Happy Birthday, Henderson!!

Last Saturday was Henderson's birthday.  We started the weekend off with a Pathfinder's social.  Emily made a delicious birthday cake for Henderson and we all sang Happy Birthday!  Such a fun night with sweet friends!

Of course I had to make a collage of my favorite pictures for Facebook!

We started the Saturday off by heading to Waffle House for a little birthday breakfast and then unwrapped his birthday gifts - a fit bit, a new wallet, and some meat claws.

Then it was on to Dallas to Day Drink!  We started at Ascension Coffee and Wine Bar.  Probably won't be going back there.  It was okay, but not really what we wanted.  

Next up was Ivy Kitchen where we had the best cocktails!  I had the Baja Martini and Henderson had the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade (which we'll have to make for our Kentucky Derby Party).  

We decided to order their Pimento and Cheese Dip and they gave us two glasses of champagne since it was Henderson's birthday!  

We're going to have to go back to try their other cocktails!

Then it was time for dinner at Ruth's Chris!

Such a great dinner and day celebrating my favorite person.  Happy Birthday, Henderson!!

V-Day Weekend

Such a fun weekend celebrating Valentine's Day with my love.

My go-to basket for Valentine's Day for Henderson always includes a never-tried-before bottle of whiskey and some fun snacks.  Always a hit!

I got some roses, chocolates, and a canvas wrap of one of our wedding pictures to hang over the mantle.  

For Christmas Mimi gave us a membership to the Dallas Arboretum so since it was such a pretty day, we decided to take a picnic.  We had chicken salad, fruit salad, and broccoli salad.  We weren't the only ones who had this idea.  The place was packed!  

For dinner, we didn't really have any plans so we took some Omaha steaks we had in the freezer and I rounded up some pasta ingredients from the pantry.  We opened up a bottle of our wine club wine and had such a nice, practically free dinner!  

Hope you all had a Happy Valentine's Day!

Short Hair Don't Care and Fort Worth Saturday

I got a haircut yesterday and it is taking some getting used to.  Even though I didn't lose all of my hair during chemo, it was getting super thin.  I only had a few long strands and it looked so bad to wear it down.  Also, my bald spots have started to grow in so I had some super short (darker) hair and less than 20 long strings of hair.  I told Debbie (my hairdresser) that I trusted her and I let her go!  Cutting it off makes it look so much thicker!!  And as I've told my friends, it looks like a normal haircut now and not like I'm losing my hair.  

At first I was really upset.  I felt like my family and I had worked so hard to keep my hair and now it was gone.  But I put on some makeup and instantly felt a lot better.  As my mama says, "It's just hair."  And I've had a long time to get used to short hair; it's not like I lost my hair overnight - this has been over 7 months in the making.  

Before chemo, at least two strangers a week would compliment me on my red hair.  I've really missed those random compliments.  The coolest thing was Saturday when Henderson and I were in a shop in the Stockyards a lady was walking by and said, "I love your beautiful red hair!"  It was just the greatest feeling!  So glad to be that much closer to "normal."

After my haircut and some yard work, Henderson and I headed to Fort Worth for the day.  

Cowtown Rita at Risky's BBQ - one of my fave cocktails!

After lunch, we had to do some photo ops in the stockyards.

We then stopped at The Love Shack for some drinks and to listen to some live music.  This is the coolest little outdoor bar.  Can't wait to go back!

Selfie time!

For dinner, Erin Boss and her husband Chris picked us up and took us to the Tavern.  Such fun catching up with them!!!

After dinner they dropped us off at Billy Bob's.  We bought tickets a few weeks ago for Sara Evans and we were pumped to see her in concert!  

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She didn't start until 10:30 so we watched the bull riding.  One of Henderson's clients is over the bucking bulls at the bull riding at Billy Bob's so we got to be his guests.  We even got to meet the owner of Billy Bob's!  

Not going to lie - the setup of concerts at Billy Bob's is strange.  But Sara Evans was amazing as always!!!

It was so great to get out of the house for a few hours.  Love Saturdates with the hubs!!

Bestie Reunion!

A couple of Fridays ago, I left work at 5:30 and headed to the airport to pickup my bestie, Katie!!!!!  Even though Katie and I talked to each other 3-5 times a week, we hadn't seen each other since her wedding on May 31, 2014.  She has been wanting to come visit for so long but January was the first time we both had nothing on our schedules.  It worked out well since Katie was off Monday for MLK; she flew home early Monday morning.  

I picked her up and we headed to Mi Cocina to eat some delicous Tex-Mex and drink some Mambo Taxis!  We headed home and drank wine and chatted until almost 2 in the morning!  Nothing like a good old fashioned slumber party! 

Saturday, we had to go to Grand Prairie to pick up my sunglasses that I had left in my old car so we went to the outlet mall and did some more shopping before headed to Blue Fish for some delicious sushi!

Sunday morning we headed to my fave brunch spot, Hattie's!  I loved showing Katie my favorite meal and drinking some PomPoms!!

Katie eating bacon!  She normally doesn't like bacon, but who can turn meat away when its candied?!

We then headed to the Tuesday Morning warehouse and IKEA to do some more damage!

It was such a great weekend having my sweet friend visit; it was just what I needed!  Can't wait to see her again soon!!

Plans

This year, I've been reading the Bible everyday on the She Reads Truth app.  I am absolutely loving it.  The plan jumps around a little bit (and I'm a few days behind) so this morning I read from Job and James.  James has really spoken to me.  I've taken several screen shots and sent them to Henderson or my friends.  

2015 hasn't been as easy or as fun as I thought it would be.  I assumed I would go back to "normal Bailey" but, emotionally and physically, that's not happening.  I'm slowly coming to the realization that I have a new normal and it's not anything I would've ever planned or imagined.  It's difficult for me to realize that just because I want something, I may not get it.   Basically, I'm not used to not getting what I want.  I have yelled at God more times than I can count, begging for what I want on my timeline, pissed off that I'm not getting what I want.  I am a three year old throwing a tantrum.  

People constantly remind me of the verse "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).  And while this verse has been a comfort to me during the last six months, it wasn't until today when I read James 4 that I was truly convicted.  

"As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes.  All such boasting is evil."

Evil.  My plans are evil.  Wow.  What a punch in the gut.  It kind of hurt my feelings a little.  

I truly don't know what tomorrow holds.  It may be better or it may be worse than what my plans were.  But when I'm upset or pissed off or yelling at God because things aren't going my way, I'll remember this verse.  Maybe this is God's way of yelling back at me.