Renewed Blogging Enthusiasm... and Congratulations are in order!

So it seems that all the bloggers we know have taken a break from their blogs over the past few months. We hope that by playing catch-up with these posts we can motivate others to do the same, or at least start blogging more going forward.

We know some of you (ahem, Felicity & Karthik) have a whole lot to blog about, so no excuses!!

Here's to a renewed dedication to blogging. And that's not the only thing we have to celebrate these days... break out the champagne!

CONGRATULATIONS to the parents-to-be!!!! We love you and can't wait to celebrate with you in person in next weekend! (Felicity, I'll drink your share of the champagne. You can have sparkling cider.)

Spectrum

Phil and I joined Spectrum back in July, which is a local chain of gyms in San Antonio. The one closest to our house is literally so close it's within walking distance (although come to think of it, we haven't walked there once yet). Our favorite feature about it, aside from the normal gym perks like individual flat screens on the elliptical & treadmill machines, a full array of strength training equipment, multiple classes, state of the art locker rooms with showers, razors/lotion/soap provided, etc. is the POOL! They actually have 2 swimming pools-- one lap pool which is in a covered area with multiple lanes for exercise, and another outdoor pool which is just for play. One side of the pool has a children's area which is no deeper than about 2 ft, then in the center is a big water slide and on the other side is the deeper area for hanging out, and where the slide empties out (only about 4 ft deep). This pool has been great for us to lounge by on the weekends, work on our tans, etc. We love it!

Another great feature of the gym that we enjoy is the HealthMiles program. I had been a member before the wedding of this same gym and they did not have this program before but I really think it's a great incentive. They give you a pedometer to start, and for every day that you use it, you get "miles" which are basically points towards a reward system. They have levels of steps (0-7000, 7001 - 12000, 12001 - 20000, 20,000+) and you get different amounts of miles depending how many steps you take that particular day. I tend to make the 12,000 step area each day (if I work out) because by the time I leave work on any given day I typically only have about 4,000 steps. Phil has an entirely different situation. His work is considered a "campus" so even walking from meeting to meeting amounts to a great number of steps every day. So he typically hits 20,000+ every day (if he works out). Once you get to 6,000 miles you enter level 2, where you're awarded $25 to use towards prizes or your membership dues, 2 free fitness assessments, and a water bottle. Phil already hit this level, and when he hits the next level he gets $50 (on top of his $25), a t-shirt, a few personal training sessions, etc. The higher you go, the better the prizes. You can also do other things to earn miles. For example, each of us did a Fitness Assessment with a personal trainer at the gym a few weeks ago. Because Phil was considered "Ideal" overall, he earned an extra 2000 points. Because I was considered to be in the level just under ideal, I did not get these points. They recommend doing these assessments every 6 months to track change so you can bet I'll be back in February! Also, you can take "measurements" and you get points for entering them as well. Extra points if you're in the "Ideal" category. Turns out I am considered under-weight and my BMI index is below ideal, so I didn't get those points either. So, as I sit here with a 1/2 gallon of ice cream and a spoon, I know that it's in really my best interest... anything to reach the next level (I really want that water bottle). Only 4 more pounds to gain!

Kids!!

For about a week during August, Blake and Drew came to stay at our house. Robin and Jack were able to take care of them during the day while Phil and I were at work (aka break from the responsibilities of kids!) but we were able to have fun with them on the weekend. On Saturday night when they arrived, Jack grilled hot dogs and chicken for dinner. Afterwards, we all ate our weight in S'mores! Yes, we have corrupted the Nelson children. I made sure to document with photographs.

The rest of their stay was filled with Drew & Blake getting haircuts, Drew being potty-trained, the kids going down the slide at the pool again and again and again, Drew being "the cat in the hat" (he wore my circus hat around for most of his stay and meowed), and both of them staying up as late as they wanted and watching as much TV as they wanted. Yes, again with the corruption!

Another Vacation

For the 4th of July, we traveled to New Jersey for a family reunion. This is the family on my mom's mom's side, all of her brothers and sisters and their children and grandchildren. (There were no matching t-shirts for those of you who are wondering.)

Phil and I flew inexpensively on Southwest Airlines into La Guardia airport... apparently not the smartest thing to do but, hey, it was cheap. We picked up our red Mustang rental car and got to drive through the heart of NYC at about 5:00 in the afternoon. Luckily it was the day before a holiday or the already terrible traffic might have been unbearable. On the bright side, at least we got to see the city! We drove into Red Bank, NJ to the home we'd be staying at, owned by Faye, the girlfriend of my mom's cousin Dick. My parents, Aunt Carol, and Aunt Pris were already there waiting for us and we all had a lovely dinner that evening. It must be mentioned that Faye is a fantastic hostess. In each of the guest bedrooms she provided a welcome basket consisting of snacks, an eye cover mask for better sleep, water bottle, etc. Plus she had stocked the rooms with current magazines for our reading pleasure. And, when Faye says that this is the way she always keeps her home, I believe her, because she is so good at it! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the home has been featured in decorating magazines-- Faye remodeled and redecorated after moving in and did a wonderful job. She actually has the home for sale now since it's such a large home for just one person to live in.

The next day, July 4th, was the family reunion. We all went over to Dick's home and spent the afternoon in his back yard catching up (or meeting everyone, in Phil's case). These are people that we don't see very often since we all live so far apart, so it was nice to get re-acquianted. One of the best parts of the reunion was visiting with my Aunt Jeannette. For my entire life she was special to me because although we rarely saw each other, we always kept in touch. The basis of our communication stemmed from her sending me $2 in a greeting card for each holiday of the year (sometimes two one-dollar bills, and sometimes a $2 bill, always crisp from the bank). It was so fun to get mail at every single holiday (Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, etc) and I would always promptly write her a thank-you note at which time I would also update her on my life as I grew up. We got to visit in person only a few times over my life when we traveled to New Jersey but we kept in touch much more frequently via mail. I am glad that Phil finally got to meet her, because a few weeks after the reunion, Aunt Jeannette passed away. I am glad to have such great memories of her and she will always hold a special place in my heart.

The morning after the reunion, a bunch of us took a walk on the boardwalk of Asbury Park and got to see "tent city". We didn't know what else to do the rest of the day so we decided to drive up the coast to Sandy Hook. All 6 of us piled into my parents rented Ford Focus (that's my Dad & Phil in the front and my mom, 2 aunts, and me in the back... it was cozy!). We didn't want to go to the beach since it was drizzling out, but we thought we'd go see the lighthouse and walk around on the island. We had a really fun time at one of the stops where there was an old canon, where I proceeded to hop on in what apparently was similar to a Playboy pose. My mom and aunts proceeded to yell things like "give me Sexy" and "give me pouty"... it was then that we realized I don't know how to do pouty. Guess I will need to to hone those skills before I can become one of "The Girls Next Door".

The following day, my parents, Aunt Pris, and the two of us decided to spend the day in NYC. We took the train in early that morning and when we got to the city we decided to find a tour bus to show us around. We did a tour of lower Manhattan with stops like the Empire State Building, Chinatown, Little Italy (which is much smaller than Chinatown), the Financial district, SoHo, Macy's, etc. It was a good overview and we were able to hop on/hop off which was nice as well. We ate lunch in Little Italy at an authentic little Italian spot. In the afternoon we decided to walk over to Central Park as well. That evening, my parents and aunt headed back to NJ and we stayed in town to meet one of Phil's college friends for dinner. She is working in the city and was able to take us to a great Vietnamese restaurant nearby her job. It was great food (we both had noodle bowls) and actually pretty inexpensive, for NYC! We took the subway back to our train stop and got back to Jersey around 10:30 that evening. It was a full day of sight-seeing!

For the next half of our vacation, we drove our rental car to Washington DC to sight-see for a few days. We checked into our hotel in Silver Spring, MD which turned out to be in a really good location. Downtown Silver Spring is filled with all sorts of restaurants so after a long day in DC we were able to stick close to our hotel and still get good food for dinner, all within about 2 blocks. Plus, the Metro stop was about 2 blocks away as well. We would buy all-day unlimited Metro passes each morning so that we could visit whatever attractions we wanted to, which was great. Their public transportation system is so well organized that it just makes us wish we had something similar in Texas. Hopefully some day we get there...

Anyhow, the first day after driving into town from NJ, we decided to go into the heart of DC and walk around. And boy did we walk! I think we probably walked at least 5 miles that day-- our whole bodies were sore from all the walking, especially our feet! We saw all of the monuments (Lincoln, Vietnam War, WWII, Korean War, Jefferson, FDR.....) and we hadn't even made a dent in all that DC has to offer! Our favorite memorial by far was the FDR memorial. He seems to be a perfect example of the type of president we need right now in our country, one who realizes the values of equality and most importantly PEACE. (haha I first typed peach, which is also important, but more of a flavor than a value)

The next day we took the Metro out to Arlington National Cemetery which was a very moving sight, with the gravesites of JFK and Jackie O, plus the guarded Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Very respectful and humbling place...

The following day we went to the Spy Museum which was very cool, but almost too thorough! We got hungry so we probably didn't get to see everything we could/would have! It was really well done. My favorite exhibit (which Phil thinks is fake, of course) is of how they used to have pidgeons strap cameras to their stomachs and fly over enemy territory where otherwise planes or cameras could not go. They had a cool photo of an aerial shot and you could see the bird's wings on either side of the frame! After the spy museum (and lunch), we walked through Chinatown, to the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and past the Supreme Court building.

That afternoon we decided to take our family members who lived in the DC area up on their offer to stay with them, so we checked out of our hotel (after a big fight about it being pre-paid, which we eventually won after talking to the manager) and moved over to Patty & Bob's house. They were so welcoming and fun to hang out with, along with their two kids Haileigh and Tyler. They had visited us last year in SA so the kids knew us and since two of them had stayed with us while they were in town, they were more than happy to reciprocate and let us crash there.

That evening, Patty & Bob took us to Annapolis which is a beautiful town (home of the Naval Academy). We walked along the boardwalk at sunset and got ice cream cones while we walked through the heart of town. Very charming place.

On our last day in DC, we went to the Holocaust Museum in the morning and then met a friend of mine from college for lunch. It started pouring down rain while we were in the museum and of course there were not any restaurants anywhere near the museum, so we had to trek across the city in the pouring rain to find food. Erin was such a great sport; she had just moved to DC after graduation a few weeks earlier, so she was not very familiar with the city either. But she led us to food, which was the most important thing. That afternoon we took the Metro to Old Town Arlington, as many people had recommended it as a romantic, charming little town. We walked up and down the streets and were not all that impressed, although the dreary drizzling weather might have contributed to our feelings...

There is still so much to see that we did not have an opportunity to visit in DC. We didn't make it to the National Archives, the Federal Reserves, or take a tour of the capitol. That just means we'll have to visit again!

In-Laws

While many people would rather jump in front of a moving train than have their in-laws stay with them for weeks at a time, I really must say we're in the minority. In mid-June, Phil's parents sold their house and moved down to San Antonio. Well, actually the sale didn't close until mid-July but the tenants moved into the house in June so that's just a technicality... although an expensive one since they had to wait until they closed to get their money! Anyway, at the risk of sounding like I'm sucking up, I can honestly say that it was not a negative experience at all. In addition to being good company, they were very helpful around the house with cooking, taking care of Cooper, etc. I think they could/would have stayed longer if only we didn't just have those minor annoyances in our small house, i.e. no storage space, only one bathroom, etc. But all in all we lived together really well! They recently moved into an apartment complex just down the street, so we still get to see them frequently, not to mention that we work out at the same gym, shop at the same grocery store, eat at the same restaurants, etc.

Belize Vacation

For multiple reasons, we're really glad we chose to visit Belize when we did.

1) The resort we stayed at consisted of a few condo buildings (with more being built while we were there) plus a few individual cabana-style rooms called "casitas". Jennelle & Greg and Phil & I stayed in these casitas, which were thatch-roofed, with hardwood floors and very cool decor. They had a/c, a small refrigerator, coffee pot, small sitting area, king bed, and bathroom. Most importantly, they were right on the beach! We had a good sized front porch with 2 chairs, which overlooked about 100 yards of beach with only palm trees, hammocks and some beach chairs between us and the ocean. These casitas were the main reason we chose Captain Morgan's Resort. But sadly, during our stay we learned that these casitas are soon to be torn down to make room for more condo buildings. The resort is big on time shares, which must be big business for them, but for us the draw was the privacy of not having neighbors on either side of your walls, being right on the beach, etc. It will be sad to see them go...

2) Hurricane season! What a year Belize has had. I hope that they have survived these storms but who knows what kind of damage they are facing with the high winds and heavy rains they've experienced.

3) Construction -- the island was filled with it. We feel that if we were to visit again in 15 years, every spare inch of the island of San Pedro would be covered with resorts and tourism. For now, we were able to experience a more true sense of what the Belizean culture, food, and ecosystem is... before tourism takes over completely.

During our stay, we rented a golf cart, because the streets of Belize are not (yet) paved. They claim that they will never pave them (to save the island from being taken over by tourism), but we doubt that is true because we could see the roads deteriorate day by day as the construction trucks and tractors drove back and forth over them, causing bigger and bigger pot holes. And the dust! A normal ride home from dinner in the golf cart (which lasted about 30 minutes) would require a shower if you were the 2 lucky passengers sitting in the back, due to a thick layer of dust that would gather on your entire body. But on the bright side, it was certainly an adventure navigating around the island on that little cart.

The scuba diving in Belize was good; we were able to swim amongst 6 ft sharks, 5 ft wingspan sting rays, and many other large fish, not to mention the beautiful colorful smaller fish, conch shells, and coral that can be found underwater. We dove on two different days. On the first day, the water was so rough most of the passengers were getting sea-sick. But we all stuck it out and did our 2 dives. On the second day we dove, the water was much calmer and made for much more fun dives. Another day we took a snorkel trip during which we got to hold sharks, and pet the sting rays if we chose (much more interactive than during the diving). Our guide also dove down to the bottom of the ocean floor to retreive conch shells as souveniers for all the females on board. Pretty smart of him, as the shells were abundant and it certainly increased his tip!

We also took a trip inland one day for zip line/cave tubing. Our group took about a 45 minute boat ride over to Belize City where a van was waiting for us to take us to the zip line area. It was kind of like an amuzement park. We got all suited up and waited in line to go up to the top of a hill where the first station began. We then got to zip from one tree to another across the rainforest, well at least where they had the zip lines set up. But it wasn't like you could see wild animals or anything; this spot was very commercialized so there were not wild monkeys hanging from the trees like I'd hoped. I had been soooo excited about the zip-lining; I had convinced our whole group to pay $210 per person for the day trip to do it, and it really was lots of fun and (I think) worth the money. When in Belize...

The cave tubing was pretty funny, in that it made me realize how many people don't have the luxury that we Texans do to go tubing frequently. Most of the tourists had not ever been tubing before and as we went into the set-up area, they told stories of how we must wear shoes or our feet would get all cut up, and how we should not wear our flip flops or we'd certainly lose them, etc. The little store was renting water shoes and against the recommendations of everyone around us, we decided to take our chances and wear our flip-flops. Come to find out, we simply had to walk on a dirt path for about 15 minutes, then hop in the river which had no rapids and simply flowed slowly (needed to paddle to move at a good pace). Plus, we got to tell everyone about how tubing in Texas is all about bringing an extra tube for your ice chest. Our tour guides really liked that idea. We did get to wear "cool" headlamps around our foreheads to see up in the caves where it was very dark. We got to see some cool cave formations and bats, but other than that it was pretty much any other tubing trip, minus the beer.

Another cool thing about Belize was that the people really seemed to appreciate the tourists. After visiting other places, we know this is not always the case (sometimes you get the "this is my island and if you don't like the way we do things you can leave" attitude). But the Belizeans came up to us multiple times during our stay to thank us for visiting and to let us know that they appreciate the tourism, and ask that we return to visit again. It was nice to feel welcome!

And finally, the BEST part of our stay: the taco stands! On one of our first days, we found a taco stand that made pupusas right on the street, whose smell drew us right in. These were stuffed with pork, beans, and cheese, and you could have 2 of them with a Belikin (Belize's local bottled beer - very good according to the guys) and make a meal for about $4. They also served great tacos! Another day we tried out a different taco stand located a few blocks away on another street, where a woman had a large circular griddle with meat and onions cooking all the way around it. When we ordered she would bring out small corn tortillas and throw them on the griddle to warm them up, then add the meat/onion mixture and a little hot sauce (for those who wanted it). Each order was for a batch of 3 tacos, and they were to die for. I told Jennelle, Greg & Phil that if I was rich I would fly this woman (and her family if necessary) to San Antonio to live with me and cook these tacos for me all the time. They were DELICIOUS. And they went great with bottled Coca-Cola, another one of my favorite Central American delicacies.

Would we go back? Maybe, but there are so many other places in the world we want to see and to compare Belize to St. John, the beaches in St. John were far superior (although they did lack the taco stands).

Our House's Transformation!

BEFORE

AFTER

What an Enchanting Weekend!

On Friday afternoon my Mom came to town to visit us and will stay through my birthday this week. On Friday evening, we decided to have Thai for dinner at Mon's Thai Bistro. While Phil and Mom were adventurous with their meal choices (curry & spicy dishes), I stuck with old faithful, Pad Thai. Everything was really wonderful! After dinner we headed to Central Market so that everyone could pick out an ice cream flavor for dessert. We quickly learned that they do not carry as extensive selection of the Hill Country Fare brand of ice cream as the other HEB stores, but it didn't stop us from picking out a 1/2 gallon each!

On Saturday morning we got up early and my Aunt Carol met us at the house so that we could embark on the 1-1/2 hour journey to Enchanted Rock. Just outside of Fredericksburg, TX the 425 ft tall rock stands tall in the horizon. We hiked all the way to the top and even those in the group who excercise often were huffing and puffing a bit before getting to the top. The climb is kind of steep in some areas, needless to say. The weather that morning had been pretty dreary in the 50s but we certainly warmed up during the hike! By the time we got to the top, we were ready for a short break and took a few moments to take photos and chat before climbing back down.
On the trek down the hill, we decided to pass the time by playing the reciting game "I went to my Grandmother's house and in my Enchanted bag I packed..." where each person picks an item in alphabetical order and the next person has to list everything everyone else has packed and add something on that begins with the next letter. Phil was a good sport and played along, and when he got to "L" he packed Lauren in his bag! What a sweetie. :) Needless to say, we got to "Z" just as we arrived back at the car. We had a little picnic in the back of Phil's vehicle, consisting of the turkey sandwiches I'd made earlier that morning, pretzels, pickles, and drinks. We started heading back to the city and made it back around 2ish. Mom and Carol had to run an errand so we laid in the sun to work on our tans for a while and then started doing some yard work. We pulled 2 trash bags full of weeds before we all needed to take a shower, Cooper included. He had been such a great helper digging in the yard... at one point he had so much mud on his paws it looked like he was wearing shoes! But I don't think he liked it much because he started gnawing at the mud to get it off his foot.

Today we went to my Uncle Jerry & Aunt Patricia's house for lunch to celebrate my birthday early. Patricia had made a lovely lunch with a spread of appetizers, pasta for lunch, and then we had layered chocolate birthday cake for dessert. Everything was delicious and we had a wonderful time. We were able to get them set up on their computer with e-mail, something they had been wanting to do for a long time, so it was beneficial for them as well! Jerry also sent us home with a beautiful Bird of Paradise plant and Ginger plant for our yard, so we are on to a good start for our Spring garden. Now we look forward to Robin's visit in a few weeks so she can help us move forward with actually planting them in our garden!!

You'd better Belize it!

We booked our trip to Belize last week! We will be flying out of Houston on a non-stop flight to Belize City around the first week of May. We've booked a 7-night dive package at a resort on the beach which includes 5 days of 2-tank boat dives, a night dive, a welcome cocktail, use of resort equipment (bikes, kayaks, etc.). Meals are not included in the package but we do plan to bring food since we learned in St. John how much island food can cost!

We look forward to diving the Blue Hole, although the best diving out there is supposed to be at about 150 ft which is deeper than our certification allows us to dive. But there is a shallower dive of about 60 feet so we can do that one.

I also want to do some of the other mainland activities. They have tours scheduled during the week and the one I'm most excited about is the cave tubing/zip line trip. I have always wanted to zip line so I can't wait! The trip is a bit pricey but I know my husband will allow it since we're on vacation... right, Phil?!

We would love it if others could join us on this trip just like the group we had in St. John. Let us know if you're interested in joining and we can send you all the details and itinerary!

Tim-brrrr

We've been pretty busy lately so here are the Stackhouse highlights.

First, the arctic front descended upon us last Tuesday, bringing freezing temperatures and ice. Because of the rain on Monday, Tuesday's ice built up pretty thick. While most of San Antonio shut down on Tuesday, dedicated employees that we are, each went to our respective workplaces. Let's just say that attendance was sparse at both places of business.

Tuesday night was the worst of the weather. The ice built up on our car windshields, icing our doors shut and freezing over our walkways.

(Disclaimer: The following portion of the story is narrated by Phil. Lauren does not get to have any input since she slept through it.)

Tuesday night around 11:10pm while fast asleep, I heard a big creak and a weird noise. Being the light sleeper that I am, I got out of bed and looked out the window to investigate. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. While up, I asked Lauren if she heard anything. Lauren responded "No" which was no surprise. [side note: Lauren cannot verify this portion of the story as she does not recall this conversation ever taking place]. So I went back to bed... at approximately 11:25pm, a loud snapping noise and large crash on the roof/side of the house jarred me out of bed. I looked outside and to my amazement saw the large Loquat tree split in two, with one half lying on our roof. While rushing to put on socks, shoes, and a jacket, I told Lauren what happened and she calmly turned over and went back to sleep. Her thought was that the tree would be there in the morning and there was no sense going out in the icy night to investigate. The funny thing is that Lauren barely heard the tree fall, even though it sits less than 5 feet outside of our bedroom window! While investigating outside, my neighbor came out of his house and said he heard it and thought it was his tree falling down on his truck. How this man could hear it from the next house over and many yards away, and Lauren could sleep through it will always baffle me.


Needless to say, we spent our Friday night cutting up the tree and a BIG special thanks to Mom and Jack for perpetually lending us their electric chain saw. There would've been no way of cutting it down without it. However, we still need a regular chain saw to cut the big portion of the tree stump down. For now, we were able to move the big limbs off the house and into a huge pile in the back yard. Now we just want to know when our next heavy trash pick up date is going to be!!

Next portion of the story as told by Lauren:
Another exciting event in our lives recently has been the purchase of his and hers mountain bikes. Phil's work offers a health incentive discount which allowed us to get a great deal on both bikes. We both bought Trek bikes... mine is a women's bike and honestly, I picked it because it was pretty. I mean, what else do I care about other than looking stylish on the trails? I even got a helmet (safety first) but it has pink on it which made it acceptable. Phil's bike is one step up from my bike (the male version) and so they are similarly shaped and styled. We had to buy a bike rack to put on the back of Phil's SUV to haul the bikes around. Of course, we bought the bikes just before the brunt of winter hit, so we haven't had much opportunity to ride them. The first day we rode them, we rode around the neighborhood and down to Twin Sisters. Boy, it was only then that I realized how our neighborhood sits on a big hill. Going down -- no problem. Going up -- ugh! Perhaps I should confess at this point that I am definitely out of shape. But hopefully the bike will fix all that. So this weekend, we decided to head to McAllister Park for an afternoon bike in the park. Luckily, the weather was beautiful (75 degrees and sun shining-- although it only lasted the one day). We started out on the paved trails but soon enough, Phil decided to take a detour. Of coure, the trail says you can go this way or that way, and Phil decides to take a third, unmarked trail. The trail starts out just fine and is a dirt path but come to find out, it was more intense. Phil leads the way down a rocky terrain filled with mud puddles, tree roots, and hills. I can definitely say I learned how to navigate a more rough terrain than I expected, and although I must admit I did fall off the bike once, it was still fun. Getting back on the paved trail after almost an hour of off-road trails was a heavenly change. The up-side is that I felt like I had a decent workout and even if not, I had mud all over my bike and my body so that if nothing else, it looked like I did some great off-roading!

Some of Phil's co-workers have recently purchased bikes too so maybe next time we will have some company. I look forward to spending weekends this spring at local parks in the hill country, like Government Canyon where you can spend a day, bring lunch, etc.

Lastly, we are planning an anniversary vacation to Belize. We are looking to take about a 7-day dive vacation. If we fly out of Houston, we can get really cheap airfare, too. We hope to book our reservations tomorrow. We are planning the trip with our friends Jennelle & Greg and if anyone else is up for it, we'd love to have company! But you'll need to get SCUBA certified if it'll be any fun for you, since we plan to be diving most days. We are going over to Jennelle & Greg's tomorrow to finalize all our plans... I can't wait.

I guess this means I have a LOT of biking in my future to get in bikini shape by May... plus all the biking can't hurt my tan, either. :)

I <3 Christmas Ornaments

This year we got some great Christmas ornaments as gifts.

But even though we got a bunch of ornaments as gifts, I couldn't help but buy a few of my own.

Can anyone figure out what the theme seems to be?! Apparently we're carrying the beach theme all year long into our Christmas celebration. But come on, Santa Claus and snowmen on a beach?! It really doesn't get any cuter than that!!

I am getting to be very proud of my ornament collection. Specifically, my S'Mores ornaments. I have 8 of them now, and each year I add more to the collection. This year I got one from Aunt Lori and another from my parents.
I can't wait to see what new themes the S'Mores folks come out with next year!!

Christmas Recap

This year we spent Christmas at our own home for the first time! Robin and Jack arrived Friday evening so we were able to spend quite a bit of time with them. On Saturday, Phil and Jack did projects around the house all day which involved quite a few trips to Lowe's, of course. Robin and I went to HEB that afternoon to pick up all the ingredients we'd need for the rest of the weekend and Christma dinner. That night we had homemade pizza and black cherry cobbler while we let Robin win at Phase 10. On Sunday, we did some last minute Christmas shopping (nothing else like being at the stores with the other slackers who waited until Christmas Eve to do their shopping too) and then some major baking preparations for Christmas day. I realized this weekend why I don't cook very much. It takes soooo long. Don't get me wrong, the finished product is AMAZING but I just don't have the patience for all the prep-work that goes into homemade meals. I think 30 minutes total including prep and cooking is all a meal should require. Hence, my lack of skills in the kitchen.

Needless to say, I learned a lot. Robin taught me the difference between wet and dry measuring cups, I got to whip the whipping cream (pretty much unsupervised, which may account for the whipping cream all over the kitchen floor, appliances, my sweater, etc.), help make the doughs for the pies and cinnamon rolls, etc. I never thought I'd remember all these recipes, but one of my favorite things about Christmas was the "Family Cookbook" that Robin put together with all the family's favorite recipes.

Christmas morning was fun. Robin got up around 4:30 to put the home-made cinnamon rolls in the oven to "Bread Proof" (I can admit I had no idea what bread proof meant before this weekend) and then was up again a few hours later to continue preparing them. The rest of us got up around 7:30 and celebrated our Christmas morning by unwrapping our presents and stocking stuffers. We then proceeded to play Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) for about an hour, which was one of Robin's gifts. It's actually pretty fun but I don't think I could ever master the "Expert" mode. My legs just aren't made to move that quickly, or maybe it's the eye/foot coordination that I lack? Anyway, it was fun watching everyone try to beat each others' scores.

Later that morning, Brad, Stacy, & Logan showed up after having their own Christmas morning in Austin. Logan was in her adorable Christmas dress and showed us how she has mastered the art of opening gifts. Smart girl.

One of Logan's other favorite activities is trying on other people's shoes and walking around in them. First she put on her mom's sneakers, then my house shoes, and finally my black boots. I think she liked them best because the heels made noise on the floors.

Later we all sat down to Christmas dinner. It turned out really well, thanks to everyone's contributions. The menu consisted of: Ham, Company Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, Ambrosia, and Green Salad. And luckily, we have LOTS of left-overs since we made so much! Actually, I'm headed to the kitchen now to warm up a plate for dinner. YUM!

Office Christmas Party

When you work at a company of 15,000 employees, you can't have your holiday party just anywhere. You have to rent a convention center to accommodate everyone. So last night we got all gussied up and headed downtown to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center for Phil's company's holiday party. One of Phil's co-workers and his girlfriend came to our house before the party and we carpooled (yes, we've seen An Inconvenient Truth). We ran into a nice little traffic jam on the way downtown in which Phil's road rage emerged, but we all helped to keep it in check. We ended up parking about a block away in the mall parking lot; I think we got lucky with our parking spot because one of his other co-workers who we met there said it took them 45 minutes to find a parking spot!

We arrived at the party and posed for a quick shot outside the bathrooms before heading in.


We of course headed to the buffet tables first to check out the spread. They had h'ors deuvres in one room and we took our pick from the cheese and crackers, artichoke spinach dip, and chicken skewers, and headed into the main room.

We found a table and sent the men to check out the buffet table. They came back with pasta, roast beef, turkey, salad, chips & queso, tamales, and 7 layer dip. While the guys were in line getting food, Tracy and I went over to the dessert table and made up some big ole plates of yummy desserts. I ended up eating too much dessert too quickly and realized I needed more solid food in my system so we went back for more pasta. It's so easy to indulge when it's all free!

I wanted to take a photo next to the great set-up with the professional photogaphers (Christmas trees, fireplace, stockings, etc.), but after finding out that the least expensive photo package was $35, we decided we could just take a photo at our own house in front of our own tree for free. Plus, you had to pay up front so if the photo was not to your satisfaction, you'd already bought it!

The most entertaining part of the party, surprisingly, was the concert. They had booked the Foreigners to play. While I had never heard of them before, I think that is simply due to my age, because once the concert started I realized I had heard most of their songs. The lead singer kind of reminded me of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith with his long hair and tight pants, and the lead guitarist was definitely balding in a major way, but they did put on a pretty entertaining show. Plus, what other Christmas party puts on a full blown concert?!

I am sure that many of you are pretty jealous right now that we saw the Foreigners LIVE... but if you don't want to admit it because it may date you (Amity...), we understand.

Oh, Christmas Tree...

Today was one of my most favorite days of the year-- the day that we pick out and decorate the Christmas tree! I loooove shopping for ornaments every year and then strategically placing them just right on the tree. This year, our tree was significantly bigger than the one we had last year, so it created a fun new challenge. And I realized that just as long as we keep getting bigger and bigger trees, I can continue to buy more and more ornaments!!

So we cranked up the Christmas tunes (my idea and my CDs of course) and got in the christmas spirit. All we were missing was some warm cookies and hot cocoa. But there is still plenty of time for that before Christmas.

Here are some photos of the three of us in action... hmmm someone seems to be below the acceptable level of Christmas cheer. Thought with those big ears he would be more elf-like. Will have to work on that.

After about an hour of decorating... voila! The finished product! Here are a few photos of our decorated living room and dining room.

I can admit that we are lacking a few items, like a tree skirt, tree topper, presents... but that just gives me a shopping goal for the holidays. Plus, my favorite shopping day (even more than Black Friday) is the day after Christmas when all the decorations are 50% off. I already decided I want to head to Kohl's first on that day, as I think they have the BEST price and selection of all the stores I've been to (which is saying a lot). They have the cutest set of place mats that I can't wait to get my hands on... at 50% off the retail price.

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays from a bunch of reindeer! (Yes, we went out in public with antlers on... we actually wore them all day on Black Friday starting at 6:00am at the mall. We like to spread Christmas cheer and what better way to do it than by wearing antlers on your head that jingle?!)

Happy Birthday, Cooper!

Our puppy turned 2 today. That means he's a teenager, in doggy years. Oh, how quickly they grow up! ;)
He loved all the treats we bought him at the nearby doggy boutique. He couldn't keep away from this one long enough for a photo...

We joined the library!

This morning we went to the San Antonio Public Library just after it opened and signed up for library cards! The central library is down town and is the largest of all the branches, but there are more than 10 other locations around the city, which is pretty convenient for returning books, etc. Each of us checked out 5 books. Bet you can't guess which stack belongs to which of us!!?



Book reviews to follow! The books are due back by December 2nd, and since we are such diligent blog posters (yes, that is a passive aggressive jab at the rest of you with blogs who pretty much suck at keeping them updated) we will get our book reviews posted promptly upon completion of reading our respective stacks.

Last Thursday we took of 1/2 day of work and drove down to South Padre to spend a long weekend at the coast and celebrate my parents' 25th wedding anniversary!!

We got there Thursday evening just in time for some BBQ chicken and babyback ribs, potato salad, and baked beans. Yum! Cooper also enjoyed nibbling on some baby back ribs.

My parents' condo is suffering from major plumbing leaks and water damage, so when we arrived we got to see the entire downstairs carpet pulled up, furniture shoved to one side of the room, sheetrock torn out of the walls and ceiling, and you could see all the way upstairs! The next day they had to pull up carpet in the master bedroom and tore up the master bath as well. Luckily, my old room was just fine so we had a place to stay. The owner of our condo development had agreed to let them stay for free in another condo on premise, which was very nice because it gave us a place to hang out and spend time, plus we were very excited to have cable for a few days!!

On Friday, the boys headed to Harlingen to play golf, while the girls ran errands (picking out carpet) and shopped in Brownsville. We met up in the afternoon at the condo and later that afternoon and evening my mom's sisters arrived.

On Saturday morning, Cooper did not seem to be too tired and woke us up at 5:45am needing to go out. Phil and I both woke up and walked him, and decided that since we were already up, we might as well head to the beach and watch the sunrise. It was a great decision because the sunrise was beautiful!


Saturday was the big day-- at 4:00pm, Captain Paul performed a beautiful vow renewal ceremony for my parents to celebrate 25 happy years of marriage. The ceremony included exchanging of traditional wedding vows and rings, plus a sand ceremony in which they poured sand from their individual jars into a 3rd jar symbolizing the combining of their individuality to become one unit. Very pretty ceremony (and I must say that the jar I selected was very stylish).


It was a lovely weekend and a great reason to celebrate. Congratulations to Mom & Dad for their 25th wedding anniverary. We hope you are able to happily celebrate many, many more years together. Love you!

Happy Halloween!

Check out my super cool witch's finger cookies!! Bet you didn't expect such an amazing product from me!! I am learning to be more and more domestic as the days go by!! Plus, I had a fantastic opportunity to wear my "Lil" apron.

Bridal Shower

Yesterday we celebrated Kristina and Mark's upcoming nuptuals with a Bridal Shower at Mamacitas. It was a great venue and Dory did a wonderful job co-hosting her very first shower. Kristina and Mark are getting married in Las Vegas in November, and we wish we could make it! But we know they will have a wonderful time and we wish them the best. Kristina was my suitemate in college, so we had a reunion of sorts yesterday at the shower. Pictured below is our entire suite for our Sophomore and Junoir years at Trinity. My roommate, Lena is on the left, then me, Kristina, and Dory. Dory is getting married in March so she gets to prepare for all the bridal activities soon, too!