I'll give you 6, can't think of 10!

Life is pretty much in control these days at the Castros. We love the Fall, but this time of the year seems to always be the busiest for us with work, school, family, celebrations, but I love it! I seem to be falling behind, but I hang in and enjoy the pictures and I will bring you to date :)!

Adolfo has been pretty busy with school these past few weeks/weekends so I have stepped away on the weekends to get out of his hair, and let him concentrate on his classes, and it seems to be working because his grades are awesome, and fingures crossed he will be starting at Texas State this time next year!

So what have I been up to you ask?.....

1. Baby N's 2nd Birthday Party!

2. Adolfo and I signed up for our first 5k Run over the Thanksgiving Holiday...and I am so happy it is in my hometown, during my most favorite time of the year!

3. Participated in the American Heart Walk 2010 with my Mom and Tay. PEC raised 53K for this event, being the biggest Corporate donor! Glad I was asked to be a part of it, it was a beautiful Saturday Morning in ATX! More importantly I got 2 new FREE t-shirts...the things we take for granted from college!

4. I had a movie date night with my Grandma, we went and saw Secretariat and I LOVED it! Don't know what Grandma loved more the movie of the popcorn.

5. Attended my cousin's baby shower, Eliana should be here within the next 2 weeks. Babies everywhere these days!

6. And last but not least, I finally got to go see the progress on my Grandparent's new house. My Grandparent's home has always been our little hill country retreat, and I couldn't believe that it burned down, but God is faithful, and with their continued hard work.... sit back and enjoy the tour!

Front view...beautiful cedar posts that wrap around half the house to the patio!

Here is the view standing at the patio looking towards the front of the house...

Standing in the breakfast nook, looking into the living room...LOVE the ceiling!

View from the kitchen, I love all the natural light they will have...directly outside those windows will be the pool/patio area!

Breakfast nook!

Kitchen, and entry way... I LOVE the arcs everywhere! See those 2 little windows in the back?

Formal Dinning! Those 2 little windows will be access to this dining room where my Grandma will have a buffet, so she can push food out of the kitchen! Can you tell she owns a restaurant, lol?

This is kind of blurry, but this is the hall form the nook to the formal dinning room, 1st door is where we will have storage, wine cellar, and ice machine....then it is a wet bar, and then a pretty snazzy washroom!

The Castro's room! Claudia and Jaime's is exactly the same but on the other side!

My Grandparent's suite.....

View from the patio, this is why I love this place...so peaceful! That pile will be moved!

So there you have it, that's life in a nutshell, haha! I am so grateful for these moments, I hope yall all have a beautiful week! And I hope to be back sooner, rather than later :)!

C.

Where did September go?

Life has definitely been moving too quickly lately, so I will share a little bit of what's been going on here with the Castros, kinda random!

I got off early from work a few weeks ago, and got to see Chica play volleyball, and we went to H&Gs and hung out a little bit....hadn't seen them in awhile.....

Wedding season is picking up,

I am working on to wrap up little projects, I'll share the finished project when I'm done...

My sister convinced me to get into the spirit! I've always LOVED fall, it's the BEST time of year, but I never really decorate, because I don't have storage, and clutter would just stress me out! But I caved in, Adolfo and I spent Sunday afternoon shopping purchasing a few little treasures!

My pumkin, and sign!

I LOVE this hurricane, that I can use all seasons! The pumkins smell like cinnimon! Haha, I know I didn't go overboard, but I thought they were cute to start my collection, so it begins....

So that's about it, October is nothing short from eventful so hopefully I'll have more to share. It's just school and the beginning of busy season, just trying to stay ahead....and so excited it's been cold because I've been getting to enjoy this......

You know, just an extra pep in my step. Have a great week!

C.

Year 2: Cotton, Hmmm.....

Adolfo and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Labor Day, but with the business of the holiday, we decided to celebrate this past weekend. We always celebrate everything a little off-beat because special ocassions make us crazy, so why would we expect anniversaries to be any different, lol?

So, year one was easy: Paper, but year 2, had us thinking really early on, and it got to a point where we were getting really creative, lol. I LOVE B&B's and will pick it over a hotel any day, so I decided to google B&B's - COTTON and see what popped up. It was that simple, and I found this sweet little treasure, the Cotton Gin Village, in our favorite little weekend getaway hot spot, Fredericksburg!!!! I was so excited, I LOVED everything about this idea, weekend trip to the hill country, great food, wine, and a little adventure.....needless to say, it was easy convincing Adolfo.

So here it is, the great thing about this place is it is owned by a chef, with an onsite restaurant, and then he has Cabins on the grounds....great idea, he's created his own little rustic village!

I couldn't wait to see our little cabin, The Pecos!

Adolfo was in love with a turn of the key! Isn't it adorable?

Can you feel the charm? I just fell in love!

Adolfo said he wouldn't mind sitting in that chair looking out the window for the rest of his life, after spending the whole weekend there, it doesn't sound like a bad idea at all! See the little basket in the back....we got fresh pastries every day, wrapped up, so it was like a present!

This is what sold me, I LOVE the fire place, but more importantly the big table in front, perfect for dominoes!

The landscape had a beautiful patio area with waterfalls, tables, and fish....so of course Adolfo had to feed the fish, right?

There is a little view, my hubby in action.....the sound was so pretty at night. Friday night we just relaxed, enjoyed a great Hamburger and music under the stars at Hondos, my favorite!

So Saturday, we acted as tourists, it's the best part! And, because I married a History buff we played around in the museum....I hadn't been there in a really long time, and Adolfo loved it!

The Japanese Garden was so pretty!

Sharing a little bit of the beauty....

Our most favorite part of the museum, so cool!

I asked Adolfo how much he liked it, and he said, "It was the bomb!" Haha, so cute since he was standing in front of a lifesize bomb!

After we were done learning, we strolled mainstreet, enjoyed some new wines (well, I did) & chocolates, and of course we had ice cream before we headed back for the Longhorns and Dinner!

All dressed up and in a great mood! The Longhorns won, and now it was dinner time!

The Castros, 2nd Anniversary Celebration!

We were not let down, the food was amazing! I had a steak, YUM, and Adolfo was blown away by the quail, he loved it, and was already planning our next trip back. It was really good, and I'd never turn down a romantic dinner date, with my one and only!

Since the night was still young, we heard there was a PBR rodeo going on across the street, and there was going to be a dance later in the evening, and if you know the Castros, we LOVE to dance....so we went! And as we entered they were having there 9/11 Ceremony, it was so touching, and just made me really grateful, and proud to be an American! I mean, we were in a beautiful little town, doing what we loved, with the one we loved, just enjoying our moment....

We danced, and danced some more, I love it when we can just look up and just see stars, it made my night! Sunday, time for us to head back to ATX, but not until we defeated the rock!

It just kept going, and going, and just when you thought you were there, nope, keep going, lol! Adolfo looks like he's walking into the clouds.....

We did it! The Castros on top of the world, lol, 2 years down a 100 to go!

This trip turned out better than I could have imagined! We had such a wonderful time, and we really just got to check out of our city lives, and just relax together.

2 years have passed so quickly, and it's been my favorite thus far! I'm a really lucky girl. I've been blessed to find that one person who encourages me to follow my dreams, and if I don't know the answer that's ok because we'll figure it out together. I've found the one person who will listen to me talk and talk, and then tell me to stop, be quiet and listen, because let's be honest, sometimes I need that. I've found the one person who knows my flaws, and still thinks I'm perfect! I've found the one person who will sit beside me for the rest of my life...in my moments of tears, worries, frowns, smiles, and laughter....I've just been blessed!

Love you Babe, C.

Celebrations at the Castro's...

Well, it has been pretty laid back the past few weeks at the Castro's. We enjoyed a very relaxing Labor Day weekend, full of time off, football, a little bit of Anniversary shopping, and just hanging out.

Saturday we enjoyed a Texas victory over Rice. I LOVE watching sports, even more, I LOVE waking up in ATX every Saturday during football season, and all you see is a sea of burnt orange and white, it just get's me in the spirit!

Sunday, we pretty much hung out....we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon hanging out at the Coffee Bean and walking around the Domain....as we continued strolling, I could help but snap a picture of my "Big Kid" playing in the fountain! The fountain has a random pattern, and right after this one, they all came on, oh what I'd have given to watch that sneak up on him, loL!
Labor Day was well, pretty laborless and full of nothing! Adolfo and I celebrated our 2nd year Anniversary on Monday (Labor Day)....but we didn't do anything because this weekend is our celebration weekend, so I will share all that excitement in another blog, later.

Today is my little sister's 21st Birthday, so we treated her a little special! Adolfo had class, so it was just us two. I decided I was going to make her a cake....Here is the birthday girl, a night before the big day...she could only look, no touching!


I took the rest of the week off for celebrations, so tonight I took Tay out to Dinner to celebrate! Here we are enjoying our first legal glasses of wine together, lol! I got carded first, typical....

We do love our Italian food and wine!

We couldn't go home without her first "BIG PURCHASE" so before we headed home to enjoy birthday cake we made a stop.

Here goes my baby sister focused and on her way in....

and on her way out....Mission accomplished!

Here is a pretty funny story.....As Tay and I start discussing different new wines we'd like to try and finally found our wine of choice, we make our way to the counter, she puts her bottle on the counter, pulls out her wallet, hands the lady the cash, and they didn't even card her!!!! We didn't say anything, but we had a nice laugh as we left.....Tay: "I waited 21 years for that, lol!"....I mean, I get carded every time I go in there, lol.

I've enjoyed my time off, but I am so looking forward to our Anniversary weekend! Since Tay's birthday fell on a Thursday we had to keep it pretty low key, and I am bummed I am going to miss out on her big celebration, but we got our sister time. So like I said, it's been really calm and laid back, but that's welcomed.

C.

Sunsets, meatloaf, and a good book!

Hi friends, WOW, it's been too long! Well since our last blog, we've survived a night in San Antonio visiting my sister and her fiances new place and a trip to the beach. School has started up again for Adolfo, and Tay is back with us.

~

I have off a couple of days for the next 2 weeks, a little bit of training, and then Adolfo and I get to celebrate our 2 year anniversary....more on that later!!!!!

~

Last weekend we tried out the Oasis for one of Adolfo's friends birthday, it's one of those places that everyone went to for prom, it's just one of those places you try, more for the sunset than the food or drinks, in my opinion, but it was great hanging out with friends, and I'd never been so it was a sweet date!

~

I love anytime I can get dressed up and take a picture with my cute, preppy hubby! I LOVE his new fishing cap, and don't you just love the family picture of Bob Marley still up in our living room, loL!

Picture 1Million with my hubby! Enjoying our sunset....we had a beautiful view, we even saw sailboats, I want one!

Celebrating Lupe's Birthday....


So we've just really laid low getting back into the swing of things. Work will pick up again for me at the end of September....so I am still running, and trying not to eat out as much. Which means, more cooking for me, not my favorite.

So I am happy to share, that I cooked 3 meals this past week...one night of leftovers, and then I got a dinner date tonight! So here is my meatloaf story....I have only tried to make this meal once in my life, in college, and I failed miserably. It took me so long, and it was horrible, I've felt intimated ever since! So finally, I said not again.....so I chose Sunday night to overcome my meatloaf fear!

TADA.....thanks to my Mom's great recipe, it came out wonderful! And now, my family too, can enjoy meatloaf night!


I am STILL debating if I want to get a Kindle with my promotion bonus, but I am torn...I love how compact it is, and that it holds so many books, and slides right in my purse....but, I also love browsing book stores, holding an old book, and turning the pages one by one.....see my dilema!

~

So until I make a decision, here is what is on my nightstand at the moment, I LOVE IT! Each night I lay my head on my pillow, I feel so empowered as a women. I am only in the beginning, but it has been a really easy read so far....I'll let you know! And, seeing my cute little piggy bank I made makes me want to paint pottery again!

So that is it friends, nothing earth shatering, just our everyday living, lol! We have 3 whole days to our self, and still no plans, not going to lie, if feels wonderful! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

With Love, The Castros!