Our Second Anniversary Trip

Well, this weekend we planned a trip to Dallas for our 2nd anniversary :)  It was really fun!  We weren’t wrapped up in doing anything special; just getting away and having time together.  We decided to stay at the W Hotel Dallas.  Below are some pics of the hotel. (Click image for source)

The hotel is pretty, and the bathroom rain shower is awesome.  However, overall, we weren’t entirely pleased with the hotel.  We’ll be returning to our Hilton favorites :)

Saturday night, we just had a chill night and ate at Desperado’s on Greenville.  We did a little bit of shopping as well.  It also snowed a lot!!!  The picture below is a picture we took with our sunroof open as it was snowing :)

Sunday, we woke up, and look how much snow there was! If you see white, it was snow :)

We worked out at the fabulous fitness center at the W first on Sunday.  Then, we got ready as we were headed to surprise my friend Cynthia for her birthday!  Henry and I schemed with Mike to come in and surprise her.  We met them at La Duni for lunch.  I wish I had captured her reaction on film somehow because it was awesome.  She was SOOOOO excited and shocked.  I didn’t tell her, but people started looking as she being shreaking, hahaha!  It was really cute.  We went to their house and hung out a bit afterwards, too.  Later that night, Henry took me to the Old Warsaw for dinner.

Monday, we, again, worked out and got ready to check out and leave Dallas.  We decided to go to lunch at Twisted Root Burger Company after having seen it in the past on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  We then went and did a little more shopping for our anniversary present!  It was Henry’s idea that we get new bed sheets since the traditional second anniversary gift is cotton.  Isn’t he awesome?!  We decided on some Hotel Collection 800 thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets at Macy’s :)

Following our activities in Dallas, we also wanted to surprise our friend Courtney for her birthday!  We also schemed with Will to surprise her.  I finally remembered to get her reaction, so have a look at the video here.  Sorry…I’m not a good videographer.

I love the beginning when Henry says we are surprising ‘Corky’ because that’s what Courtney’s nieces and nephews call her :)  We went to dinner with them at Villa Montez.  After staying the night with them, Henry and I got up early and drove back to Houston.

Tuesday afternoon, we went to Bergamos Spa in Friendswood and got a couples massage.  It was awesome!

It was a great anniversary and we are so excited to have celebrated two wonderful years!

It's 2 Years Today!

It's baffling to us that this could really be our second year Anniversary.  My interactions take me back to Briscoe Manor at times and also allow me the opportunity to see those that helped us (Vendors and such), and I still can't believe that they were putting together our wedding a whole 2 years ago!  It doesn't seem real. 

First, have a look at where it all started.

Then enjoy some of the pics (er, the only pics) we have together from this 2nd year of marraige!


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Thanks to everyone for all that you have done for us in our marraige; the prayer, support and encouragement.  We both feel that we were so much more prepared for a life together than we ever realized!

Happy Birthday Courtney!

You were right!  I will never forget your birthday :)

Happy Birthday Cynthia!

Hope your day is as fabulous as you are!

Laura Beth and David are Married!

I'm not sure many people know about this, but since last June, I believe, I've been helping Laura Beth plan her wedding from time to time.  This weekend was the big weekend and what a fabulous weekend it was to have a wedding :)  The weather could not have been more ideal!  Henry and I didn't get to take many photos since he was a groomsman, and...well, I was all over the place ;)  Here's a little bit of what the two of us did capture.  It was a packed house!!


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
Venue: The parador
Caterer: Behind the Bash
Photographer (not of these pics though; the ones IN the photos): Monkey Tree Photography
Florist: Special Arrangements
Event Producer: Jason Garcia at LG Entertainers
Cakes: Cakes by Michelle

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hope you have a fabulous birthday!

Please wish my beautiful mother a Happy Birthday by leaving a comment below or posting on her wall on Facebook :)

Love you Mom!

House Items Done and Those On the List

It might come as no surprise that we have a list on our computer of the items we have done and plan to do to our home with estimates of cost as well as ranking of preference to what’s more important.  However, what might come as a surprise is that Henry made that list :)  Yes yes, I must boast for him!  For that reason, in addition to my blogging and photographing, I can really SEE just how much we have done here since we moved in just 4 months ago!  Not only is it a list of what we have done to the house but also a list of things we have purchased for a home.

So, here’s everything we have done:

1. Replaced light fixture in hallway with this one. Blogged about it here.
2. Dad and Henry cleaned up the back side of the house where the breaker box was (and made it very challenging for the Uverse people {snicker snicker}).  Blogged about it here.
3. Repaired the doorbell button at the front door.  It works!
4. Ordered the most fabulous washer and dryer ever!  Blogged about it here.
5. I painted like a mad woman all over the house.  Blogged about that here, here, here and here, but still haven’t showed all of it.
6. I sanded down the texture of the ceiling in the office and repainted the ceiling.  Blogged about it here.
7. Henry and Justin removed the old laundry room cabinets.
8. Henry repaired the sheetrock in the laundry room and did a FABULOUS job.
9. I painted the laundry room.
10. Henry installed new shelving that I purchased from Ikea.
11. Henry and Kevin installed the most fabulous washer and dryer ever!  Blogged about 7-11 here.
12. Henry repaired a hole he made in the ceiling.  Blogged about that here w/ a video ;)
13. Installed a new breakfast area light.  Blogged about it here.
14. Installed a new bedroom ceiling fan.  Blogged about that here.
15. Henry got a new weed eater :)
16. Installed a new entryway light.  Blogged about it here.
17. Had our curb address repainted (pics to come later).
18. Replaced circa 1971 garage door opener with hefty, sturdy, Craftsman 2010 garage door opener! (pics to come later)

I’d say that’s a pretty decent list of stuff!  Don’t you?  Well, the list is still pretty long of stuff we want to do, but I like that as it gives us something to work towards.  Currently, this is the problem that troubles us.

This is what happens when we get a GOOD HARD rain.  You can tell from the date on the photos when this rain occurred.  That week was nothing but rain, and that type of weather is not uncommon in Houston.  Thus, this isn’t going to be a rare problem.  Henry and I are currently working on a plan to fix this so that hopefully more than just 2 legged creatures can walk around back there ;)  We also hope to have trees trimmed as well.  After that, it’s the water heater and the oven.  Yep, the projects do get more expensive, but it should be worth it!

Kidney for Kendrick

Over the last 2 to 3 weeks, Henry and I have been working with the community group that we joined at Crossbridge Church.  This is, in fact, the same church that Carissa and Nick attend, for those that know them :)  We are currently seeing what God has for us, and we are considering two churches at this time.  Nonetheless, we are planning to be with this community group for the duration of the current bible study that the group is doing.  The church is really working towards trying to be better servants, thus community groups become those that facilitate that.  A member of the group found a great opportunity, and we put together a garage sale/bake sale/raffle for this young man, Kendrick, who is is in need of a kidney due to kidney failure.  Yes, of course I made something for the bake sale :)  I made these.
Last week, Henry and I pulled out all of those boxes we had marked GARAGE SALE over the past couple of moves that we had made.  I’d been waiting for a garage sale to happen so that I could get rid of this stuff, but both of us honestly thought we’d be at the community garage sale here in Westbury sitting at a table trying to get rid of it all.  I’m happy to say that we didn’t have to do that and were able to donate so much of our stuff to a much better cause than ourselves.

We were up and ready to go at 5:50am and unloading Stella by 7:15am at the garage sale location.  There were lots and lots of visitors, thank the Lord!  Granted, this picture is mostly just of us in the community group :) Just a little snapshot of Eden, Carissa, Trudy, Kimberly and me while I was breaking from directing traffic :),
As you can tell, Trudy was ready to collect the money! :)  Yes, I did say above that I was directing traffic.  Henry and I stood out in the street, (one on one side and one on the other) directing cars to the proper location since it was slightly confusing to find.  For somewhere between 2-3 hours total, I was like a cop directing traffic.  My arm defintely hurt the next morning, Haha!  It was fun though :)
Oh, and just for kicks, because she’s just so adorable, check out sweet Eden :)
Anyway, Henry and I were so thankful to come home and know that we had cleared out so much stuff from our house.  The most important thing though was that, as a group, were were able to raise so much money to help not only Kendrick’s family, but the family who is donating a kidney to Kendrick as well.  By the way, his donor happens to be his boss.

The New Entryway Light

It’s finally in!  The Entryway light, though ordered on December 22nd, came in last Friday :)  Last night, Henry installed it for me!  Remember what it looked like before?

Now, here’s the new light!

Henry and I realized part of the reason why we disliked the first light so much when we took it down; there was only one bulb in it.  Granted, that’s not the only reason, but we knew the amount of light was one of the reasons.  I feel like the new light fits in so much better with the door and the overall feel of the entryway.  Who knew an entryway could be so important, right?

So what do you think of the change?