Reflecting on 2013....

As 2013 is winding down, I wanted to take some time to do a little retrospective on the year.  For each year that I've been with Mike, I find myself a little nostalgic, extremely fortunate, and absolutely content at the end of every year.  Sure, we hit a few speed bumps every year, but I've never been particularly happy to see any year come to an end.  Even though I'm always fiercely optimistic about whatever adventures will meet us the following year, I firmly believe that we are satisfied by year end because Mike and I have learned the art of "beating the year".  Even if you encounter some unfavorable surprises - there are still plenty of opportunities to keep the year from getting you down!

I know it's cliche, but we are true believers in making lemonade out of lemons.  We have stayed devoted to overcoming adversities by overcompensating with the positive.  At the beginning of this year, I vowed that our resolution would be to "live more spontaneously", and that was the key to staying optimistic and having an unforgettable 2013.  Each year, I have a general theme for how I want to live.  2012 was a year of "firsts", and 2013 was a year of spontaneity.  

So before we dive head first into 2014, I want to take a moment to highlight some of my favorite spontaneous moments of 2013:

1.  WE WENT TO THE SUPER BOWL!

Sure, the 49ers didn't take home the Lombardi trophy from that game, but holy COW was that an amazing experience.  Until we go to another Super Bowl (which I vow to do in my lifetime if the 49ers or the Bears make it back!), this will be one of the best moments in sports that I've ever experienced.  Mike and I made an impulse decision to go to New Orleans just 9 days before the big game - and we just made it work!

2.  Taking on new challenges

In May when I was offered a promotion on a new account at my agency - I deliberated for ONE day before making the move.   So to say that the new position has been a challenge would be the under-statement of the year, I'm proud of the progress we've made and this job has taken me on so many adventures already.  From almost weekly trips to Miami, to Puerto Rico, and of course Scotland, this Bacardi account has taught me some extremely valuable lessons.  

3.   A return to Italy

Not even 8 months since we returned from a truly special Italian vacation in September of 2012, Mike and I went back to one of our favorite travel destinations when we received a wedding invite to our dear friend's nuptials in Siena.  Sure, it was a little extravagant to return to Tuscany after an extremely gluttonous experience last year, and MAYBE we should put that money towards our savings for a house....but those thoughts never even crossed our minds when we opened up that invitation.  We booked hotels the very day we read that email...and never thought twice!  And thank God we did...because it was another epic experience.

4.  A whirlwind Trip to Notre Dame

Mike and I were ALL over the place in September....I don't think we spent one weekend home in the city.  But when we got a Wednesday afternoon invite to go to Chicago for the Notre Dame Football game - how could we say no???  An opportunity not only to see one of the most famous stadiums in the entire world AND reunite with some of my favorite DuPonts....it was a no-brainer.  Yes, it would be exhausting, but it was worth it.  Being spontaneous always is...

5.  We bought a car!

When Mike and I actually WERE home an entire weekend - we bought a car!  After some Sunday afternoon football, we were inspired by a Columbus Day Jeep commercial....so naturally, we followed our instincts and bought a car the very next day!  

6.  Our last minute Scottish adventure

After finding out that I had to be in Scotland for a work engagement, Mike and I immediately pulled together an extension for another Mobley adventure!  We didn't have our typical 8 months of planning for this one, in fact it was organized in a matter of days, but it was an incredible journey - and I'm absolutely, head-over-heels in LOVE with the country of Scotland.  I can't wait to go back there with some of our family one day.  

Like any year, 2013 had it's obstacles and minor difficulties, and not every day was rainbows and adventures in far away lands.  But the key for us this year was in how we overcame these little bumps in the road to make this year another fantastic 12 months.  And thankfully, we were extremely lucky to avoid any serious hardships in 2013.  So after a year that was truly unexpected and ridiculously delightful, I'm sad to see this year come to an end.  But each year has continued to out-do the previous one, so I know that Mike and I are in for a year full of surprises in 2014.  I find comfort in knowing that with my husband, every year will be epic.  Thank you to all of you who have been a part of our lives this year, and we hope to see more of you all in 2014!

Merry Christmas to All & To All a Good Night

Mike and I feel so blessed that we get to see both sets of families every year at Christmas time.  There is no "we'll spend next year with your family & this year with mine" involved in our little Mobley family.  It's our favorite time of year, and each year, we make a point of spending it with ALL of our favorite people.  So similar to Christmas 2012, we started off the Christmas festivities in Dallas, for the first Christmas in my parent's beautiful new home.

We had 4 fun filled days that went by WAY to fast.  Even though Garrett and Jenny live a mere 20 minutes away from my parents, they camped out the entire time with their sweet little fur ball - Ziggy.  Our time in Texas was full of egg nog, a delicious Italian Sunday dinner, matching Chicago Bear's shirts, an embarrassing Chicago Bear's loss, a thrilling 49ers Monday Night game, Backstreet Boys sing-a-longs in the golf cart, a cut throat game of gestures, Sequence, our Christmas Eve lobster tradition, mom's homemade Baileys, Christmas vacation on blu-ray, pipes and cigars on the upstairs balcony, fantastic single malt scotch, a full day of gift giving, Tiffany's jewelry, home made old fashioneds, THREE crazy pups, cozy new pajamas, and some gorgeous Texas sunshine.

Before we found out these shirts were probably bad luck

DA KIDS!

Golf Cart Selfie!

Garrett's first pipe - very festive!

The future DuPonts!

Mom & her babies! 

The girls!

Tis the season to be merry!

For the second leg of the Mobley Christmas tour, we traveled on a quick little puddle jumper to Santa Fe, New Mexico where the 6 of us stayed at the home of a very close family friend who was away for the holidays.  Of course, since it was New Mexico, the house was built in the pueblo style, and was the quintessential New Mexico home complete with authentic artwork and furnishings.  Mike and I had never been to the state of New Mexico, so it was a first for both of us.  So not only were we getting to spend Christmas with the family, but we were going to explore a brand new city!  For those of you who have not been to Santa Fe, it's quite a unique city - and absolutely breathtaking at Christmas time.  It's apparently one of the nation's top destinations for Christmas!

While our time in Santa Fe went too WAY to fast, we spent 3 jam packed days experiencing the magic of Santa Fe.  Those three days were full of honey baked ham, more single malt scotch, Scottish gifts from our travels, pueblo houses everywhere, star filled skies, luminaries, big dinners with extended family, droves of Native American treasures, MILES of art galleries, an overwhelmingly fascinating folk art museum, Mike being a little under the weather, sunsets unlike anything I've ever seen before, matching Menzies tartan Christmas outfits (again), a Mobley family photo session, Mobleys tours and visits to the oldest religious establishment in the entire US, an extended Mexican lunch, the bluest skies you've ever seen, a Scottish pocket watch, adorable adobe fireplace, morning (and afternoon) tea, and complete and utter rest and relaxation.

Oldest church in the US

How adorable is HE?

a little sick, but in good spirits!

When in Santa Fe...

A Santa Fe Sunset - Photo creds to my sister in law!

My LOVE!

View from the backyard!

Merry Christmas from the Mobleys!

Mobley's 2013 Christmas Card!

As always, our time with our families seems to go by too fast and before we knew it, we were back in chilly New York City.   Once again, we are incredibly blessed and appreciative of all that we have and each of our loved ones that we were able to celebrate with this holiday season.  I can't believe that Christmas has already come and gone, it seems like we were JUST celebrating New Years 2013! But aside from the fact that we were all cheated out of a week of Christmas festivities, it was an unbelievably fulfilling and joyful month.  The Mobleys wish you all and your families a very VERY Merry Christmas!  11 months until we do it all over again!

Merry Christmas to from our little family to yours!!!

Decking the Halls!

Last year, Mike and I had a festive date night complete with a little dinner & an evening with the Rockettes.  Even though they are one of the most festive shows in all of Manhattan....we didn't find it necessary to see the Rockettes again this year. Nevertheless, a Christmas night in the city was an absolute mandatory.  Mike and I were both traveling an absurd amount over the last quarter of the year, and after what seemed like 25 holiday parties full of cocktails and gluttony, it was initially hard to motivate for another night of debauchery....but...it ended up being one of my favorite nights of the season....and on that I'll cherish forever.

One of the reasons for that is because we invited a few friends to join the Mobleys for a Christmas-packed evening - the soon to be married Megs & Cooper, who always promise to be a great time!  We started out with a dinner at the New York staple - Minetta Tavern.....of which ALL FOUR of us were shockingly prompt.  While we polished of an incredible meal of filet mignon and a nice juicy bottle of Chateauneuf du pape, what ensued after was what was particularly special and memorable.

The four of us hopped in a car to head uptown (while singing Christmas carols in the taxi of course), and opened the cab door to Rockefeller Center for a group viewing of the most famous Christmas tree in the country!  After seeing the Rockefeller tree for the first time in person last year, I vowed to never miss it again as long as we are New York City residents. It's ALWAYS worth the crowds, and it's always worth what seems like the longest cab ride ever.   The four of us admired the tree, and marveled at the tiny little ice skaters on the rink below.
I'm also embarrassed to say, that I've never had the time to walk up 5th avenue and take a look at all of the gorgeous storefronts! We walked a very sparkly and entertaining 9 blocks for the final stop on our New York City Christmas Tour....The Plaza.


If you have never been to the Plaza at Christmas time, I HIGHLY suggest it.  Each year, the Plaza allows one store or designer to decorate their lobby tree - this year, it was trimmed by Saks!  There is also a wonderful bar called the Oak Room, but unfortunately it was closed for a private party the evening we were there.  But we still climbed the stairs to the second story bar for one of the most festive old fashioneds I've ever had.

I know I've said this before, and I'll say it again every year, but my GOODNESS....New York is a magical place at Christmas.  With the craziness that accompanies the end of the year, it's easy to take this gorgeous city for granted, but making the time to soak in the beauty of the season is so fulfilling.  We are headed off to spend Christmas with both of our families this week, but we're so glad that we took a night to enjoy Christmas in New York, just in the nick of time.

Christmas in Connecticut

Since Mike and I usually leave the East Coast for Christmas, we have made a little tradition out of attending brunch with my DuPont family at the country club back in Connecticut.  Mike hasn't been able to join the past two years because of a few conflicts we had with Winston and last minute shopping duties, but THIS year, the three of us took the Jeep out (for only the SECOND time since we bought it!) for a winter weekend in the country.

It was snowing when we left New York City and while it was absolutely beautiful in Manhattan, it was even more of a Winter Wonderland once we arrived in Connecticut.  The snowflakes were coming down in sheets for almost 24 hours straight - leaving my aunt & uncle's house covered with almost a foot of fluffy powder.  Naturally, that was the perfect setting for a mini-photo shoot with Winston...naturally.

But we were ALL (especially Winston) in heaven as we huddled inside by the fireplace and snuggled under big cozy blankets to watch one of my favorite Christmas movies - the Holiday.

Brunch was the following day and as usual, it was a fantastic spread. After over three years of the Connecticut brunch weekend - I've mastered the buffet table, which I'm extremely proud of!  But of course the company was the reason for the 2.5 hour drive through the snow.  Between December 1st and the 19th, Mike and I had made plans each "school night" of the week in an effort to see every friend and work colleague in the city before disappearing for the Christmas break.  But family is the best part of the season - and I couldn't be MORE grateful for the Connecticut family I have just a quick car ride away.  Even if it's just for one night, or for one 4 hour lunch - I absolutely LIVE for these days.

We are going to miss our Connecticut family over the holidays.  I'm not ashamed to say that as we were pulling out of the driveway to head back to the city - I got a little emotional.  I just wish that there was a way we could ALL be together over the holidays.  With both sets of parents being so far away, it's so refreshing and humbling to know that we have family just a train ride or a Jeep ride away.  We'll be back in Connecticut (likely again before the end of 2013), but I'm thrilled that for the first time, all THREE of us were able to get away for a little Connecticut weekend escape with some of the best people I know!  Can't wait to find some more excuses to head back!

Making Spirits Bright!

And the Mobleys are at it again.  This Mike & I organized our 4th annual intimate little friendly gathering at our home to kick off the holiday season.  It was an evening full of sing-a-longs, pipes, whisky, egg nog, matching tartan & some friendly surprises!

This year, we had not just ONE special guest from Texas...but we had a few!!!  It was like a mini Christmas miracle.  My sweet friend Kendal (who also made the trip last year) made a cameo with her two sisters.  And not only did my high school bestie Ashley, take an entire morning to help me prepare desserts for our holiday kick off party, she spent one of her most coveted husband date nights at our party!

Mike and I love entertaining our friends and displaying the collection of decorations we've accumulated over our 6 Christmases together.  We love telling stories about each of the ornaments on our tree.  We love "over-serving" some of our friends with Mike's famous spiked egg nog.  We love making a beautiful spread of treats for people to snack on - but most importantly, this is usually our last opportunity to see our New York friends for the year - and we love starting the Christmas season with them all and ending the year on a high note with some of Manhattan's (and Texas') finest.

 

And I must say, our friends have a FANTASTIC collection of Christmas attire - it's actually pretty incredible.  We had everything from custom Christmas sweaters, to tartan Christmas slippers, and glittery ornament headbands.  And it's quite a feat when there are just as many empty bottles of peaty scotch in the trash as there are empty beer bottles at the end of the night.  Our friends never cease to amaze me with their wardrobe choice and festive potential.  After 4 years, you guys keep stepping up the game - BRAVO to each of you...bra-vo.

Hope you enjoy a  few pictures from our little Christmas get-together - we can't wait for all of the Christmas festivities to follow this month - 'Tis the season!

So Much to be Thankful For....

It's that time of year again - time for us to reflect on all that we are thankful for and all the wonderful things in our lives that we appreciate.  For the first time since moving to New York, Mike and I did not spend Thanksgiving in Connecticut.  While we missed our family dearly last week, it was also the first time for us to spend a big family holiday at my parents gorgeous new home in Dallas.  As we have done in years past, I wanted to take this time to share just a few things that I'm so grateful for:
Puppies! God put puppies on this earth, and that is simply because they are quite possibly the most happy thing in the world.  Not only did I get to spend Thanksgiving with my parent's sweet pups, Burton (the original love of my life) & Bear, but we got to meet Garrett & Jenny's new bundle of joy - Ziggy.  And I love him.

Friends - Every year I'm amazed at how complete our friends make our lives.  Mike and I have such busy schedules and we have friends all over the country after living in over 9 states between the two of us, and we are so blessed with the number of friendships we've been able to grow over our lives together and individually.  Thank you so much to all of you who enrich our lives and make every day so so SO much fun. We couldn't see all of you, but hope that you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!


Babies! Many of our friends are starting to have little babies, and I've had a hard time being away from them when they are bringing these little joys into their lives.  I've missed out on their cute little belly days, some baby showers, and even meeting the babies after they are born.  While it seems like Mike and I are traveling fools, somehow our travels hardly ever land us in the vicinity of our out of state friends.  So I was BEYOND thrilled to be able to meet my high school best friend's sweet baby girl, Miss Emily Elizabeth.  It was only a quick hour at a Starbucks in Dallas, but it meant the world to me to be able to spend time with the tiny one and see my beautiful friend in her new role as a momma!

Home...They say "home is where your heart is", and I couldn't agree more, because we have a few "homes".  But I'm so grateful that wherever we go, as long as we are with our family, it feels...home-y.  My parents have only lived in this beautiful house since March, and both Mike and I agree that we absolutely look forward to the comfort and relaxation we get from visiting our parents.  Especially when they upgrade our "guest room" to a king bed (thanks mom!) :)

Parents!  My mom and dad just celebrated 31 years of marriage this past October, and I'm in absolute awe of them.  They are an absolute beacon of what it means to have a partner in crime - a team!  They were absolutely the most gracious hosts and it warms my heart to see the joy they take in hosting all of us for such a festive holiday.  My adorable mother (who all of us know is not known for her cooking skills), was awake on Thanksgiving at 6:30a to bake a carrot cake using a recipe that has been in her family for years!  Pops grilled the perfect turkey on the Weber, per usual, and cooked another baby turkey in the oven "just so the house would smell good".  I hope that one day I can come close to hosting a Thanksgiving as flawlessly and with as much love as they did this year.

Family - Next year, the DuPont side of my family is growing by one more person!  Mike and I couldn't be more thrilled about getting a new sister next May.  A few extra days in Dallas meant a few extra days for some quality time with the siblings - I only wish we got to do that more often!  But what was an even bigger treat was our Illinois family who made the trip to Texas!  My godson, my uncle Joe & aunt Liane were the icing on the cake (since our carrot cake WAS icing free) :)  And thank you to everyone in the family who humored Mike & my made-up tradition of "pajama surprise time".  You all looked fantastic!

This Guy - Every day I thank the Lord that I am married to this guy.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I get to spend every day (ok...well sometimes we miss each other because of business trips, but MOSTLY every day) with Mr Mobley.  He makes EVERY day better & I adore him with all of my heart.  I can't wait to have so many more Thanksgivings with this one....He is the best!

Of course we missed a few of our favorites during Thanksgiving - our families are so big and so spread out over the country, we just can't be with everyone!  This year was everything I could have ever hoped for in a Thanksgiving holiday.  We ate like kings, we had carefree family times, we all RELAXED, and we were surrounded in love.  We are so very grateful that this has been a healthy & happy year for the Mobleys and are already starting the countdown to Thanksgiving 2014.  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday - and now on to the Christmas festivities!