High Five For Friday

Another Friday is upon us (fist pump!) and I know we're all watching that clock waiting for 5:00. This has been a pretty awesome week for our little family. Here's what made our top 5:

1. We celebrated our second wedding anniversary on June 26th. Who says you can only eat cake on your one year anniversary? ;)

2. We are getting a new brother-in-law! Parker's sister got engaged this past weekend, and we are so excited for them!

3. I have been doing emergency procedure flashcards every night with Parker for flight school, and he stands there and bounces a tennis ball the entire time to practice spouting off the answers while distracted. Cutie.

4. It can't be a top 5 without somehow including my best girlfriend. Walks with little Jenny every day are so much fun.

5. It's Friday, and my lovely mother's birthday is this weekend. Winning!

What made your top 5 this week?

Linking up for Friday Blog Hop, Friday Favorites, H54F

Goal List: 10 Things To Accomplish This Summer

1. Float the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels and stay in the Hilton. This sounds ridiculous, but Parker and I went a couple months after we got married and stayed at the Hilton in New Braunfels, and it was the best night of sleep we have ever gotten. Seriously, we reference it in daily conversation.

2. Make something out of my French cookbook that I can actually pronounce. I have just limited myself greatly here.

3. Read at least one book. Come on Chelsea, you can do it.

4. Create a gallery wall for my office. I've been collecting things here and there and just need to sit down to piece it all together.

5. Run a 10K. I have been running every day on my lunch break, but I need a goal to work towards. I have been running 15-20 minutes a day, and it's getting a little too easy. I am all about the shortest work out possible, but maybe this goal will keep me out there longer. (Emily, be a dear and throw some motivation my way).

6. Create a scrapbook to chronicle our time in Florida. We want to do this with every place we are stationed. This is another just need to sit down to do it kind of thing.

7. Make airplane flashcards and memorize the T-6, T-45, F-18 (Growler, Hornet/Super Hornet), E-2, and C-2. I know some of these, but it would make Parker oh so happy if I could pick them all out of a line-up. Sadly they all just look like airplanes to me, so this is easier said than done.

8. Set aside a quiet time and really study the Bible. I have the Bible app on my phone and always read the verse of the day, but I know I need to do more.

9. Watch less reality TV and maybe read that book I talked about in number 3. Yeah right, this should really come off the list immediately. There are too many good shows coming on this summer. Big Brother, Bachelor Pad...yeah, this was a bad idea.

10. Actually do numbers 1-9. I'll let you know how this goes. ;)

What's on your to-do list for the summer?

2 Years

Two years ago today, Parker and I began our journey as husband and wife. It's crazy to think it's already been two whole years! In the big scheme of things, it's hardly a milestone, but so much has changed in our lives since the day we said "I do".

We've moved three times, lived in two different states, made new friends that turned into best friends, and laughed until our stomachs hurt at absolutely nothing. Our first dance at our wedding was to the song "I Thought I Loved You Then" by Brad Paisley. We still quote the lyrics to each other all the time, but it really is amazing how we thought we loved each other so much when we got married, but it doesn't even compare to how much we love each other now.

I am so excited to see what God has in store for us in this third year of marriage. Looking back at what we've already been through in the past two years, we feel completely humbled by all the blessings God has given us. Our marriage has been an absolute gift from God, and it's something we try to never take for granted.

We celebrated 2 years with a weekend getaway to Fredericksburg, and it was the perfect way to honor the occasion. We took our anniversary pictures this year on Enchanted Rock. Maybe hiking up a steep rock isn't the best thing to do before a photo op, but check out that background!

I love you Parker Phelps! Two years down, forever to go!

Fredericksburg

Parker and I decided to take a little anniversary getaway these weekend in honor of being married two whole years tomorrow! We'll use any excuse for a vacation, but this one happened to actually be legitimate. We have been to Fredericksburg once before and have been itching to go back ever since. It's such a cute, quaint little German town with wineries, museums, hiking, shopping, and awesome restaurants. Thankfully we did all the museum stuff last time (I'd love to say I am a history buff who enjoys museums, but I make an effort not to lie on the blog), so this trip was really laid back and fun.

Friday night we enjoyed a German dinner and knock your socks off ice cream. The dinner was fine. The ice cream deserves a gold medal. We treated ourselves to cones at Clear River Ice Cream Bakery Deli (that was a mouthful) both Friday night and Sunday morning. If you ever make it down there, try the Salted Caramel. It was probably the best ice cream I have ever had, and I am no stranger to the frozen sweets section.

After sleeping almost 11 hours, we headed off to climb the ever so famous Enchanted Rock. The entire rock is made of granite, and we had fun picking out which part we would want to be our kitchen counter. We were counting on the hike being more of an all day thing, but it was actually really quick. A short 20 minute trek later, and we were at the top. The views were gorgeous!

That would have been a great place for a picnic, so next time we will definitely pack a lunch. There were so many families hiking together, and it was fun talking about bringing future kiddos. Enchanted Rock for the win!

We had a nice little baja dinner that we weren't really hungry for due to the copious amounts of sampling we did in one of the shops we perused. 

I would love to say we did something cool afterwards, but we marched our little hineys to Redbox, bought a pint of ice cream, and vegged out in the hotel. This trip was different from most we take in that it was actually really relaxing. Most trips are go go go so we can see and do everything, but this little getaway was a chance to unwind and just enjoy each other. We were blessed to get to go and celebrate two years of wedded bliss!

Washington: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

I spent last week in Washington for a work trip, and let me tell ya, I had a week. I plan the trips myself, so I try to cram as much as I can into as few days as possible so I don't have to be away from Parker and Jenny for long (poor Parker would eventually run out of leftovers and microwavable chicken pot pies, and then he'd starve). Let's just say that all the cramming and not leaving any time for the unknown really came back to bite me. So without further ado, I present the good, the bad, and the ugly from my trip to Washington.

The Good: The Views

I'm from Texas, born and raised. I lived briefly in Florida, but I don't know what it's like to not live in the south. Beaches have become a dime a dozen and I break out into a full on sweat just taking Jenny for a quick walk. Washington was the antithesis of this. Gorgeous mountains, lush greenery, and cool weather made my week. Yes it rained. A lot, but seeing snow-capped mountains and needing a jacket in June was refreshing. I couldn't stop gushing to Parker about how beautiful it all was. I could definitely see us living there in a year, so we shall see! I saw most of the pretty views while driving, so I didn't get many pictures, but here are two I did manage to snap:

I took this from the plane- if you look closely, you can see the mountains above the clouds!

I made friends with the manager at the hotel I stayed at on my last night, and he graciously let me stay in the admiral's suite. Loved the view!

I also got to Facetime with my best girlfriend. As usual, she was not impressed.

The Bad: Two words- Lost. Luggage.

If this has ever happened to you, I sincerely feel your pain. This was a new experience for me, and it was inconvenient, to say the least. I arrived Tuesday afternoon and didn't receive my luggage until Wednesday afternoon. I was supposed to hold a PR event Monday evening and two Tuesday an hour away from my Monday one. Needless to say, I had to reschedule all of them while I waited for my luggage to be delivered. It was nobody's fault, but it sure made this trip difficult.

The Ugly: Questionable hygiene due to aforementioned lost luggage

Thankfully, I had my laptop and chargers in my carry-on, but the only clothes I had were those that were on my body. Also, all cosmetics were in my checked luggage. No deodorant, no toothbrush, no hairbrush. I'm sure my smell was offending the greater part of Seattle. I also got to hold impromptu PR events in Nike shorts. Professional, I know. Thankfully these events are for sailors and they are really laid back, but I might have taken the "laid back" feel to another level.

This trip wasn't textbook by any means, but I really just had to laugh at the unfortunate situations. Flight delays and lost luggage: ah the great American dream.

Strawberry-Lemon Cake Bars

I stumbled upon this recipe on my favorite foodie blog and was so excited to try it out. I've been itching to try different summer dessert recipes, and this one definitely didn't disappoint! This is a recipe you could probably make 100 different ways, so I'm excited to get creative with it next time. I modified the original recipe a bit, and it came out delicious! Try it!

Ingredients:

1 box strawberry cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. lemon extract
handful of coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, one egg, and oil and mix until crumbly. Take all but 1 1/2 cups of cake mixture and press into greased pan to make the bottom crust. Bake 10 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, beat remaining egg, cream cheese, sugar, and lemon extract with an electric mixer until creamy.
4. Spread cream cheese mixture over baked crust and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cake mixture. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake another 15-18 minutes.
5. Let cool and refrigerate before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy!

Feel like mixing it up? Instead of strawberry cake mix, try vanilla or lemon. Play with flavors by substituting the lemon extract for vanilla or almond extract. This recipe could be done so many ways, and I bet they would all be delicious!

Biggest Pet Peeve

I'm a pretty easy going person. I try to keep it cool and just brush things off when they annoy me, but there is one thing that fires me up in .01 seconds and causes me to rant for 10 minutes straight.

Texting and driving.

I know we have all done it before and some of us still do it daily, but there are few things in my mind more dangerous than texting while driving. I don't know about yall, but I hear this excuse all the time: I'm good at it. No, you're not. None of us are good at driving without our eyes. Are you Batman? Didn't think so. Here's my thing with it, and I realize this post is becoming kind of a rant (sorry- can't help it): not only are you risking your life by not focusing on the road, you are risking the lives of those around you who aren't choosing to text and drive. That just doesn't seem fair. I know it's hard, especially when you are driving a long way, but it can wait. When I had to drive 9 hours when we moved from Florida to Texas, my phone was going crazy with people texting and asking where we were, how the drive was going, etc. I felt badly not answering, but it could wait until we got to the next rest stop. It can always wait.

Highway Don't Care is one of my favorite songs right now. Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban in the same song? Yes please! I love the message they chose to convey in the song though. They know they have a voice and did an awesome act of public service by releasing this video. It's disturbing, but the raw emotion and truth is so powerful.

Sorry this post was kind of a downer. I think it's such an important message, and I don't think it can be reiterated enough. Maybe next time you get in the car, put the phone down and wait until you're off the road. It could save your life.

What are some of your biggest pet peeves?

Are You a No-Reply Blogger?

I am a little surprised I am writing this post. I had still have to google how to do almost everything when it comes to blogging, so me giving blogging advice is a little like the hippo telling the elephant how to get skinny. Well, here it goes anyway.

I think I speak for all bloggers when I say I love reading the comments yall leave on my posts. They make my day and I have loved meeting new people through that. Comments come to my email, I click reply, and about 50% of the time, this is what I reply to:

noreply-comment@blogger.com

 Obviously my email is going nowhere fast with that email address on the receiving end. Do you comment on blogs and wonder why nobody ever replies? If so, you might be a no-reply blogger. 

It's super easy to fix, and here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to do so. 

1. Go to your blogger dashboard and click the toggle arrow in the top right hand corner.

2. Click "Blogger Profile" in the pop-up box.

3. Click "Edit Profile".

4. Check the box that says "Show my email address".

Click "save profile" and you're done! I apologize to any seasoned bloggers I offended out there with my overly simplified tutorial, but I think I speak for many bloggers when I say we want to reply to your comments! Hopefully this helps!

Oh Hey Washington

As you are reading this, I am flying 2,000+ miles to Washington for a business trip. I've never been, so I am excited to check it out see the different bases we could potentially be stationed on one day. When I think of Washington, I think of this:

via

Perhaps this is slightly more picturesque than my views will be, but a girl can dream! I always jam-pack these trips so I have to be away from Parker and Jenny as little as possible, but I am looking forward to the next three days in a new state. Plus, now I get to add a pink star to Washington on our world map. I know this is a silly reason to be excited to travel, but it's fun seeing more and more stars on our map as time goes on!

Parker and I see this as a scouting trip to see if we would want to live here. When our time in Kingsville is over in a year, we could put Whidbey Island, WA at the top of our list and potentially end up there. This trip will likely determine if that happens or not, so I am taking good notes and can't wait to share my experience with Parker. We were talking about it this weekend and got so giddy with excitement. The next place we move will God willing be the first place we buy a house and the birthplace of our first child. Fun to think about! :)

I have a full week of posts lined up for you, so be sure to check back. Hope everyone has a fabulous week! I'll keep an eye out for Bill Gates and let you know if we become best friends and he decides to buy me a mansion. Apparently he's from Seattle, and I won't be too far from there, so it could happen, right? Again, a girl can dream!

USS Lexington

If we are within 100 miles of an old ship, you can bet that Parker is going to want to tour it. We saw the USS Alabama when we lived in Florida earlier this year. The USS Lexington is in Corpus Christi, so of course we were going to see it at some point in the next year. Saturday happened to be the day! This is definitely one of those "I love you so I'd love to go" type of things for me, but seeing the husband so happy really does make it totally worth it. So off we went!

Rockin' the squinty eyes

One thing I really appreciate about Parker is that he isn't a big reader in museums and old ships. He'd rather go home and read it on Wikepedia. Parker, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

We toured the ship at our pace and just enjoyed each other's company. This ship was in commission until 1991, so it was neat to think about the ship being active during our lifetime. Parker was a kid in a candy shop and loved exploring the different planes and rooms on board the ship. He probably got most excited when he found a tailhook (from the type of plane he is going to fly) lying around.

Our favorite part was touring the flight deck. Parker loves to quiz me on what kinds of planes are what, and he gets so excited when I get the right answer. Unfortunately, I'm horrible at that game and naming the right plane is a rarity, but you win some, you lose some. The T-2 in this picture is one of the few planes I can recognize almost every time. Too bad it's retired and he won't ever fly it. Like I said, you win some, you lose some.

After a few hours of exploring and a slight sunburn, our little adventure had come to an end. It was a Saturday well spent, and that's one more thing to cross off our Kingsville bucket list!

Blog Button Design Battle

This week I am honored to be in the Blog Button Design Battle hosted by Peacoats and Plaid. I came across the contest a week ago and thought why not! I don't necessarily think my button is the cats pajamas or anything, and I certainly don't think I'm the most technologically advanced in creating buttons among the group, but I'm excited to see which buttons receive the most votes. Feel free to vote for your favorite below. Hope you all are having a wonderful Saturday!!

Welcome to Round 1 of the Blog Button Design Battle: Season 2 with Peacoats & Plaid.

This week's participants include:

Chelsey from Patti Cake
Tehila from Women Abiding
Ellie from Creative Geekery
Chelsea from Anchors Aweigh
Luanne from 3380 Lady
Amanda from 3 Lil Apples
Stephanie from She Turned Her Dreams Into Plans
Andrea from From Mrs to Mom
Rachel from Well Worn Soles
Lisa from God, Make Me A Godly Woman

Vote for your favorite and most eye-catching button by clicking below. Make sure you're voting solely on eye appeal. You can only vote once, so make it count.


Check back next week for Round 2. If you're interested in participating in Season 3 of the Blog Button Design Battle, make sure you subscribe to Peacoats & Plaid for updates.

Celebrating Parker's Birthday and Discovering That There Is Life Outside of Kingsville

I apologize for that excessively long title. That might be a record for this little blog. Anyway, Wednesday we had the privilege of celebrating Parker's birthday! We still don't know much about our area, but we decided to get in the car and drive until we found a restaurant that looked promising. We left Kingsville and headed about 45 minutes away to Corpus Christi, and good grief, it's a real city! We have been in Kingsville for a month, where the only two chain restaurants are a Chilis and an IHOP, so venturing outside of our little town and back into civilization was a treat for our bellies. We drove all the way out to the water and found a restaurant right on the water that looked perfect. Of course we had to take pictures like the cheesy tourists that we are.

We ate a Harrison's Landing, and I just can't say enough good things about that place. Our table was overlooking the water, everyone was super friendly, and the food...oh my gosh, the food. It. was. good. It took a little time for our food to arrive, but we were in no hurry and loved looking out over the water and chit-chatting. Check out the view!

Parker had a steak that was good (I'm kinda of the opinion that if you've eaten one steak, you've eaten them all, but maybe I'm just a girl and steak is man food), and I had fish tacos that were out of this world. Exhibit A:

And it's fish, so it's healthy right? I realize it's on a tortilla, but hey, it's not pasta. Anyway, they were delicious and Parker was more than willing to help me finish what I couldn't eat. We went home to open presents and have birthday pie, but Parker said that little outing was the highlight of his birthday. We were both so excited to see that there is life outside of Kingsville, and dinner date nights over looking the water are hard to beat.

Linking up with Lindsey and Amy for Friday Favorites.

Sowing The Spiritual Seed

A couple of Sundays ago we discussed the parable of the sower at church. I've read the parable before, but I saw it from a completely different light and have been meditating on it's meaning. The parable can be found in Mark 4 of your Bible, but Jesus is speaking about sowing seeds on all kinds of soil.

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow, but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew, and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." - Mark 4:3-8

I am used to reading everything literally, but I am learning to process and understand the underlying meaning in these parables. Jesus isn't trying to give us a lesson in farming. He is telling us how to witness to others about our faith. I think it's hard as a Christian to tell others what we believe, because there is always a fear that we will be met with rejection or indifference. Jesus tells us in this parable that it won't always be rainbows and roses when we go out and spread the good news. Some people will receive the word, but as soon as they experience the trials and tribulations of this world, they will turn from it. Some will be immediately suffocated by the hatred and deceitfulness of the world. Some will flat out reject it. This reality can get discouraging, but there are some that will receive the word and let it transform their lives forever. I don't know about yall, but this is encouraging to me. Even if 1 out of every 10 people we speak to actually hear and receive the word, it's still one more person that is saved!

I saw this parable from a new perspective, and I find it completely freeing. Jesus wants us to witness to all people, but He doesn't expect us to make sure all these people become Christians and follow Him. He simply wants us to plant the seed, and He will take care of the rest. If you look at it that way, we really can't fail. Jesus simply wants us to plant the seed and then watch Him perform miracles. When given the chance, it is our job to speak about our faith and live out a Christ-like image to the best of our ability. We sow the seed, God grows the seed.

Don't put so much pressure on yourself when you witness to others. Know that it is your job to plant the seed in people's hearts, and watch God grow it into something beautiful and lasting.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20

Welcome to the 24 Club, Parker Lee!

Today is a very special day in the Phelps household. Today, we get to celebrate this handsome hunk's birthday!

Parker has joined the 24 club and is now only one year away from being able to rent a car without paying an underage fee. Sorry, I can't really think of anything super cool that happens at 24, so we'll go with the car thing. Parker and I decided when we got married that we would celebrate "birth weeks". It's nothing big or fancy, but I make all his favorite meals, he gets to pick the movies, weekend activities are his choice, etc. It makes having a birthday that much more fun, and Jenny and I have loved celebrating the guy in our lives this week. I kicked off Parker's birth week by surprising him with Game of Thrones on DVD, and sadly that gift will probably trump anything else I give him this year. Anyone else obsessed with that show? Since it's his birth week, I have no doubt we will be watching quite a bit of it.

I am so thankful Parker was born on this day 24 years ago. It's so neat to think that when God created Parker so many years ago, he thought about all that he would do and accomplish, but he also thought about us and the kind of marriage we would have. It just amazes me.

So here's to another great year, Parker Lee! You don't look a day over 20! No really, the waitress that carded you for that beer last weekend agrees with me ;).

Essie Nail Polish Giveaway!

I am so excited to be participating in this month's Favorite Things Giveaway! If you win, you get not one, not two, but 6 of your favorite Essie nail polish shades! Basically 1 color for each of the sweet ladies I am hosting with: Jill, Andrea, Kalyn, Chelsea, Jaime, and Lindsey.

You can pick any 6 colors you want. They can be bright and cheery - perfect for summer. Classic and neutral - perfect for any time. Or a mix and match of just about anything your heart desires.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!! Don't forget if you win and don't like nail polish, you can always ship them to me ;). Kidding kidding, hope you win!!

Home

I flew home to Dallas this past weekend for my baby sister's graduation luncheon. Yall, it was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. I got in the car and immediately set all my favorite radio stations from growing up, I drove by my old high school, I passed the neighborhood I used to run through, and I passed the tennis courts I spent countless hours playing on. Talk about nostalgia overload! My mom and sisters were all up there, and I got to stay in the house that embodies that home feeling for me. We've moved several times and have several places we call home, but my grandparents' house has been the same my whole life. This is the epitome of home:

I think not getting to come home very often makes it all the more special. Rarely ever are we all together anymore, so this weekend was extra special. The graduation luncheon was all fancy pants at The Mansion, so it was fun getting a little dressed up with everyone.

I really think my sisters and I could all pass as quadruplets. Not much gene variation going on over here!

We are so proud of our little graduate! Texas A&M in the fall for this girl! I also had to get a picture with one of my favorite people on the planet and the woman that made it all happen- the Nana.

We filled our bellies and laughed the entire meal. Ah, perfection. A good weekend has to include good food of course. Honestly though, I would have been just as happy sitting around the living room in my sweatpants swapping stories all weekend. My heart was so full being with so many people that I love. I missed Parker and little Jenny while they manned the fort back home, but this weekend was such a blessing. Danielle and I capped it off with a little twin sleepover. It really doesn't get much better than that for us.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

High Five For Friday

It's Friday, and I'm giving you all a virtual high five. There is just nothing like Friday at 5:00 and I know we are all watching that clock. Here's what made my top 5:

1. This little sister graduated from High School! This was so surreal for me because she is our baby sister, but I could not be prouder of her! She will attend Texas A&M in the fall just like my sisters and me. That's 4 for 4! Whoop!

2. I am excited to say I ran every day this week, and I have some lovely tan lines to prove it. National running day was apparently this week, so this seemed fitting.

3. Parker's birthday presents came in, and I was so excited to wrap them. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw this little poem I wrote. If I don't write a post Monday it's because I've been discovered as the next great poet.

4. We have a resident cat that likes to hang out under my car during the day. I was petting him as Parker watched from the window (poor guy is allergic), and I motioned to Parker that he might be thirsty since it's hotter than the sun in Kingsville. The next thing I new, out walks Parker with a bowl of milk for out little feline friend. I have no idea why, but seeing Parker walk out with milk like it was his mission was hysterical to me. I also laughed because I had cats growing up, and not once did we give them milk. However to Parker, this was the appropriate choice.

5. Jenny had a play date with one of her BFFs Louie, and they both crouched in the grass waiting for the other to make the first move. Hysterical.

I'm linking up with Lauren and Lindsey. 

Have a great weekend!!