3 Day Weekend...

Three day weekends are the best....  And surprise three day weekends are even better.

On Thursday, all of my kids kept saying, "Mrs. Wainscott, you know it is supposed to snow tomorrow!"  I just chuckled to myself thinking no way here in LA....  

Well they sure called it!  Not snow... but a tad icy.  Who would have ever thought!  I got up, showered, full make-up and clothes and then checked my school email!  Not smart Heather...  Now it was 6:09 am, and I was ready to go to work... it was back to bed for me!

 Treacherous snow day

It's amazing how much you can get done with one extra day....  Love it.

Friday we had a FABULOUS dinner with our friends Rachel and David!  David cooked a feast.... He could of fed at least 20 hungry people.  Smoked chicken, ribs, with Texas Caviar, collared greans, rolls, and for dessert a white chocolate bundt cake!  Roll me out of there!!!
 
I brought the appetizer and the wine.  I made another recipe from my Friends and Family cookbook - spinach dip with a toasted baguette.....  Thanks Christy Hodges!  DELISH...  Brad said it was sad that it took us going to dinner at a friend's for me to cook....  Such a fun night with lots of laughs!

Saturday and today were full of graduate work and grading 22 3rd grade writing papers....  OH DEAR.  The Louisiana writing rubric for 3rd graders is a BIT insane.  WOW!  I thought Texas's was rigorous.  This one takes the cake.  So hard for 8 and 9 year olds.   

If you have to grade papers, might as well do it while getting a pedicure!

 Yummy brunch from Coffee Rani after church.  I just discovered this restaurant and love it!

This afternoon I went and saw a movie alone.  Gosh I love seeing a movie all by myself.  Brad had zero desire to see this one, so I went and saw August; Osage County.  

OK - Dysfunctional on so many levels, and the language was a bit vivid, but the acting was great.  Julia and Meryl were amazing.  Definitely not a "feel good" movie.  Just a warning.  And guys would totally hate it.  Save the money girls!

Will leave you with another 3rd grade funny.  I nearly spit my water out at the nail salon when I read these two sentences...  Oh my.

 Check out the last two sentences of paragraph two.  Yep.  At least it didn't say, "That bridge is older than Mrs. Wainscott!"

Have a great week everyone.  "Supposed" to have ice again on Tuesday.  Hmmm...

One can only hope!

Love,

~H

 

 

 

Snow Day.... (or lack there of)

Well - We are having a snow day here in Louisiana today!  I am NOT COMPLAINING one bit!  Woohoo.....  We were off Monday for MLK holiday and NOW we are off today.  

These three day weeks are the BEST....

Here is our snow day....

 Yep folks... Here it is!  WOOHOO.  Now it was sleeting this morning, but that is about it.  The roads are fine.  Already been to Starbucks and the grocery store.

Now on to catch up on my recorded shows, laundry, and maybe I'll sneak in a nap.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love,

~H

 

Teacher and Student...

Well, it has happened...  I started back to graduate school last Monday!  I took off a year to plan a wedding, get married, move to Louisiana, and just settle into the role of a "newlywed".  The break has been wonderful, but it was time....

I only have one year left, so before we have little Wainscott's running around the household,  I need to get this DONE...  

It is not that bad at all.  All online.  Five weeks on and one week off for each three-hour class.   We have our syllabus already for this class.  Each week's assignment is due at midnight every Sunday.   I am super crazy and Type-A about getting it all done during the week, so Brad and I can have our weekends to hang out aka watch football...:)

This will pretty much consume my life, but less than 365 days away - I will have my Master's in Education Administration.  Woohoo!  That makes it all worth it...  

 My fabulous office (Right next to the bar.  That was strategic)....  Oh gotta love apt. living especially when the bulk of your furniture is in storage.  So fancy I know!  Can't wait for a house.

I am loving a King Cake!  OH MY.....  We bought this one this weekend.  Cream cheese filling.  To.die.for....  We devoured half of it and I threw the rest away.  It was time to step away from the King Cake.

 

Hope everyone has a great (short) week!  Oh how I love these 4-day weeks...

Love,

 

 

~H

Birthday Fun...

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time...  It was Stephanie's 40th birthday and she decided on NOLA for the the birthday party destination.  

I was completely ELATED with that of course.

Stephanie is one of the best people I know.  She would do anything, I mean ANYTHING for anyone.  Such a giving, loving and generous friend with an infectious laugh!  I could be in the middle of Times Square with Beyonce performing a street concert with tens of thousands of her bff's, hear" that" laugh and know STEPH was there!  Very distinct and I can't get enough of it...Miss her terribly.

There were 14 of us....  What an amazing time!  Got to see some of my dearest friends/ and their significant others and meet some new ones...

And we had two momma's to be with us.  Lydia and Lindley were complete CHAMPS.  New Orleans is not the best place to be pregnant; the constant walking, wine, hurricanes, hand grenades, you name it.  They were TROOPERS!

I will let the pics do all the talking...

 The birthday girl!

 Three of my favorite people!

Can I just talk about the food this weekend we, meaning myself, indulged in?!?!  Jacques Imo's, Irene's, Port of Call, Surrey's, and the lists goes on.......  Jacques Imo's has the most amazing appetizer called the "Alligator Cheesecake!"  It is the most ridiculous I have ever had.....  It is a MUST if you go there (Top right picture).

 Saints fans out and about!  Not a great day of football for Louisianans..

 Looking for art.

Geralie, Steph, me, Momma Herring and Tess

Because it is normal to train your dog to lie in a handmade coffin for 30 minute intervals and ask for $ for a proper burial.  Only in NOLA. This guy was killing it - Smart dude!

Everyone needs a fleur de lis on their bald head.

 Fun times with the mommas-to-be!  

Because you can't go to Bourbon Street without the Cat's Meow!

 The Herring's/Wainscott's at Stephanie's bday dinner at Irene's, one of our faves!

 Steph and Brian

Manny Randazzo's king cake for the bday girl!

She got the baby.  Steph, you are now a MOM!

What an amazing, fun weekend in the city.  My stomach still hurts from all the laughing I did.  I was real, real sad Sunday afternoon when I realized it was over and the gang was back to Texas.  Might have shed a tear or 2,734.  Poor, poor Brad...such a trooper!

Until next time friends....

I will leave you with a funny.  This picture cracks me up for some reason.... Sweet 8 & 9 year olds!

 Well, it is phonetically correct.  God bless him...

Have a great week everyone!

Love

~H

 

Last Week of Freedom...

Well, the end of the Christmas break has come....  Although I say that with a headache right now, I was kind of ready to get back into a routine.  I do so much better on a schedule.  I can waste some time like no other...  SO it was time to get back to normal!

The last week off back in LA was full of gyming, errands, sleeping, napping, lunching, reading, etc....  I know some of my friends are rolling their eyes right now (Ralna, Cass, Lisa, Lindley, Lindz and Christy to name a few:) I need to treasure these days of FREEDOM because when the Wainscott's have a kid or two, those days are few and far between...

Not many pics this week, but here are a few.

 New Year's Dinner with our friends Dustin and Stephanie at Ruth Chris in Nola...  

(Asleep by 11:15 - WILD night!)

On Thursday, we went to the Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. OU.  What a great game it was!  We just knew it was going to be a blood bath.  Boy were we wrong!  Since Tech was not playing, we decided we might as well cheer for another Big 12 team: OU.  Our cheering obviously worked!

Of course we had to stop by Harrah's pre-game.  That's always an awesome plan.  Brad's idea of course...

Pre-Game Pic!

After the game - CRAZINESS!

But nothing tops this video, nothing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPojG4XpLAY

I have watched this video about 30 times since Friday.  Video GOLD... Yet so embarrassing for her and her family.  But the fact that her hair barely moved throughout the yelling, body surfing and her mean kicks, that was IMPRESSIVE!

 I need some of that stuff ASAP...

Cannot hardly wait for this weekend.  Three of my dearest friends and their boyfriends/husbands will be HERE to celebrate Stephanie's 40th ok, 21st birthday...   Lots of laughs, food, shopping, and hurricanes to come!  Cannot wait to see them all.

Hope you all had a great Monday!  It was so good to see my kid's smiling faces today.  Missed them - I really did,  I promise...

Love~

H

1,432 Miles of Christmas Fun...

WOW!  What a whirlwind last week was....  Not only being with friends, family and all of our favorite people, but bonding with my hubs over 1,432 miles in our car...  Nothing brings you together like a little road trip!

It started off  in San Antonio, then off to Dallas, then out to Rockwall and back home to LA on Sunday!  WHEW....  

NOW that's a lot of bonding time!  Brad did finally ask me for some duct tape around 9:45 Sunday night, 30 minutes outside of home...  I call that a successful trip!

First stop was San Antonio to visit Brad's family.  We stayed on the RiverWalk Tuesday night and it was GORGEOUS - gorgeously packed.  Dear Lord - People love to celebrate Christmas Eve on the River...

Our beautiful hotel -Omni la Mansion Del Rio...

First Christmas Eve as hubby and wife...  Love him.

Christmas Eve cocktails... Brad trying be "artsy!"

The next day we went to Brad's Grandma's house.  She is just a complete doll.  She never sits down; cooking, cleaning, making sure everyone has been taken care of, never worried about herself, etc.  What a woman!

Brad carving the turkey.  He was a "pro"!  

Carb anyone?

 Brad, his sweet grandparents and mom.

 Beautiful Debra!  What a fabulous mom Debra is.  Brad just adores her and I completely get it.  She is an amazing woman and wonderful mother-in-law.  So lucky to have her in my life.

Then we were off to Dallas to see friends and the Hodges Clan!  

"AAHH" - Love the Dallas skyline lit up for Christmas.

DO NOT BE JEALOUS - This was our Christmas Dinner folks.... SO healthy.

Met these sweet girls for brunch at Breadwinner's on Friday morning.  Love my old Lakewood co-workers.  So many were out of town, but these three we not!  Love you Carrie, Lorena and Steph.

Met up with these friends too.  Brad's two best Dallas buddies: Chris and Mike!  Had such a great night with these special people.  Sweet Jaylen.  She is as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside.. (And the best wedding make-up artist!)  What a fun night!

We met up with Joe and Danna too at a new Mexican restaurant in Frisco.  OH MY....  It was amazing.  Dallas people - A MUST EAT - called "Mexican Sugar" at the Shops of Legacy.  Now we waited an hour, but it was well worth it.  (And the drinks made it go by fast!)

 The food was out of this world.  Carnitas tacos, elote, homemade salsa, etc....  

We will be back!

Because I hadn't had enough carbs, let's order two desserts; A pumpkin flan and a chocolate avocado cake.  Words cannot describe how happy I was after eating inhaling the two desserts.  Disclaimer: 4 people shared these.  Not just ME!

Here are the family Christmas Eve pics from all around TX:

Sweet Slade, Lindz, Knox and Briggs

 Sweet Cody, Christy and Marlowe

Love these two - Bebo and Bob.

Now for the Hodges Clan Christmas...

It was NON-STOP fun with the three kids!  I always wonder - What did we do, focus our attention, stare at, etc... before these three loves were around?  As always, I only have kid pics...  Never really any great adult pics!  SO here we go:  

Let's just say that one of the brothers LOVES himself a costume.  He may or may not have mailed Christmas cards (in addition to the "real" ones) of this hot elf named "Chester" to 40+ lucky recipients.  I have no words...  Dear, sweet Christy - she is one lucky GAL!:)

Uncle Brad with lil MJ.

Someone loved him an onion ring.  Devoured at least 8....

Bob and Briggs having a moment.

Slade and the three loves! Rare moment of stillness.

Knox driving us to "Chicken Express" for some chicken.

 Brigg's was happy to sit by the chips!

Strike a pose sister

One of the best gifts I purchased this year - The Doc's Coat.  I think it was a definite hit!

He said this was his serious doctor's face...

Checking out Bebo

 He was amazed that there were 2 of him! 

Grandmother - granddaughter moment...

Our favorite 4 yr. old...

Sweet Dad and daughter moment...  

What a sweet day Sunday was.  Marlowe Jane was dedicated at church.  Both sides of the family and tons of friends were there.  What a special day for Cody, Christy and Marlowe. Not a dry eye on any of us!

Nothing like a TX size chicken fried steak, fried okra, mashed potatoes and a roll to round out our Texas Christmas.

Back to the gym MONDAY morning.  After eating my way throughout the last week, it's time to get serious about the food I am putting in my mouth (or maybe I should skip a few meals). I am seriously nauseous thinking about it ALL...  But boy - It was DELICIOUS FUN!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.  One more week off til school starts back up.  Hoping the next 6 days creep by - SLOWLY!

Happy New Year Everyone!  What a fun, exciting, and life-changing year 2013 was.  I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for the Wainscott's~

Love~

H