The Amazing Race...

Brad and I have known since the very early days of our courtship that we would one day be married. You know the saying, "when you know, you know"? Well it is very true. I think even more so when you are both in your 30's and have been married once before. So, we have talked at great length about our future together and have been very excited about it. Last night, Brad made it official with a fantastic proposal. In the spirit of the A & B Adventures we have already experienced, he made this a memorable event that he worked hard to pull off...

He had told me a few weeks ago to leave Saturday, November 13th open because we had "plans". Anyone that knows me, knows that I am planner and, okay, a bit of a control freak with my schedule. However, dating Brad has taught me that I have to hand over the reigns sometimes in regards to my calendar (ala "Surprise Sunday"). So, in order to satisfy my anal need to have SOMETHING on my calendar, I have had 11/13 marked as "Plans". All I knew was that I wouldn't know anything about it and that he had enlisted my friend Kasi to be involved.

I started my Saturday by getting my nails done and getting a relaxing pedicure. I had talked to Brad earlier that morning and I knew he was out running around very early that morning, which is rather unusual for him, so I knew he was already up to something. After the nail salon, I ran Cheyenne up to Brad's house so that she could hang out with her new playmate Samson. Then ran back home... the only information I had about the day was that Kasi was picking me up at my house at 1:30. Before I left Brad's house, he handed me two manila envelopes, one with my name on it and one with Kasi's. I was given instructions not to read mine until Kasi arrived. I was good and didn't even peek!!

Kasi (and her 2 month old son, Rush) arrived and we visited for a bit while Rush had a little lunch and then we opened the folders. My folder included a letter from Brad explaining that the day would be a "reflection of the adventure we have had together so far and of that yet to come" and that I was about to go on "sort of an amazing race adventure". He explained that I would have a total of 7 stops. At each stop I would receive a clue to the next stop and a card with a word on it. The word would have one letter that was part of a riddle. Kasi's folder included additional information about each stop (if I needed help) and "supplemental clues". (Those extra clues were quite cute!). Also inside my folder was the first clue...

"Clue #1: The Adventure Begins- Your first stop is at a location we had to rush to after viewing some BLING!! It involved the first time gathering of people cheering for cows and boomers." Well, I knew the answers... the Hyde Park Quarries!! We went and looked at rings the day of the UT vs OU game. Our Singles Group was hosting its first-ever viewing party and we were almost late because we got so involved at looking at rings! So, we jumped in the car and headed that directions We have a friend, Michelle, that works there, so I figured she would be my point of contact... and I was right!

I walked in to see Michelle waiting for me with some flowers. With the flowers, she also handed me a card that said "Mum" (also the type of flower she was handing me) and a piece of paper with my next clue.

"Clue #2: Your next stop could be considered where we went on our "first date" after you got back to Austin. It is open 24 hours." I knew the answer... Kerbey Lane Cafe!! As I explain in a previous post, Brad and I first began getting to know one another while I was on a business trip in CA. He picked me up from a very late flight and we went to Kerbey for dinner/breakfast. Off we went to Kerbey at Anderson Mill...

When we got to Kerbey, I saw our friend Kelly standing outside with flowers! I was so surprised to see her! She handed me my flowers and a card that said "Aster" plus my next clue. (I now began to realize that I would be greeted by a friend at each of these stops and that the card was not only spelling a phrase but were the name of the flowers.)

"Clue #3: Your next stop is at the location we saw our first super hero together. He was definitely not the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz." This one took me a minute... we saw "Iron Man 2" together but that was in San Antonio!! I didn't think we were driving all the way to SA. Then I realized we both were at a friend's house one night and we watched "Iron Man" there. We hadn't even started really talking yet which is why I hadn't thought of it immediately. So, we headed towards Round Rock to Laura's house!

We arrived at Laura's house and she had flowers and a card that said "Rose". She also gave me my next clue.

"Clue #4: This stop was one of our first weekend adventures. Although we are both up for challenges, this adventure required the assistance of a guide. It was not in outer space." I knew the answer... Inner Space Caverns!!! We went on a tour of the caverns. So, now we were off to Georgetown!

We arrived at Inner Space Caverns and I had NO CLUE who I was looking for. Then I saw our friends Joel and James walking towards me! Yay!!! I love these guys! Joel handed me my flowers, a card that said "Rose" and my next clue.

"Clue #5: This stop is definitely not one of our favorite places but it will always be important to us. It may just be the place where the start of A + B developed!!" I knew this one immediately... Chipotle. Neither one of us like this place at all, however, it was the lunch location for our Singles group one Sunday, so we both went to hang out with people. It is where we first "clicked".

We arrived and there wasn't anyone there that I recognized or holding flowers. Kasi and Brad traded a few anxious text messages and we learned the person was just running a tad late. This was okay because little Rush had been quite a trooper and it was time for a diaper change.

Just as Rush was all set, a truck pulled up and out popped Brandy!!! She is on staff at our church and works very closely with the Singles. We decided that I should get the clue in "the" booth where Brad and I sat. So, we ran inside and she presented me with my flowers, a card that said "Yoko Ono" and my clue. (Yes- the flowers are actually called Yoko Ono... who knew she had a flower named after her!?!)

"Clue #6: You are almost at the end of your adventure. So, I am going to make this clue a little challenging. This stop involves the nickname of what you called someone who is very smart in school and involves what you call the gesture you give someone when they make you mad. (The complete clue is two words.) A further clue is: it involves the object Tattoo used to shout out during Fantasy Island." This clue totally had me stumped. I immediately said "Nerd Bird" and knew that was a plane. However, I couldn't figure out what that meant. I had to really think this through. "Nerd Bird" is the nickname for the direct flight from San Jose, CA to Austin... I took that flight to/from my company's headquarters. OH! He picked me up at the airport after my business trip. I looked at Kasi and said, "Are we going all the way to the airport!?!" She smiled and said yes. So, we were off!!

When we arrived at the airport, the only instruction that Kasi had for me was that we were to head to Baggage Claim. As we walked through, I saw two women standing by a baggage carousel with a BRIGHT pink sign that said "Princess Amy"... well I knew they must be there for me because Brad held a sign saying the same thing the night he picked me up. The problem was, I had NO CLUE who these women were. I cautiously walked up and explained that I was Amy. They smiled but I had to ask... "how do you know Brad?" Kasi and I had all sorts of theories... they were holding the sign for the "real" person while they went to the restroom or the "real" person had to leave so they were filling in... Wrong on both counts!! Lily and Brad used to work together and were good friends. Lily lives out near the airport, so she was the perfect person to help! She handed me my flowers, a card that said "Mum" and my next clue.

"Clue #7: This is your final stop!! Do you know what the riddle is yet??? The location is where we saw a little orphan in the park". First I have to tell you, I knew this answer... but before I could say it aloud, Lily and Kasi were saddened and confused about us actually seeing a sad orphan alone in a park. We quickly were laughing again when I explained that Brad and I saw "Annie" at the Zilker Hillside Theater!!! So, we were on the road again, headed to Zilker. 

Now, if you haven't been paying attention, let me re-cap the names of the flowers... notice the first letter of each name:

Mum

Aster

Rose

Rose
Yoko-Ono

Mum

I already thought this adventure was leading this direction but I still hadn't gotten the last letter (which I knew to be "E") and I didn't know when or where I would see Brad. I quickly realized what was about to happen when Kasi and I arrived at Zilker and I could see Brad waiting for me. I was so thankful that Kasi was there to capture this moment....

After I finished crying, Brad explained that he was taking me to dinner at a favorite place of mine, Mandola's. At this point, I said goodbye to Kasi and Rush.

We went to Mandolas and had a YUMMY dinner. We each called our parents and sent various text messages to friends. It was a relaxing dinner and we had fun telling each side of the adventure. He got to hear about the fun we had and I got to hear about all the hard work and preparation he had done. 

After we ate, we decided to walk to their dessert counter for something to take home. However, as we headed that way, I glanced out on the patio and saw my friend Sally. I was surprised to see her but my initial thought was "she doesn't live far from here, she is probably here with friends". Except, I looked over and saw Kelly (from my Kerbey Lane clue) and quickly realized something... they don't know each other!!! Then I looked around and realized that a ton of our friends were at that table (most of the clue people too)!!! Brad had pulled off one last surprise that evening! I started jumping up and down and yelling like I had just won the Showcase Showdown. I ran outside and hugged everyone.

Front: Michelle & Kelly, Back: Sara, me & Brad

Front: Suzanne, Laura & Mary. Back: Braden, me, Brad & James

We got to visit with everyone and tell about the adventure. I was filled in on just how much everyone knew-- including a whole bunch of people that couldn't be there that night. My phone was going crazy with text messages and Facebook posts. It was a great way to end the evening. 

As we were leaving Mandola's Brad got a message from Joel (Inner Space Caverns clue). He and his Mom had gotten lost and never made it to the restaurant. We made arrangements to meet for a quick visit at Chili's. Joel and his mom, Darla, are very special people and very important to Brad (and now me). I couldn't bear for them to not be part of our special day!! We enjoyed a nice time with them but we slowly realized that the adrenaline of the day was leaving us and we got very tired. We said our goodbyes and Brad took me home. He helped me assemble the flowers from the day and without even realizing it, he had put together a beautiful bouquet...

We said our good-nights and I fell into bed exhausted. It had been a remarkable day. I am so touched by the love I felt today... both from Brad and everyone involved. I couldn't have asked for a better person to be with me all day than Kasi and one day, when he is older, I will tell Rush about how he was with us on that important day and thank him for being a trooper. Kasi and all of the people involved will now and forever be part of "our story" and the special way Brad proposed.

So, I can officially call Brad my fiance. Something tells me this Amazing Race has only just begun. We are sure to have more adventures and I look forward to a lifetime of surprises. He will keep me guessing, for sure. And now... time to plan a wedding!!!

Two new things...

This weekend Brad adopted a dog!!! We have named him Samson...

Second, I got this tonight...

More details on both when I have had a chance to breathe. :-)

The National WWII Museum...

If you are ever in the NOLA area, I highly recommend spending an afternoon at the National World War II Museum. And you will need an afternoon… it takes a couple of hours to get through the exhibits and we still could have gone back for more. There is also a hour-long 4-D movie that is a must-see. “Beyond All Boundaries” includes the voices of many of Hollywood’s top actors like Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Garner, Neil Patrick Harris and Tobey Maguire- just to name a few. Tom Hanks is the narrator and Executive Producer.

The exhibits are very well done and cover every bit of the war… no matter how small the battle or remote the island. It shares faces of the war- both military and civilian. It tells the stories of loss and victory, celebration and heartbreak. We all left with a real sense of the personal side of the war- not just statistics or artifacts. And I got a “Rosie The Riveter” t-shirt that I love! I have always thought I would have enjoyed that era… I think I would have been a Rosie and also frequented the USO shows to do my part!

As a special treat, the last thing on our agenda was a nice dinner at The Stage Door Canteen. This is a dinner theater at the museum! We enjoyed a nice 3 course meal and then a show. The show called, “Let Freedom Swing” was a live show with singers and dancers. It showcased the classic music of the WWII era. We heard tunes like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. It was very enjoyable!! I know my Mom and I thought of my Grandmother many times… this was her kind of music.

Before the show started they asked if there were any WWII Veterans in the audience and one man help up is aged and frail hand. The entire auditorium was soon on their feet and applauding. He just smiled and waved. Towards the end of the show, my eyes wandered over to him. They had just started building up to the finale, so all of the songs were patriotic… he was singing every word and clapping- just having a great time. I couldn’t take my eyes off him and the pride he showed with every stanza he sang. The final number was “God Bless America” and even from across the auditorium, I could see him beaming. He eventually broke down in tears and put his face in his hands. I will forever remember that moment… he made me cry too and I am choked up as I type this. I can never begin to understand what he saw or did while serving us. No movie or book will come close to his reality. I take for granted every day that there are service men and women sacrificing so much so that I don’t have to. When I sing the words to “God Bless America” I am proud to be an American… but when he sings the words it is because he knows what it truly MEANS to be an American. We can learn so much from this generation of people that are beginning to become fewer and fewer in number.

Brad then drove us home so we could all sleep. Thankfully, the time change would give us a little extra time to sleep the next morning. (But that didn’t stop Brad from coming into my room to wake me up… he was telling me I had overslept and missed church! He and my Mom later figured out they were looking at clocks that hadn’t been changed!) After church and a quick lunch, we loaded up and started the drive home. It was a great trip, even though it was short. We will be spending Christmas with them, so I can’t wait to see them again soon!

The Magnolia State & The Big Easy...

Other than a quick breakfast a few months ago as my Dad passed through town, Brad hadn’t spent any time with my parents. He hadn’t even met my Mom! I consider myself to be very close to my parents so it would only make sense that the man in my life know them too. So, we planned a road trip to Mississippi for a long weekend. We both worked half-days last Thursday and then drove 10 hours and arrived late last night. (Well, Brad drove… I navigated and passed out refreshments as needed.)

Friday we enjoyed a leisurely day around town. We slept in a bit and enjoyed breakfast with my Mom (Dad had to work). Then my Mom drove us around town to give Brad the tour. Hattiesburg isn’t a “large” town but since we came in at night, Brad didn’t get see any of it! We drove through The University of Southern Miss and my Mom pointed out where she and my Dad work, the stadium, etc. (For those of that don’t know-  Bret Favre is a former Golden Eagle.) Then we drove by the movie theater. Brad and I decided to buy tickets for “Due Date” and then when we got back in the car, Mom mentioned that she and my Dad wanted to see “Red”… well, so did we! So, we jumped out and bought tickets for that too!! Brad and I returned to the theater later that day for our movie, then switched theaters and were joined by my parents! It was a fun double-feature day. (By the way… go see “Red”- great movie.) We made it an early night because we were taking a family day trip the next day… we were heading to The Big Easy!!!

We were up early and on the road. By the way… apparently there are very few fast food breakfast options in the middle of the Pine Belt on a Saturday morning. Grrr… I digress. Upon arrival to New Orleans, we maneuvered around downtown to the first thing on our agenda… a bus tour of the city. For Brad and my Dad, it was their first time to NOLA. This was a great way to see everything in two hours! We drove through a lot of the neighborhoods and saw all the awesome architecture. Sometimes tourist only see downtown (aka Bourbon Street) and don’t get outside and see the beauty of the city. We made a stop at one of the famous above ground cemeteries.

Reading old, old, old tombstones.

This is the "rental property" section. That's right- you can rent a crypt for up to 5 years! Then they dump you out and put in the new lessee on top of you!

After our bus tour, we walked around downtown a bit and strolled through the French Market. It is fun to see all the different kinds of food, Mardi Gras masks and souvenirs… mixed in with random sunglasses and cell phone stands!

Woo hoo!!

Then we headed to The Market Café in the heart of the Quarter for lunch. We all went traditional with our choices… Mom and I shared a bowl of Gumbo and we each got Shrimp Po’ Boys. My Dad got a bowl of Jambalaya and Brad tried his first ever Muffaletta. We even had two different jazz bands serenading us!

When we were all as full as can be, we jumped back in the car and headed over to the main attraction for the day… The National World War II Museum. 

Catching up... Surprise Sunday

Sunday was the day I knew little about. For a couple of months, Brad had been planning a big surprise for me and had given me few details (despite my begging). The only thing he had ever told me was that we needed to be back in Dallas around noon and that he had bought me "a surprise for my surprise". He was having a great time torturing his planner of a girlfriend.

So, we got up early the next morning and headed to breakfast. A very good friend of Brad's is a Singles' Minister in Tyler. So, we met Jim, his wife and their daughter for a quick meal before they headed to church. They are great people and we had a great time even though it was short. After we said our goodbyes, we were on the road again, Dallas bound. 

About 10 minutes before we arrived at our destination, Brad told me to close my eyes... so, I kicked my seat back and closed my eyes... I had NO clue where we were. The car slowed and Brad rolled down his window and began to talk to someone- I hoped for a clue. Nothing. They were just negotiating parking arrangements. I stayed where I was and kept my eyes closed as Brad parked the car. He tells me to wait and I hear bags rustling in the back seat. Then he says, "You ready?? Open your eyes!"

I open my eyes to him holding my "surprise for the surprise", a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt. I screamed something like "GET OUT" or "NO WAY" and then shot up out of my seat. I looked all around and sure enough, I saw the stadium in the distance. We were going to the game! I was so excited, I just about cried. I changed into my new shirt, grabbed my cap from the day before and we jumped on the shuttle bus to the stadium... I still couldn't believe it. Brad had bought tickets from a good friend that has season tickets.

Now, here is where I make a small sidebar to fill in a few details. Brad is a liar. A big liar. I still love him... but he lied for the sake of this surprise. Why do I say this? Because I am a smart cookie I actually figured this surprise out the day before. While we were on the stadium tour, I realized that the time frame Brad had mention for the surprise matched the game time. He saw the light bulb come on and asked me what I thought it was... I said, "Are we going to the game tomorrow? If we aren't, it is okay and I will still love whatever it is!!!" He lowered his head, looked disappointed, dropped his voice a few octaves and said, "No, honey. We aren't... I am sorry." Sigh...

Several people knew about the surprise, including our breakfast date, Jim. Over breakfast he even said during conversation about the tour... "Oh, Dallas has a home game today?" Lies... all lies. Oh well, it was all done in love... back to the game. 

We got off the bus and were running a bit late. We ran into the stadium just in time for the National Anthem. We found our seats (which were great) just in time for kick-off and had a blast. 

Halftime

As expected (sadly), Jacksonville beat Dallas 35-17. However, it was still SO much fun to be there. The jumbo TV was truly huge, the Cheerleaders outfits really are that tiny and Cowboys fans still love their Boys. 

After the game we had one more stop on our marathon weekend... dinner with my good friends Kathleen and Dennis. Since I didn't know about the game, I had to get Brad and Kathleen in touch to work out the details. They had never met before but they were practically best buds after making all the arrangements. 

For those of you that don't know Kathleen and Dennis, I used to work as Kathleen's Executive Assistant when she was the VP for a DFW area staffing company. Not only is she a great friend but to this day, she is one of the best supervisors I have ever had. It had been about 5 years since I had last seen them... which is WAY too long. I look forward to keep in touch with them. 

After dinner we drove back to Austin. It had been a FULL weekend of Cowboys, friends and surprises. The next week of work would be a short one... we would be leaving Thursday and driving to The Magnolia State!

Catching up... Cowboys & Casting Crowns

Okay- I PROMISE there are only a few more posts that will start with "Catching up..." Its my own fault for doing fun stuff and not blogging about it! I want to share the fun!

The last weekend of October was a fun road trip for Brad and me. Most of the weekend I knew about and had helped plan. However, there was a large chunk of the weekend (Sunday), I didn't know anything about! More on that later...

The original reason for this road trip was to see one of our favorite Christian bands, Casting Crowns, in concert. We had missed their Austin show so Brad got online and found that their only other Texas date was in Longview. Yes, we are just crazy enough to go. For you non-Texans... Longview is about 5 hours Northeast from Austin. Out in the middle of nowhere East Texas. It is about 2.5 hours from Dallas, so we decided to head to Dallas first to do something I had been dying to do... tour the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium!

At this time I should mention that Brad is a Redskins fan. So, I give him a lot of credit... when his Cowboys fan girlfriend said how important this was to her, he didn't even flinch. He even bought me a Cowboys cap to wear on the tour! However, at the beginning of our tour, the guide asked what other teams were represented. Brad didn't hesitate to speak up. To which he was immediately booed. That's right- less than 5 minutes into the tour, he was booed. Yes, I booed too. :o)

We had pre-purchased VIP Tour Tickets and if you are ever planning on touring this place, I can't recommend this enough. We were allowed into Jerry Jones' "Private Perch" (where the tour guide joked, "is where Jerry calls the plays"). It even has a private elevator directly down to a field entrance. 

Inside Jerry's Perch

Yes, there is even a full-scale fountain inside the stadium.

Within 4.5 minutes these large windows that are located at each End Zone be opened to provide a cross-wind on nice days. They have to time it well though... if either side is opened without the other mirroring it, the wind force is so strong, it would knock the windows out!

  

We also got to go in the player's locker room and the locker room for the cheerleaders. 

And the room where the post-game press conferences are held. 

As a final bonus, we were allowed out on the field which was awesome. We ran around taking all sorts of fun pictures.

 

 As part of our ticket price, we even got a free picture on the star!

The House that Jerry Built is a sight to see!! There isn't a bad seat in the house and there wasn't a single detail overlooked. Including a jumbo screen TV. In fact, "jumbo" doesn't do it justice. I am not sure there is a word that truly describes the size of this thing. Let's just say it is Jerry-sized... you need to see it to believe it!

After all the Cowboys fun, we jumped in the car and made the drive to Longview for the concert. It was in a tiny "convention center" and they put on a GREAT show!!! 

Afterward, we spent the night in Tyler. Sunday was going to a full day that would begin with breakfast with friends in Tyler and then the rest, I knew nothing about... and Brad was loving that fact.