Mom Time: Boston and NYC 2014

Over the years, my mom and I have kept the tradition going of mother daughter trips. I've always believed that travel is the best way to create memories. This time, we decided a weekend in Boston followed by a week in New York City was perfect for the Spring. 

When my mom was young… my Grandfather was a Naval Intelligence Officer (think NCIS) working for the Federal Government. So my mom moved every two years up until 6th grade. She lived in Illinois, Virginia, Arkansas, Kansas and then finally settled in Texas where my Grandfather decided he needed a break. After a short stint doing other things, my Grandfather was re-hired… but as often happens… life took an unexpected turn. 

Even though he had accepted an offer and was supposed to start on a Monday, Kennedy placed a Federal Government hiring freeze on Saturday. Thus, Texas became the final stop and where I would eventually be born and raised.

My mom never explored the Northeast so I wanted to give her a taste of Boston and then a few more adventures in New York City. Thus, our early Mother's Day adventure begin…  

It's funny how each trip I learn a little bit more about my mom and our family. Some things to be shared, and some things just for me. That's how mother-daughter relationships go. 

Our Boston itinerary was packed and fun. We took the famous Old Town Boston Trolley Tour, tried a very delicious lobster roll and chowda from Boston Chowda Co. and hopped on a Boston Harbor Cruise to float the sights.



I really love Boston. It has so much history and charm! Oh yeah, our hotel also caught on fire… so we made a quick logistical decision. Margaritas! The hotel was absolutely fine, but provided guests a fun view of fire trucks! ;)

Boston Commons is always fun to walk around in and we had such a funny time watching this gigantic swan in the Public Garden. This swan could have swallowed Pickle and Sundae. No question. 

Two of my favorite things included breakfast and tea at Pavement Coffeehouse (a local fav!) and a quick shopping trip to the open-air markets at SOWA. I bought Alex's Ugly Sauce for dinner that night - the hottest for this Texas family, of course!

We took the Amtrak train back down to New York City - a first for my mom! 

And the weather was… perfect. Hello Spring!

We had a lovely lunch in Central Park from the original, Papaya King.

We got our Cinco de Mayo celebration on at Sriracha… because nothing celebrates Mexico quite like margaritas from an Asian restaurant. 

We had an early Mother's Day celebration with tea and scones at one of my favorites, Alice's Tea Cup. Yummmmm. 

After cupcakes at another favorite local shop, Two Little Red Hens… Richard and my mom did a crossword puzzle. I caught up on celebrity gossip.

I declared one of the days as "Take My Mom to Work Day!"… I just loved sharing a bit of my career with my mom and getting to show her some of the work that fuels my passion in the corporate philanthropy and nonprofit realm. We did a site visit to see my company's volunteers teaching financial literacy to group of elementary students in Queens. 

And, on her final day in New York City, we did a bit of relaxing on the beach! A beautiful, breezy day. Life is good when you can sit on the beach in a sweatshirt, with a glass of wine and listen to the ocean.

I'm so thankful for our mother daughter trips.

Happy Mother's Day 2014, Mama, I love you!

Dinner Club: Ultimate Sausage Balls

Yum. Yum. Yum. These were so good! 

Last Saturday our monthly dinner club came together and, as usual, we sipped wine and enjoyed a delicious three course meal. I was in charge of appetizers and needed something filling and quick. This was my first time using bisquick - it took me 10 minutes to find it in the store! 

Enjoy this little spicy piece of deliciousness. 

Shopping List

1 pound Owens sausage (spicy!)

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until everything is incorporated.  Roll out mixture into golf ball size balls and place on foil lined baking sheet sprayed with Pam.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or until browned.  Makes about 25 balls.

Recipe Source

London, England

London, England

Eeeee! This is going to sound very, very American. We were so excited to arrive in London. Why? Because everyone spoke ENGLISH! I know it sounds silly, but not being able to easily communicate with others is so frustrating! Thus, we were beaming with excitement flying into Heathrow airport. We had a 10 hour layover in London and we hit the ground running! 

Favorite Memory

Our favorite memory revolves around Indian food. It was that good. Dishoom came as a recommendation from a coworker that has lived in India and London. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was so fun and festive and the staff really made it a memorable experience. It truly was like experiencing Bombay in London…  

Sights

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

London Eye

Westminster Abbey 

London Bridge 

Tower Bridge 

The Underground (metro system) 

Flight 

AA (Operated by British Airways) Flight 6144 (Sept 7 @ 6:05PM) to JFK New York (Sept 7 @ 8:55PM)

Coffee + Breakfast = Monday + Friday: The Grind

Two years ago I remember saying to Richard.

"Ya know, I am kind of excited about moving to NYC because I feel like our schedules will slow down. We will have no obligations in the city. It will be like a very long vacation."

And that is when I learned…

We create the busy because we like the reward.

And that's not a bad thing.

We spend countless hours obtaining degrees so that we can push on toward our career goals. We use precious weekend time running errands to fix-up our apartments and homes so that they will reflect our sense of style and comfort. We carve out dinners, coffee chats and nights on the town with friends so that we have pictures and memories to hold on to for a lifetime.

Being busy creates a lot of rewards, and we need rewards in this life to keep chuggin' along. But sometimes we also need structured rest - for those busy minded folks, you understand that scheduling downtime is essential to actually achieving downtime.

Last year, I felt like Richard and I were pushing through the days - check, check, check - and keeping our eye on the 'goal' of those few hours we had together at night. So when work ran long, errands ate away time and life got in the way of those few precious hours it began to stress me out.

Together, we are trying a new season that I am really excited about. 

Coffee + Breakfast = Monday + Friday

We start and end our work week together, in the wee hours of the morning before life starts hacking away.
And it is wonderful.

Richard has also gotten into grinding coffee beans by hand. So every Monday and Friday, I enjoy coffee from my personal barista. Not a bad deal.

Here's to sipping a little calm before diving into the busy… the busy that we really do love so much.

When NYC starts to feel like summer camp...

That's how I've been feeling lately.

As I've shared before, NYC is filled with extreme highs and extreme lows. It's challenging, but wonderful.

The rich part, the part we least expected, are the relationships. The community and comfort we have felt here in the Upper East Side. Our stretch of neighborhood that you can easily walk, where you run into people that you know, where you never have to leave because everything is at your fingertips.

In one month, we've had over 10 people share their "next step" plans with us. Because after all, no one's 20 year plan includes still living in this crazy amazing city. That's just not how it works here.

And that's okay. Or so I'm learning.

But it's hard.

We came to New York City for an adventure - and we are still on that roller coaster. It just sucks when it has to keep stopping to let people off. Those people that began to understand what dips scare you and what heights excite you. Your safety nets.

The great part though is that roller coaster will continue to let new people on - because roller coasters are exciting and there is always a line. People want to experience the exciting - and New York City is just that.

So while we are in this season of our lives, at our New York City "summer camp", our goals are simple.

Enjoy the greatest city of all with exploration, new experiences and daily life. Because after all, we did pray so long to be here… in this city we truly love. Soak in new relationships, allowing them to change our lives. Celebrate people's next steps and, of course, stay in touch. Never forget that God has us on our own rich journey, in His perfect plan. And that is where we find rest, peace and ultimate joy.

P.S. Maybe, just maybe, the closer we get to 30 my views are aligned with Seinfeld's thoughts in his stand-up on making friends in your 30's. 

Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy

So here's the thing about Venice. Everyone has a different opinion. We went for a single night… and that was the perfect amount of time. It really is an amazing place to see. I've never seen anything like it and one day, it will no longer be a place to see. Every corner is filled with beauty… and with every corner, you can get lost. Literally, it's a maze of beauty… where cell service does not work. So, if there is anywhere in Italy that you just might kill each other… it would be Venice… due to the frustration of getting lost. ;)

Favorite Memory
Eating gelato and sipping a coke along the water, watching the boats. Our entire time in Venice was filled with taking in the scenery… to see it all was simply amazing.

Lodging
Ca San Vio

Dorsoduro 531 - Calle Delle Mende, Venice, VE, 30123 Italy
- All of the places to stay in Venice are old and musty since it floods so often… but our breakfast was amazing! It was delivered to our room and filled with delicious pastries, tea and coffee! - 

Sights
Watch the gondolas

View the Grand Canal and vaporettos

Eat gelato

Stand in the middle of the magnificent piazza San Marco to see three major sites: St Mark’s basilica, Doge’s Palace, Torre dell’Orologio

Drink an ombra and spritz (yuck… I was not a fan)

Flight
EasyJet Flight 4296 Venice Marco Polo (Sept 4 @8:45PM) to Paris Orly (Sept 4 @ 10:25PM)

Visiting Texas - March 2014

One might think we ran to Texas in March to escape the never-ending winter that the Northeast is feeling this year. And one might be right, but that was just an added perk! We actually flocked back South to meet the newest addition to our family, Luke. Or…as we like to call him - The Honorable Luke Thomas Harris.

The trend started with Princess Chloe and Master Jude. I'm sure the mailman and amazon folks think we are strange ones when processing shipments for us. 

Well, they are probably right. 

Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-Law!

Woodland Hills

During our trip, we took a journey through memory lane in Nacogdoches. One morning we strolled through the golf course that Richard's grandparents owned, that he grew up on and spent many days chasing balls. The same golf course that I've heard countless stories about holes in one, "Papa jokes" and how he fought with his best friend Wesley about whether or not you could fight off the mountain lion that lived there with a golf club.

Richard's Grandparents House, also Richard Thomas.

Nacogdoches

Gigo's newest cutie in Tyler

We also got to spend time in Tyler at my grandmother's (who I call Gigo) house where I spent many summers and weekends growing up. I was always referred to as "the city girl" when I played with my country friends in her neighborhood. I remember wearing my first pair of (throwback) daisy dukes here, swimming in the lake, riding my first jet ski and spending countless hours outdoors. Sadly, these memories are starting to float from my Gigo's mind, but she was very excited by our visit. And also tried to give me her entire closet because she was worried I didn't have enough clothes in New York City… :)

Tyler, TX

Richardson, TX

Every time we come back it seems like more houses have been purchased and more babies are on the way. It is so fun to share life's journey with the best of friends. A very cute and pregnant Mindy gave us the official house tour and construction update from the work that was being done on their newly purchased home. It did not go without notice that the baby's room is larger than our bedroom… oh New York, you are killing me space-wise! And, of course, Paolo did not disappoint by introducing us to a new delicious Food Network recommendation, Afrah. Foodie friends are the best and time with them is always enjoyed so much!

Jude (4), Chloe (6)

Luke (little over 1 month)

We enjoyed a ton of niece and nephew time, out in the country near Fort Worth. Our little Princess Chloe (6) is quite the chicken wrangler. Jude (4), for some unknown reason, is talking in British accents "I'd like some cherry yogurt". And we have all decided that little Luke is going to be the Jamaican one in the bunch. Don't you love just how interesting and rich kids make our lives? And, of course, they make naps that much more necessary - ha!

Story time with Uncle Richard

My mom with Chloe and Jude preparing dinner…
have I told you how amazing of a cook my mom is?
 I'm slowly learning!

The boys cleaning up in the kitchen!
See Luke and Matt's resemblance? :)

Lots of kiddo time!

I always love visiting my grandmother in Lewisville. Her faith amazes me and it is inspiring that she has no fear in sharing it. I'm only 5 foot 2 (1/2!), but I feel so tall when I'm with my grandmother, mom and aunt. My grandmother was not happy that we squatted in the picture below, she actually made us retake it standing up straight. But I love this picture and each of them - so cute! My grandmother and her husband are currently living in an independent living community - and they love it! They actually have a cares team on-site, which is so fun since we were once a cares team of our own. 

My amazing mom + my aunt + my grandma + me

Pre-apartment tour!

Friends since 6th grade

Life throws so many curve balls at you. Actually. Let's be honest, sometimes life just dumps lemons on top of your head. It's so nice to always be able to go back to friends that center you, know you and allow you to just be. In your messiness, with lemons all around. So thankful for those friends that we have and hold so dear.

As our childhood reminds us, JessCow + BrenCow = BF4L

Meeting Baby Fish for the first time… and we are in love!
We also love his great parents!

Praise God. We got rid of our storage unit!

The Pettys made sure we had our fair share of Texas beer. They get us.

Fantastic way to spend our last full day in Texas. Love them.

Every time we are with the Petty's, a new adventure seems to unfold while we are remembering old adventures. This was my first time 4-wheeling, and I was terrified… but in a fun, exhilarating sort of way. Our wedding dresses even made an appearance that night. Thankful for friendships that are easy, restore and put laughter in your heart, because life is way too short to not experience these moments and memories.  

5+ years later, YES we can still fit in our dresses. 

Kaylie's crush - ALFORD! 

Until next time, Texas. Thanks for bringing us back to our southern roots little Luke…. "The Honorable". :)

XOXO