A Magical Wedding

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One of the main reason both Matt and I returned to the States was to attend a wedding.  Sydney is the daughter of our very good friends Shawn and Sharon.  She married Corey at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort.  Matt and I have had the honor of watching her grow up into the fine young woman that she has become.  It is a privilege to be invited and to be a part of this magical day.

It started off with a welcome party.  This is us with the bride, groom, and are good friends.

The Wedding

This beautiful wedding was held outdoors by the river.  Thank goodness the sun came out to play. The wedding was black tie formal. 

They brought out sparkly lit up cowboy hats and leighs for the guests toward the middle of the reception.

We rented a tuxedo for Matt.  I’ve known Matt for 26+ years and have never seen him in a suit or a tuxedo.  What a pleasure for me!

I ordered my dress from a random website. And wouldn’t you know it, a 28 year old was wearing the same exact dress in green!  We looked like Christmas together!

Time to Go

Me and the beautiful bride, Sydney!!!

The wedding was a great way to wrap up my month long trip in the states. 

We are so grateful to Sydney and Corey for allowing us to be a part of their magical wedding.

We attended the nupitials toward the end of March 2025. 

Our last blog post was all about merrymaking in Oklahoma and Texas.

Stateside Merrymaking: OK and TX

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Tulsa Oklahoma is my next stateside stop.  I came here to visit my dear friend Jamie whom I met in Austin over 25 years ago.

We spend a lot of time catching up at her house and enjoying some fine dining.  She also takes me to get the best pedicure of my life.  The pedi included warm neck towel, free refreshments, sugar sub, hot stone rub and gorgeous toes.  We also attend a fabulous balance and posture class.

We Are Back in Austin, Texas

Our first stop is Gonzales where we meet up with Donald and Ruth.  We used to sail on their boat called “Ruthless” and learned so much from them!  They’ve become family since we first met in early 2005.  We met at the Cow Palace and camped out for hours as we caught up.

Of course Matt and I had to stop at the world’s largest Buc-ees!  I love this place!  They are known for having the most gas pumps and the cleanest bathrooms!  But I love it because you can buy groceries, home goods, have lunch and oh so much more.

Lake Day!

Our friends Josh and Sara and their daughters Avery and Riley took us out on Lake Austin!  It was a perfect day with beautiful weather, decent waters, and few boaters!

Avery showed off her wake boarding and surfing skills!  This girl has talent!  Matt got up and surfed goofy footed!  He did an amazing job considering it has been years since he surfed!

We passed by the 360 bridge (iconic to Austin) and Ski Shores restaurant which was packed. 

We also came across some great art on the lake front.

The Barkers

We enjoyed spending several days with Matt and Diana in Austin. We are hoping they come back to Sugar Shack soon.

One of my priorities was to fix my hair! I had not had it colored in over a year and it was a HOT MESS!  

Wendy at Deseo Salon has been taking care of me for over 27 years!

Restaurants and Eateries

There were several places we HAD to visit including: Maudie’s, then Torchy’s Tacos, Taco Deli, Hula Hut, and Rudy’s BBQ.

Hula Hut dinner with John and Missy!

And it would not be an Austin visit without a stop at Amy’s Ice cream!

Our stateside visit was been packed full of good friends, great food, and fun adventures.  We are so blessed!

Our blog posts run 6 weeks behind actual live events. 

Matt and I visited the stateside (OK and TX) the last two weeks of March.

I played hard in LA and SFO.  Check it out in the last blog post.

Stateside Merrymaking: LA and SFO

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It is always a whirlwind when I come stateside.  I try to see my family and friends in a short amount of time.  It is always a lot to squeeze in.

My stateside visit started in Los Angeles with my sister Kimberly.  We really enjoyed some beautiful walks including this one in Palos Verdes.  We had a clear, beautiful day and then stopped at the Yellow Vase for some hot drinks.

Celebrating the end of the week with Kimberly and her husband Troy at Rockefeller.

My beautiful friend Kathryn at Descanso Gardens.  There was one cherry blossom tree in bloom, lots of beautiful trails, and several ducks frolicking in the river and small falls.  Kathryn and I met while we both worked at Advocate, MD 16+ years ago.

We celebrated Deborah’s birthday at Palmilla Restaurant on the Hermosa Beach Pier.  I met Deborah in Austin, TX around 25 years ago.

San Francisco

I took a whirl wind trip to San Carlos for a day to visit one of my sweetest friends.  I met and lived Jeannie back in the very the late 80’s in Hermosa Beach.  It was a super quick, but truly amazing visit.  Her husband Srinivas and son Sanjay were home to make it a truly wonderful celebration.  Jeannie and I met in the early 1990’s, lived together for many years and have remained close friends ever since!

Family Time

Kimberly organized a big brunch for the family.  My Aunt Donna drove over 2hours (one way) from San Diego (top left).  My Aunt Diana and Uncle Mark drove an hour (top right).  M funny and sweet uncle Matthew drove an hour.  And from my dad’s side of the family we had Kelly (his wife), my Uncle Joe and my two cousins Mark and Adam.

Kimberly made delicious chili and salad and I made homemade cheesecake bites.

Cameron’s Volleyball Team Sweeps the Tournament

Cameron, Kimberly’s youngest son, plays Men’s Club Volleyball at Colorado University.  They had a tournament in Irvine which is about an hour away. 

After two full days of playing, the ended up winning the entire tournament! 

Super proud of these young men, especially, Cameron!

Kalani (Cole’s girlfriend) came to visit us while we were in Irvine (what a sweetheart)!

We also took Cameron out for a celebratory dinner at a great Mexican restaurant.

Two friends from junior high reached out to us and came to meet us for breakfast! 

Kimberly took me to a great coffee place called Gitana and I fell in love with this artwork.   

We also completed an old school lunch box puzzle during my visit.

Kimberly’s fur babies. Felix the cat, Luke the new shepherd/husky puppy and Critter.  Views from their bedroom across to the Atlantic.

Only in Los Angeles will you see these crazy billboards.

Our blog posts run 6 weeks behind actual live events. I was stateside, LA and SFO during the first two weeks of March.

Come visit Descanso Gardens with me in our last blog post.