Being an Aunt....RULES!

This past weekend John and I ventured out to Phoenix to visit my sister, her husband, and my new (well 8 week old) niece, Marguerite Anne- aka Margo. I was so excited to meet the little beauty in real life- and it was an amazing weekend. This is the first grandchild on my family's side- and if you couldn't tell- we are all over the moon.

She's real cute. And by "real cute"- I mean cutest baby EVER! She's sweet, cuddly, giggly, smiley, with minimum fussiness- or at least that's what this aunt experienced. :)  We had a great weekend hanging out, taking LOTS of pictures- courtesy of John, and even went out for sushi. Margo is so well rounded- she's skipping McDonald's and heading straight for the fancy stuff!

*** Note- these are not the pictures John took- these are courtesy of my handy, dandy Blackberry that I love and everyone else hates.

Meeting Miss Margo for the 1st time

Look at that little smile

Sisters and baby

John with Margo- so sweet

Pretty in Pink- courtesy of Aunt Terri

Too cool

Little Diva

Cheers! Celebrating babies is fun!

Of course- it wouldn't be a proper welcome into the family without some toasting...and some cold beer.

Girls weekends are the best weekends

Cheers! One of these things is not like the other...I spy a beer

Friends for 14 years, Girls Weekends for 5 years

 About a month ago, my friends and I got together for our annual Girls Trip. The 4 of us, sorority sisters and friends for 14ish years get together to take a break from the everyday ups and downs and spend some time together. The trips have definitely gotten better as we have gotten older...I think the first one was Padre Island...need I say more.

This year, we went to the beautiful Horseshoe Bay. I had never been to this part of Texas and the drive down alone took my breath away. The hill country, the trees, the blue sky, and the open road. I would do that drive over and over again.

Marriot Hotel- gorgeous!

 Now, I know what you are thinking- dancing on tables, out till midnight, crazy, wild times. Well, we are either too old or too young for that.

The weekend that we create is one where we laugh about old times, talk about these times, and relax and rejuvenate for the future to come. It includes a spa, a view, and a cocktail. Can't get much better than that!

My morning view

My afternoon view

My afternoon cocktail

Baby Love

Exactly 10 days ago a miracle was born. She stole all of our hearts the moment she entered the world.

My niece, Marguerite Anne, is such a treasure- and I haven't even met her yet. If I could fly through my phone-she would be overwhelmed with kisses and hugs.

Here are a few snaps that my brother-in-law, sister, and parents have sent me. I'm sure you will be in love too! :) Only 7 more weeks till my flight to Phoenix....

Mama Lindsey and Baby M- moments old

Meeting Grandpa Richard for the first time

I spy a beer...

9 days old and pretty as can be

PS- this was the quote my brother in law, Kyle sent me the day she was born

 "The coldest beer I ever had was in the hospital after my daughter, Marguerite Anne was born.     Cheers!"

Yes, we will cheers to that!

And we will also drink beer anywhere.

A Girls Gotta Do What a Girls Gotta Do

Texas has pretty good weather. Yes, the summers are super HOT, especially last summer. But spring and fall are hard to top- and today is no exception. I am especially thankful that we had day light savings this past weekend so I get one extra hour to enjoy the sun!

I have made a vow to enjoy the most beautiful days:

no matter what day of the week it is (Monday...? Sure, why not?)

what plans I may already have, or (Ummm, can we reschedule yoga class?)

how hard I may be trying to stay in shape  (Running? Today? I like to run better when its cloudy.) or

how much money I am trying to save (leftovers? leftovers? I will eat PB and J all week if we can go to a patio...)

So, I vow, on every day that the weather is this amazing- I will finish my work day, throw on some spring casual clothes, find my husband, a friend, or even a stranger and head to the nearest patio. To enjoy the weather, drink a cold beer, and thank God for a fabulous life.

An Austin State of Mind

Last Sunday it was gorgeous here in Fort Worth. So, after doing all of our chores and errands, John and I decided to take a bike ride to a new restaurant in town. It opened a few weeks back and has been getting a lot of buzz. Buzz for many reasons....

The place: The Woodshed. The location: right of the Trinity River (yes, we have water in the river on this side of town). The concept: Having an animal of the day that is roasted on property to serve for the meals that day. The visionary: Tim Love (very famous chef in FW- owning Love Shack and Lonesome Dove).

So, we ventured over there to enjoy a beer on the patio and check out the ambiance. As we pulled up, I felt like I was no longer in Fort Worth. There were people everywhere, bikes everywhere, dogs everywhere, and a guy in the corner singing live country music. It felt like Austin- very relaxed, chill, and welcoming for a Sunday afternoon.











So, we sat down----inside of course----all the outside primo spots were taken----and enjoyed a nice can beer.

Because of all the outdoor area and seating- there is no glass at all in the place. Food is served on metal plates or a cutting board. Beer is either in can or in a plastic cup. Its pretty cool.

Can of cold beer

 We had a great time- went back last night for dinner and enjoyed that as well.

Yummy appetizer- homemade tortillas and meat fat juice...sounds weird---totally delicious!

 I would totally recommend this place- however, with the wait for a seat last weekend and last night- I think it's a little too late to be cutting edge on this one. Darn!

Deserving of a cold one

Before the race! It was chilly!

This morning I ran my first ever 5K. I know to all the runners out there this sounds dorky- but I am super proud of myself. I ran the whole thing...NEVER stopped and even sprinted into the Finish Line. I was proud of my time- not the fastest- but a great place to start.

34:51

I was so nervous all last night- I really wanted to complete the race running----and I did!

My awesome running partner!  We did it!

We had a great time, got our exercise in for the day, and had energy to clean, run errands and enjoy the rest of this gorgeous Saturday.

After the race

Well, and enjoy a well deserved cold one with family and friends!

Might just have to give this 5K thing another go!

Wine-O, Wine-O- its off to Oregon we go!

Oregon is probably one of my favorite states. John said after this trip- its on the rotation of places we have to go to every few years. In the next 5 minutes- I am here to convince you why everyone needs a trip to this magical place.

Oregon really never gets talked about. Its amazing. Its a huge state with very little people. The people that live there are totally laid back and cool. The size of Portland, the largest city by far in Oregon is smaller and less populated than Fort Worth by over 250,000 people. The population of the whole state is just a million more than the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex- with 3.8 million people.

I share this information to prove to you how green, lush, and beautiful this place is. There are trees, grass, mountains, ocean; this is a place where you can really be around the beauty of the Earth. It's the 9th largest state- crazy to think how big this state is and how few people live here.

So, how did we stumble upon this gem? I wanted to take John to a place neither of us had ever been for his 30th birthday 2 years ago. I decided on Oregon-they have wine, they have the ocean- why not?

I am telling you, Sonoma and Napa can NOT compare to the beauty and complexity of the Oregon wineries and wine. The Pinot Noirs are amazing and the views are spectacular. Every winery takes the time to talk about the soil, the craft, and the love that goes into each bottle. If you like Pinots at all- this is the place for you! Its not very crowded and still a little off the beaten "wine" path (although I know it won't be for long).

So, that is the wine country- just 30 miles south of Portland. Then the coast- the fabulous coast. I love the Oregon coast- I love watching the Pacific waves- they are so fierce and hold so much passion. We found a great little town, Lincoln City, only an hour and a half from Portland. They have great restaurants and a great hotel with hot tubs on the balconies. Now, that is a way to enjoy the coast!

As you can see, I am passionate about this place- so it was only right to share the beauty-so, we met my parents there so they could experience it.


And experience it we did! It was a wonderful weekend and a place I hope to travel to again and again.

So, if you aren't afraid of a little overcast, enjoy nature, wine, and the coast- this is the next vacation spot for you!