Off Season

The football "off season" is the fastest moving slow paced time you can imagine.
I don't really do any special projects at the house, I don't see many of my friends, I don't do a lot of shopping or crafts. I really just spend as much time as possible with my husband.

The coach and I spend this time going out to dinner, making quick trips to the beach, we watch a lot of movies, we go on bike rides and we spend as much time at home as we want. It's a great thing. But it means I have less time and interest in blogging and for that I am sorry. I feel like now that it's almost February I really probably owe you an update.

In November the coach and I went to St. Augustine for the weekend. And while technically it was still football season, because Armwood was still in the playoffs, I'll consider this weekend away worthy of a post. It was The Coach's 26th birthday and as one of our Pre-baby goals is to take lots of little trips- this weekender was perfect.

At the Fort, trying not to fall off the unfenced edge.

This was one of the stops on our Birthday Pub Crawl. This picture was taken from the 2nd floor of a cool Irish Pub.

A post breakfast walk on the beach.

In December, after surviving the stress of the last few days in public education before a holiday, the Coach and I headed to Kentucky for 10 days....10 days. I was happy to see both the Coach's family and some of my extended family during a quick weekend to Illinois but I will say that it was COLD. And after 6 months of living in Tampa I'll admit that I had completely forgotten how cold it is there and I had certainly forgotten how badly cold weather can suck. When we arrived back in Tampa,I had never been so happy to see 75 degree temperatures in my life.

Man with a baby.

Holding our newest nephew, Grayson Christopher, on Christmas Eve.



Christmas Day!

Upon our return to school in January we decided to take an evening and head to Clearwater for dinner and some coffee...it turned into dinner, coffee, a 5 block walk in a 2 block area and a HUGE fight. Yes people, we do fight. It's rare now-a-days (knock on wood) but it does occur. This particular fight was absurd AND I'll spare you the gory details. Luckily we survived it ;-)


This dress was my Lilly Pulitzer New Year's Day sale. I adore it...and I think I need this giant chair for our backyard, don't you think?
 

 This past weekend was sensational. It was the most incredible weather here in Tampa and I actually got some sun...January-sun-amazing. Saturday morning I went to Orlando with a fellow teacher from my school to present at an arts integration conference. It was a great experience and a wonderful opportunity for me, I was honored to present with such a wonderful educator at such a wonderful conference.


The Keynote was from the Kennedy Center, he was excellent.

We hurried home following our presentation so that the Coach and I could make it to the Gasparilla Parade. It's the highlight of the winter here and we had the most wonderful time smoking cigars and drinking at the home of a family friend who live in a gorgeous condo overlooking Bayshore Blvd. It was the perfect day. We were able to enjoy the Parade without Port-a-Potties and access with air conditioning!

Recycled outfit, I know. Don't judge. Oh and P.S. I cut my hair!

Bayshore Blvd and Tampa Bay :-)

Today was the icing on the cake! After Church we picked up a Chicken Tender Sub from Publix and headed to the floating dock just a block away from my parents home. I was shocked when the Coach told me I'd never taken him there! While I didn't have any specific memories of taking him there I thought surely I must have during one of our visits home but apparently not. This dock was the end of the daily bike rides I took every summer from the time I was 9 years old until I was old enough to climb into my high school boyfriends pick up. Then it became a place for sunbathing, writing, praying, crying and singing along to the sound of an acoustic guitar. It's where I learned to fish and the place I began my first canoe trip. My surprise 17th birthday party was in the shady clearing just up the hill and being back there today felt like being 14 again. We laid on the dock listening to Pandora on the Coach's phone like a boombox and soaked up the sun and fed the minnows. And I remembered why we'd come home to stay.

#withmywholeheartformywholelife

I am so sorry that I've been out of touch. Maybe now that we're caught back up I'll be able to stay on it and keep you posted. I hope your lives are going in the right directions- I always love getting your emails so please keep 'em coming! Oh, and thanks Tracie for the motivation I need to get back to blogging ;-)

Love & Peace.