june highlights.

2015 is half-way gone! Can you believe it? I can't. I swear I was just wrapping Christmas presents and telling everyone "Happy New Year!" June has been a jammed pack month. I shared a lot in this post about what I've been up to, but there is more!

Here are a few highlights from June:

• We celebrated Stephen's birthday on the 4th! He is now old like me :) We dined at our favorite restaurant of all time, Whiskey Cake. It never disappoints plus we only had to wait for 30 minutes!
• I was asked earlier this Spring to be a part of the Math Curriculum Team. Basically, I worked an extra month and wrote curriculum for the upcoming school year for Algebra 1. It was tons of work, but an amazing experience! I made new friends too! 
• Since I worked in June, I celebrated my first day of summer on the 26th! Stephen and I had a nice evening at the pool.
• I got to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews on my to Louisiana. Slade and Holt are getting so big and so SMART. I didn't realize how much kids know at 5 and 3. 

Not pictured (yet):

• My mom and I went to Destin, Florida for a family reunion type vacation. I'm planning on posting about it later this week! 

life lately.

Wow. I have really missed my blog lately. With the end of the school year, two big weddings and working this summer, I have been swamped.

So where to start...I guess I'll start with "a weekend." Two weeks ago, Stephen's dad went to the ER for chest pain and ended up having to have a double by-pass. By God's grace, the surgery went smoothly and doctors were able to fix everything. But heart surgery is a long recovery so Stephen and I went to Houston to help out the family, mainly his three younger siblings.

It ended up being such a beautiful blessing! I absolutely loved serving Stephen's family along with him. We moved furniture, hauled off tree limbs, took the kids to get haircuts, picked up dinner, took shifts visiting his dad in the hospital, did laundry, entertained the kiddos. It was jammed pack and so perfect. I know the circumstances under which we were there weren't great, but it brought us all together for a few days and the Lord was doing work! He is just too cool.

I didn't capture very many moments over the weekend because we looked like ^^^ all weekend, haha, but I did manage to snap those two. That's his little sister, Jordan, and little brother, Jake. Brandon really isn't interested in taking pictures! 

The weekend after we got back from Houston, our good friends Chelsea & David were getting married in Louisiana! Luckily, we were able to take off work on Friday and head to Lake Charles. Stephen & I were both in the wedding and it was tons of fun! 

On our way to the dinner rehearsal.

At the dinner...(little blurry!)

On Saturday, all the bridesmaids got hair and make up done (while the groomsmen relaxed and played at the pool). Jessika, my friend from HS, got to do mine! Chelsea was a very sweet and calm bride --- that's always a plus! 

We headed to the venue from the hotel around 3 to get dressed and start taking pictures at 4. Chelsea and David did a first look. Chels said it was totally worth it! I still don't know if I could do it or not...but it was nice to get all the pictures finished before the ceremony. Chels looked absolutely stunning and David looked so happy -- congrats Mr. and Mrs. Rudd!!! 

The Bride pre-ceremony!  

On our road trip home I thought this was quite appropriate...although I didn't share it -- maybe next time, David! 

David & Chelsea,

Thank you for including Stephen & I on y'all's big day. We had an absolute blast and loved being able to celebrate along with you on the day you became husband & wife! Love you both! 

may highlights.

Y'all it's still raining. There are currently 37 counties in Texas that have areas of flooding! It's been a crazy amount of rain this month. At least we now have plenty of water!

Here are a few highlights from May:

• Skye and Derek came through town earlier this month! We played Top Golf together. It was my first experience and I didn't miss the ball as often as I thought I would. So glad Skye is back on US soil!
• Watermark had their baptismal Sunday service. There were like 500 people getting baptized! It was a really awesome to hear the baptizies (I don't know if that's a word!) testimonies. After the service, everyone headed outside to get baptized and enjoy a free lunch!
• One of the service companies that Stephen works with had a crawfish boil! It was nice to not drive 6 hours to eat a mud bug.
• Allie O. got married! The O'Neals have been our family friends forever. It's so weird to think little Al is married, but I'm so happy for her and Cory! Congrats! I was so blessed to have all of my family together for Memorial Day weekend. It was long overdue!

Not pictured:

• Hannah and her family were in town for a baseball tournament. We were able to hangout and have a cookout at her Uncle George's! I could definitely get used to her being in town more often. :) Actually...I think I could get used to any of my Louisiana family/friends being in town all the time!!

Only ONE MORE WEEK of school left!!! For some reason this year has really drug on and on. I was asked to write curriculum for my school district so I'll actually be working all of June BUT I will be working with adults. Praise the Lord! I don't have to see a teenager until August. Woo woo.

Lots of fun trips coming up this summer -- be on the lookout for those posts in a few weeks!

april highlights.

April showers better bring May flowers!! Geez, I thought Texas was supposed to be in like a drought. Not this month. It rained and poured and rained some more, but luckily I was still able to have some fun!

Here are a few highlights from April:

• After church on Easter Sunday, Stephen and I dyed Easter eggs! 
• I FINALLY got a coffee table!! Somehow during Bible study the subject came up that I was looking for a coffee table and one of the ladies had hers for sale on Craig's List for $90!! I took her right up on the offer. It couldn't be more perfect in my living room. 
• Skye is back in 'Merica!!!!!!! Katelyn, Stephen and I made a quick trip to San Antonio to celebrate her being home. So so so pumped I got to spend time with my bf!
• We spent a few Sundays this month sailing! It's hopefully going to be a new hobby for us, but we aren't certain at this point. It is really not an easy thing to learn. You have to consistently watch puffs (wind), sheets (sails), lines (ropes), and water the entire time. It can get really stressful on a windy day!

Not pictured:

• Stephen, Lauren R., her boyfriend, Eric, and I went to another outdoor concert at our favorite winery. It's always a fun time.

happy Easter.

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said." Matthew 28:6 (ESV)

"as he said,"...Jesus always fulfills His Promises. The greatest of which was dying on the Cross, paying our debt and then defeating death by rising and Living! 

We have everything to be thankful for as we reflect on this Gift that Jesus gave to us freely, without price. This Gift is the absolute perfect picture of humble sacrifice. We, as followers of Christ, should live out the same humble sacrifice in our daily life. Constantly remembering what Jesus did for us and for every generation to come.

Imagine with me for one moment if Jesus would have chosen to be disobedient to the Father. What if Jesus would have said, "God, are You crazy? I'm fully divine and You're asking me to make myself fully human and die on a tree?? And do all of that for FREE??" Can you imagine what the implications of that choice would've been? We would have no opportunity for healing. No opportunity for salvation. No opportunity for sanctification. No opportunity for Eternal Life. 

Oh, but Jesus chose obedience!!! Because of Christ's obedience to the Father we have Life. We have Freedom. We have Salvation. We have Santification. Through, Mary the Mother of Jesus, Eve's sin was crushed! Through Jesus Christ, Adam's sin was crushed! 

Now we have the opportunity to live as healed men and women through Jesus' Ultimate Sacrifice! Free from the bondage of Original Sin. 

Get excited about this, y'all!!! Let Your Spirit be filled with Joy & Hope today (and every day) as You walk this Life hand in hand with the One who chose to Love you! With the One who chose to Save you!

raw-stin.

I love March for many reasons. One of them being it's my birthday month! Stephen surprised me with a little trip to Austin, Texas, for some adventuring. I stayed on top of the weather forecast the entire week before hoping the anticipated rainy weekend would change to sunshine. It didn't. So we planned for inside activities.

Now... we didn't realize until after we planned on going to Austin that SXSW was still taking place. We knew there were going to be a lot more people in town and lots of music. We were hoping to check out a few bands, but didn't (mainly because I knew none of the bands performing!). On Saturday morning, we had brunch at the coolest restaurant, Hillside Farmacy. In the 1950s the building served as a pharmacy and still has all the original pharmacy cabinetry. It was really neat and the food was delicious. I got their Bangers and Eggs and he the Big Brekkie.

After brunch, we headed to SoCo also known as South Congress. This is a fun strip of shopping and restaurants. I had previously been to SoCo a few years back and everything still looked exactly the same!

Shortly after checking out SoCo, we went to the Texas State Capitol. Somehow we managed to hop on a free tour just as soon as we were walking in the front doors. I'm glad we did, otherwise I wouldn't have known what we were looking at. Fun fact: The Texas State Capitol is 1 foot taller than the Capitol in DC. The builders purposely made the statue on top to be the tallest in the U.S.! Everything is bigger in Texas....

This is the view, looking up, from the middle of the TX Capitol.

After seeing what the Capitol had to offer, we drove around the outskirts of town and made a stop at HEB grocery store so that I could stock up on my famous Texas Pecan coffee. While checking out of HEB, I noticed quickly they weren't bagging my very precious coffee. After ringing me up, I asked if I could have them bagged...turns out Austin, Texas, is anti-bags. They're a green city and no where will you find plastic bags for the taking. You have to bring your own re-usable ones to the store! I told them us Dallas people must be bad. So I walked out with an arm full of coffee.

We then traveled to one of the famous Austin Overlooks. I'm not exactly sure what the name of it is...it may not even have a name. I'm actually trying to remember how we even pulled this place up on Google maps! It was okay. I'm sure when there isn't rain and fog, it has way better visibility. It was short hike to reach the top. Let's just say hiking in grip-less booties and mud is not fun.

It was getting close to eating time so we breaked at Hula Hut. It's a mexican/hawiian type place. Is that a strange combo? Kind of sounds like it now that I think about it, but the food was delish! After lunch, we headed back downtown to have afternoon coffee at Halycon. I'm so glad we did this because it was located in the heart of SXSW. There were hipster peeps everywhere and we were able to listen to some bands from afar.

After caffeine and rest, we freshened up and went back to SoCo for dinner at Perla's. SoCo was very much alive on Saturday night! Luckily, we were smart enough to make reservations and were seated just as soon as we arrived. Perla's is known for their fresh seafood. Cue blog title post now: raw-stin. Stephen insisted on getting raw oysters. I had never had them before and he really likes them! So I was really brave and tried them. OMG. I like all food. I do NOT like raw oysters. Horribly fishy!! Have you seen the movie Unbroken? Do you remember the scene when they were stuck in the tiny boat out at sea and ate a raw fish? That is what it's like to eat a raw oyster.

Now, Perla's was still amazing even if I don't like oysters. I had the Red Fish and Stephen the Tuna. We got the sharing size of the dirty rice. Superb. The Cab wasn't too bad either. I would definitely recommend this place! On our walk back to the car, I had Stephen snap a photo of me in front of the famous "I love you so much," sign. I can now mark that off my bucket list (kidding).

We had a wonderful time despite the rain and amount of people. Thank you, Stephen, for loving me so well! 

P.S. Here's to celebrating my 100th blog post!!! Crazy to think I've had this little website running for almost 2 1/2 years!

*The title of this post is brought to you by Stephen*

girls downtown.

Over Spring Break, my mom AND sister were able to come visit! We had a girls weekend for the first time in a long time.

On Saturday, we got up, had coffee together and then went to get pedicures. After pedis, we got ready and headed for a day in downtown McKinney! I hadn't even considered that it was St. Patrick's Day Weekend. That being said, there were a lot of fun festivities going on.

We antiqued shopped and my sister racked up on some cute clothes! We had lunch at the famous, Spoons, and indulged in their "special dessert" -- a chocoloate covered waffle. Mmmm sooo good.

It was also opening weekend of the new movie, Cinderella. I pre-purchased our tickets for the 7 o'clock show. I made everyone be ready by 6! I just knew we wouldn't be able to get a seat. Haha. Let's just say not every other young adult was as excited about Cinderella as I. We had plenty of seats to choose from. Omgsh, Cinderalla was AMAZING! Such a good, wholesome movie. My mom and sis loved it too!

We crashed pretty early Saturday night. Probably due to the amount of sugar we consumed at the movies.

On Sunday, we made it to the early service at church and had brunch at Company Cafe. I love this restuarant because there are so many healthy choices to choose from. I got the Deep Bowl which is a combo of beef, sweet potato hash, salsa, and avocado. :)

Later Sunday afternoon, we took the three "kids" to play in the park. I was in charge of walking Skylar. Skylar actually just celebrated her second birthday, but you would think it was her 22nd. She is so SLOW, but I love her to pieces!

We had a fun weekend...that actually almost ended in me buying a puppy! But...Stephen didn't support the idea entirely. Haha. I'm definitely glad he helped me not make an impulsive decision.

So glad my mom and seester were able to come down for a good visit - love you both!

march highlights.

HELLO, SPRING!

 

Here are a few highlights from the third month of 2015:

• It snowed a lot one day earlier this month. And by a lot I mean like 5 inches! It was absolutely insane and absolutely beautiful (mainly because I had off work).
• My school nurse and bible study leader, Darlene, got married!!! At the ripe age of 72! Her new husband, Tom is 77!! Their story is the coolest ever and God is so so good (they were both widowed). We had a wedding shower for her at work!
• Over Spring Break, Lauren taught me how to finally curl my hair. 25 going on 13.
• I celebrated my 25th birthday! It was such a fun day. The two students pictured above brought me gifts, Eleni and Stephen sent me flowers to work, I got numerous calls and texts, Stephen got me new Sperrys for our upcoming sailing adventures, we had dinner with the Chabots, and I ate half of the red velvet cake Stephen got me. Thank you to all who poured out love to me on my special day!
• Stephen and I celebrated Chelsea and David at their couples shower last weekend! It was lots of fun and we got to visit with so many old friends and mentors. Looking forward to the future Rudd's Big Day!

Not pictured:

• My friend, Courtney, had her second baby girl, Cora. Oh my - she is a gorgeous baby!

I am really behind on blogging about all the excitement that happened over Spring Break and a day-date to Austin!! My goal is to get those two posts up in the next week!

 

Happy April Fool's Day tomorrow:)

february highlights.

Well February brought warm, sunny picnic days and iced-in, snowy no school days! I got the best of both worlds. Definitely ready for green grass and flowers to make their Spring debut.

Here are a few highlights from the second month of the year:

• I started a new Bible study called "The Five Aspects of Womanhood." My school nurse, Darlene, is leading it. There's a mix of young and old ladies. Single, married, dating and divorced. Women from the U.S., Great Britain and South Africa. I cannot say how thrilled I am about this in-depth, transparent and life-changing study!
• Stephen and I went to a Progressive Two Step dancing class! I must say the only way I got him to go was by not telling him. At first, he wasn't too excited, but he got over it. We went with one of my co-workers, Jennifer and her better half. Stephen and I are definitely terrible dancers, but it was fun.
• I got to have lunch with Stephen at his job! It's always really nice to not be around 14 year olds at lunch time. 
• Hannah came in for a quick trip! We literally talked the whole time, went to our usual Greek restaurant and she took care of me. I got some weird 24 hour virus :( 
• I GOT MY BRACES OFF!!!!!!!!!!!! PTL for basically being 25 and finally having teeth again! Also, my orthodontist is better than yours. Why? They give their adult patients a bottle of wine when they get their braces off. Hello, free bottle of Merlot. (Yeah...I took an at-work selfie)
• Stephen and I were supposed to go to a Stars hockey game last night, but due to the 4-5 inches of snow/ice we received yesterday there was no way we could safely make it south. Bummer. Notice how deep those footprints are in the snow!

my valentine.

Stephen and I originally thought we would be in separate places for Valentine's Day so we celebrated early and then we ended up being together so we celebrated again!

The week before last week, I decided to send Stephen a formal dinner invitation for February 7th at 7 o'clock in the evening. He said yes!

I really tried to do it up right. I set the table (correctly), bought candle sticks, bought a jukebox so we could have some jams (The Red Hot Chili Peppers greatest hits CD) haha. I'm laughing thinking about how silly I am.

I bought all the ingredients, including the fillet mignon, from Sprouts. I watched numerous YouTube videos on how to properly cook a restaurant style steak. This is the recipe I followed for the process. I seasoned mine with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper on both sides. That's it and they were amazing! Like A-Mazing.

For the mashed potatoes, I followed my mom's famous recipe! It is as follows (for a small serving):

Ingredients:

• 4 red potatoes
• 1 can pet milk (found in baking section)
• 1-2 TB butter
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and boil with water.
2. Boil until you can stick a fork in them and they are really soft.
3. Once potatoes are really soft, drain water and mix with hand mixer.
4. Add butter, salt, pepper, and HALF a can of pet milk.
5. Taste. If more salt or pet milk is needed, then add it.

I made sweet potato mash for myself. Basically, it is the same recipe as above except I omitted the pet milk!

For my asparagus, I followed this one.

It ended up tasting and turning out beautifully, but only because I spent an honest amount of time prepping and planning for it. I mean I was adding the steaks to our plates as Stephen was ringing the doorbell. Perfect timing! His job was to bring the Merlot and he did a great job!

I'd say I met my 2014 New Year's Resolution "cook more."

I'll be honest and say I did not bake a dessert. I picked up an individual slice of cheesecake from Tom Thumb and it did not disappoint.

Set Timer Photography!

We spent the evening sipping wine, visiting, and enjoying my $30 jukebox! I'm still daydreaming about how perfect it was. :)

As mentioned above, we celebrated twice.

On actual Valentine's Day, Stephen surprised me with roses, wine and a sweet card:) and had the idea of having a picnic. Uh, yes please! We went to Eatzis (aka Heaven on Earth) and picked up our lunch. I got a salad and he mashed potatoes and chicken. Stephen insisted on getting a dessert.

Side note: I can have self control and not get dessert. Stephen doesn't have self control and always gets dessert. Now on the flip side, he can take TWO BITES and be done. I take ONE BITE and can't stop. I hate it! So yeah he took 2 bites. I took 12.

We went to Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up a fancy picnic blanket and then headed to Arbor Hills. Y'all, it was sunny and 75. The perfect day for a picnic. We also brought a little Boss music player and listened to George while we ate.

It was seriously one of my favorite days since I moved to Plano and I got to spend it with my favorite person.

I'm excited to spend many more Valentine's with my one and only Valentine.

21 dsd and why.

Last summer I heard about the 21 Day Sugar Detox by Diane Sanfilippo. I read many blog posts about it and decided to order the book. I tried it in August and failed because I didn't prepare and plan enough. After this past holiday season, I decided to give it another chance and kick sugar to the curb and...

Here's the real reason I was determined to stick with this program the second time around: PCOS.

This may be a little bit of TMI, but I want other women out there to know there's more than taking another drug to "cure" your illnesses. I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) in early of March 2014 after years of having irregular or no periods at all. This was a huge relief to finally know the cause of my cycle irregularity, but also disheartening when I was told the only "cure" was birth control and, in the future, when I wanted to get pregnant I'd have to rely on "fertility drugs."

After 10 years of dealing with an irregular period, I had tried one birth control pill after another. None of them ever made my body feel good. I always suffered from depression and emotional roller coasters...so I was not about to get on the birth control bandwagon again. Instead, I started doing my own research.

I learned most women with PCOS are overweight. If they follow a diet of high healthy fat, no grains and low sugar, then usually their cycles will regulate. I'm not overweight, but I decided to experiment and follow this eating plan. At this point, I was willing to give up my chocolate chip cookies and froyo. In August, I buckled down by increasing by healthy fat and cutting out sugar. Guys plug your ears. I ended up having a period in August. In September. In October. In November - while training for a half marathon!. In December. And in January. I have never in my life been that regular! And guess what, y'all? I didn't take one stinkin' prescription drug to make it happen. I did it 100% naturally. Praise God for making our bodies so perfectly!!!

Now, you may be wondering why I found it necessary to complete the 21 DSD if what I was eating was already helping me cycle regularly.

Here's why.

I didn't really follow any specific plan or recipes in the fall. I didn't have any accountability and I "cheated" a lot. I wanted to experiment with cutting out sugar for 21 days (and grains and dairy) following an exact meal plan so that I had legitimate proof eating like this works and could give other women with PCOS something to go by!

This is what I learned through completing Diane's 21 Day Sugar Detox.

1. Fat does not make you fat.

2. Cutting out sugar takes away the cravings (seriously!).

3. You have way more energy.

4. And sleep like a baby.

5. Your hormones are in check AND working properly! (PS Menstrual cramps are way less intense!)

Ladies, if you can commit to fueling your body with the real food we were created to consume, then health problems have the potential to be healed. (No I'm not a doctor, but I have experienced this first hand) Filling a car that runs on gasoline with diesel isn't going to turn out well. Neither will fueling your body with Cheetos and Oreos. Make wise food choices. Just do it! Cutting out sugar for 21 days was so good for me I'm doing another round! My girl, Hannah, is joining me again too :)

Here are some recipes I experimented with and loved:

• Primal Jambalaya
• Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa
• Chocolate Almond Butter Banana Smoothie
• Banana Bread (omitted coconut sugar & used green tipped banana for 21 dsd)
• Carrot Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• Mexican Tortilla Less Soup
• Meatloaf
• Chicken Soup
• Apple Streusel Egg Muffins
• Pad Thai with Chicken

Here are some blogs where I found some awesome recipes:

• Primal Palate
• Nummy for my Tummy
• Against All Grain

Disclaimer: I'm not saying birth control is all evil and no one should ever use it. I'm saying it didn't work for me and there are other options out there. 

january highlights.

This month has been incredibly relaxing. After the most crazy-insane holiday season I've ever experienced, I was ready for some down time. That being said, not a whole lot happened in the first month of 2015!

Stephen and I did have a fun day-date and we did have a Texas de Brazil one year anniversary, but other than that we didn't really do a whole lot.

We've been visiting a new church and both really like it! This past Sunday, the mini-sermon was all about what missions are, how we are supposed to be missional and what opportunities are available to get involved in the community. Stephen and I signed up to volunteer at a few of the non-profits that are affiliated with this church. I'm really excited to see where God leads us to serve and work for His Kingdom.

I really didn't have specific New Year's goals this year, but I do want to grow spiritually, emotionally and physically stronger in 2015. I believe having the opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit is definitely going to be a gateway for that. I'm also starting a new Bible study today! It's called the "Five Aspects." It teaches all about womanhood and femininity. I'm so excited to see what I learn through it. I also have felt convicited about the amount of time I spend on social media. So I have currently given up Facebook and Instagram until Easter. I don't think social media is bad by any means, but it was time for me to take a social media fast.

I'm so thankful for another new year! Four more new seasons to live, to experience, to play, to work, to learn, to teach, to grow, to seek, and to find.

hillsboro & homestead.

This past Saturday Stephen & I had a little date-day. We went to Homestead Heritage & Hillsboro to visit my great Uncle Jeff!

First we went to the Homestead to eat lunch! I literally looked forward to this meal all week long. I've mentioned the Homestead once before, but it has been far too long. We planned to get there after the lunch crowd...but we arrived to find out there was an hour and half wait. And Stephen's stomach was already growling. We (I) decided we had driven all the way there -- of course we were going to wait! So we walked around and went to the new Market. We learned there they now had BBQ to offer! And there was no wait...so we ate BBQ sandwiches in the sunshine and neither of us complained. It. Was. Fantastic.

Then I got their famous cookies and cream ice cream. I promise, y'all, it's better than Bluebell. I know this for a fact because the night before I ate a pint of Bluebell's cookies and cream. No comparison. Homestead > Bluebell.

If you ever go to central Texas, you must make time to stop and eat and enjoy an afternoon at Homestead Heritage! There just isn't anything like it.

This was Stephen and I's second time to visit together. The first time was four years ago while I was at Baylor....

That day we never would've thought we'd be dating! 

After lunch at H.H., we headed 20 miles north to Hillsboro to visit one of my favorite people. My Uncle Jeff is a Pawpaw more than anything. He lives way out in the country and the drive to his house is so pretty. Tons of farmland and hills. When you pull up to his house you have to watch out for all of his pet....chickens! They have free roam over the yard. I'm just happy he got rid of the roosters!

I brought him some famous West Kolaches and we munched on those. Then Stephen and I went for a walk on his land.

Stephen: I look majestic. 

It was so great to visit with Uncle Jeff. I just wish I could make it down more often to keep him company.

And a quote from him, "Stephen, now she's a diamond in the ruff. You gotta polish her up. Make sure she can cook before you decide to keep her forever."

Thanks, Uncle Jeff....

And a quote from Stephen on the way home, "Man, he really cares about his food."

Clearly! Still love that man though :)

It was a beautifully, peaceful day & I'm so thankful for the time I got to spend with those two men.