Sunday Nights feel Alright!!!

Another blog about our wonderful Sunday Game Night. Last Sunday was the biggest and best game night we have had yet. We have been a bit busy recently helping our friends Alan and Kelly move into Austin and introduce them to anyone and everyone in town. We've been to the local watering holes, checking out Town Lake, done endless amounts of shopping. The Sunday they moved to Austin ( January 10) We had to cancel our Game Night to help them move in and unpack. I, of course, felt horrible to turn my back on the well planned, always dependable Game Night - so I thought it would be best to make up for it a best as I could.

David and I decided to make dinner for everyone to make up for a missed Night of Games and the ruling of what to eat was good ol' Texas Bar B Que! David made smoked ribs, and I made (purchased) potato salad, hashrowns, and bar-b-que beans. Everyone had a plate of something to eat while there were moments of silence due to the hunger of meat on a bone. We had a 7 person meal eaten in full within 15 minutes. The best part was just enjoying conversations while cleaning up the kitchen. One of the founders of Game Night, PATA!, brought over a dessert to help me out from having to get one myself. She brought a Chocolate Mousse Pie that was amazingly good. So good, that we have now appointed Pata as the dessert girl for Game Night. A huge honor in our Game Night Tribe.

We decided to start the games and we so happy that we can really start to take advantage of the huge poker table David made a while ago. We started with the famously fun game 'Apples to Apples'. I really can't remember if I have mentioned this game before (I'm really bad about keeping up with this blog) but we L-O-V-E this game. We haven't met anyone who doesn't like this game and I'm sure if we did meet someone who didn't like this game, we wouldn't invite them back because they must be crazy, since we really really love this game. Anyway... it's a great game. There is one judge out of the group that picks a green card (Adjective) and everyone else has to put down a red card (Noun) that they think best resembles the green card. The judge decides who best described the green card in their own view, and the one with the most cards wins. Super easy and super fun!

After a round of Apples to Apples we decided to try a new game that I had purchased just for Game Night. It is called Imaginiff... This game is horrible. Do not buy! It looked like a lot of fun and ended up being a lot of pointless work. We couldn't figure out how the game was played and when we finally did, one round barely lasted 5 minutes. On top of that, you have to tell people what you think of them in somewhat of a harsh way. It was no fun, we voted and decided to discard the game. It was returned, and out of our house.

After the horrible mess that is called Imaginiff we decided to take another crack at Apples to Apples. We played for a couple of rounds and started to notice that everyone was getting a little tired of the game. You can really only play it so many times. So we tried to think of another game to play and came up blank. We decided to give this thing 'conversation' a try and see how it goes. Before we got into any real conversation, I grabbed some notecards and pens so we could play the game Who Am I?

Every time we have tried to explain to someone what the game of Who am I is, they automatically say "Oh! Like in the move Inglorious Bastards!" Yes, just like in that movie. Thought I have played that game before, the thought of the movie did pop in my head and did create the idea to play the game with our friends. If you are not familiar with the movie Inglorious Bastards or the game, who am I, then let me explain.

How to Play 'Who Am I!' :

Everyone who is playing gets a sticky note or piece of paper. Everyone will write the name of a celebrity, political figure, cartoon character, book character, etc. You can choose one category or mix them up. Use a different person for each note. Place the note on the forehead of each player. Everyone has to ask yes or no questions to determine who their character/person is. When you figure out who you are you help others try to guess who they are. It actually ended being a lot of fun with a lot of laughs.

We had such a wonderful time with out Game Night Crew and gave hugs and goodbyes around the 10 pm mark.(everyone works Mondays) So my goal is to catch everyone up as much as I can since I am officially a week behind on this blog. We have to much to talk about! Kelly and Alan moved to Austin! And we have started going to this really great dinner party on Wednesday nights that I will have to tell you about too. So thanks for stopping by, and don't be a stranger! Soon I will have some more stories to tell you about!

A Less Better Camera

I know... I will always want, want, want. But I seriously believe this is for a good reason. I was going through my older posts and noticing that my pictures have started to diminish the more I post. I tried to think over the past few weeks of why I have not been behind the camera. First I used the excuse of it being too cold, then I realized when I go somewhere I think about bring the camera and my husband talks me out of it since he is probably afraid I will leave it wherever we are going. There is also a belief that I think that everyone owns a camera in their home and uses it often. I know that it isn't true for everyone, so I have to actually remind myself to bring my camera. So let's say I remember everything I am suppose to and I find a way to even bring a camera to the event, the main problem is my camera is just too big. It really is an amazing camera. David got it for me a while ago... he was so sweet about giving it to me even though it just happened to be a day where I did nothing but cry all day for no reason. But he called it an "I Love You" gift and I quickly fell in love with this amazing camera. It is the best camera I have ever owned in my life... and has taken me to so many places I never thought I could go as a photographer... but it is just too good of a camera.
You are probably thinking about how a camera can be too good. Well let me explain why I think this camera is too good.

1) I can not take pictures with friends without asking someone else to take the picture for me.This is a very important thing. I have had people try to steal my camera since it is so good. And if I find someone to take the picture... Most of the time they have no idea how it works since they've never held a decent camera before. So a small crappy camera really would be the best thing to avoid a picture like this....2) It's too expensive to take around to places where I might be partaking in alcohol. We all know how alcohol can affect the brain... and you tend to forget things.... let's just be honest. You're not on top of your game. Last time I went downtown I was dancing with some friends and left my camera at a table with friends. I can't really wear it around my neck and function in a moving state. And someone tried to steal it! I know! I caught him, he dropped it, and ran out the door. So Tiny camera can fit in a pocket... Big cameras attempt to get stolen.
3) If I lose my camera, my world will end. I can't let that happen. If I use my camera for my artwork or family functions, maybe even a gig for someone. That is absolutely fine since it's work for me and I am very serious about my work. But for social functions I think it would be best to stick with a camera that is worth less than $200.
4) If I lose my camera my Husband will not be happy... at all. Seriously, I think I would have a husband that would not talk to me for a bit. He knows how much I love that camera, and if I lost it, I can even imagine how he would react. Did I also mention he loves this camera? Yeah... he wouldn't be happy. And all because this camera is just too good.I know I might not be making the best argument in the world here. And I have to admit that I did get a C in Debate. I'm great at Public Speaking but I usually pay attention to another conversation waiting to interject to prove my point. I personally think these reason's are good enough to get what I want. And hopefully soon that will occur for me. I think the best option would be to get an Flip camera. It is a camcorder and would be great for social scenes. My only concern is for the lack of flash. And I think I am allowed to be choosy since I am not a beggar. And I will let you all know as soon as I get what I want and point out again how spoiled I really am.

Lil Brothers and New Years!

I brought my little brother back with us last Friday. I had been waiting for him to come back in town so we could catch up and hang out. I had mentioned earlier that I had lost my 'cool' and couldn't stay up too late. I tried to make it up with my days off, so our anniversary night we brought Micheal out to Skipp's birthday party. We had such a great time with a baseball pinata and the chance to find out why this town tries to 'Keep Austin Weird'. We met so many new, great people and it was great to see my brother fit in so well to this town.
Thursday we woke up late and grabbed some Mexican food. Right after my brother and I jumped in the car and drove over to a tea house on 31st and Guadalupe. We had met a guy the night before who told us of this amazing place and to come in for tea. We ended up spending 2 hours talking, laughing and having some of the most amazing tea I've ever had in my life. We ended up going home and relaxing to get some rest before our New Years night. Our plans fell through and we were prepared to have a night in with a great movie. At 11pm we got invited to a last minute party and headed out. We had such a great time counting down and enjoying our self. I even caught my brother learning how to Hula Hoop! (It runs in the family I tell you!) We left that party and headed to another one after 1. We showed up to this great house near Lamar with a lot of land and a huge bonfire. We got to meet new people and stay up til 4. My brother and I also continued some great conversation for the rest of the night.

The next day we woke up late (and for me that was 10:30 for me) and I had the biggest best idea to make 2 desserts for a New Years Day party we were invited to go to. I managed to make a Chocolate Dr. Pepper cake and a Lime Meringue Pie. We showed up on time (but a little early for our friends) and hung around for snacks and movies. We watching the making of Iron Man for a bit, and watching the wonderfully fantastic Superman! It was even better to joke around and pull our own version of Mystery Science Theater 2010. After the wonderful jokes and puns to Christopher Reeves best movie ever, we watched Space Odyssey 2001. I've never seen it before... and it's really creepy. Like, really creepy. I actually got motion sickness watching his trip into another direction on a 12 ft screen. We ended up having to go home since I work so early in the morning, and David and my brother found it necessary to continue on David's projector and watch the 2010.
I had to send my brother on his way yesterday back home to Ol' San Antone, and clean up my house from a week of hanging out. I miss him dearly and can't wait for him to visit again. I started in another New Year with my husband and my brother on each side, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy New Years!!!

A 2 Year Celebration

On Wednesday, David and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary and it was so great to see how much we have learned, grown and loved. A little over 2 years ago, David and I started planning our wedding. We decided we wanted to have a small wedding, on a Wednesday in some random town in Mexico that would require a donkey to get to the town. Why? is the first question I think pops in to peoples head when they heard of this plan. Honestly, because we didn't really want anyone at our wedding. I know that sounds harsh and some people may not agree or understand, but that is just us. We just wanted it to be for us and only us. As much as other people may interact and watch the marriage grow, we believed it was up to us to make it work, so it should just start with only us when we get married. So we started the planning and next thing I knew I just couldn't deal with all of the planning. I think we realized we just wanted to get married right away when I was crying from all of the planning and told him I though it would be better to catch a plane and go somewhere random and just get married. Of course David agreed and I had to talk us out of it. We decided we would do it small and in a rush. So we went out and got a marriage license, sat down both of our parents for dinner and said... "Surprise! We're getting married in a week and it's going to be at (David's) mom's house." It honestly didn't go as well as we hoped. But slowly we started getting everything put together quickly and nicely.
I remember the day we got married so well, but still such with some blurs. I remember being absolutely calm and relaxed and really didn't care about much, but just waiting to see David and say I do. Like any wedding there were some glitches to work around. Our minister was flying in from Dallas, and to not fault to him, his plane was delayed 2 hours. Uninvited guests showed up and my family harassed our bridal party to see if there was any other reason we got married in a hurry. However, I was just sitting in his parent's bedroom just sitting and watching everyone run around to get everything right for us. My favorite moment (besides marrying David) was when my mom and dad were getting ready to walk me down the isle. I wrapped my arm around my dad's and he squeezed my hand. The second he did that, it took everything out of me not to cry. I remember seeing David down at the end with tears rolling down his face with a big smile to show his excitement. The rest of the night was just wonderful. Having dinner with all of my friends and family and trying to find any way to place the word 'Husband' in a sentence. The food was great, the cake was even better, and the speeches was the cherry of the evening.
So here we are 2 years later. We had dinner at our favorite Sushi Restaurant, picked up my brother and went to our friends birthday party. I know some people were confused why we would spend our anniversary at a friends birthday party... but in all honesty, we did that last year for our anniversary and it ended up being a great night and a great year... so if it works, why fix it? We actually might have a tradition on our hands. The best part of that night was that we sat down and wrote a list of all the things we want to accomplish in the next year before our next anniversary. Reasonable, affordable, reachable goals. We are so excited abut this upcoming year and everything that we can do to make more memories and learn more about each other. I love David so much with all of my heart, and as sappy as I can be sometimes he is the light in my life.

Happy Anniversary David!
2 down, 78 to go!

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!