Rewind

Time flies. Anyone else agree?! Holy cow.

Anyway.

The last week or so has flown by. Work has been super busy, Kyle has been non existent at the house, and Tucker has started to protest me (I just can't play fetch like Kyle can!)

Here is a little of what has been going on our lately:

Black Birds. Or rather, "Grackles" as Texas calls them? They are migrating, and love to go in groups. This is not a group in my opinion, this is a MOB. They are noisy, poop on my car, and destroy the tree tops. Let's get the north warm again so they keep migrating!

A new pizza place I tried out with some friends while Kyle was out of town. Amazing! If you ever are in a city with one, for sure make a stop!

Meet Dan's new girlfriend, Lauren. She is super fun and even invited me to join her Book Club! Winner in my book.

One of my friends text me this photo and asked if I missed this! haha..what do you think?!

I had MLK day off and enjoyed it at home with Tucker. It was 75 degrees and beautiful out! Felt  like spring!

This was taken the same day. I sat out on the patio and just soaked up the sun.

 Since this past week or so has been so bitterly cold for the north, and we have dipped into the 80s (no lie) I saw my friend post this on Facebook and it made me stop and realize that maybe I would be willing to put up with the cold again someday!

"It's cold in Fargo, yes. But....we can let our cars run without being stolen, our state is defined with the word "nice" in it, many don't lock their door, our states murder rate is one of the lowest in the nation, we can get to the airport, through security and on the plane in 38 minutes and when having to use the restroom in a public facility we don't have to tie our purses to the back of the door or hold them in our laps. I'll take the cold weather..."

I cannot say ANY of that is true in here in South Texas. So...what would YOU pick?! I guess there is a pro and con to everything! 

p.s. can you believe it is almost February?! Crazy.

The One & Only: Buc-ee's

Buc-ee's was a name thrown around for a while down here before I stopped someone mid-conversation and asked what in the world it was. They stared at me like I was an Yankee  alien. It is a convenience store. A gas station.

...but not just ANY gas station.

Buc-ee's was founded in 1982 in Texas, and remains in Texas alone. The Buc-ee’s brand became known for providing quality products at reasonable prices and the cheapest ice anywhere (as well as the "best tasting ice" as Texans tell me). They are also very well known for their clean bathrooms. Their bathrooms are not like your average Casey's 3 stall bathroom. This place has ROOMS. Lights are green or red to tell you occupied or not, in addition to the handles telling you "occupied" or "vacant." Full doors, not just stall panels, seperate you and the outsiders. It's a little oasis...complete with pictures and art hanging on the walls (available for purchase!)

Another thing that makes Buc-ee's so unique, is that they do not allow 18-wheelers. Cars/SUV's only.
Think about that one!

So. Why am I talking about this glorified gas station so much? It's something you have to see to believe. The largest Buc-ee's to date opened about 20 minutes north of me just last year. It is the largest convenience store in the world at 67,000 square feet. (about 1 and a half football fields) The store features 60 fuel pumps (120 actual handles), 31 cash registers, 4 Icee machines, 80 pop dispensers, tubing and water gear for the Guadalupe River (HUGE pastime in the summer down here), and a farmer's market that features fruit and produce. I explored...and took pictures like a tourist just so you can see it, too!

The Buc-ee's brand is a Beaver.

HUGEEEEEEEE

An entire wall for all their own products. Everything from trail mix to beef jerky to peach-O's.

Icee Machines!

Large selection of Beer...and at a great price, too!

They have their own "meat market," deli, cafe, fudge shoppe, and bakery. You can order food like in a cafe and they make it for you while you wait (or shop).

Fresh cut brisket, ribs, chicken....just like any other Texas BBQ!

Don't forget all the Buc-ee's Souvenirs! They have EVERYTHING with that little beaver on it!

Bathrooms! The women's has 2 rooms like this, plus 2 other 'hallways' with stalls. SO clean no matter when I stop!

OH! And this particular Buc-ee's has a "Hunting Stuff" room. Camouflage clothes, hats, animal feed, stands, EVERYTHING. Just in case, you know, you need huntin' stuff.

 It really is a site to see. They have everything you can think of, and at a great price. Their gas is the cheapest in town, and people will drive for hundreds of miles just to visit Buc-ee's. Might be a site to see if you ever make it down south of the Texas border!

MN Activities

Kyle, Adam, Brayden, Tyler, my dad, and uncle all went Pheasant hunting over Christmas vacation again this year. It was bone-chilling cold, and I thought they were crazy to go out, but that didn't stop them. With a 9am hunt, they were able to get good time in around the fields, hunt and clean birds, and make it home for a nice nap before supper. We enjoyed a home-cooked fresh pheasant supper! It was delicious.

Good exercise...for the dogs AND the men! If you need a place for a hunt, they ALL recommended this place!

The girls kept busy while the men were out hunting. Our toes needed some serious winter-attention.

 

Both fun activities while home with family! Maybe a yearly tradition... ;)

Repeat Champs!

I'm sure you have heard by now. NDSU beat Sam Houston State this past weekend for the second FCS Championship title in a row! 2012 and 2013 champs! Kyle, Dan, his girlfiend, and I made the drive up to Frisco for the Bison activities. Such a fun weekend seeing 16,000 fans support the Bison from 1,200+ miles away. Such a great weekend with good ol' friends from the Midwest!

Waiting for the team to arrive. By the time they did, this crowd size had doubled. SO many fans!

Kyle and I tailgating in Frisco!

 

Lauren (Dan's girlfriend) and I get our pic with Thundar! NDSU did a great job at handing out posters,beads, pom-poms, and other fun game time stuff.

This made me laugh. Only ND/MN people would bring olives and pickles tailgating! (I did have a pickle with my beer and I had forgotten had good it tastes!)

Lauren even had "Bison Green" Nailpolish! Look for a new collegiate nailpolish line coming your way. *wink wink*

So. Many. Fans. They figured at least 16,000. I would say roughly 75% of the fans at the game were in green and yellow.

 

Fans storming the field. The after game turned into another pep-fest! So much Bison pride, it was awesome!

Such a great weekend in TX with the Bison fans! Can't wait for 2014 Championships! GO BISON!

Happy Holidays

I've been a bit wordy lately, so I'll just out a few pictures out there for this recap of the 2012 Holiday Season!

Kyle and I were in the Christmas spirit!

So. Much. FUN having all sisters back together again.

The family. LOVE.

Christmas at the Bruns'. I can't believe how big these kids are getting! As I look back, I realized we didn't get a family/brother pic! We got a nice one at Thanksgiving, though. 

Brayden, Lauren, and Chris!

Can you tell Tucker is a lover and not a hater? He would cuddle you to death!

  

We spent lots of time playing Candyland Disney Princess, Fishbowl, and Nerf guns with the uncles!

It was a wonderful Christmas. Makes me miss home looking back at these...but not the COLD weather!

New Year

It's that time, again. A new year. We all survived the "apocalypse of 2012," so now that you have, what are you doing to do in 2013?

2012 was an amazing year. Kyle and I were reflecting on it during our 20 hour drive home from MN. We have traveled, seen places/sports teams in TX, and enjoyed major events with friends and family. It also made me realize that we have been in the lovely state of TX for 3  years. I will never forget New Years Eve 2009 when Adam, Tyler, Kyle and I pulled into our rental house and unloaded that ginormous u-haul truck. It was sunny, 70 degrees, and we had no TV/Internet and had no idea where to go to celebrate the new year. I think we resorted to video games/movies and games.

So much has changed in 3 years.

It's still hard for me to believe I have lived this far away from friends and family for this long. At the same time, I can't believe it's already been 3 years!

I guess this post was more a reflection/ramblings post. It kind of has no point now that I think about it. I might as well list some goals for the new year!

2013:
- Travel to a certain state in the U.S. (that just happens to be a MAJOR bucket list item.) More to come on this vacation later :)
- Go to Houston and see the NASA space center, and maybe even the Twins play the Astros (now that they are in the American League!)
- Hike more trails around the Hill Country. There are amazing parks/places to hike; inexpensive and great physical activity
- Shoot my bow more. I loved doing that before I moved and definitely miss it (and the arms muscles that came with it!)
- Skype more with friends and family. There is no excuse! Technology is here for a reason.
- Incorporate more physical activity in our daily routine. No more coming home from work and plopping down and watching a movie. I would like to be more active; maybe take more walks with Tucker, rollerblade, anything! Just get up and DO something.
- Student Loans. This is a not-so-fun one, but currently my loans are split into 3 different vendors, 2 of which are a smaller amount. I would LOVE to get these two paid off by the end of the year!

I think that is enough...I like the "goal" setting rather than the resolution. I don't need a new year to change who I am, but it is a good chance to evaluate and make better goals for the next!

Hope you all had a great 2012 and are ready to take on the new 2013!

Happy New Year!