Exactly one week ago, my little family and I embarked on a journey to Frisco, TX so I could attend the Proclaim Truth conference. My sweet husband suggested stopping at the Magnolia Silos on the way there as Waco was about halfway between our hometown and our destination. Overall, the trip was super and the conference was a tremendous blessing. I’m sad that it’s all over but I am really looking forward to next year! The little pockets of time we had together as a family were very sweet. We rented an Airbnb near the church where the conference was hosted and it was the perfect fit for our family.
It had a playroom and a playground in the backyard. I thought for sure that bedtime would be a battle since we were in a new place but Addie loved her room. We brought Ava’s bed with us so both kids slept well. I was initially anxious about how the weekend would go with me being gone at various times but Derek reassured me that he loves spending time with his girls and he loves serving me. To say I won the husband lottery would be a massive understatement. Here are a few photos I took on our trip and a few of my favorite highlights from the weekend!
Before arriving at the Silos, we stopped at Buc-ee’s in Tyler, TX because it’s a cultural institution and our civic duty as Texans. It was fun to look around at all the goodies inside. We ended up buying Addie a unicorn/kitty stuffed animal and I found this cute tea towel which I had to get for my mom.
After Buc-ee’s we headed to Magnolia. This was our view as we approached the Silos from the parking lot. I love that throughout the Silos grounds there are beautiful details in unexpected places. Joanna’s eye for detail has always astounded me as I enjoy details too!
I’m thankful to have captured a few photos from the Silos Baking Co. Many of our trips to Waco have been challenging for a variety of reasons but the main reason is that it’s hard to do all the things with young children in tow. This trip was special because the Silos grounds were pretty empty for the most part. I think this had a lot to do with the holidays being over and the weather being cold and dreary. It rained quite a bit the day prior so the conditions were still wet and muddy even though the rain had ceased. This set up a great situation for me because it gave me the opportunity to explore parts of the Silos that I hadn’t been able to before.
Prior to stopping at the Silos we had planned on eating at Magnolia Table but as we drove past, a line was already forming outside. I knew that a line of that size was about a 45 minute wait from my last trip to Magnolia Table. Instead, we headed to the Silos and found a food truck that served very tasty hamburgers. We did check out the adorable Magnolia Table food truck but they weren’t serving the full restaurant menu and we decided it would be wiser to choose somewhere with a menu that our kids would enjoy.
The weather was windy and chilly so our girls stayed bundled up in the Keenz for the most part. Ava crawled around on the turf for a bit but Addie preferred to stay in the wagon.
Seeing this Spring install was really fun and I found the words particularly encouraging as I was heading to the conference.
Just before we continued the drive to Frisco, we stopped in at Magnolia Press and y’all, it is super dreamy! In fact, it is my favorite part of the Silos. Everything was beautifully done in true Joanna fashion. Thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded and we were able to enjoy some hot coffee which was extra delightful since it was so chilly outside.
Our entire trip was sweet and a great refreshment for my soul. It is not often that I get to do things without my children so having a little bit of time to take in God’s word and learn about the beauty of His character made my heart soar. There were so many great aspects of the conference but my favorites were meeting new friends from out of state (my friend Payton and I are were grouped with some ladies from her old church), being surrounded by elderly Southern women (I just love hearing those accents – if you’ve been in the South long enough, you can tell that not all Southern accents are the same), and meeting some of my favorite authors. I later learned that the conference was held at Chuck Swindoll’s church – I had no idea! My parents attended his church in Fullerton in the early nineties and he is the pastor that dedicated me.
The second night of the conference was particularly a blessing to me because I ended it by attending a workshop hosted by Courtney Reissig. I’ve enjoyed reading Courtney’s blog posts and have related to her so much on motherhood and the postpartum season. I decided to miss the conference session after her workshop because Derek had asked if I would consider helping him put the girls to bed that night. I had missed bedtime the night prior and it’s hard on the girls when I’m gone, especially at night. I longed to be reunited with my family so I happily obliged.
Although there were specific times slotted for the conference speakers to do book signings, I lingered after the workshop and got to meet Courtney and she even signed my copy of her latest book, Teach Me To Feel. I reminded her of who I was based on an Instagram comment of mine she had responded to in which I said I would love to write a book on how the church ought to care for moms with postpartum depression. She not only remembered me but also encouraged me to write my book. I wanted to cry tears of joy and I may or may not have told Derek, “I can die now.”
We really enjoyed visiting Frisco and may even take a trip there just to explore it further. I did get a coffee from The Book Shoppe & Coffee on the last day of our trip and the shop is what dreams are made of! I wanted desperately to take photos of it but my family was waiting in the car and the girls were a bit cranky. I also desired to take photos during the conference but felt that doing so wouldn’t benefit the ladies sitting near me because my camera shutter is quite noisy. I did happen to snag a few iPhone pics that I’m grateful to have.
Overall, the weekend was a sweet and tremendous blessing and I’m excited to attend the Proclaim Truth conference again next year. If you’re a lady who is passionate about God and His Word, I hope to see you there!
