San Antonio Anniversary Trip!

Yes, I know that our anniversary isn't until July 12, but as we will be moving the weekend after our anniversary and packing like crazy the weekend of our anniversary, we decided to take a relaxing weekend trip to San Antonio on a more relaxing weekend in the summer in order to celebrate our first anniversary. We got tickets to go see the musical Wicked at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio on June 4, which I have been dying to see and border line obsessed with for two years now. It was amazing! Everyone should go see it if you get the chance--eveything about it is wonderful! We found a super cheap rate at the Sheraton Gunter hotel right across the street from the theatre and near the Riverwalk, so we got to pretend that we were fancy for a few nights. And, of course, we ate all of the yummy Mexican and seafood that we could since we are moving to Michigan where those kinds of restaurants don't really exist. Our favorite meals were at Casa Rio (where Colin requested that the Mariachi band play a song at our table called "La Paloma", a love song about a dove who returns a message to the lover of a sailor who is lost at sea--how romantic! :) ) and Joe's Crab Shack, where Colin peeled and ate crawfish for the first time and we had a crab feast. We had a super fun weekend just hanging out with each other, which rarely happens during the school year. Hopefully we get to have more times to travel with each other in the future!

Here are some pics from our trip:

The Wicked marquee outside the Majestic Theatre

Mandie with the Wicked poster

Our crab feast and crawfish

Crawfish!

Colin eating yummy crab

Spring Update!

Ok, ok, so I know we haven't updated this in a while....so I will fill you in on what we have been doing! The end of April and beginning of May were pretty busy. Colin had his last concert at Baylor on May 3 with the Concert Band, and his Garcia grandparents came all the way from El Paso to see it! We were very excited to have Papa Richard and Grandma Katy at our home for a few days since we don't get to see them very often because El Paso is a ten hour drive from where we live in Waco. Then, last weekend, we took our dogs to Paws in the Park, a charity event for the Waco Humane Society. There were tons of dogs at the event, and we had lots of fun going on a 2k dog walk and visiting the booths that were set up. Please see the pics below!

Us with the Garcia Grandparents!

Colin with Beauregard, Charlotte and Savannah at Paws in the Park

Mandie with Beauregard, Charlotte and Savannah at Paws in the Park

Charlotte!!!!

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month

April is recognized by the ASPCA as Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Since Colin and I are obviously animal lovers, we thought we would give a link to a good article about signs of animal cruelty (http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/how-to-recognize-cruelty.html). Colin and I are also participating in Paws in the Park on May 9, an event hosted by the Waco Humane Society to raise money for their organization. For those of you don't know, all of our dogs are rescue dogs, and Beauregard, our Beagle, was adopted from the Waco Humane Society last February, so we are excited to be able to participate in an event to support them. We will be walking our dogs on a 1k dog walk at Indian Springs Park in Waco as well as participating in other fun pet-friendly events. More information about the event can be found at http://wacohumanesociety.ning.com/. We are accepting donations from people who would like to sponsor us on our walk, so if you are interested in helping us support the Waco Humane Society, please let us know!!

Beauregard playing in the Christmas Decorations

Beauregard and Charlotte on the couch with my Dad

Beauregard and Charlotte on the couch with my Dad again

Beauregard looking distiguished in his new bandanna

Savannah!!!!

Spring Break and Big XII Basketball Tournaments

Colin and I spent most of Spring Break (last week) in Oklahoma City at the Men's and Women's Big XII Basketball Tournaments. Colin got to do his band director thing while I got to hang out and be the "band mom" for the kids on the trip. It was so much fun and the Baylor Bears and the Lady Bears both provided excitement for the trip. The men's team way over-performed by not only beating higher seeded Nebraska, but by upsetting both Kansas (the #1 seed team of the tournament) and Texas (who we haven't beat in the past 25 times we have played them) to make it to the championship game against Mizzou! Even though the men lost, that was the furthest they have gone in the tournament since I have been a Baylor fan, so that was really exciting. After the Texas game, we went and visited the Oklahoma City bombing memorial and museum--a sobering and thoughtful experience that everyone who visits Oklahoma City should have. Then, the Lady Bears won all of their games and became the Big XII Tournament Champions. SIC 'EM!!!

On another note, here is cute picture of us with Beauregard--Colin brought him on a walk by the library to visit me yesterday!

Valentine's Day Weekend

This past weekend was a little crazy. For those of you who don't know, our beagle, Beauregard, got really sick last Tuesday night and we had to take him to the emergency vet. It ended up that he had a really bad bacterial infection in his intestines and was having a lot of bleeding, so he had to stay at the vet for a few days. Thursday night, I was finally able to bring him home, but he was still pretty lethargic for a few days (he is now back to 100 percent and being his mischevous beagle self). Meanwhile, Colin was in San Antonio for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conference, and he did not return to Waco until Saturday. On Saturday, Colin conducted the band at the men's basketball game, where the men FINALLY won a game! YAY!! Then, he came home so that we could celebrate Valentine's Day, where I had made candlelight italian food. It was really nice to be home and to relax together in the evening without a million things to do. :) Colin also got me a BEAUTIFUL ruby and diamond necklace!! (pic attached) Overall, it ended up being a nice weekend, and we are so thankful that Beauregard is back to normal!!

Weekend in H-town!!

We went to Houston this weekend!! On Friday night, we went to the Symphonic Band concert here at Baylor (where my awesome husband was a fabulous conductor of beautiful music) and then made the 3-hour trek down to Houston so that Colin could judge Solo and Ensemble contest in Klein on Saturday. So, he got up at the crack of dawn to go listen to not-so-good high school students play solos all day, and I got some retail therapy with my mom!! The best purchase of the day--a $250 red coat that I can wear in Michigan that I got on sale for $60!!! YAY!! After that, my wonderful parents took us to a yummy dinner at the best seafood restaurant in Houston. Then we drove back to Waco :( so that Colin could play organ at church on Sunday. But I was happy to be able to relax at home, if only for a day, with the family!!

100 things about us....

Have fun guessing which ones I did and which ones Colin did!!!

Rules: Post this on your blog and bold the things you HAVE done!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Owned a dog

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept in an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Owned a house

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been president of an organization

65. Volunteered at Habitat for Humanity

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chicken pox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Read an entire book in one day

MLK Day Holiday!!

We spent the three day weekend for MLK day watching some awesome basketball games and relaxing. On Saturday, we attended both the men's and women's basketball team as they beat OSU. SIC 'EM! There was also an alumni band event during the double header basketball event that allowed alums to play with the normal Courtside Players band, so we had fun catching up with old friends and reliving our days in band at Baylor. On Sunday, we went on a long walk with the puppies and then just hung out and relaxed at the house. It was so nice to have a whole day to just hang out without work or band!! We went to the Olive Garden for dinner and then went to the mall (below is a pic of us at the mall with a bear. Sic 'Em!!). Yay for something uneventful for a change!!

Busy semester!!

The Spring semester has just started, and it is already busy with library work, basketball games, alumni band events, and 8AM classes (poor colin--he has to teach at 8AM four days a week!!). We are both looking forward to the long weekend due to MLK day so that we can relax and just spend some time together!

Long time coming...

So, I know that it has been a long time since we last posted, so let me fill you in on what has been going on in our busy lives!! We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the Rhodes/Barron/Kruschwitz side of the family at our home in Waco. It was fun to have my parents, sisters, aunt, and uncle at home for our first holiday celebration as a married couple. We got to use all of those new dishes and cookware that we got as wedding presents!

Then, we were super busy as the fall semester at Baylor came to an end. Colin had finals to proctor and grade, and I worked some extended hours at the library so that students would have extra late night times to study. I worked a few shifts from 4pm-3am!! I also finished all of my grading for the class that I was TAing for online through the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Science.

Once finals were through and grading was done, Colin and I both sang in the choir at our Christmas program at church, The Word Became Flesh. The music was really good and we both enjoyed being able to participate in music at church at Christmastime. After the Christmas Eve service at our church in Waco, we loaded up the dogs and headed to Baytown to celebrate Christmas with my family at home. On the way, we stopped to see some friends, Chris and Shelley Bailey, who live in Katy. We left the dogs in their backyard, thinking they would behave while we were visiting inside, but, Beauregard managed to escape and we had to chase him around the neighborhood for twenty minutes (this happened after he had already dug out from our yard in Waco earlier that day--he has since gotten a shock collar!! :( ). We made it to Baytown late on Christmas Eve night and spent Christmas day with my parents, Amber, Alissa, my grandpa, and my Meme. Good food and lots of fun was had by all!!

The Saturday after Christmas, my parents drove up to Waco to help my sister move to Dallas to start her new accounting job (YEA!! Her stuff is finally out of our garage and attic!!), so Colin and I helped load her up and went with my parents to Dallas to move her in. After that, mom and dad went home. Colin and I bought some new furniture from IKEA while we were in Houston (a dresser, a headboard, and two new bookshelves!), so we spent the next two days putting that together and rearranging our house. Now, we are leaving to spend about a week in Georgia and North Carolina to visit Colin's family. His dad just returned from Iraq, so we are excited to see him!! We will also get to visit with Meredith, Colin's sister-in-law, who is visiting from Germany and who we haven't seen since Ian was stationed overseas, so that will be fun!! We also will spend a few days in North Carolina with the McKenzie grandparents!! Wish us safe travels and we promise to update the blog more regularly in the future!!