Alley Family Fun Days!

Happy Sunday, friends! 

We had a fairly low key week around the Alley household {shocking, I know!} I cannot express how much I needed that week full of movie watching and staying at home with my ball & chain {yes you, sweet Charles!}

I'm not sure what religion each and every one of you are, but as  you probably know. my family and I are Catholic, and this coming week is Holy Week. It's a very sacred week full of tradition and I absolutely love this week. It brings back amazing memories. As much as I love Holy Week, it is a very busy week, especially for those who are joining the Catholic Church, like my husband. So this coming week, we have mass on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday night {when Charles becomes a member of the church..stay tuned, this proud wife will be blogging all about it}. On top of that, we have a Board Meeting for the Riverfront Blues Fest {coming June 20-21..don't miss out!} and Charles has class{Mr. College Graduate coming in December 2014! {Another proud wife moment..} 

As you can see, my next week will be quite the busy one, but I'm looking forward to it! 

Let's rewind to take a look at my not so eventful week from last week!

As a closing prayer in Charles RCIA classes {yes, I'm the crazy wife that tags along for moral support..but hey, he asked me to, and how can I say no to that sweet man?] we say this closing prayer, and Charles and I fell in love with it from the get-go. We now incorporate it into our nightly routine!

Yes, we watched Frozen. No, we don't have children, unless you count the fur babies. This movie was adorable!

Boozing and baking banana bread! 

The puppies always know we are going on a trip when they see momma bust out some of her Vera collection. 

If I'm going to make it through a Friday afternoon 2 hour meeting..essentials are required. 

I just had to have some Apple Pie Moonshine {don't worry..this kind is legal!}

What's an Alley Family Fun Weekend without mimosas all around?! Pre Arkansas Derby drinks with the Alley's!

The better half and I...and then some more. 

2014 Oaklawn Arkansas Derby! 

My mommy in law && the Brother In Law's GF, Jen! 

Charles turned his car into a "limo" by putting down the middle seats and him and his dad rode in style on the way to the races! 

Before we got to the racetrack, a few of us stopped into The Savory Pantry in Hot Springs to get some delicious dips, marinades, & spreads. Charles and I found THE most DIVINE blue cheese herb mustard dip that we purchased, and I don't even like Blue Cheese!..if you're in Hot Springs, you had better go check it out! 

The races were PACKED, so we were very blessed to have box seats so that we could sit down and relax! I mistakenly wore wedge heels...my feet were not impressed. The box was my safe haven. 

Run ponies, Run!

When we got home on Sunday, I ran to the grocery store to stock up on some foods for this week. I pack our lunches every day, and since we are going to have quite a busy week, I figured I better do a lot of food prep today. We made it home from the lake at a reasonable hour, so I had ample time to prep food for lunches and even some dinners for this week! It only took about an hour to do, and it was so worth my while!

Charles was begging for his favorite after lake recovery food, so lo and behold, I went to Pho Hoang to get his favorite meal. I got myself some Chicken fried rice and barely made a dent in it, so I packed it up for Charles to take in his lunch tomorrow. He loves leftovers! 

Since Holy Week is such a precious time in my family, I thought I would share a little story with you that I found rummaging around the internet one day. We all need little reminders that God is always with us..

"One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each, I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was only one. 

During the lowest times of my life I could see only one set of footprints, so I said, "Lord, you promised me that you would walk with me always. Why, when I have needed you most, would you leave me? 

The Lord replies, "My precious child, I love you and would never leave you. The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you" 

We all go through hard times. We lose friendships. We grow apart with people. We lose jobs. We fight with our loved ones. We feel sorry for ourselves, and think that our problems are the worst out there. But they aren't worse than others. And you have the power to control the negativity in your life and turn in into positivity. 

We also don't know the struggle of others, and we need to realize that there is power in forgiveness. Never make someone be too afraid to reach out to you for a helping hand, or to rejoin your life. Acknowledge their strength. 

"Once you become consciously aware of just how powerful your thoughts are, you will realize everything in your life is exactly how YOU allow it to be"