Stephen's Junior Prom

Stephen attended prom early this April with a senior. He decided to go about a week before the dance, so we all scrambled to make it all work out. Once we arrived at his friends' house for pictures, he discovered that he had left his prom ticket at home. Mike graciously drove home to search Stephen's lair for the missing ticket while they took pictures to no avail. We thought that his ninth-grade English teacher who sold him the ticket would surely allow him in the door since they had a list of students and ticket numbers at the door, but we discovered this was an incorrect assumption when he called us later to inform us they did not. Luckily, one of his friends drove him from San Marcos all the way to our home in Austin and although he was resigned to staying home if he didn't find his ticket in the first five minutes, he found it in the front hall closet right away. They drove back to prom, but missed out on the picture booth which had already closed. Thank goodness we had taken him for pre-dance pictures or we would have none to commemorate the occasion.

Spring Break 2011

The Strokes @ Auditorium Shores

This spring break was hectic although it was mostly a "staycation." Noah came to stay with us while his family went to Disney. He and Stephen lived it up gaming all night long and sleeping till late each day. Mike had to work the week, and I volunteered the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival so I could earn a music badge. I worked at the Alamo Ritz theater downtown and was able to see some celebrities while watching the antics on 6th street. The music began on Wednesday night and each day there was music everywhere to enjoy. We took Noah to see his first rock concert at Auditorium Shores on Thursday where the Strokes played. The grand finale was fireworks over LadyBird Lake. I was able to see shows for some old favorites like Filter and Puddle of Mudd. I also saw great shows from other acts such as Flogging Molly, AwolNation, Panic at the Disco, and The Bravery. Aside from the usual madness associated with SXSW there were also some cool surprises such as Dennis Quaid coming on stage to sing and play a song during the Bravery's show. The week was exciting, but also exhausting. It will be a relief for our family to get back into a semi-normal schedule.
Dennis Quaid playing with the Bravery
The Airborne Toxic Event
Irish punk rock at it's best = Flogging Molly

Fall 2010

We have had a fast moving fall this year. Our fall has flown by at warp speed and now we are entering the Christmas countdown. This fall we have watched Stephen play varsity football and get inducted into the National Honor Society. We anxiously anticipate all the exciting developments this spring. Right before Halloween we adopted a new rescue kitten and named him Calvin. He has been a challenge, but he and Hobbes seem to be enjoying each others' company (as much as cats enjoy other cat's company). The temperature has just recently began to drop below our usual 90+, and we are enjoying the opportunity to wear winter attire. Looking forward to spending the holidays and seeing our family and friends.

Merry Montage Christmas

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Nerren Reunion 2010

Last week we traveled to Tennessee for the first Nerren family reunion. It was a long drive, but well worth the travel. Our extended family all camped in the Cherokee National Forest at Camp Cherokee. It was a great opportunity to catch up with cousins we haven't seen in a very long time. On Saturday a small group of us went on a rafting trip down the Ocoee river. It was very exciting and Erin even took an unexpected river swim after being accidentally booted out of the raft during one particular rapid. Hopefully, this will be one of many family get-togethers to come....since we have missed everyone tremendously. My only complaint was that we didn't have more time.

Our talented family

Our fall has been crazy busy. Our first anniversary has come and gone along with many other important events. Today we are reflecting on our fun and talented family.

This past October I traveled to a professional development and stayed in Houston with my big sister Stephanie and Tim. We went to dinner at the Redfish for my birthday and then later that evening Tim demonstrated his monkey boy impression.



Mike’s big brother and Michelle married this past September. At the wedding celebration Mike’s dad was a dancing fiend, and showed his grandson, Jordan, how to impress the ladies.



Stephen celebrated his 16th birthday. After his birthday dinner, he chose to go to Amy’s ice cream for dessert. The man behind the counter asked him why he was wearing a sombrero, and after Stephen told him that it was his birthday, a deal ensued. Stephen would get free ice cream….as long as he could catch it.



Also, Mike has finally finished his long endeavor of completing our 90 gallon tank stand. Everything but the canopy is completed. It looks great.

We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving week break…we sooo need a break!

Colorful House

Last month a wonderful friend came to visit and helped us paint 5 rooms in our house in only 3 days. It was quite a feat! Now we have 6 total colorful rooms. Here are some pictures to give you and idea of our new color scheme.
Master Bedroom Master Bath
Stephen's bedroom
Guest bathroom
Game Room
Dining Room
Kitchen

Signs around Austin...

So this past few weeks we've been paying closer attention to some unusual signs around Austin. They are too colorful not to share...