Austin City Limits music festival!

i have become an expert at road trips to texas.
i know the speed limits. the best gas stations. im actually considering making a "road trip through texas mix."

it was 5:45am. i was driving and we made a pit stop in amarillo. whataburger was open and although i wasnt really hungry, i felt like it was a road trip requirement. matt jolts awake. orders some hamburger value meal with a coke and a chocolate shake and concerningly looks at his phone.
amarillo!?
yes.

oh. good. here it is. and then he turns up the volume and starts blaring out...

"Amarillo By Morning, Up from San Antone
Everything that I got, Is just what I've got on.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky, I'll be buckin' at the county fair.
Amarillo By Morning, Amarillo I'll be there."

naturally dan and i join in.

"im glad your up," i say, "its your shift."

our final stop was austin. we had friends waiting. three full days of music. matts birthday.
there was fun to be had.
and as i write this 4 days later, i can tell you that i am still catching up on lost sleep.
but oh. it was worth it.

Top moments in Austin:
1.) the entire black keys concert. so sexy.
2.) dancing our hearts our to vampire weekend.
3.) being surrounded by true phish fans. and trying to be one of them.
4.) exploring austin and stopping to get feather extensions from nicolette :)
5.) meeting new friends at the ultimate hipster bar - shangri la.
6.) rocking out (by myself) to matt and kim
7.) eating the best queso with the best boys at kerby lane cafe.
8.) falling in deep love with the magical mysterious edward sharpe.
9.) singing along with 80,000 people to the classic eagles.
10.) driving through oklahoma through a HUGE lightning storm.

(other moments include muse, local natives, monsters of folk, the temper trap, spoon, norah jones, flaming lips, amos lee, band of horses, bananarchy, trying to stay up past our bed time, seeing aldo on the bus)

vincent turns 3.

birthdays are a big deal.
especially when you are three.
its about candles and ice cream and cake and wishes and pizza and birthday hats and presents and getting spoiled.
my parents always made sure of these things growing up.
these are the best birthdays.

the guida boys love chuck e. cheese and vinny has been looking forward to this day for sooo long. he is such a sweet guy.
excited and thankful for every little present. running around with the biggest smile on his face.
it is the happiest day.
i love this kid.
and when he looks in your eyes and asks you if you are coming to his birthday party.
you cant say no.

happy birthday vincent!

Road Trip!!!

my lovely friend shell and her lovely husband dane now live in wichita falls, texas.
i know, i have never heard of it either.
but this is where dane got based to train to be a fighter pilot and so this is where we go to visit :)
thanks to my job, you could live in springfield, missouri or little rock, arkansas or des moines, iowa and i will most likely come to visit :)
me, hannah, jackie and becca all have very busy schedules (who doesnt)...so finding a weekend to drive to texas was hard. honestly, im actually surprised it all came together. on august 24th we woke up at the butt crack-of-dawn - beccas car packed with junk food, mix cds, blankets, pillows, starbucks and the best of friends.
it was sooo good to see the coppinis and their new little life in texas. we laughed and drank wine and ate michelles famous meatballs (her grandmas recipe) and slept in and laughed some more and met friends and almost got attacked by a bull and then laughed a little bit more.
all of us girls are quite different and we are all in different paths of life but we can always understand each other and be there for each other and share some wine together.
and that is what girlfriends are for.