It’s been a long time….

So finally sitting still long enough to try to catch up.

Since the last post boasting about our new frig, we’ve also added a new dishwasher!

Sorry no pictures though.  It was a Christmas present that wasn’t purchased yet,

if that makes sense, of course we waited til the old one burned out before we bought

new one.  It was a big headache – the one we wanted wasn’t in stock and wouldn’t be available for

another month! The upgraded version that was going to take a week to come in arrived in the wrong color!

Oh well, such is life.

Kyle has been helping his parents remodel their house.  Taking down walls, putting up walls, new carpet, tile, kitchen, paint, etc.

It looks great!  Can’t wait to see it all when it’s done.

For me, work has been on going changes, restructuring, meetings and more meetings.   My new position at work allows me to be more involved in the operations of the center.  From hiring, training to policies and procedures!  We are in the process of updating all of it and they have been using a lot of my input, suggestions and presentations!

Other than work-work, we are both putting in a lot of work getting healthier!  We are walking or playing tennis at least 4 times a week!  Which in one week is more than we did all of last year!!  It wears Boomer out but I’m sure it’s good for him too!

Still have a lot of work to do on the house.  Which is good but geez we have so much we want to do we get lost in all of the decisions to make.  Yes my kitchen still looks like a paint sample brochure.  At least 8 different colors.

What else……hmmmmm.

Haven’t been out to the lake at all this year…take it back we went out on the boat one afternoon for about an hour – basically just a test drive.  When Hailey was here we went up to the pool.  That’s about as much sun as I can handle anymore…too hot!

Oh! One other thing that I’m going to look into – just recently found an Art School nearby!  Going to check that out soon!  Really want to get into painting and need technical training.  Haven’t really had ANY.  Would love to get serious enough to sell some pieces.  I keep going to art fairs and see pieces for sale that I think to myself – I can do THAT!  Just need to do it!

That pretty much catches us up for now. 

Another great Saturday!!

Well, first last week we finally got our new refridgerator....(did I spell that right??)  I don't know I'm tired.

Anyway new fridge....oooohhh aaahhhhh.
LOVE IT - Thank you to everyone for our Christmas present! 
So back to today - Kyle had to work this morning, when he got home we decided to go out for lunch.  We decided to go to Salt Lick in Round Rock.  Famous BBQ place.  I'm not that big on BBQ, but it was really good. 
Then...it was my turn and I've been wanting to go to Whole Foods Market.  It really wasn't that far from where we were.  It was GREAT!  It was CROWDED....ugh.  All of the fruits and veggies were so big and bright.  I'm finally at a point that I am actually craving fruits and veggies - especially asapragus.  We also got Eggplant and Butternut Squash.  We'll see how well that goes over....
But it was so crowded, Kyle couldn't take it much longer.  We grabbed a few things and then headed for the car.
I love these day trips to Austin.  There's always something new to find and do.
To bad we have to drive 45mins from home to do that though....oh well, it's a little adventure!!

Seafood and Scandanavian Furniture!

These two things make for a wonderful Saturday!!
First I'll say, that my work schedule is just the worst!  It does make it hard for us to get together and really spend time together - besides trying to figure out what to watch on TV.
ANYWAY....
So Kyle had the best idea ever and we went to Austin to eat at Captain Bennys (I think thats the name of it)
mmmm Oysters on the half shell and a XX with a lime!  The absolute best!
Really had a great time. 
Oh, but let me just say - Good Grief the traffic in Austin is insane!  I don't know if the food is as good as we think it is, or if it is because we got there without being involved in a 10 car pile-up thinking we'll never make it!
While we were eating we were talking about what else we could do there, Kyle wanted to go to Sheplers to check out a new pair of boots. BUT then he sacrificed boot shopping to go to IKEA.  That's right, he said we could skip Sheplers and go to IKEA instead. 
 Woo Hoo!!
Although he did say he would be using it against me later....oh well!
After walking the labyrinth that is IKEA, we found a couple of little things we both wanted and headed towards the checkout.  So not only are we both ready for a nap - the one beer made us both soo sleepy, we get there and the lines are miles long. 
 So needless to say, we left empty handed.
Before heading home, we found the best Frozen Yogurt shop  - Yogurt, The Experience, I think is what it was called.
New York Cheesecake was the absolute best!
It was the best day we've had in a long time -
 I was asleep by 8pm that night.

'Twas the Night before Christmas....

Not a creature was stirring.....except for me because it's 10 o'clock at night and well, Kyle fell asleep on the couch about 2hrs ago and I just sent him to bed. Oh and everytime I move Boomer has to reposition himself and then go back to sleep.
But besides that I'm still awake.
It's our first Christmas in our new home - and it SNOWED today!! It was so pretty, didn't really stick, but enough to see it sitting on the roof tops and on the grass.
Everything else is to be expected...
Christmas cards in the mail on Weds. Hopefully everyone will get them by New Years. {check}
Still haven't had a chance to mail out Dad and Sharon's Christmas present. ugh. Hopefully they will get it by New Years. {check}
Kyle and I made a deal with each other that we wouldn't buy each other presents and would instead buy a new refridgerator that we desperately need. Tonight he asked me, "you didn't buy me anything did you? Cause I didn't get you anything and I'm going to feel bad".
"Well", I said, "I can't help myself". I didn't expect him to, but I can't help it. I really think I have a problem with shopping. Or actually it's quite the opposite. I kept coming up with ideas or passing something in an aisle that I thought he would like. Now I feel bad.
Oh well! lol
Oh my gosh I DO have a Christmas Story!!
Ok, so we are sitting in the living room watching a movie - no it wasn't the Christmas Story or even the Griswold's...some Michael Douglass drama (but it was really pretty good) -
So we're in the living room and I keep hearing these sirens outside, sounds like they might be out on the highway. I can hear them, but can tell they are off in the distance. Figured that the roads were probably slick and there may have been an accident or maybe even a fire.
30mins or so later, I can hear them again and they are closer. I even said something to Kyle about "that can't be good".
Boomer is even a little freaked out by now.
So I don't know, another 30mins go by and the sirens are there again but even LOUDER - which means closer and closer - So I jumped up to run to the front door and all I could see was Red shining through the front door - Oh my God - whatever it is, is right outside!
As I opened the door, I was deafened by the sirens - took me a second or two to focus in the dark through the red lights......
It was SANTA CLAUS sitting on top of a fire truck driving up and down the streets of our neighborhood!!!!
By that time, it woke Kyle up and he came stumbing to the door, not sure what was happening. I was so excited and was trying to get him to come outside. When he realized what woke him up and why I was jumping up and down - he was not amused.
I'm sure there will be some comment tomorrow about how our property taxes pays for the Fire Dept to drive around all night....oh well, made my night!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It snowed!!...for a whole 5 minutes...

It's that time of year!!

Although I tend to spend all of my Christmas shopping money on the Christmas decorations....after the tree, the lights, the decorations for the tree, the stockings, the stocking hanger (now that we have a fire place and mantle), Christmas cards (that I promised myself I will fill out AND get them in the mail this year)...whew....

Growing up we have always had a real tree, they smell so good and I think they are just prettier.

So we went Tree hunting on Saturday...went to a nursery as opposed to the grocery store where we got one last year. Kyle knows the owner....lets be honest, who doesn't he know??

Picked out a great tree! It was leaning a little on the lot, but figured it was just how it was in the stand. Bought the tree, bought the special tree stand from the lot and we were off!

Took us about an hour to get the tree set up....the nursery drills a hole in the bottom of the trunk and there is a spike in the stand that the tree sits on. So it wasn't the stand that was making the tree lean...it was the hole drilled in the tree!

After Kyle got a mallet and some shims (?) to straighten out the tree, I filled the stand with water. After putting a pitcher full of water in the stand, I noticed a slow leak! I guess after we banged and twisted the tree and the stand, we damaged the stand and now it won't hold water.

After digging around in the garage I found some caulk and a caulking gun and then soaked up the water out of the stand so we could caulk our tree stand.

Everyone having fun yet?!?!? It was an all day event.

But finished decorating it today and filled the stand up with water and so far so good, Boomer even curled up underneath it...too bad I didn't have the camera ready.

Next week outside lights!! We were going to do it this weekend...but the tree wore us out and I didn't have the heart to ask Kyle to do anything else!

Wish us luck!!

Boomer Sooner - or later

State Fair - OU TX weekend!!!

So we went to the State Fair last weekend....we had a great time! Way toooo many people.

OU TX weekend. OU lost. ( sad face) but it was fun. BTW - TX fans are the rudest fans ever....and that was before the game even started!

Mom and Wayne got us a hotel room on the northside for a anniversary present....we were maybe 20-25mins from the fairgrounds...except on Saturday it took us 2 AND a half hours to get there!

After we got there, there was so much to see and do. Live music, beer, dog shows, pig races, exhibit after exhibit....but the most interesting thing we found was....

Margarita in a Pouch...

and.....fried EVERYTHING

That's right...FRIED BUTTER and PB and J...and FRIED COOKIE DOUGH!! EWWW

But it was a great weekend....we were both wore out by the end of Saturday...

I want my year old cake and eat it too!

One year ago today, it was wrapped in a HobbyLobby bag, placed it in an empty DosEquis box, and "CAKE DO NOT THROW AWAY" written in blue and then placed in moms freezer.

So much for the Martha Stewart way of doing it, but it worked!

Friday afternoon, we went by mom's, they had left an anniversary gift for us. Somehow I managed to remember to get the Dos Equis box out of the freezer. Got home and put it in the refrigerator.

All weekend I was worried I was defrosting it wrong...and does anyone really eat the cake a year later? Or is it supposed to be 10yrs later? Either way, we were going to eat some on the 4th.

Kyle wasn't too sure about the idea. But he went with it, mostly to amuse me I'm sure.

So today, 1yr ago, was the big day. It was soo perfect. Everything I wanted it to be. Wow, to me it really doesn't feel like a year has gone by. BUT alot has happened. Both good and bad.

Bad only in the fact that Nana and Mrs Tafoya both passed away within a month of each other. Kyle was right there for me. His parents were very thoughtful, sending flowers and baked goods.

I think we have learned alot about each other, ourselves and our families, which is a good thing. I like to think it would take more than 3years to know everything there is to know about someone.

We bought a house. Which I think we both thought would never happen. We love the house. Still needs some work done, but I think that is part of the process.

We got to share alot of firsts....which is the best part. When we went to DC that was Kyle's first trip, first Polo Match, my first time camping in a Trailer (pull behind trailer), my first time hunting, shooting a gun (not at the same time), the list goes on and on...AND there is plenty of more to see and do.

I can't wait to make out the list on our 5yr, 10yr, 20yr and so on, and see what all is on that list.

Now, if I can just figure out how to get him to go camping on the beach!

By the way, the cake was pretty good, for being 1yr old today!