From Enya to Pitbull- My Mother's Day Weekend

After my nice Saturday spent  hosting a baby shower for my expectant friend C2, Kristina and I headed home to San Antonio to celebrate Mother's Day. Allow me to explain the polar opposite worlds- this is like switching the radio station from Enya to Pitbull. It's amazing how many ridiculous moments can occur in pretty much less than 24 hours.

What kind of ridiculous moments might you ask? 

Moment 1 a few hours after we got home: Dad convinces Kristina to help him change the air filter. Allow me to explain the process that is Dad and Kristina changing an air filter together:

Step 1: Kristina attempts to get the air filter cover back on thinking she knows everything.  <Insert Dad and Kristina having heated exchanges at 10,000 feet on how the filter cover attaches>

Step 2: Dad starts yelling more and Kristina has to respond. Please note that yes she is that high off the ground.  But she is legit going to break the filter and Dad is having none of it. We may be 30 and 27 but we are still afraid of our Dad. 

Step 3: Dad wins. Dad climbs up. Dad puts filter back on. Kristina pouts. 

Step 4: Still screaming at each other and now the ladder has to somehow get out of the house and to the garage. 

Step 5: Trying to work together as a team. Kristina is doing her 'pout walk'

Moment 2 Sunday morning: I head to the grocery story Mother's Day morning to buy food to feed us for Mother's Day.  I know, it sounds so special. I am now vaguely remembering Dad had a work trip and had to leave early Sunday morning. I walked into HEB and had the genius idea of getting mom a balloon. What I did not fully think through was how I was going to have to walk throughout the entire store dealing with this balloon that was sitting in the cart constantly smacking me in the face:

Moment 3 Sunday afternoon: I am already late getting out of town and walking in to say good-bye to Mom and Kristina after loading my car. I walk into my parents bathroom to discover a panicked Kristina and pink nail polish spilled all over the ground. I momentarily flashed back to a 4 year old Kristina and Big Red spilled on the living room floor.  So yes I was behind schedule, yes I needed to get out the door but I could not violate the Golden Rule of sisterhood: Leave no sister behind.

So I got down on my hands and knees and I started scrubbing. And together we cleaned it up before Mom knew anything different.

It is for these and a number of other reasons that I am scared for any and all family get-togethers. This was only Mother's Day, what should arguably be the most zen holiday of the year. You seriously do not know what awaits you during a visit to "The land where time stands still." 

Austin Baby Showering

We lived in Austin for two years. Going into it, I knew it would be a strange two years. I would be working. Gregg would be going to school. I honestly felt like we were in a constant state of transition. Oddly enough though, it was under those circumstances that I met some amazing lifelong friends. God is funny that way I guess.

Meeting M:

For starters my friend M and I met seriously walking in and out of the parking garage at work. We were both always running late. We both always carried our gym bags. And one day we just struck up a conversation while waiting for the light to change…..and I guess you could say the conversation never stopped. She had a darling baby girl in December and will one day be one of those "can you explain this pregnancy stuff to me in real life terms" friends.

M & Me 

Meeting C1 and C2: 

My other two friends, C1 and C2, I met through bible study. I was in my 2nd year of bible study and had kind of shelved the idea of making friends there, yet God again had other plans. I was put into the same small group as C1 (I am calling her that because technically I did meet her first). After the first few weeks, I quickly decided C1 was so cute (plus I always wanted her wardrobe) and I needed to strike up a conversation with her. One day I did. Then she introduced me to her other friend C2. After some very fun dinners, meeting C2's spouse, late nights out and other events, they both became very close friends in a very short amount of time. 

Posing with C1( on left) and C2 (in the middle) 

Where does a baby shower come into all this? 

C2 is expecting twin girls and I was thrilled to be able to to help C1 throw her a baby shower. This was exciting on a number of levels but most of all, I haven't really helped throw a shower in awhile. After planning all of it via email, the big day came Saturday of Mother's Day weekend…I know, the timing was pretty cute. 

I drove to Austin Friday night and drove straight to meet M for margaritas and mexican food. Because the shower was the next day, I had volunteered to bring ingredients for "make your own yogurt parfaits" and they were stressing me out. I had seen the idea on pinterest and that is typically my problem- I can find and come up with an idea…then the execution gives me anxiety. Since M is also my foodie/chef extraordinaire friend, I forced asked her to go late night grocery shopping with me after dinner for supplies.  

She's kind of the best. 

Saturday we hosted the shower at C1's apartment party room which quite honestly I could live in and be just fine in life. The best part though is we had taken all these ideas of decorations, activities, food, etc from Pinterest and the guests thought we were absolute geniuses. I loved it. Who doesn't love people thinking you are a genius? And who doesn't love compliments?

'Decorate your own Onesie station.' I made Kristina decorate a sample the night before that said "I am cuter than my sister"

Food set up courtesy of one of the hostesses that can cook…i.e. not me 

My infamous yogurt parfait. I may not be able to cook but I am now the official 'Make your own yogurt parfait' bringer to all future showers. 

Cutest and most delicious baby shower cake in the world. 

This may not be a new idea to anyone else but it was to me: create little ribbons and small tags for people to label their mimosa glass. I've labeled cups before but never thought of how you do it with a glass. How many times do you set it down and not know which is yours? 

The beautiful Mommy-to-Be!

I also realized every time I have visited Austin since I moved has also meant Kristina is attending a baby shower with me. 

Shower hostesses with the Mom to Be 

As you can see it was a really fun Friday/Saturday spent with my very wonderful and very special friends. I may not be able to be there all the time in person but it is sure fun to still be part of all the fun from afar! 

Interesting topic- Have you ever thought of how people name twins if they are having the same gender? Wait until you meet them? Have names pre-decided based on who arrives 1st and 2nd? We talked about it at the shower and it was something that had never crossed my mind. 

Speaking of names, I cannot wait to meet the twin baby girls coming in just a few weeks and find out their names too! 

The Small World of Weddings

Gregg was in a wedding the first weekend in May for his friend R who seriously looks like his brother from another mother. Please note the resemblance even though there is zero relation:

So Friday morning we woke up at 4am to get on our 7:30am direct flight to Washington Dulles. The kicker is that my dear husband got home at 3am from work and went to bed approximately 3:15am. So as soon as we had some breakfast at the airport and were at a sitting point, this happened while we waited to board our plane…

We bought those sleep pillows that morning on sale at the airport and I must say they were worth every penny. 

We arrived in DC and drove two hours to Charlottesville, Virginia where the wedding was being held. I love that on the East Coast you can drive two hours and be in another state and here I drive two hours and I am only in Austin.

I must say though the two hour trip was lovely because Gregg had been working crazily and it was like a mini date for us. When we got to Charlottesville we had lunch at Panera Bread and we saw a Pet Smart across the strip mall where I wanted to buy a souvenir for Chloe. Gregg said no. He told me that the same toy we could buy at a Pet Smart in Virginia which was the same toy we could buy at a Pet Smart in Houston did not count as a souvenir for Chloe. Fine. But I still disagree.

The wedding was not only beautiful with the location, the food amazing from beginning to end, but it was also a small world reunion central. The best man married one of my best friends from dance team in high school. One of the Matron of Honor's was another member of dance team in high school and coincidentally in the same sorority as the bride. One of my good friends from Student Senate was there as a guest. The list went on and on….it was a fun weekend full of flashbacks with old friends.

Rehearsal Dinnering in downtown Charlottesville with husband on the left. And former Apache Silver Dancers on the right. 

The next day while the husbands and boyfriends did wedding things, the girls ventured out to lunch and wandering around the quaint little town center.

Wish we had longer to explore this place!

It's kind of fun when you are the one not in the wedding because you can go do touristy things with other new non-wedding friends. 

Gregg walking down the side aisle. I seriously for a half second thought the groom was Gregg. When Gregg walked down the girl next to me goes, that one is Gregg, he is your husband. Ridiculous. 

The wedding was held at an outdoor vineyard and it was a horrible view as you can see.

Instead of a grooms cake you could go to the donut trailer and get a bag of warm sugary donuts.  It had been a long time since I had a donut and that splurge was totally worth it. I still dream of those donuts. 

Like I said we had a bit of a dance team reunion that evening too.  Once a Silver Dancer, always a Silver Dancer. 

And I reunited with one of my favorite Student Senate pals. Did you know I was a Student Senator? More importantly if you didn't, are you surprised???

Then came Sunday and our flight that departed at 12:30pm. I had been talking to LC about the fact that I was going to be in the same state as her for the weekend but not seeing her. We brainstormed all types of plans to see each other- some involved massive detours to DC, others involved using helicopters- in the end we decided LC and JC would meet us at the rental car place, we would all go for breakfast early and then they would drop us off at the airport.  

The bottom line is we cannot be in the same state and not see each other. It is not humanly possible. This ranks up there with the infamous December 26 drive by in Dallas to drop off LC's shampoo and conditioner she had left during her visit here. Yes, we are that crazy and I love her that much. 

Gregg and I decided to have a mini date on the plane since we knew he'd be returning to work quickly after we arrived back home. His schedule may be crazy but it has taught me to enjoy the small moments we have together and appreciate them when they are happening. I know so cheesy but just go with it. 

Yes we are looking rough. This is the sign of a TOP wedding weekend. 

Large bottled water for me (a running joke/issue between Gregg and me) . Wedding snacks. Goldfish. And Johnny Manziel. The gang's all here. 

It was a fun weekend and it made me miss college. It made me appreciative of the time I got to spend with Gregg. It also made me realize how wise Disney was when he said "it's a small world after all." 

Congrats R & M! 

My List of Life Parties Continues

I am from San Antonio and I love a good Cinco de Mayo bash. So imagine my excitement when two separate groups of friends invited me to a fundraiser party called Cinco de Bingo. One group was Kristina's friends and one group was a co-workers's friends….when you are invited by two different groups of people to the same event that is a Golden Rule meaning you know it will be a good time!  

The set-up was simple. Pay a fee, walk in and you are handed five bingo cards, a stamper and a koozie. I mean all the makings of an exciting Bingo tournament. 

The prizes are pretty awesome too. Last year this is where SS won her membership to MFAH which has led to Culture Thursdays. We had no such luck winning this year…..but we did have so much fun. 

And now I want to host a BINGO party! Add it to the list:

Lipsyncing Competition Party

BINGO Party

Presidential Election Night Party...I know Husband will love that one someday ;)

Miss America Party 

Clearly I have a long lifetime ahead of throwing ridiculous parties as soon as I have enough room. Who wants to come?? 

Nonstop 30th Weekend of Fun

Here I am still playing catch up on my list of moments worthy of a story in your fanciest local hotel lobby. And now I am even adding some to it…namely my family's recent trip to Las Vegas. But being the particular person that I am, I feel I must go in order: 

• Easter
• Washington DC with LC and JC (not the JC in the sky)
• Culture Thursdays with S
• My 30th Birthday weekend with Kristina in town 
• Friends and Fundraisers 
• Virginia weekend wedding vacation
• Baby Shower-ing
• Mother's Day Snippets
• Chloe discovers a ladder
• College besties reunion weekend 
• Las Vegas 

Kristina was in town for the big #AnalisasBurning30 party but you should know that Kristina never just comes into town. It is never a low-key weekend. It is hit the ground running, go go go nonstop, party 'til you drop and then she leaves. It is not for the weak. She is also like a Hurricane in our apartment. Gregg is still trying to understand all of this. 

Gregg surprisingly didn't have to work the morning after my birthday party so we went to brunch just the two of us while Kristina went to watch her friends in a charity flag football game, Blondes vs. Brunettes. Afterwards we were killing some time and wandered around Hermann Park. It was simple and lame and fun all at the same time. You only have a window of time to wander around a park in Texas and we were flirting with the end of that window. 

Then we met Kristina and her friends at this random bar I have never been to and most likely will never go to again. I walked in and felt like I was straight up at a frat party. Outside it was broad daylight and inside there was music bumping, kegs being floated and absolute frat party madness. It was hilarious for this newly turned 30 year old. 

Sisters with Sister SS who we have adopted as honorary twin sister to Kristina. You may recognize her from Culture Thursdays…this was a LONG way from Culture Thursdays. 

Then we went to a bar in Midtown to spend the rest of the day outside at a picnic table. We went to a bar where you can control the music from your iPhone and purchase songs. Kristina got way too into this excitement purchasing everything from Frozen's "Let it Go" to the Aggie War Hymn. 

Sing it Sister. 

Boyfriend J was busy trying not to die from the spicy crawfish. Disgusting crawfish in my eyes. 

You can notice Sister C singing along next to her. That is our honorary middle sister. 

There is truly only one Kristina. 

And on a rare Saturday off for him, I have to say there is only one guy who could put up with this weekend of insanity- this guy right here. 

Needless to say when Kristina departed on Sunday, we needed a nap.