Wanna Get-Away?

I have been wanting to go on a trip BADLY. I know life is about to get back to the work/school schedule but I am in need of a getaway.
Evan and I haven't gone on many trips in our 5 years of marriage and the last trip we went on was last June when we road tripped to TN to a conference for a writer Evan loves and then we stayed in Memphis over night so Evan could show me where his family lived for several years before coming back to Texas. We came home a day and a half early because we missed Avery too much (She was 6 months old and we had never left her overnight, let alone 4 nights).

Since then I have made a list (Because I'm weird like that and love making lists) of trips I would like to take.....I even took it a step farther with a list of Small Trips (small town wonders) to a list of Big Trips (Renewing wedding vows in Hawaii for our 10th anniversary sounds awesome, Right?) and since I refuse to bore my readers with the mundanes of my week...I'll share my Small Trip List with you.

*5 Small Trip List*(In no particular order mind you)

#5- Asheville, North Carolina
Why: My sister, Desi lives nearby and has always invited us to come. I've never been to NC and hearing about the mountains makes me really want to check it out. There's also a few neat places to see like:
*The Biltmore Estate
*Blue Ridge Parkway
*And MORE!

#4- Hot Springs, Arkansas
Why: Um, I'm all for a little R&R and Arkansas has some nice scenic views when driving through it and thats seems weird to say since I have only been through it twice but I loved all the trees and GREEN. It's not too far of a drive and I think a nice Spa would be great to check out with some Gal Pals or just Evan and I alone.There's Also:
*WAHOO!
*Bliss!
*Being One With Nature

#3-Sandusky, Ohio
Why: Evan and I love watching Travel channels and food channels that highlight places to see and go. Sandusky has more Amusement/water parks than any other place in the USA, it's also in a state I have never been too but I have several sweet friends who live here and would love to visit them on our journey to this neat place. Here's some highlights:
*Roller Coaster Capital of the World!
*The Campbell's
* Going somewhere New

#2- The East Coast
Why: Yes, I know "The East Coast" is pretty vague but Besides NYC I have never been anywhere on the Eastern Coast and I am mainly talking more about a Fall trip to drive and see the Fall Colors but all in all I mean this:
*Pretty Much My Dream Trip
I started planning a trip like this for my mom and I after she had a serious illness and started talking about things she's never done in her life (She's 81) and it made me want to help her in her goal of traveling the East Coast.  Since then we have never brought it up again (She says she's too old to go that far) and I have lots of Boston tour guides, Maine Tour Guides, etc in a box labeled "Someday". *sigh* looking at the price and itinerary I want to do this even more so than before now!

#1- Kansas City
Why: I love this place! Ever since Evan took me to meet his Aunt & Uncle who lived just outside of KC for Thanksgiving (We had only been dating 2 months!) I was hooked. They took us to the Plaza and a few other places and immediately I was in Love. Since that trip we now have several friends who live here and have often joked about moving there someday to live (Yep, that's right, not staying in Texas, can you imagine!?). Since then his aunt and uncle have moved to Texas and then back to MO but they are now right at the Iowa border, I'm hoping we can go back up there for Thanksgiving! I also want to see the Amish Country and go Antiquing. A few of my faves of KC/that area:
*My Therese or The Dansby's
*The Plaza!
*Family
*The Crossroads Art District
*I love this area.


So there you have it, a few places I'd love to get away to. My big list is a little more deeper in detail and it's also for Evan more than myself. I've been out of the country SEVERAL times but Evan has not and I'd also love to save up the money for a lot of them so we can go when Avery's old enough to remember them and enjoy them with us. I'll share that list soon. I don't have much to blog about until next week, but you love me anyways.

Comments?

Love & Blessings,
Britt & Co.

100th Post!!!

Last week a sweet friend announced her 100th post and I thought to myself "I have a ways to go yet...." .yeah, that was after I posted my 99th post. GOODNESS, time flies when you have a blog!

Things have been pretty darn BLESSED this week at Casa De Hartfield if I may say... just when it looked as if the wolves were about to chew under the door God stepped in and we are truly humble and THANKFUL for all he does for us.

Evan starts back at UTA on THURSDAY! Yep, he's finally going back after a year hiatus and he will still be working full time at the airport. Pray for him please, he feels out of the college loop and is full of so much self-doubt due to having a mindset that 26 is too old to be in college. *sigh* my only retort when he says this is how thankful he should be to be able to GO to college. I'm still waiting for my turn! (SOON.) Still, he has only a set of design labs after this semester and could possibly get his BA as soon as June 2013 which is AWESOME if you ask me especially considering how much he has put in for this degree, I'm so stinking proud of him and he has made so many sacrifices for our family. I know he could have already received it but he chose Avery and I first and foremost and it's hurt him at times to know he could already be where some of his friends are but he's finally getting to go back and finish!

MDO kicks off next tuesday for Avery & I. I go Thursday to finish my room and then later that night we have an Open House for all the parents and kiddos to come and meet us and see what's in store for our school year. I'm beyond eager as I have repeatedly said in my past entries so I won't recap on that :).

Thursday I took Avery to Petsmart where she picked out her very first Pet of her very own. We were originally going to go with 2 goldfish but mommy got a tank with no filter and we still weren't sure if we were going for a fish until Thursday when Avery made the choice for us. She is so enamoured with "Feefees" whenever she see's a pretty blue tank she is drawn to it and will stand and point to each one and giggle in glee and awe at the pretty colors (yet we still can't sit through 4 minutes of Finding Nemo even though I skip the entire intro of it for her). She picked out this little beauty....

Introducing... Fifi Silly Hartfield

The picture is bad but I assure you he/she is very pretty with a purple & blue body with blue fins that fan out to white. Avery is in LOVE with Fifi. She wakes up and asks how he is (He lives on her bookshelf in her room). When we come home she runs to her room to check on him, Friday she even asked if "Fifi missed meh?" As for Paris and Gus....yyyeeeah, they could care less about pretty Fifi. I set up his tank with their curious faces inches from his small container and once the water went in they were no longer interested in Fifi, add the horrible smell of his fish food and yeah...sealed the deal of intrigue. Plus, I just can't see Paris jumping on the bookshelf when she pants after climbing up the couch (okay, mean fat kitty joke but seriously she doesn't jump) Gus refuses to get wet so he won't go near the fish bowl.

Other than that his week has been pretty lax in adventure. Tomorrow I have Church, a Baby Shower then we're having family time at Lake Ray Roberts before our busy work schedules starts back up again. Summertime is officially coming to an end.

I'll close with a cute video. Averys new thing this week is spinning in circles in the living room and shouting "WHOAH" over and over again. Such a silly monkey.

What a difference a year makes!!!!

Heres a video of her LAST August. Gah, miss her being so little...

                                                           

                                                                  Have a great week!

                                                                  Love & Blessings,
                                                                  Brittnye & Co.

Red & Yellow, Black & White They Are Precious In His Sight.....

This is the mural on the smaller wall of my classroom. Evan and I stayed at the Church the majority of yesterday putting it together. Actually Evan did most of it, I just directed and planned out the rest of my room that I have yet to put together thanks to my non-art skills. I still have more things to do and am beyond excited for this school year to get underway.

I was told today I finally got another kiddo in my class so now I have Avery and one other sweet little one. To me this is just one more Praise on my prayer list, I know God has great things planned for MDO and am beyond eager for it to start which is a comfort considering 2 months ago I wasn't sure if my heart was in this job or if I was sure I could handle it, my transition into it wasn't very smooth and it took me the majority of the school year to get any confidence that I knew what I was doing. That was with 4 year olds. (I had the best group of them too, lemme tell ya!) This year I am more in my element. 1 year olds I can handle, I've been raising one pretty darn good and I know what they like, what they can handle and what's age appropriate for them :) .

I also started up my 10wk training program. I overdid my run yesterday and am feeling it today! However, I'm not really put off by the pain as I have been the last 2 attempts at this. I feel like I did a lot yesterday in my 22minute 1.3 mile run. I know that's not a good time at all but for a beginner who has given up too many times to count and who hasn't had the best motivation or will-power....I'm stoked and pumped up!

I also signed Evan and myself up for LAPS FOR LITTLE ONES on September 18th. The Little Light House Denton is such a wonderful organazation that is hosted at Mckinney Street Baptist Church in the same building as MDO. I've seen these wonderful volunteers with these amazing kids and let me tell you, it's inspiring. To know that Denton has a place for parents and families with children with disabilities is so wonderful and Mary who is the director is such a wonderful woman. The fact that my home church is the host just makes me proud of my church family.

Read about the event on the link and I encourage you to pray for this program as well as Laps for Little Ones. I'm still debating if I should volunteer for the event or run/walk the laps AND sponsor a childs victory lap (seeing a special child dressed up and taking their victory lap is just overwhelming emotionally for me) Pray for Evan and I as we prepare our hearts for this event, Pray for MDO as we prepare for the new school year, Pray for me as I get ready for my new class.

Have a great week! Texas is finally getting a break from the triple digit heat with a chance of rain all week and only in the 90's. You could almost hear the hallelujas and shouts for joy when it poured down today in Denton and it dipped to 88* so nice!

Blessings & Love,

Britt & Co.

Video Test...testing...Video.....

M-G-O If I just figured out how to post videos, you followers will surely become even more annoyed with my Avery addiction! :)

Can you believe Avery used to be this TINY. She's almost 3 months old in this video....

Time Flies.

Friend-a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

Say what you want and be who you are because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

-Dr Seuss
 
That has become my new favorite quote this week and I  felt like sharing that off the bat.
 
This week has been so busy and I feel bad for not blogging sooner because I fear I may not be able to remember all the good parts of it to share now. Needless to say this summer is almost coming to an end for me with MDO starting back up and things are finally starting to settle down!
 
My dear friend Therese came down from KC Saturday through Tuesday. I haven't seen her since she moved in October so her husband, Ross could go to graduate school in Lawrence. Needless to say it was something I have been looking forward to for over a month!

One of our last get togethers before they moved October 2009

 

Last time they saw Avery she only had 2 teeth,no hair and was just learning to walk!

Ross had to work so Therese came down solo for the 4 days. She stayed with some friends saturday but came up to Denton Sunday afternoon to join Evan, Avery and I. It was so good to see her smiling face again! We walked around the square, ate Beth Marie's, shopped at Recycled Books and then headed back to Nan & Garys before heading out to Lake Ray Roberts.

While getting ready to go though, Therese locked her keys in Ross's truck so we had to wait for a locksmith to come rescue her. By the time that was all over Avery was super fussy so Nan & Gary watched her while Evan and I took Therese to the Lake. It was perfect. The sunset was awesome, the water was just right and it was hardly crowded at all. We swam for a bit and the 3 of us hung out on the booeys practicing our balancing skills and letting ourselves turn to mush in the wonderful water. After we left the lake we headed to DQ for some blizzards (Those mini-ones are the PERFECT size).

We headed back to Fort Worth for the night and were eager for bed. Monday Therese had some things to do while Avery and I kept a playdate (that was a bust thanks to bully kids :( ). After Averys nap we met Therese at one of my FAVE places in Fort Worth for some chill time. I love Central Market and Therese is the one who got me hooked to this amazing place. We sat on the patio eating fruit and let Avery chase the birds before heading in and enjoying all the goodies. I bought some Yummy Sourdough Bread and got Evan his favorite Root Beer. Therese spiled Avery with Raspberry cookies and got me a cream puff that was YUM-MO!

I could stand in their Bread and Bakery section all day!! Soo many choices and so many wonderful aromas. I love their breads and now thanks to Therese I can add their Breakfast bread to my list of addictions along with Choc. Cherry Bread, Sourdough Bread, Rosemary Bread and a new one with some amazing Olive Oil in it that literally bursts in your mouth.

We headed back to my house and got ready for our Girls Night Out.

We met up with Kate who is who we met through. Kate & Therese went to Nursing School at TCU together and Kate is married to Evans best friend, Nick. We met Therese & Ross at Nick & Kates wedding shower when Avery was only 3 weeks old. It was our first outing as parents and we're kinda avoiding the big group but Therese is a NICU nurse and LOVES babies so she came over and BOOM we've been super close every since......

We went to this AMAZING Sushi place called Piranha Killer Sushi downtown Fort Worth. I had the Dragon Roll - shrimp tempura & asparagus with salmon & avocado  and it was soooooooooooo good. A little spicy due to the sauce but G-M-O I am now hooked on that place. It was nice decor and location was a A+. No wonder Therese craves this place!

After Sushi we walked down the street trying to find a place to get a drink or dessert when Therese mentioned Reatas. I have no idea how I never knew of this place as long as I have lived in the area. We sat on the roof which had an amazing view and ate some RIDICULOUSLY good desserts and talked for over 3 hours. A must try on a date. Here's the Link.                                   

My only complaint was the service. Our waitress seemed annoyed when we ordered water to drink while deciding if we should get drinks and once we told her we wanted Dessert she took away our menus, silverware and bread basket and came back with a tray of mini-desserts and went through a half-hearted, couldn't really care-less, description of each before we chose our selections, after that she disappeared for the evening. So BOO to her.

Kate, Me & Therese @ Reata

The Sign & The View

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe...

I had the Chocolate Cake with Drunken Berries, Kate had the Apple Crisp & Therese had the Parker County Peach Cobbler which was 2x's bigger than Kate and I's desserts but they were all FANTASTIC!

Such a great time and so deserved/needed for all 3 of us!

The next morning Therese packed up and said Adios to Texas. She kept me updated with random txts throughout her 9 hour drive back. Poor Avery we didn't know what to do without a house guest and no plans. The next morning she ran around the kitchen and our bedroom asking "Tees? Tees?!" It took me awhile to figure out she was looking for Therese :( . Therese couldn't believe how big Avery was, so much hair, so many teeth and such a chatter-box.

Can't wait for November when (HOPEFULLY) we'll head their way.

So that was pretty much my week. I go in tomorrow to get my class room ready for my kiddos. I say kiddos because I know God is going to bless MDO with more students. I am in the 1-year old class room this year and so far, Avery is my 1 and only student!

I'll close with a picture of Avery and Baby Krystal (My niece) we're still learning how to be gentle with the baby, but Avery just loves her!

She weighs 8lbs finally @9 weeks old. But is still in preemie clothes. So stinking tiny.

Love & Blessings,

Brittnye & Co.