Austin Tour Continues

Day 3 of our Austin\Kyle trip started with breakfast at the B&B. It was a nice, cool morning....perfect for eating on their beautiful porch.

The bride and groom even made a surprise appearance!

After breakfast, we packed up, helped the happy couple load a few other things in their car and were just about ready to head to our next location when Mike spotted bluebonnets! One of my favorite things about Texas in spring is the bluebonnets that grow wild and dot the landscape. It's an honored tradition to plop your kid down in them for some pics. Unfortunately, it's not the best year for bluebonnets and the ones on the property were pretty tiny. But, with no spare time, we took advantage of the opportunity anyway.

After watching Dylan stop and scratch his legs a few times, I scooped him up and ran him inside to wipe them down and check him out. He picked up a couple of bug bites but he seemed to not notice them again after that point.

We said goodbye to Amy and Brad (tear) as well as my parents. For my parents, it wasn't too sad of a departure, because they arrived in Boston on Wednesday. As you read this, Mike and I are actually in Amsterdam while Mimaw and Pipaw are (hopefully) have a happy and fun time looking after Dylan! But, back to Texas....

Next stop was at the Barnett\Malone house in Austin. I babysat Mary and Pete's kids, now grown, while I was in college. The family is very special to me so it was absolutely a must to spend some time with them while I was in town. Dylan fell asleep on the way over and, yet again, Mike stayed with him in the car (what a great guy!) while I spent some time chatting with Mary and Pete. Once Dylan was up, he joined us in the backyard for some play time.

Pete and Dylan

Me and Mary

We were only able to spend a couple of hours there before heading to our last stop of the day, my good friend Rachel's house. She was the happy hostess and had a cookout in our honor. Along with her husband, Ryan and two cute pups, Lucy and Bandit, our friend Maura joined us with her two cute kids, Jake and Katie. Of course, we didn't even think about busting out the camera until everyone was gone and we were heading to bed. So, the only shots we have of that stop are of Mike and Dylan playing with the pups the next morning.

Mike, Lucy and Dylan

Monday was our final day in Austin and it would be our least busy....a very welcome relief after the craziness of the previous days. After getting the pack 'n play back to Shaunna (that Dylan had used as a bed some throughout our trip), we decided to do something special just for Dylan and go to the Austin Children's Museum. With our Boston Children's Museum membership, we get into other venues around the country free or with a discount. Austin's museum was one of them. It just so happened that Monday mornings in the museum are reserved for tots under 3 so it worked out perfectly. We spent about an hour there playing with shaving cream, checking out all the fun tracks and spirals with golf balls and watching the choo-choo train circle around the suspended track.

At noon we left and Dylan, as expected, fell asleep in the car at his usual nap time. With some time to kill before we needed to head to the airport, we went down to the UT Co-op right by the campus. While Mike stayed with Dylan in the car (again), I did a little shopping and quickly checked out some of the changes on the street where I spent a lot of time during my college days. Man, there was a serious sense of nostalgia overtaking me while I was there. My time at UT and living in Austin were some fabulous years in my life and I miss that city a lot some times. Mostly when it's less than 90 degrees there, so about 6 months of the year. I love my home in Boston, but Austin will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Since we had some rushing around\stress getting to the airport for our trip, we thought we'd head to the airport super early so we wouldn't be rushed. Thank goodness we did! It left some time for 2 of my favorite things in Austin, one more Shiner Bock beer (for Mike and I) and a scoop of the heaven that is Amy's ice cream for Dylan and I. YUMMY!

Ice Cream Face

The trip was fast and furious and wonderful. We got home very late Monday night, unpacked and started getting ready for the next trip that we left on yesterday. And just to throw a little more excitement to the week, Mike got sick in the middle of the day on Tuesday so I had to rush home around 2 to take over with Dylan and run some of the errands that had to get done that day. Thankfully, he was feeling much better by the evening and the rest of us were spared the cooties. Whew! 

I Now Pronounce You....

Amy and Brad were about to get married. The family had walked down the isle, as had the matron of honor, then the cute flower girls walked down and spread their petals (most of them at the beginning of the pathway). 

Then it was time for Dylan's big moment.....time for the ring bearer to carry the (faux) rings down the isle right before the bride walked down. During the rehearsal and just before we went down, he had been told to follow the girls and he was itchin' to do so. I was literally holding him back until the wedding coordinator gave us our cue. Now, Mike and my plan to get him down to the end of the aisle was to give the ring bearer box to Dylan and instruct him to take it to Daddy who was to be squatting at the front of the aisle. It started out great. With a stop to check out the petals and a slight detour to check out the bushes to the side of the path, Dylan happily ran down the aisle towards his Daddy.

There was one slight problem. Mike didn't get out in time to catch a seat at the front and sat in the 3rd row back. So, while Dylan did his job perfectly as told, he didn't quite make it up to the front. So, I picked him up and helped him walk the short rest of the way down.

After the beautiful bride made her entrance and we were all instructed to sit, I sent Dylan to sit with his Mimaw and Pipaw and I found a place nearby. Dylan very quietly sat in his Mimaw's lap and took in the ceremony (which was very lovely) along with everyone else.

There were some great readings, great songs and a great message from the minister. Other than a veil that did not want to stay behind the bride or out of her face, it was just perfect!

You May Kiss the Bride

Mr. and Mrs. Becker

Dylan was pretty much not into being in the pictures so I'm afraid Amy's going to be looking at some poutty faced Dylan shots for the rest of her life. Good thing he's still cute when he's crying! While we were waiting for the "formal" pictures, we snagged these shots:

Pouty Face - Taken With the Pro Photographer

After all the pictures were done, Dylan (and Mike and I) had our big introduction and entrance to the pavilion where the reception was held.

And we had some great dinner at a table with my parents and some good friends.

Bride and Groom, Me and Dylan
Shaunna and Kitt

I had been a bit nervous about how Dylan would do at his job but I was even more nervous about what I would have to do later - toast the bride and groom. I don't exactly love public speaking. I rarely have to do it but when I do, I get hot and flustered, my heart races and I get amnesia when my mouth opens. I had some thoughts on what I wanted to say to the happy couple but definitely didn't want it to be too scripted. So, my strategy was to not think about it too much so I wouldn't get too nervous and then give the toast of the century.

And I must say, the strategy worked fairly well. While I wasn't as eloquent as I would have liked to have been and didn't quite say everything I wanted to, I think I managed to accomplish some of what I wanted to - be light hearted, funny, give some astute observations on life and personalities, tell the couple how happy I am for them and let them know I'm honored to have them in my life. At least I think so. Promptly after putting the microphone down, I forgot most of what I said. I'll have to have Amy show me the wedding video at some point for a dose of reality.

Soon after my toast, Mike told me to look at the "kid" table at the wedding. There was Pipaw entertaining Sean and Dylan. They looked really cute!

Bubbles! Sean, Pipaw and Dylan

Dylan Attempting to Blow Some Bubbles

While Pipaw (and Mimaw) played with Dylan, Mike and I got to watch the first dance, have some cake (while Mimaw and Pipaw shared theirs with Dylan) and play in the super cool photo booth.

First Dance

Cake with Grandparents

Silly Couple\Bride Intruder!

Then we grabbed a super tired Dylan and tried to get some silly family shots.

I think we accomplished silly.

 Then it was time for the ladies to take over the booth:

Shaunna, Kitt, Amy and Me

And then it was time for dancing and more merriment.

Sage and Sean Cutting a Rug

The Girls

Even though Dylan could hardly stand upright, he was still wiggling about. Mike and I scooped him up and took him to our room to go to sleep. Mimaw and Pipaw

Mike and I chatted with the remaining family for a while before we called it a night too. It had been a VERY long and VERY fun filled day. We were pooped!

Unfortunately for us, our traveling boy doesn't ever sleep well so not only were we pulling him into our tiny antique bed in the middle of the night but we were pointing fans and sleeping uncomfortably hot that night. Not sleeping was pretty much the theme of the weekend (and if you had seen me on Tuesday after 5 days of not getting enough sleep and packing in too much activity, the dark circles were obvious evidence of that). But, not sleeping is a small price of all the great stuff we got to do in Texas.

Wedding Day - Before the Ceremony

Saturday was the Amy and Brad's wedding day. It was a very busy day! Mike and I wanted to start the morning off with a work out, so Dylan went to play with Mimaw and Pipaw next door, then go down to the lobby for breakfast, while we hit the hotel gym. When we were done, we joined them at the breakfast table for a quick bite before heading up to the room, getting ready and packed to go. I really hurried through all of this as I was being picked up by the bride for us to get a pedicure (since our attempt on Friday was botched).

Amy and I were only a few minutes late to our 9:30 appointment. Once there, we quickly settled into our relaxation time. The massage chairs were on and we chatting and laughing away. However, the massage chairs soon proved to be, um, a bit stranger than she and I had ever experienced. There's really no other way to describe it other that we were being poked, almost in a violating way, in the butt! Thank goodness there was an option on our massage control to keep the poking and rubbing on our backs. I can't speak for Amy, but I had a great time, got a great pedicure and felt very lucky to have such great one on one time with the bride on her wedding day.

Mike and my parents picked me up at 10:30 and we raced off to our next destination - my cousin's house. Last week, my first cousin, Allen, reminded me that his daughter, Lauren, lives in Kyle (the town where the wedding was being held). We didn't have much time to go by but definitely thought it very important to squeeze in some family time while we were in the neighborhood. She and I hadn't seen each other since before her son was born and he's 9 years old! Obviously, it had been too long and we needed to remedy that.  Dylan had fallen asleep in the car so my parents and I headed in, I met her lovely family and we chatted for a while. I did go out and wake up Dylan for a while so that she could meet him and Mike. The whole visit was less than an hour and a half, but I'm so glad to see them.

Jeff with Brook, Matthew, Lauren and Me

Dylan and Brook

Next stop was lunch with the bride's family at the Salt Lick. The Salt Lick is THE place to go for BBQ in the Austin area and I somehow had never been. Due to a slight communication issue, plus the fact that we were 20 minutes late, we didn't actually get to be seated with Amy and her family. While we were waiting for our table, we went over and said hello to them then waited outside by the fish pond. Dylan enjoyed throwing some small pebbles in and the adults checked out the menu.

Once we were seated, we ordered and that food came out quicker than I think I've ever gotten a meal at a sit down restaurant. Even though I normally try to make healthy decisions when I'm eating out and traveling, it was a "when in Rome" situation and I went all out. I enjoyed a sliced sausage sandwich, potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw. Dylan and I even split a scoop of ice cream. It was delicious! However, later that afternoon, I remembered why I don't eat that way....it doesn't sit well with my system. I felt kind of pukey for a while in the afternoon but luckily it wasn't enough to put a damper on the day.

After eating, we went out to the courtyard, enjoyed the warm weather and listened to the band play for a few minutes.

Next stop would be checking into our hotel for the night. Coincidentally, it would also be the site for the wedding. We drove back to Kyle and unloaded at the Winfield Inn. From the parking lot, you walk through an archway and BAM! There's this stunning house and grounds. It was just charming and beautiful...the perfect place for a wedding! Dylan had a great time running around the grounds. By far his favorite part of the house and grounds was the fountain where he loved pointing out the "statue" and the "bubbles."

I tried to make myself useful to the bride. After sitting and chatting with her for a while, she finally found a few jobs for me. I was glad to pitch in.

Me Hanging Some Flowers in the Gazebo

After completing my tasks, I checked back in with the bride. All the gals were well into the getting ready process so it was time to do that myself.

Getting Her Face Painted

Troy (Flower Girl) and Her Mom Kasi (Matron of Honor)

Irina (Flower Girl and Brad's Niece)

Back in our room, it was a mad rush to get me ready, Mike ready and Dylan ready in his tux. Then, it was time for the wedding! Mike went out to sit in the audience and I stayed back to help the ring bearer in his duties.