{2016 Christmas Recap}

I know I am so behind on posting this, but better late than never right? We've had such a good {but busy} last few weeks and I am still playing catch-up. Nathan's company closes down for 2 weeks every Christmas so we had lots of family time. I love it something fierce. I didn't even attempt to try to keep up with blogging during that time. It's overwhelming, but I am glad I devoted that time to my sweet family. Those are moments we'll never get back.

Anyhow, back to Christmas. I'm going to be real honest for a moment. It flew by too fast and I feel like I missed out on just enjoying that Christmas feeling. We literally had something going on every night from November 29th on. We watched the whole 2nd season of Fuller House on Christmas Eve Eve and it felt like the first time I was really able to just sit and enjoy the glow of the Christmas tree. I think this year flew by faster than normal because we added a couple more elements to our already busy season. We are more involved in our church this year and we also had Cub Scout events throughout the month. But, despite it zooming by too quickly we really did have an amazing Christmas season.

{Hall Around Texas // 2016 in pictures}

For a while I posted a monthly collage of pictures on Instagram. The collage featured things we had done that month. Somewhere along the way I stopped posting them on Instagram, but I didn't stop making the collages. I wanted to share them here. This is a look at our 2016...in pictures!

{Final Fall Bucketlist}

I got so behind on posting about our fall bucketlist! We did so many things and crossed so much off our list, but I couldn't find time to blog about it. Today will be a final update since I'm already knee-deep in everything Christmas!!

{Currently // September 2016}

LOVING

Grape Limeades from Sonic!! Oh my word they are so good and refreshing. And a Sonic just opened close to my house! Wahoo. That fall is right around the corner. It's my most favorite time of year. Nate got my fall box of goodies down from the attic and I can't wait to put little fall touches around my house. I already have my pallet pumpkins on the porch. And is it just me, or is Pinterest so much more fun during this time of year? Also loving my boys and our church. Life is good!

NOT LOVING

The headaches I've been getting almost every day for the last 3-4 weeks. They are sinus induced and so miserable. I'm over it. And also that school is back in session. womp.womp. Yes, over three weeks in and I am still bitter. I have a really hard time sharing my sweet boy. Especially to school.

READING

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. Friends, I just started this one but I think it is going to be life changing. One of my favorite quotes so far is..

Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth.

Have you read this one? Thoughts?

LISTENING TO

94.9 KLTY (Local Christian station) and my Worship Playlist on Spotify!

WATCHING

Gilmore Girls, Bachelor in Paradise {I have a couple of episodes to go} and I want to start Stranger Things soon. I tried it the other day but thought it was too much for Mason. So, I planned on watching it while he was at school. But now I hear how creepy it is and I don't know if I want to watch it by myself. Have you watched it? Thoughts?

MISSING

My sweet boy when he is at school! And his sweet daddy while he's at work.

NEEDING

For these allergies and headaches to take a hike. 

LOOKING FORWARD TO

Two trips we have planned. One in October and one in December. They are two of my favorite places to go with Mason!! I will share more on this later. And fall. I have fall on the brain something fierce since school forced me out of the summer mindset. I am also looking forward to Boo'ing Mason's cousins next month!! We've already started their Halloween bucket.

EXCITED ABOUT

Fall. Pumpkin everything. Cooler weather. College football. Festivals and Carnivals. Sweaters and boots. Soups and crockpot meals. Camping trips. The pumpkin patch. Halloween. etc.

And that's all that we have going on. What's currently going on in your world?

{Picture Perfect Project // April & May}

Happy Friday Eve! Today I am joining in with some of my favorite ladies; Beth, Whitney, Stephanie, Liz, Desiree and Courtney for the Picture Perfect Project. Much to my surprise, this is the first time I have actually joined in. Not because I haven't wanted to, but because I can never get my act together in time. I am obsessed with taking pictures {as Mason told yesterday in this post} and then get overwhelmed with organizing them and editing them.

Anyhow, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to pick up my big-girl camera for picture taking rather than just grabbing my phone. For so long, actually longer than I care to admit, I have gotten too comfortable with just using my iPhone for taking pictures. {Nothing wrong with phone pictures at all, but if I have a DSLR I should be using it} Back in March I put a stop to that. Not only am I using my DSLR, I am shooting in full manual mode. For some reason manual does not come easy to me or without frustration {more so for my subject}. But, I have been trying. Any tips? Or helpful pins on Pinterest? I'd gladly take all the help I can get. I shoot with a Nikon D90 and a 50mm 1.8 lens.

Picking up the DSLR came at a perfect time. We had so much going on in our lives with soccer, spring bucket list things, camping, parties, amazing Texas spring sunsets and sunrises, dandelions, bluebonnets, etc. Many of those I have already shared on the blog. But some of my favorites are just here at the house with Mason eating ice cream on the porch, or blowing bubbles or whatever. Just being together and being outside is kinda our thing.

    

{Spring 2016 bucketlist // Update #3 // Spring Crafts}

We are movin' and groovin' on our Spring 2016 bucketlist. We have a few spring crafts under our belt and had so much fun doing them. Back when Mason was sick with strep we had a lot of down-time and knocked out some fun crafts and activities. One of the things we did was paint his pet rock that he got in his Easter basket! He was so meticulous with his painting. I loved watching him. Funny story, though...he got some paint on the bottom of his rock and it stuck to the porch. It was about a week before we finally got it off. Who knew that some cheap little paint could hold something that strong. ha.

               

After our Kindergarten Zoo Trip Mason and I had some time to spend together so we decided to do a spring craft. We swung by Target on our way home to see what they had in their dollar spot. We were really lucky and found a birdhouse kit! We grabbed that and some other fun things and headed home. I brought out our Bluetooth speaker and we put on some praise and worship music and just had the greatest time. It was such a special afternoon with my sweet boy. We normally have a friend over after school every day and it had been a while since Mason and I had some one on one time. It was amazing!! Mason wanted to paint his birdhouse just like the one on the picture, so he got busy doing just that. But then he ran out of one of the paint colors and that's when he decided to make it his own.

            

Mason and I can't wait for Summer to have more one on one time and to be able to crank out some more crafts {and quality time}!!

What have you checked off your spring list recently?