{No. 13} Sleep Under the Stars...

While we were in Destin, I was sitting outside on the patio and looking out into the night sky, full of stars, and it hit me that I could totally sleep out there and cross number 13 off my 30 Before 30 list.

So we dragged down a mattress from one of the extra bunk beds, and I grabbed a couple of blankets, and I went for it. Micah wasn't interested in joining me (weenie!), so I had to go it alone. Which made actually falling asleep nearly impossible because every little noise became a rat and/or serial killer.

But I eventually closed my eyes, listened to the sounds of the waves rolling in, and fell asleep.

And then I woke up to this.

Glorious, right?

To be honest, it was some of the best sleep I've ever had. (And apparently Gracie woke up in the middle of the night and ended up in bed with Micah, and I completely missed that.)

Does this also count as camping? I say yes.

This is thirty...

I wanted to come say hi and just quickly check in, but this feels like more of a sit-down kind of visit.

Don't freak out... I'm not, like, moving to China or anything. 

But I did turn 30 this past Saturday, which you're well aware of if we're Instagram friends because I blasted you all with many, many pictures. (Sorry about that.)

I'm not really sure why, but I just wasn't up for celebrating with a big party or a trip to Vegas. That's just not really my style anyway, and I've been so busy at work these past couple of months that I didn't have time to plan something even if I had wanted to. So I had dinner with each of my parents and then a fun dinner with my best friend and her husband.

If you're local to the Dallas area and haven't eaten at Stampede 66, definitely try it soon. It's upscale but not fancy, which I appreciate. The food is phenomenal (I'd call it contemporary Texan), and the vibe is fun. I drink next to nothing, but they had this delicious-sounding margarita on their drink menu that just looked super fun, so I went for it, and it was an event. They mix and freeze it table-side with liquid nitrogen (!), which means that, as it melts, the flavor isn't diluted with water. Best drink I've ever had in my life (not that I'm any sort of connoisseur).

On my actual birthday, my mom and I headed to Waco for a Fixer Upper fan day. Have we talked about how obsessed I am with that show? If you're unfamiliar, it's a home renovation show on the HGTV channel (stay with me, I swear it's amazing). It's hosted by a married couple, Chip and Joanna, and I want to put them both in my pocket they're so adorable. She does the design and staging, and he does the contracting. They show each couple three older houses and give them a rough idea how they could be renovated within the couple's budget. The couple picks one, and then the show goes through the renovation and reveal. I mostly love watching because Chip and Joanna are just so stinking adorable together, but Joanna's style is pretty flawless if you're into farmhouse chic. (Not shabby chic, though, as it's mostly clean-ish lines and contemporary design. Seriously, if you're into Pottery Barn, it's your thing, I swear. I'm not sure why I'm trying to make you Fixer Upper fangirls. Anyway. Moving on...)

They have a shop in Waco called Magnolia, which probably isn't worth a trip on its own (SUPER small and pricey), but we made a day of it, driving around Waco and shopping/eating. It was really a blast and the perfect way to spend my birthday... and that's how I know I'm no longer in my twenties.

And I didn't forget about my 30 Before 30 list. Unfortunately, I did not complete everything on the list, but I made it a little over one-third of the way through. So my plan is to convert it into a 35 Before 35 list. Ha. I feel like I can TOTALLY accomplish the rest of the list by the time I'm 35. Famous last words, right?

As I consider my life at thirty, it's basically everything I hoped and dreamed it would be. And that's such an incredible blessing. I know bloggers throw that word around a lot, but I'm not talking about #blessings. I'm talking about blessings: God's mercies and graces which have been more extravagant and undeserved than I can even say. These faces, alone, friends.

They are enough goodness to fill my heart up for a lifetime. 

Hi from Delaware!

So I'm in Delaware.

I'm here for a deposition (just for one night), but for once in my life, I got everything prepared ahead of time, so I thought I'd take a minute to pop in and say hi.

Things have been insane for us lately. Work is busier than it has been for awhile. I've been bringing my laptop home and working after Grace goes to sleep most nights (which isn't my favorite thing to do, as you might imagine). 

I also thought now would be a great time to start working on our home office. Ha. I'm getting help from a designer on this one because I'm so out of my element, and we had the initial consultation last night. I'm so excited to get that room done, and a vision is starting to come together in my head. I'll be sure and keep you guys updated on our progress.

Whole30 #2 is still going wonderfully! I mean, I'm basically just on autopilot with my food choices right now, which is a really good thing for me. I have been eating some really delicious stuff, as you've probably noticed on Instagram.

Left: Ahi tuna salad with balsamic vinaigrette at dinner tonight

Right: Cage-free eggs scrambled with Aidell's Chicken and Apple Sausage + sweet potato hash + Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch mix with Tessamae's Southwest Ranch dressing

Left: grilled chicken salad with pecans, heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, and Tessamae's Southwest Ranch

Right: eggs, bacon, and spinach scramble with blistered tomatoes + carrots with homemade Paleo ranch

Micah snapped this picture the other night while we were on a walk through our neighborhood, and it makes me happy every time I look at it. And also heart-wrenchingly depressed about what a big girl Grace is becoming.

She has been such a funny, little thing, lately. She's been saying "'kay" or "okay" in response to just about everything, which kills me. She's still O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with "fo-cen" (Frozen, obviously) and asks to watch it nearly every night.

(Micah loves it when we watch Frozen because Grace gives the sweetest snuggles snuggled up under a blanket on the couch, even if her eyes stay glued to the screen.)

I crossed off one of the things on my 30 Before 30 list this weekend. We went to a surprise 30th birthday party for my best friend's husband, and the opportunity presented itself. I'll share the photographic evidence soon, but for now, I'll leave you with this.

Man, I love her.

New York: Day Three

Remember that time I went to New York with my mom and blogged about the first two days but completely forgot to post about the last one?  Yeah, me either. ;)

In case you've forgotten where we've been so far, go here to read about Day One (Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and the High Line) and here to read about Day Two (9/11 memorial, the financial district, Little Italy/Chinatown, tea at the Plaza, WICKED!).

{Day Three: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, and Rockefeller Center} 

The only thing my mom felt really strongly about doing in New York was going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Art is her thing (though it is definitely not mine), and I wanted to be sure we'd have plenty of time to see everything she wanted to see.  So on our last full day in New York, we got up and had more bagels, and then headed straight to the museum.  I adored the stroll through the upper east side -- the buildings were beautiful (as to be expected), and everything was bright and cheery.

When we got to the steps at the entrance to the Met, I had to stop and snap a touristy picture of Mom.

... and then I did the same thing once we got to the Monet water lily paintings, which were her favorite.

Since I'm not super artsy, most of what we saw was completely lost on me. But I did really love the Van Goghs...

... and the Faberge...

... and the Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass.

For lunch, Mom grabbed a hot dog and I got a gyro from the street vendors at the Met entrance, and we ate on the steps like true tourists.  There was a live band playing for tips, and we had such a great time soaking up the sunshine and listening to the music.

After lunch, it was time to head to Central Park.  If you're new around here, you probably wouldn't know that strolling through Central Park (again) is the very first item on my 30 Before 30 list.

Crossing it off was so wonderful, as Central Park is one of my favorite places on the planet.  I can't explain why, but it just feels magical to me.  So we spent a lot of time there and covered a lot of ground.

(Belvedere Castle)

Our next stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral, which I had been dreaming of seeing again since my first trip to NYC.  Unfortunately, the entire thing, outside and in, was covered in scaffolding for restoration.  It was such a letdown, especially I had been telling my mom how beautiful it was.  But we saw it, scaffolding and all, and it worked out perfectly because our roundabout trek there ended up taking us through some fun, little, quiet places.

(Grand Central Station)

(Taking a much needed Starbucks break)

Plus, as we were headed back down 5th Avenue, we spotted the signs directing tourists to the Observation Deck at the top of Rockefeller Center.  This was something I had put on our "hope we can do while we're in NY" list, and we had the time, so we decided to go up.

I'm not sure why I envisioned that we'd just hop on an elevator at our leisure and head straight to the top of one of the tallest buildings in New York without a hitch, but I highly underestimated what a tourist trap the whole thing was.  First, we waited in line to buy tickets (for a certain time, which meant we had to sit around and kill time for 20 minutes).  Then, we waited in line to go up a couple of floors to the real line, where we sat for about 45 minutes, zigzagging through various videos about NBC and Rockefeller Center.  Then, just as we got to the front of the line to head up the elevator to the top, two guides came out and told us that they'd be issuing refunds for everyone because the visibility from the top was down to nothing because of the rain but that we could still go up anyway if we wanted to.

Awesome.

Since we were leaving the next morning, I told my mom that I wanted to go ahead and go up.  Because why not?

So we did.

And it was totally worth it.

Granted, we had to elbow our way to a window so we could get a peek (the majority of the "deck" was enclosed, and the rain made going outside unpleasant (although I did it!).  But whatever.  It was amazing to see the city from this perspective.  (My mom probably doesn't agree since she's afraid of heights, but she was such a good sport about it anyway.)

After the Rockefeller Center debacle, we were seriously spent.  We headed back to the hotel for a final afternoon nap (glorious, by the way).  For dinner, I had hoped we could score a last-minute reservation somewhere delicious, so I surveyed my Facebook friends for a recommendation.  Unfortunately, everything that was suggested was booked, so we ended up at a casual (but LOUD) Thai place by our hotel.  It was good, but not great.  But the fabulous company made up for the mediocre food. :)

After the utter failure at Times Square the night before, we had planned on going back so that my Mom could see it all a little better.  But she looked at me during dinner and just said, "I wouldn't be sad if we just went back to the hotel and had a quiet night in, but I'll go back if you want to!"  I had never heard more beautiful words in my life, so we packed it up, hightailed it back to the hotel, and fell asleep almost as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

As we were getting all of our stuff gathered to head to the airport the next morning, I started feeling all sappy about what a blessing it was to have been able to spend so much uninterrupted time with my sweet mom.  It had been a long time since we had traveled together, and I had forgotten how much fun we have.

I love you so much, Mom, and this trip meant the world to me.  Thanks so much for coming along and for making such incredible memories with me.  I can't wait to go back in ten years with Gracie and show her the magic of our New York.

#30: create something beautiful

Maybe it's just because she's mine...

... but in my very humble opinion...

... this sweet, little girl...

... just might be...

... the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

I am officially crossing #30 off my list.

#14: gamble in Vegas

*** First of all, I can't thank you guys enough for your sweet comments in response to Tuesday's post.  Seriously.  Y'all are the very best.  Mimi's still in ICU for now, and I will definitely keep you all updated on her progress.***

You guys thought I had forgotten to tell you about our Vegas trip, didn't you?

I totally did.  

But then I remembered.  That counts for something, I say.

Truthfully, you weren't missing out on anything scandalous.  Micah and I are so very un-Vegas, so we kept things pretty tame.  We mostly just ate a lot of (admittedly overpriced) food and walked up and down the strip.  I sometimes remembered to bring my big camera, but I often forgot.  So here's what I ended up with.

As we were flying over portions of the Grand Canyon, I made Micah get my camera out of the overhead bin so that I could snap a few shots through the window.

Isn't it insane?

I'm not sure why I wasn't expecting this part of the country to be so beautiful, but I was enamored.  For a girl who lives in a place where everything is flat, the mountains were just breathtaking.

Enough with the landscape.  You want slot machines.

When we landed, we headed to the Hilton Elara.  (In exchange for our excellently-priced, fabulously large hotel room, we had to sit through a timeshare pitch, which was fairly entertaining.)

This was the living room portion of our suite.



It had electric shades and a projector TV, plus a kitchen and a jacuzzi in the bedroom.  Ha.

Our view gave us another peek at the mountains, which surrounded the city.  Again... insane.  (I feel sure that those of you who live in this kind of a landscape probably take it for granted, but take it from me... it really is beautiful.)

(Well, hello there.)

We basically just dropped off our stuff in our room and then headed back downstairs to go explore.  The Elara is connected to the Miracle Mile shops, which were fun.

(Loved the fake sky ceiling.)

Since it was already dark outside, I didn't think it'd be worth lugging my camera around, so I didn't.  Sorry for the iPhone pictures, y'all.

The first stop was The Bellagio.  Obviously.

In Terry Benedict's hotel, someone's always watching.

The fountains were every bit as wonderful as I had imagined.  The first time we saw them, "Luck Be a Lady" was playing, which was just perfect.  And I felt so Ocean's Eleven, it's not even funny.

When we walked inside, I snapped a shot of the incredible Chihuly display in the entrance.

So beautiful.

We walked around and took it all in.  The only casinos I've ever seen were dark and dank and smoky and nothing like the bright, beautiful, coffered-ceilinged extravagance of the Bellagio.

We had dinner at Fix, which was only okay.  Micah had steak, and I had scallops.

At this point, things get pitiful.  I was still battling a cold at that point, and a headache, my cold medicine, and the time difference hit me like a brick.  It was only 8:00, but I could barely keep my eyes open.  So we hightailed it back to the hotel.

I managed to stay awake maybe another 30 minutes before I crashed.  (I do realize that this makes me an eighty year-old.)

The next morning, we woke up and headed to Paris for breakfast.

Vegas's version of the Eiffel Tower wasn't quite as impressive as the real thing.  But almost. ;)

(Here it is at night.)

Breakfast was the best meal of the trip:  Nutella waffles for me and blueberry french toast for Micah.  If you're ever in Vegas, you seriously have to have breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi.

After breakfast, we pretty much just people-watched and explored all of the hotels.

Caesar's Palace was shockingly large.  It was so big that I got overwhelmed and didn't even go in.  This was unquestionably an error in judgment and a result of pure laziness and hunger.  Plus, why are there no benches along the strip?  Sometimes a girl just needs a minute to take it all in.

The strip really is a fun place to be.  The buildings are pretty to look at, and the people are... entertaining.  I never snapped any shots of all of the... performers, but people dressed up in costumes (most completely PG) lined the strip, soliciting money for pictures.  (And probably other things, although I never was able to identify any prostitutes.  I'm sure I saw them, but there were plenty of tourists dressed in next to nothing, particularly at night, so they blended in.)  There were tons of families because Vegas during the day really is pretty family-friendly.

For lunch, we went down to the other end of the strip to New York, New York.

(This isn't the hotel - just a souvenir shop.)

This casino was really fun, with different areas corresponding to different parts of Manhattan.  We ate in Little Italy (which was a far cry from the actual Little Italy... ick).

After that, we had to head back to the hotel for the timeshare pitch.  After standing firm for nearly two hours, we rested a bit, got dressed, and headed back to the Bellagio for dinner again.  This time, we ate at Jasmine, which overlooks the fountains and boasts pretty good (yet still overpriced) Asian fusion.

After dinner, we made our way to the theater for the "O" Cirque du Soleil show.

(We were making our O faces.  Get it??? Ha.)

Y'all.

It was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.  I heard great things about most of the other Cirque shows in Vegas (a lot of recommendations for Love, but I'm not a huge Beatles fan), as well, but we picked O because it has a water element, and I had a sneaking suspicion that it'd be pretty epic.  It totally was.  The tickets were pricey, so be warned, but I thought it was more than worth it.

After dinner, it hit me that my 30 Before 30 list required me to actually gamble in Vegas.

Mission accomplished!  We spent a grand total of $30 in the casino.  Ha.

We spent the rest of the evening (I think we may have made it to 10:30?) walking around, avoiding the plethora of people trying to hand out flyers for nightclubs and other adult establishments and services, and gawking at people.  We had an 8:00 flight in the morning, so we really wanted to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

All in all, it was a very fun trip.  Vegas is a cool city, and I know it has so much more to offer than what we saw in a day and a half.  Maybe next time, we'll even venture past the strip. :)