Sunday Nights

My brother came to Austin with us when we headed back on Friday afternoon. I have missed my brother so much I thought it would be necessary to spend as much time as I could with him. I planned so much fun, but when I realized he was coming to visit, I wake up at 6 and go to bed at 10... so going out and having a crazy time isnt in the books for us this week.
So far, we've been able to watch some really great movies, have some great catching up conversations, and have some fabulous dinners. On Sunday nights, Ive posted before of our Dexter Sunday Nights and the games and shows that we watch. Since Dexter's 4th season ended we've continued Sunday game nights with a movie to add. On Sunday, we decided to make breakfast for dinner. It is one of my favorite meals ever. David had to go to work to set up his new office since Engineering moved to a new building and wanted to get as much done with out anyone bothering him. I got home before he could, and instead of waiting I thought it would be best to cook by myself. I dove head in to the breakfast dinner and I was so surprised how well I did!
I followed David's dad's cook book and made homemade biscuits! From scratch! I know! And made eggs, turkey bacon, hash browns! Micheal put together some orange juice and viola! We had breakfast dinner! It was such a great memory and a wonderful dinner! The best part was there was no food left to throw away and a game of Apples to Apples for dessert!
I look forward to Sunday nights more than anything. We did miss our 4th friend Ally who is skiing up a storm in Colorado (We miss you Ally!), but I think Micheal tried to fill her shoes the best he could. And if you haven't made homemade biscuits, then you need to get started on that soon! It really is the best tasting thing ever!

P.S.- We need you back Ally! David won every game of Apples to Apples! So not fair!

Happy Christmas!

Let me start of by saying... What a whirlwind of events! It's already 4 days after Christmas and I think I just finally caught my breath! A couple of days before Christmas I finally got my butt in gear and decided to do my Christmas shopping. Usually, I do a pretty good job about collecting gifts through out the year and have them saved up, but for some reason this year I just couldn't get that together. So I put on my brave hat, brought my headphone and my hateful iPhone and went shopping. I was pretty impressed and was able to get all of my gifts with in a matter of 2 hours! I do have to say it was pretty easy since I planned on being thrifty this year and give everyone pictures with fantastic frames. (I do have to say I am really really good at pairing up the right photo with the right frame) So I had everything packed, wrapped and ready for our trip to San Antonio.

I just started my job at AT&T and they were so kind enough to give me a schedule that gives me Thursday and Fridays off! When I got off of work on Wednesday, I ran home, finished packing and we headed off to good ol San Antonio. We usually stay at David's Parents house when ever we come in to town, mainly it's because whenever we go out it's in a location near their home. Once we got there we walked inside with a big black contractor bag filled with gifts and David walks straight to his dad who is standing near the Christmas Tree and shows him the bag and proclaims "I got you a bag of Coal." (That is my husband and one of the many reasons why I love him) We decided to unpack a bit and catch up with family (usually David has to drag me out of the house once I start chatting up with our Family) We went out with one of David's old friends and just so happens there was a Trivia Game... and wouldn't you know it? My luck has run out on winning things and we got 4th place. So we went home beaten but not sore and woke up the next day for a very exciting day of Christmas Eve.

We woke up late the next day (9am) and slowly enjoyed a lazy day with family and great conversation. I knew we had time to spare since we didn't have to be anywhere til 7pm. We enjoyed lunch and just hung out...I even took a nap before I had to get ready. We finally got to show up at my Uncle John's beautiful house and enjoyed a fantastic Christmas Eve. I always love going there every year because it is a guarantee for great conversation, hearty drinks, and yummy exotic food. I was so happy to have such amazing family all around me and catching up with everyone I haven't seen since last year.

My brother and I were begging to go back to our house and partake on out new family tradition of opening Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Our parents sent us home early to sit and wait for them... staring... waiting patiently like good little children. Even our family cat, Katherine got excited for presents!
Our Parents finally got home and it was time for presents!!! I was so great to see what everyone got each other and it was the best Christmas I've had with David. (I can't say ever, since I remember my first Christmas with my Dad and he got me a whole truck filled with truck when I was 5- talk about spoiled!!) My parents were so sweet and got David a table saw AND a portable drill and a portable saw! He was so excited he actually started giggling! He even got excited that Hanukkah Harry (Me) got him a deep fryer, since he's been wanting one forever.

The gifts I got from Santa were things I know I asked for... and let me tell you! It pays to be good all year! Mom and Dad got us new upgraded Tupperware, a crock pot, new towels, and the greatest invention ever! A new vacuum !! Our's broke a couple of months ago and it has been horrible while we have been saving for a new one. Santa knew our situation and got us a great one that will keep us clean til we can afford our over priced one. I have to admit I was so excited I started crying. :) My brother even got me my favorite game ever- Apples to Apples! After all the excitement David and I grabbed our coats and headed out. It was only 12:30 so we decided a game of darts was in order to celebrate Christmas. We were lucky to meet our friends from Austin for a beer and a game of cricket. Of course, our friend Charles won every game but it was still fun.

The next morning we woke up a bit earlier to have Christmas with the Balentines and what a fun time! Our little niece Terra opened all of her gifts with such care and precision is was adorable to watch. My favorite part was when she was going through her stocking and pulling ever single Bonnie Bell chapstick. She would pull it out individually and state the color and place down carefully next to the others. I think it might be a Balentine trait to place things in order! David's parents got us the sweetest gifts ever. We had been talking to them about how to make soup and we just couldn't get it right. So we opened our big beautiful box to have a recipe for Dad's famous Homemade Tomato Soup (He used this little dish to help him win over mom when they first started dating!) Everything that we would need for this amazing meal was sitting right there in the box! It was even greater to know that my brothers and sisters got the same gift too! Maybe we can have a huge Tomato Soup Dinner! David's older brother Fowler and Angie were so sweet and got us a lot of great gifts, one of my favorites is the Dr. Pepper cake! My brother is begging me to make it while he is town! And David's little brother got me the first season of Dead Like Me (one of my favorite shows ever!)
After Christmas fun, we went to my grandparents house to have exchange of gifts with them. I was so sad we wouldn't stay longer but we had to be back in Austin before 5 pm. There was one big gift with our name on it and I really had no idea what it could be. My grandmother knew I had been wanting a fantastic Plate set since I never ordered one from my wedding. My grandmother and mom both had the same design (White China with Gold Rim) and I was so jealous of their settings. When I ripped open the paper I saw that my grandmother had gotten me my own plate set just like the one my mother and her have. I was so overwhelmed with emotion I burst out in tears. (I know! I cry when I'm happy) I was so excited and gave her the biggest hug ever. It turned out to be absolute perfect especially since last Christmas she got us Gold Silver ware that would match perfectly with our new plates!
I know I mentioned earlier my first Christmas of being spoiled, but this year I can only remember with a smile. I have never felt so much love in my life in just one little day. I know there are more meanings of Christmas for some people, but as David says "Christmas for me is spending time with family." And there really isnt anything better than that. Even if we just got a sweater for Christmas it still would have been one of the best ever! I could not be more blessed than to have such an a amazing family as this. Happy Christmas to all! And a Happy New Year!

Happy Hanukkah!!!

Hanukkah in 2009 actually starts at sundown on Friday December 11. Unfortunately, David and I could not celebrate on that date, and since we are not Jewish we decided to have our own Hanukkah dinner on Saturday.
I announced on a earlier update that we had won a TV and gift card, and I knew exactly what I would use that gift card on! I went to Central Market and bought the best potatoes, brisket, jelly donuts that I could find. I finally got home and after my cleaning chores were done, David and I went to the kitchen and prepared to make the best Balentine Hanukkah Dinner together. He took care of the brisket with spices, sauce and all while I attempted to make Potato Latkahs. Latkah is not easy to make at all! I had to peel the potatoes first, then grab a grater and break down the potato down to a watery mush. After all the hard work we put all the ingredients needed into a big bowl and dropped a big scoop of this Potato Mush in to a pan of hot oil, and it cooked. :) Next thing we knew we had a plate full of Latkahs! Just in time too, since the Challah bread and brisket were both done cooking at the same time.When we finally sat down for dinner, I reminded my wonderfully handsome husband that he shouldn't eat too much because after dinner were some yummy jelly donuts waiting for us. I held back my hunger and ate til I was very happy with my whole meal. My husband on the other hand, completely forgot about dessert. He ended up so full on our Hanukkah dinner, there was no room left for our Hanukkah dessert. I think after 30 minutes he wanted to give it a try, and I made some coffee to enjoy a nice end to a wonderful day.
For this being our first Hanukkah together, I think it was the better then I could ever think of. I remember the day David told me he was Jewish. He sat me down in the middle of our first date and said he had to tell me something important. I was so nervous it was going to be something crazy, like he wasn't allowed to live 100 ft near a school, but no. David pulled out a chain around his neck to show me the Star of David. He was Jewish, and made such a big deal about it, like it was something I would break up with him over. Of course being me, I could only be happy that I met someone that found a way to bring him to a better peace in his life. I was also happy that I had met a man that had the same personal views of Christianity. Since, I at the time has been practicing Buddhism, I was and am happy to be with someone that we can continue to grow together, without the argument of religion. So celebrating Hanukkah was a great way to learn more about each other and grow together. We loved it so much, we will definitely be celebrating the Hanukkah Joy next year! Shalom!

I am a Winner!

I started my training classes on Monday for AT&T and very quickly I realized that I know more about computers and networking than I thought. Through my entire marriage with David, he would come home and tell me about his work and projects that he was working on, even programs and hardware. Every time he would talk I would smile and nod and act like I knew what was going on, I really thought it was going in one ear and out the other. Turns out, I was actually retaining some of the information. So when I started my class, I knew everything that was being taught or discussed.
There have been so many great things going on from my working for AT&T. I know so many people that already work there. If I go on a break or lunch, I really have no problem talking to anyone and have been able to meet more people from my public networking. Friday was the last day of the class and I passed my test with flying colors. I started working on the programs and actually working on the floor when I met even more coworkers and started every day conversation. I was told that there was a company party being thrown by vendors for AT&T and I should definitely come out.
I went home, took a shower and got ready, since I thought the party ended at 9, and I would be getting there around 8, I would have time to socialize and mingle before I went to my friend Aradia's show a block away. I got a great parking spot a block away from the bar SIX and got there while everyone was enjoying a great time and having wonderful conversations. It as really great to see everyone there, and just walking around mingling with a drink in a hand. The vendors really knew how to throw a party. 1) Because it was an 'open bar' and 2) because they arranged for every one to get a free ride home if they drank too much. It was already past 9 and the party kept going. They tried to get every ones attention and brought them in to thank AT&T for all the work we've done together and to announce we are going to have a raffle. I had gotten 4 tickets earlier and was super excited while I held my ticket numbers in my hand. The 1st prize they were giving out was a $25 Amex Gift Card. They shouted out some number and no one answered to it. They kept yelling it out, and I looked down and they were calling my ticket!!! I was so excited and was jumping up and down being so excited that the rest of my drinks for the night was going to be covered by this gift card! So they kept giving away more gift cards and even a couple of Ipod Shuffles. Everyone thought they were done and then they brought out the big final gift which was a 24 inch HDTV! Everyone got so excited and I looked at my last 3 tickets and started shouting out 454! 454! They pull out the final ticket and it was 454! I won a TV! I was jumping up and down taking pictures with it for everyone. Nobody could believe that I won, not once but twice!!! I was standing around trying to hold it up when one of the vendors came up and said she wanted to get me an escort to my car with the TV. 2 nice gentlemen offered to walk me to my car and we put it in my trunk. We got back to the bar and everyone started having a great time. I hadn't gone out in a long time so my bed time starting creeping up. I left the party and walked the block to the Social Club to watch Aradia and Jacob Dub it up! I got there and couldn't even stay for 30 minutes before I started yawning and decided it was time to come home. I called David on the way home to tell him I had a huge surprise for him. I can never keep a secret from my husband so I ended up spilling the beans and he was so excited he came out to meet me and get the TV out of the trunk. We talked about what to do with it, since we already have 3 TV's in the house, I really didn't think we would need a 4th or where even to put it. I was thinking about handing it out to a friend that needs a better TV and David approached me with the idea of letting him use it as a Monitor for his office at home so he could work from home more often. I knew he was going to be taking vacation off at the end of this month and the beginning of next so I knew this would be something handy for him to have. I slept on the idea and of course my husband gets what he wants. So now he has a new 24 inch monitor in his office so he can get more work done. It was really great that everything worked out. My first week at work I have made new friends, got a gift card and got a brand new TV! I would have to say that things are going really well.

A Family That Works Together...

Makes money together. David and I had been talking about finding the right job for me where I would be happy and could grow with while I still had time to work on my art work for the gallery I will be showing a couple of months. I was having a little bit of bad luck with the job market. I can always get a job because of my sparkling personality, but I would get a job with hopes and promises and sadly the company couldn't keep it's promises, and I would have to sadly leave. So one night while hanging out with my husband we were talking of things that I would be good at and where I could grow with. I knew that I would want to get in a company that I could stand behind and maybe have a lasting career in.

I had been in love with photography for such a long time and have worked with some great photography companies through the past years. I enjoyed the work and learned so much but it is a service job that isn't dependable. There is always slow seasons and with the economy it isn't an affordable luxury that everyone can afford. I tried to find a way to continue in this career but I knew my talents were better than spending my entire life doing engagements, weddings, and parties. Then I found my calling! I would do an art series and have a gallery show. (And that is a whole other blog that will be coming soon!) So I had that problem down, but still wanted to find a job with a great company that was reliable. Then David suggested I apply at AT&T. He had worked for a Austin based company called Wayport for 4 years and last year AT&T bought them out for $275 million in cash. It was a little nerve wrecking to find out what they were going to to do with the company, but when we found out that they bought Wayport to use it for wi-fi services, we knew that his job and company just grew into a bigger opportunity for our family. He has always talked about how well the company has treated him and the path that his career can take him to in the years to come. I knew that I wanted to be with a company like that but my first worry was if my husband could handle working with his own wife. He knew that it would be find and calmed all of my worries, and even made me feel better when he told me that AT&T actually encourages couples to work together since it makes both of the parties work harder for a better future for their family and in the end is also a winning situation for AT&T. So he worked his magic engineering powers and got me an interview. From there on it was all on me. I went to the interview, and got the job! There was a lot of paperwork to fill out and some hoops to jump through but I got it done and just in time, since today was the beginning of one of the training classes for the month. I went in a little nervous this morning and if I do say so myself I rocked my training class. I had no idea how much I actually knew when it came to technology. Yes, me... the one that always asks my husband to be my own personal tech support. I really did enjoy my first day and am looking forward to going in tomorrow. I really want to see how far I can climb in this company and the biggest perk of it all is getting to see my very sexy husband in his cubicle when ever I want... or have a break and who knows? Maybe I will get to have lunch with him sometimes this week!

Hi, My name is Elizabeth

.... and I am addicted to Dexter. Yes, there are shows through out the week that my husband and I love oh, so much, but only one sets its own appointment in our schedule. My addiction to this show originally started when my brother approached me about a new show coming on Showtime. We had both had seen the previews for this new different show and both were interested. I remember that first episode, everything came out perfectly, and I immediately fell in love with Dexter Morgan.
I started showing a dedication to this show but would only have it recorded on DVR, and would watch it when I could. Some great memories I have of the show was setting out a time with my brother and both watching it in full excitement. My 'problem' didn't start until I got married. I tried to explain to my husband about the show... and really when it comes down to it, there is only two ways for a reaction to occur when you say "Let me tell you about my favorite Serial Killer." I have honestly had long conversations with many people about whether or not Dexter has the right to kill the people he does, and the best thing about that, is everyone has some sort of connection with why he chooses his victims. I mean really, if you knew someone was murdering and raping little boys and you could stop his evil without anyone ever knowing, what would you do? And, yes I know, that is a whole other story.
So, back to the story, I introduced my husband to the show and he fell just as hard as I did. It started in a point that I met other Dexter fans in Austin, and we would always meet at our house to watch Dexter on Sunday nights. I remember there being a vote to move the show from our house to others in rotation, but when you watch this show, there's nothing better than being able to watch Michael C. Hall on a 92 inch projector screen.And here we are on the 4th season, keeping up every way we can and our house is the place to be on Sunday Nights. Ally, Pata, David and I all meet up around 6:30. We play a few rounds of Apples to Apples, for fun and to kill time, and then it is DEXTER! We sit patiently watching the show with interest, excitement, and intrigue. We all look forward to this through out the whole week, and its so great to enjoy some great friendly fun with our favorite serial killer!

Que Sera, Sera. Whatever will be, will be.

I am going to try to write this post the best I can to only give my grandmother justice.

11 years ago I lost my grandmother. She was everything in my world and when she passed I felt that I too had died with her.

I remember so many memories of her and not any of them I would even call bad. One of the earliest I have of her is when I started calling her 'Grandma'. She immediately stopped me from calling her that name and told me that she was too young to even be a grandmother and that from then on I would call her by her name, Annie. From that moment, she was my Annie. I remember playing Hopscotch and Jump Rope and singing over and over again "Annie, my Annie".
She would always be honest and upfront with me about life. I knew I could always trust her and ask her anything because she wanted me to know the truth. I remember being shocked and blushing when she told me what the word "b!tch" meant, yea! I know! My grandmother!! At 13 my mom and I went with her and my grandfather to Mexico for a wedding and I had the worst allergies and a little bit of a headache, and my own grandmother peer pressured me to take a shot of Tequila to make the 'pain' go away.
I know I am throwing some crazy things out there about her that would make you think twice of what kind of role model she was for me, but don't you worry. She was the best role model I could ever ask for. The best part about her was when I was getting to an age where I wasn't agreeing with my mother about everything. I remember Annie pulling me aside and explaining to me that the only reason I don't get along with my mom a lot was because my mom and I are very much alike. And there would be a time in my life where she would be my best friend, all I had to do was smile and step down, not win ever battle and sooner than later my mom and I would start getting along a lot better. That has to have been the best advice I have ever had and I took her advice and used it well. But unfortunately, my Annie passed away before I was done asking her the rest of the questions I had about life. It broke my heart, and sometimes to this day I can't help but cry because I miss her too much. I remember her telling me when her Lord was ready to take her that she didn't want me to cry because she would be in Heaven, and she would finally be able to walk, see and hang out with all of her friends and have a great party. I have tried so hard to keep that promise to her, but I know she understands that everyone needs a little cry once in a while.
So much has gone on in my life since she left and when I had my Quinceanera, she was there. When I graduated, she was there. When I went through my lessons, and learned from them she was always there. When I got married I knew she was there. And every single day she has been there for me. I talk to her everyday, and I know that she isn't vocally talking back but she is still there in my life. I know she is giving me a hug when I need it, and some encouragement or strength when I really need it.
Sometimes I wish I just had 10 minutes with her right now, just to hug her and talk to her, but if I had that then I would want 10 minutes more. And I all I have to remember is that she is already here with me and nothing will ever change that. I have to remind myself that I had an amazing relationship with her, one that no one else can ever know about, but us. And it is just a sweet little memory that I will have for ever. And after all she is the one that taught me that the future's not ours to see.
Que Sera, Sera.

A New Photographer in the Family

During Thanksgiving weekend David and I were so happy to just see so many family members. One person I was very excited to see again was a very young lady named Katelynn. David's cousin Leanna has two little precious children, Katelynn and Aiden. The last time we saw her family was for a funeral, but the one thing about The Balentines is that they always see the silver lining on the cloud. We got to hang out at Leanna's and have a yummy Texas dinner. Katelynn and I got soo close over the two days we were there and I had a little friend that just wanted to hang out with me. I ended up playing 'Beauty Shop' with her like I did when I was a kid and straightened her hair and gave her some bronzer and lip gloss. After that was done I ended up teaching her some gymnastics moves (since I once was a certified Gymnastics Teacher) and she got her handstands, back flips, front flips and cartwheels down in one night. It was not easy to leave and I loved that I got a big hug right before we left.
I had been thinking all about Katelynn and how excited I would be to see her when we got to San Antonio. I finally got to see her on Thanksgiving morning and she was standing right in front of the door with no idea of who I was. I noticed this immediately and said "Katelynn, do you remember me?" Of course her answer was no. I frowned, put my hands on my hips and said "Katelynn! I taught you how to do Gymnastics!" She thought for a second and had a huge smile on her face and gave me a great big hug. David and I had to go to my Mom's for her wonderful Thanksgiving Lunch and told Katelynn we would see her at Allison's for dinner.
We got to Allison's around 4 and I could tell that Katelynn still wasn't as warmed up to me as she was last time I saw her in Ft. Worth. I noticed that Everyone was outside waiting for the dinner to be ready and I realized what better time to bring out my Hula Hoops! Like I wrote in a precious post they ended up being a huge hit and the one person that got it down the most was Katelynn. She saw me taking pictures of everything going on and got extremely interested in my camera. She even started getting really close to it to start inspecting it and hinting about how much she likes to take pictures with her Mom's camera. Honestly, I love my camera with all my heart and I rarely, rarely let anyone take a picture with it, so i nicely told her that it is a very expensive camera and I really am the only one who takes pictures with it. She understood and listened to what I said, but of course she is somewhat like me and was very persistent. I finally realized that she really wanted to take pictures, so when I was done taking everything I needed to that day I told her she could finally use it, but on one condition... that she had to have the camera strap around her neck at all times and if it any time I saw her without it I would take my camera away. She smiled so big and agreed to the rule.
She was so amazed of how well the pictures were coming out. She learned very quickly how to use the lens, focus and take the right kind of pictures. After 5 minutes she came up to me and told me she ran out of pictures to take. I told her to remember that she probably wouldn't see this house for another year and I wanted her to go through the house and take a picture of every little thing in the house so she would have a way to remember Allison's home when she came back next year. It ended up working just like I expected to and really because the best thing for a beginner photographer is to have an assignment. She ended up taking over 300 pictures that night!


Her parents were a little worried about her using the camera too much, but I just reminded them that its a rechargeable battery and a 16gb camera card and there was nothing to worry about. She did such a great job and for the next few days she would ask politely to borrow my camera to take more pictures. One of the last nights that her parents were there, the whole Balentine Grandkids gang were outside talking and catching up with all our stories. Her father had told me that he wanted to thank me for showing his daughter a hobby that she loved. We would look at her pictures all together and everyone was so amazed and surprised at how gifted she was at it. He was even blown away to see her photo shopping work and could not even believe that Katelynn had done this all by herself. Even Bruce (the man that knows everything about anything) even stated that he was very impressed with her work and really saw a talent in her pictures.

Nothing put a bigger smile on my face than seeing her really fall in love with photography. Her father even told me that there is no way around it, they are getting her a really good camera for her big Christmas gift.
I was so proud of all the work and everything that she had learned over the few days she was there. I think my favorite part of spending time with Katelynn was that I finally found out what it was like to have a little sister. It made me feel like a great role model for someone and help them find their love for something and put them in the right direction. I can't wait to see her again and teach her more things. Who knows, we might have a big name photographer in our family in some years ahead, and I will always be her biggest fan.