Dallas Trip

Mandie and Cara outside of the Blue Goose Cantina in Dallas

We went to Dallas last weekend for a super-fast whirlwind trip for the wedding of two of my best friends from Baylor, Ryan and Tara.  We flew out of Atlanta (which is a four-ish hour drive from our house in Statesboro) late on Friday evening, and were graciously hosted by my sister Amber, whom we were very glad to get to see.  On Saturday, we got up and had breakfast tacos at a fabulous local joint with Amber, and then were super excited to get to have an impromptu lunch with Cara, another Baylor friend, and her husband Robbie, who we haven't seen since their wedding (which I was in, see post here) at the Blue Goose Cantina (seriously good Mexican food--if you live in Dallas and haven't been there, we highly recommend it!).  I miss her so much, so I was so very happy to get to see her and catch up!!  Then, we were off to the nuptials of Ryan and Tara.  The ceremony was beautiful and we were so blessed to be able to be there for their special day!  Ryan was actually a groomsman in our wedding and Tara was one of the very first people that I ever met at Baylor--both of them were in the Golden Wave Band with Colin and I, so it was fun to be able to see their romance blossom into a marriage.  Plus, many of the wedding guests were people that we knew from our time at Baylor, so it was like a big reunion and a fun time to catch up with old friends who we don't get to see very often now that we live out of state.  We had a blast, but then had to get on a super early flight out of Dallas on Sunday morning so that we could drive back to Statesboro from Atlanta for Colin to get ready for work on Monday.  So, sorry any Dallas friends that we didn't get to see this time around--we will hopefully be back to Texas soon and be able to see you then! :)

For an album of pictures that we took at the wedding, click here.

For a bonus album of pictures that I FINALLY got off of my camera from our trip to Texas over Christmas from the Alamo Bowl and from New Years, click here. (I know--I have been a slacker blogger)

Mandie and Colin at the wedding reception

Mandie with Ryan, the handsome groom!!

Football Season Update!

Football season has been super crazy!  We have not had a weekend off since it started as the Southern Pride Marching Band has taken at least a pep band to every away game, and I have traveled with Colin to all but one of the away trips.  The band kids have been really great to both of us, and even surprised us by bringing a pep band to our house one night to play the fight song in our front yard!  It is has been a super fun but busy time, and was made extra exciting this weekend when the GSU Eagles traveled to South Carolina to defeat Wofford in their conference closer for the season to become the Southern Conference Champions!  We will be traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this weekend with the full marching band as GSU takes on Alabama (YIKES!!!!) in our closing game for the regular season, and will have a weekend off (FINALLY) for Thanksgiving where we will be traveling to North Carolina to spend the holiday with the McKenzie family.  After that, we will have FCS playoff games that will hopefully be at home.  So, that is why we have been the worst blog updaters ever this fall, and I will leave you with some of our favorite pictures from the football games so far.

To see a complete album of pictures from the fall, click here.

Beautiful mountain scenery at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina

Colin and Mandie at the Appalachian State v. GSU game (it was snowing!) in Boone, North Carolina

Mandie with Freedom, the GSU mascot

Mandie and Colin at the GSU v. the Citadel game

Southern Pride Marching Band "Script Eagles" Show

Pep Band that surprised us by coming to play the GSU fight song at our house

Dr. Colin McKenzie and the Southern Pride Marching Band featured on Georgia Public Television (Colin's name on T.V.!!)

New House Pictures!

I FINALLY took some pictures of our new house--these are not all of them as we are still working on put the finishing touches on some of the rooms. Enjoy!

Click here the view photos.

Moving Update

We are now settled into our new home in Statesboro, Georgia.  We left over Memorial Day weekend and took two days to drive from Michigan to Georgia.  The move was very long and stressful--our GPS led us down an off-the-beaten path route (meaning no interstate travel) through the mountains in Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, which would have been beautiful if it hadn't added five extra hours to our trip and if Colin wasn't trying to drive a twenty-six foot Penske truck with a car trailer attached to it on windy mountain roads.  We had a hotel reservation in Charlotte, North Carolina, where we were going to stay the night.  We originally thought we would be there by 10 PM, but did not arrive until 3 AM, where Colin promptly fell down a hill and bruised a rib and scraped up his \face.  After a terrible day of driving, we went to sleep and finally got to Statesboro the next day where we unloaded the truck at our beautiful new house! Special thanks to my sister Amber for helping me drive the Honda and for enduring the move from hell with us.  I would have fallen asleep at the wheel multiple times were it not for her accompanying us. Colin and I have since decided that the next time we decide to move, we are hiring movers! :)

Once we had unloaded the truck, we got into the car, dropped the puppies off at the kennel, and made our way to Columbus, Georgia, for Colin's youngest brother Andy's wedding.  We were so blessed to be able to see most of the Garcia and McKenzie relatives including both sets of grandparents and some cousins from North Carolina.  We were also super excited to get to hang out with Ian, Colin's middle brother, and his wife Meredith. We always have a great time with them and do not get to see them often as Ian is in the Army.  It was a great time to see family and congratulations to Andy and Renee, the newest addition to the McKenzie family!  We then returned home to start the task of unpacking and setting up the house. We were happy to have Colin's mom come to visit us this week and had fun showing her our new hometown. Now we just need to finish unpacking everything!

Andy and Renee, the Bride and Groom

Mom McKenzie, Ian, Meredith and Mandie at Andy and Renee's Wedding  Reception

Colin and Mandie at Andy and Renee's Wedding Reception

Mandie and Mom McKenzie at Andy and Renee's Wedding  Reception

I am going to Texas to visit family and friends next weekend and will be there for a week and a half or so, so Colin will be enjoying the bachelor life while I am away.  He has plenty to keep him busy as he prepares for marching season with his new band! Colin officially starts his new job on July 1, and then we will be back in the swing of football season before we know it! I will post pictures of the new house as soon as we finish putting everything away (probably early next week).

Moving Day is Drawing Near...

All of the moving boxes stacked in our guest bedrooms

We are in the final stretches of our moving preparations! Colin and I have been packing diligently and trying to get rid of most of our pre-marriage stuff that still lurks in our house and have been squeezing in meals with all of our friends here in Michigan. We also went to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie in IMAX 3D--it is super fun and you should all go see it this summer!  We pack up the truck on Saturday, and then my sister Amber comes in from Dallas to help us with the drive down to Georgia on Sunday. And then we leave for our new home in Georgia on Monday (yes, we know it is Memorial Day and that we will be driving along with everybody else!). :) We are super excited to be in our new home and starting the newest chapter of our lives in the South!

And...I leave you with this super fun giveaway from Sara at the Crazy Cozads blog.  She is offering a beautiful notecard set from Cambria Cove, so go check it out!

Dr. McKenzie and New House!

So many exciting things have been happening in our lives lately!  On May 2, Colin successfully defended his dissertation and is now Dr. McKenzie (he will not walk until December but is Dr. on paper). We immediately left for Statesboro, Georgia, to look for a place to live and so that Colin could meet with some students and faculty before GSU's semester was over. We found a wonderful house and are so excited to move there!  It is the nicest place we will have ever lived since we have been married, and, for the first time, we will have a walk-in closet! For more pictures of the new house, click here. We also were able to spend a day in Savannah, which is a super fun city, and even got to walk on the beach at Tybee Island. We are so excited to be moving to such a vibrant area and cannot wait to move. Now, we just have to finish packing (yuck!) and then will be ready to move over Memorial Day weekend!

New house in Statesboro!

Charlotte featured online through Bark Magazine

Charlotte has been chosen as one of the Bark Magazine's smiling dogs! Check out her photo at http://www.thebark.com/content/weekly-smilers-4-25-11. (She is listed under week 4-25-11). The dogs are listed alphabetically so her photo is at the beginning of the array! YAY for our beautiful, gorgeous girl!

Moving Countdown!

Things are coming to an end quickly here in Michigan! I have only three weeks of work left, so have been busy trying to wrap things up there. I will be sad to leave a job that I love and all of the wonderful co-workers I have, but am looking forward to our next adventure!

Colin has submitted his transcription of John Corliagno's Tournaments for band as well his document to his committee. His dissertation defense is scheduled for May 2. Hopefully, if all goes well, he will have finished all of his requirements and we will just need to register for his remaining dissertation hours this summer (why we are still required to buy those after he has defended, I don't know--graduate school can be a racket!) and then he will be Dr. McKenzie in August! Please keep him in your thoughts as he tries to finish up his last class and prepares for his dissertation defense.

We go May 4 to Statesboro to look for a place to live, so wish us luck! We are hoping to move over Memorial Day weekend.

Mandie

Puppy Dog Easter Pictures

Last weekend, we took our puppies to Petco because the Lansing Jaycees were having a fundraiser for the Capital Area Humane Society and the Animal Placement Bureau by taking pictures of dogs with the Easter Bunny (CAHS is the animal rescue where Colin and I volunteer, and one of my co-workers helps run the Animal Placement Bureau, so we like to support them!).  We have never taken our dogs to have pictures taken like this before, so it was a little bit of an adventure. Charlotte is apparently scared of people in costume and originally started growling at the Easter Bunny, but we finally got her settled down with lots of treats!  Beauregard just wanted to escape and run around the store (true to form) and Savannah, as usual, was our best dog, sitting still for the camera. Overall it was a fun experience and gave us some cute pictures while we supported a good cause!

You can view all of the Easter pictures as well as other puppy pics by clicking here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2332887&id=9203837&l=f6f5504c5d

Beauregard

Charlotte

Savannah

Please vote for Beauregard!

Beauregard, our beagle, has been entered in Bissel's MVP pet photo contest! If he wins, we could win a number of prizes, including money for our favorite pet charity! Please vote for him everyday this week! Thanks

Click on the following link to vote for Beauregard:
Beauregard

Click here to learn more about the Bissel MVP pet photo contest:
http://bissell.promo.eprize.com/mvpcontest/?cid=p1core-tbx07.f.1800/b08a5/557/eaed585e.5af59c261f5849c6da6a8b5c54f4dc93