BYU/UT San Antonio/Austin Boy's trip 2011

Scott and me trying out some different poses before the big group shot:

Mark's better side:

We thought it'd be good luck to wear the same outfits as last time, Blake couldn't make it, luckily Jordan had the good fortune to visit Blake before the visit, pick up his shirt, shrink it, and bring it to Kevin (we spent a good portion of the trip stretching the shirt out trying to convince Kev he actually looks very good in a tight shirt):

Walkin' thru Austin to go to Hut's Burger's:

I think we enjoyed the space Bruce (our minivan) offered:

Hit up a tailgate party in Austin at a church building across the way from the stadium... some fellow cougars tried to scalp their bbq tickets to us for a profit... we we're like "no we just ate at deliciuos Hut's Burgers":

We decided the stadium would be more fun and left:

Mark hooked up some cub scouts selling water, they hooked him up with a water bottle, looks like Kevin and Jordan already crossed the street:

I asked Jordan if my nose looked very big and he took this so I could decide:

Watching the cougars warm up:

Scott got us 4 tickets (for FREE!) but there was 5 of us... so we sat together for the first quarter and then we got split up and spread around, we were in the UT section so we had fun (especially during the first half):

Here we are having fun:

It may've been a while since I been to a BYU game... but I'm pretty sure their marching band would beat the cougars at a "spell something on the field" game. They were very good:

So that was Saturday... Sunday, we went down to San Antonio's Paseo del Rio. Some of looked like we were straight off a TV show... others of us just looked messy... you can decide:

Lookin' at stuff:

Here's a life size replica of the world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow, 8'11.5" I think:

More of the same:

Jordan didn't stand next to the tallest guy:

In front of the Alamo:

Walking around the Alamo:

Talking on the phone outside the Alamo:

This is a fake riverwalk on the way to the real riverwalk:

This is the real riverwalk:

Ummm... not much going on here:

A whole lotta stuff going on here:

This is the pile of stuff we had on the table (or chair as it were) if Scott was gonna be able to polish off melissa's 9x13 pan of brownies. He was starting a diet/exercise thing the next week and we were bulking him up to start.

Gonna take some photos/vid of the work:

The pile grew a little bit:

We had already all had like 2 burgers and chips and root beer and were stuffed to begin the contest...

GO GO GO!

Melissa already put these photos up... but it was the next day so I thought I'd put it up too.

we are here! we are here! we are here!

If you are familiar with the movie, Horton Hears a Who, then you'll be able to re-read the title of this post again PROPERLY.
What? Haven't seen this movie?  Feel free to watch the first few seconds of this clip:



Since it is Conference time and I'm hearing good analogies, I'll give you my take.  Lately, I feel just like the Mayor of Who-ville.  I've really wanted to do a blog post.  I told my sister a few days ago, "We've got to make some noise! They don't believe we are here!  We are here! We are here! We are here!"

We, in fact, made it to Dallas.  It's a little strange to think we've been here for just over two weeks.  Overall, it's been a terrific.  Let's talk about some high lights and low lights:

::: Remember the whole housing renting stress---had we picked the right house?  How would we "cope" without all the charm of that historic one?  Well, since we came into this house I can emphatically say "YES! We made the right decision!" We're are happily surprised at how much we LOVE this house.  There is just so much breathing room.  There is so much natural light here.  Good space.  The kids love it.  Aaron loves it.  And, Becca loves it too, b/c she has her own room.

::: Did you know that little Becca-dear is here with us?  Oh yes she is.  Did I fail to mention that my sister came down the night before our big move to help us load up, clean up, move to Dallas, unpack, and get us settled?  She has been such a great help and I love having her as my life assistant, friend, dance partner, nanny, caregiver, chef, creative collaborator, and I'm so glad she could come.  She is on the hunt for an AWESOME job here in Texas (I'm especially pulling for the Dallas area, duh!) and we're all rooting hard that she'll find something great so she can stay by my side forever.  Let's all start crossing our fingers for her----and, hello, if you know of a great job for her (graphic + web design) give us a holler.  STAT.  

::: We are slowly but surely getting settled in.  I told Becca that I think we'll be ready to start putting up decorations on the wall next week.  Tillie keeps having moments where she talks about missing her San Antonio house and her little friends and I think if we had some things up on the wall and start tackling little fun projects that will help keep her pre-occupied.  Overall, she's done surprisingly well in the transition.  

Love Tillie's fake smile and Cal's super short tie.  Too cute.

::: Calvin is a fickle pickle.  Remember how I used to talk about about what a PERFECT baby he was?  Well, I'll stand by that statement forever.  Calvin was a PERFECT baby.  Slept well, ate well, was happy and content, easy cheesy.  As time wears on and this baby turns into a TODDLER, it's amazing to see the transformation.  Let's just say, Calving isn't as "easy cheesy" anymore.  Yes, he is what I wrote above, "a fickle pickle".  One minute he is sharing a Cheetoh with his sister and giving her hugs and kisses, the next he is hitting and pulling someone's hair (mine included) or sobbing about some injustice (remember these pictures?).  That boy.  I love him something fierce and he keeps us all entertained.  For better or for worse.  :)


::: Speaking of decorating, I went through a few different phases with the site Pinterest.  At first, I loved it and kept finding great inspiration for our new house we were building.  Then, when I found out we weren't moving into our new great house (R.I.P.  that really was a great house), the last thing I wanted to do with my time was look at inspiration for a new home.  I cringed at the thought and it just made me sad.  But, I'm happy to report, that I've been born-again and I'm excited to make this house into our home for the next while.  In fact, I think I stumbled upon a GREAT idea for a corner in Tillie's room.  Hello.

You use a hula hoop!  And, Tillie is the queen of book reading in her room.  This could be a great plan. Found here.

::: Speaking of cool internet finds, Aaron found this one and it made my life.  Please read.

::: In other news, I have been numb twice (two different places) in the last 24 hours.  Last night as we were going to bed, I got a bite from some bug on my hand... it was itching like crazy and started swelling and suddenly the whole side of my hand was numb.  Then there was throbbing pain going up my arm.  Let's talk about the awful thoughts running through my head---death by bug bite...  I'd die in the night.  No one would know till the morning (even though I kept trying to wake up Aaron).  I decided to take 4 teaspoons of Children's Benedryl (it's all we had) and then went online to sites like WebMD to diagnose how and when I would die of this bug bite.
I was terrified reading everything.  So, I called the hospital.
They said it was my decision whether or not to come in since they can't diagnose over the phone (makes sense).  So, I waited for another 45 minutes and decided to risk going to sleep and never waking up.

Good news.  I am alive.  I am a survivor.

Numb twice.  Remember?  The second time was when Aaron fixed a cavity for me this afternoon.  He did SUCH a good job.  When he numbed me, it didn't even hurt!  I told him, in all honesty, that it was the most pleasant experience I've ever had in a dental chair.  That's big, considering that Aaron used to tell everyone that I was his WORST patient he'd ever worked on (in my defense, the last time I went to him I was 7 months pregnant and the appointment was like 4 hours long at the dental school.  not cool.).

::: Speaking of Aaron, he is famous.  Seriously.  That means I'm famous by association.  This new practice is the big time.  They have billboards up, ads in magazines, and all sorts of exciting marketing.  Guess what we found in our mailbox on the bag cover of a magazine?

Now look at what Aaron's dad did to the photo.  Such skillzzzz.  I love it.

Funny story... that is NOT Aaron's body that his head is attached to.  Gotta love the "blessing" of Photoshop.  Rest assured, they just took new photos and Aaron's head will be attached to Aaron's body.  I can't wait to see what else his face pops up on!

Crazy times.  All around.
Anyway, there's the 411 for this very minute in time.  I just uploaded over 300 photos from the last few weeks.  There is MUCH more to show you and talk to you about.  All in good time.  In good time.

Moving day is today.

These pictures were taken five years ago when we first moved here.  We found this great spot just minutes from our house.  We were trying to come up with a good photo for our first ever Christmas card.  I think we decided on the top one.

Well, today is the big day. It's amazing that you can feel so many emotions at one time... Excited, nervous, happy, and sad.

I've been extremely reflective this last little while as I've been reviewing all the things-events-people met-experiences that have happened here in our little brick house.

This was the first real time we'd ever really been on our own.
This was the place I learned what it was like to rely completely on Aaron.
This is the place I realized how important cell phones were and how important it was for me to have support/love from our families back home.
This was the place that I started a blog to keep my old friends and family in the loop.  
This was the place I learned how to be a full-time working member of society... Where I realized how wonderful it was to be in a great work environment. I loved the girls/women I worked with at the stationery store.
This was the place where it was acceptable and normal to use the word "y'all" in my everyday jargon.  You know I capitalized on that. (I could do a whole post about how great that word is.)
This was the place where I learned how much I love the internet.
This is the place where I learned how to earn an income from home and started to figure out a work/life balance.
This is the place where I met so many great friends who have turned into family members.
This is the place where I learned how to comfortable, truly, in my own skin.

This is the place where I became a mom.  twice.

This is the place where my life changed in so many ways, and this has been my home for 5 long/short/crazy happy/good years.  

Am I weird for feeling so incredibly sad but excited at the same time?  Am I lame that I want to take pictures of things like the bathtub to remember how many times I washed those little bodies in it?  Am I silly for wanting to go over to every person that has been in our lives and give them a good hug and say "thank you"?  Am I crazy that I want to push pause and stay right here for a little big longer in the place I have grown to love?  Is it wrong to want to stay comfortable?

Maybe it is wrong.  Maybe I am crazy.  Actually, I am crazy.  And schizophrenic too, apparently.


Basically, I just want to say thanks.  Thanks to all of you who have made these past five years happy for me and my family.

San Antonio, you've been good to us.  Real good.

"I like to move it, move it..." not really.

In case you were wondering, I'm finally coming to grips that we are moving in 7 days.
Maybe it's because I've called to cancel our internet/phone, electricity, water, home owners insurance, etc.
Maybe it's because we took our last trip to SeaWorld as residents living only 6 minutes away (now that's a REALLY sad thought).
Maybe it's because I've been collecting a billion boxes and tips for packing from friends and neighbors.
Maybe it's because I've taken stock of the contents left in our freezer and figuring out how to eek out dinners without running to the grocery store (the recommended 3 months minimum of food storage our church recommends having on hand, we totally had! who knew?!)
Maybe it's because we took a trip downtown to the Riverwalk and acted like tourists, bought San Antonio t-shirts, and did the boat tour.
And, maybe it's because the movers are coming to load us up on the 13th.

Yeah, I think the last one is the kicker.  I think THAT is the reason I'm coming to grips.  Ready or not, they're coming to take me away ("haa haa, hee hee, ho ho, to the funny farm..." do you hate that song as much as I do?).

So, I've decided packing is good and bad.  Good, because it forces you to go through things that you've been avoiding---or in my case, transferring from one pile (rubbermaid bin) to the next.  It's one of my best talents that my mother loathes.  (love you, mom---and remember, you still love me.)  Call me crazy, but it's kind of fun discovering little papers we wrote our "Goals" on a few years ago.  It's fun to go through printed photos and file folders that represent certain chapters in our lives.  It kind of reminds me of this post I did a few years ago.

The part that isn't so good or fun---finding random Target, Costco, Walmart receipts from 2008.  Were they important purchases?  No.  Seriously, I found a HUGE stack of dorky receipts I'd kept.  So weird.  Another part that is not so fun is convincing 3.5 year old Tillie and 20 month old Calvin to stay away from my boxes.  They love to help and enjoy seeing all the crazy things I'm pulling out from under our bathroom sinks.  But let's be honest, Cal playing with toilet bowl cleaner isn't the best of ideas.


crickets chirping.



I've decided this is a really boring post.  I'm even bored typing it, you must be REALLY bored reading it.  But, honestly, this is better than packing up my bulk shampoo and conditioner---I really hate having to squeeze & twist down the top to seal it up.  Such a waste.  And, I hope that darn pump doesn't come untwisted in the move and coat the rest of the box in conditioner.  And, while we're on the topic of bulk bathroom products, why on earth was I convinced that I needed to buy 4 gallons worth of hand soap from Costco?  I'm so sick of using that soap, it's killing me.  Yet, I'm packing the remaining gallon to McKinney to use it there.  Perfect.  Can't wait.

See?  Boring topic.  But, hello, this is what I've been doing for the last few days.  Boring.  Melissa.

Let's reward everyone for making it through tonight's post.  Let's post some pictures.
First off, let's take a look at our last big hurrah downtown at the Riverwalk:

Aaron's tall, but not tall enough to put Calvin with the stone men above.  I advised him to put Cal back down to a safe level---and STAT!

ahh, much better.  

somewhere on our computer I have a shot of Aaron and I when we first moved here five years ago.  I thought it would be cool to have a side by side comparison of the photos---but alas, I'm not finding that old photo.  When I DO find it, (and trust me, I'm now on a mission!) I'll show you the two.  Pretty amazing what 5 years can do to your life.

hanging out on the river.

super sweaty, sorry.  but that glass sculpture is so cool!

Yes, both children would have jumped into the water, had we let them.

very cute.

and another "Very cute"

Sorry children that you inherited your mother's RED HOT FACE if you are even remotely warm.  I apologize.  Really, I do.  It was approx 104 degrees this day, if you must know.  Thank you, Texas.

love that they scalloped the ivy.  So cool.  It's all about the details, people.

We went to a super lovely restaurant for lunch.  Aaron had heard from a friend at work that this place was a favorite.  We thought we'd give it a try.  Let me just say this---not really kid friendly (really? Tillie didn't like the heart of palm? weird.), but super delicious.  We used my birthday money and it was SO good.  Aaron and I keep dreaming about the cheese bread that Cal is shown stuffing his face with.  I think, if Cal could communicate better, he'd mention that he TOO has been dreaming of it since.  Fogo De Chao is the name, in case you were curious.  Oh, and found out it's not just a San Antonio restaurant---they have a few places all over---including Dallas.  HA!  That's funny.

Taunting poor pigeons with Cheerios.  Lovely. 

"Cowabunga!" or is he saying, "ALLL right!"  Not quite sure.  But, either way, he looks rad.  And, hello, he's larger than life.  Look how tiny the Alamo is.  It really is that small in person.  Seriously.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  It seems like whenever we took visitors to see it, they'd say, "Really?  It's that small?"  Yes.  Sad, but true.

 This is Cal trying to sleep in the car.  I wanted to record the memory of his bright red and tired face.  He was SUPER sleepy, but when he saw I was taking a picture, he flashed this smile.  This kid kills me.

:::  In other news, (wow, this post is suddenly getting less and less boring!!) I don't think I ever mentioned that the house we were building SOLD just days after it went back on the market.  And, funny story, the new home owners hated the tiled floor, the glass tile backsplash, and the granite countertops we chose.  So, they replaced them ALL!  Amazing!?!  I know!  You wanna see?  Of course you do.  Here's what we saw:

landscaped front yard.

 

added wood flooring in the master bedroom and master closet (of all places).  kind of funny. sorry for the blurry pic.

new tile work in the master bath.

Not jiving on the combo with the mini tiles... 

Crazy, right?  I wonder what it cost for them to make all those changes?  Oh well.  Not my problem anymore.  I'm surprised at the combinations they chose.  And, really, I'm not a fan of the granite/backsplash combo in the kitchen, although I'm surprised at how much I liked the brightness of the lighter tile in the main family room area and kitchen.  In the end "it's different strokes for different folks," as my mom says.
Honestly, it was kind of nice seeing all the changes, b/c is just solidified the fact that this wasn't our home anymore.

So, all is well.

Oh, and before I sign off, please know that I appreciate all the kind words about the house situation.  Honestly, I cried reading them.  Oh great, now I'm boring AND lame.  Sorry.  But, y'all were so nice and made me feel so much better about the quick decision we made.  Thank you.  Seriously, thank you.

Alright, signing off now.

Or, as we used to say back in the day, "Wellllllp, gotta go work out!"