The Story of My Life: The year of the wedding: Austin edition

One of my biggest worries when moving away from Austin was losing my indescribably amazing group of friends. Two years later, I'm happy to report this was nothing more than a worry.

Last month, two of these friends (from different crowds) got married a week apart. Taylor and I were fortunate enough to be able to help out groom No. 1 by housesitting for him and his new bride while they enjoyed their honeymoon in Hawaii. Ricky and Cortnee have a cat, a little dog, and a big puppy. They live in a condo near downtown Austin, and we experienced some serious Adventures in Babysitting while watching over their pride and joy(s) for that week.

It was tons of fun showing Taylor around my former home. He was such a trouper meeting all my friends, eating an abundance of Tex-Mex, staying up late visiting and waking up early to attend my old running group, hearing me say things like: "This is where I used to grocery shop"..."This is where I had my first taste of Texas barbecue"..."This is where I learned to two-step."

Poor guy. I know if the roles were reversed, I probably wouldn't have been so patient. We capped off our week by attending my friend Emily's wedding. It was a lovely affair, and I'm so thankful we were able to attend.

Highlights of the trip included (but were not limited to):

The Gunn-Doyle and Mayfield-Lewis weddings
A wonderful reunion of current and former News 8 employees
The couples shower for Fernanda and John's newest addition, Vincent Vezina
Two nights sleeping and reminiscing at Chez Kling
Waking up to sunshine and feeling warm for the first time in many months
A day trip to Houston for an Astros game
Dinner, drinks, and walking down memory lane with the Brenans in Katy
Recreating a photo opp with Andrea and Jenny at the Xavier Rudd concert at La Zona Rosa
Stalking Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend at said concert
A day trip to San Antonio so Taylor could see the Alamo and the Riverwalk (not my favorite, but he enjoyed it!)
Two words: breakfast tacos
Lunches and people-watching at Whole Foods
Sitting in on legislative happenings at the Capitol
A perfect dinner at The Oasis on Lake Travis
Cooking for friends
Introducing Taylor to Amy's Ice Creams
Savoring every bite of my breakfast and enjoying the company of two of the best girls I know at Kerby Lane
Dropping off Taylor for his Saturday bike ride with a group from Mellow Johnny's

I know I'm forgetting to mention some key items, but there it is in a nutshell. I think Taylor enjoyed Austin as much as I did. Even though I won't be moving back, I'm determined to have my own place there someday, so family and friends will have an awesome vacation spot.

It's such a part of me, and I will never forget the way Austin made and makes me feel.

Dinner at Matt's El Rancho our first night...before Josh and Kevyn got engaged (this just happened last weekend!!!).

At Ricky and Cortnee's wedding, the Allan House, Austin.

I think this is an awkward picture. I need a posture check!

The happy couple!

Ricky and Cortnee dancing their first dance.

Taylor and Bailey, one of the three under our care for the week.

Taylor in front of Mellow Johnny's...we went back three times, and he went on a Saturday ride in Hill Country with a MJ group. The boy loves his cycling.

Taylor at the Texas Capitol. He's pretty excited about this!

Legislative business happening below!

We tried sneaking into Royal Memorial Stadium while under construction, but this is as close as we got. They keep that place under wraps!

Channeling his inner Vince Young.

Xavier Rudd doing what he does.

Jenny and Mike at Fernanda and John's couples shower/dinner.

Celebrating Vincent Vezina.

Andrea and Kara cut the cake at Vincent's dinner.

Awful pic of us, but good memory. Taylor will never forget the Alamo because of my attitude at having to visit San Antonio. (I mean, why would I want to leave Austin?) Photos are deceiving. The Alamo is pretty tiny.