Christmas Card Photo Shoot

When we were in Austin for Thanksgiving, I took advantage of Bunny and Nello's beautiful backyard as the setting for a Christmas card photo of the kids.

I managed to get a handful of cute ones...

And also this lovely outtake :).

But this one was the winner!

Thanksgiving 2017

Since Ava's school was closed the entire week of Thanksgiving this year, we headed down to Austin to hang with my family for a few days before continuing the trip down I35 to celebrate the holiday in San Antonio with Josh's family. And it was such a fun week!

While I worked from the Austin office one day, my Dad treated the kids to some classic Austin outings: Peter Pan Putt Putt followed by Sandy's burgers and shakes. They absolutely loved it.

I also got to enjoy a lovely night out with old friends. The food was amazing, and the company even better. Clark's also has half-priced bottles of wine on Sunday nights, and as you can see by the comparison shot below, we took full advantage :).

Josh met up with us in San Antonio on Thursday morning, and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with his parents and Aunt Jeanne. 

Somehow this is the only photo I managed to take, but it's a keeper. I am very thankful for these two handsome boys.

On Friday morning, Josh's parents kindly took over kid duty so Josh and I could enjoy a wonderful staycation as a late anniversary celebration. 

We started with brunch and a few cocktails at Ocho. I first enjoyed this beautiful spot on Hannah's bachelorette weekend, and wanted to take Josh. 

After brunch, we enjoyed the gorgeous weather and burned off some of the calories by walking down the Riverwalk to our hotel. 

Hotel Emma, which is built in the former Pearl Brewery and serves as the cornerstone of the hip new area of the Riverwalk, is absolutely gorgeous and totally lived up to its hype. The decor, amenities, restaurants, and service were all spectacular!

We spent the afternoon exploring the fun Pearl-area shops, with a stop for some drinks and snacks along the way.

Before dinner, we stopped by the Library Bar, which is reserved for hotel guests (and everyone gets one free drink). I officially want one in my house.

Then we met up with some friends for drinks in the gorgeous Sternewirth bar followed by a fabulous dinner at Supper (I'm still dreaming about those salt-and-vinegar brussels sprouts). It was such a wonderful way to cap off our fun staycation day.

Meanwhile, the kids had a fun-filled day with Grammie and Papa in San Antonio, complete with a trip to a nearby aquarium. 

They had a blast and also had zero problem falling fast asleep that night. Huge shout-out to Grammie and Papa for giving these parents the night off!

After sleeping in a bit on Saturday morning, Josh and I enjoyed a delicious room-service breakfast. 

After checking out, we picked up our happy little munchkins and headed back to reality...aka a super long drive back to Dallas.

Friday Night Photo Dump | July - September 2017

The end of our summer and beginning of fall was a whirlwind of activity, including a trip to POC,   the start of kindergarten, and BB's memorial. These are the beautiful in-between moments.

Two thumbs-up for Black's Bar-B-Que during our road trip back from the coast.

I love spending time with old friends when I am down in Austin.

When Dad takes you to get your hair cut. 

With my girls on a lovely Friday night. 

All smiles at her first dentist appointment. 

The "Ridiculous Sausage Sandwich" met its match.

Buy one get one free.

Wedding party fun. 

 This boy is baseball obsessed. 

Sometimes we get these sweet sibling moments. 

This photo kills me. Josh looks so pretty with a mini-pony tail. 

Playroom fort goals.

Josh and his buddies took a fun (understatement) trip to Vegas and LA for the UT/USC game. 

Ry traded his last paci in for this firetruck.

Go Rangers!

I didn't have the heart to tell this sweet boy that he wouldn't be catching any balls up in the nosebleeds. 

But then, due to the kindness of a stranger, Rylan got his ball. A group of Army veterans were sitting in the row behind us, and upon seeing Ry with his glove in the air, one of the vets selflessly gave up the ball that he was presented with by the team before the game. It is now framed in Rylan's room, and we will ensure he knows the story as he grows up. Love.

Ava's last day of preschool was way harder on me than her first day of kindergarten. 

There may be nothing sweeter than watching your husband soothe your son to sleep.

Future shoe designer. 

Ava has also mastered the braid.

My pantry organization before and after. Make my Type-A heart so happy.

Kindergarten meet-the-teacher night is even better with sno cones.

And speaking of Kindergarten, this is pure #truth.

Such a fun Labor Day weekend with family.

Moms never get to pee in peace. 

Picking up this sweet girl from school is one of the highlights of my day.

Good hair days must be documented. 

A new talent. 

Ready to fight monsters in his sleep.

Grampsie's 60th birthday lunch.

Followed by snail hunting at his house.

And finally, what happens when cousins who are rarely in the same city drink a wee bit too much after their grandfather's memorial. And for the record, if he were there, BB would have been laughing, drinking (the strong gin and tonics), and dancing right along with us. 

(Dean was a llama. Clearly.)

#GreenOnions #AlbumCover

I'm so glad this has been documented for future reference ;).