Happy Couple
Kat was one of my best friends in college, and while I knew she wouldn’t have tons of time to socialize, I still wanted to be there for her big day. :) Seeing the two of them smiling was definitely worth the impossibly short trip!
I had a whirlwind trip to Austin and Houston for 3 days and it was brutal! The hardest part of the weekend wasn't surviving the heat or surviving on only three hours of sleep each night. I hadn't been back home to Texas in over a year, and the hardest part of the trip was seeing such great people, but knowing it was only for a few hours. It affected me directly this trip than it did my other trips home... and I was definitely in a funk upon returning to Seattle. I'm past it now, but I still love and miss my friends. Next time I'll have to spend a week there, and till then, the pictures and babble below will serve as my visual reminders of the trip.
Before the photos start, I must acknowledge my gracious parents who let me crash in my old room and provided great hospitality, use of digital camera, and use of car! Thanks Mom and Dad!
Happy Couple
Kat was one of my best friends in college, and while I knew she wouldn’t have tons of time to socialize, I still wanted to be there for her big day. :) Seeing the two of them smiling was definitely worth the impossibly short trip!
Finally...
A chance to rest for a moment. The reception and dinner were held at the beautiful Trois Estate in the Hill Country.
Photo by Cecily
Cake and speeches!
I had lots of catching up to do with folks I hadn’t seen in years... like Kary, Vicky, Jeff, Betsy, Charles’ parents, etc. It was like a mini-reunion!
Photo by Cecily
Elizabeth & Mike
This happy couple will be hosting their own wedding coming up in October! I'm looking forward to making the trip to the Twin Cities for the festivities!
Catavento featuring Susanna Sharpe
"From the irresistible beat and sinuous melodies of Brazilian music to the soulful songs of urban Peru to the festive cha-chas and passionate boleros of the Caribbean and beyond, Catavento performs a wide variety of Latin American music in both Spanish and Portuguese, with occasional singing in French and English added to the mix." In short, they were fantastic!
Dancing Queen
Kat caught the rhythm! Quite a beautiful bride and beautiful gown!
Diana
Diana is one of Kat's oldest friends... dating back from the Michigan days before Kat's family moved to Texas
The old gang
I love Mike, Kat, Charles, Alyssa, and Chris! I think the photographer told us to dance, and I think only Mike, Chris, and I foolishly responded :)
My favorite Mr. Hedge
(It was a pretty hot day... May in Texas is summer after all)
Ms. Alyssa
Alyssa looked ravishing in her lacy dress and fantastic new haircut! (I think it's my favorite haircut I've ever seen on her)
Family fun!
Bruce and Betsy dance it up!
Mitch
I hadn't seen Mitch in way too long and it was great to catch up! Hanging out was alternatingly super comfortable and slightly awkward, where even the awkward parts were still comfortable. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. :)
I heart Beal!
Beal and I had a day long reunion as we made the most of it! I met up with her after I did breakfast with my fantastic parents. I got to see her new house, go to lunch, wander the Pecan Street Festival, go to dinner, and get drinks! It was fantastic!
Mitch & Beal
Beal wanted to meet this Mitch boy I spoke so highly of, so I brought him out to dinner with us. Who knew they'd hit it off so well after only a few hours?
Beal and I
After drinks at Club Deville, it was hard to admit the night was coming to an end... I was already missing my Beal!
Monday I drove down to Houston and spent a relaxing afternoon with my favorite Suzan, hitting parks, checking out art cars, and exploring Houston. I got to see her lovely new apartment, eat at my favorite Thai place (Thai Village), and had quality alone time with her before dinner. Dinner was lots of fun with lots of folks I'd haven't seen in a long time! We celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Chuy's, my favorite Mexican hut, and it was great to see Ajit, Crow, John Dunn, Scott Lochmann, Scott Dismukes (and his sweet girl friend), Ricky, and Sam. Small world that it is, we also ran into the Phat Pack and I got hugs from my favorite old coworkers like Wes and like Chris (who's heading back to London!).
Knowing that I only had 24 hours in Houston, I made the most of it. After dinner, Suzan and I met up with Buvy and Will who joined us for a tour of John and Erin's new house! It was quite a fantastic place... and it was quite fantastic to see everyone. After that, Will and I went out for some last night dessert at everyone's favorite greasy spoon, the House of Pies. We have no immediate plans to run away together to live in a villa in Italy, but I like to think it’d still be an option someday if I get adventurous or get laid off. :) I returned to Suzan's place late and managed to get a few hours of sleep before heading out to breakfast with Scott on my way to Austin for my flight home. Hanging out with these guys left me on such a high I really didn’t need to sleep for a week. :)
Thanks again to everyone who came out and offered their hospitality! As always, I love you all! -Cat :)