Weekend Trip to Austin

One of our good friends from law school, who has since moved to Georgia, was in Austin last weekend with his new fiancée. So we clearly had to make the trip down to see them. 

We met up for a fun lunch at Shady Grove. 

Complete with some mid-day drinks. How is it that I have never had a frozen sangria before?!

It was so great to catch up with Quentin and meet his lovely fiancée. She is totally out of your league, buddy ;).

 Ava also made the trip with us...much to the delight of my family.

 Ava absolutely loves hanging out at her Bunny and Nello's house.

She gets to swing...

Swim...

Play with sweet puppy dogs (who actually let her pet them)...



Eat lots of yummy food (while being the center of attention)...

Spend lots of time outside...

And, of course, hang out with her Bunny and Nello...

Ava also got in lots of quality time with (some of) her aunts over the weekend.

(I am so in love with Ava's curls...they kill me. And they are even more pronounced in Austin due to the lovely humidity.)

In addition to our fun lunch with Q, Josh and I also got to meet up with the Arnolds for dinner on Saturday night. We decided to try Moonshine, which didn't disappoint. 

It was such a fun night. I'm still in total denial that they don't live in Dallas anymore. 

Before heading back on Sunday, we made a stop to see Mimi. I promise that, despite the lack of a smile, Ava was glad to see her...she was just ready for a nap. 

After a quick visit, it was time to hit the road. 

And on the way back home, we decided to stop in West for gas and kolaches. After the recent tragedy, we thought it only appropriate for our gas money to go to a city in need. Apparently we weren't the only ones who felt this way, because the Czech Stop was packed! We opted to go next door instead. 

But Ava couldn't tell the difference. She acted as though the strawberry cream cheese kolache was the best thing she had ever tasted. And I don't blame her. It was delicious.

And so ended our weekend adventure. Until next time, Austin. 

Sunday Funday

After a busy Saturday, we enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning eating Taco Joint tacos and lounging in the family room. Although someone did a little more jumping than lounging :). 

And then we all took some naps...long, glorious naps. 

But at some point during our lazy day, we decided to invite a few friends over for a last-minute cookout at our house for dinner. So Ava and I made a quick trip to the grocery store to get stuff for burgers and sangria...clearly. 

In true potluck fashion, the Adolphs brought some chips & guac, fruit salad, and jalepeno poppers, and Jill brought potato salad and cookies. Yes, please. 

Mmmmmm.....

We ended up hanging outside for several hours enjoying the weather, drinks, and company. 

Why is it that last-minute get togethers are usually the most fun? 

Saturday Fun with Aunt Hannah

My sister Hannah made the trek over from Fort Worth on Saturday to join us for a fun-filled afternoon, which began at the Nasher Sculpture Center. 

As an art teacher, I knew Hannah would appreciate being a part of Ava's first art museum experience. And since the tickets were free (a perk of working for a law firm that sponsors lots of Arts District organizations), I wasn't worried about taking a toddler. I figured that even if Ava lasted 30 minutes, the trip would be worth it. She was very well-behaved and enjoyed the super colorful and quirky Ken Price exhibit. It was so cute how she would point at the pieces that caught her eye.

But since it was such a beautiful day, we spent most of our time in the garden. Ava had fun exploring with her Aunt Hannah. 

We all had such a good time!

After enjoying the Nasher, we headed over to Klyde Warren Park...another activity that has been on my to-do list for a while. 

The park is really, really great. It's the perfect mix of big-city flair and laid-back cool. The whole thing felt so un-Dallas. 

And because of the gorgeous weather, it was quite crowded on Saturday. 

I'm kind of in love with this park.

After a fabulous afternoon exploring the Dallas Arts District, Josh took over Ava duty so Hannah and I could enjoy a delicious dinner at Victor Tangos. 

I clearly started off the meal with a (couple) French 75s. Definitely my favorite cocktail, especially at VTs...so simple and yet so delicious.

And then we gorged ourselves on Ahi Tuna Nachos and Tempura Green Beans, Pickles & Cheese...

Followed by Korean-Style Hanger Steak with Grilled Broccolini and Charred Onions, Crab Mac & Jack, and Chicken & Waffles. 

Goodness gracious...I seriously love this restaurant. And since we ordered way too much, Josh got a nice dinner from the leftovers. 

Ava had such a great time hanging out with her Aunt Hannah. She even learned how to say her name on Saturday. After seeing this video, I think all the other aunts will be a bit jealous :). 

First Dallas Stars Game

The law firm I work for has a suite at the AAC, and it was graciously offered to my department for a Stars game last week. 

I've never been to a hockey game before, and despite the fact that my limited knowledge of the sport comes from The Mighty Ducks, I was really excited to finally see the Stars in action. 

(Is it just me, or does the player on the ticket really look like Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?)

Since Jill was sweet enough to babysit, Josh and I were able to make a date night out of it. 

We had a great time and it turned out to be a good game as well...the Stars won 5-1. 

It was definitely a well-needed escape from the craziness of last week. Between all the horrible news in Boston and West, several big projects at work, and Ava's first ear infection, it was a draining week to say the least.

The kind of week where you pick your battles. Like giving in when your toddler wants to bring her sippy cup and WubbaNub in the bath after she asked to go "night night" at 5:30. You win some, you lose some. 

Afternoon at the Perot Museum

As soon as I got home from brunch at Fernando's last Sunday, Ava woke up from her nap and we started brainstorming a last-minute afternoon adventure. It was pretty warm outside, so we narrowed our list of ideas to indoor activities, and ultimately opted for a trip to the new Perot Museum. 

 

I have been wanting to visit the museum ever since it opened a few months ago, but we decided to wait for some of the newness to fade in order to hopefully avoid ridiculous crowds. Unfortunately, it was still fairly crowded on Sunday, but that didn't stop us from having a good time.

 

We started off in the Moody Family Children's Museum, which is designed for kids five and younger. Ava liked the section especially set up for babies and toddlers...

 

 

And she even made a little friend.

 

But the section was pretty tiny, so she quickly wanted to move on to the "big kid" activities. Ava especially liked the pretend farmer's market and flower stand.

 

After running around the children's exhibit for a while, we loaded Ava in the stroller to explore the other sections of the museum. She spent half the time chilling like this...

Ava (and Josh) really enjoyed checking out the big dinosaurs...

 

As well as many of the other cool features of the museum...

Overall, it was a fun outing and a great way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon.

One of my only complaints is that the elevators, which were necessary for most everyone because of kids/strollers/etc., were literally the slowest I have ever encountered! Not good when you have a fidgety toddler on your hands. I also really wish the Children's Museum was larger. I think this will be a spot we will enjoy more when Ava is older.