Hiiiiiii! I skipped blogging/my online journal all of 2024. I want to get back to it this year. I debated trying Substack but ultimately decided to stick to this journal. 😂

I spent NYE and the days following in Dallas with my tiny girl gang. We made special fancy drinks and had lots of snuggles and all three littles had RSV. It was anxiety producing to say the least. My sisters first two girls were summer babies but her last girl is a winter born baby and man it’s not for the faint of heart.

Alabama had a snow day. Em was spending the weekend with us. We snuggled in at home, played a board game and watched Migration and The Little Mermaid. We made a sourdough loaf, chocolate chip cookies, and sourdough pizza crust. Em played in the snow for a bit before it melted away.

Onyx Storm was released and as expected I flew through it and now have to wait forever for the next one.

I visited the family in Dallas. We went out to eat, visited their Dad at work, went to gymnastics and had some the floor is lava play. Which now has caused the song to get stuck in my head.

I came home for a few short days. I got a hair cut and color before heading back out to Texas for a wedding. We hung out with friends and played with their babies. Ryan’s friend got married on a beautiful Texas February day. The weather was delightful and the ceremony was tender and lovely. We enjoyed the charcuterie table, dancing and wedding cake (it was delicious).

Happy 2025! Hoping it’s filled with magic, adventures, peace, safety, white space, love, and unimaginable joy. ❤️

xoxoxo

The weekend is here! It’s been busy with birthday celebrations over here.

My birthday gift from Ryan was two olive trees and a fig tree that all grow in pots. They came a few weeks ago and we already have olives.

Also have my little herb garden going.

Disney world is opening up this week for special previews etc. It makes me sad to be missing the magic. We decided to get a partial refund on our passes because we don’t feel like possibly exposing our patients or the other guest at Disney in this age of Covid. Mickey & Minnie I will miss you!

Birthday meals didn’t go quite as planned (one restaurant was closed on Tuesday and one wasn’t doing takeout.) It rained all day. Which none of those things are the end of the world I just like to get outside and out of the house. Finally there was a break in the rain so we ran to the waterfront for birthday dolphin show. He was so close.

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We did however celebrate all week long with my shape cake (a family tradition), ice cream pie, fried shrimp, cheese boards and more dolphins. Image Alyssa a great birthday present that I wish I had made for myself.

We ventured to St Philips. It was a fun and educational trip although roasting hot.

This week brought work, disgruntled Instagram interactions, and general blah feelings.

I did feel down one day but asked in my new town of over a year if someone wanted to go walk that day. I had THREE responses. Thanks for making me feel loved and to myself for asking for help.

The first loggerhead babies hatched for the season. ❤️

Whole30 published this list if Black owned bookstores that carry Whole30 books. I thought it would be a great resource to save next time I am looking to purchase a book.

Happy weekend! Stay safe and mask up.

Lovies.

xoxoxo

Did January seem like the longest ever and yet also 2020 is marching along?

There is a new aerial yoga place kinda ish close to Beaufort and I am excited. I took my first class there and can’t wait to get back.

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At the end of last week Ryan’s parents came to visit. We tried some new places to eat, went to the beach, looked at land (and learned we can’t afford to build a house).

I roped my FIL into us making s’mores which was more than just building a fire they went to buy all the stuff while I was at the Visitor Center event. But s’mores are so fun especially when you can hear the ocean. We have a fire pit in our yard and really need to do this more.

I attended the Hunting Island State Park Visitor Center opening. It was a lovely night and such an incredible transformation. The artist, park staff and FOHI board did an amazing job.

We walked to the waterfront Sunday for exercise and a picnic. In the words of Lilo my fish tacos feel like somewhat of an abomination right in front of our fish friends, but delicious and a very scenic abomination.

I spent the beginning of this week in Birmingham with my baby Em. Gosh she will be ten this year. Such a sweet, loving angel.

Where are the self driving, fast Jetson cars. I need to be able to get to and from Alabama while car napping even if Ryan isn’t with me. Driving is so hard. Also why can’t America have an amazing train system like Europe. Wouldn’t that be grand!

I gave my monstera a new, bigger home. He is looking a little worse for the wear. Hope he perks up. I also got this cute crystal plant stake online.

Krispy Kreme has new mini doughnuts and everything is cuter in mini sized. Kittens, puppies, babies, doughnuts.

Happy Weekend! Welcome February!

Lovies.

xoxoxo

Happy first Friday of the new decade. Have you lost some of your goals already or maybe not started yet? No worries there’s nothing magical about January 1. Just do those little steps.

We got home from the Christmas rounds last weekend. Worn out, with a cluttered house, and work in the too close future. I am desperately working on battling this. You would think as much as we travel I would have a great routine by now. I think a big road block is working typically the day before and after we leave to maximize that travel. Any tips?

Luckily I has three days off mid week, finally making some progress. I took Christmas down sadly and probably the earliest I ever have. Cleaned and straightened. We had the great purge of 2019 to move here and I feel the purge of 2020 coming. The less stuff you have the less crap there is to clean, right?

Wednesday we watched the annual Pelican Plunge. It was fun to see. I do say my family wouldn’t count most of the plunging as plunging since really your head needs to go under. I plunged in July 2019 in the Arctic Circle. We will count that.

Watched some Bama football. 246 days til Gameday. The countdown is on.

I blogged about 2019 and 2020 goals.

I took myself on a library and walk date at the waterfront. Soaked up some vitamin D and Sea before this soaking rain arrives. Also found some new good books.

My sweet friend Lauren had heart surgery today. It went well. But please keep her family in your prayers. She has two littles and a long recovery ahead.

I’ve been trying to follow the Clean Mama routine to keep our house in order. It’s do hard to be motivated to clean after a 13 hour work day, especially when you return the next day.

Happy Weekend! We both work so not feeling too much like the weekend here.

Lovies.

xoxoxo

Happy Weekend!

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We spent last weekend in Pensacola picking up this girl. We went to the pool and Wahooos game with friends. We also went to a few of Ryan’s old favorite haunts. He spent some time there for school when we dated. We also noticed the unbelievable tree damage along I10 from the hurricane. I can not imagine what the actual coast looks like.

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We found nest #35 on Turtle Tuesday. This one needed to be relocated since it will not hatch before the July 3/4 King tide. Em was in love as usual. She then feel asleep on the way home.

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A garden update. I have the first of some zinnias peeking out. The sunflowers are growing. I also have a huge squash plant that is taking over. I did not plant anything edible just flowers but this one must have been in the wrong pouch of seeds. I finally also got my dahlias in the ground and moved some zinnias around so they will not be too crowded.

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Hydrangea propagation is a going well. I have six successfully still alive plants and I will count that as a win. I lost all of the strawberry shortcake hydrangeas but the others are thriving. It makes me so happy! Look at those roots! I did most in dirt but this one and a strawberry shortcake one in water.

I have been seeing the chiropractor and massage therapist to try to help me with some hip/glute pain. I was fussed at for wearing flat flip flops so I have some new Vionic flip flops and Birks on order. I might need some slippers to wear around the house too since barefooted is not good but hello I am the barefooted mermaid and hate wearing shoes inside.

Em and I have gone to Family Flow yoga class this week. Finding a place of love, non judgement and acceptance is hard to find when it comes to exercise places but luckily maybe we have!

It had been a wet end to the week here so Em and I have been organizing and watching movies.

A 14 year old baked enough cupcakes in a year to take his 7 family members to Disney! Wow!

How cute is this dad helping his daughter hula hoop?

Lovies.

xoxoxo

Happy long weekend! We made it!

We are no longer home owners. Hallelujah! Celebrate!!! Whoo!! We are in no rush to own again.

Last weekend Em has her last day of school nineth birthday. First day of third grade versus last day.

Em and I had a popsicle Pepper Place breakfast. Of course we also had matching nails.

Teddy’s birthday and Tare’s med school graduation where Saturday. Phew. What a weekend. Filled with much celebration, fun and love.

We took the last load of BHM house stuff to Beaufort.

Ryan had a birthday. I usually am great at doing celebrations. But this year I just had to wrap his present in a blanket. It felt like an easy out but he got new living room speakers which were huge!

I battles with the racoons over the trash. We finally just put bungee cords on the trash cans.

Hunting Island saw the 17th nest of the season Tuesday and the sunrise was spectacular. Today nest #23 was found!

I am vising with family in Portland, Maine. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. I can’t wait to bring Ryan back to visit. So far we have taken a few boat rides. Seen eagles, loons, a beaver, a turtle, blue herons, and all sorts of birds.

Sesame Street now has a foster child character. Love this.

Beautycounter is constantly making improvements to the beauty industry and the brand. This week they announced a plan to help reduce, recycle packaging better.

Some college grads were surprised that the commencement speaker is going to pay off their student loans.

Enjoy the weekend!

Lovies.

xoxoxo

Who is ready for the weekend? I get to head back to SC so I’m double excited.

This past week was packed full of fun. My friend and her babies came to visit before I moved even further from them.

We had Em’s slime and emoji birthday. I think she had a blast. What a gift this baby is. 

I grabbed Chick-Fil-A after work on Monday because they gave a free sandwich to nurses.

I tried to root some more hydrangeas. Here is to hoping they work.

I got my hair done which is one of my favorite days.

How ADORABLE is Prince Harry’s daddy jacket.

Our sewer work was completed and this our yard destroyed. But some of the seemingly good news there wasn’t an additional sewer line repair needed for the rest of the line. Praises.

We have started to gather things for house closing soon and I can’t wait.

I attended a flower arranging class with Huckleberry Collective at Bloom Studio. Such beauty. Love this pink color scheme. 

I got to squeeze some of my favorite blonde headed girls and their mama at Chick-Fil-A. They all made their Cupcake feel so loved. These see you laters are no joke.

I finished reading The High Tide Club and Glory Road this week. Both good books.

In a few weeks I am going to catch a few hours in Boston.  Any recommendations?

Enjoy your weekend.

Lovies.

xoxoxo