SO, anytime I tell people that Mark is a pilot they think it is soooo cooooool and do I get to fly wherever I want for free?????? And the answer is, yes, sometimes, on Wednesday and Fridays of odd months, when the sky is pink, and an empty seat on the plane.... I might make it on the flight I wanted to take as a non-rev (a non revenue ticket, meaning if there is an empty seat, and no one else needs it, they MIGHT give it to me...) otherwise known as stand by.
So, yes, I can get on most flights and go where I please, but these days it just isn't that easy. There aren't as many flights a day as their used to be before 9/11 and our economy went crashing down, meaning less open seats for people like me. I shouldn't complain because for the most part I have made flights I wanted to take. But then there are the times I haven't made it on...
Once I was trying to get on a flight to Houston to go on a trip with Mark to Tulsa Oklahoma (I think...). I spent around 6 hours sitting on the floor of the terminal waiting to get on ONE of the zillions of IAH flights that day, and never made it on. Got my bag, paid for my parking and went back home. Another time I flew to Houston to see my parents while Mark was working one weekend. We ALWAYS check the loads before I leave to ensure that it makes sense for me to go somewhere, to make sure the odds are in my favor for getting home. At midnight the night before, the flight that was only half booked at 9pm was now overbooked by like 12 people... no way I was going to make any flight that day. So guess what? I got to pay $200 to rent a car and drive home so I could be at work Monday! Yipee!!!
What have we learned here? Just because you have a pilot or airline worker in the family doesn't mean you can jet off all over the world on your own schedule at any time... It takes lots and lots of patience and a drive to REALLY want to get where you're going! (because sometimes you will find yourself waiting our 3 or 4 of 5 flight options to try and make it happen!)
It's not all bad though, this past Thanksgiving we flew into Newark, and somehow I got first class both ways (while my amazing husband sat back in coach!). We're hoping to go visit a friend in Arizona in January so hopefully that goes just as smoothly :)
All in all though Mark has a great job and he loves it! Most days :) I love that he has the job he always dreamed of having, and I also love that we're going to Vienna the day after Christmas because of perks of said job :)
December 14, 2011
Merry Christmas from my pilot!
Mark had his 6 month simulator test checky thingy (PT? don't know what that stands for...) today in St. Louis, he's trying to get home right now, should have been home by 2:30pm BUT that didn't happen. Bad weather, weight restrictions etc and he just kept getting kicked off :(. Fingers crossed he will be home by 9ish though!
This past weekend we went to Houston, Mark flew in from Memphis (ALPA meetings all week) and I drove down on Friday. We hung out with my parents and then went to a Christmas program with the parents and my brothers family Saturday night. Great fun all around! Mark wanted to get home since he had been away all week so we drove back after the show Saturday, getting in around 12am. I'm glad we came home though, I love sleeping in :) (we were bad and didn't go to church...). Side note that we also spent the weekend calling our friend Barry who had a date Saturday night and annoying him for details like 2 schoolgirls :), we're told the date went well!
We're going back to Houston for Christmas on the 23rd, and then we're off to Vienna on the 26th!!! This is my first time out of the country and I AM SO EXCITED! It will be a short trip, we get home on the 30th, but I am so excited to go to Austria! We are flying Austrian airlines so that should be fun too! I'll definitely post pictures when we're back. Going to Europe was on our bucket list before we start a family, so this is perfect! I have the entire week off after Christmas, and luckily Mark got the same week off! No Christmas presents for each other this year since we just received a million wedding gifts, so this is our Christmas present for each other :)
Our office moved last week to a brand new building, it is so much nicer! I have my own office, for now at least. It makes such a difference in my motivation each day and wanting to come to work. Below is my work world. After 5 years I finally got to hang my diploma, I feel so successful, LOL!
This is completely unrelated, kind of like the rest of this post... but I want a goat, a house goat. Tori Spelling and family have a goat that lives inside named Totes McGoat. I think that is so freakin awesome! Minkey wouldn't be happy with me, and a goat would probably eat my shoes but it would also be so cute!!!
December 4, 2011
Thanksgiving in NYC!
Mark and I have so much to be thankful for! Our amazing parents gave us a beautiful wedding and we are so grateful! We are also so lucky that we got to spend Thanksgiving with both of our parents this year! Mark and I had wanted to take my mom and Skip to New York and New Jersey as a thank you for the wedding! We talked about it a lot before the wedding and finally made it happen!
My mom grew up in New Jersey, about an hour North of where Mark's mom lives, so she was really excited to go back and visit! They were up there for our shower back in September, but it was so busy there wasn't much time to really have a vacation. We met my parents up in Newark on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, they ended up having all kinds of delays and didn't arrive until a few hours later then scheduled. We had plans to meet Mark's mom, Gary, Bob, Helene, and Mark's cousins and Goddaughter to chinese dinner. Everyone had been raving about how GOOD this Chinese food was so I had big expectation, and it didn't disappoint! It was so delicious!!!
We stayed in New Jersey for three nights. Wednesday morning we took a train into the city to see Mama Mia and walk around! I was so excited to take my mom to see the show, when Mark and I saw it last year I knew she had to see it. I grew up listening to ABBA and dancing in the living room for my mom! So it meant a lot to us to see it together. The show was amazing and just as great as last year with a lot of the same cast!
Thursday we woke up, got New Jersey Bagels!, and headed over to Mark's moms house for Thanksgiving day! After we got there we decided it would be a good time to drive over to Westfield to see my moms childhood house. She was SOOO excited to see her house she grew up in, and Mark was so sweet to drive us all over there! The house looked amazing and the neighborhood is so beautiful! I know it made her so happy to see it, we took lots of pictures! Once we got back, Ginny was finishing up the WONDERFUL Thanksgiving feast for us all! Alyssa, Mark's cousin came in from the city to join us. The food was delicious and the company was even better! It was such a wonderful thanksgiving with my new husband and our families!
Friday we packed up and took the train into the city again with our luggage and checked into our hotel there. We stayed near where we stayed last year and it was a great spot! We were pretty much able to walk everywhere. I love the city during the holidays, it so festive and I actually enjoy the cold weather. This year though it was actually warm, and I was kind of disappointed. It was colder in Austin while we were gone then NYC! We had a delicious dinner at an italian seafood restaurant, and then headed over to see the Radio City Rockettes! My mom had been many times as a kid, and Mark grew up going to the show with his mom, and Skip had never seen it! It was amazing and so magical! I love hearing and watching the kids during the show, it's so magical for them! After the show we went across the street to "Top of the Rock", its an elevator ride up to the top of Rockefeller Center, and it has the most amazing view. We stayed up there for awhile until the wind got to much but we got some great pictures!
Saturday morning we met my step sister Leigh Anne, who lives in NYC, for brunch along with Ginny and Gary. After we walked over to Macys to see the windows and catch a glimpse of Santa! It was nothing short of crazy there... and we left shortly after! We had a late flight on Saturday so afterwards we said our goodbyes and headed over to the airport.
We had an amazing trip with our families and I am so glad we will always have those special memories! I look forward to so many more holidays with our families! Shout out to my amazing husband who gave me the only first class seat left on the flight TO AND FROM NYC! He really is awesome and I love him so much!
And now pictures!!
My mom grew up in New Jersey, about an hour North of where Mark's mom lives, so she was really excited to go back and visit! They were up there for our shower back in September, but it was so busy there wasn't much time to really have a vacation. We met my parents up in Newark on Tuesday before Thanksgiving, they ended up having all kinds of delays and didn't arrive until a few hours later then scheduled. We had plans to meet Mark's mom, Gary, Bob, Helene, and Mark's cousins and Goddaughter to chinese dinner. Everyone had been raving about how GOOD this Chinese food was so I had big expectation, and it didn't disappoint! It was so delicious!!!
We stayed in New Jersey for three nights. Wednesday morning we took a train into the city to see Mama Mia and walk around! I was so excited to take my mom to see the show, when Mark and I saw it last year I knew she had to see it. I grew up listening to ABBA and dancing in the living room for my mom! So it meant a lot to us to see it together. The show was amazing and just as great as last year with a lot of the same cast!
Thursday we woke up, got New Jersey Bagels!, and headed over to Mark's moms house for Thanksgiving day! After we got there we decided it would be a good time to drive over to Westfield to see my moms childhood house. She was SOOO excited to see her house she grew up in, and Mark was so sweet to drive us all over there! The house looked amazing and the neighborhood is so beautiful! I know it made her so happy to see it, we took lots of pictures! Once we got back, Ginny was finishing up the WONDERFUL Thanksgiving feast for us all! Alyssa, Mark's cousin came in from the city to join us. The food was delicious and the company was even better! It was such a wonderful thanksgiving with my new husband and our families!
Friday we packed up and took the train into the city again with our luggage and checked into our hotel there. We stayed near where we stayed last year and it was a great spot! We were pretty much able to walk everywhere. I love the city during the holidays, it so festive and I actually enjoy the cold weather. This year though it was actually warm, and I was kind of disappointed. It was colder in Austin while we were gone then NYC! We had a delicious dinner at an italian seafood restaurant, and then headed over to see the Radio City Rockettes! My mom had been many times as a kid, and Mark grew up going to the show with his mom, and Skip had never seen it! It was amazing and so magical! I love hearing and watching the kids during the show, it's so magical for them! After the show we went across the street to "Top of the Rock", its an elevator ride up to the top of Rockefeller Center, and it has the most amazing view. We stayed up there for awhile until the wind got to much but we got some great pictures!
Saturday morning we met my step sister Leigh Anne, who lives in NYC, for brunch along with Ginny and Gary. After we walked over to Macys to see the windows and catch a glimpse of Santa! It was nothing short of crazy there... and we left shortly after! We had a late flight on Saturday so afterwards we said our goodbyes and headed over to the airport.
We had an amazing trip with our families and I am so glad we will always have those special memories! I look forward to so many more holidays with our families! Shout out to my amazing husband who gave me the only first class seat left on the flight TO AND FROM NYC! He really is awesome and I love him so much!
And now pictures!!
December 2, 2011
Bad blogger!! I know it's been a few weeks since I've posted, but we have just been so busy! A few weekends ago my moms best friend Malinn and her husband Sandy invited Mark and I to the A&M vs Kansas game. I hadn't been out to College Station since I graduated 5 years ago! It was so fun to go back and we have an awesome time at the game! I loved showing Mark where I went to college!
The Aggies won the game! We had a great time and I loved being back on my college campus! We were trying to beat the traffic out of town so we didn't drive around much. Mark did get to see my first apartment though! The city has changed so much, so many more apartment complexes and new roads. We were so grateful for Malinn and Sandy for inviting us!
November 18, 2011
AUS Airpot Tour
So Mark got home last night from working all week. He was supposed to be able to come home each night, but it was too much, so he decided to stay with my patents Tues and Weds nights. I was going to work from home so I could be with him for awhile but he informed me he had to go to a AUS Airport tour as part of his serving on the AUS airport council. So I tagged along~! (I also would like to point out that I got up at 6:30am to go workout before hand, pretty sure that's NEVER happened before!)
Two other people from the council were supposed to join us but didn't end up showing, so it was just Mark me and the tour guide! We got to drive around all of the taxi ways, which is crazy when planes are landing and taking off mere feet from you! We saw the fire plans they have stationed there for the next few months. Below is one of them:
Tonight I am going with my friend Leslie to the Junior League's Christmas Affair. It is a Christmas shopping bazaar they have at the Austin Palmer Event center. We went last year and they have a lot of really great stuff! I have to keep myself from buying all of the adorable little baby things!!! :) Speaking of that my brother and sis in law find out the sex of their baby next week! I'm rooting for a boy, need to balance things out!
After that Mark and I have a dinner pizza date and tomorrow we are going to the Texas A&M football game in College Station! Malinn and Sandy (my moms best friend and her husband) have season tickets, had 2 extra this game and invited us! We are so excited! I haven't been back since I graduated in 2007! (Technically 2006 was the last time I lived there since I moved to Austin, and only went back in May 07 for the grad ceremony!) I'll post pics of the game when we get home. Gig 'em Ags!
Two other people from the council were supposed to join us but didn't end up showing, so it was just Mark me and the tour guide! We got to drive around all of the taxi ways, which is crazy when planes are landing and taking off mere feet from you! We saw the fire plans they have stationed there for the next few months. Below is one of them:
We also got to go over to the Airport fire station and get a tour there. The fire trucks are quite different so they can get close and move around any fires/crash sites while still pumping water. (still can't figure out why my pictures are always sideways...)
The coolest part was going to the top of the control tower! This pic is on the deck they have around the top! We got to stay in there for awhile and listen to the dispatchers (or whatever they are called) talk to planes etc. it was really cool and a great view!
Tonight I am going with my friend Leslie to the Junior League's Christmas Affair. It is a Christmas shopping bazaar they have at the Austin Palmer Event center. We went last year and they have a lot of really great stuff! I have to keep myself from buying all of the adorable little baby things!!! :) Speaking of that my brother and sis in law find out the sex of their baby next week! I'm rooting for a boy, need to balance things out!
After that Mark and I have a dinner pizza date and tomorrow we are going to the Texas A&M football game in College Station! Malinn and Sandy (my moms best friend and her husband) have season tickets, had 2 extra this game and invited us! We are so excited! I haven't been back since I graduated in 2007! (Technically 2006 was the last time I lived there since I moved to Austin, and only went back in May 07 for the grad ceremony!) I'll post pics of the game when we get home. Gig 'em Ags!
November 15, 2011
Happy 1 Month Anniversary to my amazing husband!
Today marks one month of marriage for Mark and I! It has been the greatest month of my life, and I can't imagine my life without him! Unfortunately he had to leave at the crack of dawn to drive down to Houston. He is staying with my parents tonight and tomorrow night because the flight schedules are full back to Austin both nights! I'll miss him! :( I am sure we will celebrate this weekend though.
This weekend Mark and I are going to the Aggie football game! We are so excited that Malinn and Sandy invited us to go with them. I hate to admit this but I haven't been back to College Station since I graduated back in May 2007, and even then I had moved out of CS in December 2006, so its been almost 5 years! Crazy how time flies. The game is early, at 11am for TV air time, so we will need to get up super early to drive out there, but it will be worth it! Mark is really excited, he loves the Texas College Football atmosphere. I couldn't find any of my old Aggie shirts, and Mark wanted one too. I was in Old Navy a few weeks ago and they were selling them! Crazy huh? So we have adorable matching Aggie shirts. I'll post pics from the game afterwards!
I got a filling this morning on one of my back molars, it's almost 6 hours later and my mouth is STILL numb!!! I guess that's better then feeling the pain of them drilling a hole in my tooth...
Friday night I am going to the Junior League Christmas Affair with my friend Leslie. It is a huge Christmas market in DT Austin at one of the event centers. I went with her last year, and it took us hours to go through all of the booths! I'll have to try hard not to buy everything I want! Maybe a few Christmas presents for family members though!
I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures from the wedding.
This weekend Mark and I are going to the Aggie football game! We are so excited that Malinn and Sandy invited us to go with them. I hate to admit this but I haven't been back to College Station since I graduated back in May 2007, and even then I had moved out of CS in December 2006, so its been almost 5 years! Crazy how time flies. The game is early, at 11am for TV air time, so we will need to get up super early to drive out there, but it will be worth it! Mark is really excited, he loves the Texas College Football atmosphere. I couldn't find any of my old Aggie shirts, and Mark wanted one too. I was in Old Navy a few weeks ago and they were selling them! Crazy huh? So we have adorable matching Aggie shirts. I'll post pics from the game afterwards!
I got a filling this morning on one of my back molars, it's almost 6 hours later and my mouth is STILL numb!!! I guess that's better then feeling the pain of them drilling a hole in my tooth...
Friday night I am going to the Junior League Christmas Affair with my friend Leslie. It is a huge Christmas market in DT Austin at one of the event centers. I went with her last year, and it took us hours to go through all of the booths! I'll have to try hard not to buy everything I want! Maybe a few Christmas presents for family members though!
I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures from the wedding.
November 14, 2011
The baby is here!
Jenn and Brant's baby that is! Keegan Ross Oertli was born on Friday 11/11/11 at 9:28 PM, 6lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. He is so handsome!!! Jenn had a pretty easy labor but ended up having to have a C Section due to the baby not fitting like it should. All went well though and mommy, baby, and daddy are headed home from the hospital today! How cool is it that Keegan's birthday will always be 11/11/11! Hard to forget that one!
My ovaries are in overdrive after all that baby snuggling, his fuzzy soft head just kills me! But then he cries and I'm happy to hand him back over :) Today I held him for about 30 minutes, and now my arms are killing me! Apparently I need to do some serious arm workouts before I have a baby!
And now for pictures of the precious bundle of joy!
Mark and I had a pretty easy weekend. We visited Jenn, had date night on Saturday night at Sushi Zushi (our favorite!) and went to church followed by lunch with Ashley and Eric on Sunday. Church was a nice surprise yesterday though, we were walking in (a few minutes late...) and I heard a third day song and it sounded just like them. Well it WAS them! Crazy but they were in town doing another show that day and came by to do worship for us! It was so awesome!
November 8, 2011
Hodge Podge
Mark and I got a crock pot for a wedding gift a few weeks ago, and Sunday I finally busted it out! O M G.. the crock pot is my new favorite! I basically threw in whatever I could find, beans, corn etc, along with some chicken breast, and 6 hours later was the most amazing chicken, bean, corn, etc dish!! Mark loved it, I loved it, and Minkey wished she could eat it...
One of my BFFs Jenn is very very pregnant. She is due November 18!!! Being the total amazing friend and trooper that she is she was ever much involved in our wedding planning and ceremony as one of my brides maids! She was the most adorable pregnant brides maid I've ever seen! Anywho, she's pretty much ready to be over the whole pregnant thing by now and would very much like Keegan to make his appearance tonight :) She is having him over at Seaton Downtown, which so happens to be right down the street from our house! I keep reminding her how important it is that she notify me when she goes into labor, although there is a chance that I am so excited she might want to keep me away until after he gets here! The last newborn I held was my friend Angie's baby Jewel, so so tiny!!! Jewel is now over a year old and I need a newborn fix stat!!!
Mark is off to work tomorrow for the rest of the week, which works out well because I need to get my act together for the Jingle Bell Brunch thing at church I am helping with! There are vases to glitter and fabric to cut! I'll post pictures if me and Elexis's creation afterwards! I hope it turns out as well as we imagined it :)
One of my BFFs Jenn is very very pregnant. She is due November 18!!! Being the total amazing friend and trooper that she is she was ever much involved in our wedding planning and ceremony as one of my brides maids! She was the most adorable pregnant brides maid I've ever seen! Anywho, she's pretty much ready to be over the whole pregnant thing by now and would very much like Keegan to make his appearance tonight :) She is having him over at Seaton Downtown, which so happens to be right down the street from our house! I keep reminding her how important it is that she notify me when she goes into labor, although there is a chance that I am so excited she might want to keep me away until after he gets here! The last newborn I held was my friend Angie's baby Jewel, so so tiny!!! Jewel is now over a year old and I need a newborn fix stat!!!
Mark is off to work tomorrow for the rest of the week, which works out well because I need to get my act together for the Jingle Bell Brunch thing at church I am helping with! There are vases to glitter and fabric to cut! I'll post pictures if me and Elexis's creation afterwards! I hope it turns out as well as we imagined it :)
November 7, 2011
10 Reasons Why I Love My Husband
in no particular order:
1. Since we have been married I haven't had to take the trash out once!
2. He tells me he loves me about 1000 times a day
3. He loves everything I cook for him (or at least acts like it)
4. He makes the bed every day! (confession that I never make the bed!)
5. He cleans the bathroom, before we got married we divided up chores, I will do anything else but Mark always cleans the bathroom!
6. He is always honest with me
7. He watches my TV shows with me (and I think he secretly likes them all)
8. He loves every single ounce of me, the good and the bad
9. He brags about me to everyone, which I secretly love :)
10. He's hot... :)
to be continued...
1. Since we have been married I haven't had to take the trash out once!
2. He tells me he loves me about 1000 times a day
3. He loves everything I cook for him (or at least acts like it)
4. He makes the bed every day! (confession that I never make the bed!)
5. He cleans the bathroom, before we got married we divided up chores, I will do anything else but Mark always cleans the bathroom!
6. He is always honest with me
7. He watches my TV shows with me (and I think he secretly likes them all)
8. He loves every single ounce of me, the good and the bad
9. He brags about me to everyone, which I secretly love :)
10. He's hot... :)
to be continued...
November 5, 2011
So I wasn't able to post yesterday because our internet was out all day. Mark ended up making the flight to Austin from Houston! He got the last seat on the plane. I worked from home so we could hang out all day! We had lunch with my brother Eric and his wife Cate at Taco Deli, and I noticed I had bent a prong on my engagement ring so I made a trip over to Jarred to get that fixed!
We had our weekly date night! last night. Since we have been together, so for almost 14 months, we go on a date night every friday just the two of us. We try and leave our cell phones at home or in the car, and if we bring them with us we try not to get them out during dinner! I hope we continue to do this for a long time! Last night we went to Kobe hibachi grill. My favorite restaurant is Benihanna's, and a few weeks ago we drove by their location and noticed the sign was gone!!! Mark met the Vice President of the company this past weekend and asked him about the Austin location. Apparently the owner of the property was raising the rent so they left and aren't planning on opening another location in Austin! I am so sad. Kobe is good, but definitely not as good as Benihanna's! (Mark meets the most random people! I guess given his job always being on the road, he met this guy in the lobby of the hotel he was staying at in DFW).
It seems since the wedding all I want to do is organize and clean... everything seems messy and out of place! Mark and I went to Macy's last weekend and ordered our flatware and glasses off our registry that we didn't get, and they arrived yesterday! Five giant boxes worth! I spent this morning washing everything and re-organizing, making goodwill piles so everything would have a new home!
Not much on tap for today. We thought about going to this Scottish festival down by Lady Bird Lake, but that probably won't happen. I made delicious waffels for breakfast/lunch with my amazing waffle iron!
We have a list of errands to run as well. Mark is normally my errand runner during the week when he has those days off, but this week he wasn't home so we have to do everything on the weekend along with everyone else. Now I am going to snuggle on the couch with my awesome husband and watch some football, BTHO OU!!!
We had our weekly date night! last night. Since we have been together, so for almost 14 months, we go on a date night every friday just the two of us. We try and leave our cell phones at home or in the car, and if we bring them with us we try not to get them out during dinner! I hope we continue to do this for a long time! Last night we went to Kobe hibachi grill. My favorite restaurant is Benihanna's, and a few weeks ago we drove by their location and noticed the sign was gone!!! Mark met the Vice President of the company this past weekend and asked him about the Austin location. Apparently the owner of the property was raising the rent so they left and aren't planning on opening another location in Austin! I am so sad. Kobe is good, but definitely not as good as Benihanna's! (Mark meets the most random people! I guess given his job always being on the road, he met this guy in the lobby of the hotel he was staying at in DFW).
It seems since the wedding all I want to do is organize and clean... everything seems messy and out of place! Mark and I went to Macy's last weekend and ordered our flatware and glasses off our registry that we didn't get, and they arrived yesterday! Five giant boxes worth! I spent this morning washing everything and re-organizing, making goodwill piles so everything would have a new home!
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| (apparently Cascade complete packs don't get water spots off my NEW silverware!!!) |
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| Our new Fiesta glasses! (we're missing 1 set of the glasses below, they sent the wrong color so we need to exchange them) |
Not much on tap for today. We thought about going to this Scottish festival down by Lady Bird Lake, but that probably won't happen. I made delicious waffels for breakfast/lunch with my amazing waffle iron!
We have a list of errands to run as well. Mark is normally my errand runner during the week when he has those days off, but this week he wasn't home so we have to do everything on the weekend along with everyone else. Now I am going to snuggle on the couch with my awesome husband and watch some football, BTHO OU!!!
November 3, 2011
Married Life
So, Mark left for his first trip since we've been married this past Monday. He would be gone Mon-Fri which is unusual for him, normally his schedule allows him to work Sun-Tues or Weds or Mon-Thurs. We were sad to be apart but I think both secretly excited to get some alone time :) I was finally able to clean the apartment up after the wedding chaos! and get gifts put away in their new homes. Next on my to-do list is lots of thank you notes! I have a goal to finish them before the end of November. I think that's do-able... Up until the wedding I was very good about writing the notes as soon we we received a gift, but since we have been back from the honeymoon I just haven't had a chance to start!
With Mark flying all week I got a chance to catch up on my TV shows and hang out with some girlfriends as well. One of my BFFs Jenn is having a baby boy (Keegan!) this month, so we wanted to have one last girls dinner hang out night before he arrived! I am so excited for her and her husband Brant! I feel like Mark and I are entering baby season with all our friends. Most friends are married and are thinking about babies or having them! Right now the only baby in our minds is our 18 year old Siamese cat Minkey! (Sorry Ginny...) Tonight I got to catch up with a friend of mine who is on the Family Life Marriage Conference team with Mark and I. Elexis and I are in charge of decorating a table for our churches Jingle Bell Brunch next weekend. Its basically a craft fair/bizarre type thing where ladies come and shop and then brunch! I think we have a good theme in mind, hopefully we can execute it to match our ideas!
Mark should be home tomorrow. Originally he was supposed to be back in Austin around 11am, but now most of the flights from Houston to Austin are full, so alternate plans must be aranged. I guess thats the problem with not living in the city your based in! For the most part he doesn't have much trouble commuting to and from Houston, but there have been a few times he had to wake up around 2 or 3 am to drive to Houston so he could arrive by his "show" time for that day. I think he is going to try and fly into San Antonio tomorrow, and rent a car and drive home. I miss him so much and I can't wait to see my husband!!!
Tomorrow night is date night! Our second date night as a married couple :) We haven't picked out a place yet, I am in the mood to try something different. I was driving downtown last week and noticed a hole in the wall restaurant that only served chili! I thought that sounded so cool! We need to try it out soon, especially with the cool weather we're having in TX this week! (cool or cold weather for Texas is anything below 70 degrees) No plans for the rest of the weekend, just relax and watch football probably! If it were up to me I would put out the Christmas decorations already but Mark says it's too early :)
Happy almost Friday!
With Mark flying all week I got a chance to catch up on my TV shows and hang out with some girlfriends as well. One of my BFFs Jenn is having a baby boy (Keegan!) this month, so we wanted to have one last girls dinner hang out night before he arrived! I am so excited for her and her husband Brant! I feel like Mark and I are entering baby season with all our friends. Most friends are married and are thinking about babies or having them! Right now the only baby in our minds is our 18 year old Siamese cat Minkey! (Sorry Ginny...) Tonight I got to catch up with a friend of mine who is on the Family Life Marriage Conference team with Mark and I. Elexis and I are in charge of decorating a table for our churches Jingle Bell Brunch next weekend. Its basically a craft fair/bizarre type thing where ladies come and shop and then brunch! I think we have a good theme in mind, hopefully we can execute it to match our ideas!
Mark should be home tomorrow. Originally he was supposed to be back in Austin around 11am, but now most of the flights from Houston to Austin are full, so alternate plans must be aranged. I guess thats the problem with not living in the city your based in! For the most part he doesn't have much trouble commuting to and from Houston, but there have been a few times he had to wake up around 2 or 3 am to drive to Houston so he could arrive by his "show" time for that day. I think he is going to try and fly into San Antonio tomorrow, and rent a car and drive home. I miss him so much and I can't wait to see my husband!!!
Tomorrow night is date night! Our second date night as a married couple :) We haven't picked out a place yet, I am in the mood to try something different. I was driving downtown last week and noticed a hole in the wall restaurant that only served chili! I thought that sounded so cool! We need to try it out soon, especially with the cool weather we're having in TX this week! (cool or cold weather for Texas is anything below 70 degrees) No plans for the rest of the weekend, just relax and watch football probably! If it were up to me I would put out the Christmas decorations already but Mark says it's too early :)
Happy almost Friday!
October 15, 2011
October 15, 2011 is the day I married the man of my dreams!
The night before we had a wonderful rehearsal with our wedding party, parents, and close friends. The rehearsal dinner was at North by Northwest Brewery and Restaurant.
We said our goodbyes that night, and wouldn't see each other again until a little after 6pm the next day. We got back to our suite, and my step brother, his girlfriend, step sister, and BFFs Ashley and Jenn all stayed up to late hanging out and talking! We finally decided it would be a good idea to go to sleep around midnight, since tomorrow would probably be a big day...
After the ceremony and pictures, we headed over to the reception as husband and wife! The reception was at The Glass Oaks Ballroom at The Renaissance Hotel. The entire event was amazing, the food was delicious, the DJ (DJ Cecil!) was awesome, it was amazing to see everyone having such a great time! I got to surprise Mark with our first dance song. All along he wanted to dance to Taylor Swift, Today Was a Fairytale, and I told him no! Well I ended up changing it at the last minute and he was so excited! Everything was so perfect, from the flowers and food, to the cake and the company we had celebrating with us! About 80% of our guests came in from out of town to celebrate with us (Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Alaska, Colorado, California, and I am sure more!). We were so thankful that so many people took the time and effort it takes to travel to be with us on our wedding day.
The night before we had a wonderful rehearsal with our wedding party, parents, and close friends. The rehearsal dinner was at North by Northwest Brewery and Restaurant.
We said our goodbyes that night, and wouldn't see each other again until a little after 6pm the next day. We got back to our suite, and my step brother, his girlfriend, step sister, and BFFs Ashley and Jenn all stayed up to late hanging out and talking! We finally decided it would be a good idea to go to sleep around midnight, since tomorrow would probably be a big day...
Me and the girls woke up around 9 to get ready for our hair appointments. We all had our hair done at Jackson Ruiz salon in downtown Austin.
After everyones hair was made beautiful we came back to the hotel to do make up and for the girls to put their dresses on. We had the most amazing videography team, Crescent Video, that showed up at 3pm to start getting footage of us.
Then we headed to the church! In the meantime the guys were in Mark's suite watching football and getting ready themselves. We got to the church around 4:15pm (15 minutes late according to my detailed itinerary!) just in time for me to slip into my dress and start pictures. It actually took about 6 people and 3 tries to get my dress on the right way with all the accessories where they should be! I opened my wedding gift from my husband to be, a diamond necklace I had picked out many many months before at a jewelry shop in NJ! I was shocked he got that for me since we had a limit on how much we were going to spend on each other!!! It was so beautiful and of course I immediately put it on and wore it that day! I gave Mark an engraved money clip. I had a hard time trying to think of something special that would last forever, and remembered my mom gave my step dad a money clip on their wedding day. So I hope it is a tradition we can pass down to our children too!
The ceremony was at 6pm at the Smith Family Chapel, Riverbend Church (Me and Mark's new home church!). It was an amazing ceremony, officiated by my childhood pastor Dr. Harlan Betz. Harlan gave an incredible marriage challenge to Mark and I. We had a "sand ceremony" where Mark, myself, and Harlan each poured sand into one container, signifying Me and Mark coming together as one, with Jesus. It was really neat. My brother sang towards the end of the ceremony. He played the piano and sang This Kind of Love by Sister Hazel. It was truly incredible! I have waited so many years to have my brother sing at my wedding and I was so honored and touched to have him as an integral part of my wedding day. There wasn't a dry eye in the house and people still tell me how amazing he was!!!
After the ceremony and pictures, we headed over to the reception as husband and wife! The reception was at The Glass Oaks Ballroom at The Renaissance Hotel. The entire event was amazing, the food was delicious, the DJ (DJ Cecil!) was awesome, it was amazing to see everyone having such a great time! I got to surprise Mark with our first dance song. All along he wanted to dance to Taylor Swift, Today Was a Fairytale, and I told him no! Well I ended up changing it at the last minute and he was so excited! Everything was so perfect, from the flowers and food, to the cake and the company we had celebrating with us! About 80% of our guests came in from out of town to celebrate with us (Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Alaska, Colorado, California, and I am sure more!). We were so thankful that so many people took the time and effort it takes to travel to be with us on our wedding day.
Mark and I left there ceremony to a flurry of bubbles around 11pm. We had an EARLY flight the next morning, 6am, to Maui!!!
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