Austin IS WeIrD. Check.

Each year my dear friends & I (from our Ann Arbor days) reunite for a little girl bonding time. The last week of March was our Girls Weekend (Austin)....30 something style. Our husbands went to Law School together at U of M and while they were buried in books with blood shot eyes, we made no haste for discovering what sisterhood is all about. :) Since graduation we have made it a yearly tradition to get together and visit one of our- neck of the woods. Phoenix. Houston. San Francisco and this year Austin! (Cue music below- Just one of the fantastic Austin Gigs playing around on the streets as you walk around)

There is a saying about Austin and while I have been there several times before visiting Cheri, I had not yet fully experienced Austin's "weirdness" in its true form. Until now...

The first thing that was weird about our GW Trip was that KATIE....was not able to come this year. Boo Hoo. Yes, thats right, our artistic amis was suffering from major back issues and therefore could not make it this year. As I write, she is recovering from back surgery. She was with us in spirit & web chats though. xoxo Katie.

The food was amazing! Katie was SO there with us every step of the way. It was almost like you could see her watching over us! ;)

The Boutiques there are great but BE careful..... you just might get flashed. Lets just say that nursing is a VERY open sport in Austin and this particular mom was lacking a brazier as well. Whoopsie! lol People there are friendly too....like this passer by who wanted to be in our picture. I had to get a picture of this Boutique because my maiden name was Luther and in my entire life I have never met anyon

e with my same last name. Austin is cool though...so of course there is a Boutique "Luther's".

There are artisans of all kinds in Austin and the the kind man that offered to take our picture overlooking Lake Austin was no exception. He had a real eye for the nat-ur-al! 1....2....3.....CHEESE!

Happy Birthday to me! Birthday Margaritas- Mormon chic style.

This "baby girl" is pretty much the weirdest... yet cutest I have ever seen. ;) I wanted to take her home.

Never knew one could play the saw.....this girl was seriously so kind and sweet.

The Food was AMAZING. Did I say that yet? Me taking a picture of Ronna, taking a picture of the Amazing Food.

Katie is that you?

In our adventures we stumbled accross this sweet candy shop. While succombing to candy store ecstasy, Ronna defeated a beastly stool while harnessing her inner core strength.

They have all these vintage-y antinque shops around. Wait a minute....is that Al Gore!?

Apparently, Austin is the home of the largest bat colony in the US. They live under this bridge. At dusk they fly out and its supposed to be really cool. We don't know cause they didn't fly the night we went. It was too windy. There are approximately 750,000. I stole this pic from the internet.

For Katie. Cupcake hocker stall. :D

Swimming in natural springs in Zilker Park. Ronna & Cheri dove right in. I took a little more convincing for me to get in the 68 degree water. Brrrr. It was dang cold but after a while it wasn't so bad. SPRING WARNING: "Topless welcome. If you don't have a suit, your underwear will do just fine!" We, of course, came prepared!

Last night with the girls. Having dinner at a yummy restaurant overlooking Lake Travis. The band & atmosphere were great. We always have such fun. Thanks to our sweet hubbies who year after year encourage and support us! It is always hard to leave fam but it is SO refreshing to go. I always come back feeling so energized and reborn as a woman, wife and mom. :D

(Tip: If you are getting this post via email click on the underlined hyperlink HallsRock at the bottom of the post. It will direct you to the blog where you can watch the videos that are missing in the email.)

This Grandmothers Garden...

I know many of you are gardeners and so I thought I would share this link. "Meredehuit" was my YW President when I was a youth. She is such a wonderful lady. I have always admired her ability to manage, uplift and build anything she sets her eyes upon. She has a gift for growing things. Both in her garden and with all those she comes in contact with.

She just sent her last son on a mission and has started a blog to share her love for gardening. She has a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. So, if you are looking to catch some gardening fire....... I am pleased to introduce "This Grandmother's Garden".

http://www.thisgrandmothersgarden.com/

Enjoy, my friends!

Kitty Esther goes to heaven...

Today my doorbell rang and it was our little neighbor girl. She stopped by to tell us that while she was riding her bike home from school she thought she saw our cat Esther on the side of the road. Before she could finish her sentence my cel phone started to ring and it was another neighbor calling to tell us that she also found Esther on the side of the road around the corner from our house and it appeared that she had been hit by a car. My stomach sank.

Of course, its always sad when a family pet dies. We all loved her but I knew this would be particularly hard for Warren. He always told us that Esther was his best friend and he was constantly chasing her around and playing with her. Ben loved her too. Every morning when I go up to get Ben out of bed she follows me into his room to greet him and he usually says hello to her before he says it to me! Well, anyways we are really disappointed to have lost our sweet kitty. She was very affectionate, curious and spunky. I could never sweep the floor without her pouncing on it as I swept. I was often found scatting her out of whatever I was trying to work on: cooking, sweeping, dishes, sewing projects, etc. Her curiosity nearly drove me crazy but as soon as sat down at night she was in my lap purring like a Harley.

I waited until Weston got home to tell Warren and of course he burst into tears instantly. He was a very sad little guy. We talked about heaven and what she was probably doing there. He seemed to be comforted that she was with Jesus now and maybe he had some kitty toys for her there too.

We dug a hole behind the garage and Warren dedicated her final place of rest: "Dear Heavenly Father. We are thankful for this day and for our blessings. We are thankful that Kitty Esther was our Kitty and we got to play with her a lot. Please bless her to be happy in heaven. We love her a lot. Help us to be happy too. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Laying her in the ground.

We buried her with her favorite toy mouse, feather toy and a small branch from her favorite bush that she always rested under. She often practiced her pouncing and hunting skills with pine cones in our yard so we threw one of those in there as well.

Warren was so sweet. I was so impressed how he calmed down after a while and was very intent on taking care of her.

Just after I took this picture Warren said " I am going to miss kitty Esther. I love you Esther." She was about 1 year old.

Poor guy.

Here is a cute video of Ben learning to say her name not long after we got her.

Helmet Happy

Last month we started gearing up for biking weather. Warren got a new bike helmet for his birthday and I wasn't sure if his old one would fit Ben yet so I got it out to try it on him. As I crowned his head with Elmo glory his face turned permagrin. He instantly fell in love and would NOT let me take it off.

So, for the next hour and a half he played happily in the backyard with his helmet securely fastened to his head. He makes me laugh. He even ate lunch with it on! The funniest part was he kept pulling it down- almost completely covering his eyes. Every once in a while he'd pull it up, peek at me and smile. Like people do with their sunglasses when they want to make eye contact. While he was playing, the only thing I could see was the top of his helmet and this big grin underneath. On a closer look the (cold) runny nose appears also. lol It was quite the ordeal to get him to take it off for his nap. He is such a little turkey.

The Kite Dreamer.

We have had such a cold, long winter this past year in TX! The weather is starting to warm up and we couldn't be more ready. I am not complaining and my memory has not failed me. The many chilling ice box adventures I have endured throughout my life living in Utah and Michigan will forever be burnt there. All that being said, your blood changes when you move south.....35 degrees is cold to us! ;)

Last Thursday was such a gorgeous day! Despite my joy in the weather, I had been having a bit of a frustrating day and was tempted to dig into spring cleaning at home (which is usually how I vent out my frustrations) when my friend Janelle called. They were headed to the beach for spring break and they invited us to come along.

Warren has been wanting to fly a kite for months...but it has been so cold and not really windy enough. We kept telling him as soon as it warmed up we would take him to the beach because it is always windy there and it is also near some other good friends who live nearby.

Weston worked from home that day and we have been itching to get out in the sunshine. So, we hopped in the car and we were off for a little fun in the sun! We got stuck in bad traffic and after a 2.5 hour car trip and Warren asking us "are we getting closer?!" about 50 times we made it to Galveston.

Dad riggin up the chassy......

You must watch the video (bottom of this post) to fully experience and appreciate Warren's kite flying dream come true. He was just a... LITTLE excited.

Janelle showing the kiddos how it is done! See her cute little tum tum? Baby Jones is due Sept 2oth.

The kids had fun playing in the sand and collecting sea shells.

We had such a great time. Looking forward to more warm weather and future beach trips this year! It was just what I needed that day to lift my spirits and forget the things which are not important in life and focus on the things that are. Family & Friends. It was a great reminder to me, when life gives you wind... take your "wings", leave the "dirt" behind and fly with the angels He sends along the way. :)

You'll make someone's dreams come true.

I blinked.

I can hardly believe that Warren is five. I don't know why but this birthday seems to really be a significant one to me and I am having a few growing pains along with it. Perhaps because he is starting school this year. I worry about him entering into the real world and all the fun and challenges which come with it. The other night it dawned on me that he has lived with us for a little more than 1/4 the time we will get with him before he leaves home. How does time fly by so quickly? Here is a small preview:

Hello World. Master Warren Maxwell Hall has arrived! I was 8 days late.... (exhausted after mom put me through 38 hours of labor)...but definately worth the wait!

My first day at home. (4 days old) - I already liked to be perched up so I could look around.

2 weeks old - Giddy on up cowboy. Yea...I am a stud.

3 months old. The happiest little soul you ever did meet....

By the time I was 6 months old I had been in 11 states (MI, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, AR, OK, LA, TX & UT). Places to go...people to see.

9 months old- and a Merry Christmas to you! Autographs by request.

My first birthday- Don't I make comb overs look good. ;) My mom finally cut my hair a few months later. Thanks mom.

14 Months old - graduated law school at Michigan.

18 months old - ladies....this man is taken. I love my momma!

2 years old

2.5 years old

3 years old

3.5 years old. - such a character!

The prankster - almost 4.

4.5 years old - Classic Warren smile

Warren - 5 years old (Sigh)

Words can't say how much we love you and the joy you bring to us. We are so grateful Heavenly Father sent you to our family!

A Bats At The Beach Birthday

Warren turned 5 years old on March 9th! We celebrated the Saturday before with friends. We had a picnic at the park and birthday festivities for the little ones. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and Warren had a blast. He wanted a "Bat's At The Beach" party, themed after his favorite book.

What was to eat? All sorts of yummy bat treats: "Beetles (Black licorice), worms (gummy worms) and milkweed bugs (juice box's). Crickets, moths (cheese balls) and pickled slugs (relish). Damselflies and salted skeeters (peanuts), no room here for picky eaters!"

I started to read Bats At The Beach to the kids and Warren insisted that he do it. He has had it memorized for about 2 years now.

We played pin the bat in the tree.....a little trickier than you may be able to see!!

Dad taking matters into his own hands after the pinata did NOT co-operate. See that beam? SssssssssssssssMaaaaasshhhhhhhh! It was not dramatic AT all! LOL

Fun friends and Presents!!

Warren just absolutely tickled with his new big boy bike that mom, dad & Ben gave him for his birthday! It was a great day! We love you buddy!

New Rug

I wish I had a really cool new haircut that I could post pictures of with this title but hey.....sorry its just a normal rug, ok? ;)

Therefore, here is my new rug. :) Several of you have asked me to post pictures so here it is! I have been looking for one for our den for over a year and a half. So..... I am really excited to finally have one that I LOVE now! I have had a hard time finding an 8x8 that was well made and didn't look like it belonged in a grannies house. ;) I tried various sizes of other rugs that I did like. The 4x6 was WAY too small and an 8x10 was too big.

So, I was just about to order an 8x10 rug from CB2 and then have it cut and seamed when I decided to check overstock.com. I am so glad I did because this was exactly what I had in mind and it was HALF the price. It's really well made & 100% wool.

Here is a little closer look so you can see the texture better.

It is SUPER soft. It feels like walking on a bed of marshmallows. The boys love jumping and wrestling on it. Cheers for looking, searching, waiting and finally finding!!! lol ;)

(Song Tag: The Way You Make Me Feel - MJ)

Heaven Sent.

Today was my dad's birthday and we remembered him by sending off some balloons - Heaven bound. It's hard to believe he has been gone for over 6 years. He would have been 64. I sure miss his hugs, kisses, shopping trips together and his sense of humor which filled our memories with laughter!! I will miss him always.

Warren was so excited he literally peed his pants! lol ;)