Sometimes Bad Things Happen To Good People

This week begins the last week of October. Where has this month gone? I cannot believe 25 days have passed and this coming weekend is November. It always seems that the fall and winter months are the busiest. With our school/work schedule it's like the days are long but the year is short! Our schedules hardly ever slow down so it was nice to have a weekend to relax and spend a little time together. This weekend was a perfect time to rest and recharge. Here is what we have been up to lately in the Miranda Household...

Last weekend, "Christmas in Cowtown" came to Fort Worth. Anyone who knows us, knows that one of our favorite hobbies is shopping. So the fact that we had a reason to go shopping was exciting! You didn't have to tell us twice! ;) My mom, my sister and I drove out to check out Christmas in Cowtown and we spent the Saturday doing a little early Christmas shopping. Our friend Shannon met us out there and we leisurely strolled the aisles, sampled the frozen wine, tried on furs and took a look at all the fancy items that were set up in the booths. What a fun day! 

Shannon and Angel are so gorgeous! 

Trying out a bow and arrow that shoots marshmallows.What fun! 

How fancy is this fur??? I don't know if I'd ever buy a real fur but it was fun playing dress up! 

Us with our mama

Later that night my parents and sisters came over to watch the Notre Dame football game. Food, fun and football. Bonus... I got to wear comfy sweatpants. I would call that a perfect end to the night! 

My sweet sisters. <3

Last Sunday, I made brunch while Colt studied. When we were first married, making breakfast and brunch on weekend mornings was a tradition we started together in our new home. We still look forward to doing this every weekend. Now that Colt spends most weekends studying and working on projects, I try out new Pinterest recipes in the kitchen. We haven't had a fail yet! 

The rest of last week was full of work, work, work! I stayed at school last Monday night until 9PM to attend our PTA Meeting and I was also the emcee at our school's talent show. I love going above beyond and helping out at my school, but late weeknights make for exhausting weeks! Tuesday after work, I went to workout where I met up with my sister. It was a normal evening. We chatted after our workout was finished and we finally decided to go home half an hour later. I was on my way to pick up dinner for Colt when my mom called me. Once I answered the call, I immediately sensed that something was wrong in my mom's voice. She told me that my sister had been in a pretty terrible car accident on the way home from workout and that she would meet me at the scene. Needless to say my mind was racing and my hands were shaking. I made a U-turn in the middle of the road and headed to the accident site. All I could do was pray. I prayed my sister was alright and that everyone involved would be okay. I was nervous as to what I would see once I got there. 

My sister's car

The other guy's car

My sister was driving home when she came upon an intersection with lots of backed up traffic, construction and red lights. My sister's light turned green and the other guy driving the suv ran the red light. I guess he thought he could make the turn. By the grace of God, everyone walked away from this accident without a scratch. I have never been so relieved and so grateful to see my sweet sister sitting on the curb. She was understandably shaken up but no broken bones, no bleeding, nothing. Looking at her car, I couldn't help but realize, had the other driver turned just a second later, he would've T-boned her and the accident could've had a much worse outcome. I just thank God for watching over her.

 If you have ever met my sister, or if you are lucky enough to know her, you already know that she is one of the most incredible people you will ever meet. She gives selflessly of herself and is constantly helping others without wanting anything in return. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She is without a doubt, the kindest, most loving, helpful person in the world. She has the most beautiful soul. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. I don't know why. It's not fair, but as we know, life is not fair. I'd like to think that when bad things happen, it teaches us how to really appreciate the good and to grow closer to Him. 

The rest of the week was hectic. Thursday, we took 100+ kindergartners on a field trip to Mainstay Farm. It's this pretty little pumpkin patch in Cleburne, Texas. The rain held out and we got to ride on a hayride, roast marshmallows (100 5 year olds with marshmallows on fire is a little terrifying so much fun & no one burned anyone's hair off!) pick out pumpkins and we got to see the Christmas Tree farm! I was so excited about this. I would definitely like to go back in December to check out the Christmas Trees! 

School bus probs :)

With all the rain and an insane week, Colt and I couldn't wait to stay in yesterday. We took that day to do nothing but rest, relax and recharge. 

So blessed to be able to stay in on this gloomy, Fall day!

Shredding chicken for my crockpot recipe! 

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup. Made my house smell amazing!

Yum! 

We spent the rest of last night just hanging out on the couch and watching scary movies! 

We made Muddy Buddies for Movie Night In

Hard at work while waiting

Today, I baked a homemade apple pie. I thought it would be a yummy treat for my honey to come home to! 

Colt left early this morning to go to TCU to meet up with his study group to study for finals. My sister and mom came over to watch the Cowboys game. We had a fun time eating dinner, talking about our week and cheering on the Cowboys even though today was another Cowboys loss. :( 

The weekends fly by so fast. We are so grateful for the time we got to spend together. We really needed these two days to catch up on sleep, unwind and just be lazy... it's definitely healthy for the soul. 

This coming week is going to be another hectic week. Colt has finals and it's Red Ribbon Week at my school. Not to mention, my students are going to be hyped up all week in anticipation for Halloween! I can't wait to see everyone's costumes and kiddo's costumes on social media. I've already seen some adorable costumes! I love celebrating all holidays and Halloween is one of my favorites! 

We hope everyone has a successful and productive week! We love you all! 

Trick or Treat!

Weekend Getaway

This past weekend was spent in one of our most favorite cities, Chicago! Quite honestly, I don't really believe in visiting cities more than once, but Chicago is different. That city is so full of adventure, life, shopping, beauty and culture. It's definitely on our top 10 list! 

Colt was in Orlando, Florida just a few weeks ago for a conference. Unfortunately, due to the timing and my school schedule, I was unable to join him. When we found out that he would be attending another conference this past weekend in Chicago, I knew I had to go with! Lucky for me, Colt agreed to take me with him and we made a getaway out of it. :) We had a late flight on Thursday night and of course I waited until Thursday after work to pack.(Sidenote: I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to packing because it overwhelms me. I always pack way too much.) I had a crazy, busy week at work last week and a meeting after work on Thursday. I didn't get home until 5PM. I raced home, started packing (which took at least an hour and a half) and my sister, Angel, came over to keep me company and catch up while I packed. Finally, we got an Uber, packed up our luggage and headed off to DFW airport. We met up with several of Colt's friends who go to business school with him and who were also attending the conference. One of the girlfriends and one of the wives also accompanied their significant others which I was super happy to find out. While waiting for our flight, we sat and had dinner and drinks in the Amex Centurion Lounge. It was quite relaxing. It was nice to sit and chat with friends and relax after a long day. 

From left to right: Shane, Chris, Colt, Me and Alyssa (Shane's sweet girlfriend)

This is what a long day at work looks like. Look at those tired eyes. 

Before we knew it. It was time to board our 10PM flight! We took the Skylink to our gate and the guys decided to represent on the way to our gate. Such cuties! 

We flew out around 10PM and didn't land in Chicago until after midnight. We had to wait for all our luggage to be taken off the plane and of course catch a cab to the place we were staying. 

My sweet husband. He really is the best.

This trip we rented a Penthouse from AirBnB. This wasn't our first time to rent a place from airbnb. We have rented several times from them and it's always been a positive experience. We highly recommend it. :) Our cab driver on the other hand was a different story. He spoke broken English, and didn't seem to know quite exactly how to get to the place we were staying. We finally decided to take the situation into our own hands and we all got on our GPS systems on our phones to find the quickest route to get to our place. We were all so exhausted that we just wanted to get there already!!! 30 minutes and $80 later, we arrived to our destination. It was around 1:30 in the morning when we got to our apartment. 

I have to admit, I was so excited to see what the inside of our apartment was going to look like. Sure enough, it did not disappoint. It was super adorable!!! The owners did such an amazing job setting up and welcoming us into their home. Their place was so warm and inviting and of course, I just had to take pics! 

Master Bedroom and also the most comfiest bed and softest sheets I have ever felt in my life! 

Guest Bedroom

Master Bath

Look at this incredible lighting and the view! (These next pics were taken the next morning)

Just look at this breathtaking view from the patio. Wow.

I wouldn't mind waking up to this each morning! 

Once we arrived, it was time to shower and hop into bed. We all had an early morning the next day! I was so tired but at the same time I was almost too excited to sleep! 

Shane and Alyssa stayed in the guest bedroom of the penthouse. They were always the first to wake up and be dressed each morning! Friday morning, the guys were up and out pretty early for their conference. This meant us girls got to hang out and spend the day together. First thing's first, breakfast! Alyssa and I met up with our friend Kate (her husband, Peter, is also in the MBA program at TCU) and we all headed off to breakfast at this restaurant that came highly recommended. It was called, The Bongo Room. The food there was seriously incredible. We each ordered a different plate so we could all taste test and share. It was a taste of heaven in every bite. No lie. 

The blueberry and lemon pancakes were whimsical! 

After breakfast, we decided to walk off those calories and head to the Art Institute of Chicago. On the way we walked by Grant Park which was so full of nature and beauty. The park was so serene and peaceful. 

Onward we went to The Art Institute. We got to spend the rest of the morning with our friends, Seurat, Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir. ;) 

 

I couldn't believe I got to see the infamous "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte"! 

Such a huge fan of Monet! 

American Gothic! Eeeek! 

Kate, Alyssa and I

We finished up at The Art Institute and headed off to Millennium Park. You can't go to Chi-Town without taking a picture at the Giant Bean! 

Selfie sticks have definitely come in handy. 

After The Bean, we were starving. Our feet had already become quite tired and we jumped in an Uber. We had a late lunch/early dinner at Lou Malnati's. The food was delicious and us girls shared calamari and a deep dish pizza. After our "Linner" or "Lupper" we decided to do a little shopping on State Street since the boys were still at their conference. 

Once the guys finally gave us a call that they were done we all headed back to our hotel/apartment for a night of relaxation. We picked up some wine and snacks (popcorn and pretzel M&M's LOL) and met Colt, Chris and Shane at the apartment. We all lounged on the comfiest couch, drank wine, talked and hung out. It was lovely. We originally had grandiose plans of going out on the town but by 9PM we were all so exhausted that showers and sleep sounded even better! I know. We're SO fun. ;)

Saturday morning was another early morning. I went out on the patio and snapped this pic. The weather puts me in the best mood! It's literally so refreshing! 

 Alyssa went out for a day of exploring on her own so Kate and I decided to meet up for breakfast at a place down the street from where we were staying. It was called "Waffles" and the waffles really were amazing. Kate and I sat outside and the weather & atmosphere couldn't be more perfect! How cute is this outdoor table we sat at! 

After breakfast, Kate and I knew exactly what to do next. We headed to the Magnificent Mile for a full day of shopping. We seriously walked 6 miles of shopping!!! Once we were done shopping, Kate and I decided our feet needed a break and we sat at Chick-Fil-A where Peter, her husband, met up with us. We stayed for quite a while, resting, talking and waiting for Colt to be done with his conference. Once Colt was finished onward we went to The John Hancock Center! 

We waited in the long, 45 minute wait line to go to the 96th floor of the Hancock Center. It has a reputation for having the best view of Chicago. Actually, the women's bathroom on the 96th floor has the best scenic view! Kate and I tested that out! The view was so beautiful and incredible!!!! 

Just look at this!!! 

Sweet Kate and I

After checking out this unbelievable view, Kate and Peter met up with some old friends of theirs for dinner and Colt and I headed back to our place for a quick nap. I swear we walked so much! Once we woke up from our naps, Colt and I headed to Giordano's for dinner and more pizza. (Shh...don't judge me! LOL) Their garlic fries are so tasty!!!

The deep dish stuffed pizza, if you've never had it, you must try it. It's the best! 

Sunday morning we were up early to pack up, clean up and get ready to head out to brunch and then the airport. 

One last picture on the patio. 

The Chicago Marathon was also taking place this weekend. We had such a great view from our patio. I have to say, I got a little emotional watching the runners go by. It fascinates me how the human body can do such amazing things. I was also in awe of how so many people train all year for this marathon. It's insane! These runners are so inspiring. 26.5 miles is such a long way to run!!!! We cheered and rooted them on as the first runners ran by! 

After walking by the marathon, we rolled our luggage to a spot where Uber could pick us up. (Many of the streets were closed down due to the marathon). Colt, Shane, Alyssa and I crammed into the car with our luggage to head off to brunch. I was cracking up at how far back our Uber driver had his seat. Even with Colt being squished by the luggage, the driver insisted on having his seat that far back. Crazy! 

We went to brunch at one of our favorite Chicago places called, Flo. They have some delicious New Mexican dishes. Colt fancies anything with New Mexican green chile. We met up with my sister's friend, Ethan. Ethan graduated from TCU with his MBA last year and is now living and working in Chicago. He was so sweet to meet up with us and give some insight on the program. 

Bacon & Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Enough said.

Colt, me, Ethan, Alyssa & Shane

We all said our goodbyes after brunch. Alyssa and Shane are staying in Chicago until Wednesday so we said we'd see them back in Texas. Colt and I hopped in another Uber and headed off to the airport where we waited in a long line because computers were down. We had a blast but couldn't wait to get back home. 

We arrived at Love Field late Sunday evening. We picked up some Mexican food for dinner and headed back to our cozy home. It was nice to relax and unwind after a fun and busy weekend. As always, Colt and I had such a wonderful time in The Chi. We loved seeing the seasons begin to change and enjoy the cooler, fall weather. I, especially, enjoyed having "girl time" and getting to hang out and bond with the other gals while the guys were hard at work. Alyssa and Kate were always so sweet to wait on me to get ready every morning. Believe it or not, it takes some effort to look like this! ;) 

Colt and I were so blessed to be able to take a little getaway from our every day life. Tomorrow it's back to the routine!

Until next time, Chicago! XO!