Grease is the Word!

My little sister Kari was in her first theatrical production! She was in the chorus line for ECHS's production of Grease. This is one of my favorite musicals of all time so I was a little worried going into the theater...."Are these kids going to mangle my movie!?!" But they did a FANTASTIC job, and Kari was so pretty and bubbly when she was on stage. I was really proud of her. In the fist part of the play she was a girl, but in the second act she comes back dressed in boy's clothes. It was adorable...only her with her straight skinny legs could pull it off so awesomely! Enjoy the pictures!

The Great Turkey Day Migration!

For Thanksgiving Brad I decided to split our time between our two families. We both knew that this was going to be a momentous task since they live so far away, but we thought that we would try it this year. First, we went to Milam, TX. This is approximately 5 hours from our house if anyone was wondering. We arrived close to midnight on Wednesday evening. We spent Thanksgiving Day with my family, and we had a great time. A lot of my cousins were there this year, and we took pictures, played football, ate a lot of really GREAT food. Then Friday morning, I went with April and Michael to my favorite event of the year: BLACK FRIDAY SALES!!!! We divided and conquered, and I ended up buying a lot more stuff than I had previously planned. That's okay though because I am going to give a lot of it away for Christmas. Then after I got back to my grandma's house (we had to drive an hour and a half round trip to get to the nearest stores), we had lunch and got on the road. Next stop, Cedar Park, TX. We planned on staying Friday evening with Brad's grandparents at their house. It took us around 6 hours to get there, and man were we happy to see them! We had only been there an hour or so when it is decided that we need to head down to Burnet, TX to see his brother. That is another hour in the car! We finally made it there, and I was so happy to be out of the car! We hung out with them for a while, and we got to see Brad's mom. Then we took baby Christopher and went back to Cedar Park for the night. Then the next day, we went back to Burnet/Marble Falls to see everyone again. Sunday morning, we hung out at the Foster home and played with Christopher. We were sad when it was time to leave, but we knew that we had another three hours in the car! We finally made it back to EL Campo. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see our house. We had a lot of fun over the holidays, but I think next year we will just pick one place to visit!

Birthday Surprises!

This was one of the best birthdays I have had in a long time (maybe not quite as good as 21, but very close)! Brad made me breakfast before he left for work. The school was having a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast that morning so I got more goodies once I got to school. Then, when I got back to my room, my mom had brought me a dozen pink roses and a Happy Birthday Balloon! It was so sweet! Then at lunch time, Britt showed up with Pizza and a cookie cake. I knew that she was coming to eat with me, but I didn't know that Mom, Dad, and Brad were going to come too! We just had this feast of fun in my classroom. Brad also brought me a dozen cream colored roses and a CHEESECAKE (my favorite) when he came! All of my students were really nice all day telling me happy birthday as well. Then that night, I went out to eat at Los Cucos with Niesha (my birthday twin), Brad, Mom, Dad, Kari, Britt, Sharryn, Blayde, Kelley, and Kayla. We had so much fun...until the Employees came out with the Sombrero and whipped cream to sing happy birthday. Needless to say they got more of the whipped cream up my nose an in my mouth! Afterwards, Brad and I went back to Mom and Dad's house and I opened presents with them. They got me a lot of really nice clothes for work (I needed them so badly!!). It was an AWESOME DAY!! AND...I got a ton of text messages and Facebook wall posts from friends...and we all know it can't be a great birthday without Facebook!!

I got a job!

I got a job teaching high school English! I am really excited, and hopefully everything will go well! Brad and I are really excited because it feels like I have just been treading water since I graduated with nothing permanent to do....I AM READY FOR ROOTS! :) I will post details and pictures of my classroom later.

Hanging out in O-town!

We went to see my cousin Wendy last weekend in Overton! She is getting married on June 5, 2010 so it's getting close to the deadline for us to order bridesmaid dresses and such. Brad and I decided to make a weekend out of it and go up early...this was a good plan. When we got there we went to the opening of a new sports memorabilia store because there were going to be former Dallas Cowboys players there signing autographs according to the advertisement. This was trickery I tell you, trickery!! Poor Jason thought he was going to get autographs, but all he ended up getting were the awkward and pressured smiles of the store workers. The place was EMPTY when we got there...and we soon found out why. There was a former Cowboy's player there, but in order to get an autograph you had to buy his $25 biography. This purchase then authorized you to buy one of the six things they had for sale that you could get autographed. So pretty much you had to spend about $40-$60 dollars to get the autograph of a guy no one really cared about. So we just walked around the empty store (outnumbered 3 to 1 by employees) and tried not to make eye contact with the guy that we were supposed to be getting an autograph from...it was like he was telepathically saying, "Cheapskates, BUY MY BOOK!". After this we went to Chick Fil A where Jason told us about something called Fred Lobsters (a car race). Think Nascar but with cars that value under $1000. The purpose of this race is to drink a case of beer every 40 laps...there are 120 total so that is quite a lot of beer. We laughed so hard that by the end of lunch we were making plans to go to the next one in Feb. 2010. I will keep you posted on specific dates if you are interested! They had a birthday party for my cousin Josh that night, and then we baby sat little Micheal. Sunday we drove to Shreveport, LA and went to David's Bridal. We must have tried on every dress in that store, but ultimately we came back to the first dress that we tried on. It is really pretty. I will post pictures of some of the dresses that didn't work out quite as well! Anyway, Brad and I had a good time, and we can't wait to go back and see everyone!

Dustin and Christina's Wedding! 08-08-09

This was one of the prettiest weddings I have ever been to...the ceremony was at a beautiful church in Dallas....huge stained glass windows, 50 foot ceilings, and stone walls, etc. The place was beautiful. The preacher had a lot of funny things to say although I am not sure he was trying to be funny as much as we just thought the things he said were funny! The reception was located at Winfrey Point...it's a reception house on a cliff that overlooks a lake. GORGEOUS!!! There were also a lot of really cute details that Christina implemented that I had never seen at a wedding before. The Bride's cake was a chocolate masterpiece made by some guy from the food network, very cool. Outside on the patio you could get lemonade, sangria, or tea out of these really cool glass pitchers, and there were several different types of cigars available for the gentlemen or adventurous ladies to smoke on the other side of the porch. Last but not least...there was DANCING!! With Christina I expected nothing less, but everyone was on the dance floor having a good time. It was really nice getting to see all of our college friends, and getting to see people we haven't seen in a long time. At the end of the night we were talking to all of the single/dating people and trying to decide who should get married next so that we can have another party! Overall, it was a really fun night, and Brad and I are so happy for Christina and Dustin!!!

Matagorda Beach Trip!

On Labor Day Brad and I went down to Matagorda Bay with some family and friends. I hadn't been to Matagorda Beach since I was in elementary school so I was really surprised by how pretty and clean the beach was. We set up a canopy tent and chairs, and everyone played in the water and looked for sea shells. We all brought stuff for a picnic lunch, and I don't know how but sandwiches always seem to taste better outside. After lunch while Brad took a nap (big surprise), I made sand castles and buried people in the sand with the little kids. It was an awesome day! We could not have asked for better weather or a nicer place for our picnic and fun. We will definitely have to plan more trips down to Matagorda in the future. It would even be a nice place to take pictures!

New Pics of our little Sasha Bear!

I didn't realize until I was looking back at old posts that I haven't put any pictures of Sasha up since we first got her. Oh My Goodness has she changed. No longer is she the two pound little ball of fluff that she once was. Now she is tall and lanky...still very fluffy, but much taller...I think she weighs almost ten pounds now!! (this can mostly be blamed on my mom for giving her treats and people food all the time) She is still small enough to carry around and sit on your lap, but I don't think I will be sticking her in my purse and taking her to Wal-Mart any time soon. Anyway, enjoy the pictures!

Laying in one of my suitcases as I tried to pack to go somewhere...such a big help!

Sasha and I at the eighties party.....

Christopher giving Sasha kisses....usually we have to watch her around babies...but in this case he was definitely the aggressor!

Labor Day Weekend!

Brad finally got to come home after being gone working in Yorktown for almost two weeks so I was SUPER EXCITED for him to be home. He got Thursday, Friday, and Monday off for Labor Day so we decided to break the weekend in half and go visit some family. We went to Austin to visit his grandparents and as always that was really fun! They really take good care of us when we visit there....lots of good food, games and snacks the whole time. On Friday, we drove down to Marble Falls for the afternoon and went jet skiing with C.J. and Fallon. Afterwards, they came back to Cedar Park with us so we got to spend the evening and all of Saturday with CHRISTOPHER!! It was really fun getting to play with him...I even got to take some pictures of him while he was full and happy (you can see those by going to my other blog http://www.lrbphotography.blogspot.com/). AND not to be forgotten (this is going to be really nerdy so brace yourself) we got to go to Half Price Books and they were having a Labor Day Sale!!! 20% off!!! I got like 24 books and a bag for less than 50 dollars!! I was really excited. Brad found a "Learn Spanish" series that he can listen to in the car so he was pretty happy too! Sadly, we had to leave on Saturday because we had to be back for Youth Sunday...it would have been fun to get to stay longer! Here is a picture from when Brad and I were playing pick-a-boo with Christopher...LOOK at that SMILE!!

South Padre Island!!

Brad and I went on vacation with my family and my aunt, uncle and their two kids. It was really fun. We rented an awesome house right on the beach. It was a really cool house with three bedrooms and bathrooms, and it had a huge living area and a HOT TUB!! We spent most of our days playing at the beach or shopping and at night we would cook big meals and either watch TV or play games. (and of course sit in the hot tub). Two of the days we were there we went to Schlitterbahn SPI. It was really cool. This park was a lot smaller than the one in New Bransfels, but you never had to get out of the water. When you wanted to get on a ride, you just floated in to a canal near the ride and floated in line!! Dad really like that. The kids and Brad loved the Boogie Bahn where you body surf...I tried it a couple of times and it was fun, but I didn't like having to stand in line (The one line in the whole park!). Other than that, we went to some cool places, and we ate at a couple of really good places that had AMAZING breakfast tacos (not as good as Raquel's but still good). All in all it was a really awesome trip, and we all got along and came back in one piece so we should do it again!

Lacey and Kyle's Wedding

My friend Lacey got married a couple of weeks ago, and Brad got to come home from Yorktown to go to the wedding with me! I didn't think that he was going to get to come so I was really excited. The wedding was beautiful, and Lacey worked really hard to add a lot of really personal and unique touches to the ceremony and reception. Here is a picture I took at the reception!
CONGRATS LACEY AND KYLE!!!!

Welcome to "newlywedhood!"

Christina's Bachelorette Party

Christina and Dustin, two of our friends from A&M, are getting married next month. This weekend, I attended Christina's Bachelorette Party in Austin, TX. It was a really cool party...one of the most original bachelorette parties I had ever been to. All of the guests were split into two teams. The afternoon started off with a game of flag football on the capital grounds. Then, after showering and getting dolled up, we met at Rudy's Bar-B-Que for dinner. Next, we went to play Bingo at Bingo-12 near down town Austin. I had never been to a Bingo hall before so I was really surprised when we walked in and there were so many people....and it was REALLY REALLY quiet. The only thing you could hear was people dotting their cards and the announcer every few minutes calling out a new number. I got 30 cards x 5 games for only $10. Pretty cheap for a couple of hours of fun. After Bingo we went back to the hotel and got ready to head to 6th street. We couldn't get a cab big enough for all of us so both Stephanies, myself, and Sarah road in one of those carts pulled by a bicycle. We felt so sorry for this guy, but he said it was no big deal, and he got us there FAST. He didn't stop at any traffic lights, and he took short-cuts through several parking garages. There were a lot of cool bars on 6th street, but my favorite was Qua...it has a glass dance floor. There is an aquarium below it full of fish, sharks, and jellyfish....it was AWESOME! Anyway, I think we all had a good time...it was definitely a memorable last fling before the ring for Christina!

Jet Skiing at Lake Marble Falls

Brad and I went to Marble Falls this weekend to spend some time with his family. We had a great time swimming, tubing, jet skiing, and riding in the boat. Brad and I had a lot of fun on the jet ski, but he flipped it so many times that now I am covered in bruises. Even though I am sore today...I still want to learn how to do a good 360! It was really nice getting to see everyone...most especially Christopher Joseph!! He has gotten so big since the last time we saw him. He looks a lot like his dad now when he smiles. We also found out that C.J. and Fallon got ENGAGED!!! They are really excited and are still deciding on a date. Fallon said she wanted to shoot for next fall. I will keep you posted with any new details that we find out. Anyway, we had a really good time this weekend, and we want to go back soon.

Meredith

My cousin Meredith is really mean to her step sister and small children... once I think I saw her kick a small animal...I think that she is probably the one responsible for making the birds crap on my car...she would do something like that just to be hateful...I also think that she moves my phone at night so that it is missing in the morning....can't she just pick on someone her own size...and by the way...I think she wears short shorts that let her cheeks show...just saying.

(This blog was written for the purpose of bringing laughter to a young woman's face. NO statements made in the above blog are true. They are said in a joking manner with no malice. Except for the shorts comment, that maybe true.)

Happy Independence Day!

Brad and I spent the fourth with family in Milam, TX. There was so much good food, and we had a lot of fun. Some of the highlights include watermelon, paddle boats, and four wheelers. We also helped my dad at his deer lease and went swimming at Red Hill Lake. I hadn't been there since I was a little girl so it was cool getting to go back to our old watering hole! We were really excited to get to visit my Grannie...we hadn't been to her house since Thanksgiving! July 4th is a really important holiday to her and our family because so many of our family members have served in the armed forces. I am very thankful for the freedoms that we have in this country, and I hope that everyone had a happy independence day!


Here's a picture of us with our Sasha bear...she's getting so big!

Grannie in her Flag shirt and hat...Isn't she just the cutest?

Happy Independence Day!! :)

A little update from "The Newlyweds"

Brad and I are still working on the house. I will probably post some pictures of some of the renovations that we have done so far...there is still a lot of work that we want to do, but we are getting it done a little at a time. For the past 8 weeks, I have been working at a law office in town. I have really enjoyed it, but unfortunately this week is my last week. I am not sure what I am going to do next, but I am looking forward to the challenge of finding something else. Brad is currently working with his dad in Yorktown, but I know that God has something great in store for him (and me of course). So for now, we are just enjoying the opportunities that have come our way, and we are biding our time. On to a lighter subject...Sasha went to the groomers. We were not overly please with the results but it is something different for the summer. Our poor little baby was getting too hot in the Texas Heat! Anyway, when I picked her up, I wasn't even sure that it was my dog that they were handing me. Poor Sasha...but like any bad haircut, it will grow back!!

BTC Graduation Party

We had the graduates from our church a party this weekend. It was really nice, and I think everyone had a good time! It was really nice getting to see Shalaine...there was plenty of time at the party to talk! Congrats Grads!!

Cory's Camo Celebration

On Saturday some friends of our family threw a going away party for their son Cory. I have know him since he was a baby so of course Brad and I had to go! He is moving to Alaska to work on an hunting and fishing guide boat so he will be gone for a while. So, they decided that a celebrating was in order to get him out of here in style. The theme for the party was camo, and almost everyone who showed up, dressed the part. The cake was really cute...Shana (Cory's mom) made it, and it was delicious too! I know that Cory is going to come back with a ton of stories so I can't wait until he gets back. I think he is going to set up a blog so that he can share pictures and stories while he is gone...when I get this info I will post it in case you are interested! It was a really fun party, and I enjoyed getting to spend the afternoon with friends and family!

Fogo de Chao

On May 30, 2009, Brad and I went to a graduation party for Jayci at a restaurant called Fogo de Chao in Downtown Houston. This place was AWESOME! It is a Brazilian restaurant so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the food was incredible. After you are seated, the waiter explains the "rules" of the restaurant to you party. There is a salad bar that you can go and graze at to your heart's content....and then there is the meat... but first you need to know the rules. You have a card that has a red side and a green side. When the card is on the red side that means, "No meat for me right now." BUT when you flip it to the green side the waiters circle the restaurant bringing these slabs of different cuts of meat (Parmesan pork tenderloin, bacon wrapped fillet Mignon, lamb, prime sirloin, rib eye, pork ribs, bacon wrapped chicken, and pork sausages) and if they see that your card is on green they will ask you if you want some of whatever they are carrying...then they just cut some off onto your plate. The way that I am describing it makes it sound kind of gross, but it is a very elegant and fun atmosphere. Best of all, after you have stuffed yourself to the brim with all of these delicious foods, they come by and ask for your dessert order!! These I am unable to describe in words, but they were truly decadent! Jayci was gorgeous as usual, and a lot of her friends and family showed up to celebrate with her! Brad and I had a great time, and I took some pictures for you all to see! I think that we may take my dad there for Father's Day...need to check on reservations! Anyway...

CONGRATULATIONS JAYCI!!!!

Northgate with Marissa

This post is a little belated. I went down to College Station the night that Marissa and Pauly (and Jayci) graduated. I met up with Marissa and Pauly on Northgate to celebrate with them. Marissa and I lived together for 3 years so it was a must that I be there to celebrate with her in style...unfortunately, I didn't get to stay as long as I had planned because Brad and I had to put in a few more hours on the road that night to get to Overton (That's another post in itself!). But Brad and I did get to make a few stops with Marissa and Pauly along Northgate. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the night! Congratulations you guys, and GIG'EM!

WHO8P!

Tis the Season to Graduate

Well folks, it's that time of the year again. As the invitations and announcements start flowing in, it's time to get out your camera and checkbook and pay a little visit to your favorite Grads. I know quite a few graduates this year, but so far only one is graduating from High School. BUT the invitations are still arriving so there may be more additional later! Let's start at the bottom and work our way up:

Cheyanne Faith Herrera

Graduated Pre-K from Faith Lutheran Daycare

Matthew Zalman

Grauated from Overton High School

Shalaine Bargmann

Graduated from UTSA as a Registered Nurse

Jayci Giaconne

Graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy

Marissa Gonzales

Graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology

Ashley Morton

Graduated from U. of H., Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies

Paul Nester

Graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Technologies

Congratulations EVERYONE!!! I will try to post some pictures later!

Happy Memorial Day!

Brad and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the brave people in the Military past and present who have worked so hard to make the United States such a safe and wonderful place to live. Sometimes it is easy to take our freedoms for granted, and that is why it is so important to have days like today set aside for remembrance. We are very thankful for everything that you have done and continue to do! Here are some pictures from my family's Memorial Day. The girls came over to our house this morning and we made breakfast and watched movies. Then when mom and dad got back from SA, we went to their house and made Bar-B-Que. Everything was very yummy! After that we went swimming. Here are some pictures from our trip to the pool.

Enjoy and Happy Memorial Day!

That is me sliding down the slide!

Weddings

2008 was a year of weddings for Brad and I....from March 28, 2008 to the present there has been a constant stream of friends and family getting married. Here are a few of the ones that we loved the most...and a sneak preview of the ones coming up!

April and Micheal Collins

Married on March 28, 2008

Place: The Butler's Courtyard
Wedding Colors: Brown and Cream
Flowers: Orange, Yellow, and Red Roses

Lauren and Charles Fontainer

Married on June 21, 2008

Place: Presbyterian Church El Campo, TX
Wedding Colors: Brown and Peach/Pink
First Dance: Feet Don't Touch the Ground (Stoney LaRue)

Ashley and Bradley Barnes
(of course)

Married on November 1, 2008
Place: Bible Truth Church El Campo, TX
Wedding Colors: Black, White, and Turquoise

Shalaine and Kevin Bargmann

Married on January 10, 2009

Place: Schertz Civic Center Schertz, TX
Wedding Colors: Brown and Sage Green
Cake Height: 6 tiers!

Bee and John Mills

Married on: March 21, 2009
Place: Beaumont Ranch
Wedding Colors: Blue and White
Groom's Cake: A miniature Bonfire that they lit on fire!!

There are still more to come! This summer, my friend, Lacey Luco, is marrying her college sweetheart in July, and two of our good friends from A&M are tying the knot in August...I love weddings so I am really excited about these two events. Also, my cousin Wendy Lee Zalman is getting married sometime in 2010 so stay posted for more details about her big day! Congratulations to all of the newlyweds, and happy planning for the engaged couples!

The Stork has Landed!

There has been a whirlwind of baby showers and parties lately since so many of the wonderful ladies in my life are pregnant. Finally the babies are starting to show up! This has been a long time coming since there haven't really been many babies born in the past couple of years in my family or at church (with the exception of sweet Landon of course!) They are so adorable and sweet...I just know that you will fall in love at first sight like I did.

Micheal Lane Zalman
Born on March 17, 2009. He was a big baby! (9lbs 3oz; 21 1/4 inches).

Christopher Joseph Barnes, Jr.
He was born on March 24, 2009. He was over 9 lbs and 22 1/2 inches.

Then we had to wait a while before our next two babies showed up.

Daryll Jacobs, III (Trey)
born on May 1, 2009. He weighed 6 lbs 12 oz, and he was 18 1/2 inches long. He is just too cute! Ironically, the only girl in the bunch showed up last.

Layla Nicole Hudlin
Born on May 5, 2009. She was very petite at 5 lbs 14oz and 20 inches long.

I am so excited for all of the new mothers and they certainly have my prayers over the next few months until the babies start sleeping through the night!

Spring Gala 09

On April 24, 2009 my church hosted a Mother-Daughter Spring Gala. I was one of the people in charge so I was really excited by how good it turned out. Even though like a thousand things went wrong at the beginning, we still had a really good time. I really appreciate everyone who performed or helped out....we could not have done it without you! The list of performs includes:

1. Marilyn Monroe- Amber Blume



2. Sandy- Bethany Wood



3. Tina Turner- Niesha Hudlin



4. Cher- Kari Rives



5. Cindy Lauper- Brittany Rives



6. Angelina Joile- Nicole Hudlin



7. Hannah Montana- Elyssa Smith



8. Emcees including: yours truely and Amanda Herrerra

Here are some pictures from the party...If you would like to see more go to: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhotos&albumID=2880039

Sasha Sunshine

On Good Friday Bradley & I decided that the time had come for us to get a puppy. I had been checking the Greensheet daily for weeks trying to find a female Maltipoo. Everytime a listing would get posted, I would call and they would tell me that they had just sold the last female or that the males were $300 and the females were $1200. I just don't think it would be the same to have this fru-fru dog and have it be a boy so we kept looking. Since Brad had the day off, we sat around all morning looking at ads on the Internet. I finally found a guy that had several girls and they were the same price as the boys! The only problem was that he (and the puppies) were in San Antonio. Then excitement kicked in and we decided that a road trip to SA-town was in order. My mom and dad decided they would go with us so that we could all go out to eat after we got the puppy. When we got to the address that the guy had given us...of course HE HAD JUST LEFT WITH THE PUPPIES! He had given me his father-in-law's address, and he had left like 20 minutes before we got there to go home. So his father-in-law called him (since he wouldn't answer my phone calls) and finally he agreed to meet us half-way (he lived like 45 minutes away). So when we finally found him, Brad picked up Sasha and I picked up a tiny white runt....we couldn't decide which puppy to get so finally Brad told me that we weren't getting the puppy that I was holding because she kept crying if I sat her down. So we paid the guy and left...and Sasha has been terrorizing us ever since! She is a sweet puppy, but it took us a little while to get accustomed to her 4:30 a.m. wake-up calls. :) Hope you like the pictures...more to come about her later.