Friday Favorites: Cowboy Day

This has been an off week in our house since I have had strep throat. It has been especially hard because I couldn't just tough it out and go on with my normal activities because I was contagious and I didn't want anyone else to be sick. Luckily I have a wonderful support system of family and friends that made this week easier for me!


1. Favorite day:





Monday was cowboy day at Krews' school. He was sooo excited! I was so sad because it was the same day I was diagnosed with strep throat, but luckily Kyle was able to go. Kyle and Krews had a great time together! I also have wonderful friends who sent me pictures throughout the day, so I felt like I was there. My friend, Jessica, sent me this picture of her daughter Ella Kate with Krews and said they just might be high school sweethearts. Krews says he does not have a girlfriend, but he did not seem upset to take this picture!







2. Favorite cat:

I think I have mentioned my parents cat, Kitty Floyd, before. He is absolutely crazy. My mom put her Christmas tree up this week and Kitty Floyd LOVES to sit in the Christmas tree. It is really hilarious. If you walk in you will see her tree moving and then realize it's just the cat.





This summer the boys tried to take Kitty Floyd home with us. They did manage to get him in the car but he went nuts and I let him out of the back. And then I sneezed the entire way home.







3. Favorite weather:

It is finally starting to cool off which I love! Cooler weather means Thanksgiving, Christmas, and hopefully snow! I am hoping to start feeling better so I can get some Christmas decorations up this weekend!




4. Favorite show:

I have been on a Grey's Anatomy kick while I have been sick. I have watched from the beginning, but forgot a lot of the details since it has been on TV over 10 years! I have enjoyed it. It is hard watching the new season without Christina though.




5. Favorite #TBT:



I posted this picture to my instagram for throw back Thursday. This is Kyle and I 13 years ago at Christmas time at my grandparents house, which is now our house! I love that we have a picture of us from then in our house now. So neat! And yes, we look like babies!



For more Friday Favorites check out Erika, Andrea, and Narci for the link up!

Man Purse Uncle Meets the Paparazzi

I know it might sound shocking that Fanny Pack Mom would have a Man Purse Uncle, but it is true. He just recently became a MPU on our trip to California. He was very proud of it as well. He carried that bag everywhere, including the beach.





I have mentioned in previous posts that Randy is crazy and will do and say anything. At my brother's college graduation, he yelled "Way to go Blood Killa." At my high school graduation he yelled, "What a woman." At Disney he yelled, "We're all gonna die." The list goes on and on. And I should probably add my brother is not in a gang, Blood Killa apparently came about from a hunting trip.


On Saturday Lu Anne, Maddie, and I decided to go into West Hollywood and Beverly Hills to eat, shop, and look at houses. We had a wonderful lunch at The Ivy, a famous and adorable restaurant that looks more like a tea room. This was my second time there and it is so fun to people watch! We shopped and had cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes.




YUM!



We decided to start driving around to look at houses because what nosey southern girl doesn't like to study other people's houses? We drove into Bel Air and were thoroughly disappointed at how many people had large retaining walls/gates so we couldn't see in. It's like they all enjoy their privacy or something. Crazy, right?


So after driving in the hills, we got lost in more hills. And then I lost it and was so car sick. I was just trying to keep from throwing up in the rented mini van. Maddie was driving and I was supposed to be the personal GPS, but I just quit and left Maddie to deal with it. Bless her heart, she finally got us out of there and then as I was starting to come around a little bit my phone rang. Kyle was asking if we could hurry up and get back. Man Purse Uncle decided to give surfing a try in 10 foot waves and crashed. As in crashed into the sand.


We were heading back and Randy calledLu Anne saying he wanted to go to an urgent care clinic because his face was bleeding and he thought he had broken ribs. He ended up having an inflamed chest wall (or as his younger son Josh joked---bruising.) However, one whole side of his face was truly red and swollen. I mean it had to hurt.


That night we went to The Cheesecake Factory, where I got food poisoning. This is devastating because 1. I was sick  2. This happens to me often on trips 3. I cannot eat there again and I loved it so much. The next day I was better, but still not 100%. Lu and her kids left to get back to school, while we stayed for meetings. By we I mean Kyle and Randy. I will tell about my time with the boys later.


Kyle and Randy decided to go to a Lakers game after taking them to the airport. I decided to stay in the hotel with the boys since I still wasn't fully well. Kyle and Randy went to dinner and Kyle said the people next to them stared the whole time. Finally Randy went to the bathroom and they leaned over and asked Kyle "Is that man a paparazzi?"


Kyle responded with noooo and what would make you think that?


The man purse.


The man purse made these people think he was a paparazzi. I'm sure his battered face also made him look like a possible paparazzi who had been hit by a celebrity. The moral to this story is don't carry a man purse in LA. The people will swarm you with attention.


Kyle and Randy then headed to the Lakers game, where Randy was almost ran over by a car. Traffic stops for no man. Not even a member of the paparazzi.

FPM: Campaign Manager 2016

Monday night I was watching Dancing with the Stars (#teamalfonso and #teamsadie) and I always feel so stressed out for the people left in jeopardy and one eventually being sent home. And I felt a little in jeopardy myself as:

A. I was laying in bed battling strep throat. I felt a little crummy all weekend and thought I was coming down with a sinus infection just like I do every Fall. My doctors office was booked up so I ran by an urgent care clinic only to learn I had strep throat! I forgot how bad you feel with strep throat. I haven't had it in years. I almost feel like I did when I had mono in 8th grade. Exhausted!


B. GNATS. GNATS. GNATS. They are attacking everyday. I took out 10 with my homemade dawn/vinegar trap in the last 24 hours. Gross!

C. I am SOOO disgusted by Mama June on Honey Boo Boo. First of all, shame on TLC for ever giving these people a TV show. It was never funny to see how these people were living it was sad. And now the fact that this so called Mama is dating a child molester who did terrible, disgusting things with her child years ago??? Disturbing. So disturbing. And she has her younger daughter around him now, bought him a car, and lied about it. This is inexcusable. I can only pray the good that will come from these people being on TV is that there will be enough media attention to get these innocent kids some help or the cycle will just repeat itself.


D. Political ads. Need I say more? I just want to ask all of the politicians to save their millions of dollars in advertising because it is 110% ineffective. If anything it upsets people seeing the constant awful advertising. When I worked at Fox News, every single person no matter political belief LOVED Govenor Huckabee. And it's not because he talked politics and shoved his opinions down everyone's throat. It's because he was always happy, pleasant, easy to deal with, and KNEW everyone by name. And I believe this is a nonpartisan issue. JFK won his presidency because of his incredible ability to seem comfortable and relatable on TV. People who watched the debate on TV called JFK the winner, while radio listeners who didn't SEE JKF in action called Nixon the winner. Appearance and approach is everything. People believe what they can see without having to hear it to be convinced. There is a lost art in campaigning. Donate the money to charity. Be more involved in communities and personable. And be passionate! Believe in what you are running for! That is what people respond to!!!


Fanny Pack Mom is officially available to run political campaigns in 2016.


No matter what issues I have with sickness, gnats, and annoying campaigns.... Every day I wake up knowing I serve a God who loves me and claims me as His child. I also wake up to a wonderful husband and sweet boys. I am blessed beyond measure!

Disneyland Day

When planning this trip, I was most excited about our time we were planning at Disneyland. We had been toying with the whole "Disney trip" for awhile. I wanted to see the boys experience the magic at young, sweet ages...Kyle wanted to wait for them to be older and able to remember it. Disneyland during our Cali trip was the perfect solution! We decided Friday would be the best day to go to avoid weekend crowds.





I was so excited because the Halloween decorations were incredible!





When we arrived we were met by Donald Duck!





My uncle...THE ONE WHO MAKES AWKWARD COMMENTS...yelled "Chip and Dale Rock" to Donald and Donald wasn't having it.





Not to offend Donald, but next we went to meet Chip and Dale around the corner. I was so excited because I remember watching the Full House goes to Disney episode where Chip and Dale stole the food from Becky and Jesse. I thought it was hilarious. LAME, I know.





Kole was a litttttle nervous, so we went to ride some rides! I took my kids to ride the carrousel, Snow White, and Pinocchio. The rest of the crew went to Space Mountain. They are original, vintage Disney kid rides. I'm not going to lie...Snow White and Pinocchio were a little dark and scary. I loved all of the artwork inside the rides and the special time with my boys!





We all met up at Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster, which was one of my favorites! We love Toy Story at our house and the ride and animation was just so cool.





And then we met Peter Pan! Peter was spunky, energetic, and entertaining!





Next, we all rode Pirates of the Caribbean. It was so realistic! I was a little nervous because there were two "drops" in the dark on this ride and cray cray uncle yelled "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE," but the boys made it just fine. We were starving by this point and ate at Café Orleans. Krews decided at this point he was 12 and would be riding roller coasters. I had and anxiety attack send him with the group on Splash Mountain, while Kole and I enjoyed cotton candy like normal people. Krews LOVED it!


We then got to experience one of my favorite rides with my favorite bear, Winnie the Pooh. It was so classic, happy, and perfect. Even the heffalumps were happy seeming.

It was hard to get a picture of that silly ole bear

The group then went to Thunder Mountain, while Kole and I went to Toon Town! I loved my special time with my boy. I'm so thankful he was in amazement by toon town just as I envisioned. He was so proud to meet Goofy all by himself!





We spent the next hour waiting to meet Captain America. This was so worth it though, because he is Krews and Kole's HERO. He was great to the boys...made them feel like he was the real deal and asked them so many questions. They were amazed.





They also got to "morph" into Iron Man and see all of his suits!





Have I ever mentioned how funny I think Iron Man is with his dry sense of humor?





We ended the day waiting for Peter Pan's Flight. It was so worth it.





I was sad to leave, but so thankful for the memories and to experience it with family! I was so glad to experience Disneyland. I loved being there and knowing it was the original park. The rides were reflective of the Disney classics and all had a vintage feel that I loved. It was the perfect experience for my 3 and 5 year old. When my kids are older, Disney World will probably be a better fit. I will absolutely go back to Disneyland if I have the opportunity and would also like to try Disney California Adventure. Who knows what opportunities the future holds!

California here we come

Last Thursday morning Kyle and I woke our excited boys up to head to California! We met my Aunt Lu Anne, Uncle Randy, and cousins Maddie, Jake, and Josh. I was excited/ a nervous wreck because all that was flashing on the news was "EBOLA." And how a lady had just gotten of off a Frontier Airline flight with EBOLA. Of course we were flying on Frontier Airlines. Of course. No fear though...I am a Fanny Pack Mom after all and was prepared.





Ebola fears were not going to ruin my trip. However, Clorox wipes did give me peace of mind.

College girls, Jake is available. If you would like to be related to FPM email me a headshot and bio.

I posted this picture of one of my cousins, who we met in Denver, along with my boys. In the caption I wrote, "Well we hopped of the plane at LAX with a dream and a cardigan...Or two kids and Jake. Either way I hope a Britney song will be on at some point. #partyintheusa"

My cousin, Maddie, was quick to tell me she had no idea what that IG post was supposed to mean and thought I was crazy until she figured out it was Miley....back when she was "just bein' Mileyyy."

Maddie---I hope you picked up on the second song reference. And the song reference in the title of this post.


Anyway! Back to the trip, we were so excited to arrive at our amazing boutique hotel, Beach House at Hermosa Beach.





It was adorable and the room was so nice and comfortable. It was more like an apartment. We even had Miley...I mean Maddie...come stay in our living room so she could get away from sharing a room from her family which includes two brothers and a dad who makes awkward comments. Just sayin' we saved the girl.





After a quick In-and-Out burger lunch and a quick trip to Target we headed to the beach. We went to Target because I forgot my swimsuit...On a trip to Cali. Oh well, I got a cute new swimsuit out of the deal for a great price.





Krews is a BEACH BOY! He absolutely loves it and will stay on the beach all day. He plays in the waves and giggles the entire time! Kole loves it too. He is weary of the water unless being held, but love to run around and play in the sand.





Miley Maddie (ok, last one I will stop) was so sweet to play with Krews and keep him safe in the water. Josh and Jake played with the boys too! They even dug holes where they could "stand" and get buried with sand.





Kole took his turn and had Josh block the sun out of his eyes.





This is about how deep I went in because it was COOOOLLLDDDD!





I love these sweet little boy footprints in the sand.





This is how we spent our days Thursday and Sunday. I have a recap of Friday's Disneyland trip, Saturday's adventure of Man Purse Uncle, and Monday and Tuesday's solo days with Krews and Kole so stay tuned this week for more!

Friday Favorites: California Style

Surprise! If you follow me on Instagram you already knew, but we have spent the last week in California!!! I will do a full recap next week, but thought I would share some of my California favorites for today!





1. Favorite Cupcake:






We had cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes (from the TV show DC Cupcakes.) I have the birthday vanilla and it was so good!!! My aunt had the coconut and my cousin had the pumpkin and we all agreed---delicious! I was skeptical because last year in New York, I was so excited to try cupcakes from Carlos Bakery AKA "The Cake Boss" and was terribly disappointed. I did love Buddy the Baker's sprinkle cookies at least.






2. Favorite Beach Inn:






We stayed at the Beach Inn at Hermosa Beach and I adore that place. It was so nice and beautiful. I would definitely go back and hope to at some point! We were literally right on the beautiful, clean beach.






3. Favorite Disney Character:






Y'all. I have always loved Donald. He's a little bit sassy, and I appreciate that sass. And I just loved Disneyland. I can't wait to share more.






4. Favorite Burger:



I had my first In-and-Out Burger. And then returned for my second. Can we get an In and Out in Arkansas? Or a Steak n Shake a little closer??? I love thin burgers!






5. Favorite Book:






I read Boomama's book A Little Salty To Cut The Sweet on my trip. It was the perfect mix of making me laugh and nostalgic of times growing up in the south. It made me miss my great-grandparents and grandparents tho (luckily I still have my Grandaddy at least.)






Tune in next week to hear all about Cali, Disneyland, and Fanny Pack Mom's "Man Purse Uncle."



For more Friday Favorites visit Erika, Andrea, and Narci for the link up!

Throwback Thursday: Puerto Rico

Since I have started blogging, my favorite part of it has been documenting my family's adventures. I love that we can look back and always remember even the little details. It has made me sad that I didn't start blogging earlier, so I decided to start dedicating Thursdays to past adventures.


Last December, Kyle and I went to Puerto Rico. I was SO NERVOUS about leaving our kids. Plus the day before we left it seemed like everything was falling apart. Kole started throwing up, I was panicking, and I was in no way organized to go. When it was time to leave, everyone was ok and we made our way to Puerto Rico!





We stayed at the St. Regis Bahia Resort. It was absolutely beautiful!





 The who resort is built around a natural reserve.





This is the view from the main house on the property that is a restored plantation style home. It reminded me of the house from The Notebook.





I loved traveling in December, because the Christmas decorations were amazing. I think we all know how much I love Christmas.





I love Gingerbread houses. My grandmother always made gingerbread cookies. I also enjoyed seeing the big Christmas trees. Kyle is 6'4 and the trees made him look tiny!





I should probably add that this trip was with Yamaha Marine thru work, so we got to go for free. Because I highly doubt we would have spent this much money on something so swanky.












I loved laying by the pools and relaxing. It did rain a lot. I guess we were in the rainforest.





One night we went to this beautiful house in the mountains that Richard Gere had just stayed in.





The view was breathe taking.





I am so thankful we had the opportunity to take this incredible trip! I missed my kids like crazy, but I know how important it is to put our marriage first.

AWANA

Every Wednesday night for the past two years, the kids and I have loaded up and headed to AWANA at church. I am the director for Sparks K-2nd grade. AND this year Kyle is working in T&T with 3rd and 4th graders. I cannot describe to you how funny it is for Kyle to be working at AWANA. He always comes home completely cracking up about events that go on at AWANA that night. Kids say crazy and hilarious things! Even their prayer requests (that we take seriously and pray for) can even make you giggle.




On a more serious note, he and I always talk about how impressed with are many of the kids who are truly learning and living the Bible. He has several boys in his group that he said are just good kids. It is so nice for us, as parents of young kids, to see an example of good parenting. That good parenting is evident in these kids striving to be strong Christian young men.




You may wonder why I only mentioned good boys. I mention boys because boys is all we know at our house. Raising good boys is the main goal in our house. I am a girly girl. I LOVE to hang out with the girls at AWANA. Tonight one of the girls said "Cute wedges!" In my house, no one but me knows what a wedge is or notices what shoes I wear. So I love the time I get with these sweet girls on Wednesday nights....even if they judge my sweatpants.




Back to Awana though....there is also a sad/difficult side to awana. This is a community outreach program. We have kids who have never been inside a church. Last year one of our kindergarten kids didn't know what the Bible was. To me this is so heartbreaking. And it makes me feel so much pressure to make an impact on them in 1.5 hours. Some of these kids live in our local Baptist children's home and are only attending awana for a few weeks until they are reunited with family. Some of them are invited by a friend from school and only come one time. All we can try to do is let them see God's love and salvation in a short period of time. And pray for these babies.




Last year, I had to miss a lot due to constant illness in my family. I was determined to make it back this year to help teach these babies though. It is our duty as Christians to share the word. And who better to minister to than God's little children. If you have an opportunity to be involved in a ministry like this I strongly encourage you to get involved. It is rewarding to me every week to see these little faces learning about Jesus. A lot of times the lesson I am teaching them speaks to me probably more than them. I will be the first to tell you I am no Biblical scholar and do not at all feel like a natural born teacher. All it takes is a desire to help and I promise God can help with the rest. If Fanny Pack Mom can help teach kids at church....ANYONE can!

Fanny Pack Fasions: Women's Shape Wear

So one Sunday I was sitting in church minding my own business. Then one of my unnamed friends turned to me (before church started) and said, "You need to do a post on shape wear because I need help."


And that is why we are friends.


Homegirl knew she could turn to Fanny Pack Mom for advice on my crazy blog. I hope she will confess it was her, but I cannot be sure of it. Also, this is a bit of an awkward post, but I am a fanny pack mom so there is clearly nothing risqué to what I am talking about today. Plus, a lot of the shape wear helps me to make sure no skin is exposed!


So let's start with the basics. I have had two children and do not have a flat tummy. I am not PBQS. So I need to cover up and suck in, but still want to be comfortable and not feel like my circulation is being cut off. I think we all know my love for TV and it finally paid off having useless information from TV shows. After watching Heather Thomson on Real Housewives of New York I decided to try Yummie Tummie shape wear. And I LOVE IT.









I know these look like grannie panties and trust me....they probably are. But they pull that muffin top right in without having to cover your lungs completely making it difficult to breathe. They also make a pair that com up higher that work well with dresses. But I like to wear slips under dresses as well.







I ALWAYS wear tank tops under tops. It hold everything in, but also helps in case a top is sheer to make me look fully covered and modest. I also like knowing if I have to reach for something my stomach or back will not be exposed. Tank tops for the win.







One thing I hate is to look like I have upper back fat. Spanx bras, like the one above, fix that problem. They do not fit super tight like you would expect. They are actually very comfortable and I highly recommend them!







Don't worry mama's....even Jennifer Gardner needs shape wear in her life. I hope you all enjoyed this post and do not thing less of me now that you know how much layering it takes to put a fanny pack mom together on a typical day.