Magnolia was not what I expected! It was so much more. You might find these events fall short of miracle status, but ever since I met my mentor, Janet 5 years ago she has shown me how to find miracles in the simplest situations.

So, back up. Bear with me on the definition of miracles, but prepare to be entertained either way.
November 6th, 2018 started out as a foggy morning not only was it my 31st Birthday, but today was the day we would tackle Magnolia Silos & Magnolia Table. The day started with Magnolia Table with no waiting line hindering our breakfast appetite. We were greeted and served by the most friendly staff of all time. The rumors I heard about the comradery between customers I thought was a total hoax. I couldn’t be more wrong! The couple beside us shared their food with us! Total Strangers!

They were incredibly sweet and its the husband’s fault that I continue to have cravings for Joanna Gaines’ jalapeno jelly and brown sugar bacon. Although we didn’t ask the couple’s names, the funniest part is we actually did bond over breakfast. After breakfast we bumped into them in the Take-Away store, the wife reached out and grabbed my arm as soon as I entered. She pulled me to the Home Body Book display and excitedly informed me of the limited edition autographed copies by Joanna Gaines! Of course, I was hooked right away and we chatted like old friends.

It was with this lighthearted exuberance that we went throughout the day. Maybe that is why we met so many lovely people.

Next stop…Magnolia Silos!!! We found parking easily because I did my research the night before, but it wasn’t crowded at all at 8:00 am on a Tuesday in November, so that wasn’t a huge accomplishment. I don’t know why we started in the back corner. I think the potting shed called out to my inner plant lady or something…because it quickly became my favorite spot. Magnolia Seed and Supply, although small it wasn’t cramped, definitely cozy with lots to see. And that’s where Joanna’s dad, Jerry Stevens accidentally walked into my mom and I’s photo. This was where they gifted me with a shiplap cupcake for my Birthday.

We fully expected to stay at the silos for an entire day. Our list was long, but the lines were short!

We…
*signed the guestbook
*shopped at Magnolia Seed and Supply
*swung on the wooden swings
*sat on the comfy bean bag chairs on the lawn
*took photos by the antique car and Instagram frame
*ate Chedderbox sandwich called The Boss
*shopped at the Main Store
*chatted with friendly employees
*met David Ridley!!!

Yeah, we sure did! I split my Chedderbox sandwich with him which happened to be his favorite sandwich on the menu! It was incredibly hot and gooey and I nervously devoured it in 2 seconds much to David’s shock. He voiced his disbelief in my ability to eat something so hot, but I was so pumped to meet him and was filled with nervous EXCITEMENT I couldn’t contain myself!

Needless to say, he preregistered us for 3 of the 4 remaining spots on his tour company, Waco Tours that happened to be leaving in 30 minutes. When he asked, “What are you doing right now?” Of course, my response was “Nothing!”

We took the tour! And this wasn’t just any tour. I was so impressed by our guides, Dominique and Christina. Christina started our tour by asking permission to bless the trip! How amazing is that? Praying. Out Loud. In a public place. We headed out of the parking lot of a beautiful hotel and started our journey.

THE BEST PART BY FAR WAS THE STORIES OF REDEMPTION ALONG THE WAY.
The town, Dominique, David Ridley and Chip, and Jo were all stories shared about life knocking you down and the mighty hand of God moving in those situations to work all things together for good. Christina shared with us that an F5 tornado tore through Waco, Tx in 1953 which left the town devastated and it’s economy plummeted. The people of Waco who stuck it out had to wait 40 years to see their town restored.

Sometimes we feel like we need instant answers or results when we pray. I just wonder how the survivors felt after the tornado and how they feel now that the town is restored.

The 2-hour tour flew by with special treats to break it up like Heritage Creamery and Common Grounds Coffee, Impromptu dancing by Christina and lots of laughs along the way. If you can’t tell I highly recommend Waco Tours. P.S. They did not tell me to say that!
Typically you have an option of a bus or river boat tour, however, the river was flooded and the bus was our only option.

Due to Waco Tours by the end of the second day, we had completed our Waco Attractions list. Rain was scheduled for the following day which caused us to reevaluate if we wanted to stay in Waco another day. I made a quick call to the hotel to see if we could get a refund for one less night. Negative.

This reevaluation needed to happen over a Common Grounds coffee and strong wifi. We arrived to find a local band playing in the back of Common Grounds. This happened to be a secret wish list item for me. They weren’t on the website and we would have totally missed them if not for this perspective we were searching for. This happened to be Miracle #8 of our trip!

Ready for more miracles?
OK. We decided to stay an extra day. Since we were all on board it was my responsibility to make tomorrow count. To make it worthwhile. I knocked it out of the park! The next day we headed out to shop antique stores. The first one on our list was Junque in the Trunk. Since what we bought is still a surprise for Christmas I won’t say anything more about this except that we promptly rented a U-haul to give it a new home. The U-Haul was one more miracle. Listen, if we would have gone to this store first we would have had to drive around the city with a trailer. This would have been a big bummer because it would limit the places we could park/see/drive to.

And that makes our 10th Miracle friends. Maybe you don’t think all these things are miracles, but they made me feel loved and special. What has God done in your life that has made you feel special? If you can’t think of anything is it because your definition of a miracle is only on a grand scale? Are there small miracles? I encourage you to open your eyes this season to look, look around every corner. It’s an amazing feeling!

Xoxo, friends
Kim Kauffman
Klassic Photography