Around The Diaz House Lately...

Now that I am back to work, the weekends seem more glorious than ever! This weekend we have plans to lounge around the house, visit our favorite local coffee shop and attend a dinner party hosted by close friends. It seems like it's been a while since I've caught you up on what's been going on in our lives...

-We started attending an obedience class with Gari, but didn't make it past the second week because my m-i-l's poor boston terrior got very sick from the facility. Needless to say, we did

not

return.

-My family drove down last weekend to spend time with us and celebrate my birthday! My little sis even got to come to work with me to help set up my library. She is going into her junior year Monday.... where has the time gone?!

-Our invitation shop is so blessed right now. We just started working on our 2015 wedding orders! Aside from invitations, our little shop has been extra busy with back to school prints, poster, name tags, welcome signs - you name it! Never did I image filling up the walls of teacher's classrooms, but I must say, I do love the joy it brings to both the teachers and students.

-We are starting a new small group with married couples - our age. I've been waiting to join one like this for a while and am so thankful God allowed it to fall into place.

-Gabriel and I are heading north next weekend to St. Augustine! It seems like forever since we've had a mini getaway,  just the two of us. I am extra excited because he has never been to this part of our state. If you have any St. Augustine tips, please send them my way. For those of you who've never been, its a charming little town filled with history, beautiful beaches and lots of coziness.

-I got accepted into the Blogher community as a social media influencer! Since I started blogging, around 3 years ago, I have been trying to join this community. After many applications, I was finally accepted - and on my birthday!

-I am in the process of trying to find a GREAT children's book author to visit our school this year. Last year we had a couple, but my favorite by far was

Peter Brown

! Can you suggest any?

-I've gotten into the

SheReadsTruth

studies and really love them! There is something so calming about starting the day on a positive note.  I need to make a better effort to sticking to it every morning though. Somedays I let lunch making, laundry and invitation orders get in the way.

Happy Friday sweet friends!

Year 24

As you may have guessed by my absense here, school is back in session for us FL private school teachers and the preparations have been kicking my booty! I feel like I've been playing catch up for the past week and can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

With the whirlwind of a week we had, I also managed to turn the ripe age of 24! What a blessing birthdays are. I love getting the opportunity to sit back and dream about the year that is to come! On Saturday night, my husband and I threw a small dinner party for 12 in honor of my new year. It was such a cozy and relaxing night for us all - even my family got to drive down from Tampa and join us!

We served totelina, mozarella and tomato skewers and french bread for starters, lasagna for the main, lots of wine and strawberry cheesecake icecream cake for dessert. Boy were we stuffed! Thankful for this upcoming year God has blessed me with.

An Adventurous Marriage

I'm often asked what the best part of marriage is. Marriage is a beautiful thing. A blend of love, learning, commitment, growth, changing and becoming. I believe every year you experience a different side of your marriage. Different stages of life, new found hobbies, closer connections and deeper growth.

The amount of growth that happens when your partner whole heartedly believes in you, leads you, understands your dreams and pushes you to be all that you can be never ceases to amaze me. Marriage does just that. A good, healthy, Christ centered marriage. It leaves you better off than you were before.

I truly want to bring emphasis on my take of a "Christ centered" marriage because it's the only thing has worked. Without this, we would not be where we are. His grace has allowed us to love abundantly and unselfishly. With His direction and guidance, you learn to treat your spouse with a deeper respect. You see your spouse through His loving eyes.

Then there are days when the evil root of comparison over takes my mind. I've learned this way of thinking will not lead you down the right path. Learn to love the stage you are in, whether it be marriage, singlehood or somewhere in between.

One thing Gabriel & I love about the current stage we are in, is the freedom to explore. Waking up beside each other to see what awaits. I recommend this in your marriage. Go on adventures together - in the beginning, middle and end. Experience new things. Talk to strangers. Eat great food. While doing these things, you will begin to feel an even deeper sense of oneness. Take pride in an adventurous marriage.

Happy Friday My Friends!

Our week has felt a bit stranger than usual- Gabriel came home from a business trip with the 

awful 

flu and Gari came down with an stomach bug on his 1st birthday. Nonetheless, we still managed to get some stuff done (

like this new blog layout

) and are looking forward to this weekend-

my sister

is coming in town to visit!! 

Here's the top 5 of the week:

1.  When Gabriel is out of town, you can find me indulging in many of these savory babies. 

2. Decided to do some summer updating throughout the house. 

3. Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet puppy, Gari! He even got a present and all. What a life. 

4. Loved working on this order for an awesome surprise birthday!

5.  Cannot wait to deliver these kraft paper save the dates next week. This is only the back view of course.

Have a great weekend!! 

5 Things I've Learned While Riding In A Golf Cart With My Husband

1. My husband is the best listener during a round of golf.. I can sit and talk about the latest Emily Giffin novel, Instagram feed, blogger whereabouts, travel trivia, 2014 decor trends and I actually get a head nod to it all! Hooray for 5 hours of uninterrupted listening time ;)

2. God created golf to show men everywhere that they are not in control. Water, wind, divots, bunkers.. they are the ones in control.

3. Words like "fudge" and "god bless" and gain a whole different meaning on the course.

4. High volume tornado, hurricane or lighting alerts mean nothing while in the middle of a round. We must play on!

5. I eat way more than he does. A cheeseburger, apple, gatorade and bag of pretzels, I am one happy spectator. Gabriel on the other hand will not eat one stinking thing for the entire 5 hour round. Now that is true dedication ladies and gentlemen.

And in other news... have a happy monday! We are taking it pretty slow around here today- laundry, errands, vet visit, watercoloring.  Get out and enjoy!