They always say don't blink because it all passes so quickly, and at the time when you are tired from sleepless nights, you are covered in spit up, and can't quite remember what your old body felt like...it's hard to see how that could be true. Well I blinked and here we are one year after our lives changed forever, and Canean Parks Chatagnier was born. Just like that, truly in a blink of an eye, a whole 365 days have passed. Our baby boy who struggled while taking his first breaths and came into our lives rather traumatically, is vibrant and so full of joy that he brightens our days more than he will ever know.
I'm alive, in case you were thinking that I wasn't since I dropped off the face of the blogging universe for the past week. Last Tuesday was completely bittersweet as we left the state we call home along with friends and family to uproot and move to a place where we will start a new chapter in our lives, a place that will be filled with new memories. It's hard to believe that just like that, in a matter of one day, we became residents of Texas. We are officially home sweet home. There have been two states in my life that I have considered home, where I have become the woman I am today. This year we add a third state, and it might be the most one yet.
Tennessee has my earliest roots, where I have memories of growing up in a beautiful area right next to the Smoky Mountains.
When is the last time you just went for a drive? Just a drive...with no purpose of where you are headed, but solely to enjoy the afternoon and maybe someone that you love. I couldn't have told you the last time I went for a drive just for the heck of it. Canean on the other hand, loves to get in his truck and drive until he feels like turning around, it's like therapy to him. The kind of drive where you get lost to the sound of the music, the thoughts in your head, and the scenery around you. So yesterday, we went for a drive, the two of us and the dogs. There is just something about Sunday drives, they are good for the soul.
We loaded the dogs in the truck, I threw my to-do list to the side, and agreed that it would be nice since I couldn't remember the last time that we went on a drive together with nowhere to go.
My aunt sent me a book recently called Simple Abundance. It's a book that you read daily and is filled with inspiration to find joy in the life you are living right now. To find the little joys that can be hidden away in your clouded vision of what you think should be making you happy. Hello...I don't know about you, but I am guilty of this on a regular basis. Always thinking of what else I want and not focusing on the present blessings around me.
Blessings like my incredible husband, who puts up with my moods and totally and completely takes me as I am on a daily basis. He's so great about not pin pointing what I could do better in our relationship. While I on the other hand, have some room for improvement in this department.
Yep, I'm admitting it.
About two years ago we went to a little hole in the wall juke joint out in the middle of nowhere. Turns out it might be one of the coolest things about where we live. We've been meaning to go back ever since we moved back to Louisiana, and finally made the trip on Saturday night! It was a night filled with blues music, late night food, and friends. And then we topped off an amazing night and weekend by waking up late Sunday morning and eating Canean's favorite Sunday breakfast, waffles and bacon. What could be better than Saturday night juke joints and Sunday morning waffles?
Not much...I'll tell ya!
It was the perfect weekend filled with all of the things that feed my soul. Music, food, friends, and most of all, Canean.
Teddy's Juke Joint is an old house (where Teddy himself was born) converted into a little bar and stage where real blues musicians come and still play on a weekly basis. It's Louisiana as Louisiana can get and that's what I love most about it. There isn't an inch of empty ceiling or wall space because it's all filled with souvenirs, license plates from all states, mardi gras beads, and other collectibles from over the years. It's probably one of the only places where you will find all walks of life, races, and ages all brought together for one thing...good music.
Saturday night was date night. We haven't had an official date night in a while. Sure we go to dinner or to see a movie and just spend time together at home. But those kind of mini date nights are different. Saturday night we got fixed up, went downtown and saw some live music, drank cocktails, and it all felt very romantic...including our late night snack on the way home. Don't worry I'll tell you more about that in a minute.
We went to see Chris Knight, who is a singer songwriter and one of Canean's favorites. If you haven't heard of him, you should definitely check him out. The venue was the perfect setting, intimate and dark. The only light was the spotlight over Chris Knight and his guitar. The whole concert he played acoustically and it was amazing.
We sat in the mezzanine and snuggled (all teenager style) and drank our way through the concert. Whiskey for him, wine for me.
