Happy end of February, y’all! February always seems like its going to be short, but we typically manage to pack a lot in and make it seem just as long as every other month, haha! Here’s a little recap of our month linked up with Shay!

What We’re Eating…

Monday– salmon, steamed rice, green beans, and cheddar garlic biscuits

Tuesday– steaks, scalloped potatoes, black eyed peas

Wednesday- Philly cheese steak sandwiches, chips, fruit salad

Thursday- stuffed chicken alfredo shells, salad, garlic bread (Steven says this is his absolute favorite, and I agree, it is really delicious!)

Friday- leftovers from Thursday (this is one of the few things my people will gladly eat leftover!)

Saturday-Sunday– we are smoking a brisket during the day on Saturday for dinner that night, and then leftovers Sunday, possibly Monday as well, depending on how big this brisket is 😉

What I’m Reminiscing About…

The end of February/ beginning of March is a big “memory zone” for us!

7 years ago on February 26, these babies got engaged…

And six years ago on March 5, these babies got married…

And two years ago on March 2 (Texas Independence Day!), we closed on the ranch! (We had one baby with one baby on the way at this point, so I don’t think we were really babies anymore, haha!)

I’m not really sure what other major life happenings we’ll have in the future, but chances are they will happen in the last week of February to first week of March!

What I’m Loving…

•  Shed Rain Unbelievabrella– I come from the land of West Texas where on the rare occasion it’s raining, the wind is likely also blowing so ridiculously that an umbrella is more of a hindrance than a help. But here is central Texas, it actually rains a lot more and the wind is decently under control so you can use an umbrella like a normal person, haha! I love this umbrella because it’s double lined, and essentially inverted, so when you close it after being in the rain, the top folds on itself and the wet part is on the inside instead of dripping all over the outside.
• Phone Holder for Peloton Bike– I used to use one of the bike cupholders for my phone, and the other for water, but depending on the ride, sometimes I want more than one bottle of water and need the extra cupholder. Obviously, I’m not like using my phone during rides, but I feel like it needs to be close in case of emergency, and this allows for it to sit right on top in between the handlebars. You don’t have to make any permanent changes to mount it, and it’s really sturdy. I also used it a few weeks ago to set up my Kindle when I wanted to just ride and read at the same time and it worked really well!
• Wilton 3 Tier Collapsible Baking Rack– I love having cooling racks for when I bake cookies, etc., but hate all the space they take up. This is essentially the footprint of one baking rack, but it expands to 3 tiers so you get triple the space. I was able to fit about 2.5 dozen cookies the last time I used it- love the functionality!

What I’ve Been Up To…

February was short but jam packed! We started the month off with an actual snow day! The first Wednesday of February was a day of non-stop rain as temps plummeted, so we got a good layer of ice with a small topping of snow that shut everything down for Thursday and part of Friday. We all got to stay home together on Thursday, and then Steven had to go in Friday for some scopes while we stayed in for another day of snuggles and hot cocoa. That weekend, Steven and I dropped the kids with my parents on Saturday and went to the ranch to check on the herd after the storm (it got much colder and more snow up at the ranch). Unfortunately, we experienced a little rancher heartbreak while we were out there. We purchased two bred cows back in the summer that were due to calve any time between Christmas and April, and one had her calf during the storm and it didn’t make it. I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself emotionally tough, but that felt like a whole different level of sad for that mama, and I just stood on the road and cried while Steven got it taken care of. I know it won’t be our last ranch heartbreak, but I’m hoping it’s a long time before something else so I have some time to get a little tougher!

The next week, Livy got to have Daddy come to school for Hot Dogs with Super Dads (an early Father’s Day/ pre- Super Bowl celebration)…

On Friday, we got to be part of a surprise birthday party for their long-time nanny, Bebe…

And then we hit the PRCA rodeo in town on Saturday for an early celebration for Livy’s birthday!

Monday was Valentine’s Day, and we had a quiet homemade lasagna dinner at home because Steven was on inpatient hospital call Monday-Wednesday. I got to head in to school on Tuesday morning for sister’s Valentine’s party, and then a little early birthday celebration with Bebe and Pa Wayne after school.

And on Wednesday, we woke up with a 4 YEAR OLD! It feels like she was born yesterday, but also just a lifetime ago, and I feel like I can’t even remember what life was like without her! She is just the sweetest, funniest, goofiest, most adventurous, most kind hearted, and most fun little girl, and we are so blessed to be her parents.

Grammy and Pop Pop came down for the day to celebrate her birthday and I came home to everyone spoiled rotten, haha! 😉 On Thursday, we had a full day of preschool (with snacks for her birthday- I picked up these because her school is dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and nut free, and apparently they were a hit!), followed by a 4-year-old well check, dance class, and then dinner with friends to celebrate her birthday since Steven came off call. We met at a local place that makes wood fired pizza with a really nice walled-in playground for the kids to run around, but a cold front blew in about lunch and we were freezing the entire time! (Literally, it was in the 30s! 🥶). On Saturday, we went back up to the ranch to check on the herd, and have lunch with Gran and Bud for Livy’s birthday. This was our first weekend in a little while that the weather was actually nice enough to ride around in the Gator and we had so much fun!

What I’ve Been Working On…

Nothing super out of the ordinary, just working to keep everything on track!

What I’m Excited About…

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but the Texas Tech men’s basketball team is doing pretty well right now, y’all! Wreck ’em!

What I’m Watching/ Reading…

We are one episode from finishing up the current installment of 1883, but I think that’s about all we’re watching right now. We watched a teaser interview with Taylor Sheridan a week or two ago about all his new shows coming to Paramount+, and we’re excited about 1932, Land Man (based on the Boomtown podcast series from Texas Monthly), and 6666.

I’ve read these 9 books since the last What’s Up Wednesday installment, and you can check out my January Book Review here (for my thoughts on the others I read in January, plus the first 2 pictured here that I read at the end of January after WUW), and check back on March 8 for my February book review for the other seven plus anything else I finish this month (which will hopefully be at least one, maybe two more!).

What I’m Listening To…

I have small children, so obviously, it’s all Encanto, all the time. I don’t want to talk about Bruno, y’all. 😂

{But can we all agree that “Surface Pressure” is a low key anthem for moms?? Anyone with me?} 🤣

What I’m Wearing…

Well, it’s moving from winter into spring in Texas, so there’s no telling what I’m wearing on any given day, or part of the day, really. Last Thursday, I dropped Livy at preschool in thin joggers and sandals, and had to change at lunch into a sweater, jeans, boots, and my heavy coat 🤷‍♀️ Monday this week was in the 80s and tomorrow there’s another chance for snow. That’s just February in Texas!

What I’m Doing This Weekend…

We are planning to smoke a brisket on Saturday, and then eat a lot of brisket the rest of the weekend 😂 Steven is on call for advanced endoscopy so we’ll be hanging out here in town.

What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month…

Every day we get a little closer to moving! While I’m terrified of everything that needs to get done in between now and then, ultimately, we’re just excited to get there!

What Else is New…

While Livy was having a hot dog with her Super Dad, Henry and I were ranching it up at home 😂 This is a set up mostly of his own design and he had the most fun opening and closing gates and moving his cattle around. #babyrancher

Henry also got multiple hair cuts this month. He started out looking like Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber with his wild long hair (pic 1), and I took him to Locker Room Cuts for a trim up to try to keep it long (pic 2). He looked super handsome and put together for just about that day, and then it grew out super quickly and started looking wild again. So, he sat atop a Yeti cooler last weekend while his daddy buzzed him with a #3 clipper guard (pic 3). I think his little self is precious no matter what, but the shorter hair does make him look older to me, so I’m a little partial to the longer hair. But shorter is way less maintenance and expense, two things I can definitely get on board with!

My favorite Valentines! ❤❤❤

And I think that’s about all for February! Thanks for stopping by!