austin snow day

i mentioned the snow in my previous post. it really is a novel thing in austin. pretty much most of the state will get snow at some point in the winter months, but not our city. our terrain is a major reason for that, i think. anyway, i was driving through a shopping center when it started coming down and had to laugh. i felt like i was watching a hallmark commercial and strangers were about to start hugging in the parking lot. it was great to see the childlike joy on their faces.

my daughter was super excited too. she's two, almost three, so the perfect age to see her first snow. she played long enough to get the cutest pink nose.

my sweet friends turn 40

as i edited these photos it really made me start thinking about the friends in my life and how my definition of the word "friend" has changed over the years. as i think back on my high school friendships, i, ofcourse had my bff, who i spent every waking second with and who made my high school experience so memorable with her vivacious spirit. but after high school ended, that friendship quickly ended as well. for the longest time my heart was broken about that. was high school the only glue that held us together? i think probably so.

when my husband and i reconnected as friends...we knew each other in jr high...he fell into the roll of being my best friend so seamlessly that the transition from friend to love of my life happened almost without my realizing it. it struck me like a bolt of lightening the day i realized that i looked at him completely different. i couldn't even tell you the moment i fell in love with him. for those of you who know me best in this world, you know that that was the only way i was going to fall in love. having travis as my best friend has been the greatest relationship of my life. and while that will never change, after having my daughter i started to long for that one girlfriend who could fill the roll as my best gal pal.

as i became more involved with playgroups and MOPs, i looked at those women and wondered which one of them was going to fill that need in my heart. over the past two years i have come to realize that all of them have. best friend has become best friends. wendi, marilisa, jill, allison, candice, stacy, kristen, michelle, cathleen, jennifer, laura, janna, dina, the list goes on and on. and i can't forget my three sisters, jennifer, shawna and karen who are my dearest and sweetest friends of all. god has made me rich with friendships. my heart if full.

happy fathers day

we celebrated fathers day by taking my husband out for breakfast at taco deli. this place is truely off the beaten path tucked down by the greenbelt on barton skyway...the mopac side. i've heard several of my friends raving about this place and finally got a chance to check it out one day after a run. i was hooked and though travis would LOVE this place too. we got there early sunday morning before church and had a very relaxing leasurly breakfast. even though it was forcasted to be a scortcher that day, the temperature was perfect. we really enjoyed sitting outside eating our tacos.

embellish

my beautiful sisters and i went to embellish for a relaxing pedicure on thursday evening. i love this place, all pink and girlie. they don't use the throne like chairs you see in the typical spa. instead they use big bowls full of pink water and you sit in comfy chairs, or if your lucky like i was, on the pink couch. i love this place.

mothers day

mothers day weekend my sisters, mom and i had our second annual mothers day brunch at the hyatt downtown. the food was so-so this year, which was a little disappointing, but the new decor was beautiful. i've always loved this hotel and am so glad they're proactive in keeping it a beautiful place to visit. i grabbed these shots of my daughter and nieces looking up into the atrium as we were leaving. i hadn't really felt like taking pictures that day and was really regretting lugging my heavy camera to what was supposed to be a relaxing morning. however, i was so glad when i saw the girls sitting on the couch that i had it.

Happy 33rd

this pasted thursday was my birthday. it was a great day. which is nice because a lot of my most recent birthdays have ended with a feeling of disappointment. but this year was different for two reasons. one, for the past year i thought i was 33. as it would turn out this was my 33rd birthday. so, in a sense i get a do over. i am so excited about that because this past year has been one of the more difficult of my life. which brings me to the second reason for the great day. at the end of last year i finally decided to deal with all the emotional garbage that having a baby can bring to the surface. i spent what felt like most of my "33rd' year angry and depressed. i learned through counseling and a bible study that fear was the driving force behind it all. a huge weight was lifted off my heart once i learned that. i still struggle with the fear at times, but it no longer rules my emotions. thus, allowing this to be one of the best birthdays i've had in a long time. having dinner at uchi was a huge help as well. it's one of the only foods that makes me truly happy, that and double chocolate brownies baked by my sweet hubby.

thank you sushi.

i took my daughter to get her hair cut today. i usually take her to one of those chain places, but decided after getting my hair cut this past week, i'd take her to tara, my stylist. i love her and was so happy to see payton does too.

you are here

last sunday we went to the san antonio zoo with my family. we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. it was actually cold outside when we got there, then warmed up to a beautiful 80 degrees. it's a beautiful zoo with lots of greenary boardering the pathways. my favorite exhibits were the flamingos, hippos...which were my favorite of all of them, and the butterflies.

the "dead leaves" in this one are actually butterflies.








this is my daughter and my grandmother riding in her sweet ride.