Monday, June 21, 2010

Anniversary Get-away

For our anniversary, Arthur planned a weekend get-away that was a complete surprise to me. It was great!

We headed down to New Braunfels, through Wimberley. (Also the first time we've been to Wimberley. Take Note: We've decided we want to live there in the future.) For those who aren't aware, here's where New Braunfels is in relation to Austin:



Like Fredericksburg, where we went on our honeymoon, New Braunfels is a product of early German immigrants to the great state of Texas. It's nifty. We stayed at the Kuebler-Waldrip Haus Bed & Breakfast.


I don't know if you can see in the photo above, but the part of the house to the far left with the darker grout-- that part was built in 1847, and it was a one room home about the size of my kitchen and dining room. When the current owners bought the property and decided to make it into a bed and breakfast in 1987, there were 6 layers of wall that had just been built on top of the original limestone and plaster. We didn't stay in the main house, we stayed in the farmhouse.


It was nice. The bed was ok (it was two very comfortable twins pushed together, which I thought wasn't so classy) but the breakfast was out of this world! Plus there were critters to greet us everywhere:




This place had the biggest stick bugs I've ever seen. Kid you not, there was one twice this size walking around as well!



For dinner, we went out to Gruene, (pronounced Green) Texas and had a fabulous time. The old part of the town has been preserved very well, and is a hub for the nightlife in the New Braunfels area. We went to the gristmill, a restaurant complete with a beirgarten, in a salvaged mill on the edge of the river. The atmosphere was awesome. The food, decent. Overall, a fantastic dinner.


Doesn't look like much...



But it's one cool old mill and a great place to have dinner.



Waiting for our meal!


Our view from the tiny 3rd floor. Very nice sunset.

One of the really cool things that we got to see in Gruene, was an authentic Texas Dance Hall, like you see in the movies. Truthfully, there really aren't that many left in Texas, but because they were/are a mainstay of small town life, you kind of have to travel to the sticks to see one. It was awesome.


The beer signs lit up and people two-steppin'. So Texas.


You may not see most of me, but I like this one because you can see the front of the hall very well.

This is the rest of the Gruene Old Town (it's so dang charming):




The next day, after our fabulous breakfast, we drove out to float the Guadalupe. Typically, most people float the Comal (which is a tributary of the Guadalupe, that is in New Braunfels) but due to flooding of the week previous there was still a lot of debris to be cleaned up, so we floated the Guadalupe instead which Arthur had never done. (I've never floated anything but the Provo River before, so this was a new experience for me as well.)

It was one of the most relaxing things ever. Its like 100+ degrees out, and you're bobbing along like an ice cube that won't melt, because you're in the coldest water ever. It feels great even if it makes your toes and fingers numb. 


However, it's not so great when you fail to use sunscreen properly. The spray on stuff is deceiving--you think you're covered and you aren't! This is quite possibly the worst burn I've had in years-- Especially because I was burned all along the tops of my legs-- which have never been burned before. So the rest of our weekend was spent wallowing in bed, applying Aloe and Solarcaine and taking copious amounts of ibuprofen. Good thing I called in subs for Nursery! We still had lots of fun though, and I'd go float the river again, just next time I'd bring sunscreen you can rub in!

June 20, 2009

A year ago, yesterday, we got married.


All I can say for the both of us is this... it was one great year! To infinity and beyond!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Paint!

Since we've renegotiated our lease and we'll be staying in our apartment another year, I feel like it is time to paint. Just two walls, which will take an afternoon and make our place look so much better. Currently, Arthur is against me on this color scheme:


The darkest color matches our couches, and the second, our mirror. I want to paint the walls, (see them here, the one with our mirror, and the one with the big painting in the dining room) that light dove gray. Still a neutral, but it will make the crown molding pop, and relax the eye in the whole space. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get the recessed wall that light sand color.

What other color schemes would work and not overwhelm our place?

I like the gray in this:


Is it so wrong that I enjoy gray so much? It's such a good neutral! 

How about the grey (second from the left) in this one? Its a little more intense, a bit more taupe-y.



Clearly, I can't break away from grey. Do I need help? I don't think so.

Also, does anyone else think it's nutty to paint walls in an apartment? It's an afternoon's worth of work. So far my mother is really the only one who thinks this is a fabulous idea. (Pout face)

P.S.-- all images copyright color-collective.blogspot.com, a truly fabulous blog.

So true...

this is from a letter home from a friend of mine who is serving a mission in Italy.

"Following the spirit is so hard sometimes, because often we just tell ourselves that it is our own minds, our own thoughts, but its always better to just follow. Elder Bednar talked about how often we wont realize the consequences of our actions immediately, but that the "sun pops over the horizen for us at different times." There are often clouds that obstruct our view, but that revelation is never dramatic. We often have sufficient light to press forward."


How often have you seen the sun rise and the sky be filled with noon day light? Never. It is slow, it is gradual, it is different for different people at different vantage points. But there is always still light. LOVE that quote!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Ashley's Bridal Shower

I blogged about this awhile ago, but I just wanted to share the cute pics of my future sister in law's bridal shower we had like a month ago.


 This is the cute sign I made. I'm still very proud of my paper skills. :)


The Bride with her hosts, Connie and Barb.



This is the fantastic cake that Barb made. I will obtain the recipe, someday.



We were all matchy-matchy that day-- black and white, myself included.


Oo-la-la! Cute, but I'm filing this away in the "not weird to think about" section of my brain and ignoring it.

Speaking of the wedding though, I have yet to find something to wear. I thoroughly combed shabbyapple.com today and wasn't very impressed. I don't want to wear black  (or weird colors that look good on everyone but redheads) to a wedding. Thoughts? Ideas? I need a cute modest dress! 

Star Wars.... in Concert!

So, we got a really unique opportunity to basically go to a Star Wars Symphony at the Frank Erwin Center with our friends Justin and Michele. It was awesome! In addition to the fantastic music and laser light show narrated by the guy who plays C-3PO, they had on display original costumes and artwork.




Sadly, I have some great video of the concert, but it appears as if my blogger doesn't have the upload video button. So, here's a picture:

Sunday, June 13, 2010

My brother Ian... a great guy.

Also about a week and a half ago, my brother Ian graduated from high school. It was a little weird going back to the same place I graduated and watching almost verbatim what happened to me when I graduated. (Oddly enough, I can't remember Harrison's graduation at all. I know I flew home that weekend, but I don't think I went...)

And as the kids with colored tassels walked up there, and people went on and on about the kids with special scholarships and who are already solving the oil spill crisis, I thought, how silly. I was one of those kids and it has not made a lick of difference what I did in high school. I also thought about how the ceremony hardly highlights what kind of people were graduating and that a piece of paper saying that you passed your classes doesn't really do a person like my brother justice.

So, I thought I'd brag on my little brother for a moment, because he deserves it:


Ian can make anyone, anywhere, at a moments notice, laugh like they've never laughed before. He's the funniest person I know, and if I had a quarter for all the times, I've nearly had milk/juice/soda/other liquids launch out of my nose because of him, I'd be a rich woman.



Ian doesn't judge. He has friends from across all walks of life, and he respects them for who they are. He's constantly reminding me to judge others less, and to be more kind to others around me.



Ian kicks ass at the guitar. Literally, within the past year and a half, he's taught himself how to play and he can play any kind of music well, at the drop of a hat. They had some band at his graduation, and I felt sorry for them, because those kids thought they were good. Ian is way better.








Ian has personality. Serious personality. Ian is a good guy, but what I like about him is that you feel like things are real with him. So many kids are good kids, but have personalities like limp vegetables. Not Ian. He gets along well with everyone, and still stays true to himself.



Happy graduation little bro. You no longer have to go to class. Congrats!

Happy Birthday Dad!

For those unaware, about a week and a half ago, my father turned 50!


Here are some things that I love about my dad that you might not know:

* He knows by heart and can sing along to every Lyle Lovett song out there. *



* He perpetually talks to himself. You might be having a conversation with him, while he is also having a conversation with himself and thinking about striking up another conversation, with you guessed it, himself. I've taken on this habit, and I, like him, use the justification "People who talk to themselves are superiorly intelligent"*


* My dad has a perpetual thirst for knowledge. He's constantly reading books and articles regarding science and history that most people would pass off as "boring." On the contrary, it makes him that much more interesting-- I've yet to come across a subject that my dad knows nothing about-- he can talk to you about anything. *


* My dad is the most disciplined human being I personally know. That's saying a lot. I know quite a few people who are seriously disciplined-- but Dad takes the top prize. My dad makes goals, figures out what he needs to get them accomplished, and does them. He never waffles, or does anything as he puts it, "half-assed."


* He also is an incredible gardener. He can feed the masses with what he grows every year. Someday I'd like to see him wear one of those wide brimmed hats "gardeners" are always wearing in the movies. (Think about it and you'll know exactly what I mean)*



*He gives excellent advice and is the epitome of a kind, loving father. He sets the bar in what a dad should know about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he's an example of how we should live our lives according to the gospel.*

Happy Birthday Dad!

Bare Nekkid

Not really. But this concert rocked!


Unfortunately, while I did take some video, the sound quality my little camera has is quite subpar. So, here's another picture:


It was an awesome concert. And it was freeeeee!