Almost Paradise and Thank You's to My Wedding Angels!

Well it's crazy to say this but....I've been married 5 whole days!
Yeah, I know, not a lot really. In comparison though, I've been NOT married for 9241 days!
Now that's a lot of days!

Alright, enough with the exclamations. Today is the last day Justin and I have on our honeymoon before we start our trek back to the airport and eventually back home. We've had a really good time, but last night--though we may not have wanted to admit it--we were both homesick. When I said I wanted to go back home, Justin took no offense. But when he said he was homesick I started saying things like, "You're not having a good time with me?! :( "

Truth is, you can't live in fantasy world forever. There is never a (healthy) situation in which two people continuously exist alone in any given environment. Though my husband and I were created to love and meet each other's needs in many ways, there are other people in our lives for a reason.
I miss my friends. I miss his friends which have now become close friends of mine. I miss our puppy. I miss our church, our small group. I miss all my pianos, my piano students.
So I would say this...is ALMOST paradise.

Don't get me wrong, we have had an amazing time! Every moment special; every moment new. From watching Justin's excited face as we landed in the airplane to asking the lady at a shop downtown if she had seen my husband exit the store. We've made snowballs, we've climbed mountains, we've become repeat visitors of our favorite restaurants in the last week. We've learned the game of gin...of which I am the master ;)

This has been a glorious vacation which will be repeated with our friends (not necessarily in Steamboat Springs).

But life must go on. I have to go home and figure out how to
A) Get 30 new piano students before 2014
B) Get a substitute teaching job
C) Drag myself back into the world of retail management
until the wedding is paid off.

Who knew one day could cost $15,000?!

It was worth it though. I kept saying to everyone I talked to at the wedding, NOTHING went wrong! Like literally, there is not one thing I regret, one thing I would've changed. And even when a little mishap arose, I had so many wonderful friends and family members (and photographer) that kept everything running smoothly.

Everyone deserves an eternity of gratitude and hugs but to start here is a list of the people who helped make our day of wedded bliss forever memorable:

1. Allen Frans- I mean, he was the one who married us. From the first time Justin and Allen met, I knew I had chosen the right man. Allen, having known me since he was first married, has played a prominent role in praying for my future husband. And here we are, prayers come into fruition and it's a beautiful beautiful thing!

2. Aida Millan- Technically my aunt, mom in my heart. She literally went above and beyond anything I could have ever asked of or dreamed of! For those who were there last Saturday, everything you saw besides the people: chairs, tables, decorations, flowers, centerpieces, aisle runner, rose petals, archway...she did it all, she BROUGHT it all from Houston! That's love! Anything I needed in the 3 months of planning she was there. Even when bridezilla started to escape, she let it fly and loved me sacrificially. I will be forever grateful to everything she did for me that day!

3. Rebecca Snider- My beautiful maid of honor. There is no one like her! We had worked together for a little over a year always casual acquaintances at work. Until I left the store to work elsewhere. Then we became venting friends...you know the kind you only text to bitch about your day or your coworkers. A couple weeks after that I finally had pinned down a date for the wedding and was thinking about who my MOH would be. I didn't really know Rebecca that well at that point, but I knew she was young, single, detail oriented, had lots of free time, and loved me. As her manager for most of that first year I feel comfortable saying that I knew what I said, she would do. Not in an evil submission sort of way, but in that she respected me and I trusted that she could get things done (whatever things may be). BEST DECISION of my life! Rebecca is now one of my closest friends and I cannot imagine my life without her. From weekly planning, to late night texting, painting trees, to water moccasin skins :P  proud to call her a friend and excited to see what life has in store for her.

4. Jennifer Schmitt- My sister in love. We've only known each other a short time, but each time I see her, I love her more. I think we've already decided her and I are the only ones in the Schmitt family who will tell it like it is. Thank you for our birth control (Christian). Thank you for our awesome girl talks when you stayed at our house. And a special thank you for curling my hair 30 minutes before my wedding because I couldn't figure out how to use the freaking curling wand! lol
We both have a sister now and I wouldn't want it to be anyone but you :)

5. Shelly Cook- a precious friend who colored in all the edges. You know when you have a picture you're coloring or painting and you're not sure what it is? You just make a bold outline on every edge and before you know it, a beautiful creation has been made. Seriously thinking back, I can't remember when I became friends with Shelly. Some things I do remember are changing Serah's poopy diaper in nursery when she was about two. I wasn't quite sure what to do with pull-ups, so I just pulled them down...yeah 'nough said on that front. I also remember her husband talking me thru some pretty difficult times in my 2 weeks at ETBU in 2009. However it happened, Matt and Shelly are both very important people in my life and for my wedding, Shelly was my life saver! She made sure everyone in the wedding party walked in on time, she made sure paint was sitting by our canvas for the ceremony when it couldn't be found. I honestly don't know all the things she did, but I know my wedding was awesome partly, in thanks to her! AND she took all my bridal pictures from 2-3 posts back!

6. Chris Osip- Oh goodness, my fantastic neighbor! I didn't check out who I was living nearby when I got my house a couple years ago, but I sure hit the jackpot. You know you're in good hands when a plea for help on wedding programs (less than 24 hours before the wedding) lands Chris in your living room 15 minutes later showing you exactly what to do on a laptop she can't figure out :P
Love you so much!

I know there's lots of people I am forgetting but please know, I am so thankful for everyone who came and served and loved Justin and I on our wedding day. You will never be forgotten!
We actually didn't know there were that many people that loved us lol :)

Austin/Round Rock Festivities

Started making this for a friend visiting town and wanted to share because I think it's a pretty good tour guide!

So I know you had said you hadn't decided where you wanted to go so here's a few of my suggestions by location:

ROUND ROCK

Restaurants:

1. Chuys $
 http://chuys.com/

Seriously some of the best Tex-Mex in town! Be sure to ask for the free jalapeno ranch dip if you go (you gotta know to ask ;)

2. Tokyo Steakhouse $$$ 
http://www.tokyosteakhouseaustin.com/round-rock/#/home/

This place is AMAZING! You'll spend about $40 per person, but they cook the food in front of you and do tricks...just wonderful!

3. Fortune Garden $
http://fortunegardenrr.com/

If you're looking for good Chinese/Vietnamese food, this is the place! Really reasonable prices and large plates of food. If you like lemonade, it's fresh squeezed here...mmm mmm good.

4. Olive Garden $$
http://www.olivegarden.com/Menu/

I know it's a chain restaurant and you probably have one in Lincoln, but we frequent the one in Round Rock so much we know all the waitstaff's names...it's just good! P.S. A side order of Chicken Parmesan is $4! You have to ask specifically for that one too.

5. Rudy's BBQ $
http://www.rudysbbq.com/page/home

Good for breakfast tacos, lunch tacos, dinner tacos...coolest hand wash station!

6. Torchy's Tacos $

http://www.yelp.com/biz/torchys-tacos-round-rock

It's Texas, everyone's always trying to come out with new tacos. Well these are some of the best. My fav from here is the fried avocado taco, it's delicious!

7. Taco Shack $
http://tacoshack.com/

Again, another staple in the Austin area for yummy tacos. This place closes early though (I think 2pm) so don't make any plans for dinner here.

8. The Famous Round Rock Donuts
http://www.roundrockdonuts.com/

You're gonna have to sneak these back on the plane with you. You'll WANT to smuggle them back. Seriously, BEST combination of flour, sugar and water in the entire world. I'm not biased or anything :P

Places to See:

1. The Round Rock
http://static.logbookexplorer.com/photos/RoundRock5-large.jpg
There literally is a rock that the city is named after, since we've had some rain it should be pretty nice right now. It's right in the center of town and there's several places you can just park and walk around, great for taking pictures and any stranger you see will be glad to take your picture :)

2. Round Rock Outlet Mall/IKEA
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=73

In the mood to spend more money?...this is the place to be. This entire shopping center (Outlets on North side of FM 1431, IKEA on South side) is filled with so many places to shop, eat, and just look around. This would be a good place to hang out around Saturday before the wedding because it's less than 10 minutes from the venue.

NORTH AUSTIN

(I make a distinction because though Downtown Austin is cooler, there's WAY less traffic in north Austin)

Restaurants:
Really if you're gonna spend time in N. Austin at all, your best bet would be to go to the shopping center called The Domain...
 http://www.simon.com/mall/the-domain
Here are some of the restaurants you'll find in this specific location:

1. Maggiano's $$$
http://www.maggianos.com/EN/Austin_Austin_TX/Pages/LocationLanding.aspx

Such delicious Italian Food! It is a little on the pricey side, but totally worth it for what you get. For every dinner entree you order, you get one to take home (and it doesn't have to be the same entree either). Great ambient setting and classy feel, dress pretty!

2. The Daily Grill $$
http://dailygrill.com/locations/daily-grill-austin-texas

Just staple American food. Shrimp, chicken, steak, pasta, good bread...one of my fav side dishes is the baked carrots in some syrupy sauce oh my that's good!

3. Gloria's $$
http://www.gloriasrestaurants.com/

Beautiful restaurant! Great margarita's and classy Mexican Food (there is a difference between Tex-Mex and Mexican ;)

4. California Pizza Kitchen $
http://www.cpk.com/

For something a little more casual, this place has a nice little pizzeria feel. I always get the mac and cheese (it's a HUGE bowl) and just to do me over,,, the fried mac & cheese bites are delish (also the cheapest food on the menu lol)

Places to See:

Really there's just shopping...lots of shopping!

Between the quiet of Round Rock and the busyness of Austin, the city just built shopping center after shopping center for those people sick of waiting in traffic lol.

1. The Domain
 http://www.simon.com/mall/the-domain

2. The Arboretum
http://www.simon.com/mall/the-arboretum
3. Gateway Shopping Center
http://www.simon.com/mall/gateway-shopping-center

DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

Restaurants:

1. Hula Hut $$
http://www.hulahut.com/#menu

Same owners as Chuy's in Round Rock, but WAAY better atmosphere. It's set on one of the lakes in Austin with indoor/outdoor seating. Would be beautiful for a sunset dinner (Friday). Parking is kinda tricky though. Your best bet is to valet ($6 I think) or just park across the street and walk, it's just a crosswalk away.

2. Cantina Laredo $$
http://www.cantinalaredo.com/

This would be best for a Sunday morning brunch. These have decently priced mimosas and a great assortment of food. The portions are a little more health conscious than most Mexican food places so eat to your heart's content! If you like guacamole be sure to order the table-side guac. They make it right in front of you! You may want to set a 3 basket of chips limit or you'll have NO room for anything else! Delicious desserts as well...one of my personal favorites hands down!

3.Austin Land and Cattle Company $$$
http://alcsteaks.com/

Oh lord, if you like steak you have to make a dinner reservation here! BEST steaks of my life!

Very large portions, very subdued atmosphere. No loud music, usually candlelit setting. No words of mine would do justice. Just try it! I promise you won't regret it.

4. Central Market $
http://www.centralmarket.com/in-store.aspx?store=austin_lamar

So this is both a place to eat at and a place to see. It's grocery shopping on a heavenly level. All sorts of cool things to check out there (besides foodstuffs) and a great cafe area to pick up whatever your heart desires...great selection and very reasonable price wise!

5. HEB $

Ok, so I just realized if you've never been to Texas...you've never been to HEB!!!!! The newest one actually just opened up in Round Rock (near the Outlet Mall & IKEA) but it's Austin, where you are never more than 10 minutes from a local HEB. The best grocery store chain around. I always go in and make meals out of the samples and delis in there.

6. Kerbey Lane $$
http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/cafe-locations/central-2/

They have a couple locations as well. If you go, order the Kerbey Queso and don't order the lamb enchiladas. I did, not sure why I thought that would be a good idea :-/

Delicious teas and coffee, vegan and gluten free options. I had soy chorizo! Not sure how one makes soy chorizo, but it was definitely delicious!

Places to See:

1. The Capitol
http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/Tours.htm

Who doesn't love old buildings where history is being made every day?! Beautiful view as you drive down Congress Ave. I recommend parking in a garage near 15th & Congress (to avoid frustration) and either walk or use the city transportation options...horse-drawn carriages, bicycle-drawn carriages, Longhorn-drawn carriages...ok just kidding about the longhorn one lol but you get the picture.

2. Zilker Park
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/zilker-metropolitan-park

Amongst the million or so people living in Austin, this beautiful scenery is preserved and well maintained. In the summer months I'd recommend kayaking (rentals) but in the fall month simply walking through the trails and open greenery has the ability to soothe the soul. Take a kite, take a picnic, prepare to be relaxed. This may just convince you to stay in Austin forever :D

3.Bob Bullock Museum
http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/

For a little bit of fun with history, check out this place. They even have an IMAX theater that's always running cool films, even recent releases sometimes! It is mostly Texas history, but hey...Texas was almost it's own country once; it deserves a museum to itself!

Well that is only scratching the surface but I hope it gives you some ideas!