Random Holiday Updates

Well, as usual, the holidays are FLYING by! We got our tree all decorated and pretty with our ornaments and lights. And now with presents underneath it, it looks complete! Ive spent a lot of time wrapping and playing elf!
Last weekend we were in Fredericksburg to celebrate Christmas with Matt's family. It was lots of fun! We went to Main Street Friday night to see the lights and eat dinner. Saturday morning, Matt and I got up at 5am to go deer hunting! We drove up to the ranch and parked the truck right at daylight. We then spent the next few hours walking around quietly looking for deer. I am not very good at being quiet for this long, so it was a struggle. I mean, I can sit in a blind and whisper-talk for a few hours, but the walking thing and creeping around? Not so much. BUT! Im very proud to say that I spotted a HUGE buck and showed it to Matt! We did not shoot it, but he did get a doe for meat. So all in all, a success! We went back to Fredericksburg to open presents and eat lots of great holiday food. Sunday was spent going to church... and processing FOUR deer! We had a great system going, an assembly line of all 12 of us, so we got them knocked out really fast. Free lean meat! yay!

Matt's pre-op appointment for his knee surgery was yesterday, so we got more information. It will be January 11th, and it will be outpatient, so no nights in the hospital! I really like the doctor, and he does these all the time, so that put me at ease. My mom is coming up to help out and be with me, so that will be nice :-) thanks mom! Love you!

Matt and I had our little Christmas last night - in the middle of me baking pies and cookies. He got me some REALLY cute TOMS shoes! They are green (favorite color). He did good! He also got me a movie I wanted....
We leave tonight to go to Ft. Worth for the rest of Christmas with my extended family. Im excited for all the food and fun! Wiley can't wait to see all his cousins and grandparents and great-grandparents! (their terms of endearment, not mine....) ;-)
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over, it means two things: a lot more travelling in the near future for Christmas, and Matt studying day and night for finals. He's had two big project/paper/presentations to work on and he is doing great! Today is the last day of school for him for this semester and I am so. excited.

We went and cut down our tree last week from a local tree farm. It is so cute! It's a little 5 foot tree that smells sooo good. I happened to put it up by myself last week, and let me tell you, bad idea. Matt was out of town, and I just really wanted the tree up. Long story short:  a 2 by 4, a chop saw, and a power drill later, I had a wooden block to put under the tree trunk to make it stand straight in the tree stand. VOILA!

This weekend was catch-up for me.... I just did a lot of chores around the house like raking/bagging leaves, doing dishes, and cleaning the house. Also did some fun Christmas activities like decorating the tree and wrapping all our presents! We had a Christmas/going-away party for our small group last night at our house. Three couples are moving this week, and will no longer be around. :( It's sad as people move, but they are pursuing higher education and/or moving closer to family, or getting great jobs. So it's also very happy :)

Until next time...
(I promise to add pictures sometime!)

aaaaaand, we're back!

wow! Hi! My name is Ashley, and we're back!
Its been a crazy couple of months! A quick recap:
-Matt DOES have to have knee surgery, BOO. Turns out, after a couple MRIs and a few X-rays, he has a torn meniscus and a possibly torn ACL... POSSIBLY? After a few MRIs and Xrays, I do not know how they aren't certain.... but he could wake up from surgery with a new ACL! So I guess we'll see. That is coming up in January.
-Matt got a new job, doing civil still, but at a new company. This is an exciting new opportunity!
-He also went to career fair, and has been interviewing with a few companies for post-grad positions.
-I am still here, at my same job, working and working, and running in the evenings when I can. My typical day is: hit snooze (lots!), hurry and get ready, work work work, come home, run/workout, cook dinner, clean, TV, laundry, bed.
-My favorite show right now is Glee, and Dancing with the Stars was a close second, but now the season is over... just in time for American Idol in January!
-I will be 25 soon... this is scary :-(
-We had lots of visitors in November! My parents and brother came for the A&M vs. OU game, and Matt's parents and brother came for the A&M vs. Nebraska game.... we won BOTH by the way... WHOOP!
-We drove all over the great state of Texas for Thanksgiving! From Bryan, we went up to Ft. Worth for a couple days, then down to the hill country, then back to Bryan. It's the Great Triangle, as I like to call it...
-Christmas is so soon! We decorated our lovely yard on Monday night, and a big thanks to Matt for putting up lights with me! Three of our big trees are wrapped in colorful lights!
-And last but not least.... DRUMROLL.....
I AM GOING TO NEW YORK CITY with my mom in TWO days!!! We are both so excited. We went to NYC at Christmas a few years ago, and just couldn't get enough. So we're going back : ) I cannot wait for the hustle and bustle and shopping and snow (possibly) and people and lights and decor and ice skating and scarves and shows! Oh and Macy's!

Bummer

Matt hurt his knee. Again.
It's the same knee that he tore the ACL in, back in 2007, and had surgery on to fix it. He hurt it the same way he hurt it last time - flag football. A couple of weeks ago, he and I were playing on our city league team (when I say that Im playing, it means Im running around the field with a bunch of boys taking up space and making the opponents think Im awesome). He really IS awesome, and was playing quarterback, tried to cut, and collapsed. He had an MRI done that week and it turns out he has a torn meniscus. So, not as bad as a torn ACL, right? Maybe. We're still not positive about what's going to have to happen... surgery? rest? He meets with an orthopedic doc soon, so we will know more then.  Im just slightly confused, because he was wearing his big metal brace that he got after his ACL surgery during this game, and still tore his meniscus! (I call it the robot brace sometimes, because it looks like he has a bionic knee) So, please pray for his healing knee. We're crossing fingers for no surgery :)

It's Fall!

It is one day away from OCTOBER and I am so excited to put up my fall decor! (where did the time go??) The weather here has been beautiful this week, and its been more depresssing than ever to be in an office all day. Ive been spending as much time outside as I can these past 4 days... mowing, yard work, running, eating outside, etc... I wish it would stay like this! But the harsh reality is, it will be hot again next week. Texas weather, make up your mind :)

Last weekend we went to the beach! It was perfect weather (despite the rain in the early morning hours) and Matt got to go fishing with my brother and the guys. I got to relax on the beach with Wiley and get a tan. It was perfect! Wiley has gotten more used to the waves and actually goes into the surf on his own now and spashes around. He also has a grudge against sea gulls (who can blame him?) and chases them whenever he thinks they're close enough. For a dog who's scared of water, Im pretty proud of him. Now if we can juuuuuust teach him to stand on a surfboard.....  kidding. He also got lots of attention from the beach walkers, and everyone wanted to pet him. I warned them that they might get licked to death. It was a nice break from reality, as Matt was not allowed to do school work ;) It was also a lot less eventful than our June trip, and I left my rings in the condo (see previous post).
Happy Fall Y'all!

Goodbye, old friend

My playmate and one of my best friends, Star, passed away on Tuesday evening. She was our dog, but more than a family dog to all of us. She was like my little sister. My parents often referred to me as her "litter mate", which sounds weird, but as much as I played with her, it was pretty accurate. She was often Aaron's running buddy. She was my mom's companion during the day and after we went off to college. She helped my dad hunt rodents in the yard.

She was the most thoughtful, active, people-oriented, attentive dog I have ever known. She is the whole reason Matt and I got a heeler last year. I truly believe that they are the absolute smartest and most loving dogs. I am somewhat biased though, and I'm sure there are many great breeds of dogs to suit everyone.

Star would herd whatever she could find in our yard. We had homing pigeons the whole time I was growing up, and she would "herd" them as they flew circles around the sky above our yard. She would look so proud, as though it was really her making them stay in a group, fly around, and eventually come back to their coop. (They would have done this anyway, out of instinct, but we didn't tell her that.) She would herd me, Aaron, and my friends, as we ran around the yard, nipping lightly at our heels to get us to move. We lived by the airport, and planes often flew over our yard. She would chase them from the time they entered the sky over our yard until they flew out of sight, prancing around as though she had done her job and gotten that pesky thing to go where she wanted it to. When we swam, she would run laps around the pool barking at us and herding us from one end to the other (although she never got IN the water).  I wont even get into all the cars, squirrels, possums, and mice she herded...

When you cried, she would come check on you. When you were sick, she knew something was wrong. I got her when I was 9. We had some great times; she would even jump on the trampoline with me! I wish we had video of this. One time, I tied her in my wagon, hooked it to the back of my play tractor, and pulled her down the street. I took her rollerblading with me around the neighborhood. She was so patient with me. One time, I had her on a walk, and she pulled out of her collar and took off running. I was so worried, I ran home as fast as I could to get my mom and the car to go find her. When I ran up to our yard, there she was. Laying there, in the front yard. I guess she got tired of walking, and found her own way home. Stinker. :-)

As she got older, she started developing tumors. They weren't cancerous, but just "fatty". No one knew why she had them, and we even had one removed at the vet once. After that, she kept getting more and they kept getting bigger. She really went downhill this year, and I'm so thankful God allowed us to have her as long as He did. She was almost 16.

Star, thanks for being more than we could ever expect in a dog. Wiley has some big paws to fill. We miss you, but we know you're in doggie Heaven, healthy, with all the bacon you could ever eat, and all the cows you could ever herd for the rest of eternity.

Star at her last Christmas

scratch that....

I just got the most AMAZING news!
I will be SITTING next weekend at the game! Thank you to my friend for having a birthday, getting tickets as a present on the alumni side (read: shaded side), and inviting us to use some of those tickets!
double Whoop :)

WHOOP!

its time for A&M football! We didnt go to the first game. And we're not going to the game tomorrow on 9/11. But we're going next weekend if I can find me a free ticket. Im so excited!! (about the game, not the standing the whole time.)
It's amazing how much older I feel in my seventh year of standing than I did in my first year of standing. (that's right, SEVENTH. I think I get major Aggie points for that. In fact, it should be more like ninth, bc I went to a ton of games in High School and stood for all of them.) I am ready to sit in the shade on the alumni side. Someone want to donate 2 tickets for the sake of my feet/legs? :)
GIG EM AGGIES! WHOOP!

babies!

Just a short post to say that all my friends are pregnant.
It's so weird transitioning into this phase of life! I know things will change drastically, and let's face it, I dont like change very much. But these are happy, miracle-type changes :)

I cant help but wonder how my life will be different as a non-mother among mothers. It happened when we all started getting married, but not to the same extent... if 2 couples are friends and do everything together before marriage, they continue to be friends and do everything together after marriage.
BUT. Add a baby in there, a new fragile life with lots of needs, we're talking BIG changes.

However, I am sooo excited for all of them and their new little families! Im excited about being designated babysitter, nursery decorator, shower goer/coordinator, and probably scrapbook maker. And let's not forget avid baby-clothes-shopper (see previous post on this subject...)

Congrats to all my girls who are assisting God in a miracle.

Colorado...

was perfect!!
we left Friday after work, and drove all through the night to get to Colorado by Saturday morning. I started out the first shift, driving from Bryan all the way to Amarillo. It was 3:30-4am when we switched, and I immediately fell asleep! Matt had gotten some good rest while I was driving though, so he could be ready. I woke up about 7 and we were in Colorado, making our way west and about to buy groceries! We stopped in Alamosa to get groceries, stopped in South Fork to get fishing licenses, and stopped in Creede to eat lunch and kill time. We went to the Mining Museum in Creede and ate at the Old Firehouse restaurant. The weather was kind of rainy, but a nice mix of sun and clouds. About 2 oclock we headed up the mountain, stopping at Clear Creek Falls on our way. It is the most photographed waterfall in Colorado (so I hear) and it is absolutely gorgeous. We drove around and stopped at some scenic overlooks, before heading up to the Rio Grande Reservoir and Lost Trail Ranch where we were staying. We got to our cabin, unpacked, and settled in for the night.

Sunday, we decided to take it easy since we had so little sleep and not much time to adjust to the change in altitude: from 600 feet to 10,000+ feet in 16 hours! Not just wonderful on the body. We slept in, and decided to not hike but drive to where we were going to fish. It was rainy all day on and off, but we went to Ute Creek and Brewster Park to practice our fly fishing. We ate steaks and veggies grilled over the campfire, and made s'mores!

Monday, we thought we were acclimated enough to head up Lost Trail and pack our waders, fly rods, snacks, etc and fish Lost Trail Creek. I was dizzy most of the way up, because its 3 miles to good fishing and verrrry vertical! But we made it, and I caught 2 fish! Matt had some bites, too. I had worn my hiking boots that were about 8 years old, and they gave me a horrible blister on my left heel! We cooked our two fishies for dinner, and supplemented with some good ol' spaghetti.

Tuesday, we had planned on leaving to do our overnight backpacking trip. However, with my blister screaming at me every time I walked, we decided to go driving around instead. We headed to Lake City, a quaint little town tucked in a valley. From there, we headed up a four wheel drive road to Cinnamon Pass, which is 13,000+ feet! The road was one way, rocky, gravel/dirt, and a steep drop-off on our left side... whew! I was a bit nervous, but Matt did great driving and we lived. We made our way over the pass and into Silverton, an old mining town. We ate lunch here and got some awesome fudge! We kept on our way to Durango, and I think this is my new favorite town. It's so beautiful! It's small, but big enough. It's quaint, but modern enough. It's like a mixture of Fredericksburg Main Street with a larger-town feel and more conveniences. LOVE it. We went to Main St. and walked up and down going into shops and talking. It was getting late, and we still had a long way to go to be back by dark, so we hit the road and headed over to Wolf Creek Pass, and back through South Fork, and 'home'.

Wednesday, we woke up earlier than usual, and drove to the Squaw Creek trail head where we could hike up the trail and go fly fishing. This was a fun day! I got 3 fish and Matt got a few smaller ones. We were gone for quite a while! We also went to the Rio Grande, but nothing was biting. Bummer. We also picked some wild mountain raspberries and I made a cobbler that night with dinner. We taught a couple of the guys at the ranch how to play washers, and they liked it. We also taught them 42 and we ended up playing every night. They stayed to eat dinner with us; homemade enchiladas! A taste of Texas.

Thursday was interesting. It had rained all night and all morning. We slept in because you cant do anything in the middle of nowhere in Colorado in the rain. When it finally broke, we went to a nearby creek to fish. The water, which is usually crystal clear and beautiful, was brownish green from all the rain and runoff. We tried fishing, but the fish couldnt see anything! A big thunderstorm snuck up on us, so we had to sit under a rock/cave and wait it out so we didnt get soaked or struck by lightning! The rest of the day was lazy, spent reading and hanging out at the cabin. We played washers and Uno til midnight.

Friday was bittersweet; we knew we wanted to make the most of our last day there, but we also had to be responsible and pack up and clean everything. It was a bummer having to pack up and say goodbye on such a gorgeous day! It was about 65 degrees, and a cloudless, sunny sky. We woke up early to hike up Lost Trail again to fish. This fishing was a LOT more productive! Matt caught a 12 inch trout! We had lots of fun. The hike was about 6 miles roundtrip. When we got back to the cabin, I took the truck to look for and pick more raspberries so I could make one more cobbler! We packed up and played washers and horseshoes til it was time for dinner. This time, we had the guys over for dinner again and played 42 and Uno and Scattagories until about 2am! Needless to say, we were exhausted the next day which was....

Saturday! We woke up at 6am to try and clean and pack the truck and get dressed for our day. We headed out about 8am and were on our way to Santa Fe! We got there about 1pm and spent the afternoon in downtown Santa Fe shopping and eating. We had a nice la quinta hotel room, and took a nap before we went out again for dinner at my favorite restaurant, Maria's. It was a wonderful dinner and evening.

Sunday, we woke up to make the looooong drive back to Bryan, Tx! It was hotter and hotter the more we drove and we were getting terribly depressed thinking of how we went from 50 degrees to 105 degrees in a little over a day. But, we made it home safely and soundly, with great memories and pictures, and there's nothing to compain about because we had a perfect trip!

Colorado, we will be back as soon as possible!! Thanks for a fun time!

Gearing Up

Matt and I are off to Colorado for our first anniversary trip on Friday. We have been so excited about this trip, probably since last summer when we knew we wanted to go together. We both love nature, hiking, marveling at creation, fishing, camping, and sight-seeing. It seems like we're going to be able to do all of the above on our upcoming trip.
We've decided to mostly hang out around our cabin, doing some light hiking and fly fishing. However, for 2 days, we are taking a long overnight backpacking trip up to the continental divide and back down! (roundtrip: 20 miles.) This will be an adventure. Matt has never done this before, and I've been backpacking but never that far.
It should be a good test of the new marriage ;-)
We're also taking a day to drive around to some of the cute resort towns around the area. The goal is to have a good time, chat some locals, eat some good food, (have a chance to look cute and not like a crazy, hairy mountain woman), and scope out some potential places to live when we get the itch to move there.

We're also appeasing Matt by taking a four-wheel drive road up through a treacherous pass. Perrrrrfect.

We'll update while we're there and when we get back down off the mountain. I may never come back, now that I think about it. Wait, I have to. Im going to miss my Wiley dog so much while we're gone. Next year, the dog comes too!

Baby Gifts

Does anyone else find themselves buying way too much when buying baby gifts for other people? I mean, I go ALL OUT. Everything is so cute! You have to get the cute onesies... then there's the bows that match... then there's receiving blankets that match... and dont forget the socks.... and the matching mittens!! But wait, they also need sleep-n-play jammies... that match.

And these aren't even my kids! Im going to be in trouble.

I spend more money on baby gifts than I do wedding gifts, which is crazy because it's all going to be pooped on, slobbered on, snotted on, spit up on, and out-grown. But then again, I guess you could say it is being well-used and loved!

Summer Lovin'

Im telling you, I cant keep up this summer! Where is the time going?
We are gone EVERY weekend. I am thankful that we have family and friends to go see. I am thankful that we have cars that will get us where we want and need to go. I am thankful for a nice cozy house to come home to and a job that allows me to travel on the weekends.

BUT... Im exhausted! After the lake on the Fourth (which was a blast by the way!), I went to New York City with my best friend, Lindsay. It was the most time Ive gotten to spend with her one-on-one for probably 2 years. She and I have been best friends since our moms introduced us in the 2nd grade. We have had countless sleepovers, makeovers, dress-up parties, tea parties, play dates, dates with boys, school dances, dance teams, and FUN together! She was my Maid of Honor, and while we got to see each other a lot with all the wedding events, there was always an agenda, and always other people around. We went to NYC to visit her sister who is doing a summer internship in PR up there in Manhattan... what a cool opportunity! (and she has NO problem getting people to come visit her either...)

We had a wonderful time. So many laughs, a few heart-to-hearts, lots of adventures, and just girl time. I miss that, and my other 3 best friends back in San Antone.
ONE DAY hopefully I'll be back there...

Last weekend, we had my "baby" cousin's high school graduation party! What!! Stop growing up everyone! We had the party in Ft Worth at my grandparent's house and Meredith came up from Waco with her boyfriend, Tucker, and her brother, Travis, who happened to be home on leave from the Air Force. We were so happy he could make it.

Meredith came with me to my new student conference at A&M when she was 12... and it seems like last year we did that. Now it is her turn for her new student orientation! She is attending UTA for Nursing and I couldnt be more proud of her. She is so mature for her age and really has her sights set high for her career.
WAY TO GO MEREDITH!

This coming weekend = the crazy, jam-packed wedding marathon weekend!

We have 2 friends getting married (well... 4 friends, 2 couples), one Friday night, and one Saturday night. Matt happens to be a groomsman in the Saturday wedding, so our agenda is: Drive to Dallas, check into hotel, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception on Friday; wedding day festivities, pictures, wedding, reception, and seeing our friends Saturday! Pray that I get some beauty sleep in there sometime!

My summer might be busy, but it's anything but boring!

Hope your summer is FUN and maybe a little RELAXING, too...

Stampin' Up!!

I went to my friend's card-making party last night, and it was a blast. As people may know, Im into scrapbooking. I have a die cutting machine and lots of paper, stickers, glue, ribbon, buttons, brads, etc hanging around in my "craft" room. Basically the only supply Im short on is TIME. I wish I could scrapbook more, about vacations and events.... *daydreaming*

Matt encourages me in this hobby, as well as sewing, and I am thankful for that. I've made some stationery for people before (people = my mom) and they turned out really cute. I just used cardstock and patterned paper die cuts and letters. However, I have never really gotten into stamping. There are soooooo many cute stamps out there, that it can get really expensive! After going to this party last night, I feel like getting more into card-making and stationery gifts. Im pretty excited. Now I just need to look through this awesome catalog at all of their adorable stamp sets and get started!

In other news, the Fourth of July is coming up! I bought our FIRST American flag to hang in our front yard (we had a flag holder on one of our trees already, just no flag). I found some USA window clings and Im making a wreath for our porch. I love decorating for holidays! Something I know I learned from my mom. Thanks a lot, Denisa, for giving me this obsession.... There may or may not also be stars-and-stripes-themed table linens on my dining room table right now....
We're going to the lake for the holiday with family for some wakeboarding and waterskiing, but thanks to hurricane Alex, we may be playing dominoes and eating in the house the whole time! But thank God for rain. Our yard looks thirsty!

Here Comes the Sun...

Completely contradicting the title of this post, it is actually pouring rain in Bryan right now... absolutely flooding. The auditors that are here this week took our office out to lunch (BBQ, Mmmm!) and on the way back I had my windshield wipers in panic-mode-high-speed, and I still had trouble seeing! The funny thing is.... Matt watered the lawn last night. Doesn't that always happen? I should have washed my car, too, and seen what happened. Tornado? Hurricane?
Anyways, SUMMER is officially here, apparently. I counted it as summer long before the solstice, and I believe that the solstice must be what yankees use to tell if summer is upon them. In Texas, all you need is a thermometer. It's been summer since May, easily. The day I had to stop running outside at 4:30pm because I was going to have a heat stroke was the day it became summer.
And along with summer, comes summer trips! We're going to our sister/brother-in-laws house to swim this weekend in NRH with the fam, and have a big joint birthday celebration for summer birthdays. The weekend of the Fourth, we're going to Matt's brother Jake's girlfriend's parent's lake house. Did you get that? My brother-in-law Jake has a girlfriend named Cortney, and her parents have a lake house and wakeboarding/waterskiing boat. Needless to say, Im pretty tan already from the beach and I only foresee my tan getting darker. Exciting for the girl that turns yellow underneath her flourescent lights in the office all day, all year. We have every weekend booked up til August, and every single one will be spent with family or at weddings, and mostly outside. I LOVE SUMMER. Let me leave you with a few words from my boys, the Beatles:
Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right....
Little darling, its been a long cold lonely winter.
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here.
Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces.
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here.
Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right.

Port Aransas

We went to Port Aransas this past weekend for my mom's birthday (I wont tell you how old she is, she may catch wind of it and spank me) and for Father's Day. Port A is our favorite family place to go. It's only 3 hours from San Antonio, so we went there a lot growing up. From Bryan, its almost 5 hours! Matt and I left Friday after he got home from work, so we didnt show up to the condo til almost 11. We decided to take Wiley with us for his very first beach trip! We were a little skeptical about how he was going to react to the water... he's definitely NOT a water dog. However, seeing as how he loves to dig in the back yard, we were hoping he'd dig a lot in the sand and get it all out of his system before we came back home! He did fairly well in the surf and played in the shallow waves. As soon as a wave hit him in the face though, he wasn't having any more of that. The funniest part was the face he would make when it would go in his mouth. Hilarious. He'd forget it was salt water, try to drink it, and then sneeze and stick his tongue out. He acts like a little kid sometimes, I swear.
Anyways, Friday night was an interesting night. There was a bachelor party in the condo above us on the 3rd floor, and they were CRAZY. Im all for fun and games, but this was OVER THE TOP. We could hear their music and chants of "Shot! Shot! Shot!" in the parking lot. Three stories and 30 yards away. My dad had gone up there to chat with them earlier about their deadline of midnight, and after that point we were going to be calling the cops for noise. As expected, they got twice as bad. They were on the balcony throwing beer cans off after they chugged them, and they were landing on our balcony (which we were sitting on and trying to enjoy). The point of no return was: urinating off the balcony. Yes, you heard that right. I was sitting on the balcony as an inibriated man above me urinated. The wind was blowing. I was furious.
I yelled a few words at him that Im not proud of, and ran inside to tell my dad what had happened. Big mistake. 911 was called. Police AND constable came. Guy was arrested. Other guys were evicted from the condo and cited. The end. Want to hear the best part of the whole thing? The guy who went to jail had to have his mommy and daddy come bail him out and they were ALL wearing Baylor shirts.. I LOVE IT!
Saturday brought peace and quiet (ahhhh!) as we relaxed on the beach and tried to forget the night before. My dad took Wiley swimming in the surf over his head (poor little guy) and I went out there to save him. As he swam towards me, his claw came in contact with my hand, hooked my Aggie ring, and flung it into the ocean. In the surf, never to be seen again! I was in shock. I started diving immediately to find it. Waves were pushing me around and I was gulping for breath. My adrenaline causes me to lose my breath quickly I think, because I had an underwater limit of about 5 seconds. Everything I ran my hand across on the bottom of the ocean was a seashell. My ring was gone. About that point, my mom came to save Wiley, who had fallen by the wayside and was still swimming around. My dad was feeling along the bottom with his feet, and came across something hard. It was a seashell. He came across something else, and he just KNEW it was my ring. I was skeptical, but I swam over to check it out anyway, as he held his position against the crashing waves. I found his leg and shimmied down it and dug something out from under his foot. As I washed the sand off, I realized it had a hole through it. IT WAS MY RING! I was elated and my dad and I started jumping around screaming and hugging. A couple in the surf next to us looked at us like we were CRAZY but I could have cared less. Now for those that dont know, the Aggie ring (to Aggies) is just as important as the wedding ring. I was going to be so depressed if it was lost. Seeing as how I can't afford to buy another one right now, I would have been ringless.
After wayyyy too much excitement packed into one weekend, we had a nice quiet dinner in the condo and did birthday presents and Father's Day presents. We went to bed fairly early with no one above us stomping and yelling. Sunday we went back out to the beach for more peace and quiet. Ahhhh. I can almost smell the salty air as I write this and look down at the Aggie ring on my hand.
Hope you had a happy Father's Day!

One Year Already!

Well, we are going to have our ONE YEAR anniversary in 2 days. I cant believe how fast the time has gone. Between Matt's school, my work, all our trips out of town on weekends, getting Wiley, time with friends during the week, working on our house, etc.... its just flown by. It's been the best year of my life so far. I cant wait to see what's in our future!
We are celebrating this whole weekend in various ways. Matt has homework for his ACCOUNTING class that he's taking this summer (Im so proud!! and I can finally help him with homework!) so we wont be completely free. Tonight we're going to First Friday in downtown Bryan. This is one of our favorite things to do! There is "Art Step", which is a showcase of local artists and photographers at different galleries, and you can just walk in/out and browse. Also, all the restaurants and bars are open late, and its a big event for the community - lots of people come out, and you inevitably see someone you know. Tomorrow, we're going to our friend's son's one-year-old birthday party! It's going to be a big cookout, playing washers and watching babies smash cake all over the place. Good times. After that, we're coming back to Bryan to eat out at Christopher's, one of the nicest restaurants in town. It's a steakhouse with EXCELLENT food and dessert. This will be our big celebration dinner. We decided not to get each other gifts this year... because.... drum roll.......
next week, we're going to the BAHAMAS. Random! I know. Our friend's dad owns a sailboat, and sailed it down to the Bahamas a couple of months ago, and we have the opportunity to visit him. He and his wife will be staying in a hotel, and we will be living on the 2 bedroom, 2 bath sailboat, free of charge. So, pretty sweet deal and too good of an opportunity to pass up. We feel very blessed and lucky to be going and can not WAIT to be beach bums living on a sailboat for a few days. It feels like a dream! This actually IS my dream; live in a tropical place and be a beach bum. So, I will be journaling our trip on here and cant wait to post pictures of beautiful, turquoise and green water. Last year we were in Jamaica on our honeymoon on Matt's birthday, and the way it worked out, this year we'll be in the Bahamas on his birthday. I told him I could get used to spending his birthday in the Caribbean every year if he could.... ;)
til next week.......

Locks of Love

I really love this charity. If you have a lot of hair, and you like to help others, read into it. Or if nothing else, if you're changing your look and cutting a bunch of hair off anyway, mail it in! I learned about it in high school, and have done it twice now. It's scary at first, but hair and fat always grow back, as my grandma says.... Heres a before and after. Buh bye, 12 inches! Make someone happy!

Long Time, No See!

Wow, this blogging thing is more difficult than I thought it would be to keep up with!

So much has happened in the near 2 months its been since I posted. Matt was super busy with grad school, finishing up his first year (yay!), but that also means the wifey is really busy, too. As much as I love it, its a lot of work! I've heard before that wives supporting their husbands through school claim to have a "PhT" degree (Putting hubby Through) and I would agree with that statement. Anyways, on to the fun (and crazy) activities.

Me and my old roommate Amanda started running together again, almost every day, after I get off work at 4. She and I were potluck roommates in the dorms at A&M and lived together the next 2 years as well, until she got married. In college, we used to work out and run together a lot, so we're trying to get back into shape together. Its really neat because we now live in the same neighborhood in Bryan, so we see each other a lot and can run to each other's houses easily.

the Northcutts and their puppy

Let's catch up on activities and events from the past 2 months: Spring break at the beach was a lot of fun... We went to the ranch in Mason to hang out in March but it was FREEZING... Then we had my cousin's wedding in Ft Worth and Easter... Then my brother Aaron came to Bryan to stay with us and go see Willie Nelson in concert (way awesome!)... We went back to the ranch to see the bluebonnets and take pictures... I hung out with a lot of my friends for the last time since they are graduating from A&M and moving on... I went home for Mother's day and Ms. Lindy's FIFTH birthday... I can't believe she's old enough to be 5! ... I chopped my hair off for Locks of Love (see separate post).... and this past weekend, we threw a housewarming party for Aaron! My grandparents all came to town, and we also celebrated my dad's 54th birthday. He wanted us to ignore it, but we couldnt pass up an opportunity to make him feel old. ;)

I've been having TERRIBLE allergies this spring and I hope they go away, along with all the pollen and mold. Guess that's what I get for living in east Texas. Ick.

On to PICTURES! Enjoy! I hope everyone is having a great start to summer!!

Patricia and Jim in Port Aransas

Matt and I on the jetties

Benny and Laura on their wedding day

Wiley eating an Easter Egg!

Our family on Easter Sunday

Willie Nelson LIVE!

Bluebonnets and Cactus... stark contrast

in the field, surrounded

Miss Lindy on her birthday

me and mom at the Spurs game

Housewarming Party

 Happy Birthday Dad!

That's all folks!

Life doesnt have breaks? Since when??

Since Ive started my real world job, it has taken me a while to get used to not having breaks... I guess it was so ingrained in me to have a month in the winter, a week in the spring, and a WHOLE summer off from my main "job" (school). Last year I think was the worst... it was a big life change for me with graduation, working 40 hour weeks and my roommates, all my friends, and my fiance were still in college. I've since gotten used to it, and reality has definitely set in, but next week is spring break and I feel like I need one too! Im sure many people feel the same way...
So, this weekend and part of next week, we are venturing down to the beach. I know, it's going to be so crowded and noisy with all of the high school kids and young'ns in college, but, what can you do when you're an old lady like me just trying to fit in?? Dont judge...
Actually, Im just going to catch some serious rays, read a book, and play in the sand with a good friend while our guys fish and try to surf in the 60 degree water. Pictures will be posted upon my return!
Happy SPRING!

An Apple a Day...

Well, folks....
In keeping with the spirit of the new year, and New Year's Resolutions, Matt and I have started going to the gym together. We decided that we were both too tired/stressed/busy/whatever in the evenings to go, and that the morning was the only time we could get it done. So, after 2 months of going twice a week, we are both seeing improvements in our muscles and cardiovascular stamina.
This has been great, and I've really enjoyed getting back into working out after taking, shall we say, a "short" break... it's actually been since the wedding, maybe?? Anyways, Im also on a new healthy-eating kick and we'll see how long it lasts. I read that 85% of weight loss is your diet, not your exercise! 85%?? I dont like this. I like chocolate and ice cream.
Dont worry though, Im still cooking Matt all the bread, pasta, potatoes, and sweets he wants :)
What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Be Mine?

Matt and I have a Valentine's Day tradition, and we've been following it since we started dating in 2006 - STAY HOME.

Neither one of us like waiting with crowds at restaurants. Going out to the movies isn't exactly "quality" time to us, since you can't talk to each other. Therefore, every Valentine's we stay home and cook an elaborate dinner, or, more elaborate than we usually make. We go all out on grilling steaks and veggies, baked potatoes, etc... and dessert. Then, we watch a movie or play a card game together. Later, we make our own chocolate dipped fruit, and let me tell you, it is GOOD!

Last year, we experimented with different kinds of fruit because the stores were already sold out of strawberries (we may have waited til the last minute.... like, the DAY of). Anyways, we did pineapple, bananas, strawberries if we can get them, and oranges. It was delicious (and cheap!).

This year, it has been particularly cold, as you may have experienced. Here in Bryan, we got SNOWED on! Not once, but TWICE. So, we've been making great use of our fireplace! It is probably my favorite thing in our house. We have used it almost every night, and therefore, are out of firewood. We enjoyed a big fire on Valentine's night.

I'll leave you with some pictures. I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! Do you have any traditions for the day of love??

Wiley's shirt I made him:

 

Matt making us a fire:

our heart-shaped Valentines cake:

The snow in our backyard!! and Wiley eating it:

The Beginning...

Well everyone, welcome to our blog!


We dont have a lot to say, but I thought this would be a good way to journal what's going on in our lives as we have started out our married life together.


I would love to "follow" all of you and keep up with your life. As I get older, I realize how important it is to keep the ties strong between us and not forget about friends. Even though we have scattered and moved on to different cities and different places in our journey, we still have that connection, whether it is childhood, church, high school, etc.


Ok, so here's my first post! I thought I'd start this since it's the beginning of a new year, and 2010 is going to be great. Personally, I dont know how it will top 2009, but I am a bit biased ;)
However, God always has great ways of surprising and blessing us.

A little overview... The year 2009 was surreal: Matt (my husband) graduated from Texas A&M with his degree in Civil Engineering. We bought our first house, which led to packing and moving. I celebrated my one year anniversary at my "real world" job. We were busy wedding planning, going to showers with wonderful friends, researching honeymoon spots, traveling a LOT, and looking forward to the BIG day. We got married! We went to Jamaica. Matt started graduate school in Civil Engineering. We got a sweet, loving, red heeler puppy named Wiley. Then, we got to play the fun newlywed holidays game where you go see everyone in both of your families for each major holiday. Whew!!

We were so blessed last year. But, needless to say, we are KIND OF excited about this year being slower and simpler. More time at home, more sleep, less craziness. Below is 2009 in pictures...

Our San Antonio wedding shower

Our Fredericksburg wedding shower

My "Bachelorette" Shower

Moving to the house

Matt's Aggie Ring Dance at A&M

(yes, we are VERY proud of our ring! We have a whole day and an elaborate dance dedicated to it....)

Rehearsal

the WEDDING!

Jamaican sunset....

Our precious puppy

P!NK and the Lumberjack for Halloween

Our first little Christmas Tree

Hope everyone's 2010 is starting beautifully and that you had wonderful holidays with your family.

Next post: VALENTINE'S!