Weekend in Pictures

It has been a minute since I stepped in here to blog. I have been floating around the blogsphere, just not motivated enough to write much. I am so appreciative of all the kind words that were shared after my last post. I really appreciated it. Also, I am grateful for a few who emailed me to check on me. Your sincere concern is appreciated. We still don't have a lot of new information on the job situation, so I am just standing still and staying prayerful. I am standing in the middle of His will.

Enjoying good music and good times !

I had a lovely weekend starting on Friday night, me and my Beau and some friends went to Miller Outdoor Theatre in the Museum District to watch a performance called the Motown Review. This is an annual event for four nights usually during this same time each year. A lot of talented local artists and musicians perform a wide range of music from 60's, 70's and 80's. It is an awesome show and family friendly. You can bring your own picnic, coolers, blankets, chairs and relax on the hill & watch the show. The best part
is that it is  Free.99 ! LOL

Mr.Mixologist mixing his famous libations !

We enjoyed ourselves that night, and were so thrilled by how inexpensive the whole evening was since the concert didn't cost us anything & we brought our own food and drinks.  After all that bragging,we get to the car & discover a parking ticket that we got along with about 20 other cars ! We were parked along a curb that is evidently for bus loading/unloading. We were pissed ! My problem with this ticket is that the show does not start until 8:15 pm. I am SURE that  no buses were coming into the area during that time, but sure enough there was a sign posted. We just parked behind a long row of vehicles in the same area thinking it was after hours, so they surely would not be writing tickets. I guess the good luck is that we weren't towed.

Charlene had to get on her feet for the Michael Jackson Medley !

Everybody enjoyed themselves 

While fuming about the ticket & loading up the vehicles with all our things, my beloved Mr.Mixologist dropped the keys in the trunk of the car and closed it without realizing it !!!! So then we had to call AAA to get us back into the vehicle....oh what a night ! But it was fun all and all, we just had to laugh about it all once we made it home LOL


Saturday, we went to what is probably our last Crawfish boil of the season since it is almost June. They were pretty good too. We probably have about 3 more weeks before they start getting too small to fool with, but I managed to get my fill on Saturday night.

Luv those mudbugs !

Mr Mixologist does not each Crawfish, so luckily they had some other things to eat. But really as long as he has someplace to smoke his Cigars, talk about Cigars, share his knowledge of Cigars, he is a happy camper. He is easy to please, so very laid back.

Mr. Mixologist dropping some Cigar Knowledge LOL

The night would not have been complete without a dance contest and a Karaoke contest. My friend Kim's family never lacks entertainment and once the challenge is thrown out, my friend Charlene cannot back down! She truly believes she can out dance anybody LOL I promise you that on Sunday morning, I had no voice from laughing so hard at all that went on. You can see one of my other friends below  in the doorway wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard.  Fun times indeed !

Old School Dance Off !

On Sunday, I helped my best friend host her daughter's Birthday Party and I will blog about that tomorrow. Monday, I did absolutely nothing but get some much needed rest. I felt a little guilty for about 5 minutes LOL. All we did was watch movies and relax. We even bought barbecue from Harris County Smokehouse instead of firing up the grill and it was on point ! I enjoyed a wonderful weekend and hope you did too.


How was your holiday ?

Did you do anything special?

What did you eat this weekend ?

Beautifully Complex 

  

Sun Shining..Rain Comes..Clouds Clear..Sun Returns

It's been a minute since I have been here and I have had my hands full dealing with LIFE.  Not that it's anything that many others aren't also dealing with.   As they say, "there is nothing new under the sun". Sometimes though, when things happen, you just have to be still and listen. That's what I have been doing while I was away.  My company dropped the bomb a couple of weeks ago. They have their "corporate speak" and are calling this a "Migration" but we all know that it means downsize/layoff/reorganization since so many people aren't mobile to the city they are migrating us to for various reasons. I am truly not interested in relocating there either, as I have gotten settled into Houston, really like the city, and have managed to finally find love here. There is a good chance I will not have to move, due to the specific nature of what I do, but there is no guarantee as ALL departments are being looked at & possibly redesigned. If push comes to shove, I may have to go for a short time, but it will be with an exit strategy for sure to get to a city I really want to be in.

Honestly, I haven't been nearly as upset as the majority of my co-workers & I think that's because I already had my life turned upside down just a few years back & although it took me quite some time to recover, transition and land on my feet, I gained some perspective I never would have had without those life changing situations. If you are a new reader/lurker, it is pretty much summarized in a nutshell here.  Even still, that does not make me immune to the feelings of my peers. People are having a HARD time with this. There have been many tears (openly), depression has set in and morale is horrible. The energy is just bringing me down, even though I feel confident that it will be okay. I really dread going into the office on the rare occasions that I have to, because it can be so draining. On my own, I am cool, but seeing others so hurt is hard.  Barrista posted something on her blog today, which summed up the way I feel, but having her say it, made me feel all the more better:

This will be my 3rd time going through a layoff (2 mergers and a downsizing) and all have taken me to bigger and better things. I also know that every single thing works out in the end the way it’s supposed to and there’s nothing to be gained in stressing something you can’t change. Aight? 

I can be honest an express that one of the things that I have been contemplating is how this situation  may impact my relationship with Mr. Mixologist. This is still somewhat new.  Oh,  he has definitely gone out of his way to really assure me of his commitment to this relationship and has been very supportive, encouraging and open to the whole situation, which has been a great feeling.  Honestly, I was enjoying the ride we have been on, coasting along at our own leisurely pace and this situation has just added unwanted pressure ( in my mind). I mean, I just want this relationship to evolve organically into what it is supposed to be.  I have prayed about it and am doing my best not to over think it, and just know that it is going to be what it is going to be. Trust God and let it go.

In the midst of all of this work stuff, on the family side of things,  my mom has been recently expressing some  worry about my Dad's health, specifically she is having serious concerns that he is having problems remembering things, repeating himself in short time spans, and she is alarmed........ no, correct that, she is scared that this could be really something serious, and one of the most unsettling feelings is hearing the fear in your parent's voice.  I feel so helpless being so far away.  Me & Mr. Mixologist traveled to where my parents live a couple of weeks ago for my Aunt's 60th Birthday Party. I don't know if it's the power of suggestion or what , but my Dad does seem a little different to me. Just a bit more fragile than the last time I saw him & just not himself at all times. He has a doctor's appointment scheduled for this week and I just hope we can get to the bottom of it.

I had a Manager at work that used to say, "Nothing too good, or too bad, lasts for too long".  One of my most  favorite Pastor's used to say, " Either you are going through a storm, coming out of a storm or heading towards a storm. "  An that just about summarizes life to me. None of us know what crosses we will have to bear in this life or for how long. There is no magical place that you get to, where everything is fine and it seems that if you ever get close to that point, you worry when it will end. I don't say any of this to sound negative & I really  hope that it doesn't come across that way, I am just reflecting on things and trying to position myself to respond positively to each situation as it comes. I know that everything is going to work out for my good.   That is why I always try to stand in the sun when it's shining on me because I know the clouds will come, but the truth is, they too always part, and the sun comes right back out again !

I count on the Sun to come back out, each and every day. I go to sleep each night and never worry that it's not coming up tomorrow. I don't even give it a second thought. It never crosses my mind, what if the sun doesn't come up tomorrow ? I lay down with the full confidence that He will make the sun rise tomorrow. I don't know how he does and couldn't begin to figure that out for myself, but I trust that it will be.  Just as it is with the smaller things in this life. I will put my faith in Him and stand on his word.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".    Hebrews 11:1 


How do you handle life's challenges ?   Is religious faith part of your life ?

Thoughts ?    Questions ?    Comments ?

Beautifully Complex 

Regroup, Relax, Release, and Recover !

                                                    *  *PHOTO HEAVY POST* *

The kids are back at home now. I have received three tear-filled bedtime phone calls this week because they are missing me :) That fills my heart all the way to the top. I miss them too. Shoot, even Mr. Mixologist is missing them even though we.are.worn.out ! LOL

My and one of my girlfriends, took my crew and her girls and nephews to the Houston Zoo on Wednesday. I really enjoyed it and the kids did too. They have a new African Safari Exhibit that was great. One of the best things about our Zoo is that they allow you to bring in your own coolers with food and drinks. This is great and very cost effective when you have so many kids to feed. We packed a lunch of their preferred food and snacks & had a picnic halfway through our visit. The only downside was there we so many people at the Zoo because it was Spring Break. We heard they set an attendance record of over 30,000 people on one day ! WOW

KJ & Jeff  fixated on the Leopard

I love to watch children's fascination with animals and how they process learning new things. You can see the little wheels turning in their heads.

Savannah & Jeff jamming on the African Drums !

I love musically inclined, creative types and encourage it whenever possible. Trust me when I say, when our kids got on these six drums they had set up in the African Safari area, they drew a crowd. I thought I was going to start picking up money off the ground ! LOL

The Zoo Crew !

Next stop on Thursday was Schlitterbahn Water Park. The kids love it ! I have to admit, I do too. Even though they only have about 1/2 of the rides open during Spring Break, it is still a nice reprieve and my water babies get a chance to have some great fun. This park also allows you to bring in Coolers with your own food and drinks #winning.  Which keeps us from the highway robbery that is the food prices at this joint. We always get there early, find a good camp spot and spend the whole day. Mr. Mixologist came with us on this day trip and was truly a great help. When you have so many kids around water, with varying swimming abilities, it is very necessary. One of my girlfriends neighbors came along with her two daughters, so we had 4 adults, supervising 11 children between the ages of 4 and 16. We always have a strategy. One adult always stayed with our stuff, we then broke the kids into 3 age groups & each adult went with their group to ride the various attractions and we would check back at the camp spot every hour.  The kids slept like dead people after this outing ! #winning LOL

View of Galveston Bay

The kids were squealing with delight by the time we go to Galveston & they actually could see the water.

KJ is salivating thinking about the water

Kid's hate having to wait for their food to digest so they can swim to avoid cramps, but yet they want to eat snacks all day ! I know this is an old wives tale, but I still make them sit for 30 minutes after eating before getting back in. I have no idea if its true, but it's how I was raised. LOL

Bikini Ready

Cool Boys !

By Friday, I was truly spent but I still had to get ready for the annual Party that I throw every year during Spring Break, so that some of my friends & their kids can hang out with my nieces and nephews. Mr. Mixologist came up with the idea of a Fish Fry and agreed to do the cooking in the back yard. He made the Catfish, Shrimp and Hushpuppies. I hooked up some Dirty Rice, Macaroni & Cheese, Caesar Salad and my famous Sopapilla Cheesecake (got the recipe from my Mom who never fails ! ). Everything came together nicely & me and my beau are an awesome team. #winning.  Saturday was a very long, late night, but definitely a great time and all worth it. I spent the early morning hours on Sunday, washing & packing suitcases & when we got back home on Sunday night, I was in.a.coma.for.3.days ! LOL Hence the late wrap-up post !

Below is the last groups of pics, I promise LOL !

Savannah with one of my friend's son

Party Girls

What a Spread !

It was my Goddaughter's Birthday too !

Are they trying to play spades ?  LOL !

The drop off at Starbucks ! (Before the tears)

Our Annual Professional Spring Break Pic

Needless to say, me and the beau are cold chillin' this weekend. We plan to regroup, relax, release and recover. His brother from Chicago is coming in next weekend so we are planning some adult activities, and we should be fully rested by then,  but until then, I will be chilling !

How was your Spring Break !

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

March Madness !

It's Wednesday, so we are halfway through the Spring Break visit and I am beat. Since my mind has forgotten, my body is starting to remind me of my age ! LOL. The mini-van turned out to be the best idea. As far as comfort on a long road trip, you can't beat it. With two DVD screens, all the bells and whistles, including awesome storage and room the move around, the kids were definitely more than comfortable. One of my cousin's daughters couldn't come because she didn't want to miss her baby sisters birthday party this coming Saturday, but my other cousin's son, who is 5 quickly volunteered to come in her place so now my nephew who is 4 has somebody to play with.

Savannah picked out the flowers with me

Brunch turned out really great. The food was wonderful of course, but the quality time with my extended family was the best part. I might have decided to have a Mimosa or should I say a few, but whose counting ? LOL Here are some pics from the table I put together at my parents. My oldest niece picked out the flowers.

This 4 yr old is serious about his game !

                           

I had planned to take the little ones to the Houston Rodeo Carnival on Monday, but the rain, nixed that idea so were were indoors the first day. They really enjoyed bowling  & we will definitely do that again. Whoever came up with the idea of those bumpers on the aisles for the less skilled, is a genius, we even had a couple of strikes !                                                

  

The chair massage was her favorite part.

                                                                                                                           
 
                                                                                             
                                                                               Later I took the girls to the nail shop, while Mr. Mixologist hung out with the boys. Tuesday, we took our annual Spring Break Photo & let me tell getting 6 kids, picture ready and keeping them that way is no simple feat ! We were happy with how they turned out. I will post some later.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                    

Reminder: You can shop twice as fast when you leave kids at home                       

For dinner last night, I let them get some ingredients to make their own pizzas and they had flour from their ears to their toes, LOL but  they came out pretty decent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Cheffin' it up !

                                                                              We used Turkey Pepperoni and Turkey Italian Sausage, but it was still a little salty to my taste, but they of course thought it was delicious because they had made it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I cannot tell a lie, my back is killing me right now ! LOL I think its the constant, bending & picking up stuff as well as lifting some of the younger ones, the constant movement that sadly, my body is just not used to anymore ![ Reminder: Increase treadmill time.]   I have been washing more clothes and dishes in these few days than I probably washed last month. Seriously though, the hugs, smiles and the love of these kids is so worth it. This is my cousin's 5 years olds first trip this far from home alone, without his parents & he is doing great and having fun and that is what is important to me.       

The hugs are totally worth it :)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
What are you doing for Spring Break ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?           

Beautifully Complex                                                                                                                                              

Gimme a Break !

Whew ! I am so glad it's Friday and the truth is I am totally worn out. I am getting ready for Spring Bring with my nieces and nephew and it has been quite a chore to get prepared. First of all at work, it's like I have to work double time just be off. I have worked very late every.night.this.week. I have to make sure than anyone can pick up one of my cases and know exactly what's going on and try to put out any "potential" fires that could occur while I am out. Even though they can reach me via cell phone, I just don't want to think about work if I don't have to. I just sent my last work email about 10 minutes ago, so I am officially on a break until March 21 ! Woo Hoo !

We are getting ready to hit the road in less than 2 hours. After going back & forth with Mr. Mixologist, I finally agreed to rent a van instead of a utility vehicle. I had to just be honest and admit my vanity was the problem. I just think mini-vans look corny LOL ! I don't know why I think I am too fly to drive a  minivan  LOL ! But each year this annual Spring Break Trip just gets bigger and bigger (two of my cousins are sending their daughters too) and it's just not practical any more.  I am just glad that I will be cold chillin' reading with my Nook Color in just a few hours headed up the road.

Speaking of "cold chillin'", this week of all weeks, my AC decided to start tripping. Now you know with six kids here next week, we would HAVE to have some cold air.  My house is over 20 years old and I bought it 4 years ago. Home repairs are the bane of my existence, I swear ! Anyway, this is one of those times when I really appreciate blog land and how resourceful it can be. You know my blogging buddy and friend IRL Tiffany in Houston just had the same situation and blogged about it here.  Well, I sent her a message on Twitter and got the contact info & her AC guy met with Mr. Mixologist yesterday to discuss the problem & he came over bright and early this morning & completed the work I needed done for a FRACTION of what 2 other's had quoted me earlier this week. So I really caught a major break today & am soooo grateful. Shout out to my girl Tiffany !

I am looking forward to visiting with my family this weekend before we head back with the kids. My visit at Thanksgiving got cut short due to a death in my beau's family, so I missed some of my cousins. My mom is having a Chicken & Waffle Brunch tomorrow morning at the house in my honor and has invited all my cousins, aunts & uncles, so I am excited about that. I am going to do my best to not drink any Mimosa's but that will be really hard for me ! LOL My BFF thinks I am spoiled & I always try to deny it, but my parents really are very considerate of me. I think it's just that my friend comes from a family of 8 children, whereas it was just me & my sister, so your parents can just do more & give you  more attention. But I do really spoil my nieces and nephew, so its all love !

That's what's going on this Fabulous Friday in my world.

What are your plans for the weekend ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?


Beautifully Complex

Just Me..........Randomly

I cannot believe it is almost mid-March. I am really worn out from the weekend ! I have been trying to gear up for Spring Break. My nieces and nephew will be here next week & I have to get ready & get this house ready. In between trying to make sure everything at work is in order, for me to vacation in peace and the cleaning & shopping, etc. around here, I am already worn out & those kids aren't even here yet ! LOL I can forget about getting any rest next week.

I have been using my treadmill a lot more lately, and have been feeling much better and more energized because of it. My lower back is feeling better, as well as my knee that was bothering me so I don't have any more excuses. All of the weight loss going on in Blogland is a good thing, it has been very motivating. With Springtime approaching, I don't want to regret not doing anything about these love handles from lazying around all winter with my beau. LOL.

My Aunt is having some serious health challenges and it makes me hurt. It is hard to see how it affects her, my cousins and especially my Mom and my other Aunt. It is also a reminder of how much we can't control in our lives but at the same time it makes me reflect on how much power we DO have in certain areas and that I should always continue to try to work to improve the areas that I can change.

I have a close friend, whose ex-husband probably has an undiagnosed mental problem. That along with him being a substance abuser (cocaine & alcohol) makes dealing with the situation (they have 2 young children) very challenging. He sends her some very scary & cryptic text messages. It really makes me uneasy. I pray for their protection constantly.

I always take the little ones to this place to paint ceramics they can take home to commemorate their trip. I try to mix it up and keep their trip's fresh & exciting with new activites. This year I wanted to take them to a pottery place, so they could make their own, but you have to be at least 8 yrs old, so that means some of the little ones won't be able to participate so I am looking for something else crafty/creative for them all to do. If you know of anything in Houston, please send any ideas my way. I may just go to Hobby Lobby and Michael's to see if I can be inspired.

Me and Mr. Mixologist went to see The Adjustment Bureau this past weekend. I really enjoyed it. It was more love story, morality play, than espionage and thriller. I must say, Matt Damon is still such a hottie. I thought there was a lot of chemistry between him and the female lead. It really did make me think about fate and free will. For example, you get held up at a drive through, frustrated by a delay only to drive up on a serious accident minutes later in which you very well could have been involved in, if you had not been delayed. As I have gotten older, I have learned to just take unexpected delays as a blessing that I can't see.

I did not have one. drop. of. alcohol this past weekend. I know that sounds bad, as in, am I an alcoholic or something ? LOL But honestly, I can't think of the last weekend when I did not have some wine at a minimum. I have a serious desire to drink in social situations and at home, especially on weekends. I decided to try to cut back because of the calories. They really add up. This coming weekend, we will be road tripping to pick up the little ones and the following weekend  after a very sober Spring Break, I will be doing the same thing, taking them back, so I think I will probably shoot for 30 days with no alcohol to see if that helps me drop some pounds.


Today, what is randomly you ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Musical Monday-Mary Mary

I am a huge Mary Mary fan. Sadly, they are getting some flak from some fans because their "gospel" music is becoming too contemporary, or too worldly for some people. I think everyone is entitled to how they feel. I personally focus on how music makes me "feel" and I can say that a lot of their music is very inspirational and has brought me through some rough times, just by keeping me encouraged and uplifted.  They have a new single "Walking" which is really catchy and I still think these ladies have some really strong vocals that complement each other well.  I didn't necessarily like their last single "God in Me" that much. It was just a little cheesy to ME, but the Album that that song came from  "The Sound" was their best selling to date, so I am going to guess they think they are on the right track. I am of the opinion that if the message is positive, then the beat or the use of Auto Tune, rapping or any of the latest musical technology tricks shouldn't matter if you are reaching more people. But I respect those that disagree. When I reflect on their past music, songs like "Shackles", "In the Morning", "Heaven",  "Yesterday" and "Believer", I feel like these ladies are pretty consistent with their message and were always pretty contemporary to begin with. Sometimes the message isn't always obvious, but if you listen to the lyrics and can make simple analogies, it's not complicated.

Here is the latest video/song "Walking"  from these lovely sisters.  Let me know what you think. Are they too mainstream ? Should gospel fans be offended ? Do you think they are taking their gospel/inspirational license too far ?

Mary Mary - Walking (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Mary Mary

Thoughts ?  Comments? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex