David's Birthday :: Houston Trip!

Hello everyone,

Last weekend was quite the weekend!  Not only did Phoenix have its last performance of the season (Flight), it was also David's graduation and birthday weekend!  I know, the weekend could not have been more packed.  

Sadly, David's graduation and Phoenix Flight happened on the same day, so I couldn't be in Houston for his graduation, but I booked it home after the concert, packed, and got on a flight to Houston a few hours later for David's birthday!  --giving that whole life/work balance a go over here  hah!

His birthday began with a pretty darn spectacular sunrise in Boston ;)  

the only (and I truly mean the only) perk of being awake at this hour, in my opinion... haha

I definitely went to sleep freezing my butt off on the plane, but a few hours later, I woke up to unbelievable heat and humidity.  Oh Houston... thank you for welcoming me back with everything you had to offer...  but all that was soon forgotten as I met up with my birthday boy and the rest of the S clan!  

Jack and their Dad had made it out to Houston for David's graduation, and I was so glad to see them! 

Dad was flying out soon after, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat and shared some birthday cupcakes while enjoying the short amount of time that we had together. 

Though I had met David's dad and brother individually, I had never seen them all together like this before.  It's hard to put into words, but there was something really heart-warming about seeing them reunited, interacting and spending time together like this   =)  

                                                                <----                                            <----  The evolution of David?  hehe

As soon as Dad left, the kids went wild.




haha.

As wild as the couple that chooses baking over drinking gets  =p   

I hear that Houston actually has a pretty great bar scene, but poor Jack never got to experience that because he had us grandparents as his tour guide  haha  Amulet did drag me to one bar (Flying Saucer) during our roomy era, so we did bring Jack there during his visit!  

Oh, but we definitely had the best BBQ we've ever had!  We may not drink much, but if you've followed this blog for awhile, you know that food is definitely our thing! And of all of the BBQ we've ever had, this is the best.  Ray's BBQ is in a gas station, the inside is quite cramped, and the table we got was literally spinning off of the base, but none of that mattered as soon as we tasted the food.

Oh... My... Goodness...  seriously, the juiciest BBQ we have ever had!  

If you live in Houston, you have to go try it!  and all of the many students (ahem, Rice!!) about to move away to a new city, you will seriously regret it if you leave without trying this place!

Having stuffed ourselves, we took a stroll around the Hermann park.  I was kind of shocked to find this part of the park (some sort of a garden) because I don't think it was here when I was at Rice..?   It'd be really sad if it was there all along and I never knew!

The big bro and the baby bro.

David and I have been engaged for awhile now, and we knew that we wanted to be together long-term waayy before we even got engaged.  However, the fact that we are getting married has just begun to feel real, and I think it's because we've gotten to spend more time with both sides of the family (mine in Charleston and his here) in the past couple of weeks.  (and maybe because mommy calls daily asking about the non-existent wedding details...)

For me, marriage isn't just about the couple; it's about two families becoming one.  So when families came into the picture a little more, our upcoming marriage seemed more real to me.  I grew up in a big, loud, and very tight-knit family on both sides, and I've always known that I wanted to continue that tradition as I added my own to the mix.  Family is everything to me; they're there to lend a hand when it is needed, to hold you accountable for your actions, to argue with you, to laugh at/with you, and to share the joys and the sorrows of life. I can't imagine not having that giant support group as you move through different phases of life.

Having such a big family that likes being in everyone else's business has its pros and cons, and one of the cons was that whoever I decided to marry had to have approval from all of the 50+ family members. My aunts and uncles have always joked that their nephews and nieces will never be able to find anyone to marry because it would be impossible to find someone who could pass the family test haha  so when David survived meeting all 50+ of them in Korea, I knew he was a keeper  ;)  haha 

We are both pretty excited to be gaining another set of parents, and another brother each. (and alllll of the extended families.. hah) David was the baby of the family, so he's really liking being a big bro to Peter, and I'm pretty stoked to be getting an older brother myself!  I was an only child for 5 years, and for as long as I can remember, I've always asked my parents for an older brother. I ended up getting a younger brother, which I guess is the next best situation (I love you baby bro! haha). I've also always had many older cousins who filled that older brother role, but now I'm getting a real big brother!  =D 

David and I were discussing our thoughts on this matter, and David told me that girls are very rare in his family, so getting a sister may be a whole new adventure for Jack.  But I'd say he's a natural ;) He already grudgingly endures the many photo shoots coming his way like a seasoned pro  =p  haha

It was a really wonderful day celebrating David's birthday, hanging out and getting to know the family a bit better, and exploring different parts of Houston!  

If you have noticed that the pictures look a little bit different in quality, it's because David got me an early birthday present--a new portrait lens!!  It has a bit of a learning curve, but I am loving the quality of the photos so far.  I'll be back with a new post soon trying out the new lens during the last of our Houston explorations  =)

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

--Janny

Blue Nile Ethiopian

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone is staying warm!  we just had the 'historic' Juno, and lo and behold... it's snowing again...  so! care for a little virtual trip to someplace a bit warmer?  how about Ethiopia with its spiced teas, coffee ceremonies, frankincense, and abundance of everything warm and spicy?  =)

We visited Blue Nile for a date night (day) after one of our friends recommended the place to us, and we had a great time!  Yelp guided us on what to order because I've only had Ethiopian food once before, and David wasn't a pro either, and we were very happy with our choices!  =)

The only thing I wasn't completely over the moon about was this spiced tea...  I mean...  It was good, but it wasn't that different than other teas I've tried.

If the tea was a bit underwhelming, the main course was...  incredible!

We ordered a vegetarian combination and a beef dish, and everything was so. delicious.

In Ethiopian cuisine, you eat everything with  you hands, wrapping the food in enjera (the spongy pancake looking thing).  It may take a little bit of getting used to, but it's really not too weird once you do it a couple of times.  Besides, once you start eating, you'll forget all about the new way of eating because it's the only way you can get the deliciousness in front of you into your belly!

yum!  yup, we did a good job  ;)  haha  

Coffee is not really my cup of tea... (not having much luck here with my 'teas') I've tried so hard for so many years to like it, but the closest I get to it is a mocha.. and maybe a hazelnut latte.  But when I saw that they had an 'Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony', I had to order it and see what it was like!

The whole experience was pretty cool.  They brought the roasted beans, shook it around in front of us and had us smell the aroma,

then, they brought some frankincense, popcorn, and the coffee to be brewed in a little pot at our table

Unfortunately, even after the Ethiopian ceremony, I was not a huge fan of the coffee.  David, however, who likes coffee like a normal 20 something, really liked it! 

We were a little confused by the popcorn... but the waiter assured us that popcorn is a normal part of Ethiopian coffee/snack time!

We really enjoyed our visit to Blue Nile; the wait staff was wonderful, the food was fantastic, and the family-run atmosphere was really charming  =)  We would highly recommend a trip over if you are in Houston and in the mood for some Ethiopian food!

Happy Friday everyone, and hope you have a wonderful wekeend!

Thanks for stopping by!

--Janny

Houston for a few days

Hello everyone!

Snowmageddon is here in Boston!  BU has cancelled school for this evening and all of tomorrow, and everyone is prepping for 2-3 feet of snow and hurricane speed winds.  I have never experienced a blizzard before, so while I know that it's extremely dangerous, I'm also rather giddy to see a completely white world tomorrow when I wake up!  

outside my window a few days ago  =)

Being stuck at home for a full day and a half also gives me time to catch up on my blog!  I know it's been awhile, but since I got to Boston, I've been so swamped with school and my new job as an orchestra manager that it's been difficult to even find time to eat sometimes.  Needless to say, this snow day could not have come at a better time.  I'm looking forward to baking cookies, maybe drinking some hot chocolate, catching up on some homework, practicing, and just enjoying this God-send day off.

Now, to catch up on a few events before my life became incredibly hectic...
I spent a few days in Houston before school started, and though I couldn't see everyone I wanted to see due to lack of time, I still got to pack in a few adventures  =)

The first one, of course, (I mean, it's David and I haha) was going dancing!  We used to love going to Second Saturday Dances put on by USA Dance, and my visit coincided with the Second Saturday Dance for January, so we got to go!

It was before school started in Houston, so we didn't see all of the Rice dancers, but we did see a few of our old Rice friends + an adopted U of H dancer   haha.  They had a little 'photo booth' there, so obviously, we had to take the awkward dance family photo  ;)

Then, our old apartment reunited!!!!  

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you would be familiar with seeing Amulet around here since we were roommates for 2 years!  

it was really great to catch up, have some lunch, and some coffee to warm up in the frigid(?) Houston weather (little did I know what I would be facing in Boston)

Later, for tradition's sake, the double daters got together for some game night!  We used to do this so much, and Chris (Amulet's bf) has quite an extensive collection of board games, so we had to get together again while I was visiting  =)

We played a Polish game (I forget what it's called since it was in Polish) that was a cross between the game 'Dixit' and 'Clue' that got us all warmed up for a night of non-stop laughter.

we were joined by our favorite four-legged friend, Houdini!!  such a charmer this one  =)

After two rounds of the first game, we proceeded to build our castles with the game 'Castles of Mad King Ludwig' which was so much fun!  Chris built the fattest castle, Amulet had the most well-balanced castle, I had the sleepiest one, and David had the creepiest, strangest castle full of dungeons and other questionable underground rooms  haha

It was so good to be back hanging out and catching up with our favorite double date couple, and I hope that we get to do it more as we visit each other in our respective cities  =)

If you are in the New England area chillin with the blizzard Juno, I hope that you will stay warm and safe, and if you are enjoying the balmy weather in the 50's (like in Houston), then... well...  harumph.  haha  =)  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!

--Janny