Our First Texas Homecoming Game

We've only lived in Texas for six years, and yes we finally witnessed our first football homecoming game under the Friday night lights. All the hype and pomp-and-circumstance lived up to it's name and tradition. Our niece Megan is a sophomore this year and she cheers for the varsity football team. It was super fun to watch her do-her-thang, watch the marching band play, watch the Cy-Fair Bobcat football team win, and to witness the Texas spectacle of the fabulous MUMS. Wow, not only can the mums be huge (worn around their neck nowadays) but they can be loud. All that jiggle-jangle of beads and charms-very impressive!

Tay-Tay and May-May (funny that we still call them that)

All dressed up and ready to go to the dance!

That was our little niece in 2003 as our flower girl...eight years later she sure is
growing up into a beautiful little woman.



Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

From the Cooking Light Fresh Food Weeknight Meals Cookbook:



This new found recipe has become a monthly special around our house lately. It's so easy because it cooks in the slow cooker for 7-8 hours and it taste absolutely delicious!! In the cookbook they pair it with a chimichurri sauce but we found it to be a little overpowering for us, so we just like to whip-up a fresh pico de gallo to go on top.

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced (we add a extra whole cloves to stuff inside the meat too)
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups chicken stock (such as Swanson's 50% less sodium)
• 1/2 cup water
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 6 tablespoons light sour cream (optional)

Preparation

• Rub pork with salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer pork to a 5-quart round electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Add stock to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Pour stock mixture over pork; add water. Cover and cook on LOW 7-8 hours or until tender.
• Remove pork from slow cooker, and place in a medium bowl. Pour broth into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil 5 minutes or until reduced to 2/3 cup.
• While broth reduces, shred pork using 2 forks. Stir in broth reduction.
• Warm tortillas according to package directions. Serve pork with tortillas, sour cream, if desired, Chimichurri Sauce, or fresh pico de gallo.

Pico De Gallo Ingredients

2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeno (about one)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 diced fresh avocado

ENJOY~



A Special Conversation With Taylor...

 

A little Brother or Sister will arrive May 14th!

 



What an incredible 9/11 memorial-

so poignant, strong, meaningful, spiritual, and moving.

Finally a place of beauty for families of lost loved ones to grieve...

Wildfires

Labor Day is suppose to be about celebrating the last days of Summer, NOT about driving into blocked off highways because of a massive wildfire.

Labor Day is suppose to be about having a relaxing BBQ with friends and family, NOT about learning your own neighborhood is on fire.

Labor Day is suppose to be about swimming and having fun, NOT about evacuating from your home with fear in your heart.

This Labor Day was one that we'll never forget! We had actually packed up to leave to Houston Sunday afternoon to begin our fun holiday weekend. About 30 minutes outside of town Andrew got a phone call from the Golf Club alerting him of a grass fire across the street from his work. Due to the high winds it was moving fast and unpredictable. We were worried and on high alert but we continued on to Houston. Within 45 minutes of Austin, we were stopped in our tracks as we watched with our own eyes a wildfire burning right in front of us. We were turned around by state troopers in Bastrop due to a huge wildfire jumping across highway 71. At exactly the same time Andrew's phone starting ringing again, this time it was not his work updating us on the situation in Spicewood, instead it was my brother-in-law telling us that he was standing outside behind his store in Lakeway and could see flames and smoke coming from the Steiner Ranch area. With our faces in complete disbelief and our minds filled with confusion, we started to head north away from the Bastrop fire and with both phones ringing or texting, we had to decide to go back or continue on. My mom, who also lives in Steiner Ranch, was on the phone with me when she said the power had just gone out. Within minutes we started hearing of mandatory evacuations of the entire neighborhood...Andrew and I found ourselves in limbo. Continue on to Houston or return back to Austin...

Getting news and current updates on either fire was a nightmare! Around Bastrop cell phone service was intermittent due to all the police activity. We found a cut-around road and decided to continue on to Houston since we obviously couldn't return home. We were sick with worry for the entire night as we had no idea if our house was going to burn or if it would be safe. Luckily by 6am new information started coming in and we started to breath a little easier. However, knowledge was shared with us that a colleague's house was destroyed along with 24 other homes. After two days away, we are finally back home. The smell of smoke still lingers, but we're are thankful that everyone is safe from this unpredictable weekend wildfire. However, our hearts are very heavy as we know many were not so lucky and have lost everything precious and memorable to them. I know our wonderful community will rally to support and help those in need.

Below is video from Andrew's phone from the Bastrop fire Sunday afternoon...

Preferred Mode of Transportation

Taylor has obviously mastered crawling, walking, skipping, jumping, and running but until just recently he hadn't mastered bouncing. Yes, I just said bouncing! I think as a boy he's going through his Tigger phase, except he doesn't have a tail to boost his bounces so he found the next best thing...

A HOP ALONG BALL

It actually was a Christmas present but until recently has been sitting unused in his closet. Taylor doesn't just take a few bounces and move on...no, no, no he bounces everywhere he goes! To the kitchen to get a drink of water, to the bathroom to do who knows what, around and around the sofa, and around and around the kitchen while we're cooking...it's non-stop for up to 30 minutes at a time! It really couldn't have come at a better time because it's so ridiculously HOT outside that besides the pool or lake, it's currently the only physical activity the boy gets sometimes. The video below shows a lot more of our crazy boy's dinnertime antics...leg and pit 'toots' (where did he learn that from?), bouncing, and exactly what it's like around our house before a meal - we all get a little crazy when we're hungry. Talk about energy! This boy definietly has an unlimited supply!

School Cut

The day is finally here...
The first day of Taylor's second year in preschool!
Taylor already played hooky on Monday with Daddy to go kayaking.
Luckily, it's the very last year where it doesn't actually count against you.

We all visit Ms. Andrea to get our haircuts. Taylor is always happy to go since he gets her complete undivided attention for 20 whole minutes...such a boy already!