Vaya con Dios, my Austin…….

My Dearest Austin,

I find myself choking on sadness as I pen my farewell to you.   You have been the bestest of cities and have served our family well during our short 6 1/2 years of residency.  We came to you a small family of 3 with a curious blue-eyed baby girl ready to take in all the wonders of this town, and we leave a family of 4 with a new little blue-eyed wonderer ready to take on a new adventure.

Our hearts are heavy but full of gratitude for all the awesome sights, sounds, tastes and even smells (ever been on 6th street on  a Saturday night?) you have given us.  In no particular order, we thank you for:

* Giving us Chuy’s…particularly their jalapeno ranch dip…..thankfully, our new hometown just opened a Chuy’s.  HOLLA!

* Zilker Park (we rode the train at least 50 times over the years)

*Town Lake-our adventures in kayaking/boating/swimming/running/bat watching/paddle-boarding left us with joyous memories

*Limitless races to run-5K, 10K, Half marathons and full, Austin has them all on any given weekend.

*Amaya’s-although I will argue to my death that breakfast “tacos” are indeed breakfast burritos, I will miss your yummy breakfast goodness.  No matter what thy name may be.

*LiveMom Weekenders Guide-(Not to mention the LiveMom gals)  I just loved glancing over the guide each week to see what fun adventures my family could go out and experience.  Thanks LiveMom for making it so easy.   How’s about a satellite website???  LiveMom OKC??????

*Proximity to San Antonio and all its wonders.   I feel like I raised those orcas at Sea World.  I know I at least paid for their food for 5 years.

*Our church.   Celebration became a home away from home.   We will miss all the kids we taught and the great folks who taught us.   God is good!

*All our fun splash pads, and water holes, and pools and parks.   We explored that place every week and STILL never hit them all.

****ABOVE ALL, WE WILL MISS OUR PEEPS!!!****

You gave us some of the most wonderful memories with the most awesomest people EVER, Austin!   We leave this place knowing our home will be elsewhere, but a huge piece of our heart remains with you!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!!

*********i  love  you so much****

 

We will be back to visit!!  That is a promise!  

 

 

              

  

 

Lessons Learned In My First Week as an Okie

9 minutes.   I timed it yesterday.  9 minutes. 

That is my morning commute time to Kaelan’s school.  3 four-way stop signs, about a 40 cows,  numerous “roller coaster” hills, and BOOM!  We are there.

To say I love this new traffic free commute is an understatement.   Our old drive to Kaelan’s school in Austin wasn’t much further in mileage, but oh, the drama of traffic and detours we often faced really stunk. 

You know Austin and her traffic issues.

I have learned traffic in Edmond, OK consists of two cars staring each other down at a  four-way stop, each determined to be the most polite and let the other go
first. Or a BIG “jam” consists of  4 cars behind a tractor waiting to pass.  

Thus, giving me….

Lesson 1: Edmond does not have a traffic  issue…and this makes me happy.

To say that there is a rivalry between UT and OU really does not do justice to the true depths of hate that are rooted between these two.   Really, I think OU folks have a distaste for any school with Texas in the name. 

There is actually a portion of Kaelan’s student handbook that states, “no students are allowed to wear apparel of other colleges unless it is of University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, or other colleges within the state”. 

Check this out. 

Lesson 2:   Don’t take your 1 year old baby to the local Target in a UT shirt and think you will go unaccosted.

Seriously, even babies aren’t exempt.

I love meeting new folks (and we have met some great ones already) and listening to their advice on living in Okie Country.   Most conversations go something like this one I had with the sweetest farmer from down the road.   We met at the corner gas station where he pulled in with his awesome little farmer overalls on his John Deere.  His name is Harold.

Harold:  Well, you aren’t a local (eyeing my license plate).

Me:  No, sir.  Just moved here from Austin.

Harold:   Austin, huh?   Smart move.

Me:   I hope so.   You don’t look like you are just traveling through (eyeing his tractor).  You must be a local.

Harold:   Yes, Ma-Umm.   Born and raised here.  

Now, here is the part we keep hearing…..

Harold:     You gotta shelter?

Me:   A storm shelter?   Yes, we do.

Harold:   (Smiling and whistling through his teeth).   Whoo-eee.   That’s good.  Come spring you’ll be glad for it.   Keep you from blowing back to Austin.   Good luck!

And with that, Harold climbed back on his machine and left.

Lesson 3:   Make sure that storm shelter is ready come Spring.

 

I am learning more each day.   I really love the area we live in.  I feel all Pioneer Womanish…..only I live a little closer to a Target and Kohl’s then she does.  

Oklahoma is growing on me in ways I didn’t know it could. 

Check back in with me in the Spring to see if that love affair is still going………

 

We sing this at least 13 times a day.

 

 

Fun on the 4th

We started our 4th of July off with a little Patriotic parade in downtown Round Rock.   Seth was rocking his baby hawk and was ready for some fire trucks.

We met our favorite family, The Boyds on Main St. at a sweet spot they had scouted out and saved for us.  They greeted us with a box of fresh Round Rock doughnuts.  Did I mention they were our favorites?

Lorri and Sweet Mr. Patton

                   

After dealing with a bunch of crazies at the egg drop in April, I have become well aware that sometimes people lose their minds when they attend large events with big attendance.   The crowd at the parade did not disappoint….they simply lost their minds and begin moving their chairs up past the barrier lines as the parade started.   Despite the fact that the cops came several times to try and regain crowd control and move them back, after a while the barrier was pretty much down and folks were right out in front of the parade floats.  Several times, the parade actually had to stop to avoid hitting the crazies.   So…..those sweet seats we had at the beginning of the parade were pretty much back of the class by mid-parade.   Seth took to the penthouse view (aka dad’s shoulders), while Kaelan and Darian forgot about the parade and fought the crowd for thrown candy.     The good news was that the back row scored the most candy…..or is that really good news?

I must have carried two pounds of jolly ranchers back to the car.

We ended up heading back to the car early to get out of the heat and to get a better view of the fire trucks.   We saw the trucks.  We got candy.  Lots of candy.   The kids thought it was awesome. 

I guess that is all that matters.

You guys, I am seriously having a problem with these kids.  They just keep growing up.   It is killing me….

Remember this?

Look at them now.

       

Totally random, but my boy has an issue with kissing strange items lately.   Telephone poles, lamps, luggage….sometimes the urge just overwhelms him and he just has to stop and kiss it.  

The tree was calling……

We had a great time with the folks from our ‘hood having potluck food, family water fight (yes, I got soaked AGAIN) and sparklers.   We tore away for a bit to drive up by the lake to watch the Pfluger Lake firework show from the back of dad’s truck.   Seth was in awe, and even my big 6 year old lady who is SOOOO over that stuff sat wide-eyed and smiling throughout the show.  

Ever watch the reflection of fireworks in your kiddo’s eyes? 

Hands down, the highlight of the whole day for me.

McBrayer’s Final Luau (in Austin)

 

It was the time of year for our annual luau, but our family had a little secret that burdened us.

We knew that things were solidified.  We knew we were moving.  We knew this would be our last luau with many of our dear friends here in Austin, but should we tell them now or wait until later?

A few of our close friends knew that the move was coming, but the majority of those attending had no idea of all the big changes ahead in our lives.    We pretty much figured that once Kaelan knew, the world would know, but surprisingly, she held tight to her secret and like us, wanted to wait for the right time to let everyone know. 

She decided that “right time” was at our luau.   I didn’t want to put a damper on the evening, but it did seem like the most opportune time considering we could get the word out to all with one big announcement.

So, if you missed the luau and you are scratching your head as you read this post, and didn’t catch it a couple of paragraphs, let me clarify…..

We are moving!

We didn’t want to make a big deal, we just had McBrayer’s Final Luau printed on the cake, and after we all enjoyed our delicious meal prepared by none other that the fabulous Chef Douglass, Doug made a brief announcement and set the cupcakes and cake out. 

Many folks came up to us with arms open and “WHAT??????” coming from their lips.  

Some missed the announcement and just came up with questioning faces wanting to know what the heck the words on the cake meant.  

Some shed tears.  I shed tears.  

Mostly though, we just got to spend one last wonderful evening with the tremendously great folks that have brought us to love Austin so. 

Per usual, I set the camera down and spent too much time running around hugging necks and yapping.   A friend did get a few shots for us…capturing some great memories.

Is this our FINAL luau?  

NO.

We have already made plans for the fun to continue when some of our friends come to our new home in a new state to celebrate with us.

Where is this new home??

Well, that is for a future post.

I will tell you that (sadly), it won’t be a customary luau.   Our new home state is not Hawaii. 

Shucks.

Still cool?

 

Remote control…just in case?-check

Squeaker shoes?-check

Awesome hat bent way out of sorts?-check

Still coolest kid on the block?-check

Kiddie Tri in the ‘Hood 2012

Our ‘Hood just never disappoints when it comes to getting together for fun family oriented activities.  This year marked the 3rd year we participated in the Kiddie Tri our dear friends help organize and put on here in the neighborhood.   The kids just have the best time, and it is always a blast to watch them try their hardest to make it to the end.

Most of the crew getting ready at the starting point for the running portion of the race.

This year Ana designed the logo for the t-shirts.  Super cute!

Kaelan and Darian plotting something.

So, here is how it went down.  The week before the tri, Kaelan attended Camp Agape.  She spent her days there doing every physical activity known to man, and then came home and played, had horse-back riding lessons, swam some more, played, played, played…..By Wednesday, she started complaining about a pain in her abdomen.     She had no real symptoms of anything, so when she told me it had gone away and she felt fine, I let her go to camp on Thursday with a promise that she would take it easy.   Right…………

Well, guess what?   She didn’t, and when I picked her up from camp on Thursday, I saw her clutching her side as she headed into closing ceremonies for he day.   Long story short, we were in urgent care that night and the doctor was certain it was her appendix.    Not wanting to end  up in the situation we were in the day before Seth’s birth…..oh, the memories make me feel exhausted…….the doctor put her on overnight watch.   Any fever, nausea, changes in behavior, we were to bring her to the hospital immediately.   Otherwise, they would see her the next day for more tests and possible surgery.

She was fine that night.  Fine the next day, so she said, but I could see her favoring her side more and more.   Once I conveyed to her that there was no way she was going to camp no matter how hard she worked to convince me, she let the truth out that she was in real pain. 

I rushed  her to our pediatrician’s office prepared to be sent straight to the hospital.   However, good ol’ Dr. C gave us some good news.   Her appendix were swollen (as were most of her organs) because she was severally dehydrated.   Luckily, Dr. C remembered that most of those same symptoms were there last time (the day before Seth was born….did I mention that before?  I just want to make sure you know how awful and stressful having one kid in the hospital while the other is pushing their way out of your uterus can be).   Cut to later, after we pumped the gal up with fluids,  all was better.  

Word to the wise:   Kids do not stop and drink like they are supposed to.   I recommend an iv line during the  summer months.   They can just stay active and get their fluids all at once.   Okay, I am joking.   But seriously, I learned just sending the drinks and having camp counselors make the kids take mandatory drink breaks wasn’t enough.

So, back to the kid tri.   That is the title of this post.

I really felt it best for Kaelan to sit it out this year, but she begged and I caved.   The only condition was she had to be completely honest about her side pain.  If it came back, or she felt ill, we would stop.   I threatened her a bit and reminded her to be completely HONEST……you know, the whole “Jesus is listening” kind of honest.

About half way through the running portion of the race, Kaelan stumbled a bit and grabbed her side.   “Kaelan??????” I called to her with eyebrows raised.   “Are you in pain?  Remember be HONEST!!!”.   Before I could pull the Jesus card, she stopped dead in her tracks and told me she was done.  

She finished the running portion on my back, and we skipped out on the biking part.  We headed straight for the pool and drank some water and Gatorade while we cheered our friends coming into the pool for the final portion of the race, a lap around the pool.    It was just as fun as participating, if not more.

Kaelan felt better and was able to join her buddies in swimming.  Some of the kids thought she was THAT fast and made it to the pool so far ahead of them because she was a stud.  Really, she was a stud for making the right choice and being a good sport about sitting this one out. 

Plus, she got to swim AND got a chocolate medal and that beats being hooked up to iv or getting your guts ripped out by a surgeon any day.

Kiddie Tri 2012= Success!

 

The End of May

Yes, these are random pictures depicting the end of May.   Just a few snapshots from a busy couple of weeks.   Kaelan ran a few races around this time.  She did a super good job at the Deutschen Pfest.   Darian tagged along to do  the Kid K.   Kaelan promised him a medal if he would do it with her.   They both got trophies which was just as pleasing!   I trained with a  few gals for this race, so I stayed with them and then turned back at the finish line to go back and run to the end with the last few.   They did such an awesome job.   I just love seeing people get turned on to running.

 

Lots of field trips and events during May as well.  

Of course, the big celebration took place near the end of the May.   Kaelan graduated from the BIG K.   Private school ceremonies are a little different from public.   It was a bit more formal.  Kaelan received several awards that day.  She made us especially proud when she was awarded the Honorary Rachel’s Challenge for Outstanding Compassion and Care for Others Award.   Basically, the school signed on to do Rachel’s Challenge this year, and Kaelan was the only recipient for the award out of all students at BCS.   Really huge!   All the academic accolades she received made us beam, but this type of recognition is what parents pray for when they hope to heavens they aren’t screwing up on parenting.  

There were some sad goodbyes in May.   Kaelan had to say goodbye to friends and teachers not just for summer this year.   More on that later.  Seth had to hug his favorite buddy, Kylie for the last time.  Kylie and Seth are in the “younger siblings club” at BCS.  Basically, their club would meet every morning at drop off and every afternoon at pick up.   He is going to miss that gal.

One of my dear friends from high school lives here in Austin, so we do our best to get together from time to time.  We spent some time with their family and Kaelan did some catching up with her old pal, Daniel.  Man, time flies. 

And that was a quick recap of the last few weeks of May for you folks. 

I had the pictures and I had to do something with them.