My Christmas Wish List

What? Mamas can't make Christmas wish lists too? Bah-humbug! I'm doing it. Here's a little look into some of the things I'm lusting for lately...

World's Best Teacher Necklace

Newport Cover in Yellow for Nook Simple Touch

Nook Simple Touch

Red Sailor Stripes iPhone case

Marks the Plot Coaster Set

Classic Navy Toms

XOXO

(Note: Yes, I am a super nerd, but you probably already knew that. And I have an unhealthy obsession with stripes.)

Days Like Today

Today was one of those days where there's no plans and nothing to do except watch rain clouds drift across the sky, fold heaps of clean laundry, and bake up batches of gooey chocolate chip cookies. After all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, it was exactly what my soul was craving. We hunkered down on the couch with our pajamas and cozy blankets and just enjoyed being at home. Hannah took a long nap in the afternoon, and I took advantage of that time by soaking in the tub for an hour while reading the end of The Help.

And in the stillness of today I got to spend some time just watching Hannah and marveling at how much she has grown in the past couple months. She is positively racing out of her babyhood and I find myself holding her tighter every chance I get. She's learning multiple new words everyday. Just yesterday she started saying "scratch" when I asked Wytmer to scratch my back. She clearly articulated each letter and ran around the house saying "scratch, scratch, scratch!" She's also learned empathy and will grow very upset when the characters on TV start crying. She's taller, her hair is long, and her face is much more defined. Her beauty takes my breath away sometimes and I am left speechless,eternally grateful just to know her, let alone call her my daughter.

Life can get so busy, and that is why days like today are so important to me. They remind me where my focus is, and that as long as she's growing, thriving, and smiling, I must be doing something right.

XOXO

Full.

The day is winding down and all of our bellies have been stuffed full of turkey and pecan pie, but I didn't want this day to end without stopping in to wish a happy Thanksgiving to my readers.

Today was a busy day for us. We have to split Thanksgiving between three different houses and it gets a little hectic rushing around like that. Luckily Wytmer's mom had her Thanksgiving dinner last night so we only had to go by my parents, and Wytmer's grandmother's house. It may be a little crazy, but I always love spending time with family, and all that yummy food isn't bad either! Wytmer's mom sent us home with two whole homemade pies, sweet potato for Wytmer, and pecan for me. And honestly, I have no intention of sharing. Because honestly, pecan pie is the best pie ever and I have been dreaming about it for weeks.

But besides the pie, I think my favorite part of Thanksgiving is watching so many people love on Hannah. My heart is bursting with pride because of the amazing little girl that I have. Everyone was so excited to see her and kept gushing about what a sweet, funny, and smart girl she is becoming. And I loved it. I just feel like I spend so much time marveling at what a great kid she is, that when I hear it from other people it just makes me so proud and thankful. Thankful for my vibrant daughter that I admire so much, and for the family we have that freely pour their love out for her. We truly are very blessed, and I'm ending this Thanksgiving day with a heart full of love.

And a belly that is about to be re-filled with pecan pie.

XOXO

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Christmas has officially arrived in my home. I know it's still early and all, but I just could not wait a day longer. This weekend we headed out to Target to buy our very first Christmas tree. This is our third Christmas living together (second with Hannah), but we had been living in a crazy tiny apartment until this year. We finally have enough space to put up a tree, so I went all out with a 7.5 footer. And I love it! Every time I glance at it I get all giddy thinking about watching Hannah open her presents Christmas morning.

There is just something so undeniably magical about sharing Christmas with your children. I haven't been so excited for the holidays since I was a kid myself, and knowing that Hannah is going to somewhat "get it" this year? Well it's enough to make me go full out Christmas crazy. I'm already baking cookies, burning peppermint candles, and playing my Nat King Cole Holiday station on Pandora. The lights are up, the stockings are hung, and this mama is overflowing with holiday cheer.

XOXO

Friday Night Pizza Picnics

One of my favorite parts of being a parent is starting new traditions. I love the idea of having something special to look forward to with my family, and knowing that one day Hannah will have memories of these childhood traditions to smile back on.

In the past few weeks Hannah and I have started a new tradition. I like to call it Friday Night Pizza Picnics. At the end of the week I am so tired from work that the idea of cooking is very unappealing. So picking up a pizza on the way home from our favorite local spot is a little treat that I usually look forward to. Lately when Hannah and I get home we have been putting on our pajamas, laying out a big blanket on the floor, and eating our pizza picnic-style on the living room floor. I'll find a kid friendly movie to watch, and we will spend a couple hours cuddling and giggling together before Daddy gets home from work and joins in. Our little weekly pizza parties are so much fun that I'm officially making it a new family tradition.

XOXO

Recipe: 4 Ingredient BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Okay, y'all. I don't know if you realize this, but I live in Texas. And if there is one thing that I love about Texas, it is the food. More specifically, the barbecue, and the Tex-Mex. And that is why this recipe is one of my all time favorites. I get all that yummy smokey barbecue flavor, mixed into a crispy, cheesy quesadilla. Bonus? Hannah will eat it. Win, win, and win.

Okay, so to make the quesadillas you will need:

• Pork roast
• 1 bottle of barbecue sauce
• Flour tortillas (I used large, but any size will do)
• Shredded monterey jack cheese

I had made the pulled pork the night before for sandwiches, and just used the left overs for quesadillas. That's the great thing about pulled pork, you can do so much with it (sandwiches, pizza, baked potatoes...). Anyways, to make the pulled pork all you have to do is put your pork roast in a crock pot, cover with a bottle of BBQ sauce, turn it on low, and leave it there for 6-8 hours. Then before you are ready to serve it just pull the roast out, shred it up with a couple forks, and put the whole mess back into the sauce. You should then have a big bowl full of saucy, meaty goodness.

And now to make the quesadillas:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Spread a thin layer of pulled pork over half of a tortilla (leaving the other half to fold over).
3. Top the pulled pork with cheese.
4. Fold over the top of the tortilla and press lightly.
5. Pop your quesadillas into the oven for ten minutes, carefully flipping them over half way.
6. When they are done they should be golden brown, crispy, and the cheese should be melted. Go ahead and cut up the quesadillas into little triangles, and serve with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

YUM!

XOXO

Changes

Okay, I'm going to go ahead and apologize for the confusion right now, because I get it. Yes, this is where you would normally find Letters to Hannah. Remember last week how I talked about changing the name of my blog? Well you guys, I did it! And I'm pretty excited about it. So here's a little background info about why I chose to make the switch, and what the new name means to me.

In my post last week I talked about how I originally named this blog without much thought. Well, as I continued to develop this space, I kept feeling like the name wasn't a true reflection of what I was writing about. Yes, I talk about Hannah a lot, but I also like to write about things that have nothing to do with her. I had originally planned to write occasional letters to her, but every time I tried I felt like they were too personal; something more suitable for my handwritten journals. I found that my blog was turning into a place where I could celebrate the everyday moments that make up my life as not just Hannah's mother, but also as a woman with hopes, struggles, and achievements.

About a month ago I was driving to pick up Hannah after work, and these lines from one of my favorite e.e. cummings poem kept running though my head, "i thank You God for most this amazing day..." I had actually blogged about that poem before (here) and it has always been one of my favorites. To me, it is a testament to everyday miracles, and to the intention to be thankful for every moment, good or bad, of my life. And that is exactly what I want my blog to reflect. I may not have the most remarkable life, actually it's pretty simple, but this day is amazing because I am here, and I have my family with me. And so this blog rename is also marking a change in my life. Hopefully I will learn to live by those words, when my daughter is crying and the laundry is pilled high, when work is overwhelming and I haven't seen Wytmer all day. I will make the choice to still offer my gratitude, saying once again, "I thank You God for most this amazing day."

XOXO

this week...

I'm linking up with A Good Life.

XOXO

New Directions

"Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable,then without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well." 


--from New Directions by Maya Angelou

**********

I started this little blog of mine almost a year ago. At the time I was really excited about joining the blogging community, and I didn't put a lot of thought into a vision for my blog. I just wanted to start.

This (almost) year of blogging has been a huge learning experience for me. I've written some posts that I am really proud of, I've met some awesome ladies, and I've documented a big chunk of Hannah's babyhood. There have also been a few disappointments; posts that aren't as awesome as I'd like them to be, connections that fizzled, and days that went by without time or inspiration to blog. But even when I'm busy and unmotivated, I'm still drawn to blogging.

Recently I've found that I'm much more relaxed and comfortable in this space. In the past I was worried about doing what other people were doing. I wanted to join in all the linky parties every week and write about things that I thought people wanted to read. I avoided long written posts because I didn't think anyone would be interested in a post unless it had pictures in it. And honestly, that is a shame. Because I majored in creative writing. I am a writer. And while I do enjoy taking photos, I am not a photographer. It's silly now that I think about it. And it's only been recently that I've started thinking about this. I've invested a lot of time in this blog. I want it to be filled with my voice, not someone else's.

So, I'm giving myself the freedom to truly write for myself. To write posts without pictures. To skip out on a few linky parties. To give myself breaks when I need them. And to use the talents I already have, instead of coveting those of other bloggers. I started this blog to gain a sense of community with other moms. And that is still a huge priority to me. But finding my voice in writing, and building a community around that, is now my focus.

So that being said, there may be a few changes around here. Nothing crazy, and nothing immediate. But you will probably be seeing more words in my posts. Also, I'm thinking about changing the name of my blog. But I'm still unsure about the logistics of that.

I really appreciate everyone who has been a reader of this blog.  I've loved getting to know everyone, and I have received so much love, support, and encouragement from so many incredible women. I hope you all will stick with me in the future.

XOXO

Houston Heart Walk

This Saturday we drove downtown for the annual Houston Heart Walk. This was our second year doing the walk, and it was a lot of fun. The weather was chilly but sunny, perfect walking weather. Hannah was all smiles the whole 5 miles. She was loving the gorgeous weather, and there were lots of happy dogs along for the walk. Hannah loves dogs. Here's a few pictures that I took with my phone along the way:

I gotta admit, my legs are aching a little today. But it was a blast, and hopefully something that we continue to do every year in the future.

XOXO

November Sponsors (Part One)

Check out these lovely ladies!

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XOXO

TREEEEEEE!!!

No, this post is not about trees. TREEEEEEEEE!!! Is the way Hannah says "trick or treat!" And it is adorable. Almost as adorable as her costume.

I know the black cat wasn't one of my original ideas. We actually decided on the Little Red Riding Hood costume, but sadly, it was sold out. Wytmer was dead set against the gnome costume, and I wasn't really into the other two (those were his picks). So after procrastinating for way too long, I put this little costume together last minute. It actually worked out well, because she loved it. Well, everything except the face paint. That required a huge freak out in the bathroom. But we got it done.

Once she was fully transformed into a kitty, we grabbed our pumpkin bucket and headed to my parents' house to take pictures and trick or treat. And let me tell you, Hannah loved Halloween. She was so excited to get her picture taken, and eat candy with her grandparents. And since we had been practicing how to trick or treat for the past couple weeks, she knew exactly what to say when we got to the door. She would run up, knock, and yell "TREEEEEE!!" Then she'd pick her candy, say bye, and wave while running down the sidewalk to the next house.

I think one of the most exciting parts of being a parent is celebrating holidays with your kids. Childhood is such a magical thing. It was amazing seeing Hannah's eyes light up with joy when she dumped out her trick or treat bucket. Little moments like those are going to be the ones that make up her childhood memories one day. And seeing that magic unfolding in her life, well, it's something that I truly cherish.

XOXO

(P.S. I have a special post coming in the next couple days to introduce my lovely November sponsors, so be on the look out for that!)