Keep Austin Weird

Our first family visit to Austin was fabulous! It is so great to be back in Austin. As we drive into town, we see the UT tower, the beautiful tree-covered hills, and my favorite- Town Lake with all the people running, sculling, and walking their dogs. It feels like home to me. Josh met The Hampton's for the first time. We arrived at their house, introduced them to Josh, and promptly dumped him in their caring arms as we left for a fancy dinner at the Four Season's. I wish I could say it was a romantic date night, but it was a dinner for the Texas Supreme Court and I was in the room with probably 300 lawyers and all the Texas Supreme Court Justices. Just a little intimidating. Actually, it was really nice and I got to feel like an adult again, sipping wine in a nice dress without spit -up on it. Plus, those lawyers aren't as bad as all the jokes lead you to believe. I have a wonderful husband, father-in-law, and best friend to prove it.

All the fun really began on Saturday. We made a quick, but very necessary stop to the Co-op to get little man a UT baseball cap. SO CUTE! They have changed the Co-op quite a bit, including placing a gi-normous orange and white longhorn in the back parking lot. Of course, we HAD to take a few snapshots so Josh could look back at his first UT visit when he is a student there in 18 years. I can't tell you the feeling when I am back on campus... the best years of my life! After a nap for us and a round of golf for Chris, we all headed over to the Jones'. Tricia did her usual fabulous job at feeding us and we all hung out, just like the old college days (with a few extra little feet and crying babies thrown in there). Josh made his first official visit to the pool. I think he liked it, a little confused, but he enjoyed watching all the other kids screaming and laughing. Josh enjoyed flirting with sweet Ava Jane. He likes red heads, must be from his Irish roots.

I worked on Sunday night and took care of a tiny baby that is 1/18th the size of my baby. Yes, that means this baby is 1 pound. For 12 hours I watched this tiny baby fight for her little life connected to so many different life-saving tubes and ventilation. In the morning, I got to come home to my perfectly plump and healthy baby. I believe becoming a mom has made me a better nurse to these babies I care for. It makes me appreciate their daily fight and their anxious parents. And it's nights like Sunday that remind me of the amazing blessing the Lord has given Chris and me.