outside needs to be dumped or moved. We also have to start building our dog kennel area since the old one is falling apart and needs to come down. It’s a big undertaking, so we’re spreading it over the next few months.

All of this is to say that even just completing Round 1 has been an enormous help. Our home feels open and stays relatively clean. My closet has more space, and it’s become easier to pick out outfits. While the content creators I found were pretty hardcore, I definitely recommend giving them a watch. Even if it’s just to get some inspiration the way I did. You don’t have to go as extreme, but they have some pretty great ideas and suggestions. Ultimately, the goal for us is to maintain our home better. It’s to look at our purchases from a different perspective and put money towards things that actually matter to us, like building a house or taking a vacation. And if less truly is more - then here’s to simplifying away.

A Walk Home

On the last weekend of October we spent some time out at our "old house". The one in a tiny sleepy town that seems so untouched by change. The house that I grew up in. The house that Emery spent a good three years in. We spent some time in those old rooms that held onto so many memories. We sat on the porch listening to the breeze rustle the leaves on the trees. We saw some of the people we used to call neighbors. And we took a walk down those old dirt roads. 

Emery sometimes asks why we can't go back there. Why we can't live out in that house with the great big yard so she can freely run around in her undies. Kids. She asks why we can't move back to that town where it's quiet, and there are no cars passing by at all hours. Not that the town we currently live in is a major city, or anything (our population is a little over 3,600). But there's a noticeable difference. I remember the first time I moved to a big city and how I felt this huge sense of awe, excitement, and wonder about it. You probably could have seen stars in my eyes as I walked around the whole time I lived there. I was so proud to finally be a city girl, and I was sure that the move would catapult me into this fast paced lifestyle that I so desperately craved. I look back on that time with gratitude because I did grow. But I laugh too because I spent a lot of my free time out in the "country" while I was there because the quiet was what comforted me. I imagine my little sometimes feels similar to that. Experiencing the excitement of having neighbors, and kids that run around the streets. Having the park only a few blocks away, and street lights on every corner. Yet the longing for the peacefulness, the darkness, and the calm that comes from a small town that has your closest neighbors miles down the road.

That house, and that town holds so much of my heart. When I think of home I normally think of where I live now. Our living room, the community, my great big bed, our dogs, and the memories here. But an image of that place always comes to mind too. How I grew up there, had a lot of my firsts there, and how Emery was lucky enough to call that place her home too for awhile. Her imagination was nurtured there, and her love of being outdoors started there as well. It's a place that we both have to hold on to. So that weekend of being back stirred up so much. It made me smile from ear to ear, and I watched blissfully as she sat in a lawn chair while reading a book. We went for a walk around our old running trail, and balanced ourselves on the railroad tracks. There was a lot of laughing, and when the time came for us to head back we were content with the little time that we had both gotten to spend at home.

One Day I'll Get Back To This Space

The last post I actually posted was back in May. Crazy. Time is just slipping by and as I've stated before I don't ever want to have "filler" posts. That is why I haven't really written anything. There are a few drafts that I've been entirely too lazy to upload pictures from my camera for, so they just sit there, patiently. Life around here has been pretty slow and boring. I'm loving it! There hasn't been a lot going on for us, so for the time being things will stay pretty quiet around here.

The one "big thing" underway was mentioned in the last post. I talked a lot about us moving to a new house, and how it would be ready soon. Well, that time has quickly come and this last week of June has been filled with a sense of rushing. Does that make sense? A lot has been done and now we're just waiting for some projects to be finished up. The bathroom remodel will be done today, the gate for the backyard was replaced yesterday, the living room flooring will be installed tomorrow, and we've slowly been painting the inside throughout this whole time. So I guess it has been a busy few weeks, huh? We also discovered that we'll have to buy a "new" stove since the new house runs on gas. We've calculated deposits and fees that will have to be given in order to transfer all of our utilities, and open others for the new house which is also a pretty big reason why we haven't really been doing a lot this month. I've deemed today "packing day" and if all goes as planned we hope to be living in our new house by the 30th.

Other than that, things have been really uneventful. Emery started swimming lessons. My sister-in-law, Christina, has been staying with us during the week as a "live in" babysitter while our lovely Tere is visiting family. Work has finally evened out enough for me to catch my breath and I've started running again. I'm currently on a 5 day cleanse that has turned me into a super saiyan bitch, because don't we all when we're not getting to eat food? It ends tomorrow just in time for the moving out/in weekend which can only mean two things: PIZZA AND BEER WINE! And that's about all I have for now. I really hope I get back into the habit of posting a bit more. Often  I think of something or I capture the perfect picture that I'd like to share, but I never quite make it to my computer. There's always something that comes up, something  that needs finishing, or a toddler that wants to be held just because. And really, why would anyone say no to that? Until then though, I really hope everyone is having a lovely summer.

Moving...again...

Things have been really quiet around here lately, and yet really really loud with change. A month ago, out of nowhere, our landlord told us that the house we were in was up for sale and that they were moving. This was quickly followed by, "Do you mind if I and some potential buyers come in?" Thankfully, we had been cleaning all morning and almost done because thirty minutes later there was a knock on our door. This happened frequently during the weeks that followed so I was in a constant state of cleaning. Do you know how exhausting that is? And I was also feeling really...vulnerable? Here were these strangers roaming freely through out our house, looking at our things, and I had no control over it.

As all of this was going on I was also stressing over finding a new place to live. Our landlord told us if we needed to terminate the lease earlier then we could do so because this was something very unexpected. So when I say that we were lucky to find the house we're in, at the monthly price we did, I am not at all exaggerating. Finding anything this cheap again, and in such great condition would be really hard to do. And yet not entirely impossible because two weeks later my mother called to tell me a friend of hers was in the processes of closing on a house and she was looking for potential renters! My mom had told her about our situation, and so she offered to let us see the house as soon as she was able to. When we were finally able to see it I became a little excited, and a lot relieved. It's in a quieter neighborhood, and we would have two police officers as neighbors. THAT could go either way; pro or con! After talking to her some more she told us that the rent would be the same, and there would be no deposit. It would be ready in a month, and if we wanted it we had first pick. I was completely floored. That afternoon I went home feeling so thankful, and blessed. How could I not? Things were clicking in place for us. We were being shown kindness, and being given opportunities that don't come around very often. I let them know that evening that we were very interested in the house, and they told us they would hold it for us.

That same night our landlord told us that the house had sold. She wasn't sure what they would be doing with it, but she had let them know that our contract ran through the end of July so we had until then to figure something out. So imagine my surprise when I have the previous owner and the new owners knocking on my door wanting to speak with us about our lease last week. My initial thoughts were somewhere along the lines of "Well, shit. I guess we'll be leaving earlier than planned." But instead, they told us that they wanted us to stay in the home. We had a good relationship with the previous owner, and she talked very highly about us. They said we could live there for as long as we wanted under no contract. The cost would be the same because they were not looking to raise our rent. Again, I was floored. There are people out there who have a hard time finding one home and here we were being offered two.

But we had already agreed to the new house. And even though we had not signed a contract I really didn't want to back out. The house, though a bit smaller, still had many pros for us to consider. Both of the places are wonderful and I really hate moving, but I think it'll be a good thing. I think the new house will require less up keep, and we won't have to worry about people driving 60 mph in a 30 mph zone. I like that the backyard is completely fenced in, and there's a back porch. The landlord has also given me permission to paint, strip, and basically do whatever else I'd like to with the new house. So here we go, again. A new house; a change. Something different, and a tiny bit exciting. As awesome as all of this is I'm really hoping that this new house is where we stay for awhile.

Texas, I Do Love You

(music, while you read this post)

I realized that as much as I talk about California I'm kind of making it seem as though I hate Texas. This is not the case though. I love Texas. I'm proud to have been born and raised a Texan. A Tejana, through and through. I have my own pair of cowboy boots that I wear daily. As much as I'd like to become a vegetarian, I love meat too much. Sorry folks, I just can't quit it. "Y'all" is very much a part of my every day vocabulary. Sometimes my sentences are a mix of English and Spanish: "Andale! mija, lets go!" I firmly believe in addressing my elders with a "ma'am" or "sir". And yes, my accent can get pretty thick. When people ask where I'm from, I proudly name Texas as my state. Because, honestly, I feel like my state is the best one to grow up in. I'm truly proud of where I come from. 

I love our flat lands, and rolling hills.I think we have some of the best sunsets and sunrises than anywhere else.  I absolutely love the wide open spaces! I love our gun laws, and big trucks. I really do. I love how we all come together to support each other in the small communities just as well as statewide. I love that we are all pretty friendly. We're always waving at one another, regardless of whether or not we actually know each other. I like that in many places, your neighbor is a good mile away from you. As my brother once said "If I want to pee off the back porch, I can, and no one will ever see!" Ha! I like how our summers get hot and there are Popsicle's being eaten at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I love that it's fully acceptable to have your kids running through the water sprinklers in your front yard in their undies during the summer.  I like that you'll see many of us cooking out on the grill even during the winter. And lets not forget that no one does BBQ like us either. You haven't lived, if you haven't had some good ole Texas BBQ!  

This is also where my family resides. As many of you know I come from a big family, and an even bigger "adopted" family. Anyone who walks through our doors, is instantly considered a member. We have many cook outs, and family dinners year round. We all live so close by that we don't go a whole week without seeing each other. We constantly invite others to join us, and we get to just sit around talking; laughing. We do a lot of things together too. Whether it's going to the grocery store or to the movies. Some of the best times I've had have been sitting in the car taking a "road trip" to shop at Lowe's with my entire family. And when I was first told "it takes a village to raise I child" I was really skeptical of it's meaning. But, now I know the truth of it. My village is my family, and they have helped us out so much! Emery is being introduced to many great things and cultures because of who we surround her with. And even though we may not have the reputation for it there really is a lot of diversity here too. I couldn't be happier about Emery getting the chance to grow among the same places and people that I did.

Texas is and will always be my home. I'm proud to say that it's shaped who I've become. So yes, my heart will always be here with the family and community that raised me. This doesn't mean that I'll always live here. It doesn't mean that I'm any less of a Texan for wanting to go explore other places. Or for wanting to live somewhere else. Some people will never leave their hometowns, and that's okay. Other's do, and that's okay too. But no matter where I go, I will always take Texas with me. It'll be in my words, and my drawl. It'll be in the way I choose to eat my steak with my hands rather than a fork and knife. It'll be in the sweet tea I choose to keep brewed. It'll be in that song I play so often by a little band from Texas that I adore. It'll be in the photographs I place throughout my house of the family I love so much. It'll be in the stories I tell of "back home" with new friends we meet. It'll be in my outlook of the world, and the respect I show to others. Because Texas is and will always be, in me. 

"You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl."

Okay, Now You're Just Being Mean

Today is a lovely day. The sun is out and the weather man is claiming that it'll be about 75 degrees out. The time change kicked in yesterday so now we're getting some extra time to enjoy all of the sunshine. The only things missing at the moment are my best friend Kami, and a beach. Which brings me to the topic of my post today. Feel free to skip this one if you're tired of hearing me talk about the west coast. :)

At the beginning of February Emery mentioned her cousin Ashlynn. She asked if we could get on a plane to go see her. After telling her that we couldn't go she just sighed and crossed her arms. Then on the weekend of Emery's birthday party, I ended up behind a huge truck that was carrying a huge yacht. The truck pulling it had an address on the side which stated that it was from Oceanside Beach, CA. A week later I came out of class and the two cars on either side of me had California license plates. Not even kidding. That following weekend I was headed into town to get some movies, and this truck with a huge "SOCAL" sticker passed me by. On my way home, the same guy passed me AGAIN. Clearly, California has been on the brain for me to be noticing all of these things. So, I get that a lot of these could be chalked up to me seeking them out. Since I miss it so much right now my brain is just noticing anything that has to do with the state. But then last Monday, I received an alert from Travelocity, informing me that they had round-trip tickets to San Diego on sale for their 48 Hour Event. I'm talkin' less than $350 per person round trip here. Unfortunately, I had to pass them up. 

Now, as much as I had hoped that we would be able to plan a visit out there for this summer, it's not looking too likely. So all of these little "signs" are just starting to seem kind of cruel. You hear that, universe? Cut your shit out! And to add salt to the wound, apparently this Flickr group I joined back when I lived in California recently gained a new administrator and they just added a bunch of pictures that of course have to pop up on my feed today. So for your enjoyment and my further torture, behold the place I used to live at and want to return to so badly but can't:

via

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p.s All of the sources are located below the picture. And these are just a few that showed up on my feed. 

We Found It!

Two Sunday's ago, literally by a miracle, we found a house to rent. Everything else we had looked at was either way over our budget or too old (and me saying that means something because I LOVE old things). We had been house searching for a month and had come up with nothing. The longer we stayed at my parents house the more I was convinced we’d never be able to move out on our own ever again. A little over dramatic, I know. Thankfully through prayers and a very social mother, we found our new home.

This house was still undergoing renovations when we found it. The inside of the house burned down two years ago, so it was basically a shell. The owner I spoke to was really sweet, and she let us know everything about the house. She told me they had all of the paper work to show me that the house was being completely renovated from the floor up. Seeing as how we had a daughter she wanted to make sure that we knew this house would be safe and that they would make sure it passed all inspections before we moved in. When I explained our situation, she told me that they would hire some extra help and have it finished by the 15th. And then she told me the price and I almost hugged her! I was ready to sign a lease right then and there, but I figured I should let my husband see it first since he knows more about structures than I do.

The next day, the owner left the house unlocked so we could look at it and speak freely without her there. At first glance my husband was really skeptical. He had left the whole “find a new house” up to me since I’m usually pretty picky, but when I mentioned that the house had once burned down he wasn't too thrilled. Or confident in my house hunting capabilities. But with some reasoning I think he finally came around. He spoke to the owners about a corner of the living room being a bit un-level, and they promised to even it out as much as they could (the soil the house is on sinks a bit so shifting of the foundation occurred a long time ago). Other than that, he realized he had no other issues. The house was great! It was within our monthly price range, perfect size, and right outside of town. Emery had already claimed her room, and the owners told us to stop by at anytime to see how the house was coming along. So, we gave them our deposit that day.

Since then, I've been so excited! We were finally going to have our own space again. Our own house, our own privacy. I love my parents to death, but space is a good thing. Really! So why is this the first time you've heard of this? Well, I hadn't mentioned anything on here before because I didn't want to jinx it. With our luck, something (like another ice storm) would happen and the finish date would be pushed back. Or the owners would decide that they didn't like us and refuse to rent to us. Maybe they’d decided that rent was too low and up the price? Or maybe I’d lose my job and we’d be back on a single income? I know, I know. It was highly unlikely. Well, the first one was plausible seeing as how the weather has a mind of its own these days. But still, I was afraid that something would go wrong.

Until this past Saturday!! On Saturday we signed all of the paperwork and we started moving in on Sunday!! We don't have a lot of stuff, so the move should continue to be pretty easy. And I'm also using this time to purge everything that we don't need. Since my parents are talking about getting rid of the double wide altogether, whatever stays will be trashed. It actually feels pretty liberating. And this move was one of my main inspirations for the next goals I have planned for myself. But that's a subject for another post! Until then, here's to new beginnings!

Displaced

At the beginning of August we started having electrical issues. Lights would flicker, and dim throughout the house. Our breakers would jump at least once a week. So my dad shut down the power that was being transferred to the second house because we assumed maybe we were just using too much. The double wide is old, and the wiring leading to our house would probably need to be replaced. Well, the issues stopped for about two weeks. One night mid-September we woke up to popping sounds going off through out the house. I checked our breaker box and all of them had jumped. So, I turned them back on and my husband went around checking the power through out the house. Since it was around 2 am he didn't really check thoroughly, but just glanced to see if the clocks were back on and if he could hear the fridge running. 

The next morning I was running late and my husband was leaving to go do some odd jobs so we were in a hurry. I don't remember opening the fridge or even checking the clocks. That evening when we got home though, something was off. Our TV wouldn't turn on, and the lights were super dim. I opened the fridge and everything was warm/melted. When we turned on the lights to our rooms in the back, the entire house "shut off". When I flipped the breakers back on we figured out that we couldn't have too many things on at once. And it turns out that the popping we heard that night wasn't just the breakers going off. Our TV was fried, the fridge no longer worked, and our electric heaters had burnt plug ins. 

We called an electrician, and they took a look around. It took them six days to tell us nothing. Our house was having surges and they didn't know why. When we plugged something in, it was like the house would drain power from the other end and they didn't know why. In the end they charged us over $500 just to tell us that they'd have to send someone else out to "take a look", after they had already sent two gentlemen out to our house every day for the previous six days. We finally told them, no thank you...we'd look else where. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford to do that.  

We turned our "laundry space" into our bedroom. Started using the front bathroom only. And shut off the whole back section of our house. We pretty much lived in our living room. Since our fridge was dunzo, I would buy our meals that same day and we'd cook on the grill. But there was a lot of fast food trips taken as well. We used our computer screen as our TV and only hooked up the DVD player. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. Since everything else in the house runs on propane, I wasn't too worried (or rushed) about having to find a new place. We used as little electricity as possible to get us by and that was fine.  

Well, last Tuesday our house shut down completely. No amount of breaker flipping was turning it back on. We called the electric company and they showed everything was running fine on their end. We checked the outside box to make sure it wasn't damaged. Everything was "fine" but nothing in our house would turn on. We stayed at my parents house that night. The next morning we called someone about giving us an estimate on what needed to be done. They came back with a number around the $5,000 range. My dad said the house wasn't even worth that much, so there really wasn't much point in fixing it. So, you can all guess what that means. Yup. We are now living with my parents. Again.  

Currently, we are in no position to rent an apartment or house. Everything we've seen has been priced at over $600 a month along with an equal amount for deposit. So we're looking at $1200 to just get a place. And it's no secret that we can't afford that. Even with my husbands part time job, we'd still come up short. We were coming up short while our house was still livable and we didn't even have to pay rent. So as you can see, we're in a bit of a pickle. Thankfully, my parents are letting us stay with them. We have a roof over our heads, food, and warmth. What more do we really need, right? Well, it still sucks that we don't have our own place but we're making the best of it. And I'm hoping that something turns up soon. For now, I'm just going to count our blessings. We're really lucky to have family that opens up their arms and home to help us out. 

Days Like That

This past weekend we had a friend of our family, Joel, come down for a visit. He brought Emery a gift on Friday night and then asked my parents if he could come over to their house and cook for us on Saturday. And who are we to turn down a good meal? So on Saturday we all came together to spend a lovely (chilly) afternoon sharing good company and delicious food.

We had a lot of good laughs, and danced to Spanish music. The food was delicious, and Joel brought so much of it! There was even some we didn't get a chance to get on the grill because we were already so stuffed. I’m sure I gained about 5 lbs. in that one sitting. Emery was able to play outside for the majority of the day and she refused to nap at all. She had such a blast running around and visiting with everyone that she was out by 7 pm on our drive home. It was such a nice, laid back day. I loved it. :) Made me appreciate everything that I have. Because even though times get rough, I'm still blessed to have days like those. Filled with family, and love. It was truly a perfect Saturday.

Totally Not A Meaningful Post

Hi.

It seems like forever since I've written anything “meaningful” on this blog. What can I say, life kind of gets in the way? Right now, I’m currently trying to keep up with a decent work, school & fitness schedule. School has kicked my ass, work has been busy, and my work outs aren't as frequent as I’d like them to be. There’s always something going on or that needs to be done and I feel like I haven’t really had a moment to just stop and reflect. I kind of feel like my life is in fast forward and there isn't even a pause button for when I need a breather.

Ever since my parents moved closer to town, we've gotten a bit more adjusted but it’s also been tough. I don’t get as much help as I used to which is okay because we should be able to handle everything on our own. But it was always nice to have a helping hand. This next month will be our first one where we have to pay the bills entirely ourselves which is kind of scary. I’m a little nervous about making ends meet, but now that my husband has a job I’m hoping it lightens the load a bit. If not, then we’ll have to make some adjustments and cut back on a few things. Gotta do what you gotta do, right?

On the bright side, I’m learning how to cook! Well, sort of. Sure I still use boxed Velveeta skillets, and sometimes I cheat by using the precooked chicken tender strips, BUT I’m actually making full MEALS. You try looking after a toddler, folding laundry, doing the dishes, working on homework, AND making dinner within an hour. Not that easy my friends. So far I've made homemade cantina bowls, tacos, chicken alfredo, turkey burgers, various salads, pancakes, omelets, and wraps. Plenty of other stuff too, it would just take too long to list them all on here. It’s actually been pretty fun to learn though. I'm pretty happy to know that my family won't starve either, LOL! That's always a plus!

So that's about all I have for you. I know that this post isn't all that “meaningful” but I thought I’d at least update with something new. I have three weeks before finals so it’s time for me to put on my big girl panties and bunker down for some serious study sessions. After that I promise I’ll be back on the regular. Plus I've decided to take a lighter load next semester so I’ll at least have time to do other stuff (aka blog). Until then, bare with me & I hope this find all of you well!

Useless Weekend

My weekend consisted of Airborne, Tylenol, lots of water, a migraine from hell, sore throat, back pains, and a fever. It sucked. My husband was also crabby, and Emery did something to her hand that caused one of her nails to become unattached from her nail bed but only in the middle. I don’t know, it was weird. And painful. She cried every time her finger came in contact with anything. She was miserable, I was miserable. We were utterly useless.

My husband was productive though. He finished laying down the linoleum in our kitchen. Yay! So now it doesn’t look as awful as it did before, LOL! That’s about all that happened with us. Oh! We had our first snow of this winter on Sunday! It was so cold. Crazy Texas weather. It was nice though! Emery and I went out for a bit so she could, for the first time, actually play out in the snow. Which was us technically walking around, because there wasn’t enough snow on the ground to play in. Still it was her first time, getting out in it. Last year she was barely learning how to walk and she didn’t care about snow. This time she found the snow flakes very interesting. She was giggling, and patting her gloves on it so the snow would stick to them. She hated having to come back inside, but the last thing I need is her getting sick.

And now it’s Monday! The snow has melted and I’m off to work. Emery’s birthday is on Friday, so this week I’ll be busy preparing for her party on Saturday! I feel so stressed about her party, but that’s a post for another day. Wish me luck!  

Cough, Cough

Ok, so last week, Emery got sick. She was vomiting and running a fever pretty much all night. So, I stayed home from work on Tuesday to take care of her. By Wednesday afternoon she was completely over it. Well, then my Uncle got sick on Wednesday followed by me Thursday night, and my husband and mom on Saturday. Yea, it was so much fun, let me tell you. Eh. Thankfully, it came on fast, and left just as quickly (it only lasted about 24-hours). So, most of my time was spent either in bed, or taking care of someone in bed all while still doing every day chores. Super Mom! I didn't get a lot of chances to post, and this week, I might be a little off too. 

I spent a good part of last week, doing nothing but catching up on Vampire Diaries on Netflix while we were all sick. My mother helped me keep up with laundry, but the house is back to being a mess. Fortunately for me, I get a four day weekend, so I plan to fully take advantage of it! I’m hoping to get some painting done too!! The inside of our house needs it, bad. So, that will be my project, starting Thursday! Woot woot! Now, I’m off to go study for these exams. I’ll update more later! 

Austin; Part III

Going down 6th Street, was ridiculous. There are so many lights, so many people, and this is their OFF season. I was mainly attracted to all the buildings, and just the vibe one feels from the city nightlife. We parked a few blocks down and made our way to the first bar, The Jackalope. Gritty is what first came to mind when I saw the place. It reminds me of what a bar is supposed to look like. Very old-school, dark, cold, and a little trashy looking. Upon further inspection, I realized that it looked like that on purpose. There were these paintings of topless ladies and some pin-ups. Definitely a cool little place. They had a second level bar that was outside, but it was way too hot (they also had the fire going) for us out there. Still, it was definitely a really neat place to go. Once we left there, we tried a few other bars, but then we realized that my husband’s ID had expired. CRAP! So, we didn’t get to go into as many of the places as we had wanted too. Thankfully, some of them didn’t care and they let us in any way.

Our final place to visit was Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, and let me tell you, it was HILARIOUS! Those guys were really awesome! I have no idea how they knew all the songs, so I give them some much-deserved props! See people would write a song down on a napkin or paper, and then include a tip ($1, $5, etc.) and the pianist would play and sing the song. They made jokes and included the crowd. A few ladies got to grope some men, and everyone was having an awesome time! But the most hilarious thing was watching these two older ladies that were drunker than skunks give lap dances, or just get up on stage and shake their booty’s! It was definitely entertaining. Throughout all of this, I had a beer and a jager bomb. My husband had a jager bomb, a fruity blue drink (can’t remember the name), and then a whiskey and coke. That’s it. And we had ourselves a blast! I was definitely more into watching all the drunk people than getting drunk. Seriously, it’s better than cable! We stopped at one more bar once they shut the streets down. Girls dancing in the streets, bicycle taxis, and so much music!! It was a really neat experience. We finally made it home by 2 am, and I was pooped! 

Sunday we woke up around 8, and started packing up. We got dressed, had some coffee, and then we set off for our drive home; grabbing some breakfast and gas on the way. I didn’t get a lot of pictures, because it was a chore to lug everything around. I didn’t want to lose it either. But believe me when I say it was a wonderful time. Still, by Sunday morning my husband and I were having Emery withdrawals, BAD. So the faster we got home, the better. We arrived a little after one, and I was bursting at the seams. My mother brought her out, and she was as excited as she could be. I immediately went and picked her up, and she hugged me so tight. Seriously, that was the BEST THING EVER. My husband got a turn, and we couldn’t stop holding her. We really, really missed our baby girl. Next time we go and visit, we will be taking the munchkin along. I'm pretty sure she'd have a blast!

This was our "Welcome Home"