I Don't Believe in Coincidences

Being at the right place at just the right time.. possibly. Predestined lives.. maybe. But pure coincidence no way. This past weekend we took a trip to be a part of something I had no idea I would get to experience. I happen to be married to someone who I love to my deepest core, but would never understand until I had it. Not like the movies love because they never truly show all the facets there are. But an immeasurable love. Much like the love of a child..but I am drifting to an entire topic of it's own. So back to this love.. Since we have it and hold it so very close to our hearts, the husband and I love nothing more than for everyone to find that sort of love. Specifically those we cherish.

This is how it started: I got a text from a person who I share this crazy easy bond with. Someone who has a light that has always been a part of my life.. near and very far but always there. This lady has overcome the world.. you name it.. she has conquered it. It was time this friend found her match. I had known this man she spoke of was different. Her voice was different, her decisions seemed different, her whole being seemed different. And if you asked me what different meant, I would never be able to describe. Mind you, I have never ever met this man before. For me, I always try to give the benefit of the doubt in every single relationship. There is a reason I am with who I am with and others chose their companions... period. Sometimes I understand the match and sometimes I will never know why on earth two individuals are together. But there again, anyone in the world could peek into my life and think the exact same.. the bottom line is I know without a doubt. So the text came through about a month ago. My friend had decided to take the plunge. They decided they wanted to be married and would be doing it in aprox 3-4 weeks. I immediately felt the need to be there. Even if no one else showed up, I wanted to be there. But the magic begun here. I looked at my husband who was traveling the whole month of August and told him my sweet friend will be getting married and here is the date. Without even flinching, asking when, where, what.. he said we will be there. I was a little confused at his reaction myself because he wasn't even checking his calendar. But just that little action and how well him and I are connected I knew he felt it too. We HAD to be there.

Flying in we had no idea what to expect and that was actually a breathe of fresh air. We were just playing it by ear.. whatever the plans we were there. So as we were awaiting the night time plans, visiting with another dear friend the soon to be bride and groom swooped in quickly before getting their kids settled. One quick hello and I knew this was going to be good. The night before the big day came and went.. people celebrated with them, drinks were flowing. My favorite part was that we were the last 4 standing, (or kind of standing at this point) having breakfast at 2am in a Denny's without a care in the world other than sharing that delicious grease with these two people. After spending just a short couple of hours I got "them". Their perfectly imperfect bond that will hold them until the end.

The next day it's wedding time.. feeling the affects of the previous evening.. but making a decision that I will overcome with a little caffeine and food. And it's time. We are heading to the venue they have picked, in a bus filled with a small, very random group of individuals and I just looked around and felt pure happiness in this little bus. As we walk into this cool little eclectic art studio it began. These feelings of magic and just plain love. The love between the people gathered, the love for my friend, and just different families gathered to watch this family become one unit. I have never been to a wedding and felt that. Mostly because they are normally big weddings, you talk to the people you know and there are so many people gathered you miss a lot of the intimate details. Everything felt so casual, no rushing around, no stressful time crunches, just doing their thing. At last, the ceremony begins. I had offered to video because I knew they needed this moment captured on tape. I am so glad I did. I stood behind watching this family up there in the most perfect lighting, uniting with their 3 girls standing next to them thru this camera lens...incredible. The tears just began falling.. I could not stop them. I looked over at my husband sitting in the front row all by himself literally and fell in love all over again. After peeling my eyes off of him, I looked around the room and it seems I wasn't the only one that was completely touched by this love. From where I was standing there was a whole lot of emotion. I loved everything about these 48 hours of magic. The love shared, the memories made, the bonds tightened, this was definitely no coincidence. We were meant to be in that very moment no doubt.. for them, for us and every glimpse of hope that pure love is alive and well.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. and thank you for more than you might ever know.

The Time has Come

It is officially time. My dream of creating the gear side of LL has come to fruition. Everything coming together and the momentum is building. When I began this journey with the husband in the fishing industry my intentions were to eventually design outdoor gear for the company. I love cool outdoorsy, work out, comfy clothes that have flare. I have always wanted to design a line with our brand. And now the stars have begun to align, the name has made its way out there and it is time. I have never been so excited, inspired, passion driven and ready than I am now. After going back and forth about being a working mom, not working, starting a new career, staying where I'm at, I have arrived at my answer. Or maybe the answer smacked me right across the face. Its funny how when you pay attention, the indications or signs of where you are supposed to be start to appear everywhere! Well you don't have to tell/show me twice, specifically about this dream I have had for years. So now.. where to begin, how to begin, what to begin. And the answers start flowing right back to me. The divine connection of our current partners who play a huge role in our lives now, happen to be married to 2 people that are quickly becoming my most favorite people ever. These two women and I have decided to take on this venture together. Nothing could possibly make me more happy than to have the wives of LL coming together to create something that is OURS! And the work begins. We had our first non official brainstorming session yesterday and we decided on a basic direction. We were missing one of our "partners" for this sesh so we will get her caught up and feed back and onward we will move. Ideas, brainstorming, notes, and our side notes of course because we are ladies gathering trying to stay on one subject is just impossible! And here we are again, the beginning of another journey, the one I have been waiting for. Bring on the work load, pile on the busy, walls don't stand a chance, obstacles I know you are out there but have no doubt you will be conquered. Much more to come on this fantastic opportunity..

THE Trip

This past week we attended the annual fishing convention ICAST. This was my 5th time to attend the show, but my first time to experience anything like this. The previous times I have been we have always just walked the show. Talking to people in the industry, checking out the latest. Last year was the first time Livingston had their own booth. I was unable to attend this milestone event but for very good reason, my little just born. But this year.. what I year I picked to go! Not only did Livingston have a booth at the show, this booth stole the show. It was classy, it was educational, it was HUGE, it was catered breakfast, lunch and happy hour. It had tv's playing our stories, Pro Anglers demonstrating the lures, meetings being held, amazing displays. This booth was IT. I clearly had no idea what this bad boy was going to entail until we walked over to it. I was in complete awe. I was overwhelmed. So many emotions flooded my mind. But the one that took front and center was PROUD. I was proud of my husband first and foremost, proud of being a part of this amazing dream and proud of the company it has become. What a sight to be seen. Something so hard to put into words but just insane crazy. But that was just the beginning. The entire 5 days we were in Vegas we did it up. From the extravagant dinners to the cabana rented out just for Livingston, and the late night chats with people who have become our closest friends and partners. As I try and go back through the events of the week, I think about some of the most amazing people we met, some of the greatest memories we made, and all for one cause. Livingston Lures. And the thing that keeps playing over in my head is when we met with the Secretary of the State of Texas, she said, "right when you think you are about to give up, keep going." The things that you work the hardest for, suffer the most conquering, and sacrifice everything for, will pay off big. You hear it all the time right?! Well I have to say, I witnessed first hand, with my own two eyes, with my whole being that if you work hard enough and push through every obstacle you encounter, you will make it to that other side. And although we are still on the climb, it sure does feel good to see that the love of my life has yet again created something in his mind, taken to market, and leaving his mark in the world. Best part about it, I get to be a part of it with our precious little mini. Blessed beyond words. July of 2013 in Las Vegas, will go down in my book as an unforgettable milestone, no doubt about that.

And so the legend begins....

It is crazy how fast time seems to be moving lately. I am assuming that is due to the fact that things are moving at such an insane speed that I have to dig my toes into the ground so I don't get sucked into the momentum. But I am learning sometimes I like to ride in that madness.. no I will admit I LOVE to ride in it! And it all points back to the thing that started me on my blogging journey.. the fishing lure company. It has begun, the stories about my husband, the videos, the articles, and just the plain fact that it has a not only a name of it's own.. but a legend in the making. Check out this article that I had a part in writing about my one and only.

http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/for-the-love-of-fishing-the-robert-castaneda-story/

I do not have the words to describe how proud, happy and excited I am about this dream becoming a reality. So I will leave it at that.

New Soul

So anyone who knows me knows that I like to get my workout on. Now I'm not this insane intense workout buff that will sacrifice anything and everything to get myself to the gym at crazy hours and what not. But I do get a lot out of gym time. Just my over all being is better. Well as of recently there is absolutely no time cut out for me to get to the gym UNLESS of course I want to go at 6am before the my little wakes and husband rushes out the door, or after 8:30pm when we put her down for the night and I am ready to collapse into bed, a glass of wine, or catch up time with the husband. I am too stubborn to join a gym with a daycare and leave her there. (some people think this makes me a crazy person) But nonetheless, I have always taken her for walks. If we are lucky, Daddy and the pups will join us if it's in the evening, but lately that has been super rare. So we have been creating a little routine since we are now in the midst of humid, hot, sticky Texas summer, we are taking our little walk/run stroll in the am. This morning it started off just as usual.. me not really ready for the workout and baby just excited she isn't going down for a nap yet and gets to be outside! The minute I walked outside there were some really dark clouds. The weather here has been crazy lately.. random thunderstorms coming out of nowhere. So I pulled up my weather ap, which I live by and somehow it is never really right on. It said no rain in sight today. Ok but it looks like it's about to pour? So we continue anyway, I need a little sweat and it's not lightening. As I get to our normal turn around point, this song came on. I play my music so both of us can hear.. cause I am bound and determined that we will have a musically inclined child. The song, New Soul by Yael Naim came on. This is the chorus:

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake

Just then it started to sprinkle. At first I kind of freaked out, I have my baby here with me and we are going to get drenched. But then it did not pick up, just a slow sprinkle, enough for her to get a few raindrops on her legs and me to get a little damp by the time we reached home. But I picked up the speed to a full on sprint. Just in case it did start down pouring. By the time we got home and under cover I was completely out of breathe and felt this deep cleanse I had just experienced and to make it just a trillion times better, my sweet girl was there to experience with me. Obviously she had no clue what was happening, but when I went to get her out, she did not want to leave that stroller. It was like she felt it too. These sprinkles of rain combined with the words of that song and everything that is going on in my life and people around me twirled me into such a good mood. Like a breathe of fresh air. My young soul is still alive and well, but with age the theory that you know it all kind of fades, and a new prospective starts to creep in. For me, it's learning to live. Just live in the moment. Appreciating people and their stories, their experiences, but learning we will all have different stories in the end. I am convinced we will have quite the story. Feeling so thankful after this sprinkle cleanse with my best friend by my side.

My Perfect Mess

As I look back thru this blog and where we came from and where we are I am nothing short of completely humbled. Humbled by God's grace and completely in awe of His work. I always hear things happen in His time, well for me when I need/want something right now, that isn't exactly what I have in mind for encouragement. But it is times like these when I look back at how things have turned out I know with every ounce of my being that it is totally His timing. We just spent the entire weekend with the Livingston gang. The guys worked and the ladies played. But this was the first time I got to see first hand the insane crazy totally different company that has transformed before my eyes. I mean there were people walking around the resort in Livingston I have never seen in my entire life. Like the cool new brand to be wearing. Wait.. WHAT?!?!? Then the divine coincidences the entire weekend, gives me goose bumps. My husband, the inventor and creator of Livingston. That statement right there makes me the most proud, insanely grateful, and inspired wife I could ever be. I mean we talk about all of the paths we could have taken. Or maybe should have taken. And even talk about the paths that we have to choose from in this very moment. But even those paths are changing by the second, the minute. And new ones are transforming. I don't know much about where we are headed but I can't help but to smile cause either way things are getting GREAT! But on our way to the great.. there are piles of mess and burdens, small annoying things that should not even occupy 1 second of my time. But this is my perfect mess. It was a game changing weekend.. I learned so much about people and my family and where we belong I think the cost of the entire trip is immeasurable. Onward and upward thru the piles to where He has seen all along.

This picture is so us.. Emma is in her own world.. looks like Robert is checking the time cause he is bound to be late for something, and then me trying to keep it all together.. Would not trade this for the world.. our perfect mess

My Dear Child.. Happy 1 Year of Life

My Emmalynn Faith, You have come into this crazy world and forever changed it. You have been a constant light not only for Mommy and Daddy but our whole family. Every day I wake up and the first thing I do is thank God for your beautiful soul. It has been the honor of my life to watch you grow each and every day. To come into your own, learning, exploring and testing. Daddy had a vision before you were born of a blonde haired, colored eyed baby playing with him and my sweet baby you have fulfilled that piece of his heart. You will forever be the angel that saved our lives. You have taught me more in the past year than the 30 years I have lived on his earth. The most important things in Mommy's life became crystal clear. I want you to know that no matter where you go, what you become, the mistakes you make, the successes you encounter, Mommy and Daddy will always be your number 1 fans. We will be here for you when you think there is no one else, my love. I will do my best to protect you for the rest of my life, but the truth is I won't be able to protect you forever. You will be thrown into this world just like we all are, but I am confident Daddy and I will do our very best to make sure you are as prepared as we can get you. My sweet angel the world is a tough place, but I have no doubt in my mind that you will learn to conquer it with stride. Daddy has been praying over you since you were in Mommy's tummy that you will live a long prosperous life and although we hope not for a very very long time, to find a man worthy of your complete beauty. My first born baby girl, you are the best part of my life. Your personality has made it's way out and you are a fireball. My child, I pray you use that fire to make a difference in this world. We will give you the proper tools and leave it to God and you baby to make this happen. As I look back over this past year, my heart is so full sometimes I think it might explode with the purest love there is. Emmalynn, you are Mommy's best friend, we will continue this journey together and I promise to be the best I can possibly be because you my darling girl, deserve only the best. I love you forever daughter.. Happy 1st birthday my baby. Your Mommy.