Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! (What? I'm only a week behind!) We had a great Halloween this year and I loved that it was on a Saturday! We started the early evening passing out candy to the all of the trick-or-treaters and then changed into our costumes and headed over to Michelle's 2nd annual Halloween cosutme party! The best part...Michelle is a neighbor so we just walked on over!

Michelle loves Halloween, and when she hosts a party, she goes all out and I mean ALL out. The pictures below of the food, drinks and decor do not do this party justice. I only captured a few of the special touches that Michelle laborlessly worked on during the week. Thank you Michelle for having us and we look forward to next year!

Gangster Michael & Flapper Tamra

A shot from the knees up so you can really get a look at that zoot suit!

Drink table

Wall decor

One of the food tables

This guy has been there a long time...

Eyeball rice crispy treats

Yummy candies

Ghoulish cupcakes!

Brooks & Katie

Katie, Tamra & Sara

Tamra, Katie, Julie, Michelle, Kylie & Lara

Look! Obama even made it! (It's really Ian)

Hostess with the mostess & Tamra

Tamra, Katie, Amanda, Michelle & Lara

Woof Woof Lexi (That's Happy Birthday in Puppy Talk)

Michael and I recently went down to Austin for our niece's 2nd birthday! Lexi is crazy about puppies right now, so it made perfect sense for her birthday to be a dog/puppy theme! Her neighbors recently got a puppy, so maybe that's where her new found passion for dogs is coming from because she lives in a cat household. Ha!

The whole family pitched in and helped get things ready for the party, but Lexi's parents (Chris & Amy) deserve some major applause for all of their hard work and creativity...especially with the doggie cake. They made it themselves! Oh, and I must mention...Amy is 8 months pregnant too! Happy Birthday Lexi and we LOVE you!!

Puppy balloon for the party

Michael grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs

Amy, Ron and a party guest

Gayle & Michael

Food in doggie bowls! Such a great idea!

Amy & Lexi

Lunch time!

This is the picture sequence of Lexi opening up our gift...

She liked the tissue paper...

...not so much the shoes...

...and onto the next gift!

I thought this was a cute idea...juice boxes for the kids in the Tonka truck.

Cake (Amy & Chris made this!)

Birthday girl ready for some cake!

Bounce house...the kids loved it!

Lexi in the bounce house

Lexi, Michael & Tamra

...And One To Grow On!

A few of my friends have recently celebrated their birthdays!

Happy Birthday to K.C., Shawna, Lacey, Amanda and Michel Ann!

Dinner at Fireside Pies for K.C.'s birthday!


Dinner at Cole Vine's for Shawna and Lacey's birthdays!


Amanda and Michel Ann

Dinner at Mi Cocina for Amanda and Michel Ann's birthdays!!

We Came, We Saw, We Lost...

A few weeks ago, Michael and I attended the Southwest Classic game against the Texas A&M Aggies and the Arkansas Razorbacks at the new Texas Cowboy stadium. The weather didn't fully cooperate with us, but we made the best of it. Thank goodness for the Baird's tailgate tent! Not only did it help keep us dry, but Lacey's mom and Mikey's mom both made lots of yummy food for everyone. There was also no shortage of beer!

Let me just say, the new stadium definitely lives up to it's name and it guess everything really is BIGGER in Texas! If you haven't had a chance to attend a game or event at the stadium yet, add it to your list of things to do! The giant T.V. screens alone make this a sight to see.

The Aggies started strong, but we didn't get the win. We had so much fun hanging out with our Aggie friends and I hope the Southwest Classic game becomes a tradition. Until next year Hogs...

Tamra & Michael

K.C., Lacey, Shawna, Tamra & Courtney


The gang at the pre-game festivities


Michael & Tamra


Jerry World


"Where are you going? I've got your ticket..."


Look at the crowd heading in...


The Bairds



The huge doors that have to be opened for the roof to be open.

One of the smaller T.V. screens

The field

Jerry Jones is a Razorback alum and the architect (in khaki) of

the new stadium is a Former Aggie...I think this is how the

Southwest Classic game became a reality.

Courtney & David

Lacey & Mikey

Michael & Tamra

Courtney & Shawna

Tamra & Lacey

Aggie Band getting ready to perform.

"Now forming at the north end of Kyle Field..."

(the Aggies will understand)

Texas Aggie Band

Turning while in formation...amazing!

The resolution on the T.V. screen was so good!

Whoop!!!

Bring on the Pepto...

Heaven on Earth ('Provo' for short)

Michael and I recently took a trip to Turks & Caicos. We spent a week at the Gansevoort and had a wonderful time. The highlights included relaxing by the pool and beach, visiting the hotel spa, exploring the island in a rental car (they drive on the other side of the street!), horseback riding on the beach, snorkeling and some great food! It's really hard to put it all the incredible details into words or capture them in the pictures below. We hope to return in the future!

{If you're a Facebook friend or received the Kodak gallery link, then you've seen the pictures below...but feel free to have a 2nd or 3rd look!}

History: The Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Dependent Territory comprising 40 islands and cays, lie at the southeastern end of the Bahamas chain, 575 miles southeast of Miami and 90 miles north of the island of Hispaniola. The islands are generally flat, with rolling hills. The highest elevation is approximately 250 feet at Blue Mountain on Providenciales, while hills on Grand Turk rise to 163 feet. The Islands aptly proclaimed, "Beautiful by Nature," are the landfall islands of Christopher Columbus' first voyage in search for the far east.

Source: Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands