2nd Annual

Last Spring Break, Greta and I spent a day downtown shopping and eating.  This year we continued the tradition and I enjoyed every moment.  Like last year, it was SXSW (and this year St. Patrick's Day too) so there was a fun crowd to add to the atmosphere. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and a little cool.  We started with some coffee on the patio at Austin Java.  I think we could have sat there all day...

We moved on to our next location and along the way snapped this one--I have a million pictures of the Frost Bank Building and will never tire of it.  I think it's a stunner! 

We were meeting Greta's sisters, a brother-in-law, and some of their friends' at Fado's for a green beer, but there were 7 of us and the cover was $15.  I wasn't impressed.  We stopped in another Irish pub for a margarita--ha!  Everyone had a beer but me.  Hey...it was green (ish)!

Our table was right across from these open doors and we could people watch while we listened to a one man show.  Life is good--friends, a margarita, music, and great weather!

Our plan was to go to The Driskill and have some 1886 Cake, but it was already 2:00 and we had things to do--like eat!  Off to South Congress and Mighty Cone....I'd been anxiously awaiting this one!

Mighty Cone.  Saw it on Food Network, I think and sounded right up my alley:  hot/sweet crunchy coating, avocado, chicken, or shrimp.  Man, it was as good as I hoped it would be.

While we were there, I had to snap a few more Austin photos: 

Lucy

Justin

And what trip to South Congress would be complete without a visit to the original trailer in the trailer park?

(Another little something I've taken a million pictures of...hey, I have a soft spot for cupcakes and airstream trailers!)

We HAD to take this picture--look how skinny we are in the cupcake trailer!  Well, Greta looks skinny and I look normal, NOT like I'm still carrying an extra 30 pounds.

I'm already looking forward to next year!  Thanks for playing, Greta!

kites+cooks+humphrey+corn dogs+lemonade+school bus ride+lines=best day ever!!!

I really wanted to go to the Zilker Kite Festival this year.  Wanted to take some photos, enjoy the outdoors with my boys, and now that Riley is old enough to enjoy something like this, we went for it.  Russ wasn't thrilled, but I convinced him we needed to go.

We didn't leave the house as early as I wanted to, but my mother in law volunteered to keep Kace and boy was I glad she did.

We arrived downtown to the parking garage to ride the shuttle to the festival.  As we pulled up, we saw school buses.  Riley was THRILLED to be riding a school bus.  We met some friends there who were willing to be adventurous with us.  Waited in line to get on the school bus 1 hour and 20 minutes.  The line wrapped around the entire parking garage, inside and out.  NICE...

Get to the Zilker Park, we're all starving, and head straight to a food vendor.  Get in line, standing there and overhear someone mention tickets.  Oh gosh, do we really have to have tickets?  Can't we just get a corndog and lemonade please?  Russ investigates....we need tickets.  We would manipulate the system and split up.  Some of us stayed in the corndog line while some of us went to the ticket line.  Aaah, the benefits of traveling in packs.

We're standing in the ticket line after a while of starving, realizing the line hasn't moved an inch.  Find out shortly afterwards that the ticket booth is out of tickets.  We're waiting on the ticket both to get tickets so we can get tickets so we can EAT.  This isn't the adventure I'd planned....Meanwhile, Russ bought tickets off someone getting rid of them so he could entertain Riley while we waited in MORE lines.  At least the 4 year old was happy!!

Called a member of the pack about the ticket situation...they're at the front of the line letting people go ahead of them because we still haven't arrived with the tickets.  Hearing people going by saying that all of the ticket booths are out of tickets.  Okay, so what do we have to do to get a corndog around here?  We leave the ticket line because the corndog folks are now accepting cash but they have no change.  As I'm ordering 3 corndogs and 3 lemonades, the cornie man (ha!) walks up to the counter and announces that he has 4 corndogs left.  (If I do the math right, that means I still get 3, right?)  With cordogs and lemonades in hand, we head to find the boys, sit on an extra large beach towel that I packed, and enjoy our long awaited lunch under the kites.  The best corndogs we ever ate.

After the corndog, we packed up to get back into the bus line.  Busses quit running at 5:30 and since it took almost an hour and half to get on the bus to get here....well, it could easily happen again.  So....back to the lines we go.  Russ and Riley had a little more fun while we held our place in line...and our ride back to the truck.

Through the drama, we had lots of smiles, enjoyed the wonderful weather, and admired the beauty of downtown Austin.  Mandy said it best, "kites+cooks+humphrey+corn dogs+lemonade+school bus ride+lines=best day ever!!!"  Thanks Mandy, I think I have a new title.

Looking forward to next year, right Babe? 

It was a Great Day to be in Austin, TX!

It sure feels like Spring, especially after the unusually cold winter we've had this year....with some snow too, very unusual around here. What a glorious day today was and a wonderful start to Spring Break.  We spontaneously went to one of our favorite places and invited 2 of our favorite people to come along. 

This last one is my FAVORITE! 

Quick Conversation

Kace is crying, waiting impatiently for his bottle to warm up and I walk through the living room and see Riley on top of Kace....almost smothering in my opinion.  I say, "Riley...." and he says, "It's okay Mom, I'm just lovin' on him.  I have my head turned to the side like this (shows me) so I won't breathe on him (paranoid NICU/preemie mother)."

Sweetness I didn't want to forget.  I love Stay Home Days!

These Hands

I've loved these hands for 37 years. I always thought these hands were beautiful. Even without her wedding ring and opal ring I always tried on. They never looked as pretty on my hand as they did on hers.

They took care of me when I was sick.

They cooked with me.

They cooked for me.

They made sure I was happy.

They hugged me.

They scratched my back.

They planted flowers with me.

They held my hand at church.

They loved me.

I will miss them.

I miss you Nana.

Growing Like a Weed!

I was looking back at the pictures from the day Kace came home and he has grown and changed so much. So much has happened, I hope I eventually blog some of the stories, but for now, I just want to do this quick comparison.
Christmas Eve in NICU.



Homecoming, January 3

My sweet, precious miracle baby. Worth every moment. He's absolutely perfect.

I Will Not Forget

I will not forget the way your tiny fingers hang onto mine.

I will not forget the way you pull your legs up under your body.

I will not forget your intoxicating baby smell.

I will not forget the way your little feet kick.

I will not forget how you demand a blanket. All the time.

I will not forget the way your fuzzy little head feels on my lips and my cheek.

I won't forget if you won't.

Last Good Day

I'm so thankful that Kace met his great grandmother on her last "good" day. She got to see him, touch him, and tell me how cute he was. At one point, she said, "Where's that baby?" I walked to her bed to show him to her and said, "Here's our baby!" She said, "Well, not MINE!" That was funny! Her last good day, she knew my name and wondered what I was doing in her kitchen, just like old times. She always wanted to know what I was doing in there because she felt like she should be doing it for me. Or anyone else in her kitchen for that matter. She was a great hostess and was always offering up something to her visitors. I would always tell my friends that they might as well take her up on something....otherwise she'll keep asking! That's my Nana.

Her last good day we laughed, we smiled, I hugged and kissed her. When Kace and I left, I said "Goodbye Nana, I love you." She said, "I love you too, hon."

Thank you God for my last good day with my sweet Nana.