Who wouldn't want my calling?

Ingoldsby gathering place....

Austin. The picture (albeit taken a bit too low for such a group shot) says it all. Texas is the Ingoldsby gathering place...and it's a blast.

Can you put that answer in the form of a question?

Rarely do I post things out of chronological order (why? because it makes me crazy)....but tonight I break my own rule. I have a handful of events I'd like to post about....but last night seemed to demand a more immediate post!

There are a number of things which make Texas State a great school (particularly the geography department)....the geography department is the largest in the nation, great professors, a program full of preparation and good experiences and so on. And last night the geography department's awesome reputation cameout in force with a guest lecture from the Jeopardy icon himself - Alex Trebek.

C and I enjoy a good game of Jeopardy now and then...but admittedly the Trebek-inator was never one of our faves. However, I am happy to report that good 'ole Alex has about 100x more personality in person than he does on tv. He was funny, smart and interesting - and totally cut short by the department unfortunately!

A: A talk by Alex Trebek on a Wednesday night in San Marcos -
Q: What is fun?
That is correct.

When I'm not writing.....

.....I spend a good chunk of my time at YSB (San Marcos Youth Service Bureau - a non-profit after school program for kids ages 11-17 - tutoring, fun, community service, educational presentations and programs etc.) I haven't blogged much about the mighty YSB because I keep up another blog dedicated to YSB and thus forget to give it proper attention on this blog. However, I wanted to make note that a week or two ago YSB celebrated it's 35th anniversary. That's right...for 35 years YSB has been serving at-risk kids in the San Marcos area. Click here to see a recent newspaper article about YSB and our 35th anniversary....with (as a bonus) a weird picture of me. We were honored at city hall and it was a great reminder of all the good we're trying to do. It's been a great blessing to be involved with such a good organization.

My sister the rockstar....

I want to give a quick shout-out to my twin sister who I think - simply put - is amazing. Marie has two big passions in life: family and music and has incorporated the two in her personal and professional life.
As a doula and childbirth educator Marie helps couples prepare for and enjoy the birth of their children. As a bonus to the couples she works with she even helps them write a personalized lullaby for their child and recently had an article published about the process in International Doula. SO AWESOME! Click here to check it out. Marie also recently started a blog with music tips for LDS families - at home and in their callings. Check it out here, reap the fruits of her labors, become a follower of the blog, put the link on your blog..... and most of all ENJOY! Be sure to pass the word along - we might as well share the wealth!
Most of all Marie is a wonderful mother, wife and the best sister EVER. What can I say? I'm so proud to call her mine!

Easter....

We had such a great, relaxing, fun and uplifting Easter weekend that we had some serious trouble today getting back into the swing of things. Wildflowers are blooming, the sun is shining...and let's be honest...we just want to be hanging out! Okay....back to the weekend's festivities!
We decorated eggs (the cool looking ones were done by C...I'm so craft challenged it's hilarious), ate a lot of good food(why is it that I blog so often about food? I just can't help it....and you should know...this weekend's coffee cake was to die for!), got together with good friends and watched super cute kids hunt for eggs and relished in General Conference.
Easter 2010? Success!

Good friends....

We have been lucky to have many visitors here in the land of Texas.

Most recently Amy and Clark came to Texas to spend their spring break with their many friends scattered between San Antonio and Austin. So fun!

Here we are at Texas State sporting our GREEN PARTY medals. My favorite things about this picture? 1 - The fact that we both look 19, and 2 - Amy so lovingly holding LBJ's leg. Niiiiice.
Texas bbq! Always an intense and fun experience for visitors.



Thank you Lockhart (the bbq capitol of Texas) for coming through with a fantastic small-town experience....tunes and all!
No trip to San Marcos is complete without some form of appreciation of the river.


What a blessing it is to have good friends. Thanks for coming!