Counting Our Rainbows: Life Last Week/Weekend

Well, hello! I used to say "Count your rainbows, not your thunderstorms" all the time and I can't think of a more fitting title for this week/weekend recap.

I meant to pop in late last week but Hurricane Matthew made for a somewhat unproductive few days. Once we got word the storm was coming for us, we were pretty preoccupied Wednesday and Thursday making sure we were prepared for the worst. We were supposed to get the worst of the storm early Friday morning and most of the day so on Thursday night we settled in with a movie and some wine as we watched the weather get progressively worse. Thankfully we didn't get hit as badly as expected, but we lost power Friday morning and didn't get it back until late Saturday morning. We were incredibly grateful we were spared from the tremendous damage other areas faced and we actually really enjoyed our day together at home on Friday with our little family. It was nice to have a day at home together without any of the usual distractions like technology and work.

I do have to admit by Saturday morning, I was starting to get a little stir crazy and uncomfortable with no power in the house. I made plans to have a lunch date with my sister and in the meantime, our power came back on and I was able to clean up around the house a bit so we could enjoy the rest of our weekend. Emma and I had a great visit and lunch date with my sister while Jonathan finished working. Saturday night, we dropped Emma off at her grandparents' and went out for dinner and a movie. We saw Girl on the Train and I thought they did a pretty good job of turning the book into a movie!

We woke up Sunday to the most gorgeous, sunny day. So beautiful, it was hard to believe we'd just had a hurricane roll through two days before.

I told Jonathan I really want to take Abby out to a dog park or something. After being cooped up in the house for a few days because of the storm and us not having a fenced in yard for her to really run around in, I felt like she could really use a day out and some serious playtime. Jonathan made us breakfast in bed and we watched church service while we ate and loved on baby Emma.

We packed up our little family and headed to a great park about 40 minutes from us for some outdoor fun and we had the absolute best day together. We called it Abby's Big Day Out but really, it was such a special day for all of us!

I could complain about the storm or our power being out for 24 hours over the weekend. I could comment on this election and all the negativity it's bringing. I could be preoccupied with all the negativity I feel like we hear daily. Instead, I'll just say I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the quality time we got as a family because of Hurricane Matthew. I'm grateful our power was restored and that losing power for 24 hours was the worst of our troubles. I'm grateful that with all the negativity in the world, we get to control how we react to it. We get to choose how it affects us. We get to influence our children in such a positive way that no matter what horrors are going on in the world, they are good and decent individuals who rise above it.

One of our pastors said this on Sunday, "The news is bad, but God is good" and I've just kept repeating that to myself since then. So simple, but such a necessary reminder, I think. The news is seriously so bad, but God is so incredibly good.

Weekend Perfection

Hello, friends. I feel like I blinked and it was already Wednesday, which is great because we've got another epic weekend planned but it's also not great because I've got quite the to do list to check off between now and then. Also, I'm still basking in the perfection of this past weekend and it wouldn't be right if I didn't take some time to document the happiness. 

It was one of those weekends. The ones where you lay in bed Sunday night not wanting to close your eyes because that means it's over. The ones where you stop multiple times a day and wonder how on earth you've been so incredibly blessed. 

After being out of town the last two weekends, I was feeling super grateful for a low-key weekend at home. Our big plans Friday night included prepping the yard for sod installation which I was surprisingly really looking forward to. The weather around here has been incredible and I was pretty psyched for the quality time with Jonathan. In exchange for my hard work, all I asked him for in exchange was to push me around in the wheelbarrow so I think everyone won in this situation. Honestly he had gotten most of the work done already but it was fun for me while it lasted. 

Saturday morning I woke up to Jonathan's landscaping crew getting to work on our sod installation and as I spent the day doing some chores around the house, it was pretty awesome to watch how quickly our yard transformed. I also love the opportunity to watch my husband in action. He had five of his guys working with him for the day and had also taken on 3 other small landscaping jobs he wanted to get done that day. I would stop what I was doing here and there and just watch him in awe of his ability to manage his employees and his business so well and still be so positive and motivated. He is kind of awesome and I am so incredibly proud to be his wife.

What was I accomplishing while they were totally transforming the outside of our home? I was catching up on tons of chores, prepping for the adult field day we're hosting this weekend and running errands here and there. I also finally decided what to write on our kitchen chalkboard and felt this was pretty perfectly in line with some of our conversations lately. I've had the chalkboard blank for a few weeks but I am confident this quote will be up for a while. 

By Saturday evening, our front and back yard had been completely transformed and I am still in disbelief over how beautiful it is! I will get around to sharing some better photos eventually but in the meantime, here is a photo of Taylor giving the new grass her approval. In case you are wondering, I had nothing to do with the purchase of a leash for our cat. That was all my husband thanks to a recent flea market visit. I'm not proud to say we have a cat leash or that it is used, but you can't deny how cute she is in this picture.

Moving on...

After such a productive Saturday, our Sunday plans were all about relaxing and enjoying our day together. We decided to attend the late morning service at church so we could enjoy the morning and take it easy which meant I could snuggle up and enjoy my coffee in bed and I don't think there's anything better than that. 

After church we made a quick stop to pick out some pumpkins to carve. I scoured the pumpkin patch for the closest thing I could find to a perfectly round, minimally flawed pumpkin and Jonathan opted for searching for the ugliest pumpkin there because he felt bad that no one else would buy that one. Hey, at least there was no chance of us both wanting the same one, right?

I couldn't let us leave without taking advantage of this perfect photo opp. I'm glad we did because I've confessed to looking at this photo a ridiculous number of times since it was taken because there's just something about it that makes me incredibly happy. 

Once my sister and her boyfriend arrived, we chatted for a bit over snacks and beer before we dove in to our pumpkin carving. At this point, I still had no idea what I wanted to carve. I hadn't looked at ideas or inspiration - nothing. This worked out great because the idea to carve the heart eye emoji just kind of hit me out of nowhere and I knew it was the perfect choice. Not a lot of room for error and very little detail work; it had my name written all over it.

The above photo will go down as one of my all-time favorites. I truly believe this. We had so much fun carving pumpkins and I'm so glad my sister and her man joined us, too! By the time they left later in the evening, my body was so ready for sleep but my heart wanted more of this perfect day. Luckily Jonathan was all about watching Jurassic World before bed so I poured myself a glass of wine and snuggled next to him thankful that we could extend the weekend just a little longer. I think I interrupted the movie multiple times to tell Jonathan how incredibly happy I felt or to cheers my wine glass to his cup of ice cream but honestly, who can blame me? 

Important Lessons from the Weekend

We spent Saturday night in Tampa for a comedy festival featuring Aziz Ansari, Amy Schumer and a handful of other comedians I hadn't really heard of. It was a blast and we were blessed with perfect weather for it, too.

Every now and then, I look back on what was an awesome weekend and the only way to share the highlights is to pass along some important lessons I think are worth passing along. I did this a while ago here and I think it really gave you some fun insight into my weekend, so let's go for it again.

- Don't go to a particular German restaurant in a group of 3 couples and be the only girl who drinks beer in the group. Why, you ask?  Because the boys will inevitably order a boot full of beer which requires 4 people to pass it around the table and drink it until it's empty and you will involuntarily be one of those four people. If this happens once, certainly don't make the mistake of going with the exact same group to the exact same restaurant again. The boot will arrive at the table, everyone will look around the table until you make the connection that yet again, you have to chug beer out of a boot while the entire restaurant sings and cheers you on.

- Sometimes on a Saturday morning, you need to ignore what you were supposed to do (work out) and do what you want to do (browse Target with a pumpkin spice latte in hand).

- Speaking of Starbucks, you should do yourself a favor and try their new toasted graham latte as soon as possible. You can thank me later.



- Don't try to take a photo of Amy Schumer on stage from what seems like a million miles away. Security will be on your case before you even have you camera open meanwhile there's a guy 5 seats away from you who has been smoking pot all night but no one in charge has seemed to notice that or the overwhelming scent in the air.

- If you're ever at the amphitheater in Tampa, don't decide walking to the casino would be easier than trying to get an Uber. It's not easier. It isn't the nice evening walk you had in mind. Instead, it's a walk reminiscent of a Walking Dead episode with mud and dirt roads and you can see the casino in the distance but it's really not as close as it looked when you guys first made this brilliant decision. Luckily, I had great company but still, just don't.

- When you're up $200 at the casino and your husband thinks it's time to call it a night, don't say, "but we just got here! Let's at least keep playing with our winnings." It'll be just three minutes later and you'll be wishing you'd kept your mouth shut and told your husband how smart he is.

- When your husband is doing yard work and calls you outside, be skeptical. One second he is asking you to help move one thing and the next thing you know, you're picking up rocks and carrying tools around. I'm not saying you shouldn't help, but I am saying you should know what you're getting yourself into when you say, "yes honey?" and step outside.

- When in doubt, do stick to your original plans. After we made plans to go to Tampa for the weekend, tons of other things came up that we really didn't want to miss at home. We even considered canceling our Tampa plans since we knew we couldn't do it all if we went away. I know if we had stayed in town, we'd be just as happy with our decision but I'm happy we stuck to our plans and had some fun just the two of us. It doesn't hurt that we have lots of fun plans with family and friends to look forward to the rest of this month!

There you have it. It was quite a weekend for us and with a friend's bachelorette weekend in St. Pete just a few days from now, I'm looking forward to enjoying some downtime at home this week. I hope your weekend was full of some beautiful fall weather and fun!

Life Lately

Well, hello and happy Monday! My goodness. We've been living quite the life lately. The month of May brings what feels like nonstop celebrations and with life just being a little busy in general, I am overwhelmed (in a really good way) with all the fun we've been having. Although, I do have to admit I am really looking forward to spending time in my own kitchen tonight cooking a nice meal. 

Where do I start? Let's see. 

We didn't have anything planned for Cinco de Mayo but made some last minute plans to meet my in-laws for a few drinks and dinner. We kept it simple and I'm pretty sure we were home by 10, but nonetheless, I'm glad we got out and did something fun! 

Last week, Jonathan's younger sister was in town for a few days so after a family dinner at my in-laws on Wednesday night, Jonathan and I met Nicole at Stonewood Grill Thursday night and she treated us to an amaaaazing meal as an early birthday gift for each of us.

I didn't get any pictures that night but I am stealing this photo from Nicole because we had chocolate bread pudding for dessert and it was life changing. 

Friday I met up with my friend (and new mommy!) Lindsay and her adorable baby boy for lunch. It is hot as can be in Orlando already but it was an awesome day to enjoy lunch and girl talk in the sunshine. I obviously soaked in every minute of baby time. Isn't this kid so cute?

Friday night we had big plans to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday. Our family met up at one of my favorite sushi places, Amura in Dr. Phillips and enjoyed a perfect dinner inclusive of a round of saki bombs for the table. Believe it or not, this was my first saki bomb and actually, a few of us hadn't had one before. It was pretty impressive to see that both my parents even joined in.

Props to my sista for getting a halfway decent photo of our group at dinner. This is no easy feat but this picture makes my heart smile big. 

What day am I on? Oh yes. Saturday. 

I made last minute plans to meet my BFF for lunch in Mount Dora on Saturday. After an awesome morning workout, I soaked up every second of the beautiful drive to Mount Dora to meet Taryn at the cutest little cafe. It's not always easy for us to coordinate a meet up when she is in town, but when we are able to, I'm so very glad we did. 

After a quick lunch with Taryn, I rushed back to our side of town to pick up a few picnic essentials before my in-laws picked me up for what ended up being an awesome afternoon. I guess every year the Orlando Philarmonic plays and a band covers songs from a specific group. This year, it was all Eagles songs. The Springs, a development in Longwood, FL hosts the event and you're able to bring your own food/drinks and set up wherever you want for the show. It was seriously an awesome time.

On Sunday, I drove up to spend the day with my momma. I spent weeks brainstorming what to buy her for Mother's Day when I realized we'd both be pretty happy girls to just get to spend the day together. We don't have mother/daughter days nearly as much as we used to and there's no better time than mother's day to do just that! I treated each of us to a deluxe pedicure and we did a little shopping. I can't say enough about how thankful I am to have such a close friendship with my momma. It was an awesome day!

Thankfully, I was able to rearrange my schedule this week and take today and tomorrow off of work. I needed a day to regain control of our home life after such a busy and fun few days and it felt pretty darn good.

I'm turning 29 tomorrow so this week is shaping up to full of celebrations and joy, too! Hope your weekend was a happy one!

Weekend Snapshots

Happy Tuesday, friends!

I'm sitting at my desk daydreaming about being back at the beach so I figured now was a good time to pop in and share a few shots from our weekend in New Smyrna Beach. We stayed at a friend's beach house literally right on the beach with 3 other couples and it was pretty great. We were blessed with the most perfect Florida weather and sunshine. Drinks were had. Games were played. Laughs were shared.

Oh, how I wish I were back there right about now with a beer in one hand and a good book in the other. Hope your weekend was full of happiness and sunshine, too!

Weekend Snapshots

Happy Monday, friends! I can't thank you enough for joining in my excitement over the new blog design! Sharing my makeover on Friday certainly kicked the weekend off on a happy note over here, that's for sure.

I mentioned Friday I was looking forward to a romantic date night at home with my hubby, so I spent the day working on some blog stuff, running errands and getting a workout in at the gym. 

I couldn't resist taking a quick break before starting dinner. I caught a glance at that hammock out back again and next thing you know, I found myself swaying away soaking in the beautiful afternoon sunshine. 

I picked up these happy blooms while I was out and about and then I made myself a vodka tonic and when my drink smiled at me, I had one of those moments I know will make most of you roll your eyes and I felt like I was living a dream as I started to prep dinner and dessert for my hunk of a husband.

I didn't get any blog-worthy photos of our meal, but I made chicken cordon bleu and roasted asparagus topped with bacon and feta cheese. For dessert, I threw together some chocolate covered strawberries and we sat out back and ate and drank and talked for hours and only quit when we realized we'd gone through a bottle of wine and wanted to move over to the hammock. Dessert and champagne and a few episodes of Friends followed and if you ask my idea of a perfect date night, that would be it in a nutshell.

Jonathan had to work the rest of the weekend, so I used it as an opportunity to go hang with my parents for the night. I had big dreams of getting up super early and going to the gym before hitting the road, but you won't be shocked to hear I had a bit of a hangover after all the wine and whatnot from the night before. The best I could do was knock out a quick workout at home but hey, I wouldn't have even done that much a few months ago so yay for progress!

I hadn't had one-on-one time with my parents in quite a while. We spent Saturday evening enjoying drinks and food and lots of chatting. Sadly, I took zero photos until the next day before our group workout at the gym. Do I love this photo of me? No. Do I love that I got my dad to stop speed walking into the gym long enough to put up with my need for a group selfie? YES. 

That's a wrap! I'm already anxiously awaiting Friday - we're heading to the beach with friends for a few days. Living as close to the beach as we do, you'd be surprised how rarely we go so I am pretty psyched. 

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

Happy Tuesday! Just popping in to share a few snapshots from our weekend.

I've been suffering from major baking withdrawals so on Saturday, I picked up a bag of pretty spring M&Ms and baked my heart out. This is my all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe because they always come out perfectly soft. The only problem is that I can't resist sneaking one of these babies every now and then so I've been bringing a bag of cookies everywhere I go to get rid of them!

Jonathan promised he would help my sister and her boyfriend re-landscape the lawn in their new house so on Sunday, we all met up at the nursery to pick out a few plants for them. Let me tell you, this was a great place to be first thing on a Sunday morning. The sun was out and I was a happy girl wandering around looking at the beautiful plants and flowers. 

We wrapped up our weekend with a quick shopping trip to find the perfect sunburst mirror to finish off our front entry table makeover. I thought I had found the one at World Market, but we popped into Kirkland just to be sure and we laid our eyes on this beautiful piece of work and knew it was the one. I've been promising some home makeover photos but we still have a few small things to finish up before I share those. In the meantime, I can't hold back on you guys when it comes to our entry table makeover. I need to see if I snapped a before picture of this because this whole space has been so completely transformed. It's brighter and more welcoming with a few pops of color -- it's exactly what I envisioned! It was fun (and a little bit tricky) to decide what pieces to include but I think we've got a good balance now.



Tell me -

• Did you do anything this weekend to celebrate the arrival of Spring? 
• What are your tips for the perfect entryway decor?