Austin Texas

We made it full circle back to our home in Austin Texas. We managed to get a loaner car from the dealership which has been extremely helpful. We nestled into our 2 week home at Emma Long park right next to the water. I use to live right off this water just a few miles down so it feels like coming home.

These next two weeks are filled with friends, medical appointments, a wedding and eating Torchy’s Tacos!

Since we are from Austin, all our Drs and Dentists are here and we decided to get it done all in one day. So we both had a Drs appointment in the morning, Eye Dr late morning, and a dentist in the afternoon. We spent a bunch of money that day but at least it’s done. Don’t worry, we are both totally healthy and no cavities.

We also visited one of our favorite families in Texas. Ben has a cousin that moved to Georgetown which, since being married, have gotten really close to them. I love their house in the country and their kids are so fun to be around.

Emma Long park was interesting… It was a ghost town during the week, then the weekend would hit and every spot was filled up. I felt a little bad for the workers because there was so much trash left over. Come on Austin!

We Love Friends!

We really wish we could have spent more time with each family we know from Austin, we couldn’t dedicate a full night to go spend with people. So we created a bunch of events that they could come to. For our church ward, we did a BBQ at Summers house which is super cute!

For Bens work contacts, we spent a night at Punch Bowl Social which was fun to catch up with.

I was also able to go on a hike with my good friends Jami and Clair. Thanks for still going even though it rained like crazy!

Wedding Time!

A big reason we went to in April was that my friend Jen is getting married! So happy that these two made it official! The festivities started on Thursday where we picked up our friends Kim and Melissa to drive up with us. We had a fun ride catching up and stopping by Buccee’s (you always stop at Buccee’s).

We checked into our Bachelorette Airbnb which was super nice. We did a bit of decorating and got the photographer ready. Something I have realized in the last few years is that I LOVE planning Bachelorette parties. One of Jens favorite things is to get ready together and take pictures. So I decided to do a Glamor Shot party with the friends and family that were around. It actually worked out really well and was fun crimping hair and wearing ridiculously pick makeup. (Will add final pictures later.)

Friday was the big day! We all got ready then helped with the first look!

Jen actually had her bother dress up in a white dress and a wig to trick her husband Tony which was really funny. Her dress was perfect and so beautiful. You can’t tell in this picture but it has rhinestones on the sleeves which really makes it unique.

The wedding was at the Houston Temple and there was plenty of people there. It was an honor to attend. They are both so happy!

That night there was a dinner with toasts and Torchy’s! We got lucky!

We stayed the night at the Airbnb again, and left the next morning to Austin where the ring ceremony was taking place. It was at Kristy’s house who is a super generous family that lives near Emma Long Park. The decorations were beautiful and it was so fun seeing more people from Austin that we love.

Being in Austin was a good reminder of how much we love this place. The people are so friendly and nice, the weather is good most of the year, and the food is better than anywhere else I have encountered. Hopefully one day, we can call it home.

Easter Sunday

The reception was beautiful, and we wanted to spend Easter with family so we went up to Georgetown that night to surprise the little ones. It was a perfect day with an easter egg hunt, playing with the dog, and eatings some really great food. We both were a little tired from the weekend but it was nice to just relax. This little girl is the best.

Moving On Out!

With mixed feelings we started packing up to leave. It was SO nice being in Austin but we are also excited for our adventure ahead with the US west coast. Today is actually going to be real tricky… let me tell you why.

Remember that whole car situation where we need a new engine? Yeah, the good news is warranty covered it as well as the car rental. This was a huge blessing for us and something we don’t take for granted. Ben and I had to split up which is something we haven’t ever done before. He needed to go down to Kyle and return the loaner car, and pick up ours. He also had to get the car inspected in Travis County and pick up the mail.

I was in charge of getting the dolly tire changed out, and hitting the road. The RV takes a lot longer to drive than the car so we figured after the tire was finished I would hit the road. So we woke up super early and after backing up into the Discount Tire, Ben when his way. I was a little nervous because we haven’t done this before but it went ok. Driving the RV can be exhausting, especially when you can’t switch off with anyone else.

We actually met up at our destination RV park. We both were exhausted and just went to bed. We had another long trek the next day.

We knew going into this week it would be exhausting but we want to get this milage behind us. There isn’t much between Texas and Arizona (sorry NM) and we want to enjoy the national parks.

We are stopping in Carlsbad Caverns so that will be fun!