Decorating for Christmas

Saturday Johnny and I finally started decorating for Christmas (I say finally because Iwanted to on Friday and had to wait until Saturday. . . ) but it was really fun to do it together for the first time. We got our decortions and tree on Friday and then as soon as we woke up on Saturday it was go-time! He made breakfast and I made sugar cookies. And in the meantime we both noticed little family traditions that were different between us:
I put the lights into the tree, he hangs them around the tree
I was used to having stories behind all the ornaments, he just bought a Texas Longhorn one
I had to have Manheim Steamroller playing, he didn't have any preference
No poem contest, we just stuck the star on the tree
and I realized, my family had tons of random traditions because we spent most of our Christmases alone in Texas (all our extended family was 1,000 miles away). So it was usually just us. But Johnny has lots of extended family near here, so they are usually all together.
So it'll be interesting when we have kids of our own to see what we'll end up doing - will we have Christmas Eve just us and then journey to the Krutsinger's on Christmas Day (like I would want to?) Or will we do the family Christmas Eve and family Christmas afternoon (like he's used to?) Or we could go to Hawaii! Just kidding, I'd miss the snow. . . oh wait, there is no snow in Central Texas. . . . I miss snow right now
So I'm excited about whatever traditions we'll develop with our new family.

Either way our house looks great and we're excited to spend it together!

Can we make a difference?

On the news last night, they discussed this case: http://democratic-ag-candidate-says-texas-marriages-legal-danger.

I was confused by it, so I goggled it all today. Apparently Barbara Ann Radnofsky claims that the Texas statute unravels all Texas marriages. I don't get it. I think the statute is pretty clear. The official statute reads:

Sec. 32. MARRIAGE. (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.

(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.

It makes sense to me, but apparently it's destroyed all marriages in Texas. Thankfully, the Texas Attorney General is fighting her claim and protecting the original statute. So, do some research, read the articles posted on google, and then decide for yourself. But if you agree with me that the statute is fine, and marriage is between one man and one woman, try calling or e-mailing the Texas Attorney General's office and give them your support. Their website is here: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/agency/contacts.shtml#email

Winner - Liz

So, the pic below really is chapstick.
Johnny and I were in severe need of chapstick, and I had a teeny bit in my tube. I would crank it as far as I could and rub it on my lips, but Johnny had a more manly way of getting the chapstick out. He cut open open the tube and ripped out the actual pink part in the picture. Then he could wiggle that all over his lips. . . and we used that scrawny thing for chapstick for a few days before I finally bought more at HEB.
Yea for Liz! You'll get a prize in the mail!

Win a Prize

What is this? Any guesses? (Winners will receive a prize!)

Halloween Dance

We couldn't wear our bank robber costumes to the church Halloween Dance (because of the masks), so we went as nerds. But we won the best couple's costume! Free movie tickets!

Making an offer

Here's the house we're gonna make an offer on:
http://www.austinhome.com/texas/kyle/78640/203-montague-dr/

It's not the fixer-upper one, because we're thinking the reason the additions have no connecting roof is because the septic tank is right in between them. Crazy previous homeowners. . . We can't pour slab over the septic, and moving it or getting a new one is super expensive. So, we'd be stuck with the ugly, weird back of the house and we couldn't expand it to make it normal.
But this house rocks, and we're super excited!

Halloween

Here's Halloween pictures from Tim and Kelsey's annual work party. All the costumes were great, and it was fun to hang with everybody all at once.

Johnny and I were bank robbers. He was Nixon and I was Clinton, and we stormed in with our Tommy guns and gunny sack. . . unfortunately, nobody gave us their watches or wallets.

House Hunting 2

So, we're looking at another house next week.
This one has half an acre, is remodeled on the inside, and is cute although it's only 1414 square feet. Johnny and I poked around with flashlights last night. . . and we like it. We're trying to stay under $130,000 because it's just the two of us and we don't need anything huge yet. And this house is a little more, but we figure we can offer them in our price range and they'll accept. (=

However, the crazy one in Kyle that's half remodeled, has a crazy roofless addition and weird layout that's also on half an acre is still in the running. It's listing price is ten thousand less, and we know we can lowball that house cause it's been on the market since February. It's just so ugly inside no one wants it! Johnny and I are confident we could fix it up and then it be really nice, and it has 2200 something square feet. . .

So that's our debate right now - do we get the smaller, ready to live in home that's more expensive? Or do we get the major fixer upper with more square footage for much less? The cost to fix it up will probably even out the two houses, but that's still a ton of work.
Thoughts?
There aren't really any pics, we'll have to take some for ya when we go back.

Trash Collector?

I'm a waitress, not a trash collector!!

A guy came into Carino's this afternoon, and wanted to see me. He had been in my section about an hour before, and apparently had left some papers on the table.

Me: I'm sorry, but we've already cleaned that table, and the papers are probably in the trash.
Him: Well, they were very important e-mails. They were sitting right on the corner of the table.
Me: I'm sorry, would you like me to check with the table tender to see if he saw them? But they did probably end up in the trashcan.
Him: Yes. Find the table-tender.

So, the table tender comes with me to tell the guy that his stuff's obviously in the trash and is most definitely thrown away. (What does he think? We keep stuff in some secret drawer somewhere? Of course it's in the trash, you left it here an hour ago!)

Table tender: Yeah, I cleaned the table after ya'll left, those papers got thrown away.
Him: They were important papers, I can't believe you threw them away. I really need them back.
Me: Well, if you want we can dig threw the trash. . . (assuming he would say no)
Him: Yeah, dig through the trash and find them for me.

So Matt and I dug through the trash and found his stupid e-mails. And he left very angrily. The nerve of some people.

Pumpkin Carving

Look at our awesome pumpkin!!!!

"New" Furniture

It's done! I pulled this out of the trash last week, and now it's painted and sponged. (You might need to blow the pic up to see the detail).

But it's pretty huh?

And the dresser is almost done -

Johnny's done a great job staining everything.

(Just a reminder on how crummy they looked when we first got them from the garage sale. . . ) We've made them awesome!

House Hunting

We looked at a house yesterday!!

It's a old house from like 1947,

and it would definitely need some work:
fix the garage so Johnny's Impala fits. . .
make sure the pier/beam foundation is solid. . .
make sure the tin roof doesn't leak. . .
repaint the red kitchen cabinets. . .

and remove all the Chicago Bears logos. . .

But it has cute potential! So we'll see.

Johnny and I figure our hearts won't be broken if someone else buys it first (and it's been on the market since July. . .making us able to low-ball the offer). But despite the fixes, it's still the house we like the best. And it would be a breeze to rent out to college kids later when we buy a bigger house with our babies. . . so we're stuck in limbo.
Thankfully, we have till February in our current home, and then this lease goes month to month, so we have plenty of time to find a home. And it looks like the 1st time home buyer tax credit will be extended!

"New" Nightstand

Remember the dresser and nightstand that we got at a garage sale before we got married? Well, the nightstand is finally done! It got sanded, stained, then sanded finer, then three coats of lacquer. The drawers got three coats of paint - but it's done!!

Aren't the knobs cute?

Eventually we'll finish the dresser too - it should look the same, and then we'll have matching bedroom furniture.

I also picked up another project out of someone's trash pile. . . this bookcase was on the side of the road in the morning when I went to work, and I figured if it was still in the trash when I came home, I would take it. it Five hours later it was still there, so I did a double take for the neighbors and quickly dunked it into my trunk and drove home. (=


Someone had tried to paint the top three shelves, but it was a bumpy horrible coat of paint, and I guess they gave up. I sanded down the white sides, top, and shelves this morning. (It was mostly white, you can still see some of the paint that I haven't gotten off yet. . . )

So it's been a successful morning - and I still have to go to work in about an hour - yea. . .

Wedding Pictures

I can't say enough how much we loved our wedding photographer!!! Nicole did an amazing job, and we can't stop praising her work. Her website is www.berrettphotography.com for those of you who need photo services in the future.

We have all 787 images now from our wedding, and I put a smattering of those on Facebook - but so the rest of you can see, here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2142043&id=193303518&l=8d052628cc

Thanks to everyone who was part of our special day, and especially to our families. Hope you enjoyed yourself then, and also the pictures now.

(=

Nicci and Johnny

London and Paris

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2141355&id=193303518&l=31e707aa48

Here's the link an album with our highlight pics!! Not all 300 of them, but the major pics of what we did in London and Paris.

It was awesome!!! Everything was beautiful and old and charming, and I promised Johnny that the day we move to London or Paris, he can get a motorcycle. (Motorcyclists basically have free range, and can do anything in these cities, and Johnny was excited.) Hopefully we get him that bike someday!!

It was a great trip - Stonehenge, palaces, forts, architecture, famous paintings, gardens, shopping, we loved it.

Hope ya like the pics!!

Tuxedo Cake

See this totally awesome cake that I made!!! Completely from scratch too!!!

Johnny and I were invited over to a friend's house for dinner and boardgames on Sunday night, and were asked to bring dessert. I had a new cake platter that I needed an excuse to use, so I decided to make a cake.
It took forever to make, cause the cake has to cool for at least two hours before it's iced, the icing has to set in the fridge for at least an hour before the chocolate glaze is poured, and the glaze has to be refrigerated for at least an hour before serving.
(And I made the cake portion before church - on fast Sunday. You know how hard it is to make a cake on fast Sunday and therefore not be able to lick the spoon or anything!!)
But it turned out beautifully and was so incredibly yummy!!! The inside of it shows the two layers and all, excuse the cling wrap that kept it moist. . .
The six of us at the dinner party only ate 1/4 of the cake, so I took the remainder to work Monday - it was devoured quickly.
So I'm proud of my first awesome cake - made completely from scratch!

Longhorns

Look I'm a Longhorn!!!! (Sorry, not a pro-U.T. post, go Sandies!)

Pics from our wedding

Can I say again how much we love our wedding photographer? She was amazing, and I recommend Nicole Berrett to everyone. Here's a sample of our wedding pics - when we get all of them, I'll send the link to you!

my favorite so far

leaving the reception amidst bubbles

isn't he gorgeous?

when he saw me in my dress for the first time

Water Wars

So, what do us newlyweds do on a Sunday evening?

We stand in the kitchen and spit water at each other from across the room.

(Or most accurately, Johnny can reach me from the other side of the room and I spray all over myself trying to learn how to squirt water across the room. . .)

But it makes mopping the floor easier!

Food

So, I'm totally making brown sugar muffins for breakfast.

It just sounds good!

Thanks to Mom for the Kitchen-aid, Mandy for the muffin pan, Denny for the paper baking cups, and my old roomies for the leftover ingredients.