Other

It has officially reached the stage of hot here in South Texas where the plants in the pots on my front porch have died and I’m not even going to go through the motions of replacing them. Why should more poor plants have to suffer due to my negligence and inability to remember to turn on a garden hose?

Gulley, Caroline and I drove home from Dallas on Friday morning. It took us about six and a half hours to make what is normally a four hour drive, thanks to all manner of traffic and freeway shutdowns. I’ve decided the stretch of I-35 between Austin and Dallas is a special kind of automotive hell.

We spent the rest of the weekend doing not much of anything unless you count sitting around in your pajamas an activity. Which I totally do. Then we had church on Sunday and P and Caroline left to go fishing for the night and I enjoyed some much needed alone time which I spent catching up on various Real Housewives on Bravo, watching the movie Creed, and finishing the book I’ve been reading called Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill. Clearly I am a woman with some diversified interests.

Anyway, I thought I’d answer a couple of questions that have come up over the last few days. Feel free to leave any additional questions in the comments and I’ll answer them at some point since there doesn’t seem to much going on right now.

1. How is Jen doing?

I can’t tell you how much all of your prayers and thoughts about Jen have meant to her. And to me. Jen is in the hospital right now and she is a very sick girl. I would so appreciate your prayers that her pain and nausea stay in check as the doctors continue to figure out the next course of action.

2. How do we talk to Caroline about the things going on in the world right now?

Honestly? We are honest with her. Caroline will be thirteen in less than a month and P and I have always been pretty straightforward with her when it comes to current events. She sat in the hotel room in Dallas with Gulley and me and we all watched the coverage of the shooting Dallas and I explained about the men who had been shot in Baton Rouge and Minnesota. It’s all the reality of the world she is growing up in.

There was a time when she was younger that we shielded her from some of the worst, but the truth is we live in a broken world full of hard things and we want her to be equipped to handle it and, hopefully, be a light that shines in the midst of so much darkness.

We reference John 16:33 a lot. “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” It doesn’t always make things easier, but it does remind us that God never promised we wouldn’t have trouble, but that He wins in the end.

3. Why do Caroline and Perry wear long sleeves and long pants when they fish? Aren’t they hot?

This is a pic from yesterday. It was a big day for catching flounder and we’re making ceviche for dinner tomorrow night.

As for the clothing, it’s actually cooler to wear those fishing shirts and pants than shorts and a t-shirt. Everything is super lightweight, dries quickly, and keeps the sun from beating down on you. The thing P always has around his neck is called a buff. It’s like a bandana but made of breathable material so it stays cool while protecting him from the sun. He’s had several basal cell carcinomas cut off over the years from childhood sun damage (Thanks for nothing, 1970’s and your non-awareness of harmful rays!) and so he is diligent about protecting his skin from further damage and keeping Caroline protected from getting burned.

4. Does Piper regret that she looks like she has an underbite in the following picture?

That wasn’t an actual question that anyone asked, but the answer is yes. A girl can’t be photogenic all the time.

Have a good Tuesday!

Gulley, Caroline and I actually drove to Dallas on Thursday morning to see Jamie and Jen. And we sit here in our hotel room tonight so shocked and saddened as we watch the news and see what is happening just a few miles away.

It has been a sad, hard day for so many reasons and so there is no Fashion Friday today, but I would ask that if you are a praying person that you take a few minutes to pray for this city, our nation, and our world. God have mercy on us.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Well, we are now officially past July 4th which always feels like the halfway point of summer. I don’t know if it’s actually the halfway point because that would require math and a calendar and I’m not really interested in either of those things.

And this summer has been different from summers of yore because I keep waiting for it to slow down and it really hasn’t yet. In fact – and I hate to tell you this because it makes it real – Gulley and I have been having some serious calendar meetings trying to figure out when and if we can make our annual summer road trip with the kids happen. And by serious calendar meetings, I mean we get together and drink wine and occasionally look up hotels and other information.

The biggest obstacle is a combination of Caroline’s soccer schedule and Gulley’s oldest son, Jackson, making the baseball All-Star team. The upside of having big kids is they can make their own sandwiches and carry on real conversations and teach you how to play random games on your phone, the downside is their lives are much busier than they were back in the days of naps and goldfish crackers.

All that to say, we haven’t given up hope yet and have a few days toward the end of July circled on the calendar so, barring any further complications, the road trip should be able to happen even if it’s an abbreviated version of what we’ve done in years past.

In the meantime, here’s what else we’ve been up to this summer. This is probably going to be really boring but I want to document it so I can look back and go “Hey, that was the summer we blah, blah, blah”.

P and Caroline took a road trip to Louisiana along with P’s mom to go visit his brother in June. They scheduled a couple of days of fishing while they were there and it’s safe to say it was a big success.

Meanwhile, I did my part by staying home and reading a couple of books, watching some movies that they’d never want to see and getting a pedicure.

After they got home from Louisiana, Caroline and I had a couple of lazy days while she recovered from all the fun and Mabel was the beneficiary of a lot of attention.

Clearly, she loves hugs. You can see it in her eyes.

And then last week Honey and Big were in town at the JW Marriott for a convention and so we spent the day out there with them, floating the lazy river and living the good life.

There are two HUGE (this cannot be overstated) new slides at the JW Marriott and the kids talked Gulley and me into going down both of them. Gulley and I both have this fear of being accused of being no fun and so we are both easily coerced into being fun (and doing dumb things women in their mid-forties shouldn’t do) when there is no real moral issue at stake. This is how we both found ourselves slightly traumatized and pulling our swimsuits out of various places after going down two slides that had about a 90 degree angle drop off that ultimately shoot you into a tube of water at a high velocity. I’m glad we did it but I can guarantee I will never do it again. I think I still have water up my nose.

On Saturday afternoon, Caroline convinced P to take her to Home Depot to buy some wood. She’s been dying to make something and I suggested she could make an end table for our patio. This resulted in this scene about two hours later.

There is something more than mildly disconcerting about seeing your child (MY BABY!) using an enormous saw. It dawned on me that I still forget I can set her place at the dinner table with steak knife now, while P has her using a saw and making measurements and doing fancy, complicated things like adding and subtracting fractions.

This was the table when they screwed in the legs.

And this was the finished product.

It was almost instant table gratification. And I’m thrilled to have a place to set my drink or my book or my phone every time I sit outside. Which will be almost never until the temperature dips back down into the nice, cool mid-90’s. I would try to explain how hot it has been here but it’s beyond words. When I saw the forecast for the next seven days, I honestly wanted to cry. At some point back in May, I read that we were going to have a wet, mild summer because of El Nino or some such thing and it turns out that was all a BIG LIE.

For the fourth of July, we started our day at the neighborhood parade. Mimi and Bops joined us and we all walked along the parade route and then sang some patriotic songs before walking back home.

After that, we came back to the house to relax for a little bit and then ultimately made our way to the pool to meet up with Gulley and her family. If you’ve been reading for a few years then you may know that our people are big fans of the belly flop contest and we’ve had several champions over the years. Caroline and Jackson have retired from the belly flop game, but Will was the defending belly flop champ from last 4th of July and I’m pleased to announce he is still the reigning champ after an excellent exhibition of flop mastery.

In his words, “he was reppin'”.

I don’t really know what that means.

But I’d like to think it also applies to Gulley and me for being brave enough to go down those slides at the JW Marriott.

I’m not quite sure how it’s already July, but here we are.

Yesterday, Caroline and I were in the car listening to Can’t Touch This by M.C. Hammer. I would like to explain why but there really isn’t a valid reason.

She remarked, “It’s a shame M.C. Hammer went broke”. I found this to be an odd bit of trivial information for her to know since both M.C. Hammer and his financial issues occurred long before she was even born.

So I asked, “How do you know that M.C. Hammer went broke?”

She replied, “From watching the movie, White Chicks!”

Needless to say, we are doing our best to give her a rich background in sophisticated and refined pop culture.

And not one bit of this story has anything to do with the July 4th holiday except for God Bless America, the land that brought you both M.C. Hammer and White Chicks.

Here are some cute things I found this week:

1. barefoot dreams cable knit cardigan

I realize this isn’t a summer item, but I felt like you needed to know they’re on sale for $98.90. I have one of these (not the cable knit version to my dismay) and it is the softest thing ever.

Your winter self will be so glad if your summer self plans ahead and buys it one of these.

2. lush woven tunic

These tunics are one of my closet staples because they go with everything. They’re on sale for $26.90.

3. to make a long starry short tunic

I think this is so cute. I love a good star pattern.

4. traversing time zones top

This just called out to me for some reason. I like the whole look.

5. relaxed tunic tee

Loft is offering 50% off everything with the code JULY4TH at checkout. These tunic tees look so comfortable and perfect to wear year round.

6. lace up dress

This is also at Loft so 50% off everything with the code JULY4TH. I really like this lace up dress. I have been all about the dresses this summer and I can’t recommend it enough.

7. j.crew cross stitch tunic t-shirt

J.Crew Factory is also having a sale. This cute t-shirt is just $24.50.

8. surin peplum top

Ok, ALERT. Anthropologie is now offering an extra 30% off all sale items with the code EVENBETTER. This top is one of my favorite things from last week and so I thought you should see it again now that it’s an additional 30% off.

I realize some of you may feel sad if you bought things last week that are now an extra 30%, but here’s how I get through times like these. I remind myself that if I had waited, there’s a good chance that item wouldn’t have been available in my size and then there would have been wailing and gnashing of teeth. Or just mild disappointment. Either way.

But, seriously. Go look at all the sale stuff because there are still good things to be found with an extra 30% off.

9. vans classic slip ons

Have we talked about my renewed love for the Vans slip on? They are so comfortable. And I think M.C. Hammer may have worn them before he went broke. I love this particular pair, but you can also create custom ones here on the Vans website.

10. gap paisley flutter sleeve blouse

Well done with this top, Gap. I like it. And it also comes in pink. Everything at Gap is 40% off this weekend with the code JULY4 at checkout.

That’s it for today.

Happy July 4th! May your weekend be filled with hotdogs and fireworks and apple pie aplenty.

Y’all.

I have meant to write something every day this week and then I see something shiny, like another episode of Parks and Recreation or the new book I’m reading, and all my good intentions are gone with the wind.

Summer Melanie has taken over and I really have no control over the situation.

But I will tell you that a few nights ago, we made Mabel get off the couch because she invariably ends up hogging all the room, leaving no room for the actual humans who live here. Piper dutifully got in her dog bed, but Mabel went under a chair and gave us the stink eye for the next thirty minutes until we caved.

Naturally, she wrote a few haikus about it.

I am wild and free
No one tells me what to do
Except they just did

Sorrow fills my soul
The sting of couch rejection
How long must I stare?

Lord, you see my pain
As I lie here on the floor
Vengeance will be mine

Meanwhile, Piper also wrote something:

“SHUT UP AND JUST GO TO SLEEP.”

I’m sure I’ll manage to find some time to write about life or something this week, but there just isn’t much to talk about right now and it’s been good to have some down time.

But I did want to mention this:

Our first night like this was about six weeks ago and it was so much fun. I realize most of you live too far away to pop in on Thursday night, but we’d love to have you if you’re anywhere nearby!