Have I mentioned I love food?

One of the fabulous things about marrying into the family I have, is that James' dad knows how to dine. The week after I got back from Laurie's graduation it was Deborah's birthday and we all went to the Post Oak Grill. I met James at his new office because I hadn't seen it yet and we wanted to drive together. It was so fun seeing where he works and meeting his co-workers! Doesn't he look so smart here? :) 

 Children were not invited to this birthday, except for Brynn because she's so cute.

 Mark arranged for us to eat in this private wine room. WHICH WAS FREEZING! Cuz, you know, they have to keep the wine "chilled."

 Here are the ladies in the shawls the restaurant provides for the room. Parkas would have been more appropriate. IT WAS FREEZING.

 And for her big gift, the woman of the evening got an iPad. Lucky.

The restaurant was FABULOUS. I got two appetizers-yes two, because I could-the crab cakes and steak quesadillas, red snapper, and a chocolate something-or-other cake, as well as a bread pudding to-go! Look, Mark had minimum bill for the room so we were encouraged to order whatever we wanted... I was just doing my part! 

Congrats Grad!

Back at the end of May I went up to Iowa for Lauren's HS graduation. SO crazy that she's, like, a little adult now!  

Her graduation was on a Sunday-odd I thought-so it seemed only fitting that I throw her a Sunday Graduation brunch before the ceremony. We had fruit, danishes, Chile Cheese Puff Casserole, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and "mimosas" (made with alcohol free champagne! they were fab, and I was so excited to find alcohol free champagne because I've had it in my head for years that when I finally have a baby shower I would like a brunch with mimosas and bellinis!)

Here's Laurel with her best friend Jessica. 

The day after her graduation Lauren, my mom, and her friend Jazmin took a bus out to California to see her boyfriend, Jake, graduate from the Marines. I tried my very best to talk them out of it-the people who ride the Greyhound are shaaaaaady looking. But they lived and had a really good time. Jake surprised Lauren when she got there with the news that he had been attending the LDS church on base and had been baptized after 4 of the ten weeks he had been there! So exciting!

The graduation gift I pitched in on... a real pearl bracelet. Jealous! :) 

I love you Laurel and I am so proud of you! 

At last, an update.

Where to begin... Way back when during the first week of April I started working evenings Tuesday-Thursday at a pilates studio owned by friends from church. An answer to prayers, its kept me busy while James was working all the live long day. Also, this is why the blog has suffered. No time=no acitivities to blog about=no time to even blog about not having anything to blog about, so there's that.

Then, at the end of April, right out of NO WHERE, James gets this job interview at a bank. Then, less than two weeks after the interview, he starts this new job. And get this, BANKERS' HOURS PEOPLE!!!!! The hallelujah chorus is still going. I mean we literally went from one extreme to the other. He was home before 5:00 this Friday. Is that not crazy?!?! I mean, what do you do with a husband who is home? I'm afraid I've forgotten entitrely. Yesterday we got to spend hours apartment hunting, which would not be fabulous except for the fact that I haven't gotten to spend hours on a Saturday doing anything with James in over a year, so it was fabulous! (We are moving so he doesn't have an hour commute everyday)

In the midst of all the above happenings, some other fun stuff went down over the past months:
*My cousin Kim who also lives in the Houston area had her first baby in early April so I went to the hospital to visit.

 Here's my Aunt Judy and Uncle Henry with little Evangeline.

 *My niece Brynn had her baby blessing the same weekend.

 *The next weekend was Easter, which Jessica and the fam came to visit for. Tell me you do not want to eat this baby, she is so delicious!

For the Easter feast I made a Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake . I got the recipe from my friend Kayley, she made it for James and me the week before when she and her husband had us over and it is to die for.

 *Mother's Day weekend was James' first weekend at his new job so were able to go to Austin! All the girls went to James' cousin Katrina's baby shower Saturday morning, which was so fun. The hostess was the sweetest girl and she did such a good job.

 Saturday afternoon Sally helped Jennika do to little canning to get her food storage going. I really want to start my food storage but I'm just not there yet... Maybe once I have a house?

So we're still alive over here at the Simmons house. I'll be back to the regular blogging once we get moved and settled and everything slows down. 

Also, my biography kick has continued. I read the Chanel bio and wore black and white and pearls for like a week straight :) I'm finishing one on Princess Diana right now, which, let me just say, I used to blame the Queen for everything, but I don't think Diana was ever "all there." I also finished Catching Fire and just got Mockingjay. And I'm currently reading Water for Elephants (which is pretty raunchy so I won't suggest). Oh, I'm also reading Taking Charge of Your Fertitlity, so there's that.  ;)

Mrs. Kennedy

Last week I read a biography on Jackie Kennedy (she wasn't Onassis yet). Needless to say I've always worshipped her in the fashion sense: pearls, big hair, big sunglasses, Chanel. I mean, this is me guys as the First Lady :) But her life was A MESS.

I knew Jack was a cheater, but this man was a CHEATER, like slip off with a couple different women during a White House dinner party cheater. And also, did you know that both of them were pretty much on speed the first two years of his presidency? I'm telling you, a mess.

It was my first biography (I've always been intimidated by non-fiction and Jane Austen), and I loved it! I'm currently on the waiting list for one of Coco Chanel :) I feel like biographies make you so much smarter. I mean, the next time I'm eaves-dropping on a conversation about the Kennedys I can chime in, totally educated!

Anyways, I suggest biographies for all. Especially on fashionable and intelligent women.

Note to my mother: Can you make me a dress like Jackie's above, please? Thank you.

How time flies...

I kindly ask that you do not comment on the hair...

Five years ago today James proposed to me. It seems like so long ago-I mean, look how young we looked!-but it certainly doesn't feel like its been five years. I remember how excited I was, I don't remember anything about our fancy dinner because I was on the phone with people the whole time, I remember how much I LOVED my ring. I still love my ring. I'm pretty sure I look at it just about every day and think about how pretty it is.

Five years later and we've been married for almost 5 years with two dogs, two college degrees, and living in Houston. Crazy, is what it is. Happy Engagement Anniversary to me!

Baby Shower

Tonight I went to a baby shower for a co-worker/fellow church goer. It was so nice to get out on a Friday night since I'm usually chillin at home while James works. It was at our boss's house-his wife was throwing the shower- and I just love their house. 

 Here's the mother to be- she's having her first girl after raising 5 boys!

 This is Molly... she's precious.

 Terri with a little smocked dress someone gave her (not me-shock!). I didn't get a pic of my gift, but it was a precious black and white gingham Christmas outfit I got at Rattle Tattle .

 By boss's daughter helping with all the gifts - she's too cute!

You guys, I'm seriously ready for MY OWN baby shower. 

Spring Break!

My parents and sister came last week for Spring Break and we just had the best time! I'm so sad they're gone... hopefully they'll live a lot closer soon ;) We did all kinds of things while they were here. Mostly we were in the car since this city is so dang big! Here are several of the things we did:
*We ate at Rudy's! Sally and Tag have raved since we moved here and I've come to distrust any Texan's opinion of BBQ (they don't do pulled pork-lame!), but Rudy's had pulled pork and it was fab and I'm in love!

 *We spent an evening at the Galleria and James met us at the Cheescake Factory. Chanel was closed and they were out of my pineapple upside down cake cheesecake, but it was still fun :)

 *We spent a day in Austin, where we had lunch at Chuy's with Jessica & Ross and the children and Sally & Tag. Then we visited Mt. Bonnell, dropped by Jessica's house, took my fam to their first HEB, and went to the corporate Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin where I have never seen so many hippies in my life - I mean, it was like a different country you guys.

 Precious Savannah in the dress I had my mom make for her. It's monagrammed if you can't tell. She. Is. Adorable.

 *We went to the Houston Rodeo where Lauren and James apparently needed a rest.

 I tried Fried Oreos, and seriously, they are the stuff dreams are made of. No joke.

 OMG-This is Swifty! He's a swimming pig and the cutest thing you've ever seen. I need a Swifty swimming pig, like immediately.

 Upon entering the rodeo, some guy gave my dad $20 worth of tickets he hadn't used, which the menfolk decided to use to win a jersey. They didn't succeed.

 That night we saw the Zac Brown Band, which may have been the best concert I've been to, EVER. His fiddle player is crazy talented and their songs live were amazing-just like the recorded versions- and I want to be best friends with Zac Brown because he just seems like a chill kinda guy, you know?

 *We spent a day in Galveston at the beach and ate some seafood at Shrimp N Stuff. Lily went with us and was so well behaved, I was impressed.

 *On their last day we did a little shopping, then Brodie and Jennika had us down for some mock Cafe Rio, which was pretty dang close to the real thing.

 They put my parents to work doing domestic things while we were there...

JK Jennika! Actually, we just needed to use Jennika's sewing machine to make a burlap belt that I was inspired to create. Don't judge-it turned out cute and I love it. And my dad helped clean the kitchen while we sewed.

I really cannot wait to have my parents close by, it makes me so happy to think about I can't even imagine how fab it would be!