making the most of every moment

christmas, austin style

2012-01-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

adam's parents with their 5 grandkids
santa visited summer at her grandparents' house and look what he left her!

the doctor kit was quite the hit...future doctors in the house?

it's never to early to start preparing for your career, right?

cheezin' it in front of adam's parents' house.

such a festive table setting.

complete with name tags. i love this how adam's mom used gift tags to make the place settings.

even the minnies had their lil table set

summer's place setting was an angel gift tag.

playing a guess who i am game. you can't quite see but the card that was on my forehead said, "i am money."

the next day the celebration continued with the 'lil doctors getting back to work.

4 generations of unnasch boys.

summer, mandy and adam's grandma.

the boys before they went back to houston.

christmas, seguin style

2012-01-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

this year, the raetzsches met at my aunt and uncle's newly remodeled house. it used to be our grandparents' house.

nice to have a new addition to the christmas crew. welcome, thad!

love how they remodeled it and kept the house in the family. i just heart this chandelier!

tommy (my dad's brother), beth (tommy's wife), kathy (my dad's sister), john (kathy's husband), my dad and my mom

the eggnog was EGGcellent.

los tamales y queso, muy deliciouso.

the former aggie gets a pig.

the pig was quite the popular pick in the chinese gift exchange.

the poor lil pig lost his sunglasses. i spy the culprit!

christmas morning.

looks like nancy will be ready to "toast" in the new year.

Happy Birthday Jesus...and Adam, too!

2011-12-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

first, we all took christmas card pics in the greenbelt area of our hood.

i wonder if i'll actually get these developed before christmas. maybe. and, bless his heart...adam had a bad cold and allergies that day.
adam's sister's clan.

'lil logen explorin'

the parental-in-law's

once a christmas baby, now a wise 31 year-old.

such a gift from God. oh, and you, too, adam!

i feel so privedged that santa's 'lil reindeer decided to stop by our tree!

summer's quite the 'lil dancer. summer now takes ballet/dance lessons. i said, "now, summer, do your ballerina pose" and this is what she did. so sweet.

we decided to start a holiday new hair trend. who needs bows, right, summer?

don't worry logen. of course we want you in the pic with us!

neighborhood pics with santa. summer even made a gift for santa but she forgot it at our house.

you can't have a visit from santa without a visit from the goats and...

pigs, of course! logen seemed to bond well with the piglet. he got right down to the piggie's level. so cute!

Kelly's Korner SHOW US YOUR LIFE: Holiday Home Tour

2011-12-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my home, fellow bloggers!

I love to decorate, as I am sure you are, too. However, I don't like to spend money on decorating! Fortunately, my husband and I were able to decorate most of our house with gifts from our wedding and gift cards from our wedding. Also, I am a teacher so I also use gift cards that I get from students. When I do shop for decor, I mostly get things from Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx.

The Tree. The only decor I bought this year was the "netting ribbon" (I have no idea what it's called) half off at Hobby Lobby. We bought our tree after Christmas last year on clearance using a gift card.
I added glitter to the wreath and garland a few days ago, although you can't really tell in the pic! Glitter makes it all better.

Ah, love my jars and filling them with ornaments and glittery pine cones.

I decided to take a few pics of my wrapping this year! I got fake berries from the Dollar Tree, aka a cheap girl's toyland, to put on top of gifts.

It's all about the polka dots, stripes and checkers this year.

Dining Room Decor. I love having names on place settings.

I found this centerpiece at my parent's house and asked my mom if I could use it because they never do. It works just fine!

I put our hand-me-down tree that was in our living room before in the dining room. It looks kind of plain but there was no reason to spend money on it expecially since it's not a main room.

Love switching out my ribbons seasonally! It's so fun.

The Kitchen. More polka dots and I think I may be going a little U overboard!

I just love decorating with little birds. The red tree with the button on the top is another find from the beloved Dollar Tree.

A little nitch with a Dollar Tree candle and of course a U and a little birdie!

I decided to put something festive in the bathroom.

Just put glitter inside a clear ornament (leftovers from a school craft) and silver ribbon inside a vase.

Decorating with what I've been given. A candle and some holiday soap from students in my class.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with friends and family!

'tis the season for engagements, falalalalalalalala

2011-12-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

adam and i went to two amazing engagement parties recently. both were for our cousins.

my cuz, amy, @ her engagement party w/the two happy hostesses.
the cute couple in front of the beautiful tree

the dessert table. how pretty and festive! lauren and jordan also had delish appetizers.

didn't remember to take a pic of us until the very end of the party, so not the best, but oh well.

lauren and jordan (the hosts) had amy and thad do a newlywed game! amy and thad had to answer questions about each other to see if they both answered the same. the questions were from the party guests. i think they answered every single question about each other correctly! it was so impressive and fun to watch!

we got to see banana (aka anna) and michael there.

amy's future bother-in-law and sister-in-law. i talked to them for quite a while and they seemed so nice!

loved all of lauren's decor.

guests were asked to write advance for the future wedded couple. and, the advice was really good!

then, guests got to take a quiz about the couple. the person who had the most correct answers won a prize! we had a great time at the labbe engagement party! way to go, lauren and jordan! can't wait for more wedding festivities with y'all!

another engagement party we went to recently was adam's cousin's engagement party. again, another picture perfect wedding party.

look at this gorgeous decor and that cake!

the adorable couple

mandy and luke. i loved mandy's dress!

me with the mother and father of the bride. look @ the pretty centerpiece!

every detail was thought of.

how cool is this? even the water bottles were personalized!

CoNgRaTs to the FaBuLoUs CoUpLeS! We are so happy for y'all! Such an exciting time!

Happy Frugal Fall Y'all

2011-11-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

Decorating on a dime (or so) for Fall.

I {heart} banners, so I just had to make a Fall one. I got scrapbook paper from the $1 section at Target, cut them into triangles and hung the triangles with ribbon I already had! Tah-dah!
I made a little framed leaf decoration using an old frame I already had and taping 2 leaves from the Dollar Tree to a black piece of paper.
I made a little U with a $2 paint-it-yourself U and $2 dry moss from Hobby Lobby.

I also made a "pearly pumpkin" to match the wreath. I used left over string of pearls from the wreath to make round pearly polka dots on the pumpkin. I ran out of the pearls before I was finished, but oh well!

Ah, I love Fall! I love decorating with Fall colors.

more dining room decor.

A parent gave me this cute little turkey a few years ago. Perfect centerpiece for the dining room!

One of my favorites of Fall is the owl. [There are owls on the ribbon, you just can't really see them!]

Even though it hasn't really felt like it, Happy Fall Y'all!

Hand-Me-Down Happy

2011-11-13T07:16:00.001-08:00

{please excuse the lack of color. i keep on wanting to paint but am avoiding it, hah}

everything in this room was free or we already had it. gosh, i love free things. this guest room has come together pretty well considering we never spent a pretty penny on it! heh.
for the other guest room, we used adam's sister's childhood bed along with the mirror that i had growing up.

i did spend a little on this guest room but not a lot. i kept expenses to a minimum. i bought the following few things for the room: the bedspread from burlington coat factory, a used $10 nightstand from a used furniture store that i paint white,

this shelf from walmart,
a pillow from tuesday morning,

and a pearly shade from garden ridge. the actual lamp is one that my parents weren't using anymore.

i was glad to put to use this picture that i had in my bedroom growing up.

A Trick-or-Treat Tag Along

2011-11-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

Adam and I were able to tag along with our niece and nephew as they went trick-or-treating.
It was oh-so-fun with this oh-so-cute one!

What a beauty!

And, here's another cutie!

Can't wait to see them again!

Fable Fest with Family

2011-11-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Fishin' for fun
Fishin' for Fall

Let's cruise around!

Could they get any cuter?

Cute as a 'lil pumpkin!

Me with the 'lil princess

Nice to be out in the Fallish weather

girls' night out for amy!

2011-09-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

my cuz, amy, turned the big 27. great reason for a girls' night out!
1st stop: tasty appetizers at amy's.

next up: mulberry's for dinner.

last stop: taco cows?!

happy birthday to my cousin & friend, abr! so fun to celebrate with you!

Raetzsch Summer Beach Trip 2011

2011-08-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

okay, people, we know texas beaches aren't world renowned for their beauty (let's be real), but i must say, the beach this year was nicer than we seen in 20 years. no seaweed washed ashore. no jellyfish floating around. the water--as clear as possible. so...

even i got in the texas beach water! haven't done that in at least 20 years! hah.

if you haven't yet, you should go enjoy the beach because it was quite nice.

there are sandy walks to go on and...

games to be played and...

soakin' up the sun to be done and...

memories to be made!

so, don't wait or hesitate. there's still time, go now! enjoy family time at your nearest texas beach.

it's SUMMERtime #3

2011-08-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

summer just turned 3! wow time flies when you're having fun! here are some pics from her party...

logan has a big heart!

time to eat, swim and be merry.

adam's a great uncle! i mean, look at him, hah.

the blue hole, no place for "the blues"

2011-08-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

adam went with his parents and his brother's family to the blue hole in wimberly. side note: i promise adam was really there, too; he just didn't make it in the pictures. bless his heart.
the super grandparents with 3 of their grandchildren.
what a pretty view! looks nice and cool...a break from the texas heat.
it's swimming time!
another pretty view with green grass and all!

boston posing.

aaron swinging into the water.

rylan floatin'.

appearantly, they jumped off the swing for hours.

oh, and i thought i might as well add a pic of me with the boys and summer. here we are playing restaurant in the playroom that adam's parents put together for their grandkids. how nice!

FOOTLOOSE and FANCY-FREE

2011-07-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

well, not exactly...i've been pretty busy between going to class everyday for almost 6 weeks (i'm getting my master reading teacher certification), going to physical therapy 3 times a week for chronic neck pain that started from a car accident five years ago and last but not least, getting hit 2 times in a week, this week! hah.
but, other than that, it's been a FOOTLOOSE and FANCY-FREE summer!

shady grovin' it.

SOCOollin' it at south congress cafe.
domainin' it. eating at north and listening to some lovely swingin' music.
A life without love is like a year without summer. ~Swedish Proverb
FOOTLOOSin' it at zilker park with kathy, john and alexander.

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. ~Sam Keen

lodgin' it with the parentals.

red's porchin' it w/anna v and mikey.

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker

4th of july weekend=fun w/friends

2011-07-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

on the weekend of the 4th, adam and i headed to mckinney to visit christina and her husband, jason.

we shopped in downtown mckinney. i LOVE downtown mckinney. almost all of the cafes in downtown mckinney have outside patios...so european, ah.

we also went to a baseball game at this really cute stadium.

we watched the game from a suite...we totally beat the heat!

christina and jason were the perfect hosts! thanks so much for having us!

the game ended with fireworks...so glad to see them because what's the 4th without fireworks? and in austin, fireworks cancelled because of the record heat.

my parents were out of town on the 4th, so we didn't get to do our traditional small-town 4th in seguin. we did end up meeting up with friends on lake travis for dinner though!

me, angie and anna banana

good-bye, 4th, 'til we see you next year!

ruidoso rendezvous, part 2

2011-07-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

the next day, adam and i took a drive to the white sands national park.

we had a lot of fun sliding on the sand!

king of the hill...

the sand was quite hot as it was 105 that day.

adam wanted to stop at a zoo in alamogordo. if you know me, you know that i don't get overly excited about animals. however, this zoo was different. it even excited me! it was a quiant, little zoo that's been open since 1892 and the animals were all very unique, most of them almost extinct.

we also had some intriguing stops along the way in the indian reservation that you drive through to get to white sands. we went to an indian museum run by the native apaches. i liked that the museum was reflective of the native americans' perspective.

a modern-day tipi that the apaches were staying in during a muliple day celebration.

day 3, we decided not to rush around so much. first, we went on a hike and had a picnic.

that afternoon, we went to the ruidoso downs horse rases.

i really didn't think i would be much of a fan especially because i am not at all a fan of gambling, but i must admit i had a really good time at the races. here i am "studying" the stats to pick what horse i wanted to put money on!

i loved when i actually "won" or picked the right horse! it only happened once though. heh.

day 4, we went on a hike again.

then, adam went back to the races while i walked around downtown ruidoso and "windowshopped."

he got some cool action shots of the race.

unfortunately, the national forest was closed while we were on our trip and most of the roads that are in the mountains are part of the forest. luckily, on the last day of our trip, we did find a road in the mountains that was still open to take a scenic drive on. good-bye ruidoso! 'til we meet again!

a ruidoso rendezvous, part 1

2011-06-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

adam and i took a short 'lil getaway to ruidoso, new mexico.
we drove there. not typically a huge fan of a long road trip but at least we got to our destination in a day! here was our little cabin in the woods.

we made it in time for a yummy dinner at a restaurant called landlocked.

the next day we starting our sightseeing.

we ate at a not-to-be-missed cafe called the village buttery.

i had quiche with green chile sauce which seemed very southwestern (that's why i picked it!).

we went to lincoln, new mexico. lincoln has been restored to what it looked like in the mid to late 1800s.

a 'lil church in lincoln.

this is an adobe house that a couple built and lived in during the early 1900s. it's amazing to me how the way people lived/live is so diverse! i think about the buildings that were built in europe hundreds of years before this adobe house. according to the lincoln museum, half of the world's population lives in a house built similar to the above home now! wow. not that's perspective.

that night, we went to a "pretend" old time, western town to see a fun western musical group.

it was so neat to go to this place because i had first seen the flying j wrangers when i was a little kid. it was just like i remember it being!

the group has been around for over thirty years. in a world full of changes, it's nice to know some things haven't changed.

with one of the original flying j wranglers.

AlOhA, sUmMeRtImE!

2011-06-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

i hosted our small group's first ever bunco this month. the theme: hAwAiIaN lUaU!

when guests first arrived they were given a "lei." you probably can't see but the sign on the plate says, "Hey, hey, have a LEI." hah.

we had a delicious hawaiian meal. the menu: grilled hawaiian chicken sandwiches on hawaiian sweet bread, coconut rice and fruit salad (mangos, kiwi, bananas and strawberries).

the sandwiches get their amazing flavor from teriyaki sauce and purple onions and grilled pineapples on top of the chicken.

your choice of different hawaiian punch flavors complete with an umbrella, of course!

homemade (and i didn't even burn them!) white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies.

let the games begin!

don't we look like we should be laying out on the beach somewhere sipping a fruity drink and relaxing?

we're more into the eating and social part of bunco...seeing as we only played 2 rounds. =)

the music: hawaiian and beachy. lauren was the d.j. of the night: she found hawaiian music on the internet for us to listen to!

can't wait 'til next month! i wonder what the theme will be?!

my student teacher

2011-06-17T03:55:00.000-07:00

this year was the first year i have had a student teacher. her name is amy and she's the same age as me. she was quite a natural. it was great having another person in my classroom that was just as passionate about teaching as i am.

lastnight, we got to catch up at the oasis. we had a great time. the guys seemed to hit it off, too.so, hopefully we will get together again soon.

at the end of her student teaching, amy gave me this very cute clip board she made herself (it has birds on it, which i love) and this cute monogrammed purse. i am crazy for anything monogrammed. it seems like we have similar tastes, too!

5 minute decorating, again

2011-06-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

so, i try to decorate my house with as much stuff that i already have as much as possible. i also try to make my decorating as personal as possible. after all, it is a home! you want your decorating to reflect happy memories and your personality and interests.
for a while, i collected little plates from the different countries i would go to. then, i stopped collecting them because i thought i would never do anything with the plates anyway. i wish i had a plate for each country i've been to but i have plates for about 1/2.
i had an open spot in our entryway, so here's where my 'lil plates come in...i got a little "keepsake" box for like less than $10 (it was in the clearance section) and simply hot glued the 'lil plates to the back
here's my $10 decoration for the hallway. personal. reflects my interests. brinks back good memories. it makes me giddy having a reminder of my adventures in travelling.

small group=BIG FUN

2011-06-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

our small group has been getting together a lot more the past few months for socials now that we have a "social director" aka kendi. it's awesome!
we have lots of fun together! this was a mexican food-themed night at julie's house (which is beautiful, i might add). thanks julie! dolores, aka "our barefoot contessa," made THE best tres leches cake ever.
here's the wonderful hostess and the "social director."

here's what we do best when we get together.

5 minute decorating

2011-06-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

once in a while, i like to pretend that i am crafty. this weekend was one of those "once in a whiles." i don't really have a wreath for this time of the year, so i decided to make one. i spent app. $10 at hobby lobby on the 3 things that i bought to decorate the wreath.

i wanted the 'lil wreath to reflect my style, simple and classy (or at least that's what i aim for, hah!). not crazy about the font style of the "U" but it was the only style that was the right size for the wreath.

here's the rug i recently added to the living room. i got it from the home goods store and luckily i had a gift card to help contribute to the rug payment! rugs can be expensive, but you can find some great deals on some great brands at home goods. this one is ralph lauren & i got it for a fraction of the original price!

look who's 1!

2011-06-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

'lil logen's growin'
sweet cousins & 2nd cousins
the family of four
big sis helping out
lots of family came into town for the big day!

bosten showed off his baseball moves...i think we have another pitcher in the family!

mother's day, the "lodge" way

2011-05-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

What is a mother?
It takes a mother's love to make a house a home--
A place to be remembered no matter where we roam.
It takes a mother's patience to bring a child up right
And her courage and her cheerfulness to make a dark day bright.
It takes a mother's thoughtfulness to mend the heart's deep hurts
And her skill and her endurance
to mend little socks and shirts.
It takes a mother's kindness to forgive us when we err,
To sympathize in trouble,
and to bow her head in prayer.
It takes a mother's wisdom to recognize our needs,
And to give us reassurance
by her loving words and deeds.
~Helen Steiner Rice
{Please note, the reason that my mom is wearing the same dress as on Easter was because I requested her to. I just love that dress but I didn't think about how on the blogs would be back to back. Hah!}

What a nice group pic! What's the difference between this pic and the next one? Hint: Tommy's quite the jokester.
Perfect day for The Lodge! Amy and Beth, mother and daughter.

an "egg"citing easter

2011-05-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

what a wonderful day of celebration! the celebration of new life, everlasting life.

adam and i are fortunate enough to get to celebrate such an important season with both sides of the family.

the traditional egg hunt with adam's family.

pure sweetness.

my mom and i before church.

i think we've found adam's "color." heh.

cruisin' and relaxin' at tommy and beth's dog & duck farm with my family.

too young for a driver's license, but that's okay...alexander gets to be in the driver's seat at the dog & duck!

and, of course, any good celebration involves good food! hah.

i {heart} love

2011-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

i {heart} get-to-gethers and small group gals.
i {heart} dollar tree cupcake decorations.
i {heart} this guy.

i {heart} lobster tail dipped in honey mustard sauce and wedge blue cheese salad.

i {heart} special occasions.

i {heart} my class's parents who are truly amazing and give us the opportunity to go to special places to celebrate special occasions.

a lil' surprise getaway

2011-02-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

adam booked a 'lil b&b near fredricksburg for us to stay at over the christmas break.

one of the most memorable parts of our 'lil trip was that at night, the b&b would have a fire going on the outside patio...another couple our age was also staying at the b&b. both nights, we'd meet at the fire and chat for hours. the girl was an elementary teacher, too!

the first day, we ate at a traditional german biergarten. it was perfect weather to sit outside! i, of course, had a traditional german dish but i forgot what it was called!

then, we walked around the town to see the lights at the town's square.

made by hand in germany. truly amazing!
so many of our christmas traditions here in the u.s. originated from germany, so it was neat to be in a "german" town around the holidays!
each level showed a different aspect of christmas. here are the 3 wise men. man, was this impressive!
loving the classy, traditional christmas decor! oh, how i hate tacky christmas decorations.
santa, baby...
the next day, we went to lbj's ranch/house/getaway. lbj was sure a fascinating person. from what it sounded like, he was very opinionated, blunt and knew exactly what he wanted.

lbj proposed to lady bird 1 day after they met! wow, that sure beats the 4 months that adam and i knew each other before we got engaged.

the visit made me so lucky to live in a country where someone can go to being a farmer's boy in a small texas town to...becoming the president! we are all so lucky. counting my lucky stars.

we ate at hondo's, in f-burg for lunch. such an ecsentric place! the owners are the kids of the man who "founded" luckenbauch, texas where "everybody is somebody."

after lunch, we went back to the b & b because it got really cold! for dinner, adam made italian frittata (because we were staying at "the italian place," heh). it was out-of-this-world!

these miniature mice were left for us in our room the last night of our stay. cheers to a much-needed getaway!

HaPpY hOlLiDaYs, pArT tWo

2011-02-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

the unnasches on christmas day.

take two.

boston cheezin' in austin.

the niece and nephew cruisin in uncle adam's new suitcase.

eventually, the pillow dress did find its' way to the right person! this time was a much better fit!

caden and his fancy, new bike from his grandparents.
adam's mom loves her grandkids.
rylan's ready to fish with his new fishin' pole.

a modern day, norman rockwall moment.

happy holiday, part 1

2011-01-15T06:41:00.000-08:00

christmas eve in seguin...

(P.S. I GUARANTEE YOU A FUNNY STORY AT THE END OF THIS POST)

Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will to men. Luke 2:14
One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney
Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.
Mary Ellen Chase

At Christmas, all roads lead home. ~Marjorie Holmes
Behold...I bring you good tidings of great joy. Luke 2:10

christmas morning...
(A TRUE STORY, NO JOKE)

i, somehow, put the wrong labels on multiple gifts. andrew ended up opening a wrapped present that had our baby nephew's clothes in it. then, ted opened up what was labeled as his present and it, too, was the wrong gift--gifts for our other nephews.
and for the grand finale of our little silly story, my dad opened up our two-year old niece's gift! next year, i definitely will label gifts right after i wrap them! hah.

countdown to christmas

2011-01-10T16:26:00.000-08:00

santa's cute reindeer.

mandy and logen.

eating smores and making memories.

the lighting of the christmas lights at adam's parents' house.

a winter sing-along (aka christmas carols) at the capitol. such a cool event.

turkish delight. we ate turkish food on congress ave.

and of course, a bike parade.

this guy was definitely "in" the holiday spirit.

happy birthday to adam. 30 years strong. thanks to adam's parents for having my family over to celebrate.

celebratin' at small group.

thanksgiving, florida style...better late than never

2011-01-08T16:19:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving day after church
a pelican in st. petersburg.
a pelican on my dad's head in st. petersburg.

we visited my dad's mom's brother there and ate seaside.

delicious traditional cuban cuisine.

ted singing karoake to prince.

happy birthday to grandma!

all partied out.
cheesin' for the camera.
grandma's birthday dinner at longhorn steakhouse.
it's shining bright in the sunshine state!
by the lake.
at the winery.
me and grandma.
cheers to having a lot to be thankful for!

my dad dancing to ted singing karoake.

2011, bring it on

2011-01-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

whether 2010 was your worst year, best year or something in between...
we all were given a brand new gift lastnight as the clock struck twelve: a new year to start afresh, to begin again. wow, what a wonderful gift!

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
T. S. Eliot

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.
Oprah Winfrey

(bless adam's heart, he was a trooper lastnight although his allergies were at their worst)

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
T. S. Eliot

a night to remember: christina's wedding

2010-12-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO JASON AND CHRISTINA! MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT TOGETHER!

christina's wedding was in november and oh my, was it one to remember! look at the beautiful, beaming bride.
everything was exquisite. every detail met and then some. look at these flowers! it was flowers galoure throughout the reception site.
we danced the night away.
family pic minus one. ted was in the wrong state to be included in the pic.
let them eat cake! i've never seen such a grand-sized cake before! and, ah, i love initials and greenery. dreamy. christina thought of EVERYTHING.

most of the wedding party. such a glamorous, regal affair.

"who, being loved, is poor?" oscar wilde

"grow old with me! the best is yet to be." robert browning

it's beginning to look A LOT like christmas...

2010-12-21T05:45:00.000-08:00

well, not really that much here in the ATX. it's going to hit 80 degrees today. regardless of the weather or what circumstances of life have come your way, HE is the reason for the season.

bringing us a message of hope.
bringing us a message of peace.
bringing us a message of joy.

bringing us a message of love.

what a great message to send us into a new year.

a message to not just remember the 25th of december.

but, one to carry us through the year.

each and everyday.

365 days a year.

that HE is always with us.

and brings us hope, peace, love and joy.

adam went to...

2010-11-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

the city where this statue is....

and before he left, he made me this poster. how sweet.

adam went to d.c. for an intelligence conference.

he loved getting to take in the sites and sounds of our country's history.

d.c. by day.

d.c. by night.

A "Sweet" Shower

2010-10-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

cowtown was a callin'! {for those of you who don't know...cowtown=fort worth}

the occasion: a bridal shower for christina
the location: sara's beautiful home!
the hostesses: me and sara! the time and date: an almost perfect but just a tad bit too hot, fall afternoon

food served: a variety of desserts including miniature creme brulees, miniature cheese cakes, blondies, and a fresh fruit.

guests grubbin'

guests smilin' and...

guests gabbin'

christina, her mom, her future mother-in-law and her future grandmother-in-law. it was great to meet some of jason's family!

everyone seemed to have a good time, so i would give the shower an A+. thanks so much, sara, for hosting it!!

what a gift to have friends like these.

autumn, i'm so FALLing for you

2010-10-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

finally, it's cooled down. time to enjoy the weather!

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

family, fall photos.

being able to enjoy the nice weather with the nice nephew and neice.

gammie with her grandkids smiling for the camera.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

hiking with my friend stephanie.

taking the scenic route on the river place nature trail

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

enjoying the view. mozart's on the lake...thank you, fall!

a girls' getaway before the big day!

2010-10-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

christina will soon be a mrs., so it was time to get the girls together and celebrate!

we (chris, me and some of the other bridesmaids) stayed the weekend in this oh-so-chic looking lake house with a million dollar view!
this oh-so-chic house just happens to be where my bridesmaids hosted my girls' weekend before my wedding. i was so glad to be back.

and let me just tell ya, the inside is just as tasteful as the outside.

we started the weekend with a delish meal prepared by leighann! thanks, leighann!! she was also the "event planner" of the weekend and all i can say is wow, you did a great job, leighann!

shawna and i. the weekend included but was not limited to the following activities: boating, movie time, and manis/pedis.

the gals pre-dinner.

dinner at the iquana grill. oh, and let me set the mood...dinner at sunset. =)

no matter the age, girls just want to have fun.

MercyMe - Bring The Rain

2010-08-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

ah, i finally figured out how to put videos on here! decided to put an uplifting song on here by mercy me. whether you are going through something difficult right now or not, it's still a great song to hear.

where in the world...were the unnasches?

2010-07-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

adam planned a surprise day for me today! here we are at one of our surprise locations.
is this france?

maybe italy?

any guesses yet? drumroll please...

it's driftwood, texas. the duchman/mandola winery and restaurant.

um, yeah, i felt like i had a little european getaway in less than an hour drive. how can you beat that? dreamy. it was complete with italian music playing on the patio.

listen, i don't even really drink, but who can resist this view and ambience?

i hadn't heard much about it but apparently other people have. it was quite the hotspot.

rewind to lunch. adam had lunch planned, too. we had a picnic here on lake travis less than 5 miles from our house.

i think i found a keeper!

FaMiLy FeStIvItIeS

2010-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

the nephews were in from houston and it was summer's 2nd birthday! here are some pics of the week.

sweet cousins.
what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. adam with summer at pump it up.

adam and caden boston and rylan bowling.

all but one! only logen's missing. he was probably sleeping when this pic was taken. heh.

a staycation with sara!

2010-07-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

oscar wilde was said, "laughter is not at all a bad beginning for friendship." sara and i met my freshman year of college, and literally were histerically laughing with each other the minute we met. still, to this day, i can always count on lots of fun and laughs with her. what a beautiful gift!

sara came to the ATX for a few days and had a blast hitting up the hotspots of austin. here we are at gloria's, a salvadoran/tex-mex restaurant.
i got a plate filled with salvadoran food...pupusa, yucca, and plantain. i give the meal 2 thumbs up!

"walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light." helen keller

mani and pedi time!

coffee @ sandra's bullock's walton's fancy and staple on west 6th. total class.

the blue dahlia on east 11th. uh, if you haven't been here before, you are TOTALLY missing out. to-die-for food. it's now one of my ultimate new austin favs.

"it isn't so much as what's on the table that matters as what's on the chairs." w.s. gilbert

from FAB to DRAB...living room identity crisis

2010-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

i finally decided to buy some fabric to make a scarf valance for the living room. my poor living room has been in desperation for some color and my husband won't let me paint the walls!

drum roll please...hah! here's the fabric which was used to make matching pillows.

but first, a walk through time. 1 year ago. ah, all red. i was desperately trying to use the red valance that came with the house because i didn't even think to get one made out of fabric. bor-ring!

6 months ago. i tried to buy different colored valances but the only ones i could find were all solids and no other color looked good with the white shutters and light-colored walls. so, instead, i tried to add some color by switching out a few pillows. still blah.
my aunt had the brilliant idea to just buy some fabric and make a valance or as she calls it a "swag" or "jabot." genius! why didn't i think of that a year ago? here's the end result.

the colors are fun and add some much needed color to the room!

1 year ago. a scrapbook through time...aw, the memories. =)

and now. not the best lighting but it works!
oh yeah, and i had to copy my friend ashley who has a vase like these with limes in it on her mantel! i just loved it so much i couldn't resist buying them for my mantel!

from DRAB to FAB: Part Deux...

2010-07-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

i bought these 2 fixer-upper queen ann chairs off craig's list.
then, i redid the chairs!

unscrew cushions.
sand chair frames.
spray paint chair frames 2Xs.
use a staple gun to staple on the fabric to the cushions.
screw the cushions back on to the chairs.

AND...

ta-da!

from DRAB to FAB..at least i hope!

2010-07-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

after a year in our house, i decided it was time to fix up our eating area!

before
AFTER

my aunt nancy made the pillow window seat. i LOVE it! thanks SO much, nancy!

our little pillow seat. i can't wait for someone to actually sit in it! ha.

small town, BIG 4TH

2010-07-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! ~Thomas Jefferson
seguin sure knows how to celebrate the 4th! our first stop: the parade.

If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace. ~Hamilton Fish

ah, i love my country and my family and seguin on the 4th! wonderful combination.

homemade ice cream. a family tradition.

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln

cranium. alexander knew exactly what stone henge was. impressive.

a couldn't-be-any-closer view of the colorful light show in the sky. perfect way to end a perfect day.

(lucky n love)^2

2010-06-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

adam and i got married 2 years ago.

so glad to have such a good partner to join me on the roller coaster of life.

to celebrate, we went to san antonio for the weekend.

adam booked a room at the st. anthony hotel. beautiful.

he made reservations at a top restaurant called bigas on the banks.

"the greatest science in the world, in heaven and on earth, is love." mother teresa

"love is the best medicine and there is more than enough to go around once you open your heart." julie marie
strolling on the river walk.
"to love is to receive a glimpse of heaven." karen sunde

"where there is great love, there are always miracles." willa cather

a man texting while on a carriage in downtown s.a. ha!

we also went to fiesta texas and rode all the rides without hardly any lines. oh-so-fun.

we ended the day with a jeremy camp concert.

perfect 'lil getaway to celebrate a special day.

SuMmEr, SuMmErTiMe

2010-06-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. ~Henry James

SHOW US YOUR LIFE @ Kelly's Korner: Proposal

2010-06-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO: adam and i met 4 months before the proposal on match and a week before the proposal we had ordered the engagement ring, already looked for reception sites and i had already found THE dress. hah! needless to say, i knew the proposal was going to happen soon. so...when adam said he wanted to go to the hill country near fredricksburg for a short stay, i knew what was coming.
that evening, we went to a cute, texasy restaurant. it was very quaint. i thought for sure it was going to happen at dinner. what a perfect place to get engaged! but, dinner had come and gone and still no ring. i really thought that if he was going to propose on our little trip, he would have done it at dinner. i left dinner disappointed and figured adam had planned the trip to throw me off.

that evening, we went back to our room and i thought, "well since today's not the day i might as well get comfortable and i put some comfy clothes on." adam told me to sit down with him on the couch to see something. he had made a scrapbook about every single date we had gone on. i couldn't believe it! i didn't know a guy would sit down and take the time to scrapbook! and, how did he do it? afterall, he had been working fulltime and getting his mba at night. when he wasn't at school or work, he was with me.

about half way through, adam started to get nervous. at this point, i realized today really was the day that i would be proposed to. adam kept on going through the rest of the scrapbook describing every detail...i was so antsy and was just thinking, "when is he going to ask me to marry him?" at the end of the scrapbook, he had a nice letter written to me about how the story of our lives together in the scrapbook was just the beginning and how he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with me and continue our story together. as they say, the rest is history. we had our dream wedding 5 months later and have been married for about 2 years. truthfully, the best decision i made was saying yes that night. i couldn't have asked for a better partner to join me on this rollercoaster called life. someone who is considerate, thoughtful, is family-oriented and has good values. so lucky-n-love.

SHOW US YOUR LIFE @ Kelly's Korner: China

2010-06-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

adam and i registered for both china and everyday ware for our wedding and we got both.
China: Lenox Murray Hill. our china pattern's really simple, so we can go casual or formal with it. a lot of brides don't register for china anymore but i am glad that we did because we use our china almost everytime we have guests over for dinner.

if you have a fairly large wedding, you may need more to register for. china is the perfect thing because there are so many diffrerent pieces you need to have a full set. plus, some wedding guests really like giving china as a wedding gift and want to give something traditional.

Everyday Ware: Target's Medallion Dinnerware. these are the dishes that we use everyday!

SHOW US YOUR LIFE @ Kelly's Korner: Favorite Things

2010-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

"when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when i'm feeling sad...i simply remember my favorite things...and then i don't feel so bad." the sound of music our christmas pic this year.
my side of the fam b.a. (before adam). in front of a taco bell sign, hah.

me and one of my besties, christina. i've known her since i entered this world 27 years ago...literally. i have a picture of when we 1st met--me a day old and christina a few months old.
adam and i at a wedding shower that my class threw for me in 2008.

these are a few of my favorite things...

my husband. let me tell ya...i am pretty lucky for getting such a good catch.
my parents. again, let me tell ya, i'm pretty lucky on this one, too. you don't get to choose who your parents are, but if i could have chosen, i would have picked the same ones.
spending time with family. of course, this includes our oh-so-cute niece and nephews.
spending time with friends. doing whatever.
teaching presh 5 year-olds!the most fun job ever. gosh, if you need a confidence booster, work with a bunch of 5 year-olds because they love to tell you how wonderful you are. it's totally my dream job (minus the fact that school starts at 7:30!).
trying new things. enough with the ordinary.
talking. it's probably my fav. thing to do of all time. esp. on the phone. talking to friends, talking to people i've never met before.
traveling. esp. out of the country. that way you can see how other people live or how people used to live a long time ago.
spring and fall. not too hot. not too cold. just right. oh, and nice and green outside!
meeting new people. and hearing their stories.

Welcome to the world, Logen Daniel Bess!

2010-05-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

adam's sister, mandy, had her second child on wednesday.

such a proud sister...
and a glowing mom!

the happy family.

logen's such a beautiful baby boy...

and a blessed bundle of joy!

~welcome to the family, ldb~

i like you a LATTE

2010-05-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

this week was teacher appreciation week. man, did it sure make me feel lucky. lucky to be at a school with super supportive parents and lucky to have a super supportive hubby.
on monday morning, i found this in my teacher box. it's a mug and it has the most clever saying on it: "thanks a latte for a grande year." (from the pta)

on tuesday morning, i found this poem on my driver's wheel. adam had printed out poems about teachers and there was a different one each day for the next 4 days in my car. so sweet!

each day, the pta picked something special for the kids to bring to school for their teacher. one day, each child brought a flower. this is how my bouquet turned out! not bad!

another day, each child brought in a homemade card. the cards made me smile! i love this one: "your awsome and i am to." hah! i agree.

i especially loved seeing the cards where you could tell the kids were totally sounding out on their own. precious and priceless.

and i loved seeing this message: "you are funny." i have so much fun with my class and try to make make them laugh. mission accomplished. heh.

MiKe'S LeDgE

2010-04-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

a couple of weekends ago, the skate park in seguin was re-opened and it was re-named mike's ledge in honor of my cousin, michael raetzsch.

unfortunately, it rained the day of the reopening...the skating competition was cancelled but the cutting ceremony still took place inside. there was a great show of support despite the weather.

michael's friends put together a touching video of michael doing what he loved most--skating. the video really highlighted michael's personality and brought smiles and tears to those watching. what a blessing to have such true friends.

mike's ledge is one of the things that will keep michael's memory alive.

thanks to my aunt and uncle, the seguin activity center and the seguin community for making this possible!

my aunt worked tirelessly in preparation of the big day. my aunt and uncle's positive attitude in being able to bring some good out of something tragic is such an inspiration. they will continue to work hard for michael's passion.

Claim Your Drink!

2010-04-12T09:16:00.001-07:00

chalkboard name tags so everyone can claim their drink!

ice skating and the laundry room

2010-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

i did a short little project today. i made a chalkboard for the laundry room. supplies: $1 tray from the dollar tree that i already had, $5 chalkboard spray paint, $1 ribbon, a glue gun and chalk.

wa-la! i also spray painted 2 crosses that i have had for at least 15 years. as you can see, one cross is bigger than the other, but hey, it was free. so, it works.

another view.

adam and i also attempted at going ice skating today. we were still smiling before we started.

it didn't last long though! ice skating just isn't for us. we tried the ice skating on the top of whole foods over the holidays and i thought that it must have been the cheap skates that whole foods had...

chaparrel's skates weren't any better. we were happy to be done!!

easter part 2

2010-04-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

after church.
i just love that adam will let me pick out his clothes to match mine! hah.

with adam's sweet grandma!

easter part 1: simply blue-tiful

2010-04-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

easter '10 @ the raetzsch ranch.
a day to celebrate...
with family.
the renewal of life.

just like the bluebonnets that are in full bloom this spring after a cold winter...

easter is a time to feel rejuvenated.

happy times

and happy memories.

happy hearts

and happy smiles.

enjoying the...

field of blue

happy easter to you!

BLESSED

2010-04-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

*ribs and angel food cake with family*
*carmelized salmon with orange and pineapple salsa over rice for my birthday dinner made by a really cute cook in my home*
*a surprise visit by adam at school with a dozen roses in hand*
*a class birthday "party" complete with a homemade barbie cake that a room mom made* one word sums it up:

BLESSED

*a blessed birthday*

more of a southern delight

2010-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

uh, thank you...thank you veeerrry much!...for stopping by to see part deux of our southern tour. 2nd stop: music city, nashville.

music row=6th street - the trash all on the ground, the homeless people and the eccentric people watching.

in many ways, a lot like austin. in many ways, the complete opposite of austin. a statue of billy graham. the prescence of churches are reflective of the city's strong christian roots that are still holding on tight.

the bluebird cafe. such a cool music venue where a lot of famous and not-so-famous songwriters like to test out their music. we got in and had the best seat in the house, a foot and a half away from brandon heath, a christian music singer that we hear a lot on the radio.

it was a very unique music experience with the musicians sitting in the middle of the intimate cafe taking turns playing songs in a circle. everyone is supposed to be silent as the musicians play. to top off our wonderful musical experience, i had fried green tomatoes for the first time ever and to say i liked them would be an understatement!

the next morning, we ate at the fried griddle, a place where you make your own pancakes. another "unique" experience. adam was intrigued; me not so much. i prefer someone else making my food if i am going out to eat and am paying to get it made! hah.

after our do-it-yourself breakfast, we went to a plantation, the bell meade plantation. at the belle meade, they bred race horses. a lot of the famous kentucky derby championship horses such as sea biscuit are descendents of a horse that was bred at the belle meade. because of the prestige of the belle meade thorough-breds, the plantation was untouched by the union army.

the belmont mansion, a house that the union army stationed themselves in while nashville was under the control of the union army.

we then took a duck tour of downtown nashville. quack. quack.

at the loveless cafe, voted #1 in america for southern comfort food and their biscuits are like no other. you won't go home hungry! i guarantee it!

on the last day of our trip we went to president andrew jackson's home. here is adam in front of the jackson's limosine carriage.

the hermitage. home of our country's 7th president, andrew jackson.

just chillaxing on the former president's former lawn.

andrew jackson was quite an interesting president. he founded the democratic party, was the 1st president to win both the electoral votes and the popular votes, and sided with the union although he was born a confederate, just to name a few.

ta-ta to tennessee hospitality! we hope to see you again!

conclusion: i recommend this georgia, tennessee trip to anyone who loves beautiful views and wants to learn more about our truly great country's past. i promise your pride in our country will be rejuvenated!

a southern delight

2010-03-21T17:54:00.001-07:00

for spring break, adam and i met up with my parents, brother, uncle (my mom's brother), my grandmother and her husband.
we first went to atlanta's aquarium. i didn't really think i would like it at all not being a huge fan of animals, but i loved it! the aquarium had the most unusual fish. they looked like creatures out of a sci-fi movie.

father-son love @ the world's largest aquarium.

i loved petting the sting rays! it brought back memories of when my family swam with the sting ray in the grand caymans. i remember when we swam with the sting rays, my dad had a special bond with the sting rays and here they are again together!

all of us except my mom! (and no, the baby isn't in the group! ha)

later that night, we went a mexican restaurant, voted #1 in atlanta.

yes, we went all the way to atlanta for more mexican food! hehe. actually, it was a really neat restaurant with lots of personality and i ate lobster tacos which i have never had before!

the next day, we ate...more. we ate at the "ok cafe"...which was more than a-okay! it was southern comfort food. we had sweet potato fries and corn bread with a lot of pieces of corn in it as appetizers and i had their squash casserole.

we went to the atlanta historical museum. there were exihits about the civil war, and the african-american civil rights movement. there was also an 1800s farmhouse and a pre-civil war mansion.

wednesday, we went to one of my favorite stops, the cnn headquarters. i have always been intriqued by the national news!here the gang is in the cnn food court. they wouldn't let us take pictures on the actual tour.

oh, how i love sunja gupta!

not pictured because of not being able to take cameras on the tour: i got to be the example reporter in front of the 40 people on our tour. i got to read the telepromptor and be "filmed." it was SO much fun!!

here's my nancy grace face.

and oh, how i love anderson cooper!

here's my uncle with one of the leading ladies on the hln network.

and here's andrew with her, too. who looks better with her??

next up: NASHVILLE

Review: The Past Month

2010-03-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

some of the fun things we've been up to in the past month...

making new friends from church. this is dolly and she's a kinder teacher, too! how perfect! she and her husband came over for dinner tonight. we ate a texas must, fajitas.
today, i went to a "stampin up" card party with adam's aunt. these were the cute favors we got just for showing up! ah, i love birds.

i made this card all by myself! it's a baby card that says "cute as a bug." LOVE it.

this was a favor box i made. the stampin up lady told us what to make. i'm not too fond of butterflies or purple favor boxes but i am still proud i was able to make it. heh.

an easter card that, again, i made almost all by myself! haha. most people know i don't have the best fine motor skills, so i was thrilled that i could actually make some crafts that look decent.

happy birthday to adam's mom!

what better way to celebrate than eating mexican and a lemon!

and our nephew's first birthday!

a couple other fun activities from the month: a visit to the cap city comedy club, adam going to baseball games and me getting together with friends.

last weekend, dolly and i ate lunch on the patio at santa rita and went shopping downtown. my cousin, amy, and i got together at the yummy el chile. if you haven't been to el chile, you need to. their salsa is to die for.

living room updates

2010-02-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

{please don't judge based on the quality of the new pictures. we got a new camera and hopefully, it's just because we don't have it on the right setting!}

before:

AFTER:

before:

AFTER:

before:

AFTER:

let it SNOW, let it SNOW, let it SNOW

2010-02-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

and it did!

it really did...even in front of our house!

in front of a neighbor's snowmen...
in front of the neighborhood...{on a side note, please disregard the dreadful purple pants i have on, i obviously was not thinking about how anyone else would be seeing these pictures!}
and we even made a miniature snowman!

i had never been in real snow before (well, except for when i was 2), so i didn't really know what to expect! not being a fan of cold weather, i was actually not at all excited for the snow thinking it would make me freeze, hah!

regardless of my lack of enthusiasm, i decided i probably should take the kids out for recess. afterall, it only happens every 20 years. i am glad to say that i actually enjoyed it and so did the kids...most of them!

hApPy HeArT dAy

2010-02-14T16:36:00.000-08:00

over at kelly's korner, the topic of "show us your life" for this week is: special valentine's days. this valentine's was definitely special to me!

happy valentine's day to you! we definitely had a great time thanks to adam.

adam set up a scavenger hunt throughout the house. here, i am holding one of the gifts, a reese's pieces. each stop had a special gift/message like "your car will be cleaned and vacuumed." adam was so creative how he set up the scavenger hunt!

the last message said to go to the dining room. when i walked in, there was a delicious meal that adam had worked on all day. a traditional czech dinner complete with czech music. roast and dumplings. yum, yum. adam knows i love learning about different cultures and i love trying different foods, so it was perfect! why czech? we just got a czech cook book from his aunt and adam's mom's side is czech.

my gift to adam--a verse a day until march.

after dinner, we went to the movies. we saw valentine's day.

here's one more festive pic for the day! a picture of my classroom.

i'm married to a hall of famer...that's right, folks!

2010-02-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

adam played college baseball at concordia. his team just got inducted to concordia's first ever, athletic hall of fame. it was such a fun gathering at the oasis.

adam's parents went, too. they're two proud parents.

here is his coach from the good ole' days, coach gardner. adam's a big fan of him.

the whole team on stage getting pictures taken by the "paparrazi"...well, mostly parents, but there were a few news stations there and adam was actually on one of the newsclips!

adam walking across stage to get his plaque. adam was a pitcher. his team won the american southwest conference and still is the only team from texas to make it to the ncaa division 3 college world series! pretty cool, huh?

adam catching up with baseball buddies. not too shabby of a back drop, is it?

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S

A-D-A-M!!!

welcome 2010...birthdays, birthdays and more birthdays

2010-01-24T19:50:00.000-08:00

we celebrated the new year @ adam's aunt's house. it's a tradition for the girls to play bingo. prizes were included!

summer welcoming 2010.

anna and i ate carlos santana's restaurant maria maria, named after his song "maria maria." this place is a must if you like a fun ambience, live music and modern decor.

to-die-for duck enchiladas @ maria maria

the birthday boy. we celebrated my dad's birthday @ the beginning of the month.

adam, my mom, my dad and i made the birthday dinner which included the tasty wedge salad with homemade blue cheese dressing.

H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y

apparently, some people can sleep anywhere?

next up was adam's dad's birthday. it was nice to have caden and rylan in town for the celebration!

even summer made a picture for her grandpa.

can i have a piece?

last but not least birthday of the month--mom! we ate @ clear springs. i recommend it if you're craving greasy, fried seafood and are in the new braunfels area!

i don't know who these people are? hah.

nance and ted

dad, kathy and john.

mom, can you blow out all of those candles on your cake now?

we played cranium. my first time to play and can't wait to play again.

Christmas Austin Style

2009-12-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

after our raetzsch christmas, we headed to have a unnasch christmas in austin. first up: adam's parents' house and cute kids.
ah, it's our nephew, boston, in a doggie bed! he looks super cute anywhere!

lovin' summer's christmas dress! anything polkadot works for me.

adam's mom and i sportin' our scarves from adam's sister.

i ordered summer a pillow dress off of etsy.com. i should've gotten it monogrammed though!

caden has been talking to me about the places he has been learning about in school esp. rome and athens. so, i thought what better than to get him an atlas that has facts about places around the world! we might have a future jet-setter on our hands. right up my alley!

adam's grandparents and i. they couldn't be any nicer.

the good lookin' family of five. adam's brother's family.

four generations. wow.

we went to adam's aunt and uncle's house on the 27th to get together with them.

every year, adam's grandparents save their change in a jar. during christmas, everyone gets to guess how much is in the jar and the person who has the closest guess gets to keep the money! i just love traditions.

adam's aunt. quite the hostess!

adam's aunt made summer this apron (it has cupcakes all over it) to go with the kiddie kitchen she got for christmas!

i adore personalized anything--his aunt had place settings with our name and our name's meaning on it.

Christmas Seguin Style

2009-12-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

adam and i began our festivities with my side of the family in suburban seguin.
my cousin amy and i on christmas eve.

first, we went to church and then headed over to my aunt kathy's house.

we ate our traditional tamales with chile and queso. we had a very nice time but we were all missing michael.

we took our traditional cousin picture but we were missing an important person.

christmas morning came and did you know? santa still comes to visit when you're in your twenties, hah. {this pic was taken after we opened presents}

my aunt nancy needed a new stocking, so she got a HUGE one and wrote a little message for santa on it: insert tv here. too bad the note didn't work. better luck next year, nance!

nancy made us new stockings. i can tell these took a long time! thanks, NIYP!

here are some gifts that nancy wrapped. nancy has good tastes and crafty hands. ah, i just love stylishly wrapped gifts.

time to eat AGAIN. this time it's turkey. here i am feeling stuffed like a turkey.

we got gold crowns from our english christmas crackers.

here are the christmas crackers before we opened them. classy and simple gold and white.

cousin alejandro and kathy. i can tell that he loves getting to wear a paper crown with his football uniform!

alexander in one of his christmas gifts. he's got his football moves ready. now it's time to play ball!

next stop: austin with the unnasches

The Blind Side

2009-12-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

You have got to go see The Blind Side. It is a MUST SEE.

Watch this clip to hear more about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bzjOZrQnU0

a great beginning to christmas break

2009-12-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

i love the way adam did our outside lights. all white. my favorite.

adam in front of his gifts from me. christmas is such a good time to help him restock his wardrobe, hehe.

adam made an album of the past year. so sweet!

and he made this "brochure" asking me if i wanted to go to ruidoso or memphis for spring break. creative, huh?

we also had a visit from adam's aunt who lives out of town! she is so nice, so it was such a treat!

his grandmother came, too. we were so honored that she came all the way to see our new home!

enjoying the company.

here is what i decided to do with our christmas cards. i stuck them on a ribbon and then, tied a bow at the top. oh, how i love christmas cards with pictures on them!

it's party time!!

2009-12-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

adam and i had our small group christmas party at our house this week! we had a fun time planning for it. i made cupcakes and adam made delicious stuffed mushrooms and sausage balls. so sad we didn't get a pic of all of the food!
this is the children's area taken before the party! we had the kids decorate cupcakes, color christmas coloring pages and watch frosty the snowman. they seemed to have a really fun time and the activities kept them occupied! (you probably can't see but we covered the carpet entirely in plastic ahead of time, heh)

the adults had a great time socializing and getting to know each other better outside of regular small group.

here we are playing the white elephant game. it's normally not really my fav activity but it turned out being fun.

we had some good laughs.

and lots of smiles.

one of the white elephants gifts was this blue, stretchy shirt. if you hold it up, it looks like a baby size shirt, but that thing really does stretch! 3 of the guys had to try it on for kicks and man, were they stylin'!

here's our group leader, bob, sportin' the top.

this is us after everyone left. we were still all smiles after the party, so i would say it was a huge success!

Thirty Minus One

2009-12-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

the nester's christmas tour of homes

2009-12-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

welcome to our home! i just love decorating with red and gold.

i added some berries, the reindeer and the tree to make the shelves festive.

christmas tree, oh christmas tree. how lovely are your branches.

the dining room...set for company! i just love the gold leaves that i got at garden ridge to put around the candles.

i've fallen in love with these little birds.

the kitchen decor is mostly green and red. whimsical ornaments.

the kitchen table. i love "natural" winter decorations like pine cones, and berries.

and last, but not least, my tj max plates!

merry christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

our gingerbread village

2009-12-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

adam and i made our 2nd annual gingerbread house (actually this year...village) today.

adam is so precise he even used tweezers! totally opposite of me. what a good guy doing gingerbread houses with me for hours! haha.

all that was missing was "snow" so we used cotton balls for that!

SHOW US YOUR LIFE @ Kelly's Korner: Christmas Trees

2009-12-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

adam and i have had so much fun decorating our house for the first time for christmas!

i use a lot of reds and golds on the tree. i love the pine cones with gold glitter and the fake red berries!

another view of the tree!

our new tree skirt

a wedding gift. side note: sorry for the blurry pics! our good camera just broke.

one of the ornaments my class makes out of applesauce and cinnamon

a dollar tree treasure

an ornament from http://www.kittykeller.com/

in honor of Michael

2009-12-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

as most of you all know, i lost my 22 year-old cousin this summer. i cannot even imagine what it would be like to be in my aunt and uncle's shoes right now. yet, they are the ones bringing a positive light to the situation by honoring michael and helping others at the same time.

my aunt and uncle have opened up a christmas tree farm (they bought the land last spring) and the donations from it will go to support a scholarship for art students at the college michael went to, texas lutheran university.

a beautiful way to honor michael.

if you would like to pick out your very own live christmas tree while supporting the cause at the same time, go to the Duck and Dog Christmas Tree Farm at 310 Warncke Road in New Berlin (in between Seguin and San Antonio). Open every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas from 10-5.

Directions From Seguin: Go West on I-10 to exit 601 (FM 775). Turn left on FM 775 and go 8 miles to Warncke Road. Turn left and go 2/10 mile to the Duck and Dog on the left.

to me, the fact that michael's parents are honoring him during the christmas season brings true meaning to the spirit of christmas, the message of HOPE through christ's birth.

**********************************************************

(i have heard that people who don't have blogspot accounts are having a hard time posting comments. to post a comment: click on "comments" at the bottom of the post. Leave your comment, type in the "word verification" and then "choose an identity." the easiest "identity" to choose would be "anonymous." click "publish your comment." done!)

the tables are set...

2009-11-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

for some gobble, gobble!

my cousin, alexander. so cute! he was busy playing football in the yard.

adam and my dad getting thanksgiving lunch ready.

grandma and i.

uncle bob.

getting grub...after we were literally "stuffed" like a turkey, adam and i headed over to adam's parents' house in austin.

most of the group was really into the UT game. i decided to join the boys instead! here's rylan. he wrote about who he was thankful for and was able to sound out each word!

caden and rylan acted out the story of noah's ark as i read the story and created their own board game. so fun!

adam's parents and the grandkids.

Show Us Your Life @ Kelly's Korner: Christmas Traditions

2009-11-28T11:38:00.000-08:00

oh, how i love traditions, especially around christmas time! head on over to see other blogger's christmas traditions at www.kellyskornerblog.com . here are some of the traditions (some of them which we just started last year since that was our first year as a married couple at christmas) that i would like to do every year.

1. having christmas "crackers" at christmas lunch. this is a tradition we just started last year but that i really want to keep up! it's a british tradition. everyone gets to crack open their cracker which has a crown in it for you to wear and a surprise of some sort.

2. decorating a gingerbread house together. it's so fun and then you have a lovely decoration for your kitchen!

3. making ornaments. my fav way to make homemade ornaments is to make them out of cinnamon and apple sauce. all you do is mix the 2 together, lay it out like cookie dough (use a lot of floor), then use christmas cookie cutters to make different shapes. i make a whole for the using a straw. then you lay the "cookies" out for a day, flip them over and lay them out for another day. after they are dry, you glue glitter on to the ornaments. wa la! i do this every year with my students but i always make some for myself, too.
4. sending out christmas cards with our picture on it.
5. driving around and looking at christmas lights. i always did this in my hometown with my family growing up and now adam and i like to drive through traditional, older neighborhoods near downtown austin and also, drive through the funky areas like 37th street to see their unique decor. this also used to include the zilker trail of lights but i heard last year was the last year for the trail.

6. going to the lighting of the texas capitol's christmas tree. we went for the 1st time last year and had the best time! it is a huge (and even better, free) event! before the tree is lit, you sing christmas carols for about an hour with a huge crowd. after it's lit, there are performers all throughout congress ave to watch. a must-see event!

7. shopping with my dad right before christmas to get my mom's christmas gifts. i've done this since i was little and it's a tradition i hope to keep up.
8. of course, we always go to the christmas eve service, then all of the extended family gets together to eat tamales and open gifts. growing up, we opened our immediate family gifts christmas morning.