duckin' and divin' and still livin'

Well hellllllooooo lil neglected blog o mine!  Oh, how I have missed you!?! 

There have been many happenings going on since I last touched base.  Life continues to throw blows my way, so I just keep duckin' and divin'.....and of course, I keep on jivin'!  hehe.

Sit back, relax and grab a cup o da good stuff.  I am playing catch up on my life via pictures.

Granted.  Lots of stuff happened between each of the next few pictures, but these are the highlights.

{Annual Bluebonnet Picture ~ 2013}

 

{like mentioned above, lots of silly stuff in between!}

 

What stands out the most is how quickly my baby is turning into a little girl.  A very sweet, lovable, and funny little girl.  Life is a continuous beautiful cycle...though not always easy to understand.  She helps me stay focused on the positive, not feed into the negative.

 

Speaking of this continuous beautiful cycle of life...I recently met my most precious nephew, Brylan.

 

{nothing beats a newborn's feet}



 

And my spunky niece is thrilled to be a big sister now.  Something Layla still keeps asking to be...

{silly and smart!! she's got it all.}

 

As most of you know, Texas gets hot quick, we rarely have a "winter."  So we have already found the time to sneak in a beach visit and say a friendly hello to the Galveston Pleasure Pier, which is ahhh-ma-zing!  Love it, ready to go back. 

 

 

 

{Mother's Day 2013 ~ both decked out in Matilda Jane}

 

And if the proof isn't in the pudding, aka my pictures, to prove how fast Layla is growing up....I present to you....

 

 

Layla ~ the Kindergarten Graduate

 

Yeah, crazy!!!!  I have a first grader on my hands. 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful beginning to your summer.  I am planning to be 'round more often.  So, stop on by.

 

A child educated only at school is an uneducated child. 

 

~ George Santayana

Meli Monday - update on my pops

Instead of my normal, semi-not-regular Manic Monday posts, I decided to do a Meli Monday post to update on my daddy.

{via}

His surgery was postponed last month because he developed kidney stones and an infection that he had to get rid of prior to surgery.  He passed the kidney stones, which are mind numbing-ly painful. He just finished up his antibiotics.  Tomorrow is surgery day. 

I really wanted to be with my mom while he was in surgery but I took off two days last month to be with them only for the surgery to get cancelled last minute.  And now....here I sit at work.  Work being insanely insane.  I cannot be with her...

...and that is killing me. 

{via}

Comfort.  Comfort for me, holding her hand.  Comfort for her.  Holding my hand.  Why is life so tough?  I know I will beat myself on a regular basis for not being there.....

{via}

Can you spare a prayer?  Good thoughts?  Light and love?  

oh hello there, 2013!

Hi!  Remember me?

I am here saying hello and making a promise to myself that I will come back to what I love so much...and neglected last year.  My blog and the blogging community!!!!!

{via}

So, with that said.  I am going to do a small recap {in photos, of course} of the last quarter of 2012.  Beginning right after we said good bye to my sweet grandma in October. 

In November I got to see some wonderful friends for my good friend, Nicole's baby shower.  She welcomed Weston on December 5th.  #sweetbabylove 

Yes.  Your eyes are NOT deceiving you.  I blew up!!!  I'm as big as a damn house.  I am taking care of that this year as well.  Time to jump on that healthy train!!!  Woot woot!!!! 

On November 14th, Layla had her very 1st Field Day at school.  I know it is strange to have it in the fall, but  they did.  I don't get it either, but I loved every second of it.  Those kiddos are so fun.  And funny! 

{her teacher whom she adores} 

 

{major air...I think we got a baller ya'll!!!  She sunk it.} 

Thanksgiving MJC style. 

Stylin' once it finally cooled off a bit in Texas

Fall Texas colors outside my backyard

Gymnastic Skills Competition ~ December 2012

Layla's "I wanna model" pose

Layla and PaPa ~ San Antonio Christmas 

Daddy, Layla and NaNa ~ San Antonio Christmas 

We dined at a yummy restaurant and gorgeous bar.

Sugarplum joined our family...and we love her.  #elfontheshelf

One last Christmas wish before Santa arrives

And boy!!! Did he deliver!?! 

Merry Everything!!!! 

Happy Burfday to meeeeee!!!!! 

And a Happy New Year to all!!!!

Your Spirit Remains

Your spirit remains 

though we had to bid you adieu.

Your spirit remains 

I still feel so very close to you. 

Your spirit remains

though your sweet soul left this Earth. 

Your spirit remains 

though your body rests beneath sacred dirt. 

Your spirit remains 

in our hearts, in our tears and in the raindrops aplenty.

{image via}

Your spirit remains 

through the colors of the rainbows He has sent thee. 

Your spirit remains 

in the blue sky, the misty air and the rolling hills. 

Your spirit remains

as it always will. 

By Melissa Faifer 

For Johnnie "Honey" Lockhart 

10/31/1920 ~ 10/12/2012

Meli Monday - Red Hot Chili Peppers!!!!

I had a fabulous Saturday night!!!  A very special friend of mine called me up and invited me to go with her to the Red hot Chili Peppers concert with her in San Antonio on Saturday night.  VIP, backstage passes!!!!  I'd be a crazy b*tch to say no....I mean, I am a crazy b*tch but not when it comes to this.

Seats?  Ahhhh-mazing!!!

No zoom lens required....we were just that close!!!!  :)  

Concert?  Ba.nan.as!!!!!! 

A memory to last a lifetime?  No doubt.

Could I watch Mr. Anthony Kiedis dance around on the stage in "his" cool way alllll night?  Yessir!!!! 

Still on a concert high?  But of course...

The only downside...those backstage passes?  They were good.  We got back there after the show.  But they were in the hospitality room before the show.  #majorfail

Buuuuut.....I still had an amazing time!  Mind blowing. 

This is what I looked like before the concert.  

After the concert?  Ummm....I'll pass on the pic.  Just picture sweaty, elated....all with a RHCP shirt on.  Like this....

{via}

{via}