Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The Life of an Arkie in West Texas

I'm so glad Kelly has decided to do this link-up. I love getting to know others through the stories they share on their blogs. The friends I have made in this way have helped me see the world from a different place and a different perspective. In fact I met my husband through Show Us Your Singles, and my life has changed dramatically since that January day in 2011!

My name is Avery, and I currently live in Midland, Texas, with my husband Cash and our 4 month old son Baby H. Before I moved here I was beyond blessed to be born and raised for 26 solid years in the great state of Arkansas. To this day I bleed Razorback red (WPS!) and am a proud UCA Bear (Da Bears!). I turn the dirty 30 this year, and Cash has promised to take me on a "tour of Arkansas" to celebrate. It is no doubt he loves me to his very core, because he is Texas through and through; but he lets me be an Arkie in a Texas world, and he loves me all the same.

these are the moments you miss: hanging out in the national forest playing on rocks
Growing up my parents had a small farm that they still operate to this day, so I love to chat with them and get my dose of country life by living vicariously through them via Skype. (Isn't technology amazing?!) I keep a Facebook page (Jethro Farms) and most recently an Instagram account (@jethrofarms) for them. I can't promise a weekly post, but I can promise some neat sightings of cows, peacocks, or various hunting seasons. To bring the country to me, I'm starting a new venture with backyard chickens in the near future. This will be something in a town of 120,000+!

Jethro Farms

Jethro Farms

After college I taught middle school for 4 years. I loved it and the people I worked with an incredible amount. But as I mentioned I met my husband in 2011, and I moved to his hometown once we were married in 2012. We had an amazing courtship, one I never dreamed of for myself as a little girl on the farm. I was lucky to blog through that time of our lives, and it's fun to reminisce on the adventures.
dating my boo thing and visiting some rigs

When I moved to Texas, I started working for a local bank that allowed me an awesome opportunity to help develop a Training Department. I would not trade those experiences for the world! Many of my closest friends in Midland are former co-workers, and I know God led me to that during that season of my life for the friendships that I was fortunate enough to make.

Currently I stay home with Baby H. This is a whole new ballgame for me! I try to dig into my inner-self, and I think down deep I could be real earthy and green. I like to think of myself as a bit of a hippy who has no hippy roots or abilities. I just like to think about it. So I do share on my blog about being a first-time mom, the woes of public breastfeeding, and what the heck I do with myself since I stay home now (mostly warm up my coffee 13 times a day so I can finish 1 cup). This is all new territory for me!

Cash and Baby H ready for a day on the golf course

hanging out with my little bird; as you can see
I am a bit Texas now with H's Cowboys paci

some days...this is how you feel
The hubs is a geologist for an oil & gas company. We also live in the hometown of George W. Bush. In fact Mrs. G.W. Bush grew up about 1 block from our home. While I think this is simply neat trivia, I guess it could give you an insight into some of our core beliefs.

the family came to visit, so this stop was a must

Some of my very favorite things to do are watching Razorback football (and all sports and teams, but mostly the Hogs), travel throughout Texas and Arkansas to see some local flavors (we used to travel a bit farther, but you know...baby), and volunteer in our church & community. I also live for the days that my Southern Living and hometown newspaper arrive at my doorstep. My heart is entrenched in the South, and I am currently loving down-home recipes like buttermilk biscuits and simple home decor like galvanized buckets. I perhaps also like a tad bit of gossip, but I am working on that. (Don't judge me.)

In the summer we spend a lot of time with my in-laws at baseball games and having cookouts in their backyard. We look for any reason to celebrate, and some of my favorites are the Kentucky Derby, 4th of July, and good weather. We also celebrate bad weather. I mean, in Midland, Texas, we really will celebrate anything except these plunging oil prices.

celebrating Claytie's 80th birthday with my friend Barb at one of the infamous Ranch Parties

2012 election party

crawfish boil at the in-laws'
Over this next year I plan to devote my "other than the baby" energy to Women's Ministry, those backyard chickens, and writing a historical fiction book based loosely on my bootlegging ancestors. And I do hope there is some Monday night Bachelor viewing in there as well.

That's me. I do hope I get to know you and can't wait to read your stories. This life is crazy, but these things don't just happen, you know?

Keep wandering...
Avery*Jane

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

When in Waco

Little H has been all over Texas (and some of Arkansas) in his short life. This weekend was no different as my mother-in-law and I met up with my mom, sister, and "Hub mom" in Waco. We had decided to attend the Beth Moore Living Proof Live event and of course double down on our time in Wacoland while shopping at all the Fixer Upper hot spots!

The conference lasted Friday night and Saturday morning. We have always enjoyed learning from Beth Moore, but at the LPL events my favorite thing is usually Travis Cottrell and his beautiful music. I was raised on some good ol' gospel music, and I don't get as much of it in the Anglican church as I did in the Baptist church of my youth so it was a real treat to have praise & worship like I used to know.

That Beth can jump. And move. And get you filled up with the Gospel.

Beth doing her thing!

My 3 moms ready for LPL!
my sissy & me
After the conference (maybe even a tiny few minutes before it was over), we headed over to Magnolia Market. I had heard it would have a long line to get in, and I was afraid all 7,000 women from the conference would be in a rush to get over there.

comin' at ya, MM!
The line was long, but honestly it moved so fast that we could barely even snap pictures while waiting. They had some really neat stuff, but I ended up just getting a canister and 2 t-shirts. My very own Santa had given me a Magnolia Market gift card for Christmas, so I wanted to use it on something special. But if I wanted anything big I probably would order it online so I wouldn't have to carry through the busy store. Just me though.

Sis & me at MM

the silos

the ladies ready to shop!

my MIL & I at MM

something new is happening at the silos!
One really cool thing they have done is set up a food truck area in the back. My MIL and I ate Milo's. Shut the front door. It was soooo good! We both got a buttermilk biscuit with sweet tea fried chicken (that's a real thing!), an egg, bacon, and spicy honey mustard. So that buttermilk biscuit recipe I posted last week? Yeah, it's going to be used again real soon.

behind MM at the food truck area

food trucks at MM

Aunt Sis and Baby H-y

Down the street was another store called the Foundery or something like that. It was really cool too and not near as crowded. I actually bought more there than I did at MM.

Then we headed to Harp Design Co. What's really cool is that their renovated house is next door to the shop, so we got to see it from the outside. I always loved that episode of Fixer Upper, but the house was even more gorgeous in person.

Mom, me, Sis, and H at Harp
Cash found us this awesome rental house in Aquilla right outside of Waco on VRBO. It was on a gorgeous farm, and we had free range to just relax and do whatever. Saturday night we went back to the house and ate sandwiches and dips while chatting about life back home in the A-R. Probably my favorite part of the trip. Hands down. I love those 4 women, and it was so relaxing to just hang out and eat a sandwich. For crying out loud, ladies, we need to get together and just eat sandwiches sometimes. Am I right?!

campfire chats
coffee around the campfire out on the ranch
I've always felt like I don't have a group. You know what I mean? I have lots of friends, but I don't have this group that just does stuff together. I've never done a girls' weekend with friends or had a bunco group or whatever. I think most women (I can't be the only one) crave gal pals. And really I don't like being gone from my hubby very much, so I probably am okay with no big girls' trips or things too far from the house. But I've been kind of down on myself for not really finding my place. This weekend I sat there and thought how silly I've been. I do have that; it's just not a group totally my age all in one place. And that's great because they are my people!

I have my mom and sister. They're my rocks. I have the Hub...a group of my parents' closest friends. I have my in-laws who live just a few blocks away, and my MIL has more friends than I can count. And each one of these people invite me into their lives. They let me do me. And they love me unconditionally. My heart is overflowing this week thinking of my blessings.

My mother-in-law and I were headed back to MTown enjoying good conversation (really, perhaps the greatest gift my husband has shared with me is a friendship with his mom) when we passed this truck...

this little piggy went to the market...
What can I say? Even when I am heading home, a little piece of Arkansas travels with me. Woo Pig!

I hope you all have a chance to go to Waco and see all the cool stuff. And even more than that, I hope you all have a friendship (or 2 or a whole group) that makes you know how special you are too.

Keep wandering...
Avery*Jane