A little bit of EVERYTHING!

Weekend Times 

This past weekend was glorious. Baby M and I literally had the house to ourselves & we pretty much partied went to the park & ate like crazed gals do. She is not a paci type of girl, sure the picture shows otherwise, but she would not let it go on Saturday! She's very tiny for a 9 month old, so needed some support in the swing. She's pretty into herself as you can see - why smile for the camera, I'll just keep my plug in and give you a gangster face. She's hardcore & hates shoes.  

Good Friends 

So in life sometimes you meet people and you think - How did I not know you before? Where have you been all my life. We are blessed with some great friends, seriously. This particular couple the J's are amazing. They are so down to earth, love you for who you are, love their kids & kids in general. They're pretty rad and we absolutely had a great time on Saturday kicking it, ladies only! 

My Family 
A few reasons why I love Texas. 

1. My family. 

2. The food. 

3. I was born there. 

4. The food. 

I'm sitting at work and a text comes through. . . This picture. Hello beautiful baby niece and adorable nephew. I was not there for the birth of baby E and I have not yet met her. Reason #5,323 why I need a jet and more money & time. I love my family with every ounce in me. Sure they make me go nuts half the time, but they are truly my heart. Little things remind me of them - trips to Walmart, Target, Ice Cream, Windy Days, Bon Jovi ... you name it. I have so many memories of the good times we've shared. I am blessed with 8 brothers and sisters whom will never know just how much they mean to me. 

Shoes 

This happened. Baby M has sandals. I died when I got this adorable picture. Sure the outfit is a hot mess, but she's so adorable. I'm not sure why I'm so in love with this picture, but it's one of my favorites. Little baby feet, I die. 

Movies 

Sunday I went to the movies with C and we watched this movie. Let's get something straight, I love God and without him I would be nothing. I'm never ashamed of God and I try hard to live by his word, do I fall, everyday and probably hourly. This movie was a great example of how people are tested and how we have to have faith. If you have not watched the movie, you should. It's amazing and will absolutely be purchased when available on DVD. 

Adorable Babies 

So a long, long time ago I moved and met this great gal. She and I shared a lot of similarities. One thing we shared, was the love we had for our significant others. She was dating a hunk whom she met at a job, I was dating a hunk who I met at school/job. We were young and in love, nothing could stop us! She was a really great friend and has stood by me through a lot. It's nice that time has passed and now we're getting to do something even cooler - raise daughters! This adorable baby belongs to her and her high school hunk. She gave birth, a year ago to this little beauty here. Baby L is a great kid and full of life. 

 I can't wait to see where life takes us, but I'm glad to know we were blessed with good friends. The type of friends to see situations through and to hold your earrings if things get crazy. 

The Old Crib

I went by our old house and a window unit is now in the front window. 

I'm done. 

Alright Party Peeps, until next time! 

A Week In Review . . .

Goodness, where does Mercedes begin? 

For starters we attended a wonderful wedding, I mean reception. . . So let's getting the story straight. We moved in December and the craziness started. If you are moving or thinking about moving, do not move during the holidays. Only three Christmas cards were received, my online shopping wasn't easy breezy . . . 

Anyway, back to my story. . . So we are always besties with our neighbors. These neighbors are pretty awesome and will always hold a special place in our hearts. So because of the mail being a mess, their wedding invite was sent back and instead of re-mailing the invite, I asked her to just shoot me the details. Well guess who sent me the wrong time. . . JESSICA, THE BRIDE! So we arrive as the wedding is finishing and we stick around for a bit of the reception. These two are a great couple and in my eyes were already married so the wedding was literally icing on the cake! 

As mentioned above, we left the wedding reception a little early . . . so we could load up on carbs.  We were running a race early Sunday morning and needed to get something filling in our bellies and hit the hay. I ran the Germantown Mayors 5K and C ran the Germantown Half Marathon. You guys, I'm so proud of C. He killed the race and did not even train. He seriously is a beast and I can't wait to see his time next month on his next half marathon. I ran with my brother in law's bib and PR'd my 5K. I too have not ran much these last few months so I was pretty pumped about that. I guess Dr Pepper and Honey Buns are good running snacks, eh? 

Baby M is officially 9 months old. She's wild as ever and happy as can be. She really is a lot of fun and a lot of stress all in one. She wants to put everything she sees in her mouth or throw it on the ground, it makes for a lot of good laughs and some good times. I laugh because people tell me all the time - she looks just like you! She truly was the missing piece to our lives. I sneak up on C and Baby M a lot and he either has her laughing hysterically or she's crying like a wild woman. Whatever the case, when he enters the room her eyes get wide and she smiles. She loves us and I will never take her spirit for granted. I guess that's why God encourages us to be more like children, they're full of goodness until they're 2. 

I started trying to make breakfast because I'm starving when I get to work and want to eat the chips, cookies and chocolate at 9:30 am. So I began my search on Pinterest and have officially had success on three dishes. The first is pictured below. This I would call Heaven because it is a sausage and gravy casserole. Hello, Gorgeous. Then I made a sausage and egg bake that was okay ... but the crust could have been better. Then today I made a french toast bake that needed more baking time, so I have to take C's word and know it's good because he called me to tell me "Thanks, that was pretty good." He was able to try it fresh out the oven since he goes to work later than me.  : ( 

I am a huge fan of consignment sales. I absolutely love finding Baby M's stuff on the cheap! So when she outgrew some other items, I sold those beauties and bought her new items she can love! This little gem was purchased last week and she is learning how to get on and off. She loves the buttons and apparently hates pants. . . Pretty sure I will show this picture at her sweet sixteen... 

We love Elvis, she was Elvis for Halloween ... So when I see some cute baby Elvis gear I gets it. This is courtesy of Lansky's at the Peabody Hotel. I love all the items they have for babies and I'll return to buy more cute Elvis items. She's not so thrilled to be baby Elvis, but she's cute in the gear. 

That's all folks . . . until next time! 

Mercedes 

Catch Up!

Let's talk about 3 things Mercedes did . . . 

1. 

I love Pinterest, like a lot. I have found some seriously amazing recipes & tutorials. I somewhat enjoy crafting and I love the finished product! I'm currently working on making some tikki torches for the backyard, but having not such great luck. I did however... have some luck. I have used these on two loads of laundry. The first was on some blankets and the second load was clothes. The sponges were Scotch sponges and were the "green" sponges they offer. Overall, my only problem is when you ring the sponges, your hands are not drenched in softener. Other than that, we think they work great! I'm a coupon shopper so I have enough dryer sheets for a while, but I will use these for a while! 

2.

It's wedding season . . . I went to my first wedding of 2014 & it was short and sweet! It's always great when you know a lot of the wedding party and when you arrive late and they're already lined up walking down the isle. I'm never late to anything, but I guess things change . . . 

3. 

We did something I never thought we would do. Baby M decided about 3 months ago that she would wake up in the middle of the night. The first few nights were wild. She was waking up anywhere from 2-3 times at night. We went from having the best sleeping kiddo to a kiddo that wanted to host cocktail Similac parties at 1, 3 & 5 am. Let's get something straight, I am good on little sleep, I am,  but I have never mastered the art of going right back to sleep. So when I would wake with Baby M, she'd knock out after 20-30 minutes then Mercedes was up for another hour, then she'd be up again. So I was somewhat of a zombie. C is always handy & would absolutely wake up with Baby M, whenever. Well just last week, Wednesday night we put our game face on. She's almost 9 months old and she pretty much runs the show. So Cody and I decided we were going to do the let-her-cry-it-out method. Basically it was well understood that Baby M didn't need anything when she'd wake up, she basically wanted to chat, sing or just be rocked to sleep. So we knew she wasn't hungry, dirty or sick... she just wanted us. So we did it. Wednesday night we let her cry it out at 1 am.It was awful, heart breaking and both of us almost gave in to going to get Baby M, but we didn't. She has officially slept through the night for the last 4 nights. I pray we are through the nighttime parties, but if we aren't, we'll rock the half asleep looks again! Grateful for a healthy and funny baby! 

It's Spring Break around these parts and I love not dealing with school traffic, but I'm giving my teacher friends the I-hate-you looks... as they are off for a whole week. 

Hello, Winter. . .

Is it true that I wore shorts and a tee shirt all day Saturday? Yes. 

Is it true that I wore shorts and a tee shirt on Sunday morning before getting dressed for church? Yes. 

Is it true that I almost froze getting to my car after church? Yes. 

What is going on? What did I do to Mother Nature? She's probably mad because I cuss the wind or because I hate rain. She's really showing her true colors these days and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to perform a rain dance repent. 

To some, these pictures aren't bad. I mean to some they enjoy winter. I am not "some." I despise cold weather, I am okay with heat and I absolutely hate jackets, people & socks. The roads are decorated with ice.  

 ICE, ICE BABY. . . 

 This amazing picture was taken while driving. . . I am pretty daring, rebel. 

Here is my front yard. I live in a different state, 20 minutes from work where the pictures above were taken. I'd say the roads are much better where I live. 

Stay classy and safe my friends! 

First Ever Link Up

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Link up Time!



1. I always pick anything over going to the movies. I hate going to the movies. The thought of sitting in grimy old seats and paying $25 to do so, makes me sick. A lot of new releases aren't even worth going to the theatre. Then the movies are becoming available on DVD quicker than in the past. C loves the movies, like is obsessed with going. I feel like he only goes for the popcorn. Side note, I had a friend who worked at a movie theatre and said they pop the popcorn days in advance. . . Gross.

2. Look at the size of those heels. Let's stop and chat. For starters if you have to walk like something is stuck up your butt in heels, they aren't for you. Flats can be your best friend. They make adorable flats and you will survive. Just because a trend is starting, doesn't mean it's for you. Let's all work together to help those around us understand the heel epidemic. 

3. I recently learned God really does have a plan. It's crazy because I've known this all along, but it's absolutely legit. I can see that now, but explaining to people that he has a plan, isn't always easy. I feel like everyone has to go through a storm to see God's true glory & his plan.

4. Only when no one is looking do I completely bust a dance routine for Baby M. She loves it, but I'm not so sure everyone else would welcome it like she does. I'm almost certain when she learns to clap better, she'll give me a round of applause. You just got served comes to mind. . .

5. I lost my mind after adopting baby M. Seriously, I lose things, forget where I put everything and am so off. It scares me at times because I'm so OCD and never imagined I'd be so forgetful!

6. I was certain I'd be 20 lbs. lighter already. Then something happened, in something I mean I've developed an obsession with Honey Buns. I capitalized it, because I love them and they deserve respect. Everyday I find myself acting like a crazed individual looking for $.95. Our vending machine was out once and I thought, "This is a sign from God, stop the madness." The very next day they were refilled and I almost bought two because I missed the day before.

7. There is not enough liquor in the world for me to sky dive. I'm pretty afraid of heights and since I don't drink then there isn't enough Sonic ice or Coca Cola for me to sky dive. Oh yeah.

8. I just finished one assignment for my last semester and I have a million to go, but I'm officially over school. I have to finish all of my assignments before May 1st and I'm pretty sure on April 30th I will finish the rest. . . Oh, college you stink.

9. Why does everyone have to be so easily offended. I'm finding that drama actually doesn't end in Middle School Mom! We carry issues as adults too and no one can take a joke. I mean, sure some people are actually mean, but others just choose poor words to express themselves. Let things go, live.

10. It's very rare when I don't want to spend my entire paycheck at Target. The other day is a prime example. I'm going to return something and find myself going down a lot of isles, leaving the store with things I NEEDED. That's what I tell myself. "You really do need this Mercedes, you can make a banner for someone's birthday party in 10 years!"

11. If I were a dog I would be so happy. Where do I start. . .  My two dogs are passed out when I leave for work and when I return for work. They have food in their bowl twice a day and snack on it as they wish. The treats are endless and they chase birds, squirrels and anything else they can see. They have no bills, don't have to drive and get to decide who they like. I'm sold, I'm officially signing up for the dog gig.

12. I don't believe baby M thinks I'm mom. I think she legit thinks I'm her housekeeper. When I'm around she throws her cups and toys on the ground like a crazy woman. Then she laughs. The laugh is what kills my soul. I retrieve her toys and rinse the toys off and then give them back to her. Again, she waits for a bit and one by one ... they are tossed. Then her laugh. It's a vicious cycle and I'm pretty sure she thinks my name is Rosario.  

10 things

It's been a hot minute since I've updated my blog. I know I'm a slacker, it happens.


Crazy to know February is almost over! Can you  believe it?

10 things I'm looking forward to:

1. I'm pretty pumped about the weather changing! This means Mercedes can actually run outside and not have to complain about freezing. I can deal with the heat, but not the cold. It messes my breathing up. Saying ADIOS to the dreadmill will make me smile.  
 
2. Time Change - means more daylight for everyone! This is important for me and C. He and I both like to do things outside, so having time to do them during the week is a huge win! When I say I like to do things, I mean I like to tell him how to do things outside.


3. Halfway through my last semester in college! I still can't believe that I will be done with my degree. It's bittersweet. I think the day my expensive paper degree comes in, I can feel it and see it, I'll cry a bit. I'll cry because I took a step and made something happen and because I can still hear my dad. He used to say, "In life everything can be taken from you, but your education will remain with you. When you learn something, it's forever part of you." I hate school, but I love my parents. I went to college for them. I did something they didn't have the privilege of doing, I know they're proud of me and my siblings, so this one is for you two!


4. Getting closer to running my half in Nashvegas! So we registered for a full marathon and then we realized that our then 5 month old wasn't a fan of her stroller and the weather was no bueno. So that left us with either running for 1 out of the 3 hours we have with her each weeknight, or reducing our race to a half and running less. We chose to run less and have more time with baby M. I know some say that's an excuse, that's cool, but it's our story and I'm sticking to it! We're proud to do the half marathon for St. Jude. To know an organization such as St. Jude exists, warms my heart and gives me hope that one day a cure will be found! 


5. My niece is joining the world very soon! Baby E is coming in March and I'm pretty happy. I'm so glad my sister in law has had a wonderful pregnancy. I'm glad my nephew E will have a sibling and I'm so glad the family is growing.


6. Grilling out more! I love food. I love food grilled the most.


7. Baby M getting teethies! I'm pretty sure baby M is getting super tired of us begging her to look in her mouth. We feel her gums a lot and she gets super cranky. I just wanna see the baby teethies!


8. Easter -  Baby M's first Easter will be celebrated with my family in Texas. That means they'll get to see her crawl for eggs or walk for eggs and they'll get to see her the whole weekend. This makes me super happy. Oh and we're going to my favorite place - Dallas, Texas. It's the place where I can eat my weight in Mexican food see my family! Side note, I ordered Maggie the most darling Easter basket. I also love working for a company who gives us Good Friday off, it's great.


9. We officially kick off vacation travel! We are going to be pretty busy from now until July 4th. Thankfully my family lives all over the place and we get to vacation in all these wonderful places! Look out Texas, Illinois, Florida & Tennessee we're coming your way!


10. Summer 2014! Our adorable nephew is going to spend a whole month with us! I'm pretty excited because I get to see him everyday for a month. I get to come home and talk to him about whatever it is, Baby M will get to see her cousin for a whole month, C will get to show him how to rock out on the drums & how to fart & burp then laugh do manly things.


I promise I won't delay in writing future posts! Until Next Time Party Peeps ...

Sugar Bowl Champions!!!!

I could say I'm pretty excited, but that would be an understatement... Seriously, I cannot believe it, I feel like I'm dreaming! The University of Oklahoma beat Alabama!

We had a lot of our friends over to watch the game, great food, great company and icing on the cake... OU wins.