Texas State Fair

I'm a Texan now. And as a Texan it is my duty to attend the great Texas State Fair and eat all of the fried foods I possibly can. So that is exactly what we did on Sunday, October 14th. We have sort of made it a tradition to go with the Mitchell's. This tradition has nothing to do with the free tickets they provide, it is because we love them!;) Chris and Haley really are amazing friends, and we do love them! This year we parked in Grand Prairie and rode in on the TRE. It was great not having to deal with any traffic, and much cheaper than paying for parking! While I was in the shower, hubs ran to Einstein Bros Bagels to get breakfast. Pumpkin bagel with pumpkin spice cream cheese...he is the best!

We were so excited about the fair! And the weather was absolutely perfect that day! This is us riding into Dallas on the TRE.

First things first-- a picture with Big Tex! We are glad we got this picture because he burned down that Friday. Electrical fire--oops!

And this is the ridiculously long line for a Fletcher's corny dog! My favorite food at the fair. We waited and got them later on the day because this line was crazy!

MMMmmm and here it is! Mustard is the ONLY way to eat them. I am not much of a ketchup person.

It looks like Boris has eaten way too much fair food. He is LARGE!

We spend most of the fair walking around looking at exhibits and listening to to live music. Oh, and eating plenty of fried food. Don't judge us but this year between the two of us we ate frito pie, sausage on a stick, fried autumn pumpkin pie, two lemonade shake ups, and two corny dogs. Yum. And yuck, all at the same time! We usually ride the Texas Star but we had a train home to catch. We will see you next year, great State Fair of Texas!

Jude Walter Spahr

Tuesday, October 2nd was a crazy and amazing day. I found out while I was at lunch that one of my very best friends, Lisa, was being tested for pre-eclampsia. Less than an hour later her husband, Ben, texted me to let me know that they were going in for an emergency C-Section and their baby boy would be there within an few hours. My emotions were ALL over the place that day. I teared up I don't know how many times and just prayed and prayed for peace and safety for all three of them. It was really difficult for me to be 1,000 miles and not be able to be there physically to support them.

Precious Jude Walter Spahr was born at 4:01 on October 2nd, 2012 weighing 6lbs 3oz. His due date was October 29th so he was 36 weeks along, but after delivering they decided he was actually only 34 weeks. Y'all that is a big baby for only 34 weeks! If carried to full term he could have been 10 or 11 lbs. He is the most beautiful little baby boy, and I am so in love.

Because he was born so early, Jude's lungs struggled a bit. He has been on and off of a ventilator and has a feeding tube. He was taken to the Nicu while Lisa was take to post op for a few hours. On Thursday he was transferred to Children's Medical Center in Dayton where he is doing fantastic! Lisa was discharged on Friday and is now able to be there with him. Pray for this family as Jude continues to strengthen and grow. Ben did not even get to hold his son for a few days, and I know that was so hard on him! God is gracious and we are so thankful for this new little life!

 

I am so excited to be "Aunt Rachel" to baby Jude. I'm just waiting for the day that I get to go to Ohio and hold him!! How sweet is this new little family? And how AMAZING does Lisa look just days after having a baby?! Not fair ;)

 

 This little life is such a sweet gift and he has been entrusted to the BEST parents who adore him! Please pray for their family and that my little "nephew" Jude would be able to go home soon!

Birthday Boy

It's the start of birthday season around here. Will's birthday is October 8th, and my mom's is exactly a week later on the 15th. Then we have one birthday a month through January. Will had been talking for weeks about wanting an ipad for his birthday, and since the iphone 5 was coming out soon I decided to give it to him early. I'm not a huge fan of crowds and I know that Apple stores are CROWDED when a new iphone comes out! When we went to get his ipad, we ran into DeMarcus Ware, a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. You bet I creeped and took a picture! Ha.

 On Saturday, October 6th, I invited some of Will's friends to a party at Joe T. Garcia's and then back to the apartment for cake. We had 16 people and it was pretty chilly that night because a cold front had come through making it 55 degrees. That would have been perfectly fine if it wasn't an outdoor restaurant! Luckily they have heaters so it turned out great! Sorry this picture is bright and blurry, its the only one I have of us!

 

 We took a panoramic picture while waiting in line and my brother, Kyle, moved during the picture. Look what it did to his head! HA hilarious :) Now I just need to update my iphone so I can take these awesome pictures!

I was lazy this year, and luckily my husband LOVES cookie cakes, so that's what we had!

 I couldn't find my birthday candles so we lit a tea light. Whatever works, right?
 

Monday was Will's actual birthday, so after he went to bed on Sunday night I tried to make it look a bit festive for when he woke up! Monday is probably the worst day to have a birthday, so I hope it made his day a bit brighter.

 

 We have a tradition, passed down from my Aunt and Uncle, to wake up the birthday boy/girl on their birthday by singing happy birthday while bringing them a muffin with a candle for them to blow out. So I secretly bought some chocolate chip muffins and woke him up this way. I can't wait to continue this tradition with our little family! Monday night after work we went to Trail Dust Steak House for his birthday dinner. He got his favorite, chicken fried steak. Can I just say that I didn't know what chicken fried steak was until I met my husband! Then again, I didn't know what an avocado was until I was 20!

I just love my husband and I am so thankful for him! He is so patient with me and loving. He is a gift and I am excited to see what the Lord does in him, and in our relationship this year!

My Favorite Season

First off I want to say WOW! There was definitely a lot of interest in my (amazing) brother. We'll see what God does with that little blog post. I will keep y'all updated if anything comes from it. I had over 2,000 hits on my blog because of that little link-up.

Now onto other topics. It is now officially Fall! Fall is absolutely, by far, my favorite season of the year. However, fall in Texas is not really fall. Boo. I'm used to cool weather, bonfires, leaves changing colors, apple orchards, hayrides, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes. In Texas, fall just means that it might be in the 80s if you are lucky. Oh, and since I live in the city, we don't have any of the above. Except a pumpkin patch or two set up in a church parking lot. Lame. So this year I am determined to make fall special and search out some of these things. It may mean driving an hour into the country, but it is totally worth it!

To get into the fall mood I thought I would list a few of my favorite recent purchases.

Firstly, I decided I needed riding boots. When I decide that I need something (its never usually a NEED, more of a REALLY want) I need it immediately. So a few weekends ago I went boot shopping with a friend. I had two requirements; 1)real leather 2) cute. I ended up with these Enzo Angiolini riding boots, and I'm not sure if I love them. They are a nice, dark brown leather that I like because it is different from my cowboy boots. I also like the rugged look they have.


I have an issue with boots. The issue is my lack of height, ha. Apparently I have short calves and riding boots are made for women who are 5' 7". My friend purchased the ones I was swooning over (they were too tall for me, boo).


I rarely shop at Old Navy. I really like their jewelry (and the price of their jewelry) but I feel like their clothes don't typically fit me right or wear well. But the other night I was in a spending mood and ran in there and found a cute leopard print belt on clearance for, get this, $3.00!! YES! Then I found this shirt and after debating between the two colors, I ended up with the lighter orange. Now I wear it on Solid Orange Fridays (Go Clemson Tigers)!! 

Another fall staple that is new to my wardrobe are these flats. I have never been an animal print girl until this season. I guess you could call me a late bloomer? They were cheap, and comfortable. I don't know how long they will be in style so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on them. 



As for our apartment, I have been burning fall scented Bath and Body Works candles around the clock. Leaves is my current favorite.

 Will's current favorite is Marshmallow Fireside. I also love anything with pumpkin or spices.    

    
 We had a cool streak for about a week when it was 70s to low 80s, but this week we have been back in the high 90s. Boo. But the heat doesn't stop me from drinking these bad boys.

Pretty sure my caloric intake doubles in fall. I also made a new recipe for small group on Sunday night that I found on pinterest. If you need something quick, easy, and super delicious for a fall gathering, this is your recipe. Everyone (especially my husband) raved over it and asked for the recipe. It was sooooo good, and even better warm!
www.prettygoodfood.com 
Go there now for the recipe!

Show us Your Singles

If you're new here from Kelly's Korner, (which roughly 99.9% of you will be) welcome to my little corner of the blog world! And now for the good stuff...

Ladies, it's your lucky day! Today my cousin Katie and I are teaming up to write a post about my older brother, Kyle. I have THE BEST family in the world, we are all extremely close, but Kyle has always been my best friend and partner in crime.

First off, Kyle is a Christian who loves the Lord. He goes to The Village Church in Dallas. He graduated from UT Arlington with a Bachelor's in Business Management and works for a mortgage company. Kyle is probably the most laid back guy you will ever meet. He is super loyal and will go out of his way to do anything for you.  And hey, I might be biased but I think he's pretty darn good looking ;)

Kyle loves sports, especially anything involving The Ohio State University (Michigan fans need not respond, ha). You'll also find him all summer drinking a beer at a Ranger's game and cheering on the Cowboy's in the fall. He loves to play any sport, and loves to workout and eat healthy.

He's also an amazing golfer and wins just about every tournament he enters.

I go to Kyle if I ever have a question on wine or sushi. Let's just say he has a more distinguished palate than I do! This boy is always up for an adventure and loves a good road trip! He is a family man, and by that I mean that he loves his momma! He can totally be a romantic too.

Family Picture (Kyle is far right)

If you're the type of girl who wants to marry a man who will be your best friend and love you unconditionally, then you're in the right place. 

Feel free to comment on this blog and I will pass it along. And like Kelly says, DO NOT get discouraged if things don't work out this time. God has a perfect plan for you, and perfect timing!

Ohio Continued

It's really hard to live 16 hours away from your best friends. It was especially hard when we were all planning weddings, but it is even harder now that we are moving into the baby stage of life! I want to be Auntie Rachel and Uncle Will to my BFF's kids and I want to be able to watch them grow up, not via the computer. That realization was one of the hardest parts of this trip. It was such a relaxing trip. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my closest friends who I miss every day! Sarah and Lisa just know me better than I know myself and I am so thankful for the way they love me unconditionally, even from far away!

The trip consisted of a lot of coffee, a lot of eating out, a lot of laughing, a lot of house hunting, a lot of driving on back country roads, and a lot of family time. Perfection. And the rest of the story will be told in pictures.

Ladies night out!

We love baby Jude and can't wait to meet him!

BFF's since 4th grade. That's like 14 years, folks!

She ratchet. Breakfast at Panera.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about my little nephew?!

A trip down memory lane, Brookville High School :)

Babies need ice cream, so do we.

Hannah and I stopped by Grandma Sute's grave. We miss her, but so thankful she is in heaven where we will see her again!

So sad I didn't buy this statue, it is an exact replica of Rigsby.

Best Friends!

Outside the cheesecake factory.

Awe, what a sweet little family!

The best coffeeeee. I miss Boston Stoker, SO much better than Starbucks.

Loved shopping with the Kinne girls.

A little Twister fun.

Such an amazing trip! Its always good to go back 'home' to Ohio.