1st Annual Sportsman Soiree

The Lonestar Cattleman Sportsman Soiree was definitely a true night at the ranch! It was held at the TDS Exotic Game Ranch and I felt like I was in a scene from The Lion King. The Lonestar Cattleman Foundation has raised over $250,000 and purchased livestock for FFA allowing students to plan for their futures in the industry.

They served wild game appetizers while live music played and many were clad in their hats and boots. We decided to go explore the ranch on foot. We came face to face with some beautiful giraffes. These creatures are so amazing and to see them up close was absolutely incredible.

The silent auction was filled with everything from signed sports memorabilia to jewelry to guitars. But the real fun came during dinner at the live auction. In true auction style the auctioneer was rattling off numbers faster than my head could compute them. An adorable lab puppy auctioned for around $4000 and a trip to Colorado perhaps around $300. Everything was happening so fast the only thing I do know is that a lot of money was raised for the Lonestar Cattleman Foundation. The night ended with Charlie Robison playing live and all of the silent auction items going to good homes.

Austin City Limits Music Festival

Austin City Limits Music Festival celebrated it's ninth year at Zilker Park with the best weather yet to date. Zilker Park is a huge space near Downtown Austin and sits next to the Barton Hills and Rollingwood Neighborhoods. Past years have soared to temperatures of 108 or more and last year was doused with rain creating one sloppy, muddy mess! So cool weather and temperatures in the high 80's had everyone happy and out in full force. With close to 68,000 people in the park daily it could be a wee bit crowded at times but overall the festival was a huge success with great music, food, and Austinites as well as out of town festival lovers. I am pregnant and took full advantage of the crunchy chicken cones, Amy's Ice Cream shakes, and Sweat Leaf Tea. Me and the baby rocked out to Vampire Weekend (shown above) and a many others such as The Black Keys, Broken Bells, Nora Jones, and Amos Lee to name a few.

On Sunday we grabbed a great spot for our blanket under a tree and my dad found a Sweet Leaf Tea balloon that made for an excellent foot rest! We enjoyed several shows from this spot and found little reason to leave our little island. Also pictured above is my husband Merritt with friends overlooking the Pete Yorn show. We were able to meet up with friends throughout the three days and a fun time was had by all! The festival was closed out by the Eagles (top photo) who did a phenomenal job. Everyone was dancing and singing along to all of their hits. And with a breeze to accompany each song you couldn't ask for a more perfect setting in Austin.

National Night Out

National Night Out is a drug/crime event that is designed to bring community awareness and strengthen the relationship of neighbors and police. So yesterday October 5th, Texans on most streets around the state were out on their front lawns meeting neighbors, talking with the officers, and gaining awareness about things going on in the neighborhood.

National Night Out was held on my street in Allandale and had a great turn-out. The police came by and showed the kids safety tips complete with sirens and even let them talk over the car loud speaker. They loved that!! Officer LaHood explained the different items she carried on her such as mace, a baton, etc. After the police left, we all gathered inside for food and fellowship and discussed any crime or unusual things we'd seen in the neighborhood and caught up on how everyone was doing. It was a great way to bump up the community spirit and we are already planning our next neighborhood potluck!