House Hunting

So our lease ended in October and we decided to go month to month to keep our options open. We've been toying around with the idea of buying a home in Virginia or picking up and starting new somewhere else. Well the idea of a fun new adventure together won out, so if you didn't pick up on the hint in our earlier post brace yourself, we're moving to Austin! Shaun and I fell in love with the city a few years ago and it's always been in the back of our mind as an option for places to live. The stars started to align after our trip to ACL and we've decided it's the right time for us to make the big move.

Shaun was given the opportunity to transfer to Austin with work so I took advantage of the Veterans Day holiday and flew down to Austin to house hunt. And I'm so excited to introduce our new neighbors in Austin...

Yes, that's right The Richards just moved to Austin at the end of October for a short-term project with Banner. I'll keep my fingers crossed that short-term turns into long-term! So with job security and the idea of having the best neighbors in the world that really made the move that much easier to do. We're going to miss our family and friends in Virginia so much but can't wait to come back to visit and host everyone out in the great state of Texas as well!

An Aussie Affair

As many of you know I'm a sucker for accents so this wedding fell nothing short of spectacular! It wasn't just the grooms Aussie family and friends that made the night but the amazing venue, intricate details, and adorable couple we were celebrating!

Here are a few other cute couples ;)

And dance maniacs!!!

Halloween

We had a pretty low-key Halloween this year so there isn't too much to report but I couldn't go without a post as Shaun's pumpkin masterpiece is too impressive not to share!

Fourth Time is a Charm

Welcome Baby Alec and Congrats Brett, you're no longer the only boy in your family! I'm very excited to report that we now have a new generation of cousins totaling eleven. The kids almost out number the adults, kinda scary!

Peter's Family (Joe, 8, Maggie, 7, Annie, 5, Patrick, 4)

Barbara's Family (TJ, 17, Kayla, 14, Marcus, 5)

Lorrie's Family (Faye, 10, Moira, 7, Maeve, 5, Alec, 6 wks)

Austin City Limits

The three best friends headed off for another fun October getaway. Last year, we tried to hit Austin City Limits (ACL) but the tickets were sold out so we opted for Key West, not too shabby! So this year when it came time to plan our next adventure we went back to our original idea and lucked out with tickets for Sunday's show.

ACL is a three day concert event with hundreds of artists/bands performing live outside in the park. It sells out every year so maybe one time we'll be lucky enough to get the three day pass as our experience this year proved just how awesome it really is! The headliners included Muse, MIA, and the Eagles but the list of performers goes on and on.

Our weekend in Austin was a reminder of how much we love this city! We spent the first night on 6th Street reliving our college days, then opted for a more touristy day on Saturday venturing to all the neighboring areas, enjoyed the Browns Game and concert on Sunday, but topped off our vacation on Monday with the best BBQ in Texas at Smitty's in Lockhart before returning home to reality. We can't wait to return, we might just have to move here!

West Coast, East Coast

September was the month of college roomies, I headed out to San Diego for Labor Day to visit Amy and then the following week to the Big Apple to visit Muge. Both trips were such a blast, I just wish we all still lived together or at least in the same town!

San Diego was no stop, I don't know how Amy has the energy to keep up with her two little girls! I managed to survive but was ready for naptime when the kids went down, haha. We covered a lot of ground while I was there; the Wild Animal Park, Seaworld, playgrounds, and parks. Whoever said these places were safe for children should think again, we almost got attached by geese while trying to feed the ducks. I can't wait to go back and hopefully next time Shaun can join me.

The next weekend was just as tiring but for completely different reasons. Instead of trying to keep up with two toddlers I was trying to keep up with the nightlife in NYC. Needless to say I'm out of practice in both areas. However, I'm proud to report I lasted until 4am on Friday night which in turn meant we didn't make it out on Saturday night. The signs of getting old =)

Rockstars!!!

What started off as a fun and exciting getaway to the Dominican Republic with our friends Jamie and Annie turned into a dream vacation! We checked into the resort expecting to have swim out rooms however, were pleasantly surprised to have been upgraded to private villa. But with a little a disappointment of no water in our backyard we found ourselves upgraded yet again to their second largest suite on the entire property. There is no doubt about it, we lived like Rockstars while staying a Secrets Sanctuary in Punta Cana. We had a thousand nicknames for our massive suite but nothing can really do it justice unless you see it with your own eyes. I would encourage anyone to go stay here!!!

Our Villa

The top level is our RockStar Suite

In addition to our amazing accomodations, the resort had the friendliest and funniest staff we've ever met. We all had been given nicknames after our first night there and had best buddies for the rest of the vacation. We did a lot of lounging poolside, on the beach, and rafts...that conveniently floated over to the swim-up bar. So it was a very relaxing vacation but we also managed to squeeze in some water volleyball, snorkeling, and a water trampoline. And of course their was a casino on grounds so that kept Shaun happy for quite awhile! We loved every second of this vacation and even walked away with prizes for the best male and female in the beer chugging competition, something to be proud of =)