Microburst #5 Emma Long

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Emma Long is my most favorite park. Or as we locals like to say "City Park". This park has been a favorite for years. It is funny because it always seemed like such a distant hidden treasure and now it is just a mere couple miles away from our home...funny how the perspective changes.

In college, I looked for every opportunity I could get to escape here in the fall with a blanket, bag of grapes, coffee and books. Studying surrounded by rolling hills and swans swimming downstream can make the whole process of studying about a million times more pleasant.

As I live in Austin with a family now, I am finding that a bunch of my old favorite spots really don't work so well with small children. So nice to see that Emma keeps coming back... this beach was awesome and one that we will be visiting often... if not every day :)

our own day at the "beach" with Daddy. We will miss him when we leave on our 9 day journey to Destin tomorrow.
Stay tuned for pictures from the "sea" where Molly has assured me we will find at least one mermaid. Sounds good to me.

Microburst #4: Kaboom!

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Did you know that Fourth of July is my most favorite holiday? It is. I really think it is the combination of the food, the family, the support of our homeland and a GREAT chance to play outside and enjoy some fireworks! Kaboom is one my most favorite traditions (13 years strong!). Such a great fireworks display (rain or shine) and so fun to party it up with my family and friends.

We are so thankful to the Whitehead family for including us in this wonderful yearly event!

Microburst #3: Fun in Arkansas

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So, my Mommy really started to lag on the whole blog thing... something about gearing up for some beach trip. No biggie, right? I got this. I was there. I know how it all went down. I can live to tell about it. So listen up...

You see me out there?


Arkansas was AWESOME. I loved it... I was so busy and never stopped to rest at all.


Okay, forget what you just saw. It was just one time and it meant nothing. Okay, so you caught me. Napping with Daddy might be my most favorite thing ever. What can I say... I have rockin' parents.

So Arkansas. Well... did you know that Arkansas has lots of trees? Especially in this place we went to called 'hiking the mountain'. Don't let this next picture fool you. It was incredible...and perhaps a teensy tiring. For some people.


We learned several very important things on this trip about my sister. For starters, she doesn't hike. She had a bunch to say about the bugs, needed to be carried at all times and took about 4 pictures of her shoes. They were fancy. Mom says that we are going to break her of her fragile ways with increased exposure to wilderness life. Whatever, mom... as long as I get to play outside.
The trails were nice and twisty. Molly was carried and my buddy Christian took a lift too. I was going strong...

Daddy just gave me a lift so I wouldn't feel left out. Honest. No tired boy here.

We also checked out these places called "water holes" in the Buffalo River. I loved skipping rocks with all my uncles.
One of my most favorite parts of the trip was my buddy, Christian. Did you know that he loves Lightening McQueen too? And Buzz? It was nice to have someone to play cars with instead of princess all day long. We had fun!

He is my tannest cousin of all.

The rest of time was spent in the cabin playing games, or making art, or eating... or playing in the backyard.

Daddy taught me all about these wonderful things you eat called Smores. They let ME near the fire to cook my own. Can you believe it?!?! Vacation mom and dad are a LOT cooler than normal Mom and Dad.

You stick the marshmallow in, set it on fire... let daddy wave it around a minute and then you EAT it...

It was delicious.

Molly needed a little help. Silly city mouse.

On the way home we stopped for lunch in this place called Hot Springs. Mommy and Daddy really love it here. I liked the stairs. Molly was starting to feel bad so we didn't stay too long.

Daddy liked this store a bunch and took like 3 pictures of it. I deleted two of them. Shh.

He didn't seem to notice.

Hooray vacation.

Microburst #2: So Sleepy

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It was about a 7 hour drive to the booming town of Jasper, Arkansas... throw in the 3 hour drive from Austin and you are looking at some quality time in the car. (Did I mention that we leave for another 12 hour drive Friday? Way to go, Olive!)

I don't know about you but taking a nice nap in the car can feel pretty great (when not driving of course! Don't worry, Mom.) Gabriel happened to fall asleep 10 miles before we were planning to stop for lunch on the way up to the Ozarks. We really wanted him to take a long nap after lunch and a 5 minute power nap can sometimes ruin it. Here is our attempt to keep him awake.

(I apologize for the squeaky annoying voice of the person holding the camera. Ignore her.)

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And for the record, Gabriel immediately went back to sleep and we pushed lunch back for another hour. I guess that would be a win for him.

Stay tuned for Microburst #3: All the fun to be had in Arkansas.

The beautiful escape

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Okay, so I am coming off of what might have been the most picture packed week ever and I have to honest here... I am in blogger overload. I have no idea where to begin. The truth of it is that the kids and I leave in three days for the beach so I know that if I fail to document all of this past week's happenings than there is NO way I will remember to once we get back from Florida. Because my husband does love me and enjoys my company somewhat, I am going to be blogging in microbursts... better for me, less reading for you. We all win.

Microburst #1: The beautiful escape.

This past week we ventured to Jasper, Arkansas (pop. 485!) in the Ozark Mountains to celebrate Grandma Miller's 75th birthday with all of Kelly's side of the family. We had a blast. I will tell you that I have never been to the Ozarks (to my knowledge) as I grew up visiting the beach most summers. I think it is safe to say that I might have been missing out all those years. It was beautiful!

We all stayed in this GIANT 8 bedroom/3 story house. We were so high up the mountain that we didn't have cell service (or Internet) except in the doorway of my bedroom where I managed to occasionally have two bars. It was rare. I have to say the lack of technology definitely opened more doorways for games/drinking while playing games/outside time with our family that live in different parts of the country.

We would love to go back!!! Anyone needing persuasion to visit Arkansas...give us a call!

Stay tuned for Microburst #2: Fun with the video camera

I'm just going to be ok, be ok, be ok...

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So one of our family favs (particularly Gabe's and mine) is Ingrid Michaelson. We love her... like love- love people. In fact, we might listen to her while eating breakfast in the morning we love her so much. And Gabriel knows every word to all her songs and it is so stinkin' adorable. I will video this one day because it just might make you smile too. We love all her music but this title references the one from her album, Be OK (not rocket science to guess this). I suggest you check it out... or if you just want to sit for an annoyingly long time on the blog, than I am sure it will loop through. Whatever floats your boat... Message me if you want a list of my most favorite of her or second most favorite and so on.

Oh Julie, you are getting long-winded (and writing about myself in third person---eek!). Let me get back to my beloved, Ingrid. She has a tendency to lift our (Gabe's and mine) souls right when we seem to need it most... mostly as we are embarking on some great new adventure as we crazy mays tend to do from time to time. Isn't it amazing how some music can just truly lift your spirit?

Anyways, in this whole new phase of moving pandemonium, I have found that I have clutched tighter to Ingrid than ever before, quite honestly so has Gabriel. And while driving the hills of this beautiful landscape, we often sing those lyrics over and over... "I'm just going to be ok, be ok, be ok... I'm just going to be okay today."

Well Ingrid, I believe that it might be safe to say that we are more than just okay these days. In fact... we just might be great.

Poor Kelly is probably SO tired of Ingrid Michaelson that I think I am going to have a battle on my hands trying to play her music for the llloooonnnngggg car ride this weekend to vacation. Maybe I'll just have Gabriel ask and sing a song or two. I mean seriously, it is irresistible.

Stay tuned for updates as the Mays take on the mountains!

Our 'hood

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So today was a much needed pick-me-up. I haven't really gone too much into it on the ole' blog here but the lonely bug has slowly crept its way into the May abode on several occasions. Not wanting to outwardly identify the icky feeling, I had decided to just take some time to process through it. Kelly is really putting some much needed focus into his new job and I have found that there are a LOT more hours in the day now that I am no longer working 25+ hours a week. While I love my Austin friends, I am also used to playing during the day with other little families. All this extra time to just 'hang' by myself with the kids had left me missing our friends in Dallas that much more. It didn't help that book club was last week too. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE book club? Can't wait for the August one where I can actually go.

I knew that it would take a little time to get adjusted. In fact, it still will take time. And I continue to note that it has only been 3 weeks that I have lived here. It wasn't until the adrenaline of moving/training at work settled that I even started to feel a little lonely. It always seems so nice and easy to want to rush back to the comfort and security of home...ya know? I needed to start to make this home too. So I have tried. And these past two days have been FABULOUS.

About 3:30 yesterday I heard a couple little quiet knocks on our front door. Peering out, I saw that the neighborhood had come over for a little fun. Impromptu play dates? These are my kind of people. The kids had SO much fun playing in the house... all 8 of them. It was at this moment that I fell in LOVE with my street. All the kids run throughout the day from each other's yards and all the parents sit around and visit. At lunch, Kelly came home and blew up our pool in the yard and after nap it was neighborhood pool party at the May house. At one point there were 8 adults and 8 kids in my front yard.

When I ran in for more chairs I snapped a quick picture from Gabey's window to show Kelly. And yes, this was an undercover photo because I didn't want to scare my new friends off with my nerdiness right away ;)

It was a fun day and felt a bit like home too. Yet another reminder that the good things in life really are worth waiting for.