Catching up... Boston, Part 2

Friday morning we got up and loaded everyone in the car for the trip to New Hampshire. Kara & Mike have a vacation condo in the mountains there that has brought them a lot of enjoyment and outdoor fun. I had been there before when Kara tortured me with her own brand of Boot Camp. However, it was Brad's first time to NH and we had plans to go somewhere new for me... The Polar Caves. To this day, Brad and I both agree that this was one of the highlights of our entire trip!!

The Polar Caves are a series of caves and passages in the White Mountains that were formed by glaciers. We crawled in and out for hours enjoying the challenges each cave brought and marveling at what a fun attraction nature had created. Plus, it was still quite warm, even in the mountains, but every time you crawled into a cave, the temperature drastically dropped... like natural air conditioning! 

I BEGGED to be able to to the Children's Walk... however, I am happy to say I survived the Devil's Turnpike instead!

At the entrance of the park there is a small animal area. It provided us with many laughs as we all took turns feeding the animals and, of course, chasing the ducks!! 

When you are one and you have just learned to walk- no one is safe! Even cute duckies!!

 

Even Dylan was along for the ride on Mom's back. Sometimes this meant Kara contorting her body so his little head would clear and a few times the squeeze was so tight, we had to just pass him though. He was sport through the entire excursion. 

At the end of the pathway there was a covered bridge. When we saw the name of the bridge, we couldn't pass it up and asked Kara to take our picture... She humored us but complained and made barfing noise the entire time! Oh, how I love her...

Then we enjoyed some family pictures... or an attempt at them anyway! Trying to photograph a one year old next to an oh-so-tempting Polar Bear is not easy!

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

We'll take it!

After the fun in the caves, we headed to the condo. 

 We showered and enjoyed some yummy homemade pizza and a HEATED game of Trivial Pursuit. I am both amazed and disturbed by the amount of Sponge Bob knowledge Mike has. 

Midway through the game, it began to rain. We checked the news and our gamble had paid off... the Sox game had been rescheduled to the next afternoon!

Catching up... Boston, Part I

As promised in my earlier post, I wanted to write about our trip to Boston this past Labor Day weekend. As you know, one of my very best friends, Kara, lives there with her husband Mike and cutey-patooty, 1 year old son Dylan. I try to make it up there at least once a year. It has been a place of relaxation and fun for me for a long time. It doesn't matter if we are just laying around watching a marathon of "Project Runway" or are busy seeing new things... I always enjoy being there. This particular trip was definitely not the "laying around" type of trip!  Plus, I brought along company... Brad!

This was Brad's first time to New England so we packed the weekend full of tourist stuff for us and fun times with the Hines family. Day One was devoted entirely to the tourist stuff. After a quick breakfast with Mike & Dylan, we were dropped at the train station and headed into downtown. 

Dylan bring playful at breakfast.

We started the day with a Duck Tour. It was a great way to see the city as a whole and drive by the highlights. Even though I am familiar with Boston, it was fun for me and I even learned a few things!!

 

After the Duck Tour, we got lunch (Clam Chowder for me- yum!) and then walked around downtown Boston. It is one of my favorite cities for good reason- it is SO pretty. Unfortunately, on this particular day is was unusually and oppressively HOT! (Not all the sweat on Brad's shirt!) 

We enjoyed a Swan Boat tour in the heart of Boston Public Garden.

Where everybody knows your name...

We made several attempts at a self-portrait with the famous Indian at the entrance of Cheers. This was the best we got... I am sure the patrons of the bar thought we were nuts!

 

We ended the day with a surprise I had booked for Brad... a Sunset Cruise/Tour of Boston Harbor. Then we caught the train back to Kara's and FELL into bed exhausted.  

Our plans for Friday had kind of been up in the air due to Hurricane Earl off the East Coast. We had Red Sox tickets and we weren't sure how that would impact the game. We also wanted to go the Hines New Hampshire condo, so we needed to decide. After checking the over-exaggerated news reports we decided that at most we would get some rain that night and cause them to call a rain-out and play a double header on Saturday. So, with that in mind, we decided to gamble and bit and go ahead and head to NH with the hopes that our game would be rescheduled to Saturday...

A + B

As I teased in my earlier blog, there is a new man in my life… Brad. He has become a huge part of my life and made Amycita one happy girl.  

Even though we were both part of the same Singles Group at church since the beginning of this year and saw each other every now and then at events, we didn’t officially meet until June. MY version of the story is that he caught my attention at a movie night one Saturday night. The next day I “happened” to sit next to him in church and then again that day at lunch. (He sees it differently and we even have a couple of friends that CLAIM they set us up. I know the truth.) Lunch that day was at Chipotle, a place that neither of us like but it now reminds us of when we “met”. I left lunch that day knowing there was something about that guy and I needed to have him in my life. However, the day after that lunch I left for a 3 week business trip to California, so I wasn’t sure where it would go…

Thanks to Facebook, email and texting, we got to know each other while I was gone. We spent hours doing all of those things and by the time I was heading home from the trip, we both knew there was something special there. He offered to pick me up from the airport (at around midnight) and those feelings were confirmed when I arrived at baggage claim to find him holding this sign…

(Yes, I still have it on my fridge!)

That night/morning we ate at Kerbey Lane and have been inseparable since.

We keep each other very busy in addition to our already busy lives. When we first started dating, we made a list of things we wanted to do together. Some of them we very simple things, some of them were day trips and other things were “some day in the future”. We have had fun marking those things off our list. We plan weekend adventures, go to lots of movies and enjoy each other’s company. Here are some highlights of our adventures…

Our first "official" adventure was a trip to Inner Space Caverns which happens to only be a few minutes from Brad's house in Georgetown. 

Brad is ready to go spelunking!

Zilker Hillside Theater with Singles Group

Round Rock Express Game

UT vs OU Watch Party with Singles Group (yes... he went to Tech. Something I have chosen to overlook!)

Trip to Boston over Labor Day weekend to see my friend Mike, Kara & Dylan. We went lots of places, one of them was the New England Aquarium.(More on this trip in separate entry.)

We toured Fenway Park.

We explored downtown Boston.

Hiked in the New Hampshire mountains. 

And went to a Red Sox game.

Just last weekend we had a FULL weekend of adventures and surprises. I will write about that in its own entry. 

Brad has been a light in my life. He constantly surprises me, spoils me and supports me. He is a strong man of God, a great leader and confidante. He loves his family, is a great friend and loving boyfriend. He is patient with his stubborn control-freak of a girlfriend and lets me be me. 

I know that some of you haven’t spent a lot of time with him yet. So, trust me when I say I am in good hands.

It's alive!!!

That’s right folks… the blog is back!! I have been away a while but I have really missed writing this blog. After having comments from several of you about how you missed it as well, I decided it had been far too long. So, here we are! A lot has happened since my last post in May, so let me give you the “Reader’s Digest version” of the last few months…

MAY

After returning from my Grandmother’s Memorial Service in Atlanta, I settled back into life. Just before that trip, I had moved into a new condo. So, lots of time was spent hanging things and unpacking things. I owe HUGE thank you’s to Kitt, Kasi and Sally for all of their help. I would have been an absolute basket case had it not been for them.

My dog, Cheyenne, had been living with a friend of mine but after I moved, we were reunited. We began to start our new lives together and begin a routine.

I started getting more involved in the Singles Group at Hyde Park Baptist Church which introduced me to some new friends and provided me with fun social events!

JUNE

June brought my 35th birthday. I was surprised by flowers sent to my office by my friends Kara & Mike (in Boston). I also enjoyed a nice dinner out with friends at a fun Austin spot- Trudy’s. It was definitely one of the most quiet birthdays I have ever had. However, it was a nice day and I am thankful for my friends.

This month also included my “formal” introduction to a guy named Brad. More information him in a coming blog entry. Stay tuned… :o)

In late June, I went back to California for work. This time was a bit different because I had company! A long-time friend and former Samsung co-worker, Melinda had recently joined my team at work. She also had to be in California because it was the end of our fiscal year and she was still training. It was nice to have someone to ride back and forth to work with and gave me company for dinner. Then on the weekend, we got to play! Melinda’s girlfriend, Kristine flew out and we ran around San Francisco. We had a lot of fun.

JULY

For the July 4th holiday, I did a round trip from business in California to see my parents in Mississippi. Not only was I there to enjoy the long holiday weekend but we had some important family plans to attend to. When my Grandmother passed away in May, she had been cremated with wishes of being buried next to my Granddaddy in my Mom’s hometown of Leland, MS. We met my Uncle there and did just that. It was a very quiet and simple moment with just my Dad, Mom, Uncle and me. It was just as she would have wanted. We also took advantage of being back in Leland and visited some old family friends and saw some of the old “stomping grounds”. One of those family friends bought my Grandmother’s house when she moved to Atlanta, so we went inside. I hadn’t been there in a VERY long time and I was flooded with memories. I am the only one of the grandchildren that spend a good amount of time there. I have lots of treasured childhood memories with my Granddaddy and Grandmother there.

After a long day, we fulfilled Grandmother’s last wish… she treated us to a family dinner at Doe’s Eat Place It is a hole-in-the-wall place in Greenville and has little ambiance but a TON of character. There is no need for menus because they only do one thing… steak and, boy, they do them well. It is the best steak I have ever had and has yet to be topped. We reminisced and laughed. We all knew she was looking down on us and was pleased. 

At the end of July, friends celebrated with a baby shower for my friend Kasi. She was expecting baby #2 and we were all thrilled that it was a boy!! I just adore Kasi, her little girl Troy and all of her family!

AUGUST, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

These months were busy and a blur… mostly due to that Brad guy I mentioned earlier. It will be too difficult to talk about these past few months without talking about him, so I will conclude this blog and begin writing one to introduce Brad into The Life of Amycita…

However, there is one thing I do want to mention. On September 1st, Kasi welcomed her little man into this world. Behold the cuteness that is Rush Lakeland...

Feels good to be back!!

Tough day...

Thank you to everyone that has sent their well-wishes and prayers for me and my family. Today's service was beautiful and difficult all at the same time. I thought I would share the speech I wrote for the service today...

*  *  *

My name is Amy and I am honored to be able to call Bernadine, Grandmother. I am the oldest of her three grandchildren, so I like to brag that I had her all to myself for the first 10 years of my life. I have often cherished those years.

When deciding what to I wanted to share with to you today, I turned to a scrapbook that Uncle Brad helped Grandmother put together. It is filled with pictures and memories as told by Grandmother. As I looked through it, I was reminded that my Grandmother and I had a lot in common…

            We were both born and raised in Texas.

            We were both planners and list-makers.

            We both pursued careers in administrative support roles.

            We were both an only child.

            And both fiercely independent… with a dash of stubborn.

Maybe those are reasons why our bond was so strong. I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for my Grandmother. She was the epitome of grace and patience. Even through my teenage years when hanging out with your Grandmother was not a top priority and my sensitivity and tact went out the window. She was incredibly patient with me. I have never in my life heard her raise her voice but there was also never any doubt about when I was in trouble either.

Whenever I would visit Grandmother, there were always a few things I looked forward to. One of them was breakfast. Always the planner, prior to my arrival she would ask me for ideas of things I would eat. Then every morning during a visit, the day would start with breakfast at Grandmother’s. I would come to the kitchen and find a place neatly set at the table with a folded napkin, freshly cut fruit and sometimes a bowl of cereal already poured just waiting for the milk. As soon as I arrived she would be up making the toast or pouring the juice- everything exactly as I had requested. We would chat about how well we slept and make the plans for the day. To this day, whenever I drink White Grape juice, I think of her.

Another thing I looked forward to was going to her Sunday School class. I could have gone to a class for my own age group, but I knew that Grandmother liked to show off her Grandkids. There was always a since of pride when she would say, “This is my Granddaughter Amy, she is visiting from Texas.” The response from every person I met was about how much they loved my Grandmother and how sweet she was. So much of this came from the fact that Grandmother remembered everything about her friends. She would take detailed notes so that she knew what they had done before retirement, how many children and grandchildren they had and where they lived. One of Grandmother’s trademarks was her greeting cards. She never missed a birthday. She sent them cards when they were ill or when they had suffered a loss. Even as she aged and writing was a real challenge, the art of the written letter was never lost with Grandmother. So, the class would begin with her introducing me as the proud Grandmother, but I always left the class as the proud Granddaughter. 

This past week has been so different than I had anticipated. There have been the expected moments of emotion, but I have been amazed by the sense of peace I have felt. Because besides being a beautiful example of how to be a Grandmother, Mother and Mother-in-law, she also was an amazing example of a woman that served her God her entire life. My whole life, I have always believed that Grandmother had some sort of direct line to God and that somehow her prayers were more powerful than anyone else. But in return I always felt like God had a soft spot for Grandmother- He provided for her, protected her and loved her as her reward for her unfailing devotion.

As Grandmother’s final days were approaching, I made a comment to my mom about how scary it was. Then she reminded me… this wasn’t scary for Grandmother. And that is where the peace comes from. I have no doubt where she is now and that she is happy. She was welcomed by the family and friends that went before her, including my Granddaddy who probably greeted her in his tilted hat and greasy t-shirt.

I think my cousin Austin said it best on Facebook the day Grandmother passed away…

“She now has been given the tour, her treasures in Heaven must be great! Lots of birds and cats…”

God took her home...

In Loving Memory of my Grandmother...

I learned so much from you, received great love from you
and you were one of the
most amazing women I will ever know.

Bernadine Rone Ward
January 29, 1922 to May 18,2010

St. Patty's, Sun & Segways...

I had such a nice weekend, I felt it deserved its own blog entry!

Friday night after work, I went to a St. Patrick's Day themed dinner party. It was hosted by a friend named Rachel and she was the most amazing hostess!! We all wore green and brought the appropriate adult beverage.

Tami, me and Lisa wearing our green!

Rachel went all out and made a full spread of Irish food and it was so yummy! There was Corned Beef and Cabbage, Bangers and Mash and Irish Coffee Cupcakes. I didn't take very many pictures that night. However, lucky for us, Rachel's boyfriend made a fun video... it was a great night!

VIDEO

Saturday was a GORGEOUS Central Texas day... Spring has definitely arrived with clear, blue skies and 80 degrees. It was so pretty that some girlfriends and I couldn't resist and had to be outside! So, I met Lisa, Colleen, Tami and Amy S. at one of my absolute favorite Austin hangouts- The Hula Hut. It is a fun place with great drinks and food plus an outdoor deck along Lake Austin. I could go there every weekend- in fact, it is often my birthday location of choice. It was a relaxing afternoon of girl talk and sun worshiping.

Many of you know my friend Amy S. Well, you may not know that she recently opened a new business in downtown Austin... Segway Nation! That's right... she and two partners have opened a company that gives Segway tours around downtown. Over lunch she mentioned that she needed to head to the office that evening and we could join her if we wanted to see the place. After saying our goodbyes, Colleen and I headed to Segway Nation with Amy.

Colleen and I were both only expecting to check out their set-up and see the Segways. Before we knew it, Amy was handing us helmets and telling us to jump on! I have ALWAYS wanted to try riding on a Segway but I have to admit, I was terribly intimidated by them. After a mini-lesson, Amy told us to follow her and we took off!

 Amy and Colleen... ready to go!

Colleen getting her lesson.

Colleen and me... we're off!

We whizzed around the Capitol grounds. Once I got used to the Segway and how to control it, I LOVED it!! I was still a nervous driver and Colleen was as well. We giggled and made fun of each other... meanwhile Amy is rolling around like a pro!

As a native Austinite- I really take my city for granted. I forgot that our State Capitol is gorgeous... especially at night. At one point, Amy had us jump off and she gave us her little Tour Guide speech about the Capitol building. I actually learned a couple of things!

After the Capitol, we followed Amy all around downtown. We ended up on 6th Street which was a challenge! 6th Street is normally packed with people on a Saturday night... however, add Spring Break and SXSW to the mix and it was a mad house. It is amazing how people just stop and stare at you on your Segway. That isn't always a good thing when they stop and stare directly in your pathway! We hung in there for a while but it was kind of nerve-wrecking so Amy agreed to get us off to some other streets.

By the time we got back to the SN office, I finally had the hang of it. I LOVED it and want to go back to go back out. It was fun to get a "private tour" for my first time (thanks Amy!). I really didn't want to get off! So, this is a new "must" any time out of town friends come to visit. And for you local folks... go check it out! However, if you go on a tour, you must let me know so I can go too!