Well hey, Austin!

A few weeks ago, we reunited with our friends the Miles for some touring of downtown Austin. (Side note: I just accidentally typed "Downton" instead of "downtown." That shows you where my head is most of the time...I just can't get enough of Maggie Smith! Anyway.)

Some background first: Jim Miles is one of my favorite people on the planet. We worked together for years, creating some awesome things and some utterly ridiculous things. Best working years of my life so far. Before I even dated Travis, I told Jim that he would be officiating my wedding. Several years later, he did exactly that, and made some people laugh harder than they had ever done at a wedding, myself included. It was 100% awesome.

Our families were so excited to find out that we would once again be living in the same state, so we wasted no time in getting together once Trav and I were settled.

The day itself was utterly beautiful, almost autumnal. Those days have already passed. I'm starting to wonder if we skipped fall and winter altogether and went into another summer...but I'm not giving up hope. Yet. Maybe my magical boots will bring the chill...Anyway, pictures!

The giant guitar where we met a lady whose daughter lives near Charleston.
Amazing how many people we have met who are familiar with that area!

 Obviously, my favorite county ever.

 Reunited!

 I've never seen such a tiny oboe replica...usually they leave the oboes right out!

 Creepy ghostlike picture that I promised Jim I wouldn't post.

This is a series I call, "The Progression of Weird."

 

 This is Travis teaching Charley how to do "The Walk."
You'd have to see it in person, but it involves a lot of chest movement and quick steps.

 He caught on pretty quickly.

 FAVORITE PICTURE EVER.

The Chuggin' Monkey! Totally appropriate place for children.

Thanks for the great day, guys! Can't wait to make more memories soon!

life lately:

Hello all!

We just passed our four-week mark here. Hard to believe that it's only been that long...so much has happened since we left our sweet city in the South.

Things are slowly becoming "normal" here in Texas...a new normal, that is. I've gone back to work, we've met a few folks, and we finally got a car!

Let's talk about the most exciting things first: scarf weather arrived! For about a day, and then it went back to the mid-90s. But I definitely took advantage of that one day.

I don't have friends yet (*whimper*) so I decided to let all my online friends know about my fashion sense.

Next, we've been anxiously awaiting the opening of San Antonio's first Trader Joe's, and the day finally arrived! It strangely felt a bit like home walking through there. They are also putting in a Zoe's Kitchen right next door...it was a day of heaven-sent discoveries.

Seriously, pumpkin trees?? Greatest plant ever.

Since we've been down to one car for the past month, I've been cooped up at home while Travis is working. Thankfully, I had a couple of DIY projects to complete, including repainting a travesty of a project I did about a year ago. I attempted to make my own chalk paint using baking soda, and it was definitely a Pinterest fail. The baking soda seemed to make the paint retain moisture, and it was only a few months before the paint started peeling and changing colors. So I sanded it down and made another batch of chalk paint, this time using this great recipe I found at Lowe's. It worked fantastically well, so I did two pieces!

The bottom one just needs new knobs, preferably from World Market.
Productivity makes me happy happy!

Next up: the car search. After a time of looking around, we decided to go the good ol' Dave Ramsey route: Find a very used car and pay cash. Build wealth. Get a better car later. (Not sure if he said that last part, but that's our plan.) That made things a lot more interesting. Trav spent hours searching Craig's list for an ad that was actually worth our time. None of the choices were too pretty, but we just wanted a car that wouldn't break down on the interstate. The first option led us to a guy who calls himself "Redneck Willy." Turns out, that's his stage name. He's a "comedian." Seriously, see if you can find him on YouTube. We didn't end up purchasing from him, and it bummed me out just a little because I really wanted to try to capture the scene of Travis meeting Redneck Willy. Ah well.

Then we found the ugliest car in the history of ever--a "murdered out" black Mustang with Cobra accessories. (Maybe some of you know what I mean--I try to only repeat what Travis tells me about cars, because I know next to nothing.) It was painted flat black, and all the light cases had been painted black as well. Why? To not be seen at night. Obviously. Guys, it was ugly as sin. Travis loves Mustangs, and he even thought it was hideous. Thankfully, we didn't go with that one either.

Finally, we met a lovely man named Enrique who had fixed up a '93 Thunderbird (yes, you read that right) for his granddaughter, who decided she wanted a pickup truck instead. The price was right, and the engine was brand new. Without further adieu, I introduce you to our newest family member:

The second ugliest car on earth! Don't worry, it smells worse than it looks.

We're truly thankful for this car. And for the ability to change out the carpet...and the steering wheel...and probably the seats, too. But we have a second car, and we didn't break the bank. These are very, very good things.

We're considering names for this new addition...any ideas?

And finally, times are always fun (and weird) when two humans have no other humans for company and must rely on the cat for entertainment. I leave you with this picture of weirdness. It sure made us smile.

Love and miss you all!  

32, how about you?

I'll be honest. I wasn't so sure this birthday would be a very enjoyable one, what with being so far from all my friends and family and familiarity. For some reason I've come to believe you should have a good time on your birthday if at all possible. Probably because I think that God celebrates the fact that we were born...and if He does, then we should, too. 

But how does an extrovert like me celebrate when there are no people around? Answer: FaceTime with parents, go shopping at Lowe's (because I'm a big kid now) and enjoy a Pride & Prejudice marathon until Trav gets home from work. Done and done!

 Yeah, that's a cactus. I now own my own cactus.
And I got some supplies to redo a few furniture pieces--thanks, Dad!

Mr. Bingley had a good time relaxing, as per usual.

When Trav was finished working, we finally got to go explore the Riverwalk! I haven't been there in probably ten years, but it looks just as magical. Maybe more so, because now it's my city. But Travis had never seen it, so showing him around was fun! In case you haven't seen it either, here are some shots for you to get an idea.

 Tour boats on the man-made Riverwalk.

 Long live Mariachi bands! They will play at your table and literally blow trumpets in your face if the price is right. Heck, they'll do it regardless. You cannot escape the Mariachi.

 The restaurant umbrellas' reflection in the water is my favorite thing.

He doesn't like it when I make him take pictures. But he's usually a good sport about it.
And ain't he cute??

But let's talk about the main gift, or as I like to call them, my induction into Texas culture. I present to you MY NEW BOOTS!

Can you smell the leather from your screen? Mmmmmm...

And speaking of mmmm, we have a Cheesecake Factory nearby. We consider ourselves among the elite to have such delicious dessert within ten miles of us.

 Caramel turtle pecan. Next time I'll try the pumpkin pecan. Then the banana cream. Then...

 My singing waiters..at least there is no clapping involved at the CF.

SWOON.

Best present of all. Every day with this guy.

Not too shabby for only being in town two weeks. My husband loves me well. My parents and friends love me well. God loves me more than all. And we're living the adventure He has called us to. 32 is starting off fairly well, I'd say.

Much love to you all, and thank you for the birthday wishes!

S