beauty swap

December 2013- Sometime in November I noticed an announcement from a blogger that I follow to sign up for a beauty swap.  The blogger is Crystal Cattle - www.crystalcattle.blogspot.com.  She shares stories from her life as a farm girl and wife, AGvocate and lover of all things turquoise.  {She'll be coordinating more beauty swaps so if you want to give it a try be sure to follow her blog or Instagram - crystalcattle - for the notice of when and how to sign up.}

I'm not a beauty expert but the idea of sending and receiving fun products in the mail was exciting to me...a modern and fun pen pal type of scenario.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good nail polish and lip gloss and I secretly LOVE having my hair and makeup done but the idea of connecting with others in the blogging world with similar interests was most appealing to me.  {Let's face it, my blog is seriously lacking in updates and this was one way I hoped would kickstart me into more regular updates.}  I'm not sure how the pairings were done but I was matched up with Melanie Acklin in Iowa and it was perfect.  We have quite a bit in common and perhaps at a future meeting/tradeshow/ag gathering we'll cross paths.  Check out her blog at www.thetravelingcowgirl.blogspot.com or travelingcowgirl on Instagram.  She has a few recipes that I need to find time to try, and her pictures of snowy days make me appreciate the generally mild and only temporarily frigid winter climate in the Texas Hill Country.  

Back to the beauty swap.  We exchanged several e-mails and from those digital conversations I picked out a few things that I thought Melanie might like along with a few of my favorites that I thought she'd like to try.  She did the same and here's what I got:

Here's a rundown of some of the contents:

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo- It's no secret that wrangling my boys and trying to get a multitude of work done around the house (and for clients) means I sometimes miss a much needed shampoo.  Problem solved.  This stuff is great!  

Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm- I'm liking this as a base coat under my powder foundation but come spring and summer I suspect this may be my go to hurry-up-and-get-out-the-door makeup.

Ulta Mango Butter Lipstick- I don't know if the shade has a name but it is number 218: a beautiful maroon color.  Not something I would have picked for myself because I usually stick to the neutral shades, but I like the boldness of it and so far it has really made people notice that I "did something different," {although you probably won't find me wearing it in carline at school.}  What a great pick for this Aggie from my Mizzou beauty swap partner.

Ulta Baked Eye Shadow- This product fits in great with my rushed morning routine.  The shades are quickly becoming my new favorite neutrals- a pale pink and charcoal gray; Ulta has named them 'Taken'.  Melanie claims this travels well so I'm looking forward to packing it in my carry on {if only I had somewhere to go...}

Whipped Coconut Butter {in a grapefruit scent that I LOVE} and Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub- Melanie made both of these herself!  Glad I don't have any other girls in this house to share!

There were so many other products in my package {lip gloss, mascara, cleanser, etc.} and I love them all.  So THANK YOU, Melanie, for being such a great beauty swap partner and new ag and blogging friend.  And THANK YOU to Crystal Cattle and Jenny Dewey for coordinating the swap.  

merry christmas from the {worrell} family

December 2013- Here it is.  The annual Worrell family Christmas card.

And yes, it happens to be non-traditional.  I just wanted to do something a little different this year.  My very dear friend took the pictures for us back at the beginning of November and while I didn't know exactly what the card design would be, I had a rustic vision in mind.  I've really been into the whole Native American semi-tribal theme lately so I was leaning a bit toward that concept.  And since Brazos' favorite color happens to be turquoise, finding him something to wear that also went with everyone else's attire was a bit challenging.  But I loved the way it turned out.  These pictures are so incredibly amazing and after playing with the design of the card for several days I finally got it to a point that made me swoon.  I love it and hope everyone that received it did too.

Now for the letter.  As you can imagine it is something that takes a great deal of thought to draft.  Casey and I usually have creative differences in the writing process but end up with something that we don't mind sharing.

Here is the 2013 version that went out en masse with the cards {which I believe in some way helped our local post office meet their quota for the month}:

Worrell Wanderings

2013

“Out of the Indian approach to life there came a great freedom- an intense and absorbing love for nature; a respect for life; enriching faith in a Supreme Power; and principles of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guide to mundane relations.”  It is this Native American teaching that resonates most as Casey spent much of the summer teaching the River Boys about the outdoors, specifically Native American history in the Texas Hill Country.  After discovering an old Indian camp site on our property, the trio spent as many days as possible digging for arrowheads and artifacts, discovering some that date back 5,000 years.  The boys say it is better than finding gold.  The only problem is Casey has convinced them we have a cave blockaded by hundreds of years of debris from a changing landscape.  Erin is begging them not to begin exploration with dynamite, but she may not be able to prevent them from renting an excavator the next time she is away.  Nothing would make Brazos happier than heavy equipment in the yard, Pecos could serve as safety supervisor and Casey would find out once and for all if of our house sits atop thousands of years of artifacts.

Pecos had a great time this year playing t-ball and flag football; he may be built for basketball but refuses to give it a try.  He says that’s too much running and fighting for the ball and prefers things a bit more structured.  He is taking a break from roping and riding for a different type of cowboy- the Dallas Cowboys.  In fact, he enjoys all football and thanks to the DVR most plays of any game watched on our TV are paused and backed up for further review. For the annual Thanksgiving football game with his Uncle Duke he took time to write up his own playbook.  A trip to the National Museum of the Pacific War in our own backyard of Fredericksburg, TX has him analyzing World War II military strategy in the Pacific War when there’s no football game to watch.  He is in first grade and doing well with the challenges of reading and grammar, yet wants to be a scientist.  His grades reflect his studious nature but when he brought home a ‘B’ on a recent worksheet he wanted to know if he would still be able to get into Texas A&M one day.  Spelling so far has been a breeze and he often speaks to us with a pause to spell out words.  Lego creations still occupy much of his free time- and most available storage space in his room- but he is finding it harder to convince his brother to play something else.

Brazos is still relentless in his pursuit to be the funny, busy, loud one.  All he needs is a hint that something he does makes you laugh and he will repeat it a hundred times.  He has one speed and one volume level: fast and loud.  Despite his daredevil tendencies we’ve survived one more year without a trip to the emergency room.  He still loves tractors and construction equipment so we’re thinking a dump truck when he’s old enough to drive might be the safest thing for him.  This year Erin decided it was time to get few laying hens and Brazos has been her top hand.  Those poor chickens are caught daily and treated to tractor rides, the swing set and an occasional jump on the trampoline.  So far we have not seen a decline in egg production.  His favorite color is turquoise {perhaps a product of spending most of his days with mom}, and says he wants to be a chicken rancher when he grows up- a dump truck driving chicken rancher. He attends pre-school a few days a week in Harper but says he doesn’t like it because they use too many words {translation: they teach instead of just letting him play in the sandbox all day}. 

Even with the charge of keeping pace with family activities, Erin maintains her role as an associate with Demeter Communications, along with an assortment of project management, writing, and quite the array of other tasks in her freelance work.  She’s even managed to find time to substitute at the school in Harper, which Pecos thinks is pretty neat…he may change his mind when he gets to junior high. Her annual escape with college girlfriends this year was a big one- an expedition to Iceland!  Yes, Iceland, as in near the Arctic Circle.  As cliché as it sounds, it truly was the trip of a lifetime.  After three days of hiking glaciers, getting sprayed by breathtaking waterfalls, tromping through ancient Viking ceremonial sites, standing in the shadow of volcanoes, traversing the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and soaking in healing geo-thermal waters, her official statement is: Iceland is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  She loves learning more about photography, although time for it is at a premium.  If you’ve checked her blog lately - www.theworrellfamily.blogspot.com - you’ll notice it is embarrassingly outdated.  Anyone want to borrow the River Boys for a month or two so she can get caught up?

Casey continues to be blessed with his ultrasound business, traveling about eight months out of the year.  Pecos has informed him by the mileage between the odometers of his two trucks he has driven the equivalent to the moon and back…and then some.  His loyal customers now stretch across the country, and have become like extended family to him. He continues to cram as much as he can into a day’s work, spending almost as many hours driving as he does at the squeeze chute.  If you are one of his customers that gets scheduled on the coldest day of the year, or late at night, or turned down for your lunch offer please understand that it is only so he can get as much done as possible in a day and make it home as soon as he can.  The boys and Erin truly appreciate those of you who put up with the inconvenience.  {Here’s a hint: if you’d like him to stick around longer you’ll need an arrowhead mound and the promise to let him keep whatever he finds.}  Nonetheless, Casey truly enjoys his work but it is the adventure he likes most.  He recently told Erin he is planning an international trip that includes time on a boat. Come to find out it is not a European cruise; rather, the Texas-Mexico border crossing in Big Bend National Park has opened after being closed for the past seven years.  There is no bridge to cross so the boat ride he mentioned is nothing more than a paddle across the river in a jon boat followed up with a ride to town on a donkey provided by some enterprising residents of Boquillas. 

As we reflect back on a year of celebrated friendships and remember the loved ones we’ve lost, we thank God for our many blessings and rejoice as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  In the words of Chief Red Cloud, “I hope the Great Heavenly Father, who will look down upon us, will give all the tribes his blessing, that we may go forth in peace, and live in peace all our days, and that he will look down upon our children and finally lift us far above this earth.”

Blessings and Beef,

The Worrell Family

Casey ~ Erin ~ The River Boys

Soldier Boys

October 31, 2013- The River Boys decided on military costumes for Halloween.  Actually, it's what Pecos decided he wanted to be, largely due to his recent interest in World War II, specifically the Pacific portion of it.  There was also a boy from our church and school, Jacob Krebs, who had a large impact on Pecos.  So Pecos wanted his soldier costume to be a Navy Seal- the same that Jacob liked and was training for.  

After a recent visit to the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg along with a viewing of their live combat re-enactment, Brazos was on board with the costume selection.  That kid loves a little military combat.  He specifically asked for a machine gun.  

And shot at things in this position whenever possible.  

He also did some marching and yelled "Fall Out, Boys!" for most of the evening.

Pecos fired back.

Then it was on to the community fall festival.  Brazos loved this game- a hammer and a bell- what's not to love.

The dunk tank was Pecos' favorite.  The poor kid on the dunk seat got wet more than a few times thanks to Pecos.

We finished up with a hay ride.

Then we moved on to a little trick or treating.  This is how we do it in Harper- load up our ATV and head down Charolet street to hit up our friends and teachers for the good candy!

Hope your Halloween was a good one.

lucky number 7

August 18, 2013- This guy is 7 years old.  

Yep, hard to believe.

He celebrated with a shark themed pool party on a marathon birthday weekend.

We feel pretty darn lucky to call him ours and can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

sweet 16

August 2013- Only 16 more days until school starts and this momma couldn't be more ready for the day to arrive because I really need some time to get things done around here.  There are closets to clean, toy boxes to purge, floors to mop, a slew of overdue blog updates, a mountain of receipts and papers to file, an office to organize and soooooooo many more things.  Besides that there's plenty of personal 'me time' things like that stack of photography books and tutorials I've yet to even touch, not to mention my summer reading list that I did not read.  Like everyone else, I never have enough time to get it all done, but when the boys are back in school {I'm hoping} at least I'll have a few days a week to make a better attempt to cross things off the to do list or maybe even find out who I am again.  Mary Poppins failed to show up here saying "Hey Mom, I know what you really need is some time without the kids to get stuff done, why don't you let me take them for the day (or week!)" Therefore, their return to school is the light at the end of the summer tunnel.

Don't get me wrong, this summer has been fun; full of play days, travel, activities, art projects and much, much more.  My Instagram profile is solid proof.  But I can see the boys are getting less and less stimulated with my attempts for educational opportunities.  They need school as much as I need time here at home.  We have two weeks left which will bring friends, family, the fair and a birthday celebration so I'm certain time shall pass quickly.  And I know there will be a point in my life when I look back and wish I could have more time with them, but for now they are home {or in the car} with me every day and that's just not ideal for getting many things done...or having a chance to just be me for a moment.  Yes, I have plenty of help from Casey when he's home, but let's be clear, there's no perfect situation, and the one I'm in is a bit off balance.  Sure I get the benefit of spending every day and night with them building a bond and a childhood full of experiences that I pray is enough.  I am fully aware that I am in a position many can only dream of.  And I'm very thankful for this blessing.  But everyone needs a break- from work, travel, play, kids- whatever it is, everyone needs a break from time to time.  It's true that you can have too much of a good thing.  So with that, I am ready to say goodbye to summer 2013 and a few of those tears you see on my face when I drop them off the first day of school will be tears of joy.

who goes to Iceland?!?!

April 2013- Who goes to Iceland?!  That was the exact question I posed to my college girlfriends when the prospect of doing just that was first mentioned.  I consider myself semi-informed and knowledgeable when it comes to traveling but I didn't even know that you could travel to Iceland or would travel to Iceland considering the possibility of turning into a popsicle.  In my mind it belonged in the same category as traveling to Antarctica: something that shouldn't be done.  I'm a beach kinda girl.  Park me on a lounge chair in front of the waves with a cold drink and a good book and I'm good to go.

But look, here I am in Iceland.  That's a volcano behind me.  It is not covered by snow.  That would be a glacier.

Here I am again with a glacier behind me.  We hiked {a very small portion of} that glacier with the best guide in all of Iceland.  

Yes, I'm referencing Iceland which is located {almost} at the top of the globe.  I was shocked to learn it was not in the Arctic Circle because in my mind there couldn't be anything colder.

But since several people have asked me how and why I went to Iceland I thought I'd share a little of that story here.  Once a year for the past few years I've selfishly indulged in a yearly girls trip with some of my college girlfriends.  However, we don't normally trek across the globe.  Our routine is usually to pick a weekend that we can manage to all get together somewhere that is relatively easy to book a flight, stay 2 or 3 nights and have as much fun together as we can.  During last year's trip to Portland, Oregon, Laree asked if we would ever want to go to Iceland.  She knows someone that traveled all over the world and said it was his favorite and the first place he'd go again.  Jamie was also well aware of this destination as a travel hot spot based on the endless travel blogs and magazines she reads.  And they've never steered her wrong.  I apparently need to expand my knowledge base beyond what it takes to raise my two young boys because I was clueless as to why anyone would ever go to Iceland.  But here's the deal: I'd go anywhere with these girls because as cheesy as it sounds, it really isn't as much about the destination as it is about spending time with them.  And for the record, I was totally wrong about Iceland.  Everyone should go to Iceland. 

Did part of me agree to go with the idea that it would never happen because A- who goes to Iceland? and B- how would we ever manage to afford such a destination?  Yes, I admit that I did.  Keep in mind we normally travel on award miles, share a hotel room and generally keep it low cost so we can do it again the next year.  I never thought a trip to the edge of the Arctic Circle would meet those parameters.  And besides, I'm a stay at home mom with a semi-part time gig as an associate with a communications agency.  Do you really think I would spend a few thousand dollars on a trip to Iceland- or anywhere else for that matter?

As we started to talk about this year's trip, which had a strong possibility of Montana as a destination, the subject of Iceland came up again.  Then Jamie found a travel deal to Iceland from D.C. that included round trip flight, hotel and a tour (i.e. glacier hike) for less than a thousand bucks.  Wouldn't you know the dates offered worked for us and by the end of that week I was booked on a trip to Iceland.  Award miles got me to/from D.C. and voila, that's basically how I ended up in beautiful {and not too cold} Iceland.  

Stay tuned.  There's much more on my Icelandic adventures to come in other posts.  For now, you need to be searching for one of those Icelandair travel packages.  

work of art

June 2013- Pecos loves arts and crafts projects here at home so I was really excited when I found an art camp this summer offered by the Fredericksburg school district.  And by some miracle it actually fit into our jam packed summer schedule!

The teenage helpers used pastels instead of sidewalk chalk to decorate the entrance to the building.  So bright and pretty.  No more sidewalk chalk for us, from now on we're using pastels!

He said this was his favorite project:

This was a canvas painting done with marbles.  He said he painted the background turquoise for me since that's my favorite color.  He sure knows how to make my heart swoon!

And then they peeled off the letters...ta da!

This one is a watercolor, but so vivid.  Wish our Crayola watercolors turned out this way!

 Here's the budding artist with all of his projects he made for the week.  Brazos insisted on being in this picture.  Don't you just love his expression?!

smile

June 2013- Brazos made his first trip to the dentist this week.  

Ready to take x-rays.  This was interesting.  They have a flat screen tv mounted on the ceiling playing Nickelodeon which kept him very entertained.  When they tried to put the x-ray films in and told him to bite down he did...but kept chewing like it was gum.  

Showing off his polished pearly whites and his two stickers.

the baby burgs

June 2013- On my recent trip to NOLA (more on that in another blog post) I finally got to meet my my sister's twins: The Baby Burgs, also known as Maggie & Quinn Schaumburg!  Brazos sometimes calls them Maggie & Ken or Max & Ruby, but whatever, I've called them the Baby Burgs since the minute I found out Emily was having twins.  And I was secretly hoping they'd move out to the suburbs of NOLA so their birth announcement could read "Two New Burgs in the Burb", but I'm kinda dorky like that.

Here's the one I designed for them instead (I didn't take the pics):

I of course took my camera along on my trip and look how much they've changed!

 So much fun spending a couple days with them and can't wait till they come visit me in Texas!

when we grow up...

May 2013-

I saw this cute idea on Pinterest one day and thought it would be a fun way to capture the kindergarten class and display at graduation.  

I had another parent help me one day when the kids were in music class so we could keep it a secret from their teachers.

Each picture may have been a bit boring on its own.

But when I collaged them all together it turned out really neat, if you ask me.

One of the parents of a kid in the class has a frame shop and graciously printed them poster size at cost for us then mounted them to display at graduation.

Overall, I think everyone really enjoyed seeing them.  I also printed a 5x7 for each kid to keep and an 8x12 metal print for the teachers end of the year gift.  

If I can manage to hang on to the posters I'd like to display these again at their high school graduation.  Not sure if I could get them to pose again at that age!

About Pecos' wanting to be a paleontologist...that was news to me since up to this point he's always said he wants to be a cowboy like his dad.  

brazos' 3rd birthday bash {the after party}

May 2013- After the party there's the after party.  As if a construction birthday blowout wasn't enough, Brazos woke up the next morning (on his actual birth day) to a pile of presents...because we really needed more of that.  

For several weeks prior to his birthday he talked about getting a cement mixer truck.  Pecos picked out this one for him and he loves it.

He also loves this book, Good Night, Good Night Construction Sight.  It is very cute and rhymes and he memorized at least the first three pages within a week.  I bet we've read it at least a hundred times.

MiMi made him beignets for his birthday breakfast.  

From there it was a marathon Playdoh session with his new Playdoh construction toys.

 Paw Paw supervised.

He finally took a break (and changed out of his new dump truck pj's) for MiMi to read a new construction book.

The birthday boy chose to eat dinner at Fuddrucker's (perhaps a decision influenced by PawPaw).  While we were there we took a few pictures with the birthday boy.

It's just not a photo session with Brazos unless he sticks out his tongue.  And of course he did.  

For his final birthday request we stopped for ice cream.

With turquoise sprinkles.

Happy Birthday Brazos!