My brother's family moved back to Austin, Texas over the summer. James, Isabelle, and I flew to visit them for 2 special occasions. Esther got baptized and Simon got the priesthood! My kids were delighted to see their cousins as was I. My parents and Jessica came too! We stayed in an Airbnb together and rented a van.
My kids still talk about the number of waymo cars we saw! There are so many self driving cars there it's bizarre! We teased my mom for pronouncing the cars "wee-moo." I also learned a couple of noteworthy quotes on our trip... "High sizzle no steak" and "Ridden hard and put away wet." These led to some good belly laughs.
Some questions you may have...
How was the baptism?
I really had to restrain myself from jumping right into food talk. We ate like queens hence the title of the blog. I'll start with the most important thing first!
Esther was baptized on Saturday, October 25. She thought of all the details and knew exactly what she wanted. She was so eager to get baptized. There were decorations which elevated the old church building. Esther had the idea to get a polaroid camera to take pictures on. It was so cute and such a unique way to document her special day. Esther wore a gorgeous flower crown. She picked out a classy baptism dress and shoes. In fact, someone commented that they wished they had worn a wedding dress like the dress Esther had. Esther planned everything and her parent's ensured it turned out just how she wanted.
After the ordinance, Esther changed at record speed! She rejected the idea of blow drying her hair. She didn't want to miss a moment of the meeting.
Jessica played the violin and I was the pianist at the baptism. Jeff and Lindsey spoke. I got choked up. It was one of the most tender baptisms I've attended. The spirit was so strong and Jeff gave a talk that wasn't the typical baptism talk you hear. Both talks were inspiring and specific to Esther. Esther's grandmas were witnesses and her grandpas prayed.
After the baptism, we ate cookies from Tiff's Treats. Lindsey works there and they were superb! The Dubai Chocolate was unforgettable. James had 5 snickerdoodles. Don't worry, he held back to ensure others got to try them too.
Family stayed at the church following the baptism for a dinner. We had Franklin's. That is the best BBQ around. People line up for hours. Jeff ordered the food ahead of time. We had brisket, ribs, and turkey. Good thing I was wearing a dress and didn't have to zip up pants. There were also veggie burgers since Esther prefers no meat.
We got Esther a kpop demon hunters Zoey tshirt to match with Izzy and nail stickers. The next day, Sunday, October 26 we attended their ward and saw Simon be ordained to the office of a deacon. He said he was happy to be the center of attention and to get the priesthood. We got him super Mario bros socks to wear as he passes the sacrament.
What did you eat?
I don't weigh myself often, so who knows how much weight I gained but if you're looking to put on a few pounds, Austin is calling!
Torchy's Tacos: I had a taco called "The Republican-" smoked beef brisket, barbeque sauce, crispy onions, grilled corn relish, cilantro with chipotle sauce on a flour tortilla. I learned you can have your taco "queso style" with cheese all over. I don't know that but it couldn't have been better. We ordered queso which was next level.
This was one of my favorite meals there!
All Day Pizza: They sell pizza by the slice and I of course got pepperoni. It was outstanding. Some of the best I've had. The pepperoni had the perfect amount of kick. I got a hot honey dipping sauce to go with it. They have pickle pizza and we tried that. Pickle lovers gave it a thumbs up. The Caesar salad was the best I've ever had. The dressing had miso and the croutons were grated.
Zed's Ice Cream: I had the pumpkin pie special and it was divine. Believe me because I'm having a hard time putting into words the outer crust/shell. They have delicious dairy free ice cream too.
All of that food was day 1! Jeff set the bar high! He knows what he's talking about. I told him I want him to come on every vacation with me and tell me where to eat and what to do.
Other restaurants
Bird, Bird, Biscuit: This was walking distance from where we stayed. The chicken was phenomenal! The sauce had a bit of a kick and made my nose run. Very filling! I loved the sweet honey sauce and could have had more of that.
Taco Joint: Right by campus. We had breakfast tacos--bacon, egg, and cheese. The homemade tortillas made them next level. They weren't too big either which was nice because trying to find room for all the food was a struggle.
Asados: I had a giant steak burrito. The meat was very flavorful. Jeff said this wasn't the best food he's had from there.
Cookies and Milk: I died and went to heaven. There was an ice cream flavor called milk and cookies and it tastes just like the milk at the bottom of your cup after you've dipped cookies in it. There were even cookie chunks. I ate every bite and also had a gooey, fresh cookie. This place was a homerun and left me one happy woman.
The Salty Donut: We went for breakfast. The brown butter donut was noteworthy. Also, our rental van could not back out of the parking lot due to a minor slope. After 2 attempts, my dad had to do a large turn and take the hill on facing forward. It started steaming and still makes me giggle thinking about it.
Cava's: Jessica has had Cava's in LA and loves it so we went. It's a healthy salad place and so flavorful! I would go back!
P Terry's: Fast food, but leagues above McDonald's. I loved the fries. The veggie burgers at the baptsim were from here too. Though I steered clear of those.
Taco Deli: Breakfast tacos that have potatoes in them! They're surprisingly good! We ate these in the airport on our way out of town.
What did you do?
We went swimming at the pool in Jeff and Lindsey's neighborhood. We scoped out multiple parks. We went on several walks and saw many ducks. One walk was downtown following the river. We played games-- Skull King and Just One. We toured the University of Texas campus and saw Jeff's office. We went souvenir shopping. James and Papa threw the football so much that Papa's arm was sore the next day. James' record was 37 catches/throws in a row.
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Why didn't Andrew and Penelope come along?
Andrew had taken the week before off of work for our S. Carolina trip. He didn't think it would be great to take off more work and had a lot to catch up on. Since Penelope is now 2, she is no longer free. Paying babysitters was cheaper than purchasing a ticket for her. Also, traveling without a 2 year old who naps and is demanding was nice.
Who watched Penelope?
It really takes a village. We flew out early on Thursday, October 23. My niece Malia watched Penny for 4.5 hours and put Penelope down for a nap. After her quiet time (she pooped which ruined her nap), my friend Alison took her for the remainder of the afternoon.
On Friday, October 24, one of my young women, Lydia babysat Penelope for 4.5 hours. Penelope napped and then another young woman, Jordan played with Penny until Andrew was off of work.
Penelope got the one-on-one Daddy time she craves all weekend. Monday morning, my friend Meagan took Penny for a couple hours.
I am so grateful for friends! And Andrew! He is the best!
Already scheming about when we can all go back to Texas as a whole family. Jeff and Lindsey went all out for us! Still thinking about that roast and brown butter chocolate chip cookies Jeff made us. The company, food, and weather (in October) can't be beat!
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