2nd Anniversary! WHOA!

So, I'm a little behind, obviously. This is not because our 2nd anniversary wasn't awesome, because it was, but simply because my goodness we haven't been home in what feels like 4 years. We just got back from our cruise though, which I'll write about at a later date, but it's nice to be home.

So anyways, our 2nd anniversary came and went and we had a fantastic day! We went kayaking on Town Lake, went to lunch at Magnolia Cafe, checked out an upholstery shop, made a fantastic dinner together, and compromised on a movie and watched the Italian Job. Overall, it was the perfect day!

More importantly...here comes the sap...our second year of marriage has been amazing. Last year, I remember thinking how much we had learned the first year, but as it turned out..God wasn't finished with us yet. Not that this is a surprise, but each year it's different. I can't wait to see what is ahead when we reach years 10, 25, 50.


So here's what we've learned this year...

10. Brad can whistle, Rachael can't. Sad but true. Important things.

9. I love to shop for little things to make our house feel like a home. Brad doesn't really have a huge desire to do the same, but he lets me, because he rocks.

8. Every time I hear Brad pray I am reminded of the blessing the Lord gave me when he brought Brad into my life. He loves the Lord, and he loves me, and my life is blessed.

7. We now have a laundry basket next to our hamper, so for the clothes that don't make it in to the hamper, but only make it on top of it...it's so easy to put them in the basket. Compromises.

6. Brad's an awesome listener. I don't know how. If I had to listen to me talk all the time, I might pull my hair out.

5. Sometimes our definition of clean is different. However, we have found a way to work that out. It only took two years...we're set for the next 68.

4. I flat out love spending time with Brad. Coming home to him at the end of the day is possibly the best part of the day.

3. Brad loves football, I mean he really loves it. I love naps. You see how this works.

2. Brad is handy. Seriously. He refinished my sewing table, painted our house, fixed the shower, replaced the water heater, fixed the Rodeo, killed the bugs, and got rid of the tarantulas. I, on the other hand, am EXCELLENT at standing and pointing out the tarantulas, explaining what's broken for Brad to fix, and picking out paint color. Good thing we're married or I'd really be in trouble.

1. Circumstances are not what make us who we are. It's easy to get comfortable with a lifestyle and with our own plans and schedules, but the beauty comes when we remember that we are not in control. We have not been forgotten, the Lord works in all things according to His will. Our situation changed this year, but that was part of His plan. We are trying to be still before Him, to hear where he is leading. We know He's doing big things in us...we're still in a waiting period, but we're waiting together, and there is nowhere else I'd rather be.

Lafayette and a beautiful wedding!

So catching up a bit, we were able to head up to Indiana to spend a week with my family and to celebrate El and Ryan's marriage! It was the PERFECT visit! It had been too long since we were able to be home and not in a rush the whole time, and we just loved the opportunity to spend time catching up!

As always, I seriously considered a kidnapping of our precious nieces, but thought that would not be so wise. However, they are just perfect. We just love them! They get so big every time we go back, and it's hard to believe how much we miss, but when we're home it's just amazing to see all they've changed! Emily just is so smart and talks so much! She can make you feel like you are her best friend in the world. Anna is just so full of energy and smiles. She's just a little fire ball and we love it! Next time we're home we are sure she'll be walking like a champ!

While we were home we were able to see almost all my family, we missed those we didn't see but we had a great time with our family time at Mom and Dad's and then with the cousins at lunch at BW3's. We were able to catch up with lots of friends, we slept in EVERY DAY, I got a mani/pedi (WOOOO), ate some delicious food. It was FANTASTIC!


At the end of the week was Ellen and Ryan's wedding! Ellen was a BEAUTIFUL bride! She was so calm too, I mean, so easy and simple. That's part of what makes Ellen who she is, and I just love her for it! The wedding was beautiful and we're so excited for their new marriage! Thanks El and Ryan for letting us be a part of your day!

That was our visit, I'll spare you the play by play because I'm long-winded but it was exactly what we needed! We had such a great time!

Next update: Our 2nd Anniversary! Yay!

Wicked!

So last night we went to see Wicked with some of my coworkers. It was FANTASTIC! We (I) have been wanting to see this since college, like junior year. I know that maybe that does not seem like such a long time - but three almost four years! Whoa! So you can imagine, when the tickets came up at a decent price, I JUMPED at the opportunity! In Chicago, at least the sites I looked on, those tickets cost $100-200 and when you're in college, you know, you're broke. Brad wasn't super pleased with me when I told him I intended to buy the tickets...he told me I'm not easy to surprise since he planned on buying tickets for me. Whoops.

Anyways- it was great! We had such a good time! It's funny, cute, sad, lovey-dovey. All the good stuff. I must say I thought the costumes were so pretty too. Last night the understudy played Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and in NO WAY could you tell she was an understudy. She was amazing. The woman who played Glenda was hilarious. As a sidenote - she had also played Sharpay in the national tour of High School Musical...and not to say I follow that sort of thing (though I have been known to be a fan) I could totally see her in that role!

ALSO - for those of you in Austin. If you're interested in going, and you don't have a ticket - they have a raffle before every production for $25 Orchestra section seats. Those are good seats! You have to put your name in 2 hours before the show, and then they do a raffle. I mean, that's a good deal! Go for it, that's all I'm saying.

In other news...the garage is officially organized! My next project that I started today was the closet. I definitely had let this get a little out of hand. I apologize deeply to my mother after her perfect organization when she was here...it went a little by the wayside. Anyways, I'm organizing and trying to get rid of clothes that my sweet husband doens't wear anymore. I had to stop in the middle, I got a little discouraged. This will be my last project of the week. Seriously.

Also - we are Indiana bound in 3 days!! Yay!

Organization

I get a thrill out of organized things.

Seriously, a thrill. Like it makes my heart beat faster.

This BY NO MEANS is meant to imply that I am all that organized. Because, truly...I'm not. I also like to read and be in the sun...which slightly hinder the organization process.

Anyways, I woke up today determined to get some things done today. We're going to paint a little this week, and since I'm pretty much worthless in that department, I thought I would rock it out in my department.

So, halfway through laundry and dishes, I decided it was time to organize our pantry. It had gotten a little out of hand. If asked, my mom could definitely vouch for the fact that closets have always been my little devil area. I fold things sometimes because I'm too lazy to get a hanger. This would work if the stacks weren't out of control. Our pantry had become my own little closet. Not for clothes, obviously, but it was the catch all. Cleaning supplies, sliding pads to make moving furniture easier, cookbooks, light bulbs, a roadside tool kit (in the house?), and then all our food. I probably only spent 30 minutes total...but it looks AWESOME! Things are where they belong. I had to just stand and smile at it for a minute. I love it.

I got the same sense of satisfaction when we moved into the apartment and I had our guest closet organized perfectly!

So now I'm on my way out to organize the garage...in the 100 degree weather. Sad the lengths for such a silly pleasure. Oh well! It's a day off and I LOVE a clean house!

The countdown is on until we head up to Indiana for a whole week! 5 Days and we will arrive!! WOOOOOOOOO! We're so excited!

Hope you have a great week!

Weekends!

I have come to truly appreciate the weekends. I LOVE my job. I really do. Ask anyone who knows me, they know I love it. Good gracious though, at the end of the week, I'm exhausted. I don't say this to whine, like my job is any harder than others, because it's not. Just to say that seriously, it wears me out. All this to say, when Friday night comes I am PUMPED!!

This weekend was great. Had a birthday party of Friday night for one of my favorite doctors. I don't spend a lot of time outside of work with my coworkers, and I really enjoyed it. Saturday I announced to Brad my only plans for the day included the pool. That was it, and you better believe I did it. Shauna and I spent some quality time sunning ourselves down at the pool, and it was quite enjoyable. Grilled out with the Mullins and Chuck and Jen last night enjoying the gorgeous weather! Today time at the Stone serving with the kiddos in Kidstuff, out to lunch, clean cars, and a sparkling clean bathroom. Laundry to do, ending with Fro Yo. It's a stinking good day!

Brad was a little upset that Taco Deli didn't make my list of favorite things here in Austin. So here I am to update that we love Taco Deli. (I didn't feel that one meal qualified it as a favorite, but round two was equally as delicious so it's been officially added.)

Two more weeks of work and then we're headed home to Indiana for some quality time with friends and family! El and Ryan are getting married, and we can't wait to celebrate their day with them!

Question of the day: Anyone have any tips for getting the grossness off the shower door? Like hard water build up? But we have soft water...I am almost embarrassed to ask that question, but there has to be a way. I can't stand anything not being clean, and that shower is just kicking my caboose. I did use the magic eraser today (thank you Mom) and that worked really well. That may be my new solution.

Have to go..I see a sneaky spider trying to crawl across the floor.

P.S. Please don't judge..our house is clean. We live by a quarry - thus the weird intruders. Thanks to the Dunns though we purchased some hardcore bug killer, and this is the first spider in months! Have a great week!

My Favorite Thing about Austin:

The Austin Stone Community Church and the amazing people we have met through it.

Let me explain. Growing up going to Kossuth, I truly appreciated having a church family. I love so much about that church and the teaching there and the amazing families there. I love that that is where I grew up learning about the Lord. Then in college I found River Valley, which was amazing for when I was away from home. So basically, I was a little spoiled.

Needless to say, I was NOT excited about having to find a new church home when we moved here. I was scared and nervous and skeptical. Yes I, Rachael Allison, was skeptical. Brad had been going to the Stone since the first week he was in Austin, and I said "We're going to have to try a few different churches, we can't just go to the first one we try."

Yea right. We walked into that church two weeks from our wedding day and have not stepped foot out of it. The day we arrived back from our honeymoon, these people we cherish so much met us for dinner and made me feel so welcomed. Not to mention the few times we had been here before we moved, and the dinners/lunches/introductions that had already happened. I can't explain the way the Lord paved the way for these friendships, but I am so grateful.

Not to mention, the teaching at the Stone. We are daily challenged to grow in our walk with the Lord. This church preaches the Gospel! I am so thankful. It's definitely a little different than Kossuth, but just as Bible based, and that makes me happy! I always worried we wouldn't find one with the people like Kossuth had.

Every week, we spend time with friends and we are so thankful for the blessings they are to us. We are so far from family, and that's so tough, but these people have become our family, and they're AWESOME!

I thought of this today because last night was First Tuesday Prayer. The church has a prayer service each month, and I couldn't go last night because I was working late. I was pretty bummed about it, but after it was over Brad promised me we could meet for some frozen yogurt. Some friends came too, and it was nothing out of the ordinary, just a night out enjoying the beauty of Fro Yo. After we went home though, I just thought it was just the perfect ending to a long day. Ending with friends that you can really just laugh with and walk through life with. I love it.

So that's it, I love our life here in Austin. I love these people that we do life with.

Summertime!

I have no idea where this summer has gone. I remember college, and 3 months of summer, and how awesome and long that seemed. Now, I feel like yesterday was May...and now it's August? What on earth? I keep thinking...when summer comes life will settle down..clearly I missed that train. Summer has almost passed, and life is still crazy. Not complaining, just stating.

So...summer is almost over, but it was fantastic!

Coming up with some big things!!
Ellen and Ryan's wedding! We're so excited for this!
Disney Cruise with Carl and Rosemary! We're pumped for this too!
Possible visit from Dad to Texas!

AND...our 2nd anniversary! Goodness gracious, we were sitting today and talking and realized that we're literally a month away from being married 2 years.
I'd have to say ..year 2 has been crazy and perfect. So we're pumped to celebrate that!

Other than that...we have discovered a few new favorite things in Austin.
1. PETER PAN MINI-GOLF. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I have to thank Bradley and Uncle Bob for choosing this place to putt-putt when they were here. It's my new favorite place.
2. Frozen Yogurt. Affectionately known to us and the Mullins as Fro-Yo. Nothing like it. It's perfection in a cup. I love it. We literally at least once a week crave this. We even had some with John out in D.C.!
3. Chedd's - Gourmet Grilled Cheese. This is a new favorite for me, Brad has not experienced it yet. It's a shop completely dedicated to fun cheeses...I mean, obviously it's phenomenal.

That's all for now. Have a great night!