I'm still hungry, nothing new.

Mercedes has been living a busy life these days. Something about holidays approaching makes my time part ways. . . 

My life still consists of bad eating habits, Pinterest overload and Target. As a family we have a lot of exciting things on the horizon, scared to say the least and excited! 

For starters, yes, I still have to cook dinner. I try and mix it up a lot of times, my go-to meal will always be spaghetti bake. It's easy and it's delish. Last night Baby M helped cook and she was pretty excited until she realized she couldn't beat Blue with that particular spatula. 

When I say beat Blue, I mean occasionally spank him and force kisses on him.  

Baby M is still keeping us on our toes, finding new ways to keep us laughing, scared and all of the above. She's actually training for the circus right now, working on some of her tricks for her upcoming show.   

On a wild whim, I started browsing new furniture for Baby M's room. I wanted something that was unique and antique like. I found the beds immediately and loved them. Right now, we have left the beds red, the original color, but this weekend we're painting them an antique white. This weekend I'm also making some white bumpers for the beds. I'm pretty sure my favorite color is white and coral, so of course you'll see those colors throughout our house. I'm not wild when it comes to snazzy colors, I'm boring and love my neutrals.   

Her room isn't finished, we're adding some to the walls and other areas of the room,  but for the most part, I like clean walls with very little on them. 

 My favorite part of the room is coming together, but it's not finished. I found this dresser and fell in 

love. I originally wanted to paint a dresser, but when I locked eyes on this beauty, I knew I couldn't even stomach the thought of putting paint on this beauty. We polished and cleaned the dresser and I pretty much go in everyday to look at it, several times a day. 

Side note, if you don't know, you should know, that I love platters, cake stands, furniture and decor. Oh, people too. I love people. Duh. 

C built some shelves to hold the books, but I wasn't feeling the shelves with the new decor, so we opted to use something we've had for a while - an old pallet shelf. 

I know the space is perfect for a mirror, but I think we're going to build a wall collage near the book shelf. Hence, the random lonesome pink frame.  

We hosted some get together recently and I made this garland. It was simple, used my heart punch to make a million hearts, twine and some tissue paper to make some pom poms. I loved it so much that I didn't just want to toss the garland, so it now helps fill the soon-to-be collage wall. 

Next, my MIL celebrated another birthday last week. She'll never know how grateful we are for her and all she does. She's truly a saint & the worlds greatest MeMary. 

To add to the fun, we threw a wedding in the mix. C's cousin asked us to join in on the festivities and the day was pretty grand. The girls met a few days before and had a girls night, nails, drinks, good food and way too much laughter. I'll never forget the girl at the nail salon - don't worry, I'll mention that in a future post. 

*Also, before I forget... if you're in the Memphis area, do yourself a favor and book your nail appointments with the Nail Bar. I can only speak for the Harbortown location - but to say they are the best is an understatement. They're professional, amazing at their job and very friendly. Their amazing prices will shock you! 

At the Nail Bar

Family Picture 

The bride 

Baby M rocking the flower girl dress

Before we part ways on this VERY long post, I wanted to say Thank You. 

Thank you for your prayers & love. 

Thank you to our family. 

Thank you to our dear friends. 

Thank you to those that have offered so much support. 

Thank you to those who have gifted us so many precious items. 

Thank you to those who promised to walk with us through this journey. 

Our words will never be enough, they will never amount to the gratitude in our hearts. 

Since day one, C and I knew we wanted kids and when our fertility problems started, I prayed and prayed for one child. Then when we finalized the adoption with Baby M, C and I kept believing God would open the door for more babies, more children. 

Then one early morning before work, God opened the door. 

Last, I think a lot of people give C and I this amazing credit for adopting. While we are indeed adopting children, we are in no way heroes or closer to God for doing so. 

What we are is humble and grateful for these opportunities. 

Our birth moms are amazing for giving us these opportunities. 

C and I take no credit whatsoever for God's work. 

In my mind and my heart, I believe God mapped out his plan many moons ago, before I even met C. God knew we would face these fertility trials. God also knew that he would grow babies in bellies that would one day make their way to our home. 

C and I aren't perfect, but we do believe and call upon God's name. 

If you take anything away from this blog post or adoption, 

know that nothing is too big or impossible for God. 

With love, 

Mercedes 

Hey Y'all

So sorry for the absence

Life is so crazy busy it seems. 

We have lots going on at the house, visiting friends, celebrating friends and starting church small groups. Though we’re in a busy patch in our lives, we’re having fun and grateful for everything that's filling our time!

I'll start everyone off with an adorable picture. We do bath time around 7:45 pm, brushing of the baby teethies, book reading/milk time, then sleepy time. 

I'm extremely grateful to our family who supplies her book selection. Seriously, every week we get new books for Baby M and clothes, it's amazing.

This past weekend we hosted a wedding shower for our dearest friend & cousin. They're getting hitched in mid-October and they've asked us to join the festivities. It'll be Baby M's first time dancing down the isle.  I feel like we should sign a waiver as I'm not sure I want to be liable for her actions... 

When re-doing our kitchen, we add this snazzy chalkboard

On Sunday, a good friend invited us to the fair. She gave us some awesome passes  - the rides and admission were included on her passes and we had a blast! Baby M enjoyed the animals and the funnel cake. She cried when we saw a friend and offered her the funnel cake. She wasn't a fan of the pronto dogs, which was sad to me, as they are truly my favorite. A part of me was a little happy too, as that means I won't have to share my pronto dog... 

C bought the most disgusting burger ever and the world's best fries. . . It was literally Fat Girl Central aka My Heaven on Earth. 

Unicorn C won for Baby M. She's obsessed with the Unicorn - they named
her Pearl. 

Finally, I'll leave you with this picture. It's how Boomer feels about mornings, Mondays, empty dog bowls...  

 Until next time! 

Hello Survey

When a friend emails you a survey… you complete said survey:

Q: Describe your parenting style in one word.

A: Hilarious

Q: Favorite T.V. family of all time.

A: Boy Meets World

Q: What's always in your refrigerator?

A: Milk

Q: Last meal you made for your family?

A: Spaghetti

Q: Physical trait you hope your child doesn't inherit from you.

A: My feet

Q: Craziest thing you've done because you were sleep deprived.

A: Slept through some alarms.

Q: If you wrote a parenting manual, what would the title be?

A: It gets better

Q: Last lost toy you helped your child find.

A: Basting tool

Q: Kids' T.V. show you love.

A: I like Dora

Q: Fill in the blank:

"I almost fell over when my dog humped a guest recently. . .

Q: Guilty pleasure?

A: Keeping up with the Kardashians

Q: Favorite place on Earth?

A: My bed.

Q: Best piece of parenting advice you ever got?

A: This too shall pass

Q: First word that pops into your head when you hear the word "mom"?

A: Badass

MeMary

A year ago today, I did something I wasn't really ready for. 

I became a working-outside-the-home mom. 

I remember when I announced our adoption at work. I was a little nervous and a little fearful. What happened if I did want to stay at home? What would it be like to never eat again and to be homeless with a newborn? Kidding, kind of. . . 

I truly do love my job and working. I work for a great company and most days are great days. If I focused on the bad days, I wouldn’t grow and I wouldn’t enjoy my job. I remember leaving my safe-haven aka the banking world and venturing out to this side of the world. I’m glad God opened the door and kinda kicked me to take this opportunity. I’m grateful to work here and to work among these great men and women.

I remember the last week of my maternity leave. I remember trying to plan for the weeks ahead and thinking of every possible scenario that could happen. Then Friday came, then Saturday, Sunday and then Monday night. On Monday night I remember holding Baby M just a little tighter, just a little longer. I remember not going straight to sleep, but instead fumbling through the channels. As I made my way to bed, I remember stopping at her door and silently listening and wondering.

The next day I was up way earlier than normal, prepping and preparing for my first official day back. I remember pulling up at MeMary’s house and dropping off Baby M. I remember saying bye and getting in my car. I remember crying as I backed out of the driveway and wondering if I had made the right decision. As the days passed, it was easier to let go, little by little.

Trust me, I get that our situation is different. Not everyone has a MeMary, or a giving mother in law like I do.  If you do, count your blessings!

Today, I’m sharing some MeMary stories:

Our MeMary likes to laugh

Baby M and MeMary actually laugh at nothing. MeMary can start this loud laugh and Baby M will start giggling uncontrollably.

Mid-tantrum Vogue pose 

Our MeMary likes to dance

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pulled into the garage and heard our surround sound blaring. I walk in the door and find Baby M busting a move and MeMary watching nearby clapping for an encore performance.

Our MeMary lives outdoors

Of course Baby M is an outdoors fan. She cries when we try to bring her inside. She actually would prefer to sleep, eat and party outside, but the friendly mosquitos love her baby lotion, so we have to limit the outdoor parties.

who needs a shirt? 

Our MeMary breaks the rules

I lost count at how many times Baby M has had a chocolate mustache before dinner or the moments Baby M stalks our drinks in hopes of the occasional Dr.Pepper swig.

Every day when I leave to head into work, I know she’s in the greatest of greatest hands.

To our dear MeMary,

  May you always know how grateful we are for everything you do for us. We truly enjoy our time with you and always hope you know just how much we love you.  

Love,

Your fan club

Aka Baby M, Blue, Boomer, Cody & Mercedes

Mercedes

I’m this 30 year old girl, born in Texas, raised in Oklahoma.

I married my high school sweetheart, I’m obsessed with baking.

I truly adore my family, Baby M & the dogs. 

I am strong only because of the people who do life with me.

Today I wanted to share some bits and pieces of Mercedes.  

Here’s why. . .

I think sometimes social media paints an amazing picture, when really, we’re all wishing for Friday and hoping to find some extra cash in an old winter coat. .  . Am I right?

I think sometimes people think I have it all together, when in reality, I don’t & I'm super weird. 

I know it's shocking to find out, but I'm not perfect and I’m okay with that. 

What I am is enough. 

I am Mercedes.

  

Mad

Yup, folks I’m not always happy. I have road rage to the extreme and I am extremely impatient. Ask C he’ll give you several hundred thousand examples. I seriously try and pray before I ever touch my door handle to my car. I don’t like being mad at drivers or mad at slow moving peeps, but it’s a struggle.

Eager

I’m always multi-tasking, trying to check anything and everything off of my list. Yes, I really do make lists.

Re-run fan

If you ever go on a long car ride with me or could somehow get into my head phones. .. You’d know I love to repeat my jams. Like seriously, I listened to 1 song over and over during my half marathon. No lie.  

Are you starting to feel sorry for Cody?

  

Crazy

I’m crazy about a lot of things. Like, why are the sanitation wipes empty every time I go to Kroger? Why do people wait an hour in the Chicfila drive through, when they could park and get their meal faster? Why does Baby M not like her $300+ car seat?

Excited

I get weird type of excited. I get excited when Pier1 has a sale. I get excited when my dog comes inside after I call his name twice, not 10 times. I get super excited when toothbrushes are $.50.

Dishes

I’m obsessed with dishes. I also love platters, cake stands, bake ware. Seriously,  I would buy a platter every week if I had the room for said platter or could convince Cody I needed said platter.  The colors, the shine, the placement. Don’t get me started on pottery or bowls, we could be here all day.

Engaged

If you and I are having a conversation, I am engaged. I do not look at my phone, I do not drift into outer space, you get all of me.  

Sleepy

About 2 weeks ago I became a non-sleeper. I only sleep for a couple of hours, then I find myself pondering and pinteresting ... Do you know how many pallet projects I've made, in my head?  

I tried to stick with the letters of my name, but I’m also a few other letters.

I’m J for Judgmental.

I struggle with understanding everyone’s opinion and reasoning. I know it’s not okay and I’m working on it. The struggle is real.

I’m L for Loud.

I’m the loud friend – laughs loud, parties loud, has the loud house, buys the noise makers for kids – I’m loud and proud.

Basically, I’m working on me every day.

Could I work harder, yup.

I’m not the best I can be yet, but I’m making strides to get better.

Adios Amigos.

Birthday Goodness!

Gifts 

I love giving gifts and I love getting gifts! 

I’m not the normal person though, I don’t glee for joy when the gift is $1,000, I’m the odd person that jumps for joy when the gift was $1,000, but you only paid $50 because it was used and in good condition. . . Not kidding. I love a good sale and I love when people shop smart! Another thing I love about gifts, is thoughtful gifts. I like when someone puts some serious thought into your gift, that makes me glee for joy.

So when I had an awful day on Friday, in all C fashion of being an early gift giver, he told me to grab something for him. So Baby M and I walk over to the deck and grab this tool bag. I’m about to hand it to him and he said, just open it and hand me the tool, my hands are full. When I open the bag, it’s gift boxes! *note – small gift boxes excite me more than large gift boxes* When I unwrap the gifts it’s the camera and film I've been eyeing! 

It's a Polaroid type camera, prints pictures off immediately

I love projects, so one reason I wanted the camera, was to start on my next project! I wanted to hang some pictures in Baby M's hallway. So as we built the deck, I started to shop through the scrap pieces to build my platform for said pictures. About a year ago I found a bow making tutorial on YouTube, so I knew I wanted to add a bow... then C helped me twist a wire hanger to clip the pictures to. I plan on adding more pictures, but for now it has 3 cute pictures! Oh, I also painted the board some mint color, let it dry, then sanded the edges and middle for more of an antique type look. 

On Monday I came home to some unique items. My sister recently went to visit my other sister in Colombia. They had a great visit and I didn't expect to receive birthday presents from Colombia, but I did! Baby M, C and I received chocolates, toys and cool pieces of art! 

To most people, this cup wouldn't mean much, but when C handed me the cup I started crying. Only a few know my obsession with Mexican type art or donkeys for that matter. Here's why: 
When we lost our dad, I made a trip back home to help my siblings clean his house. It was a cool trip because I spent some time with my brothers and sisters, we laughed, cut up and busted our butts cleaning the house. We found a lot of cool things, but I didn't take a single item, except 1 thing. Rewind to his last Christmas,  my sister J bought him an adorable donkey figure. The donkey was carrying baby Jesus and had a sombrero and all kinds of cute little decor. My dad loved the donkey and laughed because of how funny and cute it was. So when we were cleaning the house, I took the donkey with me. The donkey is truly a Christmas item, but it doesn't matter to me and the donkey is proudly displayed in my house everyday of the year. As the years continue to pass, my sister Josefina always seems to find a way to sneak me a new donkey or something with a donkey on it. I've gotten some cool items through her travels, but the donkeys mean so much to me. She knows what the little figures remind me of. So when I got this cup, in a weird way, it was like my dad was with me. In that moment in time, it was a small reminder of him being with me always and on my 30th birthday. 

When you lose someone important, the smallest items carry so many memories. Sometimes when I'm dusting or walking by, I glance at the donkey & I smile. 

I had a training session on my birthday so after training I had about an hour of free time. I wanted to go home and party it up with Baby M, but I knew I could use this hour to do something I've been putting off. So I made an appointment with an amazing stylist and she did her magic. 

I am not a fan of long hair or super short hair, but I knew I needed to donate at least 8 inches, so Teresa did her magic. I picked out some short styles and she started chopping and combing. I was a little scared because short hair can be unforgiving. . . 

I ended up digging my new do and I'm glad I was able to donate 8 inches to some kiddos in need. 

My locks before the cut 

Selfie haircut pic

It wouldn't be my birthday without some amazing food. So of course C takes me to my favorite restaurant. . . Frida's in Midtown. 

I love the restaurant, but hate the wait and sometimes the service isn't grand. 

The food is amazing. I'm from Texas/Oklahoma and this restaurant is the most authentic tasting place I've ever eaten at in Memphis. I could eat here about 3x's a week and never get bored. 

I always get this amazing burrito and can never finish it. It's big & beautiful 

This picture doesn't do this meal justice. This is hands down the meatiest nachos ever.
Yes, this is the only "Mexican" food C eats. Lame.  

Of course the night ended at my favorite bake shop. Muddy's is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between. Love the service & treats! 

So far my days in the 30's are pretty righteous. Lots to be thankful for and lots to be excited about! Here's to many more! 

Thanks for the birthday love friends! 

Hello 30!

30 Years Young

Part of me giggles when I think about turning 30 and the other part of me hysterically laughs because I’m not mentally that age.  Some people find it hard or depressing to age, but I think it’s a true testament of a blessing. I get to turn 30, that’s something to celebrate. In my 30 years I’ve made some great memories, made some righteous mistakes and laughed way too much. I have so much room to grow, so much to learn and so very much to see.

Here’s to celebrating 30 and the years to come. If you can’t see me today, please have a piece of cake, honey bun, Dr.Pepper or some pie in my honor. You deserve it and in true fashion, you can even have two pieces … because that’s what I’d do for you.

In my 20's: I joined the married life, the home owner bunch, traveled a lot, joined the mommy world & ran way too much. 

My Bucket List for my 30-something year in life.

*fine print – can and will probably change*

B-i-b-l-e. I hope you sang Bible out like I did. I want to read the entire bible. I hope it takes me longer than a year, I hope some verses strike me and they make me over think and evaluate. It's funny because I always think the bible is so boring, but in all actuality things that took place years ago, still take place today. 

Take an advance photography course. I want to learn how to change some lighting and such in pictures. Make them extra gnarly. I love pictures! I think they're great to have and our house is covered in great memories. I love snapping pictures for others too! 

Master’s degree. I want to start working towards my Master’s degree, not sure if it’ll be an MBA or something extra spectacular. I really do hate school, but I like to learn and think about things bigger than me. I like to learn how the world functions and what I can do to help or how to see the picture differently. 

Visit Colombia. This may get marked off since my sista is engaged & lives in Colombia! Hello beautiful water, great fruits and wedding cake. . . I don't like to travel, but I love to see my family and see what they're up to. I would love to visit my sister's paradise and see things through her eyes. 

Fajitas. I want to make bomb fajitas. I love Mexican food. I love fajitas and so does C. I can make some and they're okay, but they're not like real-deal fajitas. 

Guitar. Take more than 2 lessons. So Parker-the-great gave me 2 lessons, then my fingers felt like they were bleeding, so I took a break, that turned into a year... I have a beautiful guitar that needs to be played, so I will learn. 

Open mic night. I want to sing 1 song. I like to sing, but I don't like to do it in front of others. I'm not shy, I just don't like to know anyone in the crowd. So I will probably end up singing at church in the toddler room and it'll probably be some Frozen song because that's all they like right now. 

Open mic night. I want to do #4 while playing the guitar. eekkk... 

Ice cream. I want to try all 31 flavors at BR. I love ice cream, like a lot. I like ice cream more than I like regular real food, so yeah, this is going to happen. 

Marathon. I want to run the Mercedes Benz 2016 full marathon. Mainly because the medal is pretty and because when I cross they'll say "Mercedes" 

Oh & before we part. . . I stopped sharing our #30RAK doings because it started to get a little personal and I didn't want to share any circumstances or events. I will leave you with our last random act . . . I am growing my hair to donate 10 inches to an organization that helps kiddos in need. I keep wanting to cut my hair, I'm not a fan of long hair, but I keep thinking about the precious kiddos who are waiting for wigs and I'll grow my hair again and again to help them get whatever style of wig they choose. This will be an ongoing once a year donation. Through our random acts of kindness, I pray someone was inspired to give, someone was inspired to do and to act in kindness. 

Be blessed my friends, stay classy San Diego.