Back to CO!

Last weekend we headed back to Denver/Boulder for Ryan and Kelly's wedding.  Austin stayed behind with MiMi.  This was the first time for me to be away from him for more than one night in a row.  I felt empty-handed the whole weekend.  Mimi took really good care of both Austin and Savannah.  Ricki even got to babysit for a few hours on Saturday too.  When DiDi got back from Austin (for the Texas vs WVU game) she took over.  A cold front settled in Denver/Boulder for the weekend and it was about 35-40 degrees on both Friday and Saturday.  Kelly and Ryan had wanted an outdoor ceremony but ended up having it inside at the last minute since it was sleeting a little bit.  It was warm and cozy in the building and had such a mountain feel.  On Friday evening, the rehearsal dinner was at Chautauqua Community Center.  The food was delicious - brisket, smoked salmon, spinach salad, potatoes and carrot casserole (which tasted like sugary sweet potatoes).  Most of the guys (Tim, Doug, David, Matt) gave a toast.  Ryan's sister, Laura, gave a very sweet, yet witty, toast.  After the dinner we headed back to the hotel for a drink in the bar there.  On Saturday we went to the Buff (for Colorado Buffalos) for breakfast with Tim/Melissa, Bobby and Ryan.  Kelly had her hair appts, etc all day.  After breakfast, the guys headed to BJ's Brewery to watch football until it was time to go to the wedding location for pictures.  It was raining off and on and about 35 degrees.  The hotel was right on the Boulder Creek Trail (bike and run) so I couldn't pass up going for a run.  It was chilly but felt SO good.  I ended up running 7 miles because my legs just don't feel tired in cold temperatures like they do here in Houston.  It was beautiful too - changing leaves, the creek, and the mountains in the background.  After running, I went to Starbucks for some hot coffee and just to sit.  I miss going to coffee shops and just sitting with either a book or the computer - just to chill.  Babies are not apt to this. :)  It was a such change of pace.  I headed back to shower and get ready.  They had 2 buses to take us to the wedding site (Shupe Homestead), which was about 30 minutes away.  David and the other guys had already left for pictures and just to hang out with Ryan beforehand.  The ceremony started at 4pm.  The attendants were siblings - her sister Megan and his sister Laura.  David and the other guys were ushers.  They got married with a nice big fireplace in the background (it's not the mountains but it was very pretty).  The dinner was a seated dinner after very yummy appetizers.  They served beverages in mason jars - so cute!  The wedding was during the Texas vs West Virginia game so of course the guys were following on their phones - Unfortunate ending to that one.  We managed to get a couple of pictures...

On Sunday there was a farewell brunch at the hotel that the Pucketts hosted.  We headed to the airport after that for a 1:40 flight.  We didn't get a chance to see any of our Denver friends but we hope to visit in March and see everyone then.  I miss that place!  Over the weekend I sure missed this 14 month-old. I plan to do a 15 month post with more updates but Austin is growing too fast.  He has developed quite the belly.  His 18 month sized shirts are a little small.  He is so close to walking.  Yesterday he took about 5 steps.  I bought him a new sippy cup that has a straw and he learned how to do that in about 10 seconds.  He is liking his school and no longer cries when my mom or David drops him off.  I have been working 7:30-4:30 so I have to leave the house before Austin even wakes up.  DiDi has been a huge help.  Not sure if this is going to work for the long term...we will see.  But I do know that Austin being such an easy baby sure helps.  He just cut 2 new molar-type teeth this week and we didn't even really know they were coming.  The only clue was the yucky diapers and a diaper rash that came along with that.  Then...ta-da, the sharp molars appeared.  A couple of naked, smiley baby pictures...  

Friends at the lake!

A couple of Saturdays ago, we headed to Lake Livingston for 1 night with old friends.  We went to Sara's family (a high school friend) lakehouse.  She and her husband Matt have a 20-month old daughter named Savanna.  Austin was thoroughly confused the whole time by this name.  He kept looking for our dog.  It poured rain almost the whole time but it was a great chance to catch up with Peyton, my high school friend who is married to Nick (also from HS).   They just moved back to the states from Guam where he was stationed for 2 years as a Navy Seal.  Jenny, Annie and Mallory came too.  Matt so kindly smoked chickens for all of us.  We enjoyed wine, watching babies play, watching the UT game, and good food.  Thanks for having us, Lees!  I thought I lost my pictures with my phone catastrophe but I remembered I took most of them with my real camera.  Here are a few....

Matching chairs...cuteness. 

Having a tea party

Austin loved Savanna's "girl" toys

Share group (plus babies), missing Kristin :(

Wash Park flower garden pics

We took these right before we moved.  I will miss Wash Park so much!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it has been a month since I last blogged.  I feel so bad that I have not been documenting Austin's changes.  He will be 14 months on Tuesday and is so close to walking but not quite there yet.  Part of the reason I haven't blogged is because of my lack of pictures.  I have not been very good about taking pictures since we have been in Houston.  Then I had a catastrophe yesterday morning - my iphone went through a full cycle in the washing machine.  Stupid of me, I know.  I had Applecare insurance so it was only $50 to get a new phone, thank goodness.  So all of the pictures that I had not already uploaded to our computer are lost.  Unless they are on icloud - I haven't figured that out yet.  I have some pictures on my real camera but I don't have the cords with me.  Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks:

• Austin started school at Zebra Zone (Spring Branch ISD) child care.  He is in the Flamingo classroom which is kids 11-17 months.  It took him about 4 days or so until he stopped crying at drop off.  DiDi has been helping alot with drop-off and pick-up.  
• I started a job at Southwestern Energy on Monday 10/1.  It is in Financial Reporting.  It is about a 40-45 minute commute, which I am not used to (was spoiled in Denver).  It is going okay and I am trying to work 7:30-4:30 so that means I leave the house around 6:45am before Austin is awake. This is hard and will take some adjustment.  
• We are looking for houses but not having much luck.  It is really tough in the neighborhoods we want to be in.  It's like it's all word of mouth and things never even go on the market.  I am praying we find something soon!
• We are in Boulder this weekend for Ryan and Kelly's wedding.  It is the first cold snap of the season and it is about 35 right now and some freezing rain.  I ran this morning on the trail by our hotel.  It felt so good and the colorful leaves were beautiful.  I miss Austin and feel empty-handed without him but he is in good hands with Mimi and Aunt Ricki. 

Here are a couple of pictures I snapped on my run.

And one from the rehearsal dinner last night.  More to come on the wedding weekend....

Last few days in Denver

We are now residents of Houston but I first wanted to blog about our last few days in Denver.  On Wednesday 8/29 my Bible study girlfriends planned a dinner at an Italian restaurant and since David was in Houston working already, Austin stayed with Jessica, one of his former teachers.  It was so sweet of them to plan this and I got to say goodbye to everyone that could make it.  David came back in town late Friday night.  He played golf Saturday morning and we worked on packing after that.  Austin and I made one last trip to the Cherry Creek Farmers' Market for some strawberries and peaches.  We were supposed to go out to dinner with Ryan and Kelly on Saturday night but our babysitter was sick so they ended up coming over to our house and we ordered pizza, tried to watch the Texas game on the computer since it was on the Longhorn Network, drank wine, and chatted.  We will miss them!  But we will be back in Boulder on 10/5 for their wedding!  Almost every day for the last week we were in Denver, Austin and I went running at Wash Park. We would drive there, and I would run pushing the stroller twice around, which is almost 5 miles.  Then after the run, we would sit on the grass and he would have a snack of cheese and applesauce.  He really enjoyed watching the people, dogs, geese, ducks and cars as we circled the park.  He also loved standing up holding onto the stroller while eating cheese.  On Sunday afternoon, we went to Adam, Rachel and Brody's house for dinner and playtime.  It was so fun to hang out with them one last time.  Rachel cooked tacos and we just played on the floor with the little boys.  I can't wait to find out if their #2 will be a boy or girl!  

Tupperware fun while packing

Farmers market farewell

Clapping at Wash Park

Ah!

Telling a story

So excited for the first Texas game of the season!

Best buds

Snack at Wash Park

Mommies and their boys

Blue-eyed 

Savannah is a horse

Chilling with a bottle - we are almost breaking the bottle habit. He only had 1 today and the rest of his milk was from a sippy cup - yea!  Such a big boy!

Looks like Austin is bossing Brody around in his own house

Friends!

Brody trying to give a gentle hug - ha!

Austin gets mad....

So Brody gave him a head-butt

Uh oh, now Austin sits in Brody's red chair

Brody's attempt to sit on top of Austin :)

On Labor Day, David played golf for one last time at Cherry Creek Country Club where we were members.  I am sure he will get invited to play there again with friends, but I know he was sad to leave.   I dressed Austin in his USA shirt, forgetting that it said Happy 4th of July on it too.  Oh well.  We enjoyed a run at Wash Park and later that day we grilled in our backyard one last time - steak, chicken kabobs with veggies, and corn on the cob.  We headed over to Bonnie Brae ice cream - my favorite Denver ice cream place  - so yummy!  In the evenings the last few nights in Denver - I made sure to spend some time in the hammock with Austin.  He is more squirmy now and doesn't like to sit still very long but we spent many hours in the hammock about a year ago when he was a little little baby.  The fountain in our backyard pond and the swaying of the hammock worked like magic when he was fussy in the evenings.  We will definitely miss that.  We also enjoyed the comfortable evenings out in the front yard on a blanket and swinging.  On Wednesday night, Jessica came to stay with Austin while David and I had one last night out in Denver.  We went to a restaurant called the Ale House at Amato's, which had a wonderful view of downtown from the elevated patio.  It opened less than a year ago and we had never been before but it was a perfect spot for a last date night out.  On Thursday we closed on our house and fortunately Austin's school let him come for a drop-in day.  We had more packing to do and it is MUCH easier to pack without a 1-year old crawling around.  Although we closed on Thursday morning, Jon, the buyer didn't take possession until Sunday so we had a couple of days to be out.  Mary/MiMi came up on Thursday night to help with the moving on Friday, and more importantly, the drive.  More to come on the move....

For now, goodbye Denver.  We will miss you dearly.  We will miss our friends, the fall leaves, the crisp air, the mountain views, our first house, the birthplace of our baby, our genuine church, the hammock and pond, our neighbors, Wash park, and even the snow, among many others.  I hope to visit often.  

Celebrating the wrong US holiday - oops

ice cream!

Mommy is all smiles after her ice cream - Austin missed out :(

Hammock time!

Chilling in the front yard

Just swinging

Downtown view

Our 1st house (don't worry, we didn't sell Savannah with it)