not team Slytherin
Hi friends! Happy Monday! A happy belated Mother’s Day to all of my mama friends out there. I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend.
Friday night, the Pilot and P had a special daddy-daughter date while Liv and I went to the pool for movie night. (I felt bad because P really wanted to go, but since she had a fever two days prior, we wanted to play it safe. She had a blast with Tom and they went to the park and Target while Livi and I swam.)
Margaritas, chips and guacamole by the pool are a pretty perfect way to end the week. Livi and her little best friend swam around and floated in inner tubes while watching Mary Poppins Returns, while my friend Kathryn and I chatted, drank margaritas, and hot tubbed. It was glorious.
Saturday morning, I caught an early Orangetheory class, and then we headed to my dad’s house for my brother Bailey’s graduation brunch!
The spread was insane: homemade cinnamon rolls, the famous egg casserole, breakfast potatoes, fruit, bacon, various pastries, French toast, cake, coffee… it was positively lovely. The weather was cool, so we ate on the patio while the girls played on the play set my dad built in the backyard.
Saturday afternoon, I got the best massage
(Tucson friends, if you need a recommendation, please let me know!)
and was thinking the rest of the afternoon would be uneventful. (HA.) I had a first Arizona life experience, even though I was born here and have lived in Tucson for about 3/4 of my years. I took a plant from the house outside to water it, and thought I saw a trash bag in between two trees we have by the back wall. It could see the black object glimmering in the sunlight and while I focused on it to see what it was, I saw a TAIL FLICK. Instantly I was like, “OMG IT’S A SNAKE” and rushed the dogs inside. Turns out it wasn’t one snake, but TWO SNAKES, and one was trying to eat the other snake. I can’t even. I’m so sorry if you’re reading this while you’re eating breakfast or something.
I called one of the snake remover numbers from Google, while the Pilot bravely took photos for me to text over to the snake guy. (The Pilot was convinced the snakes were harmless but we wanted to be 100% certain.) Turns out that they were king snakes, which are actually beneficial since they eat rattlesnakes and other snakes. The snake guy encouraged us to just leave them alone since they’re not venomous, but the Pilot went outside with a shovel and gently urged them to move out of the backyard. My skin is literally crawling as I type this and I think this is the most I’ve typed the word snakes in my entire life.
(Source. Name that movie!)
The Pilot and I had a nerd date planned (I’m so excited for real dates again soon), so I dropped the girls off while he met with the snake guy. They’re coming back to snake-proof our yard this week and I don’t think I’ve ever been so thrilled for a home improvement project.
Nerd date in full force:
The Pilot has been constantly studying for airline interviews – I took one of his online practice tests for fun and crashed the plane – and I’ve been working on some behind-the-scenes stuff. 🙂 We worked at Whole Foods while eating hot bar for dinner.
Sunday morning was Mother’s Day! I was surprised by the best homemade cards, plus one of those hilarious music cards from Target, and the Pilot framed some of our favorite photos of the girls. We met up with fam for brunch at First Watch, and I felt so lucky to be able to spend Mother’s Day with so many people we love. (I had fun looking back at what we did last year! We were still in Valdosta and I still miss Birdie’s brunch with all of my soul. They actually stopped serving brunch since we moved, which makes me feel a tiny bit better even though I know my Valdosta friends are being deprived of their incredible food.)
Being the girls’ mama is my favorite thing in the entire world. The surprise me, challenge me, make me laugh, and warm my heart every.single.day.
(New shirt from Trunk Club here // jeans // sandals)
After brunch, we came home for P’s nap and some down time, and then headed to madre’s for the afternoon and for dinner.
We got to spend time snuggling with baby August, play with the kiddos in the play room, and enjoy a delicious madre-cooked feast.
This morning, I’m writing new workouts for the blog and Summer Shape Up, meal prepping from this new cookbook,
and going to catch an upper body workout.
I hope you have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon!
xo
Gina
Looking for a workout? Try this Tabata and Strength combo.
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I know you probably don’t want to hear this and I don’t know what Snake Proofing entails but please, don’t kill any snakes.
They are necessary and so good for our environment plus they will keep your yard free of rattlesnakes, rodents (that carry disease) and lots of other good things.
I know most people are terrified of them but truly they are just another creature that are necessary for a healthy ecosystem.
Please, don’t kill any snakes.
They’re not going to kill them! They’re putting mesh over the drain holes in our walls so they can’t crawl into the yard so easily. King snakes are fine, but I don’t want rattlesnakes camping out in the yard where the kids play and dogs hang out
Gahh! I hate snakes so much. My daughter and our new dog found a garter snake in the backyard this weekend. Yep, totally getting some holy water from church! My daughter now refuses to take the dog out alone. Side note, we quote that line from Home Alone a million times after!
When I lived in Tucson, I had a rattlesnake in my garage. It was the same night I was having friends over for a BBQ. My friend’s husband caught it and took it somewhere to release it. It was definitely the life of the party, but after that I was always super freaked out.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for not sharing a pic of the snakes. GAH!
I understand if this is too personal, but can you tell us about your immediate family? Do you and your two brothers share both parents? Obv this doesn’t define family..I’m just nosy and curious!
there wasn’t even a small part of me that thought snake pictures were a good idea.
yes! so my parents had me and then kyle, and then got divorced and remarried. my mom had trevor with my stepdad, and my dad had bailey and bennett with my stepmom. i have 4 brothers 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
I would definitely be freaked out by the snakes too. There’s a park near me that I love walking in, though in the summer I sometimes see snakes there. Not fun!
And that movie is Home Alone.
haha sorry about the snakes! My Mother in Law hates snakes, but apparently gets them all the time in their house and yard. Luckily, being on the east coast, majority of snakes are not poisonous. I did have a brush of danger with a rattlesnake when hiking in Utah. We hiking in a slot canyon and as we walk by we hear a weird shaking. My father and I walked right by a rattlesnake, and pretty much have to walk by it AGAIN to go back so the other hikers didn’t have to pass him. I was a little nervous about getting bit because well, he did warn us.
Also, my brain can’t comprehend snakes eating snakes. Isn’t that against physics or something?
ermmpghh I would’ve DIED. LIke i am truly terrified of snakes. a friend of mine found a nest of snakes in her basement. and they had to pull them out one by one. and her husband tried to get me to go in the basement, I’m like YEAH No WAY.
that is pure terror
Happy belated Mother’s Day to you!
I’m so interested to know what the secret behind-the-scenes stuff is!! When?
i’m hoping i can share the news later this summer! <3
dude i can’t believe how grown up Liv looks in the picture with baby August!!
it’s seriously ridiculous. she looks so grown up!
What a beautiful family! I can only imagine how excited your mom and grandma were to spend the day with all the kids and grand-kids :). The picture of you and the girls is lovely, you all look so happy, so much love!
thank you so much, friend. yes, it was an amazing day 🙂