My One Word for 2020

I always like to give a lot of thought to my new year ahead...and since this act of choosing One Word to focus on has been working for me, I'm going to continue with it!

My word for 2020 is DEEPER.

Before I moved into my new, remote role at work in July 2019, I had been living with a lot of stress that actually became a bit debilitating for me. Now that I am on the other side of it, I can see just how it affected my life -- as a coping mechanism, I started to distance myself from everything and kept everything on a very surface level. I was moving through life keeping everything at arm's length, just trying to make it through. I felt like I was drowning slowly.

Now that I am in a much healthier place and living with much less stress, I realize this about myself and see how it has affected aspects in my life. And I know I need to be intentional about putting in some good work on going deeper.

I want to go deeper in my relationship with God...I want to go deeper in my marriage by getting more real and transparent...I want to go deeper in my relationship with friends and family...I want to go deeper in my relationship with myself.

I want to transcend past the surface level. It will be uncomfortable for me. I don't do well with that. I need to get past that and do the work.

Here's to 2020 and everything it holds!!

Reflecting on 2019's One Word - TRUST

It's that time of year where I like to do some reflecting on the year that is drawing to a close.

For 2019, I decided to choose one word to focus on, and I feel like that was a big success for me. TRUST was my word. And in a year that was full of quite a bit of big life changes, I couldn't have chosen a better word!

I feel like this word really helped me get out of my own head with all my worries and obsessive asking of "why, how"...being intentional about praying and trusting and knowing that God is in control and everything would work out according to his plan gave me a sense of calm and peace like I have never known.

Don't get me wrong...I did still struggle. But as the year continued, I felt like it was getting easier and easier to trust. 

Our 2019:

: We sold our RV and moved in to our townhouse

: We lived in the townhouse for about 3 months

: We asked to take on different roles within our company so that we could work remote

: Our going remote caused a lot of structure changes within our departments

: We moved to Fredericksburg

For one year, that seems like a lot of change :) Especially for someone who thrives on consistency!!

As we begin 2020, there is still a lot of trusting to be done. I feel God working...it's so neat to see his plan fall in to place. I will continue to work on trust, even as I take on a new word for 2020. More details on that to come soon!

year wrapping up

Hello!

We are back in Fred now, after spending a few days in Abilene. There were a lot of year-end activities at the home office that we took part in, and it was all a lot of fun!

: We worked in the office for four days, which was fun but also draining! So much talking and laughing, which took a lot out of this introvert :) It was nice to see everyone and get to sit with my team to work for a few days.

: Monday evening, we had a dinner at Chris' boss' house -- fajitas for dinner and then an As Seen on TV white elephant gift exchange. It was a lot of fun, and it was good to have some team building with this newly structured team. We came home with a Samari cutter and a cordless light :)

: Tuesday evening, I met my scrapbook friends at Miguels for a lovely dinner together. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and spend a little time together.

: Wednesday evening was our holiday work party! This year, it was held at the office because we had a huge new addition added and this was the big "unveiling" -- it looks so incredible! There is so much space and it's all so beautiful. There is even an outdoor courtyard area which is going to be so cool. There were a lot of fun activities at the party - a scavenger hunt for gift cards, a Christmas tree decorating contest, touring the new facility, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The food stations were all around the building, so that people had to walk around and see everything -- the main food was pot pies and tenderloin; there was a dips and chips station; there were big soft pretzels and beer cheese soup; cookies and cake pops; and cobbler. To wrap up the evening, there was caroling. Overall, it was a very nice time and a great party!

: Thursday was our company-wide meeting held at Beltway...always my favorite day of the year because it is so inspiring. We started off with an hour workout - we were able to choose between three different options, and I chose the Zumba class of course! Felt great and it's fun to workout with everyone! Then we watched a video of one speaker and then we had a live speaker, too - John O'Leary, who was badly burned when he was 9 years old. His talk was so inspiring, we loved him! Our CEO gifted us each with his book, which was signed by John...and then we were able to each meet him and get a hug, and get our book personalized...whoo! We had lunch together and then headed back to the office to wrap up a few things for the day.

: We packed up and headed back to Fred Thursday evening...and worked from home on Friday which was so nice and quiet! It was a good day and now we are enjoying a nice, relaxing weekend. Hope you are too!!

Weekend Update

The Christmas holiday is upon us! I'm feeling fairly festive this year, which is nice! I typically don't really enjoy decorating, etc. But this year, we bought some new mid-century style decorations, and are keeping things minimal. And I love it all so much! Less is definitely more with me, and I think traditional decorating was just overwhelming for me. This year has been good.

I also have most gifts bought, and wrapped and under the tree. Check!

I am off this coming Friday and I will finish things up. Looking forward to the day off and to checking the rest of the things off my list.

We had a very nice weekend here, and the weather was soooo nice.

: Friday evening was the Christmas parade! We have never been to it, and it was so magical. We really enjoyed it! We met our friends for wine beforehand, and then we set up at Jason's truck, which was parked on Main, to watch the parade go by. There were 130 floats, and everything was lit up and so pretty! There were sooooo many people there...we had to park 4 blocks off Main, in the HEB grocery store parking lot! After the parade, we had dinner with the Banks family at Jennie's...yum!!!

: Saturday, we drove to Brady to meet Kim and her family for our annual Christmas card photo shoot! Brady is about halfway between Abilene and Fred, and we spent an hour taking some cute photos! Then we all had lunch at Mac's BBQ before heading back to our respective towns. Ordered our Christmas card that evening!

: When we got back to town, we went to Becker for some wine, then walked Main a bit...then we met up with the Banks and Stefanovs for wine and wonderful conversation :) Then, we all had dinner at the Brewery, which was lovely (except I spilled my water!!).

: Sunday, after church, we did our chores...and now I am getting stuff ready for the week ahead.

: I'm getting my hair done on Wednesday; Chris has a doctor's appointment on Thursday; I am off Friday; Saturday, we may be going to San Antonio for a half marathon that Aspen may be running; Sunday we will be heading to Abilene to spend Monday-Thursday at the home office for the big meeting and party week. Lots going on that week; we better rest up now!!!

Hope you are all well, and are getting into the fun spirit of the holidays!

Weekly Update

:: It was a cold, dreary, rainy week here for us...we stayed in most of the week and just worked a normal work week. Crossed things off those to-do lists!

:: Friday evening, we decided to eat at home instead of eating out, so we went for a glass of free wine and then got cozy at home.

:: Saturday, Chris and I slept in a bit and then we did 6 miles together. He ran and I rode my bike beside him. Took us about 55 minutes, and was so good! The weather was soooo nice most of the weekend, after being rainy all week. Such a beautiful reprieve.

:: Then, we rode out to Alamo Springs for a burger and enjoyed the gorgeous fall leaves along the drive. Then, we stopped at Bankersmith on our way back into town...a new little eclectic place with live music, a bar, and DONKEYS!! One was a sweet baby that was so friendly! They also had goats, and a very friendly teenage kitten that LOVED Chris! Her name was lucky and she got all curled up in his lap and took a nap! Crazy animals. That evening, we decided to eat at home again so it was a relaxing time.

:: Sunday, I got grocery pick up and then we went to second service at church. Afterwards, we went to the membership class and had lunch there. Officially members now! Then we met Don and Pam for some wine. Now, time for chores!

:: I have to brag on my hubby -- we got home, and he went inside and got his rake and said, "I'm going to help Karen rake her leaves." He saw her out there, and I thought that was so sweet of him to go help her. She is a very nice lady...lives alone, and helps to take care of her elderly mom who just had surgery. He has such a big heart.

:: The week ahead...should hopefully be a straightforward work week, and then it will be Bestie Weekend! Kim will be coming down to spend a few days here, so we can have some good bestie time. Looking soooo forward to it!!! Miss her.

Hoping for blue skies this week!! Have a good one!

Our Week

: We had a pretty basic work week last week -- checked things off the to-do list!

: Monday, I got my car inspected and renewed my sticker...good for another year!

: Tuesday, life group was very nice...we met at Jason and Crystal's house, since Don and Pam were still in New Mexico. It was a time of blessing, love those people!

: Wednesday, I went to the Pioneer Historic Library and got a library card! My first one since I was a kid...yay for free books! I checked out my first book (The Night Circus) and am also all set up for their digital books.

: Friday, I was off! I have a handful of vacation days remaining, so I am taking random Fridays off the rest of the year. Love that!! Friday morning, Chris and I had a breakfast date at one of the local coffee shops. It was pretty crowded since it was a Friday, but the food was yummy and the coffee/tea was too! We are going to try to make this a weekly thing, before work. Most likely on Tuesdays, which should be less busy hopefully!

: Friday evening, we met Crystal, Jason, Don and Pam for wine and then we went to dinner at the Brewery with Crystal and Jason. Very nice evening!

: Saturday, we were up at 5:20 am and made our way to Blanco, which is about 40 minutes from us. Chris and Gary (Kim's hubby) did a 51 mile bike race through the very hilly Hill Country and both had great rides! It was a fun day! Kim and I were able to chat and hang out, which was so nice! It was a very chilly morning, so after we saw them off, we got in the truck to stay warm! Since we were gone for about 9 hours, we decided to take Poppy with us and she did great! She was well behaved and even let Kim and Gary both pet her for a bit! We're planning to take her more places.

: Saturday evening, Chris and I went for sushi and it was soooo good! Then we were both so tired, we were sound asleep very early!!

: Sunday, after church, we attended the Pastor Appreciation luncheon at the church...very nice! We enjoyed being a part of that, and chatting with our friends.

So, a nice week! The week ahead:

: Monday, I am getting set up with an allergy doctor here in town. We'll see how that goes!

: I am getting my hair done! Much needed.

: We may or may not join in on Trunk or Treat at our church...haven't decided yet.

Until next time!

An Update

Life in Fred -- we are still loving it and we are still grateful for this chapter in our lives!

: The work week for me was weird and issue-filled, but overall not bad. I was happy to see Friday arrive though!

: Friday evening, we met Jason and Crystal for wine and then had dinner at Sozial Haus. It was a very nice evening just the four of us, which rarely occurs (their boys stayed home so they could play video games, they can't play during the week!). Then we relaxed at home and watched a few episodes of The Walking Dead.

: Saturday, Chris got up early for a bike ride and I did the grocery list. Then, we met our friends at BestFest, which is a festival fundraiser that serves all-you-can-eat sausage, sauerkraut, potato salad, etc for $10 a person. You get a wrist band and can come and go as often as you like. We had lunch there, sat around talking, some had a snack later, and then we went back that evening to get a plate to-go so we could have it for lunch today. Not too bad! It was a fun, relaxing afternoon. On top of that, we were also able to see our friends who live north of Dallas -- they had come down to Comfort, TX for a running race, and were going through Fred on their way home. They joined us at BestFest and we were able to hug on them and chat for a quick bit before they needed to get back on the road. They had 5.5 hours to go from there. Since we were gone most of the day, we had a quiet evening in with Poppy...and watched another episode of The Walking Dead.

: Sunday has been the norm - church, picked up groceries, laundry, chores. We are meeting our friends for wine in a bit, and then we'll wrap up the weekend for another week to begin.

: The week ahead...I've got to get my car inspected so I can renew my sticker; life group on Tuesday evening; and I took off Friday. I have about 5 days left and need to get them used up before the year is over so I don't lose them. I'm going to just take some random Fridays here and there. Saturday, Chris is doing a bike race in Blanco with Gary (Kim's hubby), so that will be fun! We're taking Poppy, and us girls will have out for the few hours it takes for the race, then we'll all have lunch. Looking very forward to our time with them!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Weekend Update

After a pretty straight forward and quiet week, we were ready for the weekend!

: Friday evening, we made the 20 minute trip to Kerrville to get more lumber at Lowes...we had a quick dinner at Taco Casa and picked up the lumber and a few other things, and then headed home.

: Saturday, we slept in a bit and spent most of the day working on building another wall in our room-for-rent. Chris did most of the work and I assisted as needed :) While we worked, we watched the Ironman in Kona -- it was such an exciting race! We enjoyed getting to watch it, and it was very motivational for Chris, too!

: Saturday evening, we had pizza at Sozial Haus and then dessert at the Golden Buffalo. We are going to start eating healthy on Monday, so we got in our last bit of fun this weekend :) I had the fried peanut butter balls and ice cream, so so good!

: Sunday was laundry and cleaning and finishing up the wall. It's so fun to see all the progress being made, exciting stuff! This evening, we are going to the pick-up party at Cross Mountain. We are members at this winery, and as members, we get four wine pick ups a year. Since we are local, we are now able to attend the pick-up parties (otherwise, they ship the wine). There will be free food and free wine at the party, and we are looking very forward to it! We're meeting our friends there at 5:30.

Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!!

catch up

Our Sunday is winding down, and I feel like I need a nap :) We had a good weekend, very full.

This weekend in Fred was Oktoberfest -- which is probably one of the top 3 most busy weekends of the year! There were so many people in town!! It was hard to find a parking spot blocks and blocks off Main. These weekends are so good for our little community, and it is always so fun to see people come dressed in their lederhosen outfits!

Friday evening, we enjoyed First Friday Art Walk with Jason, Crystal and the boys. We walked Main and had free wine and snacks at the art galleries, and then we went to Sozial Haus for some pizza! Love that little family! Unfortunately, they hit a deer on their way home that night! So scary!! The deer are so bad here and they live about 15 minutes out into the country. Thankfully they are all fine, no one was hurt (except the deer!). Their car is another story though. Yikes.

Saturday was fun of fun! Chris and I slept in a bit and then Chris and Don went to Kerrville to pick up two doors we had ordered for our rent room. Then, we walked Main a bit and did some people watching, then met Jason, Crystal, the kids, and Don and Pam at Cross Mountain for wine. Then a few people bought tickets and went into Oktoberfest for a little shopping; I went home and fed and walked Poppy, then met back up with them. We then drove out to Don and Pam's house and enjoyed a fun evening of telling stories. This group has a lot of those!

It was Jason's birthday, and he has a tradition of buying gifts for everyone else on his birthday...so fun! We weren't expecting it, but he got us gifts too! So sweet! He gave me a gorgeous glass pendant for a necklace and gave Chris a bottle of Maker's Mark. Fun fun!

Sunday, after church and groceries, we worked on installing one of two doors in the rent room. That took most of the afternoon...now I am about to cook us up some dinner!

The week ahead should be pretty normal...I hope you all have a great week!!!

Catch Up

Hello there! Time to catch up a bit!

:: Our cruise was fabulous! It was so nice to relax and unwind. There are pics on Instagram, if you'd like to see. We had an enjoyable evening in Galveston before heading out. We met up with Don and Pam on the ship and then we proceeded to enjoy seven days of yummy food, good friendship, relaxing time, good entertainment, and fun ports. In Montego Bay, we weren't going to get off the ship there but Pam needed a souvenir for a friend...we looked through the little shops at the port and listened to the reggae band for a bit, then got back on! In Cayman Islands, we got off and walked around the pretty shopping area...both Montego Bay and Cayman Islands, our ship was the only one. There are usually about 4 ships, but because of the hurricane, those weren't there. It was very peaceful and relaxing! We had lunch at Rackam's, right on the water...and Chris and I got in the ocean and swam with the huge tarpin fish. Cozumel was much more crowded, all the ships were there! We walked through those port shops as well, and then had lunch at a restaurant on the water. It rained on us a bit in Cayman and Cozumel...but it didn't dampen our spirits or fun! It was fun traveling with Don and Pam and now we are working up plans for another cruise but with their entire family and a few other friends.

:: Since we've been home, work has been a bit crazy...it took until Friday to catch up entirely, so now I am back in a good place for moving forward. We are implementing some changes this coming week, so we shall see how all of that goes. One day at a time.

:: Aspen and Geordon came down for a quick visit! They got here around 10:00 on Friday evening and we went to the Stable for some drinks. Then they dropped me at the house and went to the Goth Bar. Saturday, we all went and volunteered with the dogs, then had lunch at Cultures. We spent a relaxing afternoon together at a few wineries and walking Main. Aspen's high school friend, Katie, came to visit too! She lives about 20 minutes from us, and drove up to see Aspen when she learned she was in town. They hadn't seen each other in a few years, so that was fun! She's a parole officer, so she had some interesting stories. They left around 5:30 and then we spent the evening with all of our friends...we had dinner at Sozial Haus, and then went to the park to have birthday cake (Jet's birthday) and relax together. We decided to get Poppy and see how she did in that situation, and she did pretty good. Hopefully we can get her more and more socialized. She didn't seem too stressed, and later in the evening we even went and walked on Main Street with her. Proud of her!

:: Sunday, we went to second service at church because they were having a membership class/lunch afterwards that we wanted to attend. Unfortunately we needed to have signed up, so we'll have to go to the next one. We stopped at the hardware store for lumber -- Chris did some framing for two doors in our remodel space. I did laundry and picked up groceries, and gave Poppy a bath.

It's been a great weekend!

This week should be pretty normal/straightforward...Life Group on Tuesday, but otherwise no plans. Tuesday is also my Mom's birthday!!!!!

In other news, Chris has decided to push his full Ironman race (the one in Panama City, FL in November) to 2020 instead of doing it this year. He pulled his calf muscle about 8 weeks ago and that really interfered with his training...at this point there really isn't a way for him to get in good enough running shape to do a full marathon at the end of the Ironman race. I'm proud of him for listening to his body and playing it smart!

Ok, that's all I know for now!!

Update

Things are good here...

: The week was good -- work was steady and we were productive. We're settling into routines.

: Friday, we went and had free wine with Don (Pam is volunteering at the local theater, so she wasn't able to join us.) Then Chris and I had dinner at our Mexican place.

: Saturday, Chris did a long bike ride and then we went out to have some fun. We met Crystal, Jason and the kids at Becker for free wine, and then moved on to Cross Mountain for more, where Don met us. Then we all went to Sozial Haus for dinner. We had such a nice time chatting with them! Then we relaxed at home and watched some of The 100.

: Sunday, church and grocery pick up and laundry. Chris did a long swim. We have the whole rest of the day now to enjoy!

: The week ahead -- we are off on Friday!! So, we will work Monday - Thursday, and then we will drive to San Antonio to pick up my mom!!!! She is coming to visit!!! This will be her rescheduled visit, that was cancelled a few months back. We are looking forward to showing her our home in Fred, and enjoying some relaxing Fred time with her! She'll be here through Tuesday, so I have Monday and Tuesday off that week too! Looking very forward to it!

: Then, after Mom leaves, I'll work Wednesday and Thursday, and then we'll drive to Abilene Thursday evening after work so we can take Poppy to stay with Mimi. We'll work from the Home Office on Friday, and then that evening I have fun plans with my bestie Kim! We're going to go see The Art of Racing in the Rain, yay! Looking forward to some time with her. Then, Saturday morning, we will head down to Galveston to wait for our ship departure!! The cruise departs Sunday!!!!!

: Lots going on! Good stuff. Life is good. Right now, as soon as this load of laundry is done, we're heading to Main Street :)

life is full

:: Today is our 12th anniversary! Twelve years sounds like such a very long time, but in all honesty, it feels like it has flown by. We have been incredibly blessed with so many phenomenal experiences, and we have had our share of tragedy and sorrow. We have gone through it all together, and there is no one else I'd rather do this life with! As we now dwell in the place where we had our wedding all those years ago, it's a dream come true!

:: The guest bedroom duvet came in and I love it! I'm waiting to order the art for above that bed, and then the pillows/throw blanket to match that. Then that room will be done for now.

:: My swimsuit order came in, too -- 2 of the 3 suits fit great, so that was a success! I'm sending the other one back, and will try to feel as confident as I can in this body that is nowhere near swimsuit-ready. I've got four more weeks to help that out as much as possible, so we shall see. I'm just hoping to fit back into the majority of clothing that I need to take!

:: All of my scrapbook albums and protectors came in, and I was able to spend some time getting almost 300 loose scrapbook pages organized. Now all 35 scrapbooks line one shelf in a closet, and we are going to need to install a bracket to support the weight!

:: I received a photo of our custom art for over the master bed, and that should be shipping soon!! I looks awesome! It's coming from Russia, so it will take a little time to get here.

:: Our sink is finally here! Chris finally called on it, and it was delivered but nothing online was updated. So that was interesting. But, we have it in hand and it's very pretty. We took the old sink out yesterday evening (well...Chris mostly!!), and everything is prepped and ready to finish up today hopefully. We (Chris mostly with me assisting!!) will get the sink installed, the new faucet installed, and the garbage disposal installed (currently, we've not had a disposal, and I am sooooo excited!!!). I will post before and after photos on Instagram, of course :)

:: Church was good today...our church here, Oak Hills, is a branch location of Max Lucado's main church. On August 25, Max Lucado will be coming to our church for a big celebration, because our church is breaking off to become its own church and changing names to Bridge Church. Should be fantastic to hear such a big personality speak in our home church!

:: This coming week will be Chris' first full week in Fred -- the past three weeks, he has had to travel to Abilene for either work or to take Mimi to a doctor's appt. He is excited to work on getting into a routine.

:: Our weekend has been good - Friday, we did the First Friday Art Walk, where the galleries in town stay open late and serve free wine and snacks. We had fun hanging out with Don, Pam, Jason, Crystal and the boys, and even met some people too! Then we all had dinner at the Brewery and enjoyed talking with them! Saturday was a full day - Chris did a 4 hour bike ride, and I did my workout and made the grocery list. Then we went to Kerrville to pick up the sink and have lunch at Taco Casa. Then we came home and hit up two wineries for free wine, and our friend John Wylie, who is in town, met us at one of them to visit. Then Chris and I had BBQ for dinner and worked on removing the sink in the kitchen. Today, we went to church, picked up groceries, ran a few errands, and did laundry. Chris is currently doing a 2 hour bike ride. Then, we will do something fun for our anniversary...maybe a winery and dinner at Alamo Springs. We just love that place - it's rustic and relaxed and the food is so good. Then we'll do more with the sink! A very nice weekend, in my opinion!

:: On Monday, we are going to have dinner with John before he leaves town...the rest of the week should be normal! I'm counting down the days until my Mom's upcoming visit (19 days until we get her at the airport!!!) and until our anniversary cruise (27 days!!!). Looking forward to some relaxing time off work!

Well, that turned into a long blog :) If you've read this far, I hope you all have a fabulous week!!

Update

We are continuing to get adjusted to our new normal in Fred...we are honestly still trying to wrap our heads around the face that this home now! It still feels pretty surreal.

Remote work is going great - I am able to get so much done in the quiet, and I love the new routine I'm getting in to. Chris is still working to define his role and figure out his new routine...he doesn't like the quiet so much :) This weekend, the cable we were waiting on was delivered, so we were able to wire the internet modem to my office. Now I won't have to run to the living room every time my phone rings! Big thank you to my hubby who sweated it out in the hot attic to make this happen.

Saturday, we went out to Albert, TX -- there's a dance hall there, but during the day there is a cute rustic bar and tables under the trees and a great view. It was a very relaxing way to spend a little time. Then we met friends at Becker for free wine, and then tried a new tasting room across the street. That evening, we had dinner at Cultures and relaxed.

Sunday, as normal -- church, grocery pick up and chores. Chris discovered one of the air condition hoses had a hole in it in the attic, so he has gone to the store to see what he can get to fix that. Explains why our bedroom as been a little warm!

We are at 34 days until our cruise! I purchased three swimsuits online and am hoping one of them, at least, will fit! I need to start figuring out what clothes to take and see if anything else is needed.

I'm also waiting on: the piece of custom art we ordered for over our bed (this will take a few weeks); the sink we ordered from Lowes for the kitchen (not sure when it will be ready for pickup); a duvet for the guest bedroom (should come this week!); and some albums/protectors so I can finish up organizing all of my traditional scrapbooks (hopefully this week!).

That's about it, for now...

Life update

People, life is a fun and interesting adventure! Full of change. We Babers have had a lot of change in the past month!

We have moved to Fredericksburg, full-time! After a year of driving back and forth from Abilene to Fred to spend weekends there, it became more and more apparent to us that God is calling us to Fred for our next chapter. We were both able to work out a plan with our company to work remotely, which is absolutely amazing! We had to take on slightly different roles, since they want all management roles in the home office...exciting times are ahead as we both define these new roles and learn new things!

Our "move" was quite easy, actually -- we've been moving things down slowly every weekend, so we just needed to move our everyday things. We are officially locals in Fred now, and we worked our first remote week starting July 1. It was a short week, because we were blessed to have Thursday and Friday off for the holiday! Four day weekend for us. Whoop!

This upcoming week, we will actually be spending the full week back in Abilene -- it is the sales meeting week that occurs every summer. Chris has a few work meetings, we'll attend the company summer party, and the scrapbook retreat is at Kim's over the weekend. I'll go to that on Saturday and then we will head back to Fred to REALLY begin our remote work.

The four day weekend has been nice...we went to the July 4th parade Thursday morning and watched the fireworks from our church parking lot that evening. We've visited a few wineries here and there. We volunteered with the dogs this morning. Life in Fred is easy living and we are loving it!

Here's to our next chapter!

Weekend Recap

We had a fun weekend in Fred, with visitors!

:: Aspen and Geordon came to town on Friday evening...they met us at our Mexican restaurant and we enjoyed some laughs there. Then we had a drink at The Stable (which they thought was called The Saddle from their last visit)...then to bed, because we were all tired!

:: Saturday morning, Chris did a long run and the rest of us had a relaxing morning. Then we headed to Twisted Sister for some breakfast before stopping at the big car show that was going on at Marketplatz. Geordon was super excited about that! Then we got ready and headed to Blanco, to visit the Real Ale Brewing Company. That was quite enjoyable! They were super busy so we sat outside under some trees and had some drinks and some cheese frites from the food truck. Then we stopped at Arc de Texas, which sat atop a hill and offered amazing views of the hill country! Wow! After a quick stop at Becker to visit with our friends Don and Pam, we ordered some pizza for dinner and ate quickly so we could head out to Luckenbach for the Aaron Watson concert! It was packed, and a fun environment! Aaron Watson put on a fun show, and we enjoyed ourselves. We ended up leaving a little before it was over, because he didn't go on until 10:30 and we were all tired and Aspen's back was hurting. But, it was a fun time!

:: Sunday, Chris and I went to church -- our friend, Jason, was officially announced as the new youth pastor and we all prayed over him. So excited for him! The pastor, Jimmy, was very fired up today and his message was a great one. Then we spent a little more time with Aspen and Geordon before they left around 12:45 for their drive home. It was a good visit with them. Then we did some chores and all the normal Sunday things.

:: This week has some fun! Monday evening is my book club, and it will be fun to talk about the book -- I really enjoyed it! We get Casual Dress all week -- whoop!! Thursday is Movie Night with Kim, and I'm looking very forward to that time together! Then, Friday it is back to Fred -- I think we are going to go to Johnson City because we saw all kinds of neat places when we drove through to Blanco!

I hope you all have an amazing week!!

Weekly Update

Well...I am sad sad SAD to report that my mom's visit was canceled because of flight trouble. Grrr!! She had a very stressful day on Friday, and eventually the entire was cancelled. She will reschedule, possibly in September for her birthday. I am so bummed that she didn't get to spend a few days with us in Fred :( The weather wasn't fabulous, so it wasn't a complete loss. It rained a lot of Saturday -- we've been getting so much rain lately! Crazy enough, there was a tornado in Abilene this weekend and there was definitely some damage in specific areas of town. Luckily, the area of our townhouse was spared. Yikes!

This weekend, in Mom's absence, we made due with her. Chris did some intense workouts (he is in full Ironman training now!), I did laundry, and we ate lots of good food! We tried one of the oldest German restaurants in town, which we have never been to in all of the 16 years we've been coming here. Crazy! It was very tasty! It was authentic and quaint inside, what a fun evening! We tried a new-to-us winery too, but weren't too fond of the experience there. Overall it was a relaxing weekend. We finished it off with free wine with friends this afternoon.

The week ahead...pretty normal, overall. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and we have VIPs on Friday morning. Then, the weekend in Fred!!

Next weekend, we may visit a house that just went on the market in Fred. It's our favorite house in town, it's so cute! We aren't interested in buying it, obviously...we love our house! But, we just want to see it! It was built in the 40s but has been redone and there is a little guest house in the back. It's so adorable! The market in Fred is insane -- it is 1958 square feet, and almost $800,000!!!! Outrageous. Our friend/realtor Don is up for taking us to see it! :)

Not much else to report at the moment...more later!!

Weekend Update

The Babers enjoyed another productive and fun weekend!

:: Chris did two intensive workouts
:: I potted my two new baby succulents
:: I took Poppy on two walks
:: We worked on demo - I chipped up tile and Chris took down drywall and wall studs
:: I repotted my potato vine so I can put it in full sun; will find something else for the partial sun area
:: I did laundry
:: We met our friend, Don, for wine on Saturday
:: We enjoyed food at La Tequilla Jalisco and The Brewery
:: Chris met Don's family for wine Sunday (I had a headache, so relaxed at the house)
:: I started my next book club book
:: I talked with my Grandma
:: I gave Poppy a bath
:: I painted a second coat on the porch swing

We'll head back to Abilene here in a bit...the week ahead looks to be pretty normal, overall. I am having lunch with my bestie tomorrow, and am looking very forward to it! Then it is back to Fred for the weekend. We'll head back early on Sunday so we can have a Mother's Day lunch with Mimi. And then, the following weekend, I get to spend a belated Mother's Day with my mom!!!!! So excited for her visit. Can't wait to show her the Fred house, and relax together. Whoop!!!

Have a fantastic week!

Post-Vacation Update

Hello! Our vacation is coming to an end, sadly...we have thoroughly enjoyed our ten days in Fredericksburg, and are feeling sad about returning to reality tomorrow. Such is life.

Our ten days here were filled with fun and some productivity, too. We spent time with friends, took advantage of our daily free wine at the two wineries where we have memberships, ate a lot of good food, and relaxed as much as possible. In terms of productivity, I was able to get one coat painted on my porch swing (still needs a second coat); and I got some stuff planted in our front pot (jury is still out on whether those choices are going to work). Chris was able to get a wall built and installed on the other side of the house, which will separate the laundry room from the rent room. I also took two loads of cardboard to the recycling center.

Saturday, we went through orientation at the animal shelter in town so that we can begin volunteering there. It is a very nice place, and we'll be working with the dogs. They have about 25 at the moment, and we can walk them, play with them, love on them, etc. Now that orientation is over, we can show up whenever we want to volunteer. Looking forward to that.

Also Saturday, four of our crazy coworkers came to Fred for the day and we enjoyed some time with them! It was fun to hang out with them at the wineries.

Now, we are getting things packed up and will be heading to Abilene shortly...then it is the weird adjustment period of catching up after vacation. A lot happens in a week's time, so that is always daunting. I have book club Monday evening, and we have the big Shareholder's Meeting at work on Tuesday...

Hope you all have a super week ahead!

Happy Easter!

I hope that you all had a lovely Easter! Our greatest blessing is that the tomb was empty...thank you God for Jesus!

We enjoyed the early 8:30 Easter church service this morning in Fred, and then relaxed for a bit at home (well...I did, while Chris did an hour-long run!). Then, we drove out into the country to The Preserve, for our elephant experience! It was such a fun few hours, I'm so glad we did it! There were about 30 people there with us. There were five female Asian elephants -- Tai, Dixie, Rosie, Kitty, and Becky. There were about 7 handlers, and the main woman taught us a lot about elephants in general and especially the Asian elephant. There are much fewer Asian elephants in the world than African elephants...the Asian version has much, much smaller ears, and one additional toe on each foot. They are covered in wiry hair that helps moderate their temperature.

First, they had Becky do a few tricks and then lay down on her side. Then we each got to take a turn scrubbing her with Mr. Bubble -- their skin didn't feel at all like I expected! It was also fun to play with her big ear! We were then taught about how they take care of their feet, and we were able to grind on the toes a bit if we wanted. It was interesting, they basically walk on their toes, and their heel portion is very tall and cushioned. Afterwards, we went to the main area and some of the elephants did some tricks for us, which was fun. They gathered up all 5 of them for photo ops, and then they all came under the tents to enjoy their treats -- carrots, bananas, and a full watermelon! It was fun to see how they ate it all! The carrots and bananas were eaten whole, and they did the watermelons two different ways -- a few of then stomped on it with their foot to break it, and then ate it in pieces. The rest of them scooped it up and crushed it in their trunks, and then proceeded to eat the chunks.

They seemed to have such sweet, relaxed souls...and they are so smart and well trained. Amazing creatures!!!! It was a sweet way to spend part of our Easter today.

Afterwards, we stopped for some frozen yogurt...relaxed at the house...and I made a delicious dinner of beef strogranoff and roasted asparagus. Mmmmm!

Going back...our Saturday in Fred was quite enjoyable too! A bike ride and run for Chris; a nice long walk for me and Poppy; met our friends at Becker for wine and great conversation; went to the first anniversary celebration of Hye Cider, our favorite quirky place - had a crawfish boil and a live rock band that was so fun!

Going back more...we had Good Friday off work!! So we came down to Fred Thursday evening. Our Friday was filled with good stuff like wine and walking Main St. and etc etc.

And now...Chris and I are on VACATION!!!!!!! So very needed for both of us. We are very excited to have a stay-cation here in Fred, and spend the week doing whatever we desire. It was very nice to not have to drive back to Abilene this evening...and I am looking so forward to the rest of our week here.

Hope you all have a lovely week ahead!!

Overdue Update

Well! It's been a bit since I've posted, and I just now realized it today! I do apologize to my three readers, ha!!

Life has been moving along as expected...working in Abilene during the week, and spending our weekends in Fred. I will back track just a bit, to tell you about our fun weekend with Aspen and Geordon.

They came down to Fred at the end of March to spend the weekend with us...two Christmases ago, we gifted them with a weekend in Fred, but they were only just now able to cash in on it because Aspen's old work schedule had her working on the weekends. Now that she is in Arlington and working a job with normal hours, they are getting to do fun stuff on the weekends! We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them...we gave them the full Fred experience and hit our favorite places. Lots of yummy food and drinks and even a very nice dinner at August E's. It was great to spend some time with them, just hanging out. They are so funny together, truly a perfect match. We love getting to see her happy.

Back to current...we've started doing demo on the other side of the house, which is the area that we will rent out on Air B&B! So exciting! It was the garage, and the previous owners had closed it in and made it into three separate areas...the laundry room, an office, and a small garage/storage room. Our plan is to keep a small area for our laundry room, and then make the rest into one big room and a bathroom for renting. We are going to try to do most of it ourselves, except for the bathroom and the replacement of the garage door with French doors (or something similar). Chris has gotten quite a bit of the demo done! I helped as much as I could, in terms of taking drywall/wood to the trash pile, etc. We are excited to get this project done and decorated and rented!

Great news is that we are about to have a ten day stay-cation in our Fred house! We will work four days this week and then we are off for Good Friday...and then our vacation begins! We are looking forward to the down time, and also to getting a lot accomplished on the demo/remodel. We will be in Fred for my birthday, which will be nice...and on Easter Sunday, we have tickets to an elephant reserve here in town! We'll get to help bathe the elephants and give them pedicures, and learn all about them in an intimate setting. Super excited about that!

So, that's where things are with us! I'll try to be more consistent with my Sunday updates!