A Whole Lot of Christmas- Part 1

For some reason I can't make this picture go to the bottom so you will just have to imagine it is with the other one. :)


Jason and I had a fantastic Christmas this year, so much so that I need to break it up into a couple different posts. This year was our year to spend Christmas in Harlingen. Before we made the trip down South, we got together with Jason's Dad's side of the family to celebrate Christmas. We went to his grandma's house and had appetizers and fun catching up with everyone. Everyone went together to buy Grandma Bev a new tv so the boys busied themselves getting everything set up for her and teaching her how the new and improved tv operated. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera out for pictures. For the last several years, I have hunted with Norton (a good friend of our family) over the Christmas break. Jason had to work so I decided to fly down early so I could get my hunting fix. Usually the hunt consists of my dad and Norton shooting everything in site while I ride around in the Jeep and provide entertainment and good conversation. This year's hunt started out business as usual until we rounded a corner and saw a group of female nilgai standing about 150 yards away. Norton surprised me by asking if I wanted to shoot one. I quickly accepted, grabbed Norton's gun, and pulled the trigger. It had been several years since I shot anything, and I had an absolute blast. We had dinner at the camp that night and hunted the next morning before heading back into town. Thanks Norton for such a fun trip. I have so many cherished memories growing up hunting with my dad. I remember being just a little girl with my camo coveralls, red cowboy boots, and ratty ponytail having the best time of my life. I looked forward to those trips of spending such quality time with my dad. Although the hunting outfits have changed over the years, I still cherish getting to be a part of what my dad loves to do. I love that he instilled a love for the outdoors in me and has taught me so much over the years.

Happy 6 Month Anniversary

I am obviously a little behind in blogging since these pictures were taken in mid-December right after Jason and I had been married for 6 months, and we just passed the 7-month mark. It is hard to believe it has been that long. This year is flying by. I wanted to do something fun to celebrate our 6-month anniversary since you really can only get away with that on the first year so Jason and I decided to get away for the weekend to San Antonio. We drove down on Friday night after work and spent the weekend at the Westin La Cantera resort. The hotel was beautiful, and the service was amazing. Unfortunately, it was very cold so we didn't get to take advantage of the fabulous outdoor pools. We had a late dinner at one of the restaurants at the hotel and just relaxed. Saturday morning we woke up early, and Jason braved the 35ish degree, drizzly weather to play golf. Being the supportive wife that I am I even rode in the golf cart with him decked out with many, many layers and a huge blanket that I stayed snuggled under in the cart. The course really was pretty, and I enjoyed riding around despite the chilly weather. Since I braved the cold with Jason, he braved the La Cantera mall with me for a few hours that afternoon. Saturday evening we went out to dinner to enjoy some yummy Mexican food. It was a great weekend together and always exciting to get away every now and then. Enjoy a couple pics of Jason on the golf course below.

Westin La Cantera resort

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Last Friday (Dec. 4th), it SNOWED in Houston. I am sure for those who deal with this all winter, it is not very exciting, but for this South Texas girl I may as well have been a kid on Christmas. I was so excited and could not stop taking pictures because every time I looked outside I convinced myself it was snowing just a little harder. Below are some pics of our house in the snow.

Trees outside our front door.....the snow is starting to stick. :)

Me...very excited to be having my picture taken in the snow

Jason...not as excited about me taking his pic in the snow....haha

Yes...I did document the date on the top of our trash can. :) (My car was parked in the garage so it didn't have snow on the windows.

Our First Christmas Tree

I was so excited for Jason and I to put up our first Christmas tree. It was a fun thing for us to do together, and we have been loving having our house all decorated for Christmas. When Jason and I were dating, we decided that we would buy a Christmas ornament from the city of each place we traveled. In the last couple of years, we have accumulated quite a few. It is so much fun to think back on those trips and talk about the memories made while decorating the tree. I included some close-ups of a couple of the ornaments we have added to our collection. Apologies for the hundred of pics in this post (these are for you mom since you won't get to see our decorations).

Just Maui'd bought on our honeymoon

Our "Aloha" Santa and Seattle Space Needle

Chicago (Mom's 50th B-day trip)

Our First Christmas (given to us as a wedding gift)

Scarlet

Jason's dad entered one of his cars (Scarlet...a '67 Chavelle) into a car show at the convention center downtown during Thanksgiving weekend. On Saturday night, we went to look at all the cars and watch the awards show. It was kinda neat to see all of the different cars. I have never been a "car person" myself, but Jason and his dad love cars. So after marrying into their family, I have alot to learn. :) I really did enjoy myself, and am so impressed at the condition that all of these old cars are in. Jason's dad won third place in his division. Congratulations Howard!

Jason and his Dad

Turkey Trot and Happy Thanksgiving

Jason's sister Jenn talked me into starting our Thanksgiving day by running in the Turkey Trot this year. We decided that it would be good to help raise money for a good cause and burn a few calories before enjoying Thanksgiving lunch. We woke up early on a cool Thanksgiving morning and headed over to Uptown Park to start the race. We ran the 10K (6.2 miles) and felt really great after. The weather was perfect, and it was a fun thing to do together. Thanks Jenn for convincing me to get up early and run! After the race, we headed home to get ready and headed over to Jason's parents house for a late lunch. We enjoyed great food, football, and fantastic time with family. It was my first major holiday not spent with my family, and although I missed them tons the Mayeaux's made me feel right at home and part of their family. One piece of advice my mom always gave me was when choosing a husband was you are not only marrying the man but you are also marrying the family. I think that it was excellent advice, and I am truly blessed to have married in to such a fantastic family who loves each other, supports each other, and sees the value in spending time together. Jason and I have so much to be thankful for. In our busy lives sometimes it is easy to forget how much we have been blessed with. It is so nice to have a day set aside to think about all the things we have to be thankful for. We hope that each of you had a Happy Thanksgiving and had time to reflect on all of the blessings in your lives!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON

Me and the Birthday Boy

Yesterday (November 19th) Jason turned 29! His parents, his sister and her boyfriend (Jenn and Neal), Jason, and I all went to Chatters for dinner to celebrate. We enjoyed good food and had a great time hanging out. I surprised Jason with a round of golf at Pebble Beach and a night at the Inn at Spanish Bay. He was so surprised. I was really excited because I get so stressed trying to think of good gifts. I thought of this one several months ago and had the hardest time keeping it a secret. The surprise was well worth it. We are going to go together to Pebble Beach sometime in the late spring or early summer. We can hardly wait! Happy Birthday Jason. I love you!

Neal, Jenn, and Howard (Jason's Dad)

Deanna (Jason's Mom), Katie (Don't mind the glasses....I had a lasik consultation and can't wear my contacts for a few weeks), Jason