the whole round-up

We arrived in San Antonio on Thursday and friends were kind enough to pick us up and drive us back to Austin. Our first stop was at an awesome taco place called Torchy's Tacos- I got the Green Chili Pork taco and Taylor had the Trailer Park and Brush Fire. Soooo good and perfectly priced. After lunch we went exploring on UT's campus. And then to this cool spot...

 

 

We made dinner with friends and then went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I!!! It was definitely my favorite of the films- very well done directing and acting. 

Our next adventure was on Friday to the Texas Hill Country - Fredericksburg. This precious German town is about an hour outside of Austin with wide streets and charming shops. We tried a bunch of tasty samples at Rustlin' Rob's before getting lunch at The Auslander.

We stumbled upon a cool antique store and couldn't help taking a picture with this massive mallet. We drove back to Austin, went to a campus ministry devotional, and then to this donut trailer...

 

 

 

BIG. FAT. DONUTS. is right!! I got Mama's Cake and Tay got Razzle Dazzle. We were in donut heaven.

We were lucky enough to get tickets to the Texas game on Saturday and before the game we grabbed lunch at Plucker's - wings are a pretty good pre-game meal. And they served my sweet tea in a mason jar :)

DKR Stadium

Final Score: 51 - 17

we bought t-shirts before the game at this store

After the game we went to dinner at the home of the couple that leads the Austin Christian Church. We always feel so taken care of by God's family no matter where we are. Next, we explored downtown and then went to a secret spot with a killer view of the city. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken and none would do it justice anyway.

On Sunday we went to church, grabbed lunch at a Vietnamese place and then headed to South Congress Street to check out the vintage shops!

a cowgirl's heaven

this shop blew me away

once i saw the squirrel i had to take a pic

I bought some little metal letters for wedding decorations at Uncommon Objects, but I'll share them later. We tried some delicious ice cream at Amy's and then met up with friends at Town Lake. Taylor and I couldn't believe how many people were out running with their dogs! We would love to live in a city that values health and fitness as much as Austin.

we can't wait to take a jog on this trail

you'll even find Bulldawgs in Texas

my hunk :)

We picked up BBQ at Whole Foods Market and enjoyed our last dinner in Austin. After dinner we went to the most AMAZING cafe called Mozart's. Overall, our trip to Austin was incredible and we were so happy to enjoy the weekend with good friends and each other.

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:25

Adios Austin

After one of the best weekends we've ever had in the coolest city, Taylor and I are back in Georgia. I'm on break (woohoo!) and for the first time Tay and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving TOGETHER!! He's hanging out with my family for the week and I couldn't be more excited and thankful.

We plan to share all our favorite spots and adventures from Austin this week. Let's just say the tacos, the trailers and the Horns exceeded all our expectations.

More to come tomorrow!

Austin: The Top 5

So in less than two days (hopefully) Marilisa and I will be in the "Live Music Capital of the World"- Austin, Texas to visit friends and a city we have heard so much about. Here's the top 5 things we are looking forward to:

5. The Food! We've heard so much about the amazing food in Austin, particularly BBQ. We plan to eat to our hearts content here.

Salt Lick. photo courtesy of E. Hayes

4. The City! With a city as interesting and diverse as Austin, I'm sure we'll spend hours exploring this new place, and hopefully see a great concert.

3. UT. We'll definitely want to check out the University of Texas campus.

Hook 'em horns. photo from here

2. The Outdoors. With the weather expected to be beautiful this weekend, we'll hopefully get to take a hike on one of the many trails Austin has to offer.

photo courtesy of E. Hayes

1. Time with Friends. As amazing as any city is, it's the people that make it special. All the fun stuff we're doing this weekend wouldn't be the same without our best friends!

E & B :) They're celebratin' their 1 year anny while we're there

2 days until Austin!

I can't stop thinking about the fact that Taylor and I are flying to Texas in 2 DAYS!!! We've flown together to New York a few times, but it's so exciting to think about visiting a completely new place together. We're attempting to fly stand-by because of AirTran's awesome "student" discount...hopefully we can fly out first thing Thursday morning...and sit together :)

one of my favorite flights...

 I should be working on a paper on this band, but I'd so much rather be on this blog...

Any recommendations before we explore the Lone Star State?

welp...

So we didn't get the win we were hoping for, but we still had a great weekend. After the game we enjoyed a nice dinner downtown at Copper Creek, made a bonfire with friends, and listened to some Taylor Swift (have you heard her new CD?! Serious guilty pleasure.).

Sunday was perfect - heard a sermon from one of our good friend's dad, had lunch with one of our favorite families, Taylor had football practice (and looked like a stud of course), and I got to go on a nice run. Ever since our half marathon, my legs just haven't felt the same, but the weather was wonderful so it was worth it.

And finally, we got to witness an inspiring campus ministry baptism. Nothing gives our lives more purpose than helping others love God. I have three papers to finish before Wednesday...but once that's done we are going to AUSTIN!!!!! Tay & I could not be more excited to explore a new city with some awesome friends!

photo courtesy of E. Hayes

 Countdown to Austin: 4 days.

Georgia vs. Auburn

The Georgia Bulldogs travel to Auburn, Alabama today to face off against the undefeated and second ranked Auburn Tigers in the 114th edition of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The days of power running and stingy defense are gone at Auburn, at least for the moment, as this revamped Tigers spread option attack comes in to today's match-up averaging over 42 points a game. Led by quarterback and Heisman front-runner Cam Newton, the Tigers have their eyes set on a national championship. In five of Auburn's ten games this season, Newton has rushed for over 100 yards and has racked up 14 rushing TD's. Not to mention his 1,573 yards through the air with 15 passing TD's. With that said, Marilisa and I predict the Dawgs to pull off the upset and beat Auburn for the fifth straight year. You might be asking yourself how a 5-5 Georgia team can beat an undefeated Auburn team poised for a national championship run. Well, here's the why and how:

1. Auburn is weak on the defensive side of the ball. The offensive explosion we've seen out of the Tigers this year has masked the fact that they are very weak defensively, and have almost given away a few games. In five games this year, Auburn has given up 24 or more points to an unranked opponent, including 24 last week against powerhouse Chattanooga. In the last five games, Georgia been held to less than 40 points only once, averaging 42 a game in that stretch. Look for A.J. Green to tear up the Auburn secondary.

2. Cam Newton is distracted. With allegations of recruiting violations and an alleged cheating scandal while at Florida, Cam Newton has to be a little distracted with all the chaos surronding him. These off the field issues have likely made it difficult to prepare for a tough Georgia defense, and Newton will look out of sync with his offense today.

3. Aurburn is looking ahead. With a big showdown against in-state rival Alabama in Iron Bowl looming, Auburn is no doubt looking past a Georgia team that has struggled in a rebuilding year.

4. Special Teams. In high scoring games, special teams can often be the difference, and with one of the top return men in the country in Brandon Boykin, the Dawgs may be able to steal some quick points. Blair Walsh and Drew Butler should also give us an advantage in this often overlooked third phase of the game.

5. Intelligence. The average Georgia 3rd grader could be awarded acceptance to Auburn, and this certainly gives the Dawgs a slight advantage in this bitter rivalry.

It should be an exciting and high-scoring game, as two excellent offensive attacks square off in what is usually a big game for recruiting rights.

Prediction: Georgia 42 Auburn 35

Today's game can be seen at 3:30 EST on CBS

Have a great weekend!

Taylor & I are heading out to the Swamp camp to help in the kitchen with a retreat this weekend. It's always fun going back to the place where we fell in love.

There's also a big game this weekend...Georgia plays #2 Auburn and we are hoping for a major upset! I've been fortunate enough the see the Dawgs beat down the Tigers every year since I've been at UGA and I have a feeling this year will be no different. 

Gooooo Dawgs! Sic 'em!

The Story Of Us

Well we've taken our relationship to the next level. The blogosphere level that is. And our hope is that we can share our life and news with those we don't get to see as often as we would like. So how do we update you on 3+ years? Here's the cliffnotes version...

We met in middle school at preteen camp in New York around 2000. And like all middle school friendships in the early 2000's, this one consisted of a lot of AOL instant messenger and very little face-to-face contact. But our friendship grew even though Marilisa moved to Georgia before high school. We kept in touch every once in a while and finally reconnected once I moved to Athens, Ga for my freshman year of college. Did I mention she took me to her senior prom? Photo evidence will be added later.

Marilisa moved to Athens for school the following year and our friendship grew at its own pace. Once I transferred to UGA we were able to spend more time together eating in the dining halls, working out, and going on runs in the woods. We both believed that God was allowing us to connect spiritually in a way that felt natural and strong. We spent the following summer working at The Swamp as camp counselors and found that serving together brought us closer than ever and sealed the deal in terms of wanting to date. Marilisa also performed in an air band competition that knocked my socks off...photo evidence will not be added later.

The past 2+ years of dating have been the best of our lives and getting engaged on August 3rd was our most memorable day thus far. We are indebted to our Heavenly Father for giving us such a full life and surrounding us with good people who constantly encourage us to give our best to Him. We've got a big day coming up on May 21, 2011...and we hope this blog makes you feel included in the process leading up to that day!