January 2026

Highlights of the month for us were: kicking off the New Year in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl & getting to spend my mom's birthday with her, a Marvelously Made staff retreat over MLK, Jr. weekend along the Guadalupe River, icy Texas weather {which brought us an unexpected three-day weekend!}, and my 42nd birthday!

{Brady got this Lego set for Christmas & was so proud/excited to show off the finished product!}

{homeschool at the orthodontist office}

{These two were troopers and spent two back-to-back afternoons in orthodontist offices for consultation appointments on the first days back to school after Winter Break, which wasn't for the faint of heart! Crumbl was absolutely in order!}

{Twinning in purple! Brady went with me to pick up Shelby on this afternoon to get a little extra Mommy time before I left for my retreat, which made my heart so happy!}

{We went out to lunch & to the library one day after school, and there immediately curled up with their new books once we got home--perfect afternoon!}

For my birthday, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Surprisingly, it was our first time going since this summer! It was such a delightful dinner, and then we strolled through Barnes & Noble for a bit before coming home to eat our dessert, read, and puzzle! As we were walking from dinner, Derek and I were marveling at how nice & relaxing it is to go out to eat together now. It doesn't feel like that long ago that going to a restaurant meant toting along games, toys, and activities to keep everyone entertained as we waited for our meals to arrive--but now, we just sit, chat, and enjoy one another's company. So thankful for my people!

Sugar Bowl 2026

As soon as our beloved Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC Championship game in early December and the bowl game schedule was released, Derek was immediately booking us a hotel room in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl! After three years in Alaska, we were thrilled to be within driving distance for a bowl game! We initially had our fingers crossed for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, but it worked out better being in NOLA because it was a mid-way point between us & my parents! They were able to join us for a few days in the Big Easy and for the game--it was so much fun! And an extra bonus was that we got to be with my mom on her birthday, which almost never happens! We were actually together for my birthday last year on our Disney cruise & then together this year for her birthday--what a gift!

We visited the WWII museum, the aquarium & insectarium {new since we've last been there!}, the jazz museum for Shelby. We also got to attend the Sugar Bowl parade the day before the game, which was a lot of fun! The game didn't turn out the way we'd hoped {two of our kiddos were in tears as we left the stadium}, but there is nothing like the energy of a city leading up to a bowl game!

{you can get a peek of Hadley's UGA nails in this photo--she purchased a nail art book with her Christmas gift card money & has had so much fun with it so far!}

And just like that, it was time to go home! The drive home seemed to drag on & on for us, but one bright spot was that we spotted Bevo in route back to Austin from Texas's bowl game in Florida.

We sure would have loved a win in New Orleans, but we'll take the memories! So thankful for this special trip with our people! 

Visit from the Griffins, December 2025

The day after Christmas, we woke up early and headed out for the kids to spend Christmas gift cards! They were so excited to head to Barnes & Noble and Bath & Body Works!

Then after lunch Hadley made guacamole to prep for the Griffins' arrival. They booked a last minute trip to come see us after Christmas, and it was so fun to spend a few uninterrupted days with them!

{looking up words while playing Scrabble}

So thankful for our time together!