Summer Insanity

I can't believe its almost August! It feels like the summer is speeding through and I can't seem to catch up. On August 17th we will have officially been "Yankee Texans" for one full year. Well at least Andy will have. Stay tuned...I may have to post an interview with UTMB's latest and greatest PhD candidate for a "year in review".

As for our summer thus far, I must say it was nice to finally take a big breath this past weekend. We went out for sushi and a movie on Friday and I stayed in my pajamas until noon the next day. Awesome!

Here's some quick highlights of what we've been up to the past few weeks:

San Antonio!

Ever since my parents headed to San Antonio many years ago, I have had this city on my bucket list. It lived up to its full potential to be sure. While only there for an overnight, we were able to take in Texas' top two tourist attractions. The San Antonio Riverwalk and the Alamo. The Riverwalk was absolutely gorgeous. I must say it exceeded my expectations. The river runs through the city at ground level and has become a wonderful venue for restaurants and even a waterside theater that hosts musicians and local theater groups. We were quite impressed that this tourist destination has been able to remain largely focused on quality over quantity. While it was crowded with people, there weren't your typical smattering of densely packed t-shirt and trinket shops. It did have an incredible collection of restaurants and bistros to choose from. I think I could spend a couple days there checking out the different places to eat. Since we were only staying one night, we splurged on a stay at a bed and breakfast on the river. It was great to be able to stroll alongside the water before our dinner reservation. We ate at a delicious restaurant called Boudro's that specialized in authentic Texan fare and made fresh guacamole right at our table. Delicious! 

The Alamo was equally interesting. I really enjoy learning about history and they've done a great job of explaining the story behind the Alamo while preserving both the building and artifacts from the battle. There's a billboard of sorts outside of the barracks that gives a thorough explanation of the history leading up to the battle and then the eventual process of Texas becoming a state. Until that day, I didn't know that Davy Crockett died at the Battle of the Alamo. I actually don't think I knew that much about him at all to be honest. I think I had an image of Johnny Appleseed with a 'coon skin hat on his head holding a rifle. hmmm, Davy Crockett planting apple trees in military dress...Am I completely out of the loop? I have a feeling that Texans learn this from the moment they are out of the womb.

The Alamo

Austin

Both San Antonio and Austin have been two cities that I've wanted to visit. Interestingly enough, it was a visit from family that brought us to the capital city. Andy's brothers are talented volleyball players and came to Austin for this years volleyball championships. They spent a week in town playing teams from all over the country. We were so stoked to learn that the tournament would be so close. We were able to spend Saturday and Sunday with the guys and watch David's team start off their tournament play. Volleyball is really fun to watch because its so fast! I was quite impressed. We got to get the full volleyball experience. Cheering, dodging stray balls, snapping pictures. All this was followed by eating massive quantities of Mexican food at 10:30 at night when it was all over.  Yum! Despite a knee injury for John, it seems the guys had a great time playing ball for the week long tournament. Both teams did very well.

David Beck in action.

John, David and Dad Beck jumped in the car and headed to Galveston to round out their trip to TX. It was so exciting to have company and we enjoyed showing the guys around. I think my favorite part was walking on the beach Saturday night. We brought the dog with us and had a good time walking off the fajitas Andy had made for dinner. Coming back with sand all over our feet and a movie under our arms was the perfect way to end the day. For a hot second, I was on vacation, and loving it :-).

goofing around at the beach.

Throw in a couple trips home for graduations and weddings and that's been our summer. There's lots of fun coming up. Andy's best friend Rob has just taken a job at Sam Houston State. He now has his own room at our house (the guest room really, however we affectionately call it "Rob's room") and will be a consistent presence for sure. We'll have another visit from great friends back east and then a week off to enjoy some peace and quiet away from work and school before the fall semester begins. Stay cool, summer is half way through!