Vacation 2010

Well, Jason and I got back from a wonderful vacation late Sunday night and are getting back in the work routine.  It's so hard to go back after being gone and just having fun for a week.  Jason and I left Houston last Tuesday night after work (May 18th) and flew into San Francisco.  Our plane didn't land until 11pm Pacific time.  By the time we rented our car and drove to our hotel by the airport it was very late and needless to say we were ready to get in our cozies and go to sleep.  Much to my dismay, when we went to check in all the King-sized bed rooms were booked (I had reserved one months ago) so we had to settle for a room with 2 double beds (at least I got a discount).  Since it was just for Tuesday night, we decided it was fine.  I am not sure if it is because we are used to sleeping in a King-sized bed or if they make their beds extra small in California, but when we walked in and saw the beds we both looked at each other and said...we are sleeping in separate beds tonight.  haha  By the time we got in bed, we were so exhausted it didn't even matter.  We slept in a little the next morning, got our things together and hit the road.  We took the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) from San Francisco all the way down to Pebble Beach.  The drive was gorgeous.  We stopped and grabbed a hamburger at a brewery in some small town along the way and just enjoyed the scenery.  I honestly didn't know that part of California had so much agriculture.  We saw tons of fields growing strawberries, artichokes, cherry trees, etc.  It also seemed that they pick all of these by hand because we saw lots of people walking in the fields picking the produce and putting it in big boxes.  We also had a fairly comical thing (or at least we thought so) happen on the drive down.  We were at a stoplight in some town between San Francisco and Pebble Beach and pulled up next to this really old junker car that was literally spewing thick, gray, stinky smoke EVERYWHERE.  It seriously looked like this car was going to fall apart.  The next thing we knew this woman pulls up behind it in her little hybrid Prius (Obviously a California, protect the environment- kind of girl).  She proceeded to pull her car over to the shoulder so she would not have to sit in his cloud of smoke while giving him an array of dirty looks for polluting the area.  Every time this guy hit the gas, the smoke cloud just grew bigger and the car would sputter and her nose would crinkle up more and more.  This might be one of those "you had to be there" stories, but Jason and I were cracking up and kept laughing about it at random times throughout the trip.  We arrived in Pebble Beach around 3pm that afternoon and got checked in to our room at Spanish Bay.  The resort was gorgeous.  Our room was spectacular and even had it's own gas fireplace that made the place so cozy and relaxing.  Jason went to the chipping and putting green for an hour or so to hit balls, and I curled up in the chair by the fireplace and began reading my book that I brought.  I read "The Help" which I highly recommend.  I had been hearing alot of buzz about it and am so glad I decided to read it.  It is about black maids working for white families in Mississippi in the early 60's.  The book really opens your eyes to how things used to be less than 50 years and how so many things have changed for the better.  When Jason got back from hitting balls, we headed downstairs for a drink and dinner.  Spanish Bay has these great outdoor firepits with benches pulled up next to them on their patio.  We sat outside for a while next to the fire, had a glass of wine, and just enjoyed the sunset.  Each evening, a bagpiper plays.  He starts out down by the beach and walks up through the golf course and ends on the lawn right by the firepits.  It was so neat.  I really enjoyed listening to him.  After he finished playing, we headed inside and had dinner at Roy's, an Asian-fusion restaurant on the resort.  The food was great, and the view was even better.  It was a great first day of the trip.  More to come in the next post with much more pictures than writing...I promise.  Up next....golf at Pebble Beach.

 Picture of our room.  I was in love with the gas fireplace.  We felt very spoiled with turn-down service every night and this big cozy room.

Not a great picture because the sun was in Jason's eyes, but I wanted to show the fire pits they had on the back porch.  There were several of them spread all around the patio.

Bagpiper doing his thing.  Totally great.

View from the back patio of the Inn at Spanish Bay.

Looking the other way.

Harlingen Shower

Cody and Brittany had a great shower in Harlingen last Sunday afternoon (May 2nd) hosted by 8 of my parents' friends.  The shower was held at the Falls' house, and they had a great turnout.  People were so generous, and Brittany got so many fun things.  The shower ended around 4pm, and the boys came by and helped load all the gifts in the car so Britt, Cody, and I could get on the road back to Houston.  We left Harlingen around 5 and made is back to Houston Sunday night.  It was a super busy but great weekend.  I always love getting to go home and see my family and eat at my favorite Harlingen restaurants (aka..Pepe's) and go to church with my parents and hang out at their house.  It is always sad to leave, but I was glad to get home and see Jason.  :)  Thanks Mom and Dad for making the weekend so great.  I love ya'll.

 I got to meet sweet baby Clair at the shower.  She was only about 2 weeks old and was so tiny.  Congrats Sarah and Travis on your precious little girl.

Brittany with her mom and mine

Grandma and I joined the picture

Who Wakes Up At 5 AM For A Tan?

Last weekend (April 30th-May 2nd) Cody, Brittany, and I make the trek down to Harlingen for their wedding shower.  We got to Harlingen around midnight on Friday night after a drive that seemed like it would never end.  We all went straight to bed because we had big plans to fish Saturday morning (which in our house means waking up at 5am so you can go to Stripes, get a breakfast taco, drive to Port Mansfield, buy shrimp, and be on the water between 6:30-7:00am).  With bleary eyes, we boarded the boat and froze our butts off on the ride out to the East cut (otherwise known as my honey hole).  The weather was really strange that morning, and the sky was super dark.  Brittany and I did our share of complaining and made it known to the boys that we did not get up at 5am for just fishing and fellowship....we wanted some sun!!  We fished for several hours that morning with dark skies and no fish in the box.  It was looking like it was going to be a bummer of a trip.  We decided to stop and fish at one more place.  All of a sudden, the sun decided to come out, the fish decided they were hungry, and all was good in the world again.  We ended up catching 14 keeper trout and PLENTY of sun.  I really do love fishing.  I love being out on the water with the sun on your back and a big fish on your line.  I grew up fishing with my dad and have so many great memories.  I just wish I could make it down for often.  Enjoy some pictures from our trip.

 Brittany and I waiting for the sun to come out

Cale, Brittany, Cody, and I after a successful day of fishing

Dad and his kids

Kiam Crawfish

Last Sunday afternoon, our little complex of townhouses had a crawfish boil. Our neighbors Daniel and Monica organized the event and ordered 100 lbs of crawfish....yes 100 lbs. It was ridiculous. We all brought some sides, drinks, and our lawn chairs and just hung out on our common drive all afternoon. The boys cooked all day, and it seemed like we had an endless supply of crawfish. My parents were still in town for Brittany's shower so they got to hang out with us as well. We had such a great time just relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather.

 Everyone gathering around the table helping themselves to the crawfish.

Dad pouring out a finished batch.

Ice chest FULL of crawfish just waiting for a "hot bath".  We had 2 ice chests full.  Like I said...pretty ridiculous.

Daniel and Monica...thanks for organizing guys.  We had a blast!

Jason and his mom posing with the "Slap yo Mama" seasoning

Monica was a pro at peeling and eating the crawfish...such a true Louisiana girl.

Let Wedding Season Begin

Last Saturday (April 24th), I kicked off wedding season by hosting a bridal shower for my future sister-in-law, Miss Brittany Brown, at my home.  Our good family friend Patti Dorsett hosted the shower with me, and we had so much fun planning it.  I don't think my brother could have picked a more precious girl to marry, and I was so glad we got to celebrate with her.  We had a great turn-out at the shower.  Several of my aunts on my Dad's side of the family drove up as well as my Grandma and Mom.  Brittany's mom, grandma, and sister were also able to join us from San Antonio as well as several of Brittany's friends.  It was great getting to visit with everyone, and I was so thankful the shower turned out exactly as planned.

 The drink bar.  I got to use my crystal glasses that Jason and I received as wedding gifts.  We had lemonaid, wine, and white wine spritzers which were delicious.

Sign in/gift table

Patti and I made lots of yummy food to snack on during the shower.  I was really excited about how it all turned out.

Patti's marinated cheese.  I am just going to go out on a limb and say that this is the best cheese appetizer you will ever eat.  I am definitely obsessed.

 I made bright colored sugar cookies to match the invitations. 

Brittany with the hostesses (Patti and I)

Brittany with her mom and future mother-in-law

Kim, Shelby, and Aunt Sherry

Aunt Susan, Kirby (Britt's sister), and Denice (Britt's mom)

Mom, Aunt Ann, and Aunt Susan

Aunt Ann, Aunt Sherry, and Grandma signing the bride's book

Britt opening gifts.  She got so many fun goodies.

Shelby helped Brittany open all her gifts.  Aunt Sherry and Grandma got Brittany a blender.  Since it was being shipped, they wrapped up a bottle of tequila for her to open at the shower.  You can always count on those two for a good time!

GenOn

A few Sunday's ago, I awoke to see the following press release:

ATLANTA, GA and HOUSTON, TX – April 11, 2010 – Mirant Corporation (NYSE: MIR) and RRI Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI) announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to create GenOn Energy, which will be one of the largest independent power producers in the United States, with approximately 24,700 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity and a pro forma market capitalization of $3.1 billion. The transaction is structured as an all-stock, tax-free merger.

I knew that RRI had not been doing well financially, and that some kind of transaction was likely in their future but was surprised to hear the news nonetheless.  As I feel fairly confident that my job will not be effected as the two companies have decided to keep GenOn's headquarters in Houston, I know there will be alot of changes and many people's jobs will be in jeapordy.  The company has not given us too much information yet as they are still working out the details of how they will integrate the companies, but they have said that each individual should know about their job within 60 days of the announcement.  Most likely this will mean more work for our reporting group with extra filings and figuring out how to bring the two companies together once the transaction is complete.  I am looking forward to the learning opportunity and seeing what lies ahead for the new company.  In the meantime, they have instructed us to continue "business as usual."

Easter 2010

Jason and I decided to spend Easter weekend in Harlingen, and I am so glad we did.  It was the first time we had been to the Valley since Christmas.  Jason and I left Thursday night after work and stayed in Harlingen until Sunday afternoon.  We had a weekend packed full of fun.  We woke up early Friday morning and headed down to Laguna Vista to play the South Padre Island golf course.  Both my parents, Cale, and Jason played and I cheered them on and took pictures.  After golf, we had a late lunch at Pirate's Landing in Port Isabel before heading over to the beach for the afternoon.  I was really hoping for some sun, but it was a fairly overcast afternoon.  The boys enjoyed throwing the football and playing washers on the beach while my mom and I enjoyed reading and chatting in our chairs.  The day was perfect until we got back to Harlingen Friday night and realized that Jason's Iphone had been stolen at some point while at the beach.  :(  He had a good attitude about it though and didn't let it ruin our day.

Cale and Mom on the golf course

Cale and Dad strikin a pose

Jason sinks his put!!

Entertaining ourselves while waiting for a table at Pirate's Landing

On Saturday morning, Jason and my dad got up early again and went to play another golf course in Harlingen.  My mom and I hung out at the house and then headed to the AT&T store to buy Jason a new phone.  We met the boys at Pepe's for a yummy lunch (We just can't got to Harlingen without eating at Pepe's...yummm).  Saturday afternoon, we had the family over to our house to celebrate Easter.  We had BBQ chicken, several sides, and of course tons of dessert.  I must have eaten 10 of Grandma's famous Easter cookies and who knows how much of my dad's famous homemade vanilla ice cream.  :(  The kids all hunted Easter eggs after dinner and got to play Grandma's Easter game.  For years, she has put numbers in the eggs and then you get to draw out of basket full of bills for money.  Unfortunately for Jason and I, once you are married you no longer get to participate.  We tried to convince everyone we were separated for the weekend, but they didn't buy it.  haha  All the kids (including Cale) made out very well with their Easter money.

Dad making homemade ice cream for Saturday night

Cooper with his Easter basket.  It didn't take the kids long to get the hang of the egg hunting.

Tyler showing off a few of his eggs

I was nominated as the holder of the basket full of money.  Coop was a pro at drawing the bills.  I swear he pulled a $20 almost every time.  I think Travis and Sarah had talked strategy with him before they came over...haha

Cale...excited that he still gets to participate in the Easter egg hunt

Mom and Dad....aren't they cute!

Sunday morning, we woke up and headed to church to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  We enjoyed a great Easter service and then, unfortunately, had to make the drive back to Houston.  I was so excited to get to celebrate Easter with my family.  Thanks mom and dad for making the weekend so special.  I cherish all of the memories of holidays and all the time I get to spend with my family.  It is always bittersweet to have to go back home.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!!