Final Four

Volleyball. My older sister played it. I did as well, and it continues to be my favorite sport (except in sand now!) My brother-in-law lives for the sport. My little sister, well, its pretty much her passion in life. She is in the process of haveing colleges recruiting her (what a process!) So when our High School volleyball coach told us the NCAA Division I Final Four Volleyball  was going to be in San Antonio this year, my lil sis Ashley and one of her friends from HS booked tickets and came down!

Thursday we watched the semi-finals and I had totally forgotten how amazing these athletes are in person. Holy they can play. And they make it look so EASY! First up was UCLA vs. Florida State. UCLA took them in 3 games. Next was Illinois vs. USC. This was the best game of the night. They both had GREAT fans, pep bands, all around the energy was great. It was a close game, neck and neck the entire time. I don't think a team ever had more than a 5 point lead during all 5 games! It came down to the fifth game, tied 9-9, and Illinois ended up pulling ahead for the win!

Saturday was the Championship game, but due to Kyle's work christmas party we had to miss it. Ashley and her friend met up with their volleyball coach and spent the day with her. They eneded up getting an Autographed sign from 2 time- Gold medal winner Kerri Walsh, and they met the players on the Under Armour National Team (4 of whom are signed to play with Stanford starting in 2012!)

So it was an excellent weekend full of volleyball! And, plus side, I saw my lil sis, and I get to see here again in just one short week!



Ashley & Remi outside the Alamodome



Me & the sis!



All of these girls are SO TALL. They could block the ball with thier face if they wanted to.



INSANE verticals. And ups. and Kills. Twice a girl got hit in the face at the 10 foot line! 

Here is Ashley and Remi (two tallest girls on the BLH vball team) with the tallest girl on the Under Armour team. 6 feet and some gazillion inches. She is signed with Stanford and is pretty much amazeballs.

Here is a short video of a play in the Illinios vs USC game. Bump, set, spike, block, point. Easy as that. Well, they make it look that easy anyway ;)

O Christmas Tree...

This was the first year as a married couple that Kyle and I were able to decorate for Christmas. Our first year in how many years neither of us are moving, (not even down the street...and certainly not across the country!) Christmas is my favorite holiday to decorate for and my college roommates and I used to go all out. We once had 3 trees in our living room! Anyway, this is the first year in OUR house, with only our decorations, which I have to admit is very slim. They will build up over the years but for now its pretty simple and happy with our Christmas tree. Take a look. What do you think? I think it is a wonderful first tree!

On my list for next  year? Make a tree skirt with my sewing machine (that I don't have...yet) ;)

Hope everyone is in the Holiday Spirit! If not, take a couple minutes to stop, breathe, and remember what this season is about. It's hard to forget with all the hussle and bussle of the Christmas Season. (I blame the retail giants). Anyway, Merry Christmas (a week early!)

Happy Birthday!

Kyle is officially 14 days younger than I am, so 2 weeks after I celebrated my 25th birthday it was Kyles turn! Friday, Dec 9 was his birthday. His mom had sent us a gift card to Lonestar Steakhouse for our birthdays, so we used that and went out to eat on Friday. After a short wait (and a glass of wine) we were seated.

The menu was amazing. Our meals were to die for. I had a sirloin steak with cedar-plank grilled shrimp. Kyle had a lobster stuffed fillet. It was the best steakhouse we have been to in a LONG time. Well worth it.

And then our waitress came around and asked if we wanted desert (even though we were stuffed from the delicious meal, I had to say something!) So I told her we were celebrating Kyle's birthday (At about this time Kyle looked at me with the "I hate you" look and rolled his eyes) HAHA. She came back with a chocolate fudge sundae, complete with a candle!

So, even though there was no "Happy Birthday" song or hundreds of people, it was a great way to celebrate turning a quarter of a century old...together :)

Here's the birthday boy!

Market Days & Hockey

This weekend we celebrated a friends birthday. We started Saturday morning by going up to Wimberley, TX for their market days. It reminded me of like your local craft show or like in Fargo when they close Broadway and have booths all over along downtown. But this was bigger. And more permanent. And....bigger.

You know that saying,  "everything's bigger in Texas?" Well I am beginning to think there is more truth to it than I orginally thought.

At this market days, it is always held the first weekend of every month, March through December. Ther are paved walkways, a place for dancing and live music, and BBQ stands for food to eat. People BUY their booth spaces and have permanent sheds/shacks/buildings in the spot. They fill it with anything and everything.

For example, there was a plant stand. A place to take pictures with Santa. An iron shed. A vintage poster place. Kettle corn. Homeade clothes. Outdoor patio sets and stepping stones. Kitchen sinks from Mexico. Literally anything and everything.

It was kind of a rainy morning but we went anyway. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea....

This is a MAP of the Market Days area. Huge.

One of the walkways. All the buildings and random things to buy



I just liked this sign :)

After Market Days we went back and went out to eat at a Mexican Resutraunt, enjoyed a couple margaritas then headed to the San Antonio Rampage Hockey game. The Rampage are minor league hockey team, kind of similar to the Fargo Force, or what used to be the Fargo Jets I guess. But a little bigger. Not sure if it a different class or just because it is located in a city with 2 million people, OR the fact that the Spurs aren't playing yet, there were a TON of people there.

It was located at the AT&T Center, the same place where they host the majority of concerts and the Rodeo in February. It was a lot of fun, especially since Dan's favorite sport is hockey, he explained things to us during the game. Check it out!

Rampage at the AT&T Center

The birthday girl, Kasi, and her husband Matt.



And here is a picture of my lovely husband and me. Such a swell guy ;)

 It was another fun weekend in TX! Hope everyone else enjoyed theirs as well :)

Happy Birthday

to me! Last Friday,  (think hard...way back to Black Friday) was my birthday!

I am officially 25 years old. A quarter of a century old young. I can't believe it! I remember sitting on the bus daydreaming with my BFF Stacy about where we were going to be when we were 25. And what we were doing to do. I had DREAMED of this birthday forever, because not only is it a landmark, but it was my GOLDEN birthday. I'm not too sure if people celebrate those anymore, poeple down here in Texas hadn't even heard the term "golden birthday" before. Weird, right?

Anyway, it was an awesome day...one that I could not have ever dreamt of. I stayed most of the day at home, with my husband, in our home. I am 25 and have a loving man, a beautiful roof over my head, a dog that loves me to no ends, and wonderful friends and family that sent cards, presents, wishes, and thoughts my way.

The ladies at my work had a small party for me at lunch, and one lady brought this amazing cake she made herself. It not only looks sweet, it tasted amazing as well!

Thanks to everyone for everything you do for me!

p.s. It was also my cousin Finleys birthday too! Although she was turning 2, not 25 ;)

So, on the day of celebrating 25 years, here I am with both Kyle and Tucker. Not sure what I would do without either of them :)

Thanksgiving Weekend

Kyle and I enjoyed a 4 day weekend at HOME. We were at home 95% of the time with Tucker and it was awesome.

Thanksgiving Day we made our first turkey. All 8 pounds of it. It was my first turkey and Kyle's first time carving a turkey! Overall, I think it turned out great and am happy for it being my first!

I know I didn't really need to post a picture of the bird, but I had to document it! ;) I set the table using a lot of our china and things we got from the wedding, overall I was very pleased at how it turned out! We had A LOT of leftovers, when we were finished it didn't even look like we had touched the food! But, I am totally OK with that, it means no cooking for a week for me! We did, however, finish up the pumpkin pie last night. It was the first pumpkin pie that I had made or even ate since my grandma passed away a few years ago. It was an emotional and very, very delicious pie!

On Friday we went and got some deals on outside Christmas lights and a tree! We spent the entire day putting up lights and listening to Christmas music. Kyle and I were both really in the Christmas mood, and we both LOVE our lights on our house. I think our neighbor was worried we outdid him...he put up his lights that night and had to go buy more even! Oops! Tucker was outside with us in the front yard the entire day as well. What do you think? I think they turned out excellent for our first time putting up Christmas lights!

Tucker did not like Kyle up on the roof. 

I have since added a wreath on the front door and candy canes on the window, but overall, this is it!

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with friends and family and enjoyed the rest of the Holiday weekend!

Happy Turkey Day

Just want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Kyle and I will be making a (smaller) thanksgiving meal this year. I've never made a turkey by myself, and never made a pumpkin pie without my grandma, so here goes nothing! If all else fails, we have Rudy's BBQ right down the road...

In addition to Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Kyle and I will be enjoying a weekend at home with Tucker. Yesterday Tucker underwent "boy surgery." Last night he was so groggy and loopy it looked like he was drunk! Hopefully with every pain pill we give him he will spring back a little each time. :) So besides taking down thanksgiving decorations and getting Christmas things together, we will be babying Tucker (even more so than usual!)

So, Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping to all Black Friday shoppers! (There were people already camping out at Best Buy here last night. CRAZY!!)

6th Street

This past weekend we had originally planned on going to the University of Texas Longhorns game versus the Kansas State Wildcats in Austin. Tyler was going to fly down and it was going to be like last year when he came down for a game, remember that blog post? Well, plans changed and he couldn't make it down at the last minute, so we decided to go anyway...and see the OTHER side of UT football in Austin.

We met a couple down here where his wife is from Kansas and an alum of K Sate. So back when we saw they were playing in Austin this year, we made plans to go. We got an early start for a 7pm game. 6th Street in Austin is like the "bar scene." It is literally bar after bar after bar, filled with college age kids and football fans (on game day). Since we had yet to experience that, we checked that off of our "TX Bucket List" this weekend.

Here are our friends. Stephanie is originally from Kansas, and Curtis from Austin. They live in San Antonio now and we have become good friends.

Our Friends Curtis & Stephanie

Like I said, we started the day early. Especially for our friend Dan, a HUGE Nebraska Huskers fan. And they just happened to be playing a huge game against Michigan. So we found the first bar that had College Football playing and ordered a tall beer. We had no idea just HOW tall it was. When the waitress came with them her shirt read "Home of the Big @$$ beer" Then I realized just how big they were...

So the day had started off great! After the Huskers game (which, sadly, they lost) we bar hopped along 6th Street. A ton of purple was floating around- it was fun to see. We went to mostly all roof-top bars because it was 70s-80s and gorgeous out. I pretty much love roof top bars and am very sad there are not more in San Antonio.

6th Street with the Frost Building in the upper left hand corner. It was super pretty lit up at night time

 Then we were walking and saw this sign...and could NOT pass it up! For only .50 more we could have Crown. Yes, please :)

We enjoyed our Crown on the roof top as well!

Then game time rolled around. Since Dan's girlfriend was in town (visiting from Fargo!) they found some discounted tickets and went to the game. Curtis, Steph, Kyle and I found a roof top bar with a huge projection screen to watch the game. After the game we went to a few more places before we CRASHED. The drive home the next morning was a little slow, but it was a super fun day. With Austin only being an hour away, I would love to go back and do it again!

The screen on the roof top bar.

Dan, Heather, me, Kyle, Stephanie, and Curtis on 6th Street. We stopped at a place for K State Alum and were outfitted with some purple

 

Wurstfest

You are probably thinking, "What in the world is Wurstfest?!" It's a 10-day festival full of German culture and food, plus Texas food as well. We went yesterday with some friends and had a BLAST. It also made me super anxious to go visit our friend in the REAL Germany!

Here is the sign to welcome us in!

We started off by getting some drink tickets. Can't eat sausage without beer! So we got our first pitcher of beer (3 people were sharing!). After that was taken cafe of we went to the huge building called the MarketPlace. It was basically an enormous building full of food and souvenir vendors. So many places to choose from, but we ended up getting a "sample stick" from the Smokehouse. 5 different types of sausage on a stick!

Our friend Dan. And one of our {many} pitchers of Shiner!

Kyle and I with our sausage on a stick!

The picture is blurry, I apologize, but it gives you an idea of the size of this "hall."

The picture above is where we ate, and there was a dance floor right in the middle. It was connected to the market shops, so it was packed. They had a polka contest there as well, which was super fun to watch. They had this one, a portable one set up outside a little bit smaller, and another air-conditioned dance hall built just last year. All three huge and all three packed. So many people out enjoying the German culture and the beautiful weather (it was a sunny 85º).

Here are some other pictures of the day. We met some super nice folks that were from WA state but living down here working. We also had fun people watching.

Lots of German options...food and drink!

The band. They were awesome! And fun to watch ;)

Doesn't this look appetizing?! One of the options to get your sausage on a stick!

Since it was hot out, and we were getting hot, we went into a bar/house close to the market building. It was a VERY cool place. A man that was originally from New Braunfels started collecting beer bottles at the age of 17 (somewhere around there). He collected bottles his entire life, no matter where he went, including overseas. He either filled up his suitcase, car, or shipped them back to his house. One time, he had no room for his wife so he flew his wife home and drove himself and the bottles back from CA! In the end he collected over 2,000 bottles; no 2 alike. He donated his entire collection to this bar where they put them up for display. It was really neat!



Overall I had a blast. It was fun seeing everyone dressed up in authentic German attire, watching polka dancing, and eating good food. It was fun hanging out with friends and experiencing something new! Here are a few more pics from the day:

People, inculding kids, were dressed up. So much fun.

I have no idea who these people are, I just thought they looked awesome so I asked if we could take a picture with them!





In the end, we had a GREAT day and did some damage with the pitchers of Shiner. Our friends: Kasi, Matt, Dan, Me and Kyle. Wurstfest 2011 was a success!

I can't wait for next year!

11.11.11

Happy Veterans Day, 2011! Anyone doing anything special?

Just wanted to send a very special THANK YOU to all the retired and active military people. They do awesome work for our country and I am very, very grateful.

My Dad and Grandpa are both veterans, and I am so thankful for both of them in my life!

And, in addition to it being Veterans Day, it is also November 11 of '11. At 11:11 am or pm today, what will you be doing? Anything special? If you follow the tradition, a wish is to be made on 11:11...hope its a good one! I'd tell you mine, but then it wouldn't come true :)