Oh hey guys! We're home! We were sad to have our trip come to a close, but are also ready for a routine again, not to mention our wonderful bed and no suitcases. Not a big surprise that we came home to an apartment that has like zero food here, so as Russ and I stepped out to go to the grocery store, we look down the breezeway of our apartment and it is literally the biggest/scariest/most intense rain storm I have ever seen. Like lightening every 5 seconds, rain blowing off the roof because the wind is so strong, thunder, flickering lights, etc. We both just stared and started to laugh and turned back into our apartment. No groceries right now. Next on the agenda: begin posting pictures. And that is the preface to this post.

So far I have only sorted through the pictures from the first stop of the trip: THE COTSWALDS

Sigh.

I LOVED this place. I felt like I was in a movie. After a bit of delay out of the United States (thanks to the volcano), we finally made it to London, caught a train out to the Cotswalds and met Brittney and Stuart in a quaint town called Moreton-in-Marsh. From there we took a bus to "Stow-In-The-Wald" and found our bed and breakfast.

The Fosse Manor

We  totally scored with this place. A perfectly quaint bed and breakfast in a remote town in the English countryside. There were beautiful gardens with scattered tables and benches, a croquet set, and of course, a full English breakfast in the morning.

Our room was that top window in the middle. It probably wouldn't have mattered where we slept that night considering we were so tired from the flight over, but it made our arrival into Europe that much more exciting that this place was so perfect.

 After settling in, we walked into town to get some dinner and see the sights....

.... not until we played croquet of course.

We passed an awesomely old cemetery on our way into town. Is it odd I thought the cemetery was beautiful?

We saw this chapel, and when we went inside we happened upon the Trinity College playing a beautiful symphony in the chapel. We heard some beautiful pieces by Mendelssohn and Britten. Such a great find.

I loved how the Cotswalds had ivy all over everything. Brings a nice charming quality to such old buildings.

So yes. We absolutely loved the Cotswalds and would recommend for anyone to take the short trip out of London to visit such a unique and absolutely stunning group of towns. It was the perfect beginning to our trip. Next was the lovely town of Bath, which will be coming soon.

Until then, we will continue to stay nestled in our little apartment as we wait out this crazy storm. Oh Texas, thanks for the warm welcome home.

Checking in from Spain

So remember how I said I would check in with you guys? Well here´s the thing. This vacation has been a whirlwind of a trip from beginning till now. But I thought it was time to say ¨hey!¨

Last night we got into Barcelona on a train from Paris super late, and were excited to finally get a GOOD nights rest. When we awoke this morning we were shocked to see it was 11:40 am! OOPS! Even though we were a little bummed that we let a few precious hours of sightseeing slip through our sleeping fingers, apparently we needed the sleep. I haven´t slept in that long since, like, high school. We were still able to have an amazing day here in Barcelona. WHAT A COOL CITY. If I could explain it in one phrase I would say its ¨packed with energy, youth, excitement, and amazing art all on a historic coastal town.¨ Tomorrow we are off to Montserrat, a mountain town about an hour inland in Spain. Goodness, we´re going to need a vacation from this vacation! (jk).

We get home in a few days, and I promise you will see more pictures than your little hearts can imagine. See you soon my friends!

¡Viva España!

It's here. It's finally here.

May 19th! The day I have been anticipating since late fall. We catch a plane in about 2 1/2 hours to begin our European Adventure. This is the view I will have for a long, long time. Till tomorrow, actually. -->

But it will be worth it. If you have some time on your hands, come join us in any of the following cities:

London

Cotswold, England (think Kate Winslet's hometown in "The Holiday")

Bath, England

Paris, France

Barcelona, Spain

Cadaques, Spain

Bah! Ecstatic is the word that comes to mind. Also, a tad bit of anxiety that I do in fact have all necessary documents, itineraries, clothes, shoes, etc. I'm sure it's fine. I only went over my excel spreadsheet entitled "Europe packing list" like 9+ times.

Anyway, I'll try to check in periodically via internet cafe's and whatnot. See ya in like 10 days, America. Unless of course the Icelandic volcano makes another cloud canceling my flight out of London indefinitely. If that's the case, I may just stay there.

We're so social these days

Ok, just kidding. But we did throw together a hoppin' impromptu barbecue yesterday that was pretty dang tasty, if I do say so myself. It was an ULTRA rainy week here in San Antonio, so the sunny Saturday was a welcome gift. Thanks to our old and new friends for comin' by the Alamo Ranch pool. We had fun, and we hope you did, too.

No one ever really likes pool-side swimsuit pictures of themselves, but we needed a smidgen of proof that this social gathering really did happen.

Here I am with Holly (left) and Kate (right) at the pool post hamburger time.

 In other news:

• I have a 2 1/2 day workweek this week, and I couldn't be more excited about it. We take off for our European adventure Wednesday afternoon. I'm super excited, but mostly just thinking about how much we still have to do before we leave. This trip-planning experience has been somewhat exhausting! I kind of miss the days when my mom planned every nuance of the trip, or better yet, you give BYU money and then they plan your whole study abroad and tell you where to be and when. That sure was nice.
•  Have I mentioned to anyone that I have been drinking CAFFEINE-FREE Diet Coke?? Well I am, and I'm still alive. The weening process has begun.
• I know we are late jumping on the bandwagon, but after hearing so much about it we are now obsessed with the show "Modern Family." This was our date on Friday. Holy shmoly people, I haven't laughed that hard in so long. I thought Russell was going to pass out he was laughing so hard. This was his favorite episode (for obvious reasons.. eh hmm.. the mustache), but they are all hilarious. 

...and last but not least...

• Found out last night that my dear Aunt Lisa Forsey, literally the sweetest woman on the planet and mother of four, has a tumor on her brain. She and her family are all in my prayers, and if you happen to remember, keep them in yours as well. 

Sorry to leave you on such an un-happy note, but that's what's on my mind. Not quite sure why things like that have to happen to such good people (like I said, nicest, most gentle and kind woman ever), but everything happens for a reason, and better yet, everything will work out in the end just like it should.

D + D's Wedding

Let me introduce the new Mrs. Danielle Doty:

I flew to Utah last weekend for the quickest get-away ever, but it was so worth it. I got to watch as one of my best friends in the whole world married David Doty, whom I had only met the morning of the wedding. But he is perfect for her. How do I know? I know by the way he looked at her. It was completely endearing, and I know he will take care of her forever. They got sealed in the Draper Temple and had a reception at the new Sleepy Ridge golf course in Orem. The whole day was beautiful, and she looked completely stunning.

One of my favorite parts of the day was being back in the Draper temple, the beautiful temple Russell and I were married in. This was my first time back since that amazing day in July. I arrived a little early and had some time to ponder. Russ and I are married for time AND all ETERNITY. Not just "till death do us part." How lucky are we??? I am so grateful for the temple and the blessings it provides. It was a great day for celebration and reflection.


Danielle had nine bridesmaids, and I was lucky enough to be one of them. Besides being reunited with my long lost friend Danielle, my favorite part of this whole event were these fantastic flower balls:


After the wedding I got to spend some time with Brittney! The night included a little gander at the cutest craft show ever (Brittney and her friend had a booth), dinner at Bajio's, and another random bonus with a Fictionist concert I didn't know was happening the very weekend I was in town. I have been really lucky with the timing of being in Utah and the Fictionist shows... it's like fate or something. It was probably one of the best shows I have seen in a lonnnnng time. They did some awesome covers, including Tom Petty's "Honey Bee," and the always epic "Helter Skelter" by the one and only Beatles.

Brittney, her rock star of a husband, and their child -- the Deusenberg guitar.

Should I quit my day job? Yeah, I agree. Probably not.

I also got to spend some time with the Lewis's and be with my mother-in-law on Mother's Day! We had a fun time. It was such a quick trip, but like all trips back home to Utah, was so great. Let's just hope that next time I can stay a little longer.

Mothers Day

On the way to church today, I passed a graveyard and couldn't help but notice the huge amount of people paying respects to their deceased mothers. This just made me think about how powerful an impact mothers everywhere have. Ever person on this planet is a product of how their mother raised them. From the way they wash dishes to the moral beliefs they hold. I have especially noticed this since I have gotten married. Camille notices little things that I do and we realize that they are because of my mother. I have seen the same in her, (diet coke anyone?). Both of our mothers are great influences in our lives and can be attributed for many of the great qualities we have. I believe that mothers everywhere have the ability to make the world a better place, and I am grateful for those who do so. Camille follows a blog of one particular mother who we feel has made this world a better place. See the video below.

The 'stache alternative

Let me pose a question here: why do all men have a fascination with dirty mustaches??

You know what I'm talking about.
Do the phrases "Mustache March" or "No Shave November" jog your memory?

The picture above is of Russ sporting one of his "epic 'staches" while on a dude trip in Memphis (and yes, it was in March... pre-Camille days of course). So as you can see, my dear husband just happens to be one of those men.

And I just happen to be one of those women who hate them with a passion. (I wrote a story once about the horrifying morning when I woke up to such a mustache. A shocking sight, I assure you.)

With thanks from my friend Melissa, I have found the perfect compromise. My friends, I present you with...

THE CARSTACHE

These are totally for real. And bonus! They are on sale from $49 to $39. It's not a big surprise that Russ was all for this idea for his sweet ride. We're thinking maybe the light blond? Or maybe just the classic black? Or perhaps you readers are still searching for the perfect mother's day gift. I may have just saved your day.

Sun & Our New Sundays

We got some sun this weekend! I have been feeling especially translucent, and I'm pretty sure sitting in a poorly-lit room with no windows for the majority of my day does not help the situation. Saturday was another hot day down here in Texas. I think from here through the rest of the summer it is going to be almost intolerable to be outside unless you are near water. Anyway, we spent some time at the pool. But here's the kicker of the whole story -- my Mexican husband is only HALF Mexican! He has always been rather proud of his skin color and the fact that it is immune from sunburns. This is not so, my friends. His brown skin is a rather deep shade of red. Poor Russell.

Here is Russ as we are wrapping up our time at the pool. You can't quite tell here, but Russ is feeling pretty fried. The beautifully red skin showed up a few hours later. I am no longer the only member of this family who turns red before they turn brown.

And now to the second part of this post's title. OUR NEW SUNDAYS. We got new callings in our church, and it appears as though we're heading back to the singles ward!! For those of you readers who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), the members of the church are all given "callings." A calling is an opportunity to serve and is a specific responsibility and duty in the church. Since the church has grown so much, it is organized into stakes and wards throughout the world to ensure the same doctrine and lessons are taught throughout the world in an organized fashion. And the SINGLES ward is just one aspect of the church where single adults in the area meet for church, to socialize and date those who are of the same faith.

Anyway, Russ is now the "ward financial clerk" of the San Antonio Stake, Palo Alto Singles Ward. I am the official ward pianist (surprise, surprise, right?) It's a pretty tiny ward, but definitely solid. Today was our first Sunday there, and it sounds like we will have some amazing experiences.

Some interesting facts you should know:

• As you can see, the building the ward meets in is in an area of town that primarily speaks Spanish. Ole!
• Russ and I left the singles ward only 9 1/2 months ago. We thought we were done forever. Jokes on us!
• A large majority of this ward is older than us.
• When I did my internship in San Francisco a few summers ago, I attended the Stanford's singles ward. This ward was ALSO called the "Palo Alto Ward." It's all come full circle.

That's all for now! 

We are excited about this new adventure, and will be sure to keep y'all posted!

PS. Made some cookies today. Not bad for being "healthy cookies."

Itching for Adventure.

I NEED TO GET OUT.

As you can see from the picture to the left, I will go to extreme measures to feel adventure. To feel that adrenaline rush. To do something other than sit in an office all day.

Adrenaline junky? Maybe.

Man, let me tell you. Growing up is tough! Don't get me wrong, I feel very blessed to have a stable job, to be able to help provide for our family. But sometimes I long for the freedom of... well... not having an 8-5 job with a whopping 10 days of vacation for the year. Does that sound crazy?

Luckily the countdown to our European adventure is getting mighty small.

20 days.

I wonder if I will regret using 7 of my 10 allotted days for this trip. Probably not.

All in a (Satur)day's Work

We have had quite the Saturday so far, and it's not even 7:00 pm yet. After a few months of doing some shopping around, researching, and going back and forth on what we want, we finally made a decision today. We are proud to announce that...

WE ARE NEW COUCH OWNERS!

Thanks to Lori at Bassett Furniture (and the 30% off sale going on this weekend), we purchased this couch in brown leather. Please ignore the goofy couple actually sitting on the couch in the middle of the showroom. We were pretty dang excited, as this is definitely the biggest purchase we have made since we got married, and we really feel like we got a good deal. Unfortunately, we won't be getting the actual couch for a few more months (brown does not come in stock), but we are excited to add this lovely addition to our family.

What do we do to celebrate? Lunch at Costco, of course.

Oh yeah, and then we went shooting! A few months ago we told you about our friends Brent and Holly. Well Brent loves hunting. They have been meaning to take us out shooting for a while, so we found a range today and gave it a "shot." Ha... get it?

 This is Russ's "Man shot." He was excited to use Brent's AR-15. Russ was like a kid in a candy shop with Brent's gun collection.

This is Holly. She's going to have another baby! Please take note of Brent showing little Avery the ropes in the background. So cute.

Whew. What an exhausting Saturday. I guess it's all in a day's work, right?

THE RUNDOWN.

WOW.

Wow wow wow.

Now this was one heck of a whirlwind weekend. It was non-stop from the moment I said peace out to my office until 1:30 am Sunday night when we finally arrived back to our apartment

But so good.

A special thanks to all those who helped make this birthday weekend one of the best yet! I really felt so loved and cared for, and that is all that matters. It would be hard to say that this was the best birthday, because last year this happened:

... but dang, it was still amazing. Pretty crazy to think of all that has happened in a year. Well here's a quick rundown of this epic weekend:

FRIDAY:
How can this day not be fabulous when you start it off with an amazing strawberry french toast breakfast made especially by Randal and Argelia? Well that's what happened. And I have fabulous in-laws. Later we met up with MY mom who flew down from Washington for the weekend (definitely not a coincidence). We had lunch, caught up on life, shopped, you know, everything you should do with your mom. Oh yeah, and we picked up our race packets!

I think I'm beginning to see why people say "like mother like daughter"

We finished the day off with an amazing dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Perfect fuel for the big race.

SATURDAY:

After sleeping approximately 2 hours Friday night (definitely NOT on purpose), us three girls suited up, tied our running shoes nice and tight, and headed to the starting line. Honestly, I had no clue how this race was going to go with fighting training injuries, limited time to train, an extreme change of altitude (trained at about 900 ft above sea level, raced at about 4,300), lack of sleep, etc. To my astonishment, I beat my previous 1/2 marathon time by 9 minutes! I also came in 2 minutes faster than my "goal time." So I was happy. My feet weren't so happy, but I was happy. 

I must also give a shout out to my amazing sister and mother. Brittney dominated yet another race and my mom proved how amazingly in shape she really is! I feel so lucky to be able to accomplish such a huge goal with my family. We have definitely bonded on a whole different level.

The three McLaws girls. 

I must also publicly thank Russell and Stuart for having a tray with three large Diet Cokes waiting for us at the finish line. 

You don't even know how much that meant.

We most definitely cannot forget to mention Russell's awesome accomplishment. 

HE BIKED A MARATHON!!! 

He had a blast in this race. I think I see road biking in our future....

I apologize for this picture. But Russell said people are drawn to disturbing things, so here you are. I really wasn't exaggerating when I say I get reeeeally bad blisters.

Ok moving on. The rest of my birthday consisted of a fabulous refueling lunch, watching a Fictionist concert on the grass under the sun, saying goodbye to my Mom, visiting friends, and more.

I feel spring coming on! Hallelujah.

Isn't she cute? I think so.

Natalie works at this dangerously delicious cookie shop in Salt Lake City called My Dough Girl. I'm still thinking about these cookies. And also about how cute Natalie is at all times.

So then Russ outdid himself once again and planned a surprise party for me at one of my favorite places to eat in Provo, Costa Vida. We then headed to Brittney's for an evening of fabulous treats and fun. It was so fun to see a bunch of our friends from Provo. We miss these people so much, and hate that we see them so little. But at the same time, I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends. What more could you want?

Emily and Erin. The fantastic trio of Enclave 303. Wow that was a fun apartment. And double wow... I miss them like crazy.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by. Perfect end to the perfect day.

SUNDAY:

Dinner with the Lewis's!!! Always a party. Argelia made yet another fantastic meal with fantastic carrot cake. 

 I was just a little excited about the Anthropologie gift card from the Lewis's, as you can see. And as always, little Lucy is such a great helper.

So then we left. All good things must come to an end. Such is life. After a loooooooooooong flight home, we finally show up to our little apartment at an obscene hour for how early we knew we had to wake up. Considering I was half asleep, you can imagine my confusion and utter surprise when I open the door to find this in our living room:

Let me explain. For the last month Russell has been helping his friend build a pie chest for Melissa, his wife, on Saturday afternoons while I would be taxing away. He also was working pretty late at work for it not being busy season. Or so I thought. He was really in Matt's garage building this -- an ingeniously designed desk where I can store my sewing machine, craft supplies, and more. That whole left side of the table collapses down to conserve space when not in use. He built this!!! For ME! Wow, I love him a lot. We are now just trying to decide what color to paint this perfect little craft desk of mine.

Lessons we have learned with this story? Russell is incredibly thoughtful and creative, and I am really gullible and easy to deceive. Apparently a whole slew of our family and friends were in on this secret, or at least knew about it. Thanks to all of you who helped Russell accomplish this little surprise and helped keep it a secret. 

It really was a perfect day.

The end.

10 Things that make me happy:

1. The glorious fact that tax season is O-V-E-R.
2. Fun surprises on my desk from fun friends
3. The idea of going out to lunch -- such excitement for such little things! And here's the best part: lunch at Chipotle. Oh how happy am I.
4. Leaving on a jet plane. Ok not really a jet, but a plane. Let's talk a minute about a seriously needed vacation from work, Texas, and the daily grind. It's needed. That's all.
5. Waking up to rain.
6. Letters from my little brother.
7. Um, birthday?
8. My "tax season survival" kit that was attempted to be left in my car from Russell. Although it didn't quite work out, meaning he did actually put it in my car, but had forgotten that he was driving my car that day to get the oil changed and I was driving his, so really he gave himself his survival kit. But the thought was still cute.
9. GLEE IS BACK! (And yes, despite the craziness of work this week, I still managed to watch it. Totally worth it.)
10. We get to see our families! (And friends!) In T minus 8 hours!

Let's make a play list.

Ok you guys, I just worked my last Saturday and am on the home stretch, for a lot of things. Busy season... vacation... race... etc. So now I need your help:

I am in the midst of building the ultimate race play list. Any awesome running/exercise songs I need to know about? What song(s) pumps you up???

Till The Sun Turns Black

Today was another stuck-in-traffic-on-the-way-to-work day. And I mean bad traffic. But then this song came on and I was reminded of when my sweet husband brought this album home from me (Till the Sun Turns Black by Ray LaMontagne). It was winter. It had been a bad stretch of days (you know what I mean -- we all have them). I was making dinner and he walked in with a huge grin on his face. Apparently Russell loves giving small, thoughtful gifts as much as he loves receiving them. It was exactly what I needed. After dinner I put the CD in and listened to the whole thing. This song came on and I just laid on the floor totally entranced. I really don't know if I can explain how much I love this song. It's that beautiful.

This morning I was also thinking about how I have ONE MORE WEEK until the craziness of busy season is over. Oh how I can't wait. I'm tired, and quite burnt out. It turns out not having a day off since New Years Day is not good for one's soul.

In exactly one week's time I will be on a plane with my husband, headed to see family and friends. Oh yeah, and to run a half marathon with these two wonderful women:

Yeah, about that race. We'll see how that goes.

And also, it's spring here in Texas. Wildflowers are a bloomin'. They really are beautiful, and this short season has redeemed some of the scenic value for Texas. Although I've heard it doesn't last long. Soon it will be dreadfully hot and the flowers will die. Such is life.

And on that cheerful note, my lunch break is over and tax returns are calling. Thanks for tuning in as I assure you faithful readers that I really still am alive.


{For you music fans who just haven't gotten enough, I've also been slightly obsessed with THIS SONG by Muse. For real.}

Happy Easters!

This is my Easter basket for Russell. I love how genuinely happy he gets from such simple things -- like Easter baskets with goldfish, yellow peeps, candy, and a homemade card.

(By the way, Natalie, do you like the bunny??)

Other Easter day activities consist of:

Sleeping in.

Homemade waffles.

Watching conference. SO great.

Texting parties with family who live way too far away.

Russell spending time with his tomatoes. (See previous post)

Planned activities, yet to come to pass:

Easter walk with husband.

Chicken cordon bleu. (I don't love baked ham, so this is how I will integrate a traditional Easter dinner ingredient)

Probably playing Ticket To Ride. Oh how we love that game.

We hope your Easter has been just as great as you spend time with family and friends and
remember the real reason for today.

The Great Experiment

A couple of weeks ago I was doing the grocery shopping at HEB (yes Russell grocery shops) and I spied some tomato plants sitting out front. I thought how nice it would be to have some of those babies pumping out tomatos for me. So I bought a couple with the idea of planting them in some pots on our balcony. I called my sister about the idea and she told me to get a topsy turvy. I had no idea what this was, so I googled it and found this.

If your reaction was the same as mine, you felt that no greater thing could have been invented and you had to get one right away. I first thought of staying up real late one night and waiting for the infomercial to come on to order it because you know there is always 'more' if you order one now. I couldn't wait that long though, so luckily the Walgreens on the corner had one available for $9.99. So I got some potting soil, a topsy turvy, and a pot and have officially begun my great experiment.

Exhibit A:

This is an Early Girl, and she already has blossoms.

Exhibit B:

This is a Celebrity with a tomato cage around it to help it grow up.

They get about 5-6 hours of sun and are potted in Miracle gro potting soil. I will keep you posted on how they do. Submit your vote on who you think is going to win by commenting below. :) As for me, I'm pulling for the Topsy.

Feliz Cumpleanos Suegra!!

I wanted to take a moment and say  FELIZ CUMPLEANOS to my favorite Mother-In-Law, Argelia. Not only am I so blessed to have Russell as my husband, but I am even more blessed to have married into such a wonderful, kind, generous, and amazing family. 

Thank you, Argelia, for welcoming me with open arms into your family, and for being the mother and friend you are to all of your beautiful children, and to me, a new member of the Lewis clan. I look up to you and everything you have accomplished in your life. I have loved the time we have spent together thus far, and look forward to an eternity more of memories. Happy Birthday! I love you!

This is Argelia with three of her four children (and me). Isn't she beautiful?

I hate spring break

So if you are feeling as though your Monday has been less than optimal, here's a story:

As mentioned in the previous post, Russell and my Harry Potter lunchbox were supposed to return home to me last night. Ah ha! Not so fast. Once he boarded the plane in Salt Lake, they tell the passengers that the toilet is broken and they cannot take off. Russ is starting to worry he will miss his connection in Denver. He politely asks the stuartist if she thinks he will make it, otherwise he will stay in SLC with his family rather than a lonely airport hotel room. She assures him he will be fine. Well over an HOUR LATER, they take off, and once landing in Denver, the SAME stuartist tells all San Antonio passengers to go to the customer service desk. They have missed their connection. Are you serious lady? What happened to your calm assurance from earlier?

After much discussion with the oh-so-friendly airline staff last night and today, Russ learns that the soonest they can get him on a flight to San Antonio is Wednesday. Why, you ask? Oh, because it's SPRING BREAK. Everything -- on every airline -- is booked out, or should I say over booked. Why has it become Russell's problem that every airline over books their flight? It's not like he doesn't have a job to attend, a wife to come home to, and last but not least, jury duty to attend this week. Does someone get arrested if they don't show up to jury duty? No, I'm not going to go there.

Well in fear of rambling, I will just cut to the chase by telling you that he has been sitting in the airport all day, getting denied as a stand-on passenger time and time again. I just heard word that he got on to a flight to Austin (not the destination he paid for), and will have to rent a car and drive to his intended city.

Point of the story?
1. Buy direct flights in/out of San Antonio (this is our second time learning this lesson...)
2. Spring Break is not fun for those who don't actually get to be on a break.
3. All airlines, in some way or another, are corrupt.
4. This whole ordeal is because of a broken toilet.

The end.

Because it's still the weekend...

I will post this picture. Cracks me up.

If you can't tell from the far right hand side of the picture, those are Utah mountains. Russell left poor ol' me here in Texas to prepare taxes as he went on a "business trip" to Utah. It was just so convenient that his whole family lives there! He had fun planning this weekend, as it was a surprise to most of his family besides Marcella.

Now you may be wondering why he is so animatedly showing off a Harry Potter lunch box that I know you are all envying. Well back off, it's mine. My friends from an internship I did a few years ago  gave this to me as a goodbye gift (shout out to Randi!), and it accidentally got left behind in our move, along with a bin full of other things from my old apartment. I leave for the airport in a few hours, and all I can say is I'm so glad to be getting my husband ... and Harry Potter lunch box... back to where they belong.

SXSW

People. Music. Lights. Food. Hipsters. Energy.

All things that define South by Southwest.

5 points for finding Stuart

I drove up to Austin last night after work to hang out with Brittney and the band at SXSW. Dinner at Annie's restuarant, walking around in the cool evening, and people watching like it's nobody's business. I don't think I've ever seen so many hipsters in one location. Next time I go to SXSW I'll be sure to wear my gold spandex pants.

All kidding aside, it was pretty dang awesome. This is such a huge production -- bands come from all over the world in hopes of being discovered and meeting the "right" person at the right time. The city closes the roads to cars and opens every club, restaurant, and store. Music literally comes from every doorway in Austin.

There was also the obvious perk of hanging out with my sister one last night before she went back to Utah. It's like we miss each other or something.

On Winning Things

I won something today! In the midst of preparing millions of state returns for some ginormous law firm, I got a call from "Thai Chili" telling me that I won a free lunch! Last week when Russ and I tried out this restaurant (which was amazing, by the way), we thought it'd be fun to throw our business cards into those business card raffles. First of all, kind of cool that I have a business card to give away, and second of all, why not? Who doesn't love getting something for nothing? Winning is such a fulfilling feeling.

I'm honestly just relieved to know my good luck has not completely worn off. For a few years I won all sorts of drawings, but I have had a slight 3 or 4 year drought. One of the most exciting nights of my life was my High School all-nighter. Yes, I said it. At this little shin-dig I won the following:

• $150 cash
• Gym membership, combined with a basket full of exercise goodies (weights, exercise ball, yoga mat -- which I still use)
• Blanket -- which still keeps me warm
• Lamp -- which still gives light
• Car 

Yes, I won a car. It was a '78 Ford Tempo in the most horrid color of maroon, but I still won a car. I ended up selling it to a friend for $1,000. So really, I won $1,150. 


In other news, I saw the most beautiful sunrise on the way to work today. You know the kind where the sun looks absolutely huge and everything is an incredible mixture of oranges, reds, and yellows? Yeah, it kind of took my breath away. Also, I got to read a letter from my brother who is IN the land of the rising sun, so that is cool, too.


I also must say Happy St. Patty's day my friends. Did you know Leprechauns are REAL? I need to pull out my flute to help homeboy find the gold. Confused yet? Take a look:

Sister sister

Sister time. There really is nothing else like it.

I love having my sister here in Texas. Brittney flew into Austin yesterday for business (she's attending South by Southwest for all you tech/art/music junkies out there). Because he has sisters of his own, Russ is well aware that there really is nothing like sister time, so he kept himself busy at home while I drove up to Austin to stay at her hotel with her for the night. It's not too hard to guess what we did...

Shop (San Marcos Outlets -- huge success)

Eat (umm... discovered Wendy's twisted vanilla frosties. We chose to twist it with cookie dough.
WARNING: may be too good to resist)

Talk (We used to live five minutes apart. Three states is rough.)

One thing that I love about sisters is how we have each others backs. Like how I wanted some new shoes, so when I found some I liked and was about to check out, Brittney tells me she'll be in the shoe store next door. Right as I hand my card to the (already grumpy) cashier the doors fly open and with big eyes Brittney shouts "DON'T BUY THE SHOES!!!" I ask why, and she hesitates, but says "they're $10 cheaper next door!" Well, duh. That's a no brainer. I look at the cashier and sheepishly ask "can I have my card back?" She puts on an even grumpier face, hands me the card, and when I apologize she simply says "whatever. Just go." Hey you know what lady? You would do the same thing. $10 is like, 3 more twisted vanilla frosties. Thank goodness I have my sister.

Sunday ramblings.

There is something soothing about the cloudy sky outside of our window as we lazily lay around on this Sunday morning. I love Sundays.

I worked my first Saturday during tax season yesterday. I liked it only because I got to wear jeans and converse to the office.

So happy because after a week of resting and icing, I was able to run 9 miles again yesterday. Hooray for bodies healing themselves. Even happier because Russ ran them with me.

To accompany the cloudy sky outside, I am going to make THIS SOUP since my awesome sister-in-law recommended it so highly.

I think we found one of Russ's new favorite restaurants -- Ruby Tuesday. It's amazing how something so simple as a cherry coke and "triple prime cheddar burger" makes a man so happy.

I can no longer stay awake during movies. I only made it half-way through Sherlock Holmes last night. Wimp.

I miss my family, but am so happy that my sister is coming in a few weeks.

Sea World has opened again. Must visit ASAP.

Sometimes I wish I could see what I would be like if I was a cartoon. My brother-in-law, Stuart, just got made into a cartoon. It's totally awesome, and I'm slightly jealous. See for yourself:

...Take It Back to the Start...

I've never really been into this show in the past, but I am this time. I keep hearing a lot of my favorite songs... which might be part of the reason I am locked in. Last night Ms. Katelyn Epperly totally won my vote when she sang "The Scientist" by Coldplay, a song with so many memories for me. Her voice rocks. She almost brought me to tears, which would have been embarrassing, since I was definitely watching it in the gym. Go Camille.

Anyway, take a look at this girl and her white piano.

(Click HERE to watch Mr. Chris Martin sing it himself. Totally captivating.)

Limited

As some of you know, I have been training for my second half-marathon that's quickly approaching (about 6 weeks away). It will be my post tax-season "celebration" and "happy birthday me" event, as I run the Salt Lake City race on April 17th. I wanted to push myself to stay in shape during this busy season, when it is oh-so-easy to put such activities aside.

I wanted to set a goal and reach it.

Then why, why, WHY am I limited?

Training this time around was going awesome. I felt stronger and faster than before. However, lately I have been having some extreme pain in my leg -- I think it's an injury that stems from my knee (no surprise), and is affecting my hip flexor. I had to quit my long run on Saturday at 2 miles, when I was supposed to have run 9. aaaaargh.

There really is no point to this post, besides letting off some steam. I know I have some awesome friends out there who are amazing runners, so if you have any advice or experience with these kind of injuries, I'd love your help. Until then I will continue to send healing vibes to my hip flexor. Your vibes would be great, too.