texas farewell

Friday morning we headed to San Marcos (45 minutes from San Antonio) for shopping, and I was really excited. They probably have the best outlets, and we found lots of bargains. Craig had really good luck and may have spent more than me, which is rare. We ate lunch at Freebirds (TX trying to be Baja Burrito) and then returned to the outlets for a few more hours of shopping.

After shopping, we drove to Austin (30 minutes from San Marcos). Our first stop was the University of Texas. This may have been one of Craig's highlights, but we were not able to stay long. We met his high school friend, Nathan and his wife Melissa, for dinner at Kerbey Lane. It was a wonderful place, and we had fun catching up. Then, we went to see a play with them. We had a fabulous Friday in San Marcos and Austin.

We slept late on Saturday due to our late night in Austin. We met Georgia Ockerman, her daughter Emily, and Shirley (her son Jacob's girlfriend) at The Cove. The Cove was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It is part laundromat, part restaurant, part car wash. Great experience. Amazing food. Definitely a place you should try.

The Ockermans are a very special family. I met Georgia and her daughter Katie on a mission trip to Brazil in 2000. In November of that same year, Katie was killed in a car accident. Adam and I flew to San Antonio for the funeral. I saw Georgia again in 2002 and 2004 on two week campaigns to Brazil. Our friendship continued to grow. When I interned, I spent a lot of time at the Ockerman house with Georgia, Jacob, Joel, and Emily. I considered them my second family and lots of people thought I looked like them. Georgia was always so friendly and made me feel at home the moment I arrived in San Antonio. She was always there to listen and willing to help in any way. I am so thankful for the friendship I have with her and her kids. I was sad that Jacob and Joel were not there.

Craig and I spent the rest of Saturday on the River Walk. We went to the MAX and saw a film about the Alamo. Then, we toured the Alamo. We walked around the River Walk, ate dinner at Casa Rio, and walked some more. It's such a beautiful place, and we really enjoyed it.

On Sunday, we went to Northside, and I was so excited to see so many old friends. It was great to see some of the kids who were in the youth group when I interned (Stacey, Taylor, Kyle, Tyler, Emily, Katelyn, Renee), lots of parents of kids (Andersons, Turners, Whartons, Haney, Tuckers, Vasquez, Clyde, Pippert, Frolichstein, Huddleston), and friends from the Brazil campaigns (Perdues, Royses, Coopers, Joe). Northside is a very special place, and I am so thankful for the summers I spent there.

We flew back home on Sunday. It was a wonderful trip, and we can't wait to go back

everything's BIGGER in texas...

Thursday morning we went to Lulu's for breakfast. Craig had seen this place on one of the shows on The Food Network. We went for the 3 lb cinnamon roll. Yes, you read correctly...3 lbs!! We were not the only ones to see the show. I think everyone in the restaurant came for the famous cinnamon roll.

Just in case you needed a close up

After breakfast, we went to Sea World. We had great luck and did not have to wait in line for any of the rides. After the rides, we went to several shows. We were also able to pet some of the dolphins, which was really neat. Another highlight was seeing the baby sea lion. We were very disappointed that Shamu was scheduled for only one performance at the end of the day. We had plans for dinner, so we could not stay. We went back to the hotel, rested, and cleaned up before meeting Maynard and D.D. for dinner.


Maynard and D.D. are also known as my summer parents. They were kind enough to let me live with them both summers I interned. They are so much fun, and I am so thankful for the friendship we share. They are so kind, caring, thoughtful, and loving. They have always treated me like a daughter. My summers in San Antonio would not have been the same without them.

I was so glad we were able to have dinner with them and hang out for several hours. We talked, laughed, and shared memories of our summers together. Day 2 was another wonderful day.

deep in the heart of texas

For two summers, I worked as a Youth Intern at Northside Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas. It was the best summer job!! Well, I fell in LOVE with San Antonio. Craig was born in Houston and inherited the Texas attitude, even though he lived there for only three months. We made a quick trip last week to visit the great state of Texas (San Antonio to be exact), and we had a wonderful time!!

We left Nashville on Wednesday. We boarded the plane early, but we were delayed before take off. Someone boarded the plan without scanning the ticket. The flight attendant started at the front of the plane and checked every one's name off the flight list. The person was on the very last roll. The flight was a little bumpy, so I was happy when we finally landed. After what seemed like forever, we got our rental car and made our first stop at my favorite Mexican restaurant.Alamo Cafe, I have missed you!! While I lived in San Antonio, I visited this place very often. They have a tortilla factory in the restaurant, so they always bring you fresh, hot, yummy tortillas. We enjoyed salsa, queso, tortillas, and fajitas. The atmosphere is also wonderful!

After lunch, we headed downtown to the River Walk. We went to our hotel, but our room was not ready. So, we went exploring. When the hotel called, we returned to our room and took a nap.

We stayed in the Omni hotel on the River Walk. It's a beautiful hotel with a very friendly and helpful staff.

After our LONG nap, we enjoyed a peaceful stroll along the River Walk. We decided to take a river cruise, which was fun and entertaining. Our guide did a great job of telling us the history of the River Walk, the hotels, and the restaurants as well as make funny jokes along the way. That is a recap of Day One. More to come...
Our view from the balcony
Our room at the Omni

Omni La Mansion del Rio

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Happy Birthday to the greatest Dad in the world!!Where do I begin?
Thanks for coaching my softball, basketball, and soccer teams. You didn't care if you were coaching Adam, Luke, and Bethany also, you always had the time to do anything for us. Thank you for always encouraging me to do my best and to never give up on my dreams.

Thanks for working multiple jobs and for putting your dreams on hold just so you could always be around and be available. I knew I could always count on you to be there. Thank you for the sacrifices you made for our happiness.

Thanks for laughing uncontrollably and for enjoying life. I love watching your favorite comedy series with you. You know how to make others smile and laugh.

Thanks for setting a godly example and for living out your faith. I am thankful for the mission trips we took together as a family, but I also enjoyed the trips to Brazil without you and mom. I was brought to tears on many occasions when the people spoke of the two of you. I am always proud to be your daughter, but those were some of my proudest moments.

Thanks for being you and for making us all feel like we are the favorite (I won't tell them the truth). We are blessed to have a father like you!! We love you so much!!
Craig, Anna, & Tucker Bear

1400 miles (give or take)

I thought the summer was going to be calm and relaxing. Well, I am quickly realizing that I was wrong. Since school dismissed, we have traveled at least 1400 miles. Believe me, I am not complaining. I love the freedom I have during the summer. I enjoy being able to make quick trips to see friends and family as well as taking multiple vacations. I guess you can say, we like to travel.

Since we returned from Destin, we have spent lots of time with some very special people. On Thursday, I made a trip to Memphis to see my friend, Rebekah. Rebekah and I have been friends for a LONG time. Our friendship developed on the soccer field. We both have older brothers, and at a young age, we felt like we could do anything they did. So, of course, we wanted to play soccer (even if we were the only girls). We became closer when she came to Mars Hill in middle school, and I guess the rest is history. We went to Lipscomb together, roomed together, and continue to share many memories together. Back to the trip...

Rebekah and Chris welcomed their second daughter, Kailey, into the world while we were in Destin. I couldn't wait to meet her! She is precious, and I am in love with her crazy hair. Congrats to Rebekah, Chris, and big sister, Rylan!! As you can imagine, a trip to Memphis is not complete unless you make a stop at Muddy's. Oh, Muddy's Bake Shop I love and miss you!!

After Craig finished work on Friday, we loaded the car for a quick trip to Nashville. When I say quick, I mean less than 24 hours quick. Friday night we met my brother, Luke, and his lovely wife, Laura, for dinner at Baja Burrito. YUM! We went to Krispy Kreme for free doughnuts and continued our visit. As you know, I am very close to my siblings, so anytime we can get together I am thrilled. Thanks boo for meeting us!!

This morning we met our Memphis family at Cracker Barrel. These friends are very special, and we LOVE spending time with them. Baby Andrew turned a year old, which is hard to believe. He is such a sweet baby and gives the best hugs. We were so thankful to spend a few hours with James, Elizabeth, Andrew, Brandon, Meaghan, and Russ. Heather, we missed you and hope you are feeling better!! We look forward to the next reunion with this gang.

We drove back to Jackson after breakfast. Don't worry, the fun did not end. We met Emily and Ryan for dinner at Chili's. Emily and Ryan had been to Memphis to meet baby Kailey and stopped on their way home to Nashville. Emily's sister and my brother, Adam, set us up as suite mates our freshman year at Lipscomb. We are very thankful they insisted that we live together. Emily and I shared lots of funny moments while at Lipscomb, and I could not imagine my life without her. It was great to catch up with her and Ryan.

As you can see, we have been very busy, but we have LOVED these wonderful visits with friends. We are so thankful for amazing friends and family!! I leave early in the morning for Florence to surprise my dad with a visit for his birthday. Later in the week, we are on the road again. More vacation stories to come...