Austin for the Win

Hello out there! We have made it back from the Lone Star State where we spent a lovely, sunny, warm holiday. Karly, Matt, and Eero were gracious hosts and we had a blast truckin' it all over the city with our awesomely adorable nephew and enjoying the Austin sunshine.

I have an insane number of pictures from the trip, so, if it's alright by you, I think I'll just overwhelm the blogger servers by posting a bunch of them up here. I know you're jonesin' for some cutie-cute shots of Sir Eero himself. 

First up, Texas Bluebonnets! Apparently, it is a tradition for Texans to have their photos taken in a field of bluebonnets every year as they bloom for only a month in the spring. We couldn't let Eero miss his second spring bonnet photo-op so we headed to a nearby field. Professional photographers and several families beat us to it, but Eero had a good time blazing a trail through the blooms.

Photo shoots underway

This field goes on for days!

Hmmm, taking a closer look

Posing with mama

Taking our turn in the squinty sun

Victory over the bluebonnets!

From there, we headed to a neighborhood duck pond where Eero generously fed the beaked population.

Stare-down with the feathered

Why, hello sir. Hungry?

Good form, dude. The duck/geese thank you

Oh, the cuteness. Let's see...our activities also included a trip to this super wonderful zoo full of rescued animals and overlooking the green Austin hills. Loved it!

Speckled shadows and a light breeze...lead the way, E!

Closely studying the monkeys

Sweet uncle-nephew love : )

The view! Prettiness.

My favorite part of the zoo trip. This guy was spectacular.

Those colors! He knows he's gorgeous.

Time to ride the train! And Eero-Davis snuggle time

Ohmygoodness...heart melting

Teamwork for the goat feeding

Whoa, mister. You must really be hungry!

 How you hangin' in there? Picture overload?  But wait! We also went south to San Marcos, TX and swam in the beautiful, clear waters of the San Marcos River. Storing up Vitamin D for our return to cloudy Portland the next day.

Barefoot and bracing himself for a dip into the chilly water

Our lovely spot under the trees

Awww the sweetness!

D taking a dip!

Snack break for the little man

Hehe, so squeezable!

We also ate some delicious food at charming Papi Tino's (namely: Salpicon de Venado: Slow-cooked shredded venison, chilled, tossed with avocado, vegetables and lime juice...uh, hello!) and Top Chef Winner Paul Qui's East Side King (can you say Fried Brussels Sprout Salad? Fried Brussels sprouts, sweet & spicy sauce, fresh shredded cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, fresh basil, cilantro, mint, onion, and jalapeño. Still drooling!). I love Austin's friendly outdoor eating areas. Can we go back now?

On the relaxation spectrum, though, the highlight for me was relaxing in Karly's Belizian hammock on their beautifully shaded front porch. Bliss.

Divine! Thanks SO much for wonderful hospitality and a truly lovely trip K, M, & E. We can't wait to come back! Until then, though, the raincoats are out and the paper-writing has (almost) begun. Break's over! Love to you all. xo