Clare Time

We have been blessed with an angel in our lives... Sweet Clare Murphy from Ireland!

Xia w/ her Clare

She has become a dear friend who also loves my child. What more could a woman/mom ask for? She is dating a guy from here and has been traveling back and forth since last year. On her last visit down, she would come and help me with Xia. She'd watch her for a few hours so that I could run an errand, make an appointment, etc. I am and will always be forever grateful for her service to me in April. She is now back in Ireland, but I know it won't be long before she makes San Antonio her home:) xoxo

Patio Time!

Back in January, we bought a patio table and chairs at our neighbors garage sale for $40. It was a steal of a deal! Next we set out to find a umbrella, which we found at Sams Club for a great price (where we find nearly all of our furniture! There or Costco.). It's been so nice extending our living area by using our patio/umbrella set.

Oscar even picked up a mosquito, insect, fly repellent/lamp at Sams! It's suppose to cover a mile radius. I must say it works pretty well:)

We've started spending time out there listening to music, enjoying coffee in the mornings, ice tea on hot days, or chilled wine after a long day. We enjoy dinner out there several times a week and sometimes even lunch mid week! It's become a little retreat for us and little Xia Bliss loves it as well:)

Not the best lighting/pic, but you can see our wonderful umbrella! It even tilts to block the sun!

Note the dog behind Oscar, probably eating some scraps that fell!! Also check out the repellent lamp in upper left corner

Xia enjoying her patio dinner in her highchair:)

Fiesta Castle Hills

Garcia family @ Fiesta Castle Hills

This year we decided on Fiesta Castle Hills (over the King Williams parade and fair) since it was close to home and because it started off with a family 5k fun run. It was a short and sweet parade (lasting all of 10 minutes!) and the little festival was small, simple, and perfect for Xia! We went with a few of our friends who also had daughters Xia's age. We all enjoyed ourselves:)

Pre-run - My original running buddy!

Pre-run - Yoga babies and future running buddies!
Me & Xia, Colleen & KT, Saretta w/ Cameryn & Cyanna

We did great @ the 5k fun run. I finished in 26:30, with pushing Xia. I think that's my best stroller time. I missed the first place trophy by one minute! Oh well - such is life!!Our running family pre-run:)

After the 5k we hurried home to change and then went to the parade on NW Military Hwy.

Xia snacking on Cheerios while watching the parade !

The Garden Club float!

Our Church, Wayside Chapel - located in Castle Hills, was involved with sponsoring the Mariachi band and selling yummy sausages! We even met the pastor there...finally! I am almost embarrassed to admit, but we've been going to our church for 4+ years and have never officially met the pastor. We love him, the church, etc, we were just not too eager about becoming too involved. Growing up, we went to a small Bible Church and everyone knew each other... and sometimes knew too much of everyone's business!!! Maybe that's why I was always stand-offish about becoming involved and even meeting the pastor. Silly I know.

Mariachi Band that Xia and friends were dancing to!

KT and Xia

Xia all dressed in her Fiesta best!

One of my bunco friends had a tent there with her 31 merchandise out. Another girl I know was working the Lions tent taking pictures with the Easter Bunny. It was so neat running into friends at such a small event!

I think next year we will plan on going to the King Williams parade to see what it's like. I know that it gets crowded, so we'll have to leave early and be prepared to contend with a crowd, but after all where there is Fiesta, there are crowds!!

Fiesta - A Taste of the Northside

Xia and I afternoon of the TONS all dressed in our fiesta outfits!

Fiesta came early this year and I was so glad, because it meant that we didn't have to wait quite as long to attend our most favorite Fiesta event: Taste of the Northside!
We've been attending for the last 6 years. It's a great event that benefits the Brigthon Center; a center that supports children with delays or disabilities.

The wine, food, and ambiance is amazing and we will be coming back for years to come:)
We ran into a lot of our friends and met up with others that we hung out with during the event.

me and Oscar...love him:)

Rhonda and I

The girls...Rhonda Murphy, me, Gina and Brenna Heffron.
We've been going/meeting up with Gina and her husband since the beginning of our TONS experience:)

The boys...Jim and Korbin Heffron, Terrence Murphy, & Oscar

DIVA DASH

Posing diva style pre-dash - pic taken w/ my ph camera and it has a dirty lens! opps!

This weekend my girlfriends and I went to Austin, TX for the first ever SHAPE Diva Dash! It was a blast. I went with my Bunco friends, met up with my post college friend (and fellow Aggie - Whoop!), Amanda, and two of my prenatal yoga buddy, Colleen and Lizzy.

Amanda, me, and Amanda's friend, Priscilla post dash

me and Colleen pre -dash

Deb and me, pre-dash
I got everyone to register and Deb got the rest organized! We're a great team:)

It was a 5k run w/ obstacles every half mile (not to scale!). The obstacles were ok - big balls pit, balancing, tubes, a wobbly "wall" to climb over, a maze, etc. I was expecting a little more challenging obstacles, but being the inaugural dash I am hoping and thinking they will improve over the next year. They only had one water station, enough said! The whole timing thing was a horrible mess... they wrote down our times as we passed the finish line. Not everyone in our group started in their designated wave - with no chip timing how are they going to figure that out? Also, there is still no official time posted anywhere! I always like to see how I finished. I didn't plan on wining the dash, but I wanted to see what the winners time was compared to mine... how did I do or didn't do?! The after party wasn't really a party... they needed more sponsors for food. They ran out by the time my wave was done, but they sold food...free snacks is a must after a race, sorry!! They did have free beer and Honest drinks - both are great freebies, but food goes along great with them! Also, their baggage drop was drop your bag in a field and hope everyone is as honest as you... not so good! Luckily we left our stuff with Colleen's husband in the bottom of their daughters stroller:).

My Bunco girls and I post dash - from l-r:
Vonna, Jenn, Cat, Deb, me, Lori, Rhonda, and Dana

After winning the tug-o-war game! Cat, Vonna, me, Amanda, and Priscilla

Overall and despite the much needed room for improvement, it was great. The concept is amazing and I'm sure that over the next year or two it will be bigger and BETTER. It's all about staying fit and inSHAPE anyway, and we all got a good burn with the many hills on the trail! I was proud of myself, my time, and my girls:)

My bunco girls and I bonded and enjoyed our much needed girl time away. We stayed the night in Austin and watched Lifetime movies, wined and dined at the most amazing Wine Bar on 2nd Street, Cru, and had Sunday brunch on Town Lake.

Cindy, Cat, Vonna, me, and Lori before the Wine Bars

Deb and I at Cru

Me, Lori, and Deb @ Friday's for a night cap