Thanksgiving Week 2015

Hello, Friends! Colt and I were blessed to have 9 days off from work, school, studying and alarm clocks! At the beginning of our Thanksgiving Week, I thought 9 days seemed long... now at 10PM on Sunday night, 9 days seemed too short! Seriously! Where did the week go? Here's what we've been up to this past week: 

• This week has been dreary, cold and rainy, but we tried our best to be productive! We started the break off with grocery shopping for a turkey since we were hosting my family and a friend at our house this week on Thanksgiving Day. Then ended the night with our first red cups of the season! 

Starbucks and Tom Turkey in tow!

Tom Turkey in defrost in our fridge.

• We hosted a dinner party for a couple of our friends, Arturo and Jose, who also happen to be brothers. We all met back in high school. They are the kind of friends who have been around so long, that we consider them family. They have been there for us during our difficult times of loss and sadness, as well as, our joyous and celebration times like our wedding! We cherish these guys so much and the friendship we share. Arturo, or Art, as I call him, is the friend of mine who built and customized our kitchen farmhouse table. If you are ever looking for someone to do wood work or iron work or anything like that, please let me know! Art is crazy talented and he will customize and meet go above & beyond your expectations! You can check out his work on Instagram @ArteRealStudio or on Facebook www.facebook.com/Arterealstudio (This is not a paid advertisement. The thoughts and opinions about Art's work are completely my own.)

Getting our table ready for dinner! 

• This week, Colt and I had a lunch date at our favorite Mexican Restaurant called, Los Molcajetes or "Los Molc" as we call it. I was so grateful for not only getting a week day lunch date, but, for having a leisurely one! If you are a teacher or know a teacher, then you know we don't get a very long lunch break! It was nice to be able to sit down and have a meaningful conversation with my favorite guy and not be in a hurry to scarf down my food! 

• The day before Thanksgiving, my mom and I went out to do a little Christmas shopping and food shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a very pleasant day out spending time talking, laughing and shopping together. We went back to my house where my sisters, Angel and Alexa, met us to help with prepping the turkey and doing some baking of Thanksgiving treats! My great aunt also came by the house to drop off a set of turkey salt and pepper shakers she bought for me to match the Turkey platter she passed down to me a few months ago. 

          

My sister Al and Tom Turkey

 Baking homemade pies and cookies!

Salt and Pepper shakers gifted to me by my great aunt. I will cherish and keep these forever. Love.

Table ready for our thanksgiving dinner.

• Thanksgiving Day we kept it low key. We dressed in comfy clothes and ate dinner at my house. We had our signature mimosas, tons of appetizers and hors d'oeuvres, delicious homemade food as well as an array of homemade pies, cookies, bundt cakes, and baklava! Despite the cold and pouring rain, we kept our Black Friday shopping tradition alive and went out. Umbrella and rain boots were a necessity!

#blackfriday2015

• Friday we spent the day cuddled up and enjoyed a relaxing and quiet day at our house. We caught up on our DVR and Netflix. It poured all day and there was no way I was going out in the cold and rain again. Colt went out to watch the TCU vs.Baylor game at the Petroleum Club in Fort Worth. It sounded like a fun and lovely time but nothing was going to get me out of my pjs! There was quite a bit of flooding in our area and I was so relieved when he was home safe and sound. Colt returned home a little while later and we had a wine and cheese night together and watched TCU lead our team to victory! 

• Saturday Colt and I were up early cooking and baking and getting ready to meet up with his side of the family for Thanksgiving #2! It was nice to have everyone together at his grandparents house since we all live spread apart and don't get the chance to see each other as often. We enjoyed catching up, laughing and chatting. We can't wait to see everyone again in a few weeks for Christmas celebrations! 

 Baked some homemade mini cherry pies

Fresh green bean casserole topped with bread crumbs and almonds. Pinterest for the win. 

Colt and his grandmother, Lola

• Our last day of Thanksgiving Break was spent going to church, Colt went up to TCU to study for a few hours, napping, eating turkey day leftovers, cleaning up the house and taking down all the Thanksgiving decorations. Colt surprised me and cleaned out our entire garage earlier this week and this evening he went to Home Depot to pick up wood to build shelves for our garage. The garage has needed to be cleaned out and organized for quite awhile and I have had it on to do list for months, but just haven't had the chance to do it. I don't know what I did to deserve this wonderful husband of mine but I count my blessings twice when I thank God for him! 

Colt's selfie on his way home from HD

• PSA: Attention!  Plate chargers, are not microwaveable. Most of you probably already know this but I thought I could do it anyway. I noticed one of our chargers had dried candle wax on it and I was having trouble scraping it off. So a light bulb came on and I knew I needed to heat the wax to make it easier to remove. Oh here's a great idea, put it in the microwave! So I did. Immediately it began to spark and make cracking and popping noises. I was lucky our microwave  house didn't explode! Whew! 

These past 9 days have been glorious. Colt said it best when he told me that even though the weather has been cold, dreary, rainy and wet, and we have felt so lazy... this has truly been the perfect time to reconnect and spend quality time together. 

9 days seemed to zoom by, and I don't look forward to setting early alarm clocks, however, I am ready to get back to work and see my 22 babies! I've missed them so! 

These next 3 weeks before Christmas break are about to be fast and furious with hectic schedules for both me and Colt. Advent is one of my favorite times of year, as we prepare for the birth and arrival of Christ. During these next few weeks, with all the hustle and bustle, Colt and I do our best to keep the true meaning of the season and direct our hearts and minds as we anticipate Christ's second coming at the end of time. Jesus is the reason for the season! 

Love you all! 

'Tis the season to be thankful

Only 5 Saturdays until Christmas! Can you believe it? I am already in the Christmas spirit and have spent the last few days listening to Michael Buble's Christmas station on Pandora. I would love to already put up my Christmas Tree, but Colt put his foot down when it came to that. Now before you say it's too early for Christmas trees to be up, let me say that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! I love celebrating Thanksgiving, visiting with family, eating so many carbs until your buttons pop, napping and shopping, however, I also feel that the Christmas season passes by way too fast and I feel like the earlier we can start celebrating, the better! Marriage is all about compromise, and I agreed to wait until Thanksgiving Day is finished before putting up our tree. The things wives do for our husbands. ;) 

This past week we celebrated Veteran's Day at my school. We had a beautiful Veteran's Day ceremony and we had quite a few veterans attend. My grandfather, uncle and several of other family members and friends are veterans and Veteran's Day is something I hold dear to my heart. This week I taught my students that not all superheros wear capes. We learned all about who veteran's are, why they are important and what they have done for our country. My students were so excited to come to school each day to learn more about our veterans and one of my student's even told me, "Mrs. Miranda, someday I want to be a veteran when I grow up!" I explained to my students how we were going to write "Thank You" letters to veterans and one of my teacher friends will have them delivered to North Texas Stockings for Soldiers Campaign. My littles were so excited to decorate and write letters for our soldiers. These kiddos bring so much joy to my heart. I am so proud of them.

We are thankful for our troops!

This week I was finally able to get to my hairstylist for a new fall do. If you're a woman, then you know just how good a fresh color & cut makes you feel. It's so rejuvenating! I feel like a brand new woman! I am so thankful for my talented hairstylist and her amazing hair skills.

Adios bayalage!

Fresh new do! Darker, richer color.

After my hair appointment, I drove out to our book club night and met up with the other TCU MBA wives & girlfriends. Angela hosted us at her place and she had quite the spread! We drank lots of wine, snacked, talked a little about the book, but mostly chatted the night away like girls do. We stayed for several hours and didn't leave her house until almost midnight! Midnight on a weeknight! This is so unlike me, especially when I have to teach early the next morning... but we were having so much fun. It was totally worth it. Angela, you were a fabulous hostess! I am so thankful for getting the opportunity to meet and get to know all these wonderful ladies. It's nice to have people who can support you and understand what you're going through since they too have husbands & boyfriends in the MBA program.

The remnants of the spread

Wine Squad

Saturday was spent lounging. The weather was cool, overcast and dreary. We had nowhere to be so we slept in.  Colt made a delicious brunch and we napped on the couch for a few hours afterwards. We caught up on a few hours of DVR before we finally decided to be productive. Colt and I cleaned, mopped and vacuumed the entire downstairs. I swear it amazes me how quickly this house can get in such a disarray with only 2 people living in it!!! I am thankful for our cozy house that we have made a home. In Colt's words, "Team work makes the dream work!"

A little Thanksgiving cheer in our kitchen

Kitchen Chalkboard

Around 7:45 Saturday night, we decided to head out to Michael's for one of their Christmas sales. Colt and I shopped for some new trimmings for our tree and picked up a few other odds and ends. I think being there got Colt into the Christmas spirit as well. He even tried buying a gingerbread house kit! 

After a little shopping, we stopped at Braum's and headed onward to Chili's for dinner. Saturday was such an incredible day. I am thankful for days when Colt and I can relax together and laugh, talk and just enjoy each other's company. We definitely do not get enough days like those. 

Sunday mornings are my favorite. Colt was still sleeping early this morning. I love having quiet time to myself to pray, read His word and spend time with God. On our wedding day, my parents gave Colt and I this monogrammed bible as a wedding gift. It has both our names and wedding date monogrammed on the front cover. This is still my most favorite and most beautiful gift I have ever received. I am thankful for being on the receiving end of such a wonderful gift. 

Later on, we went over to my parents house for lunch and the Cowboys game. That game was heartbreaking!!! Colt wears his Cowboys jersey every Sunday. He is a true patriot for his team. After lunch, we spent time chatting and visiting with my family. I am so thankful for all the time that we get to spend with my parents and my sisters. Afterwards, Colt headed back to our house for homework and my mom and I headed off to Target. My mom and I were walking up and down the aisles when we stumbled across this:

How awesome does this thing look! You're able to bake your own Girl Scout cookies right in your own home?!?! Who wouldn't want this?! Oh to be a kid again! I am thankful for the time I get to spend with my mom. She's my best friend and I am thankful for the quality time we spend together. We talk on the phone on the drive to work every single morning without fail. It's such a great way to start my day. I am thankful for our daily talks. 

This week is going to be busy at school. The week before a break is always chaotic and hectic. I know my students will be excited for our Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast as well as learning about the 1st Thanksgiving. By Friday, we are all going to be ready for a much needed week long break! I am thankful for my wonderful school that I am blessed to teach at. I am thankful for my 22 sweet, loving students. I am thankful for Colt's school and thankful for the opportunity that we have been blessed with at TCU. 

And I am thankful for this guy. He makes me laugh each and every day. I am excited to see him every day after work. I am blessed to get to come home to him and do life with him. He brings joy and happiness to my life and to my heart. I look forward to celebrating our 3rd Thanksgiving as a married couple. I am one blessed gal!

We are thankful for each and every one of you. 

'Tis the season to be thankful!

We love you all!

Just another manic Monday

It was so nice this morning to be able to sleep in an extra hour. I didn't have to be at our Professional Development training until 8:30 so I was able to wake up, make our bed, and leisurely get dressed for the day. I even had time this morning to pack some healthy snacks to munch on mid morning! Monday was off to a great start! 

Instead of the usual 30 minute teacher lunch we usually get during the weekday, we got an hour to go to lunch! So many things that can be done in a hour! Teachers are great at working quickly and efficiently to make the most of our time! :) I debated on going out to lunch or getting a manicure. I was in desperate need of a polish change. 

Look how horrid these nails are. I can't believe I went so long like this. Ugh.

I quickly googled "nail salons near me" and found one less than 5 minutes away! I bolted out the doors of the school and ran to my car as quickly as I could. Priorities, you know! 

So much better! 

Why is it that any time I get my nails done, I feel like my life is complete and I can conquer the world? I felt 1000x better! After the nail salon, I had about 10 minutes left to grab lunch and get back to the school for more professional development. The afternoon training seemed to drag on a little more than the morning part. I was able to make a to-do list and grocery list though so that was great. 

Our training let out at 3:20 which meant that I was going to arrive home by 4PM!! That never happens! It was cloudy and chilly when I left the school and I was battling in my head whether I wanted to work out today or go take a nap instead. I realllyyyyy wanted the nap. I pushed on through though. I got home, quickly changed and headed back out to my 4:30 workout. 100 squats and 100 toe touches plus running up and down the bleachers... not my idea of a perfect Monday. 

Mondays are for muscles and manicures. 

After workout, I had to drive in the 5:30 traffic. Everyone's getting out of work at this time and all I needed to do was get to the grocery store!!!  I only had to grab a few items, but ended up coming out with more than I needed...

Shhh.. You don't see those Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes! ;) 

After a hectic day, I finally made it home for good! I cooked dinner and we were eating by 7pm! I was so proud! Nothing was stopping me today!

Turkey chili coming right up! 

After dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen while Colt got started on homework. I packed my lunch for tomorrow and headed upstairs to shower. That's when I ran into this madness. Please don't judge me for what you're about to see...

This is so depressing and embarrassing but it's real life.

I actually don't mind doing laundry... it's the putting away of clothes afterwards that I can't stand!!! Since I was sick all last week, I would run a load of laundry then throw it on the bed once I grabbed it out of the dryer. Only problem was, instead of putting it away, I would throw it off my bed and then go to sleep. (Please tell me this happens to everyone now & then!) This went on for days. Such a vicious cycle. BTW my clean clothes are not thrown on the floor. There is actually a suitcase under there that I've been meaning to put away...

If you're looking at this picture, you're not judging...you're supposed to be thinking, "It's okay, Liz. These things happen to everyone! Life happens. Don't fret! You're still awesome!" I don't do well with clutter, mess or disorganization so this has really been bothering me. I prefer things tidy, clean and in their place. I finally felt well enough tonight to put ALL of this mess away. Whew! It was quite a chore but it's done and I feel so accomplished! I can finally breathe.

I must say today was super productive. If today was this awesome and it's only Monday, bring on the rest of the week! 

Happy Monday, folks! 

Love you all! 

We're Baaaack!

Hello friends! It's been awhile since I last blogged. Mostly because our schedules have been pretty insane, Colt was in the middle of finals and I have been sick. I am finally feeling healthier and we are back to our normal routines. 

The last week in October was exhausting. Not only was it Halloween week, but it was Red Ribbon Week at my school. This means not only did I have 22 excited little people in my classroom counting down the days to go trick or treating, but since it was RRW, that meant each and every day was a themed dress up day. If you work in a school, you already know that anything out of the "normal routine" causes craziness in little kiddies! I can't blame them though. They are just so enthusiastic and excited and so full of life. I love seeing their little faces each and every day with a thirst for knowledge and they are so happy to tell me all about their experiences. Being 5 & 6 years old is awesome. I sure am blessed to teach and hang out with these little babies of mine each and every day! Here are a few pics from RRW:

Some of my team members and I decided to dress up as The 3 Blind Mice. This day's theme was: "Show good character by being drug free" (Storybook Character Day)

"We Arrrrre Drug Free" (dress like a pirate day)

That week we also had a small, birthday celebration for one of my cousins, Ashlyn. She just turned 6! Some of my family met up at the bowling alley for bowling, food and cake! I came straight from work and the dress up day was "Follow Your Dreams and Stay Drug Free", which meant I got to wear pajamas to work that day. I didn't bring normal clothes to change into after work, so plus side was, I got to bowl in my pj's! Comfiest day ever! Any time my family gets together, you can be sure we are going to be loud, crazy, and there will be lots of laughter. We love any reason to celebrate and we definitely love any reason to get together! 

This is Ashlyn while we were singing "Happy Birthday" to her! I told you 6 year olds are awesome!

My littlest cousins. From L to R: Carson, Ashlyn, Sammie & Myles. 

Later in the week, Colt flew out of town to San Antonio and Houston for a few days for a conference. I love that he gets to have these experiences, but I have to admit, I don't sleep as well when he is gone. When he tells me that he will be out of town, I try to get as much sleep as possible, because I know that the nights he is gone, I will toss and turn all night and not get a restful sleep. Sounds mushy but it's so true! What can I say, I kinda like having him around! ;) 

Halloween Morning, I went shopping to run a few errands. I don't know about you, but I have this terrible habit of carrying my phone in my hand everywhere I go. I was in the process of getting out of my car when my phone slipped out of my hand. I gave a valiant effort to save it, but in the end I heard it smack to the ground and heard the dreadful "crack" sound. I was scared to pick it up because I already knew. Sure enough, the screen was cracked to smithereens. I could hardly read anyone's texts and I had to pick the slim shards of glass out of my finger any time I responded to a text or phone call. I know in the grand scheme of life, this is a small problem, but still. It was awful. 

When I got home, I immediately tried to book an appointment at the Apple Store, but everything was booked until Monday evening!!! I posted about my first world problem on Facebook and in the end I was so glad I did. A friend of mine messaged me saying that she had a Saturday appointment at Apple that she wasn't going to be able to attend. Needless to say, I quickly responded to her, thanked her and drove as quickly as I could to Southlake. Shoutout to my friend, Nisha!!! Thanks for helping a girl out! 

Thank goodness for Apple Care. Honestly, you would think I would've learned my lesson by now. I have had quite a few iPhones in my day, and I have cracked the screen on every.single.one. Long story short, I ended up having to leave my phone at the store overnight. Luckily, I had my iPad to keep me connected to society and social media. (I know, I know, I have a problem.) In the end, they couldn't fix my cracked screen and I had to get a new phone all together. This was a complete bummer because I lost all my pictures and quite a few contacts. The phone wouldn't back up for some reason so I had to start all over. The worst. 

Halloween night we were invited to a Halloween Party that our friends, Rusty and Cheryl were hosting. Unfortunately, we missed it due to Colt coming back into town and me coming down sick. We were able to make a quick stop at my parents house for a late dinner and some festivities. My mom is one of the most festive people I know. She makes everything so fun! Growing up she always made a huge deal about holidays and we loved decorating and celebrating and going above and beyond. Now as an adult, I still love doing all those things. 

How adorable is this cake my mom baked?! Disregard the back of the cake that has no icing...my sister doesn't eat cake with icing so my mom makes accommodations. ;) 

This past week was draining. I came down sick over Halloween weekend and I only got worse from there. Sneezing, itchy throat, water eyes, congestion, cough, hoarse voice, feeling lethargic and weak. I didn't miss any work but I'm thinking I probably should've taken a day to rest. I visited our school nurse's office a couple of times but I never ran a fever. My self diagnosis was it was just seasonal allergies. Today, I am finally feeling 95%, thanks to Allegra-D and Mucinex. I look forward to getting a restful sleep this week as well. Most of last week, I tossed and turned and rolled around at night because I couldn't breathe or would have a coughing attack. I know Colt is glad to get some peaceful sleep this week as well. :)  

Yesterday, Colt and I went over to my parents house for breakfast tacos and brunch. Mom and I took off from there and we spent the entire day at the mall. I needed a new pair of jeans which of course meant, that I came home with more than just a pair of jeans... We also did some Christmas shopping. I was glad to already be marking a few names off our Christmas list! Today, we met up with my sister, Angel, for lunch at one of our fave mexican places, Los Molcajetes. It was a fun time as always. The rest of the day, Colt worked on homework, I took a 3 hour nap and then worked on laundry, tiding up a bit around the house and tried a new recipe I found on Pinterest. 

"Southwest Chicken Bake". Pinterest for the win, once again.

This week, I ordered a book off Amazon, called "Wife After God". I stumbled upon this book on the internet and it definitely looked like something that was right up my alley. I have actually been looking for a devotional to work on and to prayer journal about. I am excited to get started on it. I will keep you updated as to how well it is going. 

Well folks, dishes call and the washing machine beeped. Time to finish up around here so I can get to bed. We don't have students tomorrow, just professional development. I always use this as an excuse to stay up a little later! Hee hee. I live life on the wild side. ;) 

With me being sick, Colt has been picking up my slack around the house. I snapped this pic the other day while he was vacuuming and cleaning up the living room. I will leave you with this little gem. Enjoy! 

Isn't he the coolest. I love this guy! 

Have a happy week! We love you all!