Snowvid 2021
Our Last Semi Normal Outing
On Tuesday March 10, 2020, we decided to get out of the house, we got in the van and just started driving, “Where should we go?” asked Fred, ”anywhere except there” I answered. We were on Spring Break and already “social distancing” ourselves before the stay home rules had been implemented, aware that it was slowly starting to spread in the city we usually congregate in. We drove the opposite way, heck we drove and drove that we ended up in a different state!
Fred wanted to see buffalo, or bison, I don’t think he knew exactly but he heard there were some north of us or maybe he made it up, sometimes he makes up facts out of thin air, I find them amusing. All we saw was cattle and maybe a donkey but we kept driving and instead ended up at the Red River, the border between Texas and Oklahoma.
We parked under the bridge and made our way towards the river. The air was warm and a little damp. Our steps became heavy as we began sinking into wet, red clay. That’s when I remembered we had just bought the boys new Vans shoes the week before but it didn’t bother me, I let them run around and get as muddy as they pleased. I felt like such a cool mom until another mom showed up with her two boys and I realized she was way cooler than me.
She let her kids jump into the red river, careless and free, those boys swam and splashed, we watched them with huge smiles on our face, my boys looked at me as if maybe I too would allow them to jump in. I’m not that cool guys, sorry.
We did however stop at a Braum’s in tiny town trying to earn some cool points back from these boys. I didn’t know it was going to be the last time we sat in a booth as a family. It felt very uncomfortable though, it’s like every cough or sneeze sounded louder than usual. Like in the movies when everything goes silent except certain sounds and then those sounds start making a melody and Fred and I just stared at each other with wide eyes then Luke asked how it was possible for people to spill coffee on ceilings as he examined the leaks from the roof, I laughed so loud and it brought me back to enjoying the moment. I took a deep breath and ate the rest of my rocky road sugar cone, it was delicious.
We left Braums and a trail of dried red mud behind us I’m sure and drove some more, we saw old buildings, tore down buildings and more cattle but no bison. Made it back and ate at our favorite taco shop, Torchy’s, my biggest regret that day was not ordering a frozen margarita to go with my tacos. Bummer.
Then like dominoes life around us started collapsing one after another, schools got canceled, restaurants began shutting down, grocery stores depleted, the stock market plumeted, some started losing their jobs, people began getting sick, some dying, we were told to stay home and to top it off there was literally no sunshine for days only clouds, fear and uncertainly seemed to remain.
It’s like the rug got pulled out from under us and left us on our knees. And thats where I’m at, on my knees praying. It’s a good time to pray. Not that there’s ever a good time not to pray but if you haven't prayed in a while I’d urge you to. I don’t know what God is doing but He’s in control and He’s at work.
I started reading the book of Joshua, in the book, Rahab, a prostitute saves the lives of the spies scoping out the land God had promised the Israelites. She had heard of what the LORD had done, how he had dried up the water of the Red Sea and how he had given them victories over their enemies. “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted and there was no spirit left in man because of you for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:11
Her fear brought her to faith.
Her faith is revered in the New Testament, and her name is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. God saves her and her family as the Israelites invade the land and pass over her home seeing the scarlet cord hung out her window.
I’m not saying have faith like Rahab and you will not get sick or die from Covid, there are countless of saints being martyred by their faith as they spread the gospel throughout the world. I’m saying as scary as this virus is, we need to be aware that there’s is a greater evil out to destroy us, our sin.
Theres no cure to Covid-19, not yet, praying for a cure, but there is a cure to sin, thats faith through Jesus. God came down as a man, Jesus, sinless perfect. He willingly was nailed to a cross because sin required a blood sacrifice from a perfect being, a spotless lamb. We couldn’t earn salvation or work hard enough for it, our DNA was stained with sin from the time Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. But because God so loved the world he gave his only son Jesus that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life, John 3:16. At the cross Jesus cured us from our sin and made us perfect, earning us a place a future home in heaven, not of out own doing.
But Nancy, I’ve met Christians and they were stuck up, self righteous, judged me even hurt me.
I’m so sorry. We’re saved but not perfect because we are not Jesus but should aim to live a life like he did. If someone who claimed to be a Christian hurt you in anyway don’t let that be how you view God. For a clear look at who Jesus is go to the direct source, the bible, read John or Luke if you’re curious.
I’m passionate about the Lord, I’m not perfect but if you have any questions I’d love to chat with you or if you just need prayer or a friend right now I’m here! Zoom anyone?
Friends, stay safe, stay healthy, stay home and read your bible! HUGS!!!
Stay At Home Mommy Goes Back to Work After 7 Years
After 7 years of being a stay at home mom, I put away my stretchy mom pants, set my alarm clock, put some makeup on my face, brewed my coffee and went back to work… Yes! Work! Let me tell you, boy, has it been an adjustment for our family.
All I have known these last 7 years is home, glorious home. When I was pregnant with Luke in 2011, Fred and I made the decision that I would stay home to raise our littles until they were all old enough to be in school. This wasn’t an easy decision, this wasn’t something that we could afford to do but we both felt it’s what the Lord wanted for our family. I felt a calling to be home and invest in my boys. So I traded in my full time job in education to become a stay at home mom.
If you’ve done this before or even if you’ve spent more than 24 hours with a baby or toddler whose motives are completely selfish and will literally suck out all the life and energy from you, you know it’s hard. Times that by 3 boys…
It’s been hard but its been an amazing experience and privilege. I used to take it as an insult when strangers at grocery stores would say, “You’ve got your hands full” while I pushed a cart with a baby strapped to my body and a young toddler threw every item on site into the cart while the other daredevil jumped off the cart or barely made it out of the store alive. This was my normal and I loved it. Yes I had my hands full but my heart fuller. But trust me, after a few years of marathon outings and grocery trips with littles I would eat up all the pity from strangers I could get. They weren't judging me, well at least most weren’t; they sympathized with me and their giggles as I rolled by weren’t always malicious, at least that’s what I told myself to get through. Those were some fun times. Now that they’re a little bigger and have a little more self control, rolling into Costco doesn’t always feel like the circus just rolled into town, on most days…It’s taken years but I’ve learned to tame those wild things.
Yes outings were hard, sometimes miserable but home has always been sweet. It's been our safe place. Most of the boys life training has happened here. How to treat and love others, be a friend, problem solve, be polite, gain independence, have dinner as a family, read the bible as a family, how to respect authority, how to show hospitality, how to tidy, how to help in the kitchen, how to wipe your butt, pick out you clothes and be responsible, dance like no one is watching, these are just a few that come to mind. I guarantee you we have not been perfect in our raising and have probably allowed more iPad and video games than some responsible parents are comfortable with but I can rest assured in God’s kindness that his grace will abound in the life of these boys.
And it’s with the Lord’s grace and kindness that we finally send them all off to school! Luke 2nd grade, Noah Kindergarten, Nate Pre-K. All 3 going to school full day. Time flies by ya’ll. Hold on tight to those sweet babies because unfortunately they grow up! (Insert crying emoji here) And with all my babies going to school that opened the doors for me to go back to work! I love how the Lord prepared me for this.
Back in the spring I had a conversation with Fred, I was in tears as I told him I felt the Lord telling me “Change was coming.” I had no idea what that meant but it felt like the Lord was preparing us for a big change. I’m a person that does not like change, I don’t even like to update my phone if means my settings are going to change. At that time I thought for sure it meant we were going to be switching churches because Fred had been applying for graphic design jobs at some churches in the area.
As time passed we didn’t change churches and I had forgotten about that conversation. One day I found myself looking through jobs online to see what was out there, not actively looking just out of curiosity. I saw that the day before they had posted a Receptionist job for a brand new elementary school that was opening up in the fall only a few miles from our home. Receptionist in an elementary had been my first job when we moved to Texas, while I only did it for a year before I moved into a classroom I really enjoyed it and I saw myself doing something similar once the boys were all in school, so I talked to Fred and he encouraged me to apply and just see what the Lord did with that. So I applied and didn’t hear anything for months.
Summer started and the boys were out of school, all that was in my mind at that time was our upcoming Italy trip, then I got a call. “Can you come in for an interview next week?”
Still unsure if this was the right decision I went in for the interview. I felt a calmness and confidence that I know was not of myself but of the Lord. There was literally a rainbow that morning after some rain had passed and I drove to the interview. God is good. They asked many questions but one stood out to me, what do you think would be hardest part of the job for you? I was 100% honest. I said learning how to be a working mom after being home all these years and figuring out how to balance time and life. Well, somehow my answers didn’t scare them and I got the job!
We flew to Italy a week later and we felt like not only was it a celebration of our 10 year anniversary but also a celebration of a closing of a big chapter of our lives, we knew come Fall our lives would look different and that change God had spoken to me about in the Spring was indeed coming. God’s timing is good and he knows best.
This season of me working full time has been chaotic, the transition has been stressful, I’ve cried more than my pride wants to admit but I’ve also found a deeper dependance on the Lord. Our lives have changed and were still adjusting, finding our rhythm and what our new normal will look like. Weekends are sweeter, time together as a family is not taken for granted and a home cooked meal is much more appreciated than before.
I’m grateful to the Lord that I love my job, I love the people I work with, I love that I will be able to be off when the boys and Fred are off. I’m confident that the Lord will use me for his glory at work as he has used me for his glory at home. Today I celebrate Labor Day with more appreciation and countdown the days to Thanksgiving break!
Some pictures of the boys first day of school, mommy going to work and a few pictures of my office!
International Travel Is In Our Future!
Our 10 Year anniversary is in a few weeks, passports are in, flights are booked and where else would these pizza making, pasta eating, cheese and carb lovers go? No other place than, ITALY!
Dream come true.
Italy has been the top of my bucket list for years and my amazing Fred is making it happen for us. He’s worked so hard, for this, taken on a lot of side jobs and we’re actually doing this! GAHHH! So you can only imagine what this obsessive meticulous itinerary creator has been up to for the last couple of weeks, I’ve spent countless nights staying up researching dreamy beaches in the Amalfi coast. I know poor me…
After much research we decided that 9 days would be ideal, 2 days of that would be travel and 7 of them would be our favorites things, for Fred: pizza, for me: beach! As much as we wanted to hit up every landmark in Italy we just knew that 7 days would not give us enough time to do that. So since we couldn’t have our cake and eat it too we decided to go for the best part, the icing on the cake! That being Naples, the birth place of pizza, and the most beautiful place on earth, the Amalfi Coast!
So in just a few weeks my mom and my little sister will be flying in from California to stay with the boys, we’ve been prepping them for months and they’re excited, they love California Grandma and Jiji, I know they’re going to have a blast being spoiled!
I’m so grateful Fred and I will get to have time away together, alone to celebrate and praise God for how faithful he’s been these last 10 years in our marriage.
Italia, we’re coming for you!
My Mother's Day Weekend
Hey there! It’s been a while!
Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
My boys treated me to all my favorite things, carbs, shopping and picnics!
Saturday I got treated to coffee and delicious chocolate croissants at Tulla, a French inspired patisserie and cafe. It was my first time there and if I could have I would’ve tried every pastry they had in sight. I went basic and ordered a chocolate croissant but this croissant was far from basic! My mouth is watering as I type! A buttery, flaky pillow from heaven filled with chocolate goodness… Yum!
We then stopped for a quick Target run and of course I had to pick out something for myself since it was Mother’s Day weekend and it was only appropriate. Our run turned into a marathon as it usually happens every time I walk into Target. Out of a billion things I tried on I found a cute top and romper on clearance, $20 for both, score!
We then hit up a Frisco Festival, and forget photo booths, Magnolia Terrace a local event venue had the cutest bike set up for photos, and you don’t have to tell me twice! I’m adding a beach cruiser back on my wishlist if I get one it will most definitely have flowers hanging out of the basket just like theirs!
We ended Saturday with dinner at Outback Steakhouse, last time we went I was pregnant with Nate! I had prime rib, medium rare, the only way to eat a steak… For dessert we checked out a new snow cone place in Denton Square, Gnome Cones! It was an amazing experience, super thought out down to every detail, the sound of squeaky gnomes calling out your name when your order is up! I need to do a post on this place alone because it’s truly magical, check it out!
Sunday Fred made me avocado toast with his homemade jalapeño cheddar bread! We headed to church and I wore my Target find from the day before. We came home for lunch with family and afterwards I was ready to just relax and wait for Game of Thrones to start but Fred surprised me with a picnic and homegirl is always down for a picnic! Fred made us yummy sandwiches and we spent the evening at the park.
Grateful for my sweet husband who is so thoughtful, goes above and beyond for me and makes every celebration extra special. I love you with all my heart, you make me a better mommy grateful for you and our crazy boys! Love you!
Bread Adventures
Hey, how was your weekend?
Saturday, Fred spent all day baking, made us waffles, he made sourdough bread, french rolls, he’s amazing, he even sold a few breads to some friends. I’m loving this new bread hobby he’s into because I freakin love bread!
So after eating bread all day Saturday what did we do Sunday after church? Went to a bake sale!
Yea, the bread obsession is real.
Patina Green our favorite sandwich spot in McKinney was having a pop up bake sale and we had to go. Pamela and Brock, the bakers selling their bread could not have been sweeter despite our wiggly and chatty children, also their array of breads was fab.
After picking out our baked goods we grabbed some sandwiches and sat down for lunch, sliced right into the freshly baked bread and my heart soaked it all in, family and good food are some of my favorite joys.
Totally recommend Patina Green if you have not been there and check out Pamela and Brock their bread was everything you would want bread to be!
Hope you have a great week! Eat something delicious.
Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart… Ecc 9:7
Conflict Resolution on Valentine's Day
So let me tell you how I almost ruined Valentine’s Day yesterday or at least ruined it for part of the night…
Fred made the evening so special for our whole family. He got home from work kicked me out of the kitchen and made us his version of “happy meals” but called them “love meals,” with delicious homemade burgers, fries, and just like a traditional happy meal comes with a special toy he had a special gift for each of us.
Isn’t he just the sweetest? Gift giving and making others feels loved is his specialty, mine, not so much.
I struggle with gift giving, I don’t like to buy Fred gifts, I’ve sadly done it through the years mostly out of obligation, not just with Fred but with the boys too. Christmas shopping is a nightmare, everything I pick out I buy with hesitation and with the thought in my head that this will only bring momentary happiness and will end up in the trash or collecting dust sooner or later.
While yes that may be true, and it makes sense according to my minimalist ideology; I’ve selfishly been missing the point and have made the excuse of being a terrible gift giver so that I don’t have work at it or better yet not spend money. I’ve sadly missed opportunities to bless Fred, my boys and others in the name of sticking it to consumerism. Oh but when it comes to shopping for me I’m all for supporting Capitalism… Such a hypocrite!
So about how I almost ruined yesterday, I wasn’t planning on buying Fred anything for Valentine’s Day but because he had already given me 2 other gifts earlier in the week, I was like, Oh crap, let me head to the store, the guilt was real ya’ll. So in my “thoughtfulness” I bought Fred an oven mitten and a pot holder because he’s been getting really into this baking bread thing and we don’t own oven mittens, which is why I have a thousand burn scars on my wrists… Anyways he opened the gift and he kindly said thanks, he opened the card I picked out which I though was hilarious because I have the best sense of humor and all he did was smile and say, “Thank you.”
How dare he not laugh or express gratitude in a more dramatic way, does he not know how I went out of my way (last minute) to buy him this gift and express my love for him… So I was angry. After dinner we sent the boys to bed and how a typical Valentines night should go between lovers did not.
Instead we laid in bed, I expressed my hurt for him not being excited about the gift, like many of our conflicts I made this all about me, me, me, you hurt me, you don’t appreciate me, etc… My selfish anger completely blinded me of how thoughtful he had been to make the night special for all of us, cook for us, lavish us with gifts, the date from the weekend?
And then he dropped the bomb on me that left me at a loss for words and left us both in tears.
Fred had seen right through me all these years, how thoughtless I had been over and over when I’d buy him anything, and called it a gift. Ouch. I’m sure I have bought a good gift here or there or at least what I thought was good but I realized I had to change and I had to face the fact that I’ve been lazy in this area and I had to apologize.
Fred was gracious, I asked how he did it, how does he know how to get me the perfect gift every time. He said he studies me, he takes notes of what I say, what I point out when we’re out, what current things I’m into. He also said around the holidays he’ll sometimes drop hints for me here or there to give me ideas on what to buy him, sadly anytime he’s shown me something he wants I’ve inwardly given him the eye roll or just zoned it out…
So I’m making a vow to be a better gift giver, to do it out of love and consideration and not obligation. I want to work on making Fred feel loved and special because he does that with me over and over and not just with gifts.
After a long night and a hard conversation, I was able to see my wrongs, ask for forgiveness and move forward with a practical way to put what we talked to into practice. I’m realizing these moments are what people mean when they say marriage is hard work, these moments are what bond us and make us stronger. Thankfully because we were able to work out our conflict we were able to end Valentines night the way it should between lovers…
#fridayintroductions
Hi friends! I thought it’d be fun to do #fridayintroductions since I recently changed my personal insta to my blog insta!
I’m Nancy, I started a blog back in May. That’s almost 6 months ago! By now I thought I’d be like one of the top bloggers in the world, you know those super cool influencers with sponsors who just have it all together? Well instead 6 months Later I realized 3 things.
1. I suck at having a blog
2. I really don’t care that I suck
3. My life is so busy for a blog
God has been using me in different unexpected ways these last few months. I wanted to be used through this blog but God had different plans and I’m ok with that! I’ve surrendered fully to his will for me and I’ve seen God make great things out of my faithful yes to his call.
With that being said this blog is still near and dear to my heart and I’m hopeful it will come together in its time. I’m totally kidding about wanting to be a top blogger and influencer, i mean if you want to give me free stuff I’ll take it😜 Seriously I’m just an honest introverted nerd who loves Jesus more than anything and I just happen to come across as cool and trendy. Most of the time I feel less than, most of the time I second guess myself but all of the time God is good!
10 random facts about me:
-Grease is my all time favorite movie
-Being a mom is my greatest accomplishment
-I pretend I like to workout but I just want to eat jalapeño kettle chips all day
-I like cheap wine but top shelf tequila
-I’ve been to Australia🇦🇺
-Italy is the top of my bucket list
-My first car was a black 1999 Ford Mustang it made me feel like the coolest, now I drive a white Van with a cool DVD player...
-I got engaged as a teenager, 19 to be exact but saying teenager sounds so much more dramatic.
-I lived in Mexico for like 2-3 years when I was very small.
-I want a tattoo
If you really read through all that you’re awesome and I’m grateful for you!
Morning at Magnolia
This summer Fred and I drove down to Austin to celebrate our 9 year anniversary. Since Waco is halfway to Austin we thought it'd be fun to drop by and pay Chip and Jo's place a visit. I've heard from the day trippers, I've seen the countless #milestomagnolia pics on insta so I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about and let me tell you, the hype is real.
Upon walking in you feel something special in the air. Everyone is excited to be there. You're greeted by friendly smiles and you feel welcomed. Hospitable to the core. It felt like Disneyland a bit, kinda magical but no Mickey Mouse or Cinderella Castle here, just a beautiful space called the Silos!
I love places that are well designed, where details matter and where spaces are transformed yet are left to display the beauty and integrity of their history and age. That with their shop overflowing with things to fill every room in your home, truly eye candy for the decorist soul.
My favorite area was the Magnolia Seed+Supply, a gardeners dream! The little garden shop took me back to our trip to Carmel CA... Sweet, quaint, cute shops have a special place in my heart.
We ended our time at the Silos by picking up some pastries from the bakery for the road. A bacon scone, blueberry muffin and a chocolate croissant, all which did not disappoint, all that was left of them were the crumbs on my lap and on the floor of the car. I'm a messy eater, just ask Fred. To our surprise we found a sweet note from one of the workers wishing us a happy anniversary!
We left with our baked yummies, some sunflower seeds for our garden but most importantly we left inspired and with a greater appreciation for Chip & Jo and what they've built. And of course, we left with a #milestomagnolia pic, how could we not?
My Mother's Day Weekend
Denton Square
Forgot the napkins, wiped their saucy little fingers on the blanket...
Luke made me this necklace at school.
“Lazy mom picnic, buy lunchables, go to your favorite spot,
picnic away”
Spring Tonic from West Oak, Hibiscus Ginger Beer, Lavender Syrup, Espresso Shot and Rosemary
My definition of chill.
Mother's Day Breakfast
Fred made me Eggs Benedict with crab for breakfast! Inspired by one of my all time favorite dishes from Big Sur, Ca.
“You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, oh please don’t take my sunshine away.”
Lunch!
Then he made me a crab pizza with hollandise sauce... His best pizza to date.
My Mother's Day gift, Old Skool Vans.
My sweet boys.
From Noah.
From Luke.
Sneak Peak
The Good & Pleasant is on it’s way! Here’s a little sneak peak!
Last weekend we went to Denton for coffee. Actually every weekend we go to Denton for coffee, but this one just felt extra special. The boys t-ball game got canceled because there was rain in the forecast. It actually didn't rain until later in the day so I was grateful for the morning off from baseball doing what we typically do on Saturday mornings, chill.
We checked out a new coffee shop, Cryptozoology. The name alone?!? So fun! Walked into an awesome open space with the friendliest baristas that didn't mind our talkative kids chatting them up on Kirby.
Then we headed outside walked on the train tracks for a bit while we drank our coffee. The boys threw rocks around and the moment could not have been more perfect. I felt the need to shout to the world what a joyous morning it had been.
It was at that moment that I just felt like I needed to get this train rollin. This blog has been steaming in my heart for a very long time, I actually began parts of it last year but never really moved forward until now. I have no idea where the tracks will lead but I'm excited to finally board the train and enjoy the ride. I hope you'll join me on this adventure!
