Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Feeling Sentimental
It has really started to sink in to me that we are really moving, soon. Next month will be my 10 year anniversary of moving to Austin and I have to say that moving here was one of the best things I have ever done! Austin is very dear to me and I think little pieces of me will always be here.
Friday was my last day of work and I'll admit that I was counting down the days. At times I really loved my job and other times I dreaded going. Most of the time it was stressful. The women and children I worked with were very needy and it took a lot out of me emotionally and mentally. Despite all of that, I gained much more out of the experience than I had ever thought I would-both professionally and personally. At first it was just a job for me to earn extra money doing something that I could do, but it turned into much more than that. Their program was in bad shape and I helped to make it a family-centered and positive environment. I had some amazing experiences and I really grew to love the families. On Friday, the moms and children put together a little surprise party for me. They decorated the room and made some adorable cupcakes and a cake. They told me some of the things they had learned from me and how their lives will be better. I really fought back the tears--mostly because I get really embarrassed when I cry in front of other people. When I saw how much they loved me and how much they were going to miss me, it made me feel guilty for ever wanting to give up on them. So a little piece of me will be at Austin Recovery and with the moms and children of Family House.
Sunday was yet another reminder of us leaving. Lots of people at church have taken their time to chat with us about our move and express their happiness for our new opportunity. When I first moved here, the Cedar Park Ward became like a family to me. When I look back at the person I was 10 years ago, I realize how much I have grown and changed for the better. I have had many wonderful examples of what is really means to be Christ-like. Cedar Park grew into my home and a piece of me will stay here too.
It's also knowing that it will probably be a long before we can get another picture like this:
These last few weeks we have tried to see some of our old friends, visit some fun places, and get in some of our favorite Austin restaurants. Due to time and monetary limitations, there's no way we can get to do everything. But for memory's sake, I'll list some of my faves:
Chez Zee-our first date
Amy's Ice Cream
Congress Bridge and the bats
Gourdoughs donuts
Round Rock donuts
Homeslice Pizza
Fliphappy Crepes
Boating on Lake Austin or Lake Travis
Oasis-bad food but great views
Juan in a Million and my favorite breakfast burrito, the Don Juan
Chuys, particularly their jalapeno ranch dip
Town Lake
Zilker Park
Rudy's BBQ-at least we can order their sauce and have it shipped to us
Dart Bowl
Hairy Man Trail-yes that is the actual name of the street
University of Texas
Schlitterbahn
Floating down the Guadalupe River
Chinatown
Roys Hawaiin Fusion-the best crab cakes
Trulucks-the best chocolate cake
Gold Class Cinemas-now called Ipic
The Children's Museum
360 Bridge
6th Street
Book People
Whole Foods-the one downtown
Hey Cupcake
Leslie-our favorite homeless man; okay, not an activity, but I still remember the first time I saw him!
And the list goes on. Some of our greatest memories are here and Austin will forever be in our hearts. We would love to move back here one day, but I know that that might not be in our plan. So on to new memories, new experiences, and new adventures!
Our delicious crepe breakfast!
In Austin, good things come out of trailers.
Our first apartment when we were married; Oak Meadow Circle in Southwest Austin
Town Lake and Congress Bridge
Lake Austin and the 360 Bridge
Cade, Reece, and I on top of the UT tower
Engagement pictures-this one obviously didn't make the cut!
Jack Johnson concert at the Backyard (pre-engagement)
Ryan. This is how he looked the first time we met, but wearing a suit instead of orange.
Me and my dad.
Friday was my last day of work and I'll admit that I was counting down the days. At times I really loved my job and other times I dreaded going. Most of the time it was stressful. The women and children I worked with were very needy and it took a lot out of me emotionally and mentally. Despite all of that, I gained much more out of the experience than I had ever thought I would-both professionally and personally. At first it was just a job for me to earn extra money doing something that I could do, but it turned into much more than that. Their program was in bad shape and I helped to make it a family-centered and positive environment. I had some amazing experiences and I really grew to love the families. On Friday, the moms and children put together a little surprise party for me. They decorated the room and made some adorable cupcakes and a cake. They told me some of the things they had learned from me and how their lives will be better. I really fought back the tears--mostly because I get really embarrassed when I cry in front of other people. When I saw how much they loved me and how much they were going to miss me, it made me feel guilty for ever wanting to give up on them. So a little piece of me will be at Austin Recovery and with the moms and children of Family House.
Sunday was yet another reminder of us leaving. Lots of people at church have taken their time to chat with us about our move and express their happiness for our new opportunity. When I first moved here, the Cedar Park Ward became like a family to me. When I look back at the person I was 10 years ago, I realize how much I have grown and changed for the better. I have had many wonderful examples of what is really means to be Christ-like. Cedar Park grew into my home and a piece of me will stay here too.
It's also knowing that it will probably be a long before we can get another picture like this:
These last few weeks we have tried to see some of our old friends, visit some fun places, and get in some of our favorite Austin restaurants. Due to time and monetary limitations, there's no way we can get to do everything. But for memory's sake, I'll list some of my faves:
Chez Zee-our first date
Amy's Ice Cream
Congress Bridge and the bats
Gourdoughs donuts
Round Rock donuts
Homeslice Pizza
Fliphappy Crepes
Boating on Lake Austin or Lake Travis
Oasis-bad food but great views
Juan in a Million and my favorite breakfast burrito, the Don Juan
Chuys, particularly their jalapeno ranch dip
Town Lake
Zilker Park
Rudy's BBQ-at least we can order their sauce and have it shipped to us
Dart Bowl
Hairy Man Trail-yes that is the actual name of the street
University of Texas
Schlitterbahn
Floating down the Guadalupe River
Chinatown
Roys Hawaiin Fusion-the best crab cakes
Trulucks-the best chocolate cake
Gold Class Cinemas-now called Ipic
The Children's Museum
360 Bridge
6th Street
Book People
Whole Foods-the one downtown
Hey Cupcake
Leslie-our favorite homeless man; okay, not an activity, but I still remember the first time I saw him!
And the list goes on. Some of our greatest memories are here and Austin will forever be in our hearts. We would love to move back here one day, but I know that that might not be in our plan. So on to new memories, new experiences, and new adventures!
Our delicious crepe breakfast!
In Austin, good things come out of trailers.
Our first apartment when we were married; Oak Meadow Circle in Southwest Austin
Town Lake and Congress Bridge
Lake Austin and the 360 Bridge
Cade, Reece, and I on top of the UT tower
Engagement pictures-this one obviously didn't make the cut!
Jack Johnson concert at the Backyard (pre-engagement)
Ryan. This is how he looked the first time we met, but wearing a suit instead of orange.
Me and my dad.
Friday, June 17, 2011
My HEB Buddy
HEB is one of my favorite grocery stores. I signed up Cannon for their summer reading program. All I had to do was read him 10 books and then mail in the form. He LOVES reading, so we wiped out the 10 books in one day. Yesterday his t-shirt came in the mail, along with a certificate, a sticker, pencil, bookmark, and 20 points (you can redeem points for prizes). I just thought it was a cute little thing to do. He was so excited to wear his t-shirt today!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Nothing Much
Nothing much has been happening around here, except trying to go through all our stuff before we pack. I hate moving, but I do like that I get to go through all of my stuff and get rid of things. It's in my nature to be a pack-rat, but I also don't like clutter. So this is a good way for me to get organized again.
We have also been trying to hit up our favorite Austin places before we leave. We have a season pass to the Austin Children's Museum and I've taken Cannon there twice in the last two weeks. He LOVES it there and I wish we could go more often.
Cannon has been into cleaning up lately, or "keem up," as he calls it. I'm not sure where this has come from, but I'll take it! I'd like to say that it has come from my superb parenting skills, but I have to admit that I've been slacking in that department. Cannon's hair is growing and getting out of control, but I love it! I'm really not quite sure what to do with it. I am in love with his curls and his wild hair totally fits his personality. I'm just going to let it grow and see what happens. Cannon also loves to sing, but usually not by himself. Every night he requests three songs that Ryan and I sing to him: Teach Me to Walk, I Love to See the Temple (or just "Temple" according to him), and Three Little Ducks (Cannon calls it "Quack, Quack, Quack"). He can sing the first and last parts of Teach Me to Walk, with a few words in the middle. He can also sing most of the words to I Love to See the Temple. And he just does the actions to the duck song.
Every night we read scriptures as a family before bed. Cannon knows ALL the pictures in the front of the Book of Mormon. I was pretty impressed and tried to get it on video. Well, he was being a total buster because he knew I was trying to record him. So he pretended like he didn't know anything and then started calling everything "Poo" and cracking himself up. I was getting so frustrated, as I was trying to capture my child doing something intelligent, but it turned out to be a pretty funny video anyway.
On Memorial Day, Rob and Bev and the kids moved to Bloomington, Illinois. Robert got a new job as a talk show host for the Cities 92.9 FM morning show and has been up there since the end of February. Bev stayed back with the kids so they could finish school. So that weekend they packed up and we had a giant slumber party for two nights (including Rick, Kristina, Cole, and Lyla). There were six parents, six kids, two grandparents, one dog, and a partridge in a pear tree. Crazy, but what a great way to spend our last few days together. The kids are loving it in Illinois and are really fitting in to everything there. Jade and T have even started golf lessons, and according to T, he is a professional now. I have no idea when we will see them again, but I hope it won't be too long!
I tried to get a cute snapshot of Papa holding his baby girls. But by the time I got my camera out Ally had had enough! I just thought it was funny because Lyla woke up with some crazy hair!
We have also been trying to hit up our favorite Austin places before we leave. We have a season pass to the Austin Children's Museum and I've taken Cannon there twice in the last two weeks. He LOVES it there and I wish we could go more often.
Cannon has been into cleaning up lately, or "keem up," as he calls it. I'm not sure where this has come from, but I'll take it! I'd like to say that it has come from my superb parenting skills, but I have to admit that I've been slacking in that department. Cannon's hair is growing and getting out of control, but I love it! I'm really not quite sure what to do with it. I am in love with his curls and his wild hair totally fits his personality. I'm just going to let it grow and see what happens. Cannon also loves to sing, but usually not by himself. Every night he requests three songs that Ryan and I sing to him: Teach Me to Walk, I Love to See the Temple (or just "Temple" according to him), and Three Little Ducks (Cannon calls it "Quack, Quack, Quack"). He can sing the first and last parts of Teach Me to Walk, with a few words in the middle. He can also sing most of the words to I Love to See the Temple. And he just does the actions to the duck song.
Every night we read scriptures as a family before bed. Cannon knows ALL the pictures in the front of the Book of Mormon. I was pretty impressed and tried to get it on video. Well, he was being a total buster because he knew I was trying to record him. So he pretended like he didn't know anything and then started calling everything "Poo" and cracking himself up. I was getting so frustrated, as I was trying to capture my child doing something intelligent, but it turned out to be a pretty funny video anyway.
On Memorial Day, Rob and Bev and the kids moved to Bloomington, Illinois. Robert got a new job as a talk show host for the Cities 92.9 FM morning show and has been up there since the end of February. Bev stayed back with the kids so they could finish school. So that weekend they packed up and we had a giant slumber party for two nights (including Rick, Kristina, Cole, and Lyla). There were six parents, six kids, two grandparents, one dog, and a partridge in a pear tree. Crazy, but what a great way to spend our last few days together. The kids are loving it in Illinois and are really fitting in to everything there. Jade and T have even started golf lessons, and according to T, he is a professional now. I have no idea when we will see them again, but I hope it won't be too long!
I tried to get a cute snapshot of Papa holding his baby girls. But by the time I got my camera out Ally had had enough! I just thought it was funny because Lyla woke up with some crazy hair!
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