Blissful Weekend

This weekend was filled with so much goodness! Where oh where do I begin?!

Oh, I know. Babies!
Friday afternoon, after I got off work, I headed over to meet my friends precious 13 day old baby. I'm going to be honest, I used to not be interested in babies, but as I get older, I fall more and more in love with them. Baby Elliott made it easy on me. She was just as peaceful and calm as the pictures. She instantly curled into me and my heart melted right then and there! Newborns are so perfect :)

They just make my heart happy. It sure is fun growing up and seeing your friends pregnant bellies grow and meeting their sweet babies!

Next up, and very much different than babies, is Django Unchained. One word: Intense! That movie was so unreal! And I'm sure it's not far off from what it used to be like in Texas during that time, which is extremely sad. But Quentin Tarantino has a very odd sense of humor and can shed some light on some of the most politically incorrect situations. And of course there was a ton of gory scenes, oozing sounds and guns. My vote would be to go see it.


Saturday, I did a bit of shopping and while I was out, I found my wedding shoes. Very happy with them! They will be perfect for the big day!

Saturday night, we tried out this awesome Chinese BBQ restaurant (Din Ho for you Austinites). The reviews are true! You must go try it out for yourself. Scott had the duck ;)

Sunday was perfect! I joined some friends for church at The Austin Stone. It was the start of a new series that I'm ready to jump into.

 

Afterwards, we went out to Lakeway and picked up this beauty(table). More on that tomorrow.

Mine and Scott's family came over to celebrate my moms Birthday. It was almost like a mini Thanksgiving. We fried a turkey, ate green beans, potato salad, mashed potatoes, and rolls. And of course we watched the Ravens win :) See you at the superbowl, Baltimore.

My thanks go out to Martin Luther King and my state job. I was off on Monday and spent it with my mom and MIL looking for MoB and MoG dresses! They were a hoot! My mom fell in love with the first dress she tried on, and scored an awesome deal on it ! I can't wait to see everyone dolled up on April 20th! Just 87 days away :)

Happy Monday y'all!

Quick Update

Since I haven't posted in a week, I wanted to show you a snip-it of what I've been up to in pictures. I suppose I have been pretty busy trying to catch up from the Holiday. That's pretty sad considering it's been a whole week! So here I am, finally posting!

My holiday break started at 11am on Wednesday.

We met up with Scott's parents and sister for a movie. We saw Life of Pi. Wow! That was a great movie! I def recommend it. Oh and if you can see in in recliners with food, do that too!

Thursday

Turkey day. I made cream cheese brownies and green bean casserole for the family feast.

Friday

We set up our Christmas tree. These are all of our random ornaments. We don't have a theme for our tree :)

Mac was being a bit dramatic, and wanted attention. He kept moving from place to place just sitting alone and crying. Doesn't that sound sad?! He really does get attention, don't worry... Just cracked me up!

Saturday

Melvin had his first adventure to Canyon Lake. We went out to spend the day with Scott's sister and her family. Their new house was just precious!

You must watch these videos!

Melvin wasn't the best swimmer. He just needs a little bit more practice.

Sunday

Thanks to Kyndal for the pic!

I spent Sunday with girl friends celebrating at a baby shower. One of my good friends from high school is expecting, and due in January! Such a fun time.

Got lots of cuddles from this little man

Thursday

Last nights dinner that I cooked all by myself. I'm getting better(kinda) at this whole domestic thing.
That's pork cutlet, stuffing, peas and carrots. Mmmm! I want some more right now.

Tomorrow is the first day of December, CRAZY! It's going to be one busy month, that's for sure. Maybe I'll start my Christmas shopping soon... Maybe not?... Happy Friday everyone!

TCU weekend

First off, I want to introduce you to my new blog design courtesy of Hannah at Simply You Designs...What do you think?! I'm SO happy with how it turned out. It looks amazing!

Hannah is extremely talented and very professional with her design business. I actually won this design from one of Mallorie's giveaways and boy am I so glad I did. Hannah made my blog look much more appealing and gave it a special Brooke touch. Thanks again Hannah (and mallerie :))!


This weekend Scott, Milo(Scott's dad) and I drove up to Ft. Worth Texas to meet up with Aunt Connie. She was able to score some BA tickets for the TCU/Iowa State football game. Scott went to TCU a number of years ago, so he was really excited to see all the changes that have been happening on the campus! It was fun watching him go down memory lane. Not only has the campus gone through huge changes, but the stadium as well. The place was amazing! Our tickets had access to the club suit, where we ate lunch, and thawed out before the game. Since the cool front came in, it was freezing outside, but I'm not complaining! It was perfect football weather. When the game started, our tickets brought us the the second row on the 30 yard line... I told you there were BA! But sadly TCU lost :( It was still so much fun watching the band, cheerleaders, dancers, and football team play live, just a few yards away... Here's some pictures to recap.

OH, I was sooo cold!

But there is more to my weekend in Ft. Worth than just the TCU football game... If you follow me via twitter or instagram then you already know... I'll be sharing my big surprise in my next post! Stay tuned!

hint

Life as of Late

With the last post, I was feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed, but things seem to have subsided for the time being. Thank you to those of you who helped encourage me. Y'alls sweet comments mean so much. It's amazing the friendships I'm already making through blogging!

This weekends forecast included rainy, windy and slightly chilly temperatures. Does that mean fall is here?! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about the changes! Fall is my favorite time of the year. Boots, football, Thanksgiving, holiday breaks! BRING IT ON!

I planned on staying inside, reading and vegging out this weekend, but my to-do list kept growing and growing and I decided that it was time to get at it.

Starting off with a little bit of shopping...

I purchased some new curtains for our living room from World Market. They have really given the room a different feel. This picture is terrible. Maybe I'll give you a tour when it's closer to being finished. I will say the curtains are the exact colors of my walls in the living room and dining room, and they tie the two rooms together, which is exciting. Am I the only one that loves buying home decor?!

I'm in the market to buy a "Jackie O" style dress for one of my wedding showers later this month, and came across this beauty at Anthropologie. I was in love, but def NOT willing to throw down $187 bones. I'm checking out some vintage shops after work, wish me luck :)

 In other home updates, we are getting closer and closer to our guest bedroom being finished!

This is a new addition to our dining room. I got it from my mom for my Birthday and LOVE it. She did a great job!

We purchased a new couch and loveseat. Scott makes the loveseat look so tiny, but it's my favorite seat in the house! You will see more of them in the home tour!

Got snuggle time with this precious puppy. Isn't she adorable? The sad thing, she's not mine :( But now I have the puppy fever. Scott has been talking more about our future puppy lately... Maybe he's got the fever too? :)

Yesterday we got together with my family and celebrated my Uncle's 50th Birthday! It was so much fun, and great for his "low key" request. We ate at Opal Divines, mmm! This is him with his signature silly smile. Isn't he a goof?

I hope your weekend was fabulous and your Monday isn't too hard on you.

Blessed Birthday: Part I

Yesterday, I celebrated my Birthday. This year I made ZERO plans for my actual Birthday day, we just decided to go with the flow. I knew we would get some Round Rock donuts, lounge around and watch football.

It was a rainy Sunday, which couldn't have been more perfect for being lazy.

We headed out in the pouring rain to go get a special treat. The best donuts in the world. No joke. Everyone, new or old to the Austin area, knows about Round Rock donuts.

We ate them in the car on the way back home.

We watched Bernie, which was a true story, filmed in Carthage Texas. It was really neat because besides about 3 actors, the rest of the "actors" were real people from the town. So cool!

We went to my parents house around 3 to watch the Cowboys lose. I fully expected to walk in to see my parents, brother and SIL, but instead I was awed with some of my closest friends and family and a house full of decorations. They were all there to celebrate me, and I had no idea about it! I can honestly say that has never happened. Nothing ever gets past me, Scott can tell you that ;)

I walked in with tears in my eyes, shocked! I was so surprised :) I felt so special seeing my friends there to celebrate my Birthday! My mom had my favorite restaurant in Georgetown delivered for the party. Dos Salsas if your curious. It was perfect!

It was such a humbling experience. I couldn't believe my mom put this together and managed to pull this off with out me knowing about it. I was overwhelmed with all the love that was around me. My heart was so happy and I couldn't stop smiling. It is a memory I will never forget.



BTW I think Birthdays=eat what ever you want. I can't wait to tell you what I ate this weekend. I'll post it in my next Birthday recap.

aka I will be hitting the gym hard today...

Playing Pretend

at parenting...

Scott and I volunteered to babykidsit for some friends of ours a while back and they decided to take us up on our offer last night!

They've got two of the sweetest boys! One being nine and the other being 4 i think

It was a blast. I love seeing Scott interact with these boys. It's adorable. Buuuut he we have a lot of learning to do before we even think about having kids of our own. The best part about kid sitting is that you get them for 5 hours, then give them back! ha

To be honest, babysitting these days isn't that bad! Kids love technology and with the parents gone, time limits on the computer or playing video games goes out the window. It's pretty hard to peel their eyes off the screen, but we were hoping to get them to help out in making dinner. 

It turned out so great! 

Some of my favorite parts about the night:

-Songs made up about Chewbacca--These kids love starwars!

-Reading to the youngest before bed.

-"Can I sleep in y'alls bed?"

-reassuring the youngest that I knew how to brush teeth because I brush Mac's teeth. Then he trusted me to brush his. haha

-"Brooke and Scott I love you"

.....

AW! How sweet is that? There were a lot of sweet moments like that. Gotta love kids!

Our Trip in Pictures

After a week of recovery, I finally found time to share how my east coast trip went. We have been going nonstop since we got back last Monday and just now found time to update blog world. 

I had such a great time visiting Scott's family and meeting more of his relatives. Our first stop was Greenwich, CT. I knew right away that I'd fit in with the Hamiltons. His Aunts and Uncle were so welcoming, I felt right at home. I got to meet his cousins and new nieces too! I think my pictures will give you a better representation of how my trip went...

Aunt Emily's house where we stayed during our time in CT.

hydrangeas are grown everywhere there. so pretty!

 

Milo, Scott's dad, and his two sisters Helen and Emily

We ferried over to a little island off the coast of Connecticut. I attempted to swim, it was freezing!

Scott and my future FIL

Delicious dinner with the whole family!

rode the train into NYC! First timer!

My first time at Grand Central!

I met up with my friend Sam, who recently moved to NYC! So fun!

                 

Yes, this happened and it was delicious!

Brunch at the Boat House in central park! AMAZING!

My friend over at NY State of mind recommended we tour Chelsea Market. Really neat place!

...just like a kid in a candy shop... Economy Candy. Place was insane! Candy stacked to the very top of the ceiling. If you know me and candy, then you know I was in heaven haha

Sorry for the photo overload, I just couldn't help myself!

We had a great vacation. I had a lot of first timers. Like riding the subway, visiting local bars, seeing central park, riding the train, seeing grand central station and more! I have bittersweet feelings towards NYC. I don't like how it's so dirty, and can be really touristy, but there are so many other things that make it worth it. I love how diverse it is, and the energy the city gives off. I just like it in small doses :) 

I'm ready for my vacation from my vacation!

sayonara, see you later, hasta la vista and THANK YOU!

Thank you so much friends for your encouraging words, whether it be from twitter, facebook, or on the ole blog! I really appreciate your kind words. I had the interview this morning and I think it went really well! I am so happy to even have the opportunity and it really helps build my experience. I should find something out with in two weeks, maybe less. Here's to hoping!

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Tomorrow Scott and I will be flying out to New Mexico for a long weekend get away. We're going more for a business conference for Scott, so while he's taking care of buisness, I'll be relaxing :) Scott's parents are already in NM, so they'll be meeting us at the airport. We're staying at Tamaya Resort and Spa. It looks like a nice place, similar to Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop. I'm really looking forward to getting the time off and getting out of the area. I've been quite stressed lately, so I'm thinking this will be a great cure. I plan on getting lots of reading done, doing a bit of hiking, and spending time with Jan and that's pretty much it! I definitely could use this vacation.

I plan on posting from New Mexico while I'm there just to document the trip and catch up with peeps. I really love this blog world, it's so fun to see what other people are up to all over the world.

Thanks again for your kind words and encouragement :)

*Brooke*

p.s. I still need to pack. Now that is not typical Brooke. That alone tells you that I have been extremely busy. I won't get a chance to pack until 9 tonight, bring on the coffee and long night....

good times, great company!

I have been waiting all day to come home and read all my blogs as well as write a new post!

GOSH I have been busy...Want to know what I've been up to? Ok, here goes...

On Friday, Scott and I headed up to Round Rock to celebrate a friends Birthday. We met up with Thane and Amy at Quinn's Bar and toured a few others in the downtown area. We ended our tour at this Tavern bar, and we knew it was time to go elsewhere. This bar was just too unreal! It was 8 o'clock and there was a DJ, strobe lights, and it was super dark...just a little weird for our crowd! So we headed back to the Tennison's house for some pizza, wine and lots of talking! It was so great spending time with them. We also got confirmation that Thane with be officiating us! We've asked him other times in drunken states and didn't exactly know if either one of us were being serious or not, but Thane did give us his final answer that he would be more than happy to marry us. I am just thrilled! I love both Thane and Amy, they are a hoot together and  I'm really glad I got to know them through Scott!

Left: me and Amy, Right: Thane and Scott

1. Great spot for a tree, right? 2. Drunken girl talk. 3. Trouble

Saturday we woke up waaaay too early, 6:40 to be exact, made breakfast tacos and lounged around for a few hours before getting to work in the yard. For some odd reason, I love mowing the lawn. I like getting sun, the smell of cut grass, listening to Jack Johnson Pandora station and getting a mini work out all in one!It was great because each one of the house mates took on a chore. Jonathan weed whacked, I mowed, and Scott picked up Mac bombs. We make a good team. Then after that, Scott and I went on an errand run and found these little gems at Target:

They were only $3.50 on clearance! So we bought three. We ended up putting them on the outside patio/deck. I still need to get some chain to hang them from because they are a bit too high right now. And the best thing about the lanterns is that they replaced the icicle lights that were previously hanging there...men...

Sunday, we invited my brother, Brandon, and his girlfriend, April, over to have some BBQ and watch some basketball...Scott makes THE best brisket, and I'm not just biased, I've got people that can vouch for him! He also makes a mean rack of ribs, but I gotta say, they are just too darn spicy for me! They cooked for most of the day and we ate around 8. We had a spread of brisket, ribs, corn bread and beans. Delish!!!

is your mouth watering yet?

Sadly, I didn't get to see either one of my dad's on Father's Day, but I was definitely thinking about them. My dad was also cooking a brisket at this house with his family and my step dad was out of town in San Saba. My parents have a country home out there and he absolutely loves it. So my feelings weren't hurt when he said he was going out of town instead of coming to the BBQ after all... As long as they're happy, I'm happy :)

Here is a picture of my dad and I when I was probably four. It's one of my favorites. The bottom one is of me and my step dad, Bob. We are at "our" graduation party just a few months ago. He and I are so silly together!

This weekend was absolutely wonderful! I caught up on rest, saw family and friends and ate some darn good BBQ... I mean really, does it get any better than that?! Life is sooooo good!!!

Brooke :)