Macs in Maui

aloha from Maui!! we just finished our first couple of days here, & I am consistently blown away with how incredible everything is! my brother & I went for a run yesterday morning, made a few stops because you have to when you come across secret passage ways to the shoreline, & created #runningselfietour. the rest of the day we spent on the beach, in the ocean, soaking up the sun. today we are going snorkeling **insert slightly nervous face here** but I am so excited to swim in the ocean for a good part of the day! don't forget to stop, breathe & enjoy the little moments in life!! peace, love, & Mai Tais.

beachin

aloha!!! because my family & I are leaving for hawaii this morning! so thankful we get to go on a family vacation before things get crazy for all of us. my favorite {new} family tradition is the mac family vacation hawaiian shirts... we must all wear our designated shirts the first full day of vacation no matter where we go. each new family member that is added along the way gets theirs at the rehearsal dinner as a "welcome to the family" 

there are many, many reasons I love my family. the fact that they are crazy enough to embrace **& totally rock** these crazy traditions is one of them. 

countdown to move-in day: 12 days
countdown to seeing Michael: 10 days 

balancing act {running}

there are a few reasons why I run. one of them is my major sweet tooth. it works out though because it helps me to have a healthy relationship with food... all things in moderation. **dietetics roots comin' at ya** pictured here is the best of the best of sweet endings. if you find yourself in bentonville, arkansas and you don't get a mini sweet crepe from crepes paulette, you are wrong. I would suggest dark chocolate with strawberries, but you really can't lose here. 

ok, back to running. I have one month until my half marathon, and I am pumped! this is the most prepared I've ever been for one, so I'm excited to see how it goes. as I'm writing this I am getting ready for my second of three 10-mile runs. when I was training for my first half ever a few years ago, I ran one 10-mile run two weeks before the race. my second half I didn't even make it past the 8-mile training run bcuz work got crazy. this time it's different. I found a training program that I LOVE & is totally do-able with a crazy schedule! when I start law school it will be interesting to figure out a running/yoga schedule with an insane studying schedule, but that balance has to be there. here's to balance in eating, training, & life!! happy crazy, homies!

northwest arkansas {one home}

I love love LOVE having friends in different life stages. it is so fun to learn from each of them & watch them as they totally rock life. this past week in northwest arkansas was jam-packed full of these peoples. things I am thankful for:

1. babes that have a love for bubbles
2. dating a man whose family I adore
3. pesto cafe in fayetteville, wine, & great talks with great friends
4. new friends in old jobs
5. sweet new babes with no-teeth smiles
6. having a full schedule
7. sore legs that prove you worked hard
8. pressroom in bentonville, talking life with a heart friend over a glass {or two} of wine

countdown to move-in day: 14 days. people, that's two weeks.
where to next: family vacation in hawaii #virginiabound #aloha

weekend update

this weekend was the kick-off of three solid weeks spent with people that I love. I got to spend it with two of my heart friends from the university of arkansas. julie came down from fayetteville & we road-tripped it to austin to see sweet shana. we laughed until we cried, talked each others ears off, loved on sweet baby james, paddled/talked our way through ladybird lake, shared what's on our hearts, & reconnected like we were never apart. these are the friends that become family. jules & shan, I don't know what the next three years holds for us, but if it's anything like the last three, we are in for quite a ride!

what this next three weeks holds: whirlwind trip to northwest arkansas, hawaii with the familias, road tripping to virginia (by way of louisville of course), and finally... moving in.

countdown to move-in day: 19 days **insert crazy eyes**

food adventures

in the past few weeks, I have eaten some pretty great food in some equally great cities. here are some of the ones that have stood out...

1. Rosa's Cafe - Odessa, TX original... you must get extra tortillas & you must finish with their amazing sopapillas. 

2. Nord's Donuts - Louisville, KY... just do it. you can't go wrong with this one.

3. Galaxy Cafe - Austin, TX... fresh food, great sweet potato fries. you'll def want to split meals & try everyone's food!

4. Bahama Buck's - they are all over in TX, but I went in Odessa... their sno-cones are to die for! **reminder: the syrup sinks to the bottom, so don't freak out at the people when it looks like they didn't put enough syrup on yours, you'll make yourself look like a freak & people will judge you... use your brains**

5. Dairy Kastle - Louisville, KY... I might be having withdrawals from this place. a little jealous Michael lives within walking distance currently.

6. Cafe Brazil - Dallas, TX... if you don't get fruit pan-crepes or french toast, you're living life wrong.

7. Sauce - downtown Mckinney, TX... great pizza, great atmosphere, AND live music on weekend nights!

weekend update {surprises are fun}

this past weekend, Michael "surprised" me by coming to Dallas. it's "surprised" because I may or may not have figured it out with all of the not-so-subtle hints he was giving me. this was the first time for him to meet my family, and he passed with flying colors! we had breakfast at one of my favs **stay tuned for foodie post**, went on a double date with my parents, made breakfast together **without killing each other**, played nerts with andrew & tiffany, went to church together for the first time, & had Gran's boring chicken. overall, it was an incredible weekend, and I am so thankful for this guy! 

he officially asked me to be his girlfriend this weekend after asking my dad's permission to pursue me **ladies, this really does exist** we have officially been around each other for 13 days out of 6 weeks. this whole long distance thing is not my fav, & dropping him off at the airport yesterday was my least favorite thing of the weekend. but hopefully, we won't have to say goodbye for long periods of time for too much longer **dear walmart, help a sister out**

lessons learned

it has been one crazy month(ish) since moving from arkansas. I am currently living somewhere in-between working full-time and law school, and there have been a lot of lessons that I've already learned. so here it is... 

1. slow days can be good, but hard at the same time
2. I will create a "daily goals" list even when I don't have to get things done that day to feel like I've accomplished something
3. I don't do "nothing" well
4. crazy, awesome shoes can distract from not wearing any makeup
5. reading is a great way to exercise your mind
6. sitting outside on a hammock at night is therapeutic 
7. being vulnerable is not going to kill me
8. I am incredibly stubborn. sometimes a good thing, most times not so much.
9. contrary to my former belief: squats & lunges aren't from satan.
10. a glass of wine is medicine for a mind that won't stop.

I am learning to be thankful for this slow time. it's not my cup of tea, and I realize most people would love to switch places with me right now... BUT in the long run it will help me as I head into the craziness of law school & beyond. so here's to slow times, refueling, & a good cabernet. 

coming soon: weekend update {surprises are fun}, food adventures, & goals {an update}

weekend update {Odessa edition}

ok ok ok... I realize it's not Monday, but I may or may not have forgotten to write this until this morning **insert laziness here** but, this past weekend I visited my long-time friend & name-twin, Allison. she just moved to Odessa, TX in October & married a man who gave her a crazy puerto-rican last name. we went took their crazy puppy, Gator **named for the florida gators** on a walk, had late-night pillow talks just like in junior high & high school days, fourth of july'd it up with some of her friends, heard some crazy birthing stories **ladies, just don't share that crap. you are scaring could-be-future-moms out of ever having kids**, went to a sketchy drive-thru for some incredible watermelon/strawberry juice, & experienced Rosa's. overall, it was such a great weekend catching up with a sweet friend! west texas, you are lucky to have this one!! 

friends with babes

this little heart-throb is my nephew. he's had my heart for the past 2 months, but this past weekend he completely stole it! **those eyes!!!** my sweet heart-friend, Shana, is an incredible mom. Shana is the first of my college friends to cross over into motherhood, and she couldn't be doing a better job! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to watch her navigate this craziness with her husband & Jesus. it truly is a gift to call this littles my nephew. cannot even wait to see how this littles will grow into a man after God's heart **well, maybe I can wait a little bit** 

this past weekend we: a) ate & slept all day, b) melted Aunt Ally's heart by falling asleep in her neck, c) had long conversations over bottles, or d) all of the above.