[life] I Can't Live Without... Photography #3

Linking up with Katie at ...for Lauren and Lauren for the "I Can't Live Without" link-up!

I am a HUGE fan of photography! I'm not a professional photographer: I have no idea about light quality, ISOs (?), or how to work those fancy cameras. I'm more of a point-and-shoot gal, knowing how to have "good" light w/no shadows, and how to crop a photo to get the captured moment perfectly.

I love how photos tell a story and help remember a moment in time. Lately, Nate and I have tried to not be as "technology"- dependent and focus more on being IN the moment rather than have a phone or camera attached to our face the entire time... But I just really enjoy going back and looking at photos to see a fun or beautiful moment in time!

Here are a few of my favorite photos and moments in time:

Sunset in Destin, Florida (celebrating our 4-year wedding anniversary)

 The gorgeous landscape of our favorite Caribbean location: Roatan, Honduras

 Sneaking a kiss with Nate in a private, secluded cove in Honduras

Listening and enjoying an awesome Dave Matthews Band concert with Nate (his favorite band)

Family vacation in Cozumel, Mexico

Of course, our wedding day: this is one of my favorite photos from that day. The way we are looking at each other and how we are still so completelyyyy in love. Blessed.

One of our favorite places in the world: The Ballpark in Arlington (it will always be called that to me, although it is now called Globe Life Park)

Another favorite place: WALT DISNEY WORLD #kidsatheart

Enjoying the company of my favorite furry children friends: Chloe and Oliver

 Getting ice cream on an incredibly HOT Texas summer afternoon with our best friends

Graduating college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education: #lifegoals

And us, today: still can't believe he's all mine!

While reminiscing and looking at these photos, I couldn't help but smile. These moments have captured just a second of an amazing day, week, or life event. Looking at these glimpses in time help me look back on what memorable moments they each were and help me remember the event(s) in full.

What are your favorite photos? We all have the obvious: vacations, marriages, babies, etc. Any out of the ordinary?

Have a great week!

[travel] Yo-Ho, A Cruiser's Life For Me

Happy Wednesday to you all!

While this will SOUND like a sponsored post, I promise it is not.

Now is the time of year when families begin to plan their summer vacations. Nate and I, personally, like to travel during the off-season: inexpensive, less children traveling, and the "party" scene isn't as prominent as it is during Spring Break or summertime. 

Of course, you all know by now, our favorite way to travel is by CRUISE ship. We have traveled with Carnival and Princess, which are both favorites. They are both owned by the Carnival Corporation, but are two different fleets within the company. Both ships have things to offer to every age/personality type, but we feel Carnival is more family-friendly, party atmosphere, with bright colors and loud noises to accompany. Princess is a bit more elegant, fancy, and classic. We loved our time with both ships, so it really just depends on what you are looking for.

Here are two videos I created (on YouTube) capturing our time with both ship fleets. Forgive the amateurishness of them both, I'm not a pro :)

Princess (Spring Break 2013... I know, I know. I just said we don't like to travel during SB, but we just happened to that year because we traveled with my family: we traveled to Belize and Cozumel, and were supposed to go to Honduras, but it was too windy to dock the ship)

 Carnival (January 2015: we traveled to Key West, FL and the Bahamas)

If you ever have questions about cruising, want to know "hidden" tips from an experienced cruiser, or are just wondering what the heck you do on a massive ship for a week, please let me know! I LOVE to talk cruising!

[life] Hello Friends

 

In the past week or so, I have gained a new amount of "followers" via a blog community on Facebook called The Blog Love Project. It's a group of women who support each other in their blog posts, Facebook pages, tweets, Instas, and pins. It really is a great community! If you haven't found a blogging community yet, I suggest heading over there!

Because of this new following, I want to give an overview of who I am, and who "Everyday with the Jays" is all about! If you have been around here before, most of this will be the same as usual. So to all of my new friends, I say welcome! If you're from The Blog Love Project, let me know in the comments so I can come say hello to you too!

I'm Chrissy, he's Nate. We have been a two-some since our marriage in June 2009. We met in college: he was the cute boy leading worship at a college retreat and I thought, "Oh yes, he WILL be mine." A month later and he was my boyfriend! After a year and a half of dating, he proposed in the most memorable way. He gifted me a Bible with my married name on the front cover. He is such a blessing to me and I can't thank God enough for him. He leads our household to love and fear the Lord and to follow His commandments. He treats me like a princess and comforts me. He keeps me safe and I feel secure in his presence. Love this fella!

We have no children, but have two fur-babies who we treat as such. Anyone else? Chloe is the spunky Jack Russell Terrier pictured below. We got her three months after we were married, so she's been with us since the beginning. She loves adventure, the outdoors, and likes to bark at cats. She keeps us on her toes: she's extremely smart AND stubborn! We adopted Oliver, a Shih-Tzu/Lhasa Apso (not sure) almost a year later. He is kind, tender-hearted, and loves Nate fiercely. He has grown to be a snuggler and always gives us a laugh with his goofy hair.

Nate is the Lead Pastor at our church. He has such a heart for God and His people. It is a true joy to hear him preach each Sunday! He also leads the worship music: Nate sings (amazingly well), plays guitar, and piano. Sometimes I will share snippets of his singing, seen below!

I also work part-time at the church: I am Nate's ministry assistant! I do basic office duties, and also create media publications for the church (weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters, website updates). I maintain communication with our small groups and accountant, and also plan church-wide events. I really enjoy my flexible schedule and working alongside Nate. I'm able to be creative and plan/organize events, but also work on my own in a quiet environment. We have our own work spaces, so we aren't all up in each other 24/7, but just across the hall from one another.

We love to travel: our favorite way to travel is by CRUISE SHIP. We have been on six cruises together (I traveled on two before we were married, and he traveled on one, so my total is eight and his is seven). We love to experience the culture, shopping, and food of the places we visit. We also love photography and capturing moments that we can treasure for a lifetime, but we also understand the importance of living IN the moment and soak it up as much as we can.

We were both born and raised Texans and still live here to this day. I was born/raised in Dallas, while he was born/raised in East Texas (Tyler region). Like I said, we met in college at Dallas Baptist University. We both loved our time there, but unfortunately DBU does not have a football program... so we are both STRONG University of Texas supporters. I was accepted there, but my brother (who graduated from UT) strongly encouraged me to attend DBU instead because he felt UT was too big for me. Boy was he right! But- we love our Longhorns! Hook 'em!

On the blog, you will see oodles of our everyday life (hence, "EVERYDAY" with the Jays). I don't blog everyday, but my schedule will (hopefully) continue to be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I enjoy sharing about our life and travels (seen above), but I love me a good craft, party, or recipe! Plus, fashion and beauty are things I am beginning to dip my toe into, so you will see bits of that as well!

I am so so SO glad you have decided to join us on our blog journey! Thank you for reading (AND getting to this point, ha! #longpost) and I hope you stick around with us! Leave me a comment sharing where you blog and I can stop by to say hello back! Have a great week!

[life] Spring & Summer Bucket List 2015

We have been enjoying beautiful weather in Texas so far this spring. A few scattered storms, here and there, but the temperatures have been lovely! Upper 60s in the morning to mid-80s by the afternoon. We Texans relish in this time, because before we know it, it'll be summer and the temps will be in the 100s!

I compiled together a list of the 10 things I want to do more of during the beautiful spring and summer months. They are in no particular order, but I think you'll notice #10 is my favoriteee. Read on!

As Texans, we enjoy a variety of scenery. My favorite? The beach. No, they aren't the Bahamian beaches I have come to know and love, but they are beaches nonetheless. The closest is a little over two hours away from us, which would be perfect for a day trip.

We have an amazing group of core friends here where we live. We have the best times getting together, talking, and of course- EATING. Recently, we have had everyone bring over their meat of choice and we have a big ol' cookout: each couple brings a side or dessert. It is the best!

There are some fabulous local venues that have live music events on the weekend. Nothing on a major scale, but low key: acoustic, small crowd, fabulous views at the different venues. There's nothing like enjoying a cool beverage with some live music playing in the background. Nate will actually be singing/playing at a winery this summer, so I'll definitely dedicate a blog post to that when it happens.

Remember that group of friends who loves to cook-out? The girls are BIG into crafting and I love it! Hopefully we can get some more crafts worked into our schedule this spring/summer.

Y'ALL. Last week, I learned how to make HOMEMADE JELLY. It is divine! One of our friend's mom's has a jelly/jam machine and we made apple jelly. It was so fun, we vowed to do it again and again this spring/summer. Yum!

One of the local wineries near us shows movies every Saturday evening during the summer. You can bring a picnic, chairs/blankets and of course they serve their beverages too. It makes for a fun evening with friends... just bring bug spray!

Nate and I are blessed to live in an area of Texas with lots of little "treasure" towns nearby. We can take day trips in a variety of directions and explore cute/quaint towns that we have never visited before. We hope to add a few new stops this summer!

As our church's ministry assistant (and also the pastor's wife), a lot of event planning falls on my shoulders, such as Vacation Bible School (pictured above: our dear friends who helped volunteer during the week). Lots of fun events are on the calendar this spring/summer, including after church luncheons, a church water day at the local water park, baseball games, small group events, concerts, youth camp, and of course VBS. Whew!

Usually our spring/summer is full of wedding activity. We currently have two, possibly three on the calendar this year. My cousin is marrying a gorgeous gal that we have already basically had in our family since they started dating in high school (10 years ago)! Another wedding is a cute couple from my home church, and Nate is actually conducting the ceremony. My mom is close friend's with the bride's mom, so it will be an extra-sweet ceremony.

 

Of COURSE this will be on our spring/summer schedule! TEXAS RANGER BASEBALLLL. Unfortunately, we missed Opening Day last Friday (sadness... I don't EVEN want to talk about it), but we already have 3+ games geared up between now and July. Can't wait to cheer them on! We are actually watching them on TV right now! #devoted

What are your go-to events for spring/summer? Of course, I could add and add on forever, but 10 seemed like a good starting point. There will be some snow-cone and ice cream consumption as well!

Happy weekend!

[travel] History Buff

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rums of Puerto Rico for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

As many of you know, Nate and I love to travel to the Caribbean. In the past three years, we have visited Cozumel, Belize, Progresso, Honduras, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands. We love the beach, the clear water, the amazing food (guacamole anyone?), and the culture that we experience during our visits.

One place Nate and I hope to visit one day is Puerto Rico: cruises DO travel there, right??? I have shared before, but when Nate and I take a Caribbean vacation, we enjoy the spoils of the culture we see, such as the local beverages. In Puerto Rico, they are known specifically for their rum, which has been distilled there for more than four decades, making it the Rum Capital of the world! Can't you just taste it now, paired with some yummy Puerto Rican fare? And don't you know that when paired with rum, any hum-drum get-together can turn into a celebration! The culture, the history of Puerto Rico, not to mention the gorgeous landscapes and shopping, are what make it a must-visit on our list of places to travel.

I don't know if any of you watch the History Channel (...No? Just Nate and I? #nerds), but seeing the places we travel to, or hope to travel to, and their background history is so intriguing to us. There is a new web-series, entitled It’s Rum Time that allows you to take a visual step back in time to view various historical events and the celebrations that occur during said historical events with the contribution of Puerto Rico's famous rum. Each video runs 3-4 minutes and is produced in conjunction with the History Channel. There is lots to be learned just by tuning in, giving you the unique opportunity to view known history through the eyes of Puerto Rico's beloved beverage: "It's Rum Time!" The first episode shares about the quest for electric light with historical figures such as Thomas Alva Edison (love him, I did a research project on him in the 4th grade) and Nikola Tesla. And then Puerto Rico comes in and offers a fabulous celebration with its rum. A step into history with a huge party at the end? Yes please. "It's Rum Time!"

If you're getting the travel ITCH and are ready for some fun in the rum sun (It's Rum Time!), check out www.itsrumtime.com and let me know what you think about the series. Do you feel the itch to sip on some of that delicious rum? You'd be in some good company with Mr. Edison and Mr. Tesla. They celebrate. You celebrate. #winwin

[life] I Can't Live Without... Small Town TX and its Quirks #2

I'm linking up with Katie at "...for Lauren and Lauren" for another "I Can't Live Without" link up!

This week, I'm sharing about my deep admiration for small town, TX. I'm not talking Dallas, Austin, Houston, or San Antonio (although all those places are lovely as well). I'm talking about the small towns you will have NEVER heard of, even if you're a native Texan, unless you've vacationed there or driven through.

These little gem stones are what make our great state so... well, great! Texas is stereotypically known for horses, cowboys, boots, spurs, and all things western. Yes, many of those things exist. No, they do not exist everywhere nor does every Texan partake in them. For example, I haven't "ridden" (I use that term loosely) a horse since I was 7-8 years old. I have never been to a rodeo. I just bought my first pair of cowboy boots back in August '14 (mainly because we were attending a wedding in a field... in the summertime... and I feared bugs!), and I have never seen someone wear spurs in real life.

These small towns in TX and a few quirks of TX are so near and dear to me. Anytime you visit one or see a quirk, you can't help but smile. The wide skies, the rolling hills... seriously. There can't be another place like it! Check out my favorite gems below:

Galveston, TX: Texas has some pretty okay beaches! Nothing like Mexico or the Bahamas, but our great state has a wide variety of areas (desert, mountain, plains, hills, and beaches).

Warrenton, TX: A teeny tiny town that comes alive during a huge antique show that occurs twice a year. Beautiful skyline, beautiful scenery, tons of JUNK.

 

Round Top, TX: This town has the cutest square! At a population of 90 (yep: 9-0), there isn't a wide variety to do... but stop by the quaint church, eat some yummy Mexican food, or grab a pie at Royer's and you'll be set.

Wineries: Did you know many of the smaller areas in TX have wineries? Small town wineries are amazing because you get to know the owners, they are almost always never crowded, and you create a sense of community and belonging with the people you frequent the establishment with. Plus the landscape is gorgeous!

 

Bluebonnets: Excuse me, but did you know that the Bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas? These beauties pop up all over the fields and highways in mid March-April. They are only here for a short time, so snag your Bluebonnet pictures quickly! The red flowers are called Indian Paintbrushes (they tend to grow alongside Bluebonnets).

Hidden architectural gems: Throughout Texas, many beautiful sights are to be had that are off the beaten path. Nate and I were driving to a larger city one afternoon and just so happened to drive through this miniature tunnel. We were fascinated with it! 

Fredericksburg, TX: This town is known for its Main Street, antiques, wineries, and yummy food. It's a bit larger than the other places I have mentioned, but it is such a fun and relaxing place to visit and wind down when wanting to escape the big city life.

Bastrop, TX: Again, another small/big town in Texas, Bastrop is starting to blossom with big-chain stores such as Academy and Hobby Lobby. It is near Austin, but still far enough away to have a small-town feel. This town also has an adorable Main Street with great food and fun shopping (plus, who can resist a Mom/Pop ice cream shop?!).

Did you enjoy your lesson on TX today?! Ha! I am a born and raised Texan, I have never lived in another state. Does your state have as much "pride" as Texans have for TX? I have always wondered! Do share, and if there's a special place(s) or quirk your state has, leave it in the comments below. Nate and I are always up for a road trip!