Thankful Grateful Blessed

We've finally made it to July which means we're halfway through 2020!  It doesn't even feel like the year has started for me as I've spent most of my time quarantined sitting at this very desk I type at right now. I haven't posted to my blog in a while because I feel like I have nothing to share, everyday is the same. Although, I am still thankful and blessed it feels very much like my life is on repeat. I have been lucky enough to see my immediate family members including visits from my parents, son, and in-laws. I have my husband, girls, and grandson here to love and gather support almost daily. We've even had a few limited friends over for small gatherings. For that I am thankful for. So much has happened in the last few months, it's become overwhelming and I have plenty of mixed emotions about it all.  Work Life While we've spent many quarantine hours in the pool, I've spent even more at my desk working from home. I know there are people who have...

And no I'm not referring to the basketball season we missed... I've never been a fan of March and this year is no different. I don't have to explain why, unless you live off-grid and have no social interaction you know that the entire world is being affected by COVID-19. It's been the oddest experience I've ever had. I have had the opportunity to work from home for the last decade, but not on this level! I am beyond blessed that not only am I still working but JC is working as well. Many of my colleagues and friends throughout DFW have been let go or furloughed. My heart breaks for those impacted at this level, I can't imagine how stressed they are not knowing what their future holds. I've been home for over a month now. The last day in the office, we were told to take what we needed home with us including any hardware or supplies. As usual, I rode the train that day and only walked out with my laptop. It didn't take long to realize I needed to o...

Just had my 1st # mammogram !  Top 3 reasons I didn't think twice: 1. I'm 40 years old, my risk are higher. 2. Breast cancer runs in my family history. 3. I'm a mother of two daughters and an older sister, its my duty to lead by example. My experience: 1. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't pleasant.  2. It took a whopping 15 minutes.  3. My boobs are bigger than I thought.

Does anyone remember when Netflix was a DVD mail subscription? (clears throat) Yeah, me neither. 🥴 Actually, I do and we've had a subscription since the early 2000's. Crazy, huh! Netflix has evolved into what most of us know it as today, a subscription-based streaming service with the latest movies and programs and even some old ones too. Who doesn't have Netflix! I try not to binge watch unless the weather's bad out, but sometimes I can't help it. Recently, I've been catching up on my daily train ride home or while folding laundry. We've only just wrapped up the first two months of the year and off the top of my head I can think of 15+ movies or seasons I'm all caught up on. Let's be honest, I normally say I don't watch much TV but most days I REALLY DO wanna chill and catch up on some Netflix (with a glass of wine 🍷 and a bowl of snacks).  Year to Date Cheer All American  Love is Blind In the Dark Women Behind ...

I'm pretty sure I deserve an award of some sort... thelocusthillfarm.com JC and I have been together for many many years though our path hasn't been traditional. In fact, I've only carried his last name for just a few years. We met on February 4th twenty-five years ago, so it seemed fitting that we legally got married on Valentine's Day. I hope he appreciates this combination of events into a single day a year! Our marriage is far from perfect, but it is also filled with love, laughter, and security. It's taken a lot of hard work to get to the place we're at, but I'm thankful everyday that we're here. Over the years he has stood by my side and supported the decisions I've made, good or bad. He makes me laugh, kisses me daily, and never tells me NO. This year we took a short trip east to Sheverport, LA to hit up the casinos and an impromptu Mardi Gras parade. We didn't win a single dime, but the place we stayed at was well wor...

Our boy finally has a voice! We hit a  monumentous moment yesterday, captured by his Mommy  and Tia and I can't stop  watching it. Munchkin is 3.5 years old and has pretty much been nonverbal apart  from a handful of words. My girl has been putting so much effort into getting him  up to speed and in a comfortable position before he starts kindergarten. He has  been seeing a speech therapist twice a week for nearly a year and is now  additionally enrolled in a half day program focusing on speech therapy.  This  simple moment of his tiny little voice vocalizing his first short but full sentence "I WANT MORE", made my heart burst instantly. Good  job Little One, your Lolli eagerly awaits your endless voice and thousands of questions!

It's nearly mid-February, but I'm still recovering from January! Our new year started off rough with uncertainty and sadness, but with each passing day better news and progress were made. We were all able to heal and look forward to the upcoming weeks and months that 2020 would bring us.  Dirty Thirty Last November my Sissy reached out to me with plans to surprise her hubby for his 30th birthday here in DFW. I was more than happy to assist with the plan, anytime with my family is a good time. She planned a birthday gathering at a retro bowling alley and a night out on the town. They were certainly a breath of fresh air and I look forward to the day they move down here *fingers crossed*. Back to School The Twins went back to school, I'm excited about this Spring term. This is the first term they've loaded their schedule since the last time I registered them myself. I learned my lesson with them a few terms ago and had to step back and let them take it upon the...

So I've been slacking BIG time! I've been thinking about this blog and the purpose behind it. Ultimately, I'm hoping that in a decade or so I'll be able to look back and read about all the memories I documented. Maybe one of my kids will stumble on it and read it to their kids, that'd pretty cool. Wrapping up 2019 We had such a busy December filled with tons of friends and close family, I feel so blessed to be able to have made such great memories with them. info@southernpourtx.com One of my good friends T kicked off a small business this year Southern Pour, a DFW based mobile bar. I was fortunate to be able to show some love and support at one of her last events in 2019. I'm so proud of her and wish her and the hubs nothing but good fortune and success. You don't see many people take a leap of faith the way they have, so good for her for being so courageous and following her dreams! Later that same day, I traveled further west to support my n...