valentines brunch at the four seasons austin

the last few valentines days have found us

in new cities. from paris to rome to porto

to now austin this year, all i ever ask for on

my favorite holiday is to spend it somewhere

new with my love. wish granted! we loved 

being in such an unexpected city this year.

after lots of food trucks, tex-mex and bbq,

we were excited to do valentines brunch at

TRIO, the restaurant at four seasons - austin.

it is right on the river and beautiful.

the food keeps up with the atmosphere,

offering local fare kicked up a few notches.

seeing as we were in the heart of texas surrounded by so

much great tex-mex, i opted for the enchiladas de migas

off the local menu. let me tell you, i ordered well! TRIO's

chef makes these to perfection...just look at this dish!

i was so excited to try them as i took this photo, and

they measured up! every ingredient tasted incredibly

fresh and the combination of flavors was perfected.

chase went for a sweeter dish, the ricotta-stuffed 

challah french toast. i love this about my valentine -- 

he will always order the perfect dish to balance my

meal so we can try both savory and sweet meals!
( does he do this on his own, or did i train him to? :)

this was the ideal, relaxed environment for a lovely

brunch together before continuing our travels

through texas and onto new orleans for the long 

weekend. our deal for valentines is to have the

gift be an experience or date together like this trip 

was, but he still slipped a surprise in his love note

more from the weekend to come!

hope you had the best valentines day!

xo

we were welcomed as guests to the four seasons -- austin, 

but all opinions are our own...and we will be back here!

the city by the bay

during the summer we met up with a photographer

from our home state who was in SF for a job.

tyler rye photography is too talented to pass up! 

we loved meeting him & his wife and running

around our neighborhood snapping some photos.

we even went up to our apartment building's roof

and took some city rooftop shots from there.

we always feel lucky to connect with great

photographers like here, here, and here.

we love having quality photos to have and

keep forever! especially these ones, since

they are right in our neighborhood and on our

rooftop of our favorite apartment we've lived in.

we may have been a little bit frazzled
since we rushed home from work to take
these during my first week at google, :) but--
i, for one, am cherishing these photos
and this time in our lives. if you can't
tell, we love living in this city by the bay
and we are soaking up everything it has 
to offer because who knows how long we
will live here? i'm always looking for the
next adventure but making sure to savor
the present before we're on to some place new!
regardless, this city has our hearts forever and
now a little bit of that is captured in these.
xo

conscious coupling

remember months & months ago reading in the news
 about gwyneth paltrow splitting from chris martin ?
it was literally last MARCH and i couldn't quite get it out 
of my mind. i have thought about it so often since, and this
post has been in my drafts for a long time. finally i decided,
why not just post it? this is something that i care about.

not because i care that a celebrity couple is getting

divorced, but because of how they announced it
and what it normalizes to everyone else. like you

 can see below, the title of the post announcing 
the split on gwyneth's website was titled:

gwyneth normally can do no wrong in my eyes,

but here she failed me. she didn't make this up,

this term was coined by a therapist...but she used

it to announce her divorce and it was all over the

internet... & i still see it. while i understand the train of 

thought behind it, i don't think i can ever support

or agree with what it's saying and how it was used.

i know that people change and marriage is hard...

............but isn't that kind of the point of it?

of course some situations merit ending a relationship. 

plenty of my closest friends and family have ended

relationships and marriages for good reason.

 it's not about that at all. we're talking about 

this specific idea that it is completely okay just

to grow apart slowly and "consciously uncouple."

 this phrase makes it seem so normal, so 

routine, so expected. a lot of time, people try

everything they can to make things work, and

it still doesn't despite all of their efforts. they end

up with the worst kind of heartbreak i can imagine.

this is why to consciously do this and "uncouple" seems 

so sad and bizarre to me. it caters to a world with a 

short attention span. it basically wants us to think of our 

spouse as someone to point out all the negatives in us

until it's time to be on our own. it justifies focusing on 

ourselves and promotes growing apart over time. what????

it would even make more a little sense to me if it was to

"unconsciously uncouple" because at least you didn't mean to!

if anything, the

popular phrase should be

conscious coupling.

it should be our highest priority

to work at our marriages

and relationships and move

toward coming closer rather

than accepting that people just

aren't meant to be together forever.

i'll stand first in line and tell you that in

just a little over two years of marriage, we've

had some highs and lows. from fighting about

the silliest of matters to important things, we've

had disagreements and fights and silent treatments

(my specialty :) ...we've learned things about each other

that we didn't know before we were married, and we've 

each changed a lot, formed new opinions, and evolved.

i hope that we always continue to change! it means we're

growing, having new experiences, and becoming who we

want to be. but that doesn't mean our love changes. it

especially doesn't mean our commitment to our love changes.

people may have different opinions on this, and i welcome them!

i love other ideas and disagreements and conversations. i just cannot 

hear something become widely accepted that so goes against

everything i believe in and not express my own thoughts on the other

side of it. as in love with chase as i am, our highter commitment and tie is

what truly binds us together. we've made promises to each other, and to God

and i'm so grateful that we don't have any excuses to give up or think

for one second that we're not in it for the long run. that's unfair if you ask me.

gwyneth, i still think you're a babe. and i understand that when you're

a celebrity this was probably an easier + cleaner way to announce some

sad news to the world. but just know, it didn't fool all of us. :)

i'm not trying to say that everyone should be married and put up with

bad things and stay together no matter what. i'm just saying that for me,

i'd rather be on the consciously coupling side of things. with my friends,

family, and especially my spouse, i'd rather keep working at every relationship

and put all my effort into making sure nothing is slowly slipping away.

when hard things happen, i want to grow closer rather than separate.

i want to hear your ideas on "consciously coupling!" how do you consciously

make an effort to grow your relationships? is it sometimes easier to let

things slip? for sure. but it is so worth it to work at things day by day so

we can enjoy them in the long run. i KNOW that at the end of my life

(and after) i plan to be with my sweetheart and loved ones, 

not uncoupled away from them. so i'll do everything i can now

to make sure of it. it won't ever be perfect, but let's strive to be

on this side of things -- and stand up for our relationships!

they can't be consciously uncoupled away, thank you very much!

///

one or two thoughts on how we can 

consciously couple..

"let's fall in love"

marriage is falling in love over and over again,

always with the same person. notice new things

about them, embrace ways they change and grow,

and fall in love with the new version of them over and

over again! think of it this way and it never gets boring :)

you're on a lifetime date.

one of the perks of being married is being comfortable 

and hanging out in the kitchen making cookies on a friday

night (trust me, i would know! :) BUT, no matter where you

are or what you're doing, remember you're on a lifetime date.

think: "oh! i'm on a date! i need to plan fun things and focus on

the positive and be cute." never ever forget what life was like

when you were dating ---- this keeps the spark alive!

////

lastly, 

view marriage and love as an adventure. 

of course things will change, but in my mind i'm bought in for the 

grey hairs, the mortgages, the hard times, the amazing times, the 

raising kids, the messes, the job changes, the craziness, all of it. i 

wouldn't want to miss out on growing old together with my best friend 

just because we both changed a little through life. change together!

marry me. 

let’s spend our week nights eating pasta on the couch

when there is a perfectly fine table in the other room.

we can go to the movies and sit in the back row

and flirt like it's our first date.

marry me.

one day we’ll paint the rooms of our house,

and get more paint on us than the walls.

we can hold hands and go to parties we end up 

ditching to eat brownies in bed at home.

marry me.

and slow dance with me in our bedroom

with an unmade bed and candles on the nightstand.

let me love you forever.

marry me.

my marriage is the most beautiful 

part of my life. any great food or 

amazing new city i visit is only 

exciting because i get to share it

with chase t. rigby. i work on -- and

think about -- and love our relationship

so much, and that's why i was offended

hearing the idea of purposely growing 

apart from a spouse. sorry chase,

you're stuck with me! :) that's why i 

had to write these thoughts out,

so thanks for indulging me

{if you made it all the way to 

the bottom of this long long post!}

here's to being conscious about our

loves and interests and passions..

and keeping them alive :)

i still love you, gwyneth!

xo

VIDEO: boston & cape cod

we've wrapped up our boston + cape cod recap,
so last & best thing: here is our video of one of
my very favorite trips filled with lobster rolls, 
lighthouses, ferries, beaches, bikes, history, 
bed & breakfasts, chocolate covered cranberries, 
seafood, time spent in boston, new places, 
familiar places, ice cream every day, and 
most of all -- quality time with my husband. 
we love you, new england! 

here is a little collection of moments from the trip:

and to see the rest of our posts from 

this dreamy trip, see here:

•• good morning boston! 

•• boston restaurant review 

•• provincetown, cape cod 

•• cape cod bed & breakfast 

•• when in new england...eat FISH! 

•• cape cod by bike 

•• NANTUCKET 

•• hyannis

•• cape cod photo shoot 

•• biking through boston 

•• cambridge // harvard 

•• boston's freedom trail 

•• bye, boston! 

i am so grateful for the ability to document things

and literally record them to hold onto forever.

it makes me so happy to watch footage from trips

or experiences and basically re-live them! you should

see me while making / watching this video..smiling a

mile wide remembering this trip and loving it even 

more because we have such good memories of it.

thanks for coming with us on it!

xo

goodbye kona ♥

this week, one of the best dogs to grace this world  

left us. dog heaven sure got an angel in our kona!

my family's dog kona got sick recently and quickly 

went downhill, passing away in her sleep at home in 

her bed. she had a good long life of 12 years and although

the tears are nonstop, we're so lucky to have had her.

although there are much bigger hardships

and tragedies happening in this world, i

had to stop and feel the tenderness and

certain sadness that comes with losing a

dog. i know dogs aren't our whole life, 

but they sure make our lives whole. 

what is it about losing an animal that is so
tender? it's a lost companion that you know
felt your love, even though they couldn't tell
you. losing them makes you hope they really
knew how loved they were and it feels helpless
that you can't explain things to them...but i
know they know. dogs are old souls and the
most genuine, loving, loyal creatures on this
earth so each one is so hard to see go.

kona was truly special, and my family has

all cried together on facetime as it sinks in that

she is gone! she brought us so much happiness

and there's so much we loved about her...and

she loved us right back! she truly lived up to the

quote: a dog is the only thing on earth that 

loves you more than it loves itself."

so, in my usual way of coping, i'm making a list!

one big list of all the reasons we loved our kona.
this is mostly for our family and to remember all
of our favorite things about this member of our
family, but if you've ever loved a dog hopefully
you'll appreciate it. i'm crying already!

here's a little tribute to the best pup ever!

• kona was more human than dog, truly.
• she had a smile -- i promise! see:
  
  
• her tail was wagging always. it was never not wagging... even when she was sleeping!
• she was so obedient yet spunky.
• she was up for any adventure, rain-snow-or shine.
  
  
• she loved to be loved. she was always in search of a hand to pet her, or a person to nuzzle against. she would nudge your hand if you forgot to pet her for a second!
• she went to work with my mom every day and made friends everywhere she went.
  
  
• we all called her "konie," and so did our friends. our little nephew taggie couldn't say her name so he called her "tony" which made us laugh.
• she ran and hiked every single day with both of my parents.
  
  
• she even skiied lots of times, sprinting down the canyon in between my dad's skis.
  
  
• kona loved neff's canyon and pranced around like she owned the place whenever she was there...because she did own the place!
  
  
• she could sleep anywhere...even in a hammock!
  
  
• she loved her dog "husband" duke, our older dog who was waiting for her in heaven.
• she loved chewing bones so much that we started calling her "kone bone."
  
• she would ride in the back of the car with her head perched on the back of the headrest so you could see her little face in the rearview mirror while driving. she loved resting her head anywhere!
  
  
• she had 2 litters of darling puppies and was the cutest puppy mom! (and so tough to deliver 12 pups at home!)
  
  
• 
  

• she went sledding on our sleds with us all the time in neffs.
  
  

  
• she was always in the car at every airport pick up in my family, there to greet us! she even got brought inside once:
  
  
• all of our family friends know and love her. she's truly part of the dunns.
• she always laid with her paws smushed against her face in the cutest way.
  
  
• she had a chubby stage where we called her little piglet :)
• she sat like a human, on her bum instead of her legs.
  
  
• she got her own vet-approved special diet of pumpkin puree and costco green beans (her favorite)...oh, and popcorn of course :) no pet food for her! she really was part human!
• she made coming home to visit even better.
  
  
• she had the cutest face & whiskers, and we all thought she looked like a little seal. seriously, look one up- the resemblance is uncanny! that's why i always love seeing seals out here in california...they remind me of my kona!
• she let us dress her up all the time, whether for downton abbey pictures or as a sheep in our family christmas nativity :)
  
  
• my mom commissioned an artist to paint a picture of her that we all love and cherish...especially now!
  
  
• she loved sleeping on the bed with us when she was allowed, but would never jump up without being told.
• she let everyone hold her.
  
  
• she would push her way into any nook & cranny to cuddle up close to one of us.
  
  
• she was a big fan of popcorn once my dad introduced her to it. then it became their thing. hearing her crunch it was the cutest sound ever.
• she loved going in the car on errands with us.
  
  
• like every good dog, she knew how to find the perfect shaft of sunlight coming through the window and bask in it for hours. (i love this picture and spent many afternoons laying in the sun with her: )
  
  
• if she was outside wanting to come inside, she would NEVER bark...she'd only sit at the glass door looking in and silently waiting for someone to come. even as a puppy!
• i used to walk in on my mom having full conversations about her day with kona sitting there listening.
• she would follow you ANYWHERE you went in the house. she just wanted to be around people!
• she was always up for a run, a walk, or a hike, no matter how many times she had gone out that day.
  
  

i had lots of tears over this pup the past week knowing she was

going downhill, and even more when my mom called with the news.

but, there's a peaceful feeling about knowing she's now in dog heaven

and not in pain, and she didn't have to be put down. she went at home

where she was most comfortable. i love that dog and hope she knew it!

“dogs have given us their absolute all. we are the center of their universe. we are the focus of their love and faith and trust. they serve us in return for scraps. it is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. ”

^^ this picture is from june when we were spending our last

family night together before my parents left for south africa..

she was so happy and lookin' wise beyond her years in this one.

i'm wondering if she was starting to realize they were leaving :(

^^ here she is on mount olympus way, her home turf...

on the walk up to neff's canyon. this was a month ago 

when i flew home for a wedding and saw her last.

i am so glad i got to go on one last walk together,

our favorite route! you can see her smile here :)

okay i'm too teary to write any more, 
so here's to man's best friend.

here's to one of the greats.

and here's to dog heaven!

xo 

ps...in case you need proof of my lifelong love

for white labs. we love you kea, duke, & kona!

we can't wait for more labs in our family and

hope you're all playing together in dog heaven. ♥

pps..i have the sweetest friends who made me feel

so loved and cheered me up with these blooms.

we love you kona dunn!