Port Aransas vacation

Mark's parents planned a recent mini-vacation to Port Aransas, Texas, which was fabulous since I haven't been to the beach in two years! Whoa, I was overdue. This was supposed to be a Destin year for us (you know I generally go every other year), but we couldn't swing it this year. NEXT YEAR, we are going, come hell or high water. Seriously.

Ha, but our Port A Crowley trip was full of good times! We, unfortunately, just missed Katie, Paul and Kenna as we arrived a couple days after everyone had gotten there, and it was also when KPK needed to head back home for work. We were able to spend a few days with Veronica, David and the girls as well as Peter and Judy and Rich. I was having such a wonderful time soaking up the sun that I stayed a day past when Mark left and instead rode home with Judy and Rich. I fell asleep on the beach one day and was lucky Mark and his parents came out to find me before I completely roasted like a lobster. I don't remember ever having done that!

I'll be headed back to a beach in just a few weeks when I go on my sister's bachelorette cruise to Cozumel, Mexico ... yippee! Ah, how I adore the beach. Vacation is just good for the soul.

 Jen and Veronica

 Peter and Jen

 Violet

 Violet and Olivia

 Mark and Jen

 Jen and Mark

 Mmmm....seafood boil

 Beautiful day!

Judy and Rich

Date Night Recap 9/11/12: Sushi Night

I'm so excited that even though my husband's least favorite food is seafood, he'll still take me out for sushi! Last night was his night to plan Date Night, and he picked Mikado Ryotei, rated No. 3 on Trip Advisor's top sushi restaurants in Austin (after Uchi and Finn & Porter).

Tuesdays are great to go to Mikado Ryotei because they have discounted prices on Tuesday for their sushi, which was delish! We got two orders of sushi and four rolls (I think), edamame, a beer for Mark and sake for the both of us, and the total was only $37. Nice!! It's not too often we get away with a total price of Date Night under $40.

After sushi, we headed home to watch "Courageous." I really enjoyed the movie, which was about a group of small town law enforcement officers who realized how important the role of fatherhood plays, and they all make a resolution to strive to become holier fathers and husbands. A tear jerker at times with a meaningful message and reminder to everyone -- everyone because we all have a father.

I recommend both the restaurant and movie!

June 13, 2009. Cheers to us!

Date Night Recap 3/27/12: Andiamo's Wine Dinner

What a fun date the other night for Date Night -- the idea courtesy of my father-in-law, Rich Crowley! Mark and I went to a Wine Dinner at Andiamo Ristorante, where I had rabbit for the first time! I enjoyed it, but I don't think Mark was a big fan (of the rabbit). The four-course dinner was led by an Italian gentleman who was a wine sommelier, so that was neat, too. He gave some good background and explanations of the wines. I believe these wine dinners are monthly, so you should definitely check them out! At $45 pp, it wasn't as expensive as most wine dinners normally are, but it is more than we usually like to spend on Date Night. Regardless, what a fun date. When it involves wine (and it usually does), it always is! :)

Oct. 10, 2008; Dad's and Debbie's wedding

Date Night recap 3/20/12

So last week's Date Night was Mark's, and here were the evening's events:

1. Hemingway Restaurant & Bar, 500 Cypress Creek Road, Suite 170, Cedar Park, Texas 78613
We headed out a little bit later than usual as Mark was getting ready to go out of town for work, so he worked late. We grabbed dinner at this new place, which is just down the road from us. Try their squash with dill -- delish! I also had their mussels, which were pretty good but there weren't enough to fill me up. I ordered the squash for dessert, ha! So healthy of me. Cheap bottles of wine here!

2. The Dig Pub, 401 Cypress Creek Road, Suite 600, Cedar Park, TX 78613
We headed across the street from where we had dinner to this bar, which is always pretty swinging every time we pass by. After having been Cedar Park residents for about three years now, we figured we should finally check it out! I thought it was going to have the atmosphere of a dive bar inside, but it was much different than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised! It was pretty nice and spacy inside. It had a nice bar area then another area that had a stage where some amateur comedians were taking the stage. I ordered a glass of rosé and we played a game of darts while we listened to the comedians. We eventually grabbed a seat near the front of the room close to the stage. While we didn't exactly have the same sense of humor as some of the gentlemen who were showcasing their talent, it was entertaining, and I had a good time. I definitely think we'll be back!

June 13, 2009

Litany of St. Joseph

On today, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us ask for St. Joseph's intercession in asking for blessings upon our marriages, for husbands and wives everywhere, that we may all be given the grace to continually grow together in holiness and ever more reflect the love of Christ for His Church ...

Litany of St. Joseph
Taken from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

Lord, have mercy...Lord, have mercy
Christ, have mercy...Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy...Lord, have mercy

God our Father in heaven...have mercy on us
God the Son, Redeemer of the world...have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit...have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God...have mercy on us

Holy Mary...pray for us
St. Joseph...pray for us
Noble son of the House of David...pray for us
Light of patriarchs...pray for us
Husband of the Mother of God...pray for us
Guardian of the Virgin...pray for us
Foster father of the Son of God...pray for us
Faithful guardian of Christ...pray for us
Head of the Holy Family...pray for us
Joseph, chaste and just...pray for us
Joseph, prudent and brave...pray for us
Joseph, obedient and loyal...pray for us
Pattern of patience...pray for us
Lover of poverty...pray for us
Model of workers...pray for us
Example to parents...pray for us
Guardian of virgins...pray for us
Pillar of family life...pray for us
Comfort of the troubled...pray for us
Hope of the sick...pray for us
Patron of the dying...pray for us
Terror of evil spirits...pray for us
Protector of the Church...pray for us

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world...have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world...have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world...have mercy on us

God made him master of his household.
And put him in charge of all that he owned.

Let us pray. Almighty God, in your infinite wisdom and love you chose Joseph to be the husband of Mary, the mother of your Son. As we enjoy his protection on earth may we have the help of his prayers in heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

August 2008

What I loved in 2011

30 days of gifts | babies | Bahamas | beaches | big yellow sun hat | blessings | blogs | Blondie | brunch | cappuccinos | Coach purse | cookbook club | cooking | cruising | dancing | date nights | encouragement | engagements | entertaining | family | feeding exotic animals | fireplaces | friends | Ft. Lauderdale | gardening | God | godchildren | happy hours | hot tub | hubby | hugs | kisses | Lady Gaga concert | laughs | littleness | long hair | love | Mark | marriage | mother and daughters weekend retreat | movie nights | mussels | neighbors | needing to go to sleep | New York at Christmastime | nieces | parties | patio | podcasts | prayers | rooftop bars | Sarah's Hope | sequin dresses | smiles | St. Maarten | St. Thomas | scuba diving | support | tiredness | travels | Vegas | vino | weddings | working out

Cruise, July 2011

Introduction to Natural Family Planning...Which method is right for you?

Want to start practicing Natural Family Planning but don't know which of the three methods would be best for you? Avoid hours of research and attend an evening of introductions as the three different methods of Natural Family Planning -- Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System, Sympto-Thermal Method and Billings Ovulation Method -- are introduced at St. John Neumann parish! I'm helping plan this event with our Culture of Life Committee. We'll have teachers from these three methods give a brief overview of how their method works, and they'll be available for questions and with an upcoming schedule of classes that will be offered throughout the coming year at SJN.

The event is Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the St. Timothy Room of SJN. All diocesan-approved methods will be available to discuss this great gift from the Church. Come see which method will work for you and your marriage! RSVP here.

Not yet married and are wondering why you should come to this event? Engaged couples can start taking classes at any point before marriage, but we usually recommend that you start taking classes and charting at least four to six months before you get married. NFP isn’t just Catholic birth control either – it offers a great overall picture of a woman’s health AND her fertility. It’s not just for married women and not just for women in their prime childbearing years. NFP charts in the hands of a physician who knows what he’s looking at are an incomparable tool to help diagnose many health issues. Many single women have taken an NFP class simply to gain more knowledge about their own body! There's no such thing as starting too early.

If you're already practicing NFP and are happy with which method you've chosen, please attend to support our event and Natural Family Planning awareness campaign and / or invite your friends to help us spread the word!

5455 Bee Cave Rd.
Austin, TX