MACHmadeinheaven

At the beginning of the year I decided to take a step back from social media, stop scrolling on Instagram and posting consistently. Therefore my online digital scrapbook stopped around December 2025! But so much fun has been had since then and I want a place to remember. So.. bear with me while I get y’all updated on the last 10 months 😉

First things first… TEXAS!! Half of Cole’s family lives in Wisconsin and the other half lives in Texas and for YEARS I have been wanting to get down there to see where the family is, experience a new state and delicious food. And boy did it deliver! This was our second time travelling via plane as a family and it went so smooth. The girls were entertained with a movie, their Yoto player, princess coloring books and you guessed it.. SNACKS! They both fell asleep the last 45ish minutes of the flight and we got some sweet snuggles.

After landing, Uncle Mike picked us up in his big truck and we started to make our way to their home in Waco! We made a pit stop at Whataburger for some snacks and a fountain coke and when I tell you I haven’t stopped thinking about that crisp coke ever since… oh my golly it was so good. We arrived at Uncle Mike and Aunt Emily’s home and to describe this place as a soft place to land would be an understatement. They already had car seats, pack and play, a library of books and a room FULL of toys and dress up galore. It may have been 9pm but these girls were struttin their stuff.

Day one began with the Mayborn Museum. Funny enough the Tawater family had a field trip there the same day so we got to meet up with them! The girls loved exploring the different parts of the museum, sensory galore! And Maeve sure loved being reunited with her girl Seilor. We picked up Schmaltz sandwiches for lunch which on paper doesn’t seem like anything special (bread, meat, cheese, veggies, mustard etc..) but the homemade bread and being cooked in garlic butter was MMM! chefs kiss

Part two ended with a walk through the Silos at Magnolia. I got an iced coffee and drooled at all the baked goods available. We walked through the shops and left with some souvenirs, listened to live music. Then we got a little tour of downtown and to see the places uncle Mike and Michelle made lots of memories. We found out later when looking at our photos with Mimi and Poppy that the suspension bridge (last photo below) is where they got engaged – so sweet! Finished the night with some delicious food at Ninfa’s – Cole ordered BBQ brisket enchiladas and I got fajitas. Uncle Mike and Callan got this crazy rich buttery chicken rice dish that was.. so amazing. The kind of meal to put you right to sleep.

Day 2! We spent the whole day out at the Tawater Cattle Company learning about all the ins and outs of breeding and raising show cattle and boy I was INTRIGUED! The whole process is kind of crazy and Will has a pretty cool job. We took a by-by side ride (IYKYK) around the property and saw all the cows, some of us trying to stay awake for all of it. Ate some take out burger and fries with a crisp Dr. Pepper – not a soda drinker but definitely enjoyed it while we were there, no regrets. Waco is the birthplace of Dr P after all! I think this was my favorite day. Watching our babes take in the whole ranch in their lil overalls with the family, eating yummy food and hearing about their dream to build out there. What do you think Uncle Mike and Aunt Emily… Will it be there next time we visit?! 😉

These three peas in a pod were TOO SWEET together

Last day! We started the morning visiting Billie Faye in the home she has lived in for years and years. She played a big part in the childhood/early adulthood of Michelle and it was super sweet to chat with her and hear memories and share about our family. Next stop… Terry Black’s BBQ! Oh my gosh, the brisket, the sausage, coleslaw… SOOO GOOD! This wasn’t the first BBQ we had this weekend, ate LOTS of delicious food at home but yes, this was memorable. Kids ran around for hours as if they have been besties their whole lives. Last stop was the Cameron Park zoo and Cole’s lifelong friend Jordan came to visit with his wife and 3 boys! That was a real treat to have them take the long trip to see us.

Texas 2026 was one to remember. We are so thankful to TayTay, Emmie and Callan for their hospitality and letting us take over their place for the weekend! Can’t wait till the next trip!