Homecoming #2

Guess what I did Saturday? I Baylor-d all day.

We started Homecoming with the parade.

All the floats are made by the students.

We played Kansas State...this theme was 'You're Not in Kansas Anymore'

Winnie the Pooh

Then we participated in a new Baylor tradition called 'March of the Bears'. The team is greeted by waiting fans as they step off the bus and head into the stadim.

Quarterback Robert Griffin III

Custom Cowboy boots!

Then we hung around for two hours for the 3:00 game. The game started off great then there was lightning so that resulted in a game delay. There was no rain but they still asked the fans to seek shelter but no one moved....until.....it poured! Hard, heavy rains came down. Then all the fans who hadn't moved were stuck! They jumped onto the field to seek shelter, some headed to any overhang they could find. We sat there. We had heard there was rain expected to we (I) came prepared. I brough each of us a cap, windbreakers, and we stopped and bought some rain ponchos. We did not expect them to be so sturdy but once it started raining and everyone was scurrying around us, we realized that were were bone dry and that moving might actually be worse than sitting there. So we did....for 2 hours!! Then, the game started again. It sounded like a good idea at the time.

We had to entertain ourselves for two hours!

It ended well. We won the 6th game this year, making us Bowl eligible for the first time since 1995.

Grand opening

Today I am introducing my new Etsy store. If you are not familiar with Etsy, it is an ebay-like shopping website specifically for crafts and vintage finds. I was introduced a year or so ago and finally decided to use etsy as my crafting and shopping outlet.

Yesterday I put up three items and sold them overnight. I just put up the first batch of a jewelry line that is inspired by my love for all things vintage.

Example: Blue-ble ring

Its just another fun hobby that also allows me to give. 50% of all profits benefit the Family Abuse Center here in Waco.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theflutterfly

Have fun, and not just at my store, there are millions of stores, so have a looksy.

Planting Party Recap

It was a VERY productive weekend! We got all 6 trees planted. And we had fun doing it too.

The weather was perfect. We finished much earlier than we thought and the guys even fixed up an irrigation system. We got to watch some of the football game while sharing a nice meal together, played with the dogs, and ate some homemade caldo.

We planted Bradford Pear trees. They are small right now but hopefully they will survive. The leaves turn in spring and fall from green to red to WHITE.

Thank you soooo much to everyone who helped. It would have taken us forever to finish.

New Kitchen

Well, I took the leap. I painted the cabinets white. When I originally painted the countertops, I chickened out on the cabinets. After 6 months of debate, I convinced myself to do it. The cabinets were orange-y and all the other wood in the house is dark wood I was scared that I would not be able to paint them correctly and they would look horrible and then I would be stuck with no doors on the cabinets.

I like the way it turned out. It seems much bigger and 10 times cleaner. Its come along way from Cow wallpaper borders and blue counter tops!

New Hobby

We have picked up a fun new hobby.

We picked up the dart board at Second Time Around over the summer. It has been sitting in the house waiting to be used. I finally took the initiative and put it up on our back porch. I realize that this is not the idea situation but I didn't want darts flying around in the house :)
Plus, it was a good excuse to clean up the porch.

We have played a few times and Neil is much better than me. There are a few different games:

Baseball?

hunting.

We don't really know the rules to any of them so if you know, share the wealth!

Happy fall!

Homecoming #1

The high school had their homecoming game this weekend. The week is filled with events from a parade, to powder puff, to the game. Down here in Texas we have a tradition of giving out mums and garters for homecoming. I have no idea why! I do remember the excitement of getting one and I do still have all of them. But when people ask to explain, I barely have an answer.

For those of you in the other 49 states, a mum is like a big, gaudy corsage that you wear on your shirt for the game - not the dance! It's usually made with a few mum flowers surrounded by ribbon (like a prize ribbon around the edges) and it has lots and lots of ribbons hanging down. The fatter ribbons will have stickers that say the girl's name, the school, the year, "homecoming," etc. Usually "Love, Mom" or whoever made it or gave it. There are skinny ribbons with bells and megaphones and other doo-dads hanging off. Some mums are mammoth. Others are small and subduded. There is no explaining it, so here is an example.



Well, boys are not left out either. They receive a garter. You usually receive one from your date but can be given by friends or usually mothers. Well, I decided to give one to my date.

Neils first garter.....

He is so embarrassed. Oh well, go Lions!

New dining room

This was our dining area before.

Then we got the piano, and our high table and chairs no longer fit. Wanting more space and a better profile for the piano, we sold our table on craigslist and put the money toward a new one. Still, it was a bit of a spurge but it gets as small as 18 inches wide with both leaves down and gets up to regular size with the leaves up. Plus, It has red legs that match with our curtains and other decor. The matching chairs were 100 each!

They are beautiful but I just couldn't do it. So I bought a cheap set and painted them red. The piano bench can serve as seating for the other side. Its coming together pretty well.

Its coming together pretty well. A little bit eclectic but it works for us!

Just a little look into our new dining room.

Coming up....the new kitchen.

You are invited!

We have been waiting for fall since we moved in last fall. We want to line the driveway with trees, add some crype myrtles in the back and maybe add to the landscape around the house. Come join the fun if you can.

Learning from Neil

Marriage is a learning process but thats kinda the fun in it. Getting married, moving in together, moving, and getting new jobs is a lot of change in a year. But, in the one year, 3 months and 2 days that I have been married. I have learned a lot.

I have learned:

- to enjoy a LOST marathon

- some history

- to appreciate a good Jeopardy show

- how to conserve energy

- how to love and show your love for books.

I have been inspired by:

- his passion for social justice

- his never ending patience

- the fact that I have NEVER heard him talk bad about anyone!

- the power of prayer in a marriage.

- his unbelievable support of me in every way

and those are just the first five I could think of! I love when people ask "How is married life?" because I truly love it and I hope that it shows.

Man, I can't wait for more.

Homestead Heritage

School just started but we were both very grateful for a long weekend. It was fun and relaxing but by Monday, I had to go "do something". After some debate, I decided on a trip to homestead heritage. It is only ten minutes from the house but not too popular but I had heard about it from a professor so we headed out around 10:30am.

The idea of Homestead Heritage is educating on self sustainability and community. You can take a tour of the homestead. There are a few houses and barns that are for specific trades. The first one we went to was a gift store. Everything they sell is made on site. There was soap, furniture, quilts, jams and a whole bunch of stuff. There were some ladies working on a quilt. They STITICHED EVERY SINGLE STITCH BY HAND! That is way more patience than I would ever have. Of course, they were beautiful quilts.

We also visited the woodworking shop and the pottery barn. The pottery was beautiful. From start to finish, they do it all.

There was a grist mill that was really cool. It was really intricate and very involved.

There was a textile barn were they make towels and clothes and scarves and stuff.

I like these simple spools placed on top of the support beams like a piece of art.

Oh ya, I forgot to mention that we happened to be there on the 2nd busiest day. It was the annual Shorgum syrup festival! The busiest time is Thanksgiving weekend.

They had some samples of the syrup and they worked whole process. It looked something like this:

First, a few guys cut up sugar cane stalks and put them into this grinder.

Then, the horses walked around causing the grinder to grind. (as you can see, I am not well versed on the process)

One of the men caught the liquid portion in a small bucket and transfered it to this huge open oven where a bunch of women stirred it constantly. If it looks like its hot, thats because it is. It was about 95 degrees out and the stove was heated to about 250! Then they filled every jar!

There was music, homemade ice cream, a restaurant, farming, and BBQ. We even visited a restored barn that housed Washington's horses. It was taken down piece by piece and rebuilt on the farm. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun.

Hope you had a good weekend too. The next one is almost here already!

Dad and Megan are up for a football game this weekend....there will be pictures.

Its that time again -Football season!

We have been waiting so long for this one and we are expecting great things, maybe even a bowl game? Yesterday's, game ended well but also brought the biggest opening crowd out since 1965! The Baylor bug is spreading. Stay tuned for our progress.

Celebrate Dad

Its been awhile. Life has been so busy so I'll work backwards.

Lets go back to August 28th - Dad M's Birthday.

We celebrated in a way we had never celebrated before. We went to the river. Just us. That has NEVER happened before. Usually there are 20 or so people but it was nice to be in the company of just each other. We BBQed hotdogs and hamburgers, spent time in the water, and just talked. It was a great way to spend the day.

Since we are celebrating Dad in honor of his 52nd Birthday, here are 52 things my daddy taught me. -in no particular order-

1. to respect myself

2. how to throw a spiral

3. how to do a spin move (in 1st grade)

4. How to throw a behind-the-back pass

5. all things basketball

6. to appreciate Pistol Pete

7. to always pick the kids that get picked last, first

8. how to sip spaghetti

9. to forgive 70X7

10. how to build a closet

11. how to start a BBQ pit

12. to be confident

13. to want to support myself as an adult

14. how to dance to Tejano music

15. to appreciate my sister

16. The importance of family

17. to remember where I came from

18. how to drive standard

19. how to paint my bedroom walls

20. to lay tile

21. to respect elders

22. how to properly position the two pieces of bread on a a sandwich

23. to put ice in my milk

24. that Big Red and Barbacoa are perfect together - even for breakfast

25. how to jump start my car

26. How to jump start my car without jumper cables

27. how to check my oil

28. that chips in a sandwich are good for texture

29. how to change out a light fixture

30. how to camp

31. how to pitch a tent

32. how to roast marshmallows - i like to roast them but not eat them so i would do it for him

33. that the best restaurants are the "hole in the walls"

34. to try new things

35. my love for sports

36. all things basketball

37. that a hot tub or hot bath helps soreness

38. how to wrap an ankle

39. that I don't need to wear a lot of makeup

40. that going to college was not an option

41. that setting goals increases success

42. to wear a t-shirt over my bathing suit

43. how to go tubing

44. that girls can wear caps too

45. how to dunk an Oreo properly

46. to eat all my food

47. that you can modify anything

48. how to pop firecrackers at the ranch

49. not to settle

50. that we always came before his work

51. its okay to cry

52. how to show my kids that i love them

Of course, there are probably like 100 that i didn't mention but its never ending! Thanks for being a good daddy!

I love you - Happy belated blog birthday!