While the Hubby Is Away...

Almost two weeks ago I left my heart at the airport when I dropped the husband off for his three week trip to Italy, for work. And so far we are two weeks in. ONE week to go! I can't wait to have Ben home.

While he has been away I have had my last week of work with my old company and my first week of work at my new job. Both were great! It was bittersweet leaving me old job as I had become comfortable in my role and I had made friends along the way. I also used to work with my brother and I miss the daily drop ins from him to chat about things including my nephew, Jackson.

However, everyone at my new job have been so welcoming and I think I am really going to love what I am doing. It's a great environment and it is so much closer to home. I would go through a tank of gas a week going back and forth to my old job, but with my new commute...after a week I have used LESS than a quarter of a tank! Crazy! I might not have to fill up for a whole month! If you know my hate of traffic and commuting you know how excited I am about this.

With my new job came the need for updating my wardrobe. The first full weekend Ben was gone my Mom came up for a long weekend of shopping. It was so much fun to actually buy new clothes! I needed a few staples like dress pants and heels but then had a little fun and bought a few new work appropriate dresses.
We usually just window shop because, since I was young, I have always felt guilty spending money on myself. I digress.

After my Mom left last weekend my friend Ashley came to stay with me while her husband was out of town too. It was fun to catch up but all good things must come to an end. Her husband came home tonight which brings me to weekend number two sans Benjamin. Rollie and I have been watching a bit of TV and making lists of all the things we are going to clean during the rainy day we will have tomorrow. I am very excited about having a lazy weekend because even though it was a good week at work, it was also stressful being the new girl, so I could use a weekend to relax, clean (my stress reliever) and watch some college football.

Ben seems to be having a great time in Italy. The first week he was in Rome, this past week he was in Milan and next week he will be in Florence. He has taken hundreds of pictures and we have had the chance to talk and FaceTime several times, but I can't wait for him to get home and tell me all about his adventures. I am so grateful that he was able to make this trip and experience everything that he has, the food, the culture, the history. It has got to be amazing. Within the first few days he was already telling me that we needed to save our pennies so we can plan a trip for us both to go. I love that man.

So here is to the last 8 days, the first 14 haven't been too bad...but three weeks is just too long to be away! Let the countdown to next Saturday night begin!

My Love of Fall

Oh September, how I love thee...let me count the ways.

- Lazy Saturdays watching College Football

-Catching naps during said football games during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. (the hubster and the pup are both asleep on the floor and the couch respectively, backwards...I think not hehe) no worries I caught my nap before lunch, in case you were concerned.

- Aggie Football Season Tickets! Whoop! We are so excited to be spending most of our September weekends at Kyle Field. I have to admit that SITTING down with back/arm rest instead of standing the whole game will be a nice change from our student days :)

- Have I mentioned College Football yet? It's really the one sport I don't mind watching random teams play. I just love the atmosphere and the heart! (unlike pro...they can get rid of that, blaspheme I know)

-Cooler Weather. Even if its just a slight 5 degree drop with 5% less humidity I can tell the difference. Rollie and I sure do enjoy our morning outings more when we can smell a hint of rain in that wisp of a breeze we might feel once or twice. I'll take 5 degrees cooler in Texas any day!

- Fall colors, I love the warm brown and red tones of fall, someday I will visit somewhere where the leaves change colors this time of year. I cannot wait to decorate the house now that we are officially in the Sept-Nov time frame of the year.

Side Note: Does anyone else think of the year like that? Sept-Nov (fall with the interruption of Halloween in October), Dec (Christmas), Jan (winter) Feb (Valentines), March-April (Spring/Easter), May-Aug (Summer)? Am I alone?

-Sweaters/Long Sleeves: Bring on the section of my closet that is longingly adored all year, but only enjoyed for maybe a month or two...maybe. Jewel tones...I miss you too.

-Lets be honest, as much as I would like to be active, you are just nuts in my book if you enjoy working out in the summer. There are some nights in the fall that I actually WANT to go RUN for awhile instead of my casual walk with the pup.

- Fall also means that I am ___this much closer to listening to Christmas Music. I am such a sap. I LOVE Christmas music and I do NOT get tired of it. I have to stop myself from listening to it sometimes during other points in the year.I have my favorites though, and I can be pretty picky in the versions of songs I find appropriate but oh Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Amy Grant, 33 Miles and of course all the classics Crosby, Sinatra, and Martin I cannot wait to reconnect with all of your Christmas Albums.

Ok now I am thinking about Christmas and I shouldn't get ahead of myself...fall first Christmas second.
This fossil bag is perfect for fall and would make a great Christmas gift...cough. ;-)

Do you share the love for my favorite time of the year? What do you like most about fall?

Two Quick Takes

Here are a few quick takes that probably deserve posts of their own but things have been a little crazy around here so I figured I would summarize :).

- Ben's younger brother, Philip, got married at the end of July, to the sweetest girl, Amanda. Ben and I were honored to be in their wedding party and even got to walk down the aisle together. Their wedding was one of the sweetest and most personal weddings we have been to. We had a lot of fun traveling to Amanda's home town of Three Rivers (which isn't too far from our home town) and hanging out with Ben's side of the family all weekend. We certainly got our dancing in, with the live band and huge dance floor they had,  I have scars from blisters on my feet to prove it.  I don't think I have ever seen two people more meant to be together then these two. You could definitely see God's hand in their relationship and I cannot wait to see where He leads them. We love them so much!

They are so cute!

Her beautiful dress! Excuse the iPhone quality.

A quick shot before the wedding.

The second thing I wanted to catch you up on was our nephew, Jackson's 1st Birthday.

Jackson had a Dr. Seuss Party and it was the cutest thing. The cupcakes were decorated like Thing 1 and Thing 2, topped with blue cotton candy for the "hair". Everything on the food table had whimsical names and labels. His shirt that he wore even says "One I Am" on it. There was also a banner across their fireplace that had a picture on his "birthday" from each month from birth- 12 months.  It was fun to see how much he has changed in just one short year. There were many other cute decorations to match the theme and Dr. Seuss party favors too. His Mama is so creative, I might have to hire her to do my kids party someday :)

 Ben and I love this little boy so much. We got him first real A&M baseball hat and loved watching him wear it backwards...such a big guy. We cannot believe it has been a whole year. His personality is bigger then ever and I just love that he knows who we are and smiles when he sees us. When he reaches for you it just melts your heart. He's not walking quite yet, but when he does I am sure we are going to have so much chasing him around.

Tyler's 6th Birthday

Over 4th of July weekend we celebrated Tyler's 6th Birthday I cannot believe our oldest nephew is getting so old!  We had a great time going to his T-Ball game in the morning and then eating cake and watching him open presents before heading out to the Sugarland Skeeters baseball game that evening.

The birthday boy with his Grandma

His must-have Yankees cake (his T-Ball team)

Watching his Dad cut him a big slice with the logo on it (per request)

Now that is a piece of cake!

Sporting my free jersey, I guess I look 12... it was Kid's Free Jersey Night

Mason doing what he does best...popcorn. These boys have been obsessed since birth :) and what's a baseball game without a little snack :)

intensely watching the game

After the game the boys got to run the bases and they had the most awesome firework show. What is it about fireworks that makes me so proud to be an American? It was such a great weekend with family in town and celebrating birthdays. When Tyler was born I was so excited not only to be blessed with my first nephew but because his birthday is so close to the 4th. The holiday will forever be designated for him and hanging out with Ben's brother's side of the family. I love it! Happy Birthday Tyler. Aunt Jenn and Uncle Ben love you!

Brian & Kayla's Wedding

We always love attending weddings for good friends, especially Corps Buddies. This past weekend Ben and I drove to College Station to celebrate our friends, Brian and Kayla's, wedding. Brian was in Ben's class and outfit in the Corps at A&M. He was a groomsman in our wedding so it is fitting for Ben to be a groomsman in his :)

Kayla and I met attending all of the Corps events a good girlfriend goes to... football games, ceremonies, dances etc. I have to say she was/is so beautiful, quiet possibly one of the most photogenic people I know, excuse the blurry pictures but she looked stunning... Brian didn't look too bad himself ;-)

We had a great time catching up with old friends that came into town for the wedding. We hit up The Chicken and the rest of Northgate after the rehearsal dinner, it was so much fun being back in College Station. The wedding was beautiful and we were so sad to be heading home when it was all over. Here are a few pictures from the day!

The Beautiful Couple

Excited to be MARRIED!

After the Ceremony with my handsome groomsman

The significant others :)

With the Bride and Groom

The Corps Buddies

We are so happy for them, and can't wait to hear all about their Honeymoon Cruise :) 

Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Dobiyanski!

USA Rugby Game

After spending the morning/afternoon with our nephews in Richmond it was time to head to the new the USA Rugby vs Italy game at the new Dynamo Stadium. We had been planning to go to this game for months now, it's what my brother wanted to do for his birthday. And, although, I didn't know how the game was played, it was fun to watch a new sport. We had a lot of fun supporting the red white and blue :)

Ben and I outside the stadium

Hollis, Jessica and Jackson

The girls before the game.

Hollis and Jackson

Jackson decked out in his red, white, and blue

He had so much fun waving and chewing on that little flag

Tyler's T-Ball

On Saturday, Ben and I headed down to Richmond to watch our oldest nephew, Tyler, play T-Ball. It was honestly one of the cutest things I have ever seen. His team was made up for 4-6 year-old kids (he will turn 6 next week), and this was their second game. He played first base and pitcher and was an awesome first baseman :) They were so much fun to watch. Here are some pictures of Tyler playing first and up to bat!

They all just look so little :)

Action Shot

Got a grounder.

Calling for the ball

He got the runner out.

He takes this game very seriously, reminds me of his uncle Ben.

Tyler's Up to Bat!

Mid Swing

He hits it!

Off to First Base

He's Safe!

Scoring his run!

Good job Tyler, Uncle Ben and Aunt Jenn can't wait to come to more of your games and watch you become a great baseball player someday :)

Fredericksburg- Family Reunion

A weekend in Fredericksburg for a family reunion was the last stop on our Tour of Texas.

We drove in Friday afternoon to Fredericksburg and stayed at these cute cabins with Hollis, Jessica, Jackson and my cousin Monica and her fiance, Brian. It was a three bedroom two bath place that was a little small with the three dogs but perfect for what we needed. There was a nice patio outside that had a fire pit and it overlooked a couple of acres of land that had deer and elk. It was nice to just relax, listen to the cicadas, and visit with family. 

The next morning we got up, grabbed our breakfast vouchers and headed to Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee and Tea. We both had breakfast tacos that were pretty good. After breakfast we went back to the cabins to change and we were on our way to the Reunion which was on the other side of town (5 min, so nice). We have been having the reunion at Lady Bird Johnson State Park since before I was born. It is just so nice and familiar. We had a good lunch catching up with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, second cousins etc.  That afternoon we went into town for some blue bell ice cream at a little scoop shop on the main drag and not too long after headed back to our cabins to get ready for dinner.

Went to dinner at a Mexican food place that had a Cheesecake Factory kiosk...yum. After dinner we repeated our first night of sitting outside around the fire, relaxing and soaking in the last night of our mini vacation.

Sunday we went back to the same place for breakfast and I had a big waffle this time. Equally as good as the breakfast taco and headed out of town after that.


We decided that we will probably book the same place next year, maybe just a different cabin it's called The Country Inn & Cottages in case you want a unique place to stay if you are ever in the area.

Weekend in the Hometown

Trip two of three we headed down to Portland to celebrate our nephew Mason's 3rd birthday and to attend a wedding shower for Amanda and Philip.

We drove in Friday night, and didn't stay up to late. That drive right after work is exhausting.
Saturday afternoon we went and ate lunch with the family at a new place in Corpus on the beach. It was so nice to be able to soak up a little gulf air.  There were games in the sand that the restaurant had set up so it was nice to watch the boys play while we waited for our food.

After lunch we went back to Ben's parents house where we attempted to clean out the closet in Ben's old room. Just as I was feeling accomplished in cleaning out the junk room in our house upstairs we bring home another four boxes of stuff. Oh well, I think Ben's Mom was happy to see it go.

Later that evening we headed to the Barnett's for some cake, ice cream, and presents for Mason's 3rd Birthday! I cannot believe he is three! He was such a talker at his birthday party. Some things I want to remember are playing legos with him and watching him proudly carry around his new Cookie Monster stuffed animal. We would ask what Cookie Monster eats and he would say "Cooookkkkkiiiieeees" like you crazy people, what else would Cookie Monster eat? We had so much fun teasing him and asking what about cake? veggies? pizza? etc. and he would say "Nooo, Cookieeees". Three is so much fun!

On Sunday, the women of the family joined Philip and Amanda for a wedding shower. It was a lot of fun to see them open their gifts and get excited about their upcoming wedding in July. Philip enjoyed his "guy" gift from Ben and I (a drill). I was thinking as I was sitting next to my sister-in-law Holly, watching my future sister-in-law open the rest of their beautiful gifts that I have been truly blessed with the best sisters-in-law. I cannot imagine life without Jessica, Holly and Amanda. They are so much fun and are such good role models. I am so blessed.

One of my favorite parts of the shower was when all of the married women there were able to share a piece of advice with the soon to be newly weds. It was so sweet hearing from everyone whose relationships ranged from only a few years to many years together. Everyone had something unique to share but the advice all tied to the same thing. Keep God at the center of your marriage and look past the little things, because life is really to short to spend time upset with each other.

It was a short, but great family weekend. On we definitely need to try and recreate more often, no need for birthdays or showers to spend great time with family.