Second Honeymoon

Here I go on catching you up on life as of lately....

At the end of May, B and I traveled to St. Lucia to celebrate our first anniversary.  The trip came at the perfect time for us where we were both needing a break from work and the business that comes with the day to day hustle and bustle.  We were so grateful for a week full of relaxation!  We nearly missed our connection after sprinting through the Atlanta airport.  Once we arrived, we were in full on vacation mode complete with all inclusive food, drinks and activities.  No pressure, no problem.  (A local idiom that we quickly adopted).

St. Lucia was beautiful!  Above you can see the famous Pitons peaking out of the palm trees.  The island was so lush and green.  We had great weather too.  The forecast looked like rainy skies every day, but we only had one or two showers while we were there  and there were great reprives from the intense sun. 

My handome hubby with some leftover volcanic mud on his face.

One of the best things we did was learn how to sail during our time in St. Lucia.  Blake was a natural!  I was a bit more timid on our small cat boats.  Once we got the hang of it - we did it a few more times while we were there.  We also ocean kayaked, swam in the ocean and did a whole lot of laying around reading and drinking fruity cocktails.  We also did a power boat excursion that took us around the island, stopping at some of the key sites for us to explore.  We saw the famous Margot bay, climbed to a waterfall, took a mudbath near the volcano in volcanic mud and snorkeled.  A great way to see so much in one day!

Yum! After dinner drinks!

Nightime view of the bay

It was a wonderful trip and the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary!  We are already thinking about where we want to go next!  Any suggestions!



Time flies....

I'm not exactly sure how it is the middle of July already, but it's been way too long since I've been posting regularly!  Time has been flying by.  Just trying to catch my breath, do our laundry, keep up with work, take care of our house and have some fun on the side. 

I'll bring you up to speed and give you the Cliff Notes version of the last couple of months or so....

• I've been traveling A TON.  I've been to Minneapolis at least 3 times since the end of April, Orlando, multiple trips to San Antonio, Houston & Corpus.  And that's just all for work! 
• I had a chance to see one of my best friends at work tie the knot on a perfect Arizona day.  She was a beautiful bride!
• While I was there, I also got to see God's goodness as the ultimate healer. We nearly lost my grandma and He is healing and restoring her.  Praise Him for that! 
• Blake and I took a much needed vacation to beautiful St. Lucia to celebrate our one year anniversary (again).  It was so wonderful and so relaxing.  I'll post some pics soon of our travels!
• My sister and her boyfriend (our friend Tommy) visited us in Austin since they were here in town for a wedding.  Great time together! 
• Bonus!  We got to have lunch with my parents on Sunday since they were here for a marriage conference.  So nice to all be together. 
• Blake headed to UMARMY with the church we grew up in.  He had a wonderful week serving. 
• We headed to East TX for our annual trip to Lake Quitman for the 4th of July with Blake's family
• We just got back from a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest.  We got to tack on a few days of vacation to a work trip.  We had some awesome time with Blake's family there and even got to explore Vancouver BC. 

I can't wait to share pictures and more stories about our summer adventures.  There has been so much going on!

Starting the Day

I've enjoyed the last two mornings seeing the sun come up.  I've been blessed by seeing God's beauty each morning and almost have forgotten how much I love mornings. It's a sweet time of day. 

I need to do a better job of taking in that special time of day since I work from home and usually don't take the time to enjoy it's blessings on a morning commute or some time to just simply pause instead of just leaving barely enough time to jump into my day. 

I love that newness that mornings offer.  Thank you Lord for allowing me to wake up today and that you renew me each day by your spirit!   

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.

Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

Something to Look Forward To!

This spring we are going here.....

....and we couldn't be more excited!

To celebrate our one year anniversary, B and I will be traveling to St. Lucia for some relaxation on the beach!  It's so nice to have this to look forward to  in the next several weeks. 

We went the all-inclusive route to make sure that we really enjoy our trip.  We fell in love with all-inclusive on our honeymoon.  We can be tight-wads on vacation and tend to watch our pennies so paying upfront in order to be able to eat and drink what we want is certainly nice for us!  Really makes vacation feel like a vacation!

I really can't believe our anniversary is just a few weeks away!  Oh how time flies!

Birthday Roadtrip for B

Saturday we decided to take a much needed day off of work to take a getaway to a place on our "Texas Bucket List" as a pre birthday celebration for B.  We had thought about taking a road trip somewhere but are quickly realizing being back in Texas, that getting out of the state is easier said than done.  We miss that about AZ.

We slept in that morning and got a late start on the road with just enough time to stop in Lockhart for some BBQ.  This town is supposedly famous for their Texas BBQ and have multiple well known smoke houses and meat markets to get your carnivore fix.  B chose Black's BBQ.  I think he chose wisely.

We walked in and saw dozens of options for serve yourself sides to choose from.  From creamed corn, mac and cheese to cornbread dressing and even sweet potato casserole.  The meats were cut for you on the spot.  We sampled some brisket and sausage and decided to go for a little of both.  The brisket was by far the best thing we had.  The place was a legit Texas BBQ experience, complete with old pics and road signs adorning the wall.  Our booth had a picture of Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley and Stephen McGee from their visit together in 2006.

Happy Husband about to be very full

With full bellies, we climbed back into the car and headed about an hour down the road to Shiner, Texas.  Living out of state for the past several years, we always were on the hunt for Shiner on tap and it was a special treat when you could get your hands on it.  It's always been one of my favorites, maybe because it's a Texas beer, maybe because it's really a great beer. :)

We got a full tour of the brewery.  The most fascinating part was seeing the bottling process.  Being in the CPG industry, I found it particularly interesting.  Yes, nerdy I know.   Outside it smelled like freshly baked sweet bread.  Yum.

We traded our wooden nickels in for 4 tastings.  Our favorite was by far the Shiner 102, an anniversary brew.  Not sure what makes it a "Double Wheat" beer, but it was smooth, easy to drink and oh so good. Stock up if you see it, it's only in a limited production.  Shiner, Texas was a success.

Saturday night we entertained at our casa with a bunch of friends and family to celebrate him again.  I love love love to stretch birthday celebrations out as long as possible.  Blake was a master griller and made some killer burgers.  The night was filled with good friends, good beer, a fire pit, a few games of bags, bocce ball and even a 7 pound chocolate cake!

Can't wait to keep the celebrations going for my hubby!  I love birthdays!  AND I love him!

Reunited!

This weekend we headed to Dallas to visit the Kersey family.  It was so great to be with our sweet friends, we've missed them!

Us with the Kerseys (brand new baby Adi) the night we got engaged!

Kristi and Michael were some of our closest friends at our church in Scottsdale.  Coincidentally, they are also from Texas and have since moved to Dallas from Arizona.  It's so nice to be close enough to drive to see each other for the weekend.  It had been way too long!  They were such a blessing to us in Arizona.  We loved spending date nights out with them, listening to their experience on marriage as newlyweds/ an engaged couple and talking about Jesus together.  We spent a couple new year's eves with them as well and they threw us a WONDERFUL Texas themed shower in their backyard last spring.  They are dear friends to us. 

We were so happy  to see their kids, Trevin and Adilyn.  They are such awesome kiddos and we had a blast playing with them and getting to know them all over again.  So excited for Baby Kersey #3 on the way in 8 weeks.  The next time we seem them, they will be a Party of 5!

We got in late on Friday night and stayed up chatting and catching up.  It was fun to see their home in Texas and hear how life had been the last couple months.  We both have experienced quite a bit of transition.  Interesting how so much of the challenges and blessings of that time were similar for each of us. 

The next morning we got up and made breakfast panini sandwiches.  The kids were a little shy at first, but quickly warmed up once they were awake and alert.  Trevin gave us the tour of his playroom and bedroom.  It was so fun to play with them.  I also loved watching B with them, he's going to be such a great dad someday.  (Don't get any ideas people :) )  We headed to the park later that morning.  It was a gorgeous day! We loved enjoying a picnic lunch outside.  So nice to not be cold or rainy.  Beautiful days like that make me really miss AZ, where the weather is like that more than 6 months out of the year.  I even fell asleep outside on their swing later that afternoon!

Trevin and Adilyn were going to spend their first night at their Grandma's house that evening so we all could have a night out.  We headed to the Uptown area and had a really yummy dinner at Villa-O.  I had a seafood risotto with a spicy tomato sauce.  It was so decadent, but I ate the whole dish!  I really enjoyed the uptown area.  Looks like there are a ton of cute shops and fun restaurants in that neighborhood.  We finished our night with some ice cream and headed to bed.

Sunday AM, the guys went to go pick up the kids and Kristi and I met them at church.  We were excited to be able to go to the Village with them.  We've heard so many great things about this church and it was fun to see where they worship each week.  Loved worshiping together again with them!  The Lord is really working in and through this church.  It's exciting. 

We ended our time together over brunch and then got back on the road after hugs.  So blessed by our time together.  It really was a fun, relaxing weekend and awesome to be together with them. 

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but hopefully the recap can help you imagine all the fun we had! Can't wait to visit again soon after Baby arrives!

Tour de Tejas: McKinney Roughs Park

 

New Years weekend Blake and I enjoyed taking another day trip near Austin to explore the Texas country around us.  This excursion led us to McKinney Roughs Park.  It was a beautifully designed park done by the LCRA.  They had extensive trails that could lead us down multiple different paths through the Lost Pines Region.  The park was bordered by the Colorado River.  It was a beautiful hike on a beautiful day!  

We also drove through the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort which is right down the road from McKinney Roughs. A long, windy road led us back to the resort. It was really rustic looking, yet looked extremely nice and looked like there was so much to do. Maybe a weekend trip is in order?

Totally worth the 20 minute drive outside of Austin! I think we will be making a repeat visit soon and explore more of the trails.

Blake by the Colorado





Tour De Tejas: Fredericksburg and Enchanted Rock

To wrap up our Christmas break, B and I took a day trip near Austin to take in some of the sites we've been wanting to explore the past few months.  After a quick stop at Torchy's Tacos for some sustenance, and Summer Moon Coffee for some caffeine, we headed out into the hill country.  So grateful for my company car!

 

The first stop on our list was to Enchanted Rock.  B had been there a while back, but I had not been as of yet.  Mac and Tommy have told us that they loved their excursion there so we thought we would enjoy it as well.  When we lived in Arizona, hiking became one of our favorite activities in the desert.  I've missed big mountains here in Texas, but this was a nice way to get back outdoors.  We took the Loop trail around the outside of the park.  The terrain was beautiful and the peace and quiet was also a treat.  We circled back around and then climbed to the top of the rock.  I was certainly winded after spending over a week layed up on the couch!  It was so windy at the top!  The views of the hill country were beautiful.  Part 1 was a success!

After our hike we headed into Fredericksburg.  Blake had a single mission to have a Fredericksburg Pretzel while we were there.  It was our first stop in town.  I thought it was quite tasty even for a girl that doesn't love pastries and sweets!  We strolled among the shops and popped in a few.  Everything was still decorated for the holidays. There were so many people out and about as well.  Hunger set in and we found some German food at a restaurant we had seen on the Day Tripper show on PBS.  We both enjoyed a cold beer and shared a sausage platter complete with sauerkraut, German potato salad and potato pancakes.  Yum!  Such a cute and quaint town. 

On our way back home we headed to one of the wineries that I've been wanting to experience near Fredericksburg, Becker Vineyards.  We shared a tasting and found a couple wines that we actually thought were tasty.  No surprise that my favorite was the most expensive bottle.  Champagne taste on a beer budget! :)  The setting was beautiful.  I'd love to venture back when things are in bloom, especially the lavender. 

Tired and sore we headed back home after a pit stop off at the new HEB in Dripping Springs. ( My hubby is always such a good sport when I'm grocery shopping!  )  I would definitely recommend our day trip to anyone who is looking for a getaway from Austin.  I can't wait to explore more small surrounding cities in Texas; it actually felt like a mini vacay!

Weekend in Review: Ashley's Visit

Disclaimer: This post is really old and i've had it saved for a while wiating for some images.... but it was such a great time with Ash that I still wanted to post it!
I'm a little behind, but wanted to catch you up on my weekend adventures and joys....

I had such a great time spending a few days with Ashley. We covered a lot of ground in a few short days, caught up on life and reconnected. It was so sweet to just pick up where we left off. I'm so grateful for her friendship and for the time we got to spend together. She is such a person of depth, substance, wit, intelligence, passion and grace. I'm blessed to know her!

Thursday night Ashley arrived and we headed to Postino for dinner. One of my all time favorite spots in AZ. Over a good beer and some bruchetta we chatted under the misters. We shopped at the waterfront and headed over to Urban. It was a blast to try on a bunch of things together. Solid girly time.

Friday morning I had to go into the office, but Ashley walked into Old Town and enjoyed some time at Sola and other shops along the way. I made it home after picking up my hubs from the airport and we then went to the Biltmore for some pool time. After almost getting kicked out for not actually being guests at the pool, our kind waiter let us stay. We enjoyed a few drinks and some nice weather. Thank goodness for cooler days!

That evening we came back and prepped for Saturday's shower and then got cleaned up ourselves. We headed out into Old Town to meet up with some friends for some Mexican food. It was good to be with friends new and old all at one table. We tried to get into the Vig afterward, but the wait was insanely long - so we all came back to our casa for some vino (the boys chose some alternative beverages) and fun on the patio outside. SO nice to enjoy the last of the evenings where you actually want to be outside.

We got up very early Saturday morning and decided to head to Sedona to show Ashley the beauty of the red rocks and the "Vortex Effect" - just kidding about the vortex. We hiked West Fork Trail just north of the town. It's so beautiful there regardless of when you go. Blake and I did this hike last Winter and the trail was flanked by snow. This time it was a red dirt trail and the creeks were still flowing and the foliage was green and beauitful. It was a great time to chat and continue to catch up for Ash and I. We had lunch by the creek - packed in sandwiches, fruit and granola bars. Yum. It was a quick trip but totally worth it to get out of the heat and into nature. I think we just need that sometimes for our sanity. We stopped at one of my favorite Sedona joints for a Dirty Chai at the Bike & Bean . Blake scouted the merchandise while the rest of us put in our order for some much needed caffine.

Ashley had to return to Texas that night to be up Sunday morning to speak at our home church. I was so sad to see her go, but so thankful I had such great time with her. I'm honored that she would come to visit us during her short trip to the states. So so so thankful for our time together and for her friendship. She is precious to me.

Maybe we will have to make a trip to visit Ash in the Czech so we can do it all again soon!

Will you take me back?

Dear readers,

....or maybe there aren't any at all.....I honestly could be just throwing words out there into a black abyss.  But I've decided that's completely okay.  I think this blog is more for me than for anyone else.  (Well  maybe for my parents who enjoy reading to know the details of what we have been up to).  I have had a couple requests to start writing again - so thanks to those who have encouraged me to get back in gear!

At any rate, if you are out there, will you take me back and forgive me for being gone for so long?  I've once again shown you my lack of commitment to this blog.  I can't believe I haven't written since this summer! 

So much has changed since then and lots of exciting things have happened in our lives.  We are settling into our new marriage (quite nicely if I say so myself).  We've learned so much about each other in the last several months.  Already into month 8, we have managed to weather the storm of a relocation to Austin, Texas, new roles at work and jumping into a new community and new church.  We are loving being back closer to family - just 3 hours away.  We have already spent a couple weekend with each set of parents and cherished not having to get on a plane to travel for the holidays.  God has been so faithful to us in this time.  He's provided wonderful friends here in Austin and a church we are so grateful to be a part of.  We also love our home and exploring new parts of Austin that I never touched as a college student. 

TFTN has a new look for the new year.  I decided I wanted to take it a more simple route.  I'm hoping to still include more pictures as I write in coming months as well.  Would love to know what you think!

Bye for now!

Menu Plan Monday

This week's plan is again cut short due to my work travel schedule (when is it gonna stop?!). I'm off to Chicago early this week for our annual Region Sales meeting. These meetings never disappoint - just need to get my game face on to be "on" the whole time. If you are in sales, you know exactly what I'm talking about. When I get back, I plan to whip up some yummy meals for my sweetie!


Monday: Cubs game :)


Tuesday: Dinner in the City!


Wednesday: Return home - Grilled Pineapple Turkey Burgers & corn on the cob

Thursday: Date night! Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Friday: Kabobs on the grill!

Menu Plan Monday

Well friends, this week I won't be cranking out gourmet meals for me and the hubs beacuase once again, I am traveling. Lots of left overs from the shower we threw this weekened are in store for B while I'm away. I promise to have some creative ideas brewing for the next couple weeks!

Ashley in AZ!

My sweet friend Ashley is coming to visit me this weekend. I couldn't be more excited! Ashley lives in the Czech Republic and is on staff with Young Life there. She has been serving there since we graduated college -faithfully and diligently. She LOVES LOVES LOVES the Lord. Her heart bends toward Jesus and she loves others with passion and grace. Ashley and I have been friends since high school. We are birthday twins too!

Ashley is home for a few weeks to see her brother graduate and be a part of one of her friend's weddings. I am so honored that she would choose to come and spend some time with us in Phoenix. I will cherish the short but sweet time we have together! Here are some fun pics of us through the years....

Ash and I at Thanksgiving at the Brown's our Senior Year of college

Ash visited me in Austin all the way from Mizzou!

This picture is just funny now.....ohhh how things have changed. (This is the night where Blake and I realized we had a little spark that we never knew about!)
I can't wait to spend some quality time together and show her a great time in the Valley of the Sun!

The Weekend in Review: Memorial Day Weekend in DC

This weekend I headed to DC to visit my dear friend Loren for the holiday weekend. I have never been to the city before, so it was a real treat to spend some quality time with a good friend from college and take in some of the sights in our Nation's capital. It was extremely special to be there on Memorial Day weekend, to see the way our veterans were celebrated and embraced for all they have done for our country.

I arrived late Friday night after a 5+ hour flight and we headed out to get some sustinance and a couple beers and some of Loren's favorite local joints. I got the chance to meet a few of her friends (mostly people she teaches with) and see her adorable neighborhood near Capitol Hill.

The next morning we started our day off pretty early with an iced coffee and an egg and cheese bagel from a local shop (so happy that Loren finally decided to like coffee) and walked through Eastern Market. I could do some serious damage at the market. Between the fresh food and the fabulous jewelry finds - living nearby could prove to be dangerous for my wallet! We then headed out on our sightseeing adventure. Loren was a great sport and wanted to show me as much as possible in my 3 day trip. We ventured over to the Capitol building, down the mall and passed all of the incredible monuments and memorials. We also popped in the Air & Space Museum and the Natural Science Museum. After watching National Treasure (one of my favs) on the ipod on the way over, I made sure to let Loren know that I wanted to check out the National Archives. We walked from the Lincoln Memorial over to the Georgetown area and the waterfront. I loved the quaint streets, lined with flowers, and small, unique bars, restaurants and shops. The waterfront was a perfect people watching spot and I indulged on the best crab cake I have ever had. At this point we had probably walked at least 7 miles (we later mapped it out) so we cabbed to China Town to visit the National Portrait Gallery and grab some fro-yo. I loved the gallery. It has such a diverse grouping of portraits and housed the presidential portraits as well.

After we cleaned up after an 8+ mile trek around the city we headed out for dinner in Dupont and then met up with some friends of Loren's for a night on the town. Quite a packed day!

The next morning began back in Eastern Market where we met a friend of ours that lives in the city for brunch. I dined on some amazing crab eggs Benedict. So yummy! I couldn't get enough of the crab there! We all caught up a bit after not having seen each other for quite a long time and then walked through the market again. I bought a really unique necklace made of blue glass from Loren's favorite merchant. I think it might be the summer staple around my neck.

Next we hoofed it over to Union Station. Unfortunately, the station was closed due to a suspected leak of sorts and we weren't able to check out the inside. Instead, we took the metro to Georgetown and met up with some of Loren's pals for a ride on their boat on the river. Loren and I laughed at how no one swims or wake boards like they do in Texas, but just cruises up the river in the sun with drinks in hand. After spending the afternoon on the boat, we cleaned up and grabbed a dinner (we were absolutely famished!) at Old Ebbit Grill, the oldest restaurant in DC. We also walked over the the White House - which was beautiful all lit up at night - and then headed over to the W Hotel for amazing views and excellent dessert and drinks to unwind at the end of our day.

My trip went so fast, but it was so great to spend some time with Loren one on one and see her life on the East Coast. I loved the chance to have deep converstaion and be able to reconnect after living so far away for so long! Thanks Lo for all you did to make it a fabulous weekend and show me all of DC in such a short time! Love you friend!

Jetsetter

Yesterday I flew to Texas, and back in one day. Quite a whirlwind but also a very productive day. Back on the plane this afternoon - I'm racking up those miles in the sky!