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!
Sep 30, 2010
Sep 16, 2010
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.
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
Sep 10, 2010
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 :)
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!
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!
Aug 25, 2010
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.
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.
Aug 20, 2010
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!
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!
Aug 4, 2010
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!
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!
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