Life in the Middle Age Lane

Fourteen years.  That's how much time we had with this sweet girl.  She was all love. She followed me everywhere and was patient, caring, and sweet. Emilio was 11 and Shelby was 6.  She was part of our family.  An amazing companion to our family and our last pup, Daringer who passed away two years after getting Mattie.  Also from cancer.  Mattie was diagnosed with nose cancer back in February. My little snowball will now rest in peace.  No more nose bleeds, or trouble breathing.  The past few weeks we were taking turns sleeping with her, because she couldn't stand being alone at night anymore. Our Christmas card 2014 with our lovely pups. John and the kids took Mattie to the vet and we will spread her ashes once we get them back.  I could not go.  She was my companion when my kids left the nest and never left my side during my lonely times at home.  I want to remember her at ou...

I have been working on personalizing my bedroom since February.  I enlisted the help of a decorator and she was a very good listener.  I wanted something romantic but also not traditional.  I wanted to walk into my room and fall in love with it...every time.  Kelley Brown succeeded in making that happen. After Before Pam Gamwell a fellow crossfitter hand painted the fireplace and my night stands.  She is truly talented. I really like a taste of Texas in our room.  We have an alligator skin as a runner on the credenza and Kelley made this rams head after I showed her a floral one from a local boutique.  I think its snazzy. We removed this wall candelabra and had it weather treated and placed outside by the pool   Now this gold mirror occupies the wall.  It looks amazing. The comforter was ordered from Anthropologie .  One of my favorite stores. I found this on Horchow...

I know way too many breaks between my blogs.  Sorry readers! I have really started a bad habit of being a couch potato.  So I decided to kick my ass off the couch and do things outside my comfort zone.  I just finished co-chairing a Fundraising position with Cypress-Woodlands Junior Forum and even though we did not meet our goal, we accomplished what we set out to do.  Educate our community in what we do, bring in our husbands so they can see what our group is all about, and to begin thinking outside the box on how our organization can be best showcased. John and I as one of the Starry Night Soiree's.  He did an amazing job by doing a craft beer presentation at each one of the soiree's.   In January we went to go see Colin Hay at the Wortham Center.  It was part of a concert series sponsored by McGonigal's Mucky Duck.  It was one of the best nights of music, laughter, and hugs.  I was so excited to have met him and get his sign...

Our annual Christmas Party with the lovely ladies I volunteer with at Cypress-Woodlands Junior Forum, on December 8th.  The venue was a new one for us at the Wild Stallions Winery in Spring. Beautiful location and the food was the best in all the years I have attended.  Wearing my Christmas skirt I bought on Ebay last year and had to take it to the tailors for resizing.  I received a lot of compliments on it that night. December 12 we spent the evening in the Heights enjoying the lights.  First time we walked the area and had a great time. Streets are closed off and many private house parties are going on with live music on the front porches and balconies.  Port-a-potties, wine wagons, and many fun yard decorations. While we enjoyed the Christmas festivities in Houston our lovely husbands were in Austin due to the weather.  Needless to say they also had a fun time on 6th street.  They flew home the next morning once the nasty weat...

In less than a week I will be turning 49 years old.  I would have thought that by this age I would know what I wanted to do with my life.  For sure by 45 or 46.  Well those years went by quickly and now I am looking down the barrel of my 40's gone by. For some reason, I want to really, really, really enjoy this last year in my 40's despite still not having a clue what I want to do with my life.  I joke with my daughter (who has been bombarded with that same question since she started college) I don't even know if I want to start a family!  Needless to say I get an eye roll with that remark. I don't know if subconsciously I think my 50's will be the start of a down hill journey or the loss of so many friends has prompted me to rethink how I live my life.  Perhaps a little of both.  Regardless, I want to do something different this year.  What if it is my last year?  Isn't it always a "last year" of some sort.  Things are constantly...

I just finished sending out about 180 Christmas cards.  This year I had to enlist John's help since I was feeling under the weather with a bad cold.  I think next year I will work on our family pictures over the summer.  Thanksgiving break is way too busy to try to get everyone together, dressed, matched, and groomed.  Not too happy with this year's cards but I can only do so much. Having to get the Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving and MAKING Thanksgiving dinner while packing and prepping for a weekend at the deer lease made it very difficult to enjoy my Thanksgiving.    I realized that I add too much pressure to my life and I just need to learn to say NO more. I do love seeing these two together.  One of the best things I ever did was have these two amazing people.  I'm happy to see their relationship stay strong and healthy. Emilio was not too happy with his hair and Shelby loved her Llama sweater.  It was her idea we ...