Fall Fun Spectacular

A woefully picture-poor rundown of all the fun we've been up to.

// The Finolans came to SATX for a meeting. (Click here to see the twins Maeve and Fiona as babies -- some of the most precious I've ever taken!) They rented a house in central SA and we had margaritas at La Fonda on Main (voted Best Patio by me) and a day at the DoSeum and the Cove and burgers at Burgerfi - the restaurant/playground is San Antonio's best feature!

Clementine (in an outfit of her choosing) crossing the rope bridge.

// We got a sitter for a Sunday morning coffee date - we sat in silence, reading. Later we shared a pan de muerto we picked up at La Panaderia. This may become a standing engagement.

// I met up with the Wangs (in Austin for a meeting) in Gruene for dinner at the Gristmill -- NO PICTURES!!! Fail. Don't worry Wangs, I will photograph the heck out of you during our next Seattle visit.

// Anna Maria Island, Florida, for Brooke and Jen's wedding.

Burning The Candle At Both Ends, take 1: Luke had gigs in Houston and drove home (three hours) on Sunday morning - then we caught a 1 pm flight to Dallas on to Tampa.

Josie had another terrible flight - screaming, squirming. After two hours, she fell asleep I KID YOU NOT when the airplane was 100 feet off the ground in Tampa. She woke up during deplaning, screamed a little more, then fell soundly asleep, leaving me to carry that 23 pound sack of potatoes through the airport.

We rented a minivan and drove to the island, picking up necessities (milk, bananas, whiskey) on the way. In the morning C and I woke up first and I hustled her out of the house so they could sleep. We walked to the pier:

'GO AWAY BIRDS!'

And the beach. In our pjs.

Our Airbnb* bungalow with rented** baby gear. Notice the trail of dirty baby socks that appears wherever we go.

*love Airbnb
**love these rental companies

The wedding! Flash mob dance to Bruno Mars 'Marry You'.

Uncle Ken officiating.

Their son TJ (soon to be big brother) adding to the wish stone basket. Guests wrote a wish for the couple on the stone and shared why... mine was 'naps' because 'if you love someone let them sleep.'

We still got it!

KISSES!

PARTY! The girls were asleep during the ceremony so I walked back to retrieve the clan for the reception. Clementine really liked the maracas.

'Excuse me I would like some more cake.'

Tambourine lessons from Uncle Scott.

The next day was beach day BUT FIRST a donut breakfast at The Donut Experiment - a truly genius concept of fresh donut + glaze of your choice + topping of your choice.

I don't have any pics of beach day because C and J spent the morning making a beeline into the Gulf of Mexico as fast as their legs would carry them. I don't think I've ever seen Josie as happy as she was sitting on the sand with the waves rolling in up to her chest. Her little face wrinkled up with delight.

Then we swam in the pool ... attempted naps... pizza night... brunch... THANK YOU to all the people who entertained our kids so we could eat a slice of pizza and visit. If a Sunday coffee date filled up my patience-tank, these days in Florida with friends filled up my community-tank. I love my tribe!

C and her donut at 'the donut asparagus'.

We flew home in time for:

Burning The Candle At Both Ends, take 2: we arrive home and  Luke leaves 15 minutes later to load in for a gig. And he has two gigs today! And I'm going to Chicago about 2 hours after he gets home! The Jack family needs to slow.down. We have a low key holiday season planned (left un-planned, actually) and I'm so excited about it.

When I picked Clem up today I asked if she talked about the beach and the ocean and the big birds and her teacher said, no, she told us all about ... 'Daddy's new car.' [the rental minivan, she was enamored of the 'miniwan'] But the night before she said she wanted to go 'back to the beach with Maeve and Fih-mona.'