California: Highway 1

During the second part of our week in California, Adam and I took a couple of days to ourselves to explore a bit of the coastal region. We went to the Muir Woods, passed through San Francisco, visited Santa Cruz, and spent an afternoon in Monterey. It was actually our favorite part of the vacation, because we had some time to relax. We spent a whole evening in our hotel room, eating pizza in bed and watching TV for three solid hours. We’d never do that at home, but what’s a vacation without a little rest and relaxation, right? Especially after three days of Disneyland, it was really nice for this mama-to-be to have some down time. We drove down highway 1, which runs right along the coast. I’m really glad we took the time to see the Pacific Ocean, even if it wasn’t quite beach weather. Here are some pictures from those last two days!

 ^^If you know Adam, you know he doesn’t like cities or crowds, so he loved being out here.
 ^^So pretty!
 ^^The trail we took had a pretty creek running alongside it. 
 ^^These photos don’t really do this area justice. 
 ^^Our first look at the ocean in Santa Cruz.
 ^^Adam desperately wanted to jump off those cliffs. Nope.
 ^^They surrounded the water. Very tempting.
 ^^Just my cute husband.
^^Monterey Bay, home to lots and lots of sailboats.
 ^^Annie’s first trip to the ocean. 🙂

The Happiest Place on Earth

We went to Disneyland! And it was glorious. Aside from a few minor mishaps, like a crazy shuttle driver and a trip to Urgent Care for the two little ones, we had a great time. It was a lot of fun to watch Beau, our three year old nephew, see his favorite characters in person and ride Goofy’s rollercoaster six times in a row. Paige, our niece, is just over a year old, but she did so well and enjoyed meeting the characters, too! Here are a few pictures–we made some good memories. I also shared a few pictures on my Instagram while we were on the trip!

 ^^Beau’s first ride, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Orbiter. He was so excited.
^^Adam was in the car in front of them, and Beau enjoyed ramming into the back of him. Ha!
^^Giving Pluto a high-five. 
 ^^Paige checking out Minnie’s nose. 🙂 
 ^^It took a minute to convince him, but then Beau had a fun dance party with Minnie.
 ^^Oh, my heart. So precious.
 ^^Cinderella’s castle, all decked out for the holidays.
 ^^Sweet gals in the teacups at the Mad Tea Party.
^^And of course we rode Dumbo. Classic Disneyland!

A Family of Three

We are expecting, and we are over the moon about it! Lord willing, Baby Warren will join our family 
in early March. We are beyond thankful, and we are so excited to plan for Baby to join us next spring. 
I’ve always wanted to be a mama, and I couldn’t have chosen a better husband to parent alongside. 
We love you already, sweet baby.
*Photos by my amazing friends Megan and J.D. of Waving Wheat Creative
These are so special, you guys. Thank you.

Center of the Universe Festival

This weekend, my brother and I headed to downtown Tulsa for the first annual Center of the Universe Festival. A lot of great bands were playing, but we went Friday night to check out One Republic. We both love them but hadn’t seen them live until Friday night. It was insanely hot, ridiculously crowded, and so, so much fun. We got there in time to walk around a bit, grab some Andolini’s Pizza (yum!), and get a good spot before the show started.

Ryan Tedder, the lead singer, is originally from Tulsa, and it was the first night of their summer tour. I think they were happy to be in downtown Tulsa. The show was way full of energy. The stage was set up on Main Street, just in front of Cain’s Ballroom, so it was a cool atmosphere. There were over 40,000 people there (which is usually way too many for my taste), but most people were super friendly. I love going to concerts, because there’s just something really neat about that many people connecting over the same thing. Thousands of strangers together, singing and dancing to their favorite songs. Yes, it was miserably hot (hello, Oklahoma in July!), but we had an awesome time. If you get a chance to see them live, go. You’ll have fun. Enjoy these photos! Warning: The last one is grainy–also, see if you can find the dude totally photobombing us in one of them!

Cannot believe July will be over soon. How crazy is that?! Hope you all have a great week. 🙂 Also, my friend Megan is hosting a great giveaway over on Home Sweet ‘Homa today! Check it out! 
Love, Bekah

A Weekend in Dallas

A couple of weeks ago, I went with a few of my family members on a short trip to Dallas. My mom, brother, grandma, aunt and I piled into my Jeep Patriot and headed south on a sunny Friday afternoon. After a rocky start to the trip (five grown adults in a Patriot is not as comfortable as we were anticipating), we made it to our hotel, which was a few miles from where our family lives AND which happened to be right next door to a Celebration Station (!!!!), which I was pretty thrilled about.
On Saturday morning, we slept in a little before grabbing breakfast. Then we went to my great uncle’s home. My Uncle Al is my late grandpa’s brother. My Papa, from whom I received my Spanish heritage, passed away when I was eight. I love spending time with Uncle Al, because he reminds me so much of him. Growing up, we went to Dallas a few times a year to spend time with my mom’s cousins and their kids, who are pretty close to my age. Uncle Al has lived in the same house for as long as I can remember. I hadn’t been there in several years, but when I walked in, a flood of memories came rushing back. The living room furniture is still in the same arrangement. The bathroom décor feels similar. Aunt Nelda’s books still fill the shelves. We walked up, and Uncle Al, like he always, always has, hugged me and said, “Hello, mi hijita,” which is a term of endearment that basically means “little daughter.” Instead of properly pronouncing all the syllables, like my Spanish professors would have liked me to do, it comes out more like “mee-heeta,” and I love the sound.  We spent a good part of the day with Uncle Al and Aunt Nelda. Aunt Nelda asked me how my job is going and why I don’t have any babies yet. Uncle Al teased my brother about everything under the sun. It was so nice to catch up and just spend some time with them and our cousins.  I hadn’t seen my cousins in at least 6 or 7 years, so it was fun to see us all grown up. It will be neat to see where we all are a few years from now.
After family time all day, we went to the mall to do a little shopping. It was my first visit to H&M, and I am in love. I spent over an hour in the store and then went to meet back up with my family. Apparently, my brother had done some shopping, too.
Senseless spending spree!

Saturday night, we stayed up way too late and had a blast at Celebration Station, where we raced go-carts, drove bumper boats, played mini-golf, and experienced a trampoline while strapped into bungee cords. So fun! 
I was excited and obviously nervous! 

We drove home on Sunday, and, overall, it was such a great trip. It was a fun weekend getaway, and it was so great to spend time with family that we don’t get to see very often. 
I am looking forward to a short work week because of the Independence Day Holiday. Do you guys have any fun plans?
Love, Bekah

Currently

Watching: The Voice! We have about 7-8 channels, because we live too far out for regular cable and we just don’t watch enough TV to justify spending outrageous amounts on satellite service. So, we get the basics – NBC, CBS,  ABC, etc.. Plus great channels like OETA! Also, no DVR. All that to say, we mostly watch TV when we happen to catch a show we like. I am loving The Voice this season, so I’ve been somewhat making an effort to watch it regularly. This week will be the finale, and I’m so excited to see who wins. I’m totally pulling for The Swon Brothers. Any other Voice fans out there? Who are you rooting for?
Eating: Mexican food. I’m actually writing this on my lunch break, and today I was kind of dying for Mexican food. So of course I went to El Azteca, an amazing little place close to where I work, and got the chicken and rice plate to go! So yummy.

Hoping: that I can get caught up on laundry this evening so I can enjoy the rest of my evenings this week! I am always amazed at the amount of laundry two people can produce. 

Loving: my ornery dogs. I was away this weekend and missed them terribly! Their beagle noses get them  into a lot of trouble, but then they wag their little tails and I can’t help but forgive them.

Reading: nothing, yet. I just finished re-reading Wuthering Heights. I love that story. I always forget how insane all the characters are in their own, proper sort of way. I read the Harry Potter books every year, so those might be next, but I am thinking of finally reading the Lord of the Rings series for the first time. I hear they are tough to get through, but very worth it! I think I can handle them. 😉 Thoughts?


Looking forward to: having a couple of days off next week. Adam and I have tickets to see The Lion King musical at the TPAC, and I’m so excited! 

Feeling thankful for: the time I got to spend with my family this weekend. A few of us went to Dallas (more on that later!), and it was so good to spend a couple of days together.

Thanks to Danielle for the inspiration for these Currently posts! Be sure to leave me a comment if you write your own. J Have a great week! 

Love, Bekah

Oh, the cute!

Hey ya’ll. I know I haven’t posted in a while, but what better to bring me back to the blogging world than our new, sweet, adorable, perfect, darling beagle pups? I think it’s official; I’ve become one of those people. I am obsessed with my dogs. But you know all those things people say about dogs–about how they’re so loving and loyal, always thrilled to see you, and they really think you’re the greatest? Those things are true. These puppies have changed my mind about dogs. They may be a little stinky after swimming in the pond sometimes, but they love me, and I love them back. They each have their own personality. Jimmy is sweet, jealous, and so smart. Ruby is mischievous, brave, and affectionate. They are a ton of fun, and I have loved becoming a mama to these two. Here’s an idea: let’s share some puppy photos, mostly because it’s Monday. This hasn’t been a particularly bad Monday, but still. Monday. Without further adieu, welcome to Monday Funday, featuring Jimmy and Ruby!

Jimmy: I wonder if Mom will give me more of those “organic” treats. What is organic anyway?
Is it the same as bacon? I love bacon. 

Jimmy: She is always asleep. 

Jimmy: Mom! Ruby ruined my close-up!

Jimmy: Okay, here’s my most charming expression. More treats, right?

Ruby: Well, here’s my most charming expression. I get all the treats! 

Ruby: MOM! You were gone for like three minutes! I thought you  left forever!

Hope these pictures put a smile on your face. Sorry if they made you roll your eyes. If that was the case, you should probably go get a puppy for yourself. 🙂 Have a great week! I’ll be back soon with an update on what else has been going on at the Warren homestead.

xoxo,
Bekah

*cheesy/dumb captions by yours truly–the puppies don’t actually talk or call me Mom, to my disappointment

Remembering Kim

Okay, people. Hi. So I had originally meant for this blog to be a happy-go-lucky, lighthearted place (like me! whee!), but it’s also here so I can write, which I love doing and miss doing. Plus, writing helps me breathe sometimes. It helps me sort out thoughts and understand them more thoroughly. So, a warning: Today is a little bit of a sad post, but I’ll consider it writing therapy and get back to happy thoughts next time.

Some of you may have known Kim Green, a sweet lady who lost her battle with cancer December 27, 2011. Kim and her family were basically family to me growing up. She and my dad had been friends since junior high, she was in my parents’ wedding, and I spent a lot of time with her boys when we were young. I grew up calling her Aunt Kim and didn’t realize she wasn’t my blood relative til I was thirteen or something ridiculous. When she passed, it definitely felt like losing an aunt. Kim was feisty. She wasn’t afraid to state her opinion, and I respected her for that. She was very lovely. I always thought she had the prettiest smile. Even in the late stages of her last round of cancer, whenever I saw her she still had a big smile on her face. Kim had a strength that was bigger than anyone I’d ever met. She fought cancer multiple times, and stayed positive until the very end. When she passed, it came as a shock to most of us around her. That sounds kind of silly or even ignorant, because she had cancer. That’s huge. But, she’d won it out before, and I don’t think we truly realized how bad it was this time. It was right in the middle of the winter holidays, and Adam and I were on the road to Alabama for the Church of Christ New Year’s Meeting. Of course, we turned around and came straight home, but it didn’t really hit me until the day of the funeral.

After something like that happens, you jump right back into your daily life; back to work, school, home, and you think about it, but the busyness of life takes over. I was still grieving but you can’t just stop your life and heal yourself; even if you could, it takes time. For some reason, in the last few days she has been weighing heavily on my mind. Even though it’s been over three months since her passing, it sometimes still hurts like it was last week. If I see a car like hers around town, my breath catches. At church services, Adam will sometimes lead the prayer. During his prayers, along with mentioning others who were sick or ailing, he used to pray for another lady and Kim in the same sentence. Now, he does not say Kim’s name. That void is hard to hear. I wish so much that she could see our new home; she was so excited for and proud of us, and I know she would love it.

I loved Kim very much, but I wasn’t prepared for how much her passing would affect me. I’m not this sensitive about it all the time, but I still think of her often. I’m thankful because God has comforted me immensely, and I know He will continue to do so. I’ve learned that it just takes time. I still pray for her family, and my family, and her other loved ones that she left behind. Kim was a very loved woman, and I know many people miss her. If you knew her, or if you know them, I ask that you say a prayer for them, too. People are really good about that at first, but it’s easy to forget people don’t always heal quickly.

Thanks for listening. Again, I apologize for the sad post, but it helped me to get that out. Also, this is my blog and I’ll do what I want! Just kidding. Really, though, I’ll have some fun things to post about next time. I hope everyone is having a great week (tomorrow’s Friday!)

xoxo,
Bekah

Kim and I the day of my college graduation .

Housewarming Love

Hi, lovelies!

This weekend was a wonderful one. The weather was fabulous, especially for an Oklahoma winter, and we had our first housewarming party with my side of the family. My grandma cooked Mexican food (yummo beef and chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice), and my Aunt Bea made guacamole, salsa and cream cheese dip, and spinach dip. All of the food was delicious (Mexican food is my fave), and I ate copious amounts of all of it. After everyone had their fill of food, we explored the outside of the house so that my great-aunts could exclaim over every little thing, such as the storm cellar (“Oh, how nice!”), the unfinished pole barn (“Well, look at this, Phyllis!” “Oh, yes, Louise, we need one of these!”), and the open pasture (“How preeetty!”). Mom learned how to drive the tractor, and the guys checked out the pond. Once everyone was reassured that the outside of the house was up to par, we headed back inside to eat cake.


Can I just talk about something here? Seriously, aside from popcorn, chocolate birthday cake that you get from the Wal-Mart or Reasor’s bakeries is the best thing that has ever happened to this earth. Sounds silly, but I LOVE that chocolate cake. I love the moist cakey part. I love the too-sweet buttercream icing that comes in all different colors and stains your teeth. I love that there is always enough left over to eat for a week straight and to add about forty inches to my waistline. And, obviously, I love it enough to devote an entire paragraph to it on my blog. [End obsessive cake rant.]


So, we all headed back inside to eat cake.. Glorious, delicious, chocolatey cake. Oh, I’m sorry. I’m really done talking about it. Then we opened gifts. Adam, because he is spoiled, was a bit bummed because all we got was “woman” stuff; kitchen goodies, bath towels, and more kitchen goodies. He’ll get over it. Overall, it was a lovely afternoon, and we were so happy to have family over to see our new place. I now know why it’s called a “housewarming” party. Having everyone there immediately made the house feel like home, and we really enjoyed it.

Here are a couple of highlights:
The cake. It said “Home Sweet Home” and featured a mini John Deere since Adam just bought one. So cute.
Here’s me holding my beloved cake, while my bestie, Valorie, is teaching my Pappy how to photobomb. Probably the funniest moment of the day and one reason I completely adore Valorie. 
Here is Pappy photobombing all by himself. 
My beautiful new Kitchen Aid mixer, complete with fingerprints, a gift from my parents.
Me making awkward faces (this is the best picture; I promise the others were much worse) while my handsome husband sits there in a fancy cutoff shirt being charming and probably secretly regretting marrying such an awkward person. Just kidding. He adores me and all of my awkward ways. Oh, and for the record–he wasn’t supposed to make it to the party because he was moving stuff. Otherwise, I’d have had him in at least a short-sleeved t-shirt. Sheesh.
The sun is supposed to shine all week long, and I plan to bask in it as much as I can. Hope you have a great week!
xoxo,
Bekah