New Mexico, Part 2

Hello all! Continuing our New Mexico post from last time....

The morning after we finished our big hike, we peeled ourselves from our beds (we were hurting pretty strong...) and went and soaked in the hot tub for a while. Shortly after, this pretty little lady came right up to our deck, so we got to feed her. I'm pretty sure she ate a whole loaf of bread... Even living in the Hill Country all of my life I have never gotten to hand feed a deer. Super cool experience. Please look past the towel on the head :)

That afternoon we drove to Albuquerque and headed to the the Hot Air Balloon mass ascension. What an incredible experience. I would definitely recommend you trying to make one sometime in your lifetime. I must admit, at first I thought that it might be a little cheesy - not so. It was a cool combination of breath-taking views and the simple machinery and science of it all. This is us at the test run the night before they do the mass ascension.

My favorite Aggie.

They really were stunning to watch go up. The pictures really do them no justice.

A balloon being filled with hot air. The flames were huge. We were standing right next to the balloons when they were being heated up. 

The next morning we left the hotel about 4:30 a.m. and made it to the mass ascension before it started. They finally started being released into the air around 6:30 or so. In this picture, they had just released a few. 

The views there really were incredible. This is one of my favorite shots. They released about 800 that day in total. 

They flew right over our heads when they were released. Couldn't help but think some of our funds went to this hot air balloon. Thank you Wells Fargo fees...

The four of us that morning.

Another great shot.

It was a great day and trip. After we finished the ascension, we headed to the airport and caught the evening flight home. It was a whirlwind of a trip, but it was so worth it. Thanks for taking us Williamses!

I promise I will catch up soon. I'm super embarrassed that this trip was at the beginning of October and I am blogging about it in December. Here's to utilizing Christmas break for drafting a few.  :)

More soon,

New Mexico, Part 1

At the beginning of October, Rob and I joined his parents for a quick trip to Albuquerque and Ruidoso. It was a whirlwind trip, but it was loads of fun and full of beautiful sights.

Rob and I flew out after work on Wednesday and met his parents in Dallas, and then we flew all together to New Mexico. We got in late, so the next morning we slept in and just relaxed. The weather there was INCREDIBLE since we were still hitting the 90's some days in Texas. A sweatshirt and lounge pants were perfect as we sat outside on the back porch and sipped coffee while we watched the wildlife. Pure bliss.

We showered up and headed into town for a late lunch that hit the spot and then headed to sight see around the city.

We drove around to where Rob's family spent time each summer and then headed to their town square. After that we drove to the ski resort that my family frequented many times when I was younger. Floods of memories came back as we wound around the roads leading up to the ski lift. I am so thankful for such wonderful memories with my family, and I can't wait to give memories like that to our kids. I remember getting close to the resort in the car and Dad telling us to get out gloves and hats on. As soon as we rounded that final curve, my heart started beating a little faster like it used to. So fun.

The boys on the way up to the top of the mountain.

After we drove back down the mountain, we went back to our cabin, made some deluxe queso, drank some wine, and caught a movie. We had to prepare for the next day's hike.

Ever since I had known the Williams family, they have talked about this hike they fondly refer to as, "The World's Most Beautiful Hike." They all have gotten to experience this hike at some point during their trips to NM, so I was eager to get to be a part of the memories. We made it to the base and started hiking around 10:00 a.m. Again, the weather was crazy incredible. The sights were indeed beautiful, and I now know why the family refers to this hike with as much reverence as they do.

At the base.

Bright sun...ha.

Loved the tall trees.

The aspen trees were starting to change color...it was way more beautiful in person. This pictures don't do it justice.

Our trusty trail.

Rob overlooking the ski runs across the way. 

Stopping for a few pics at one of the lookouts.

Couldn't get enough of the aspens.

The elk we ran across. I really wanted to hear one baying.

Love this macro with the mountains in the background.

Do you see this little horned lizard blending in with the grass? He was TINY!

For Dad.

And, our final destination. The lighting was a little bright, but it was beautiful to look at.

The hike was round 7 hours, and we were happy to reach the final lookout. All in all, it was a fabulous and physically challenging day.

Following the hike, we headed back to the cabin. Rob and I REALLY wanted to see a bear (Rob's family has seen a few when they were there in the past) so we drove around the dumpsters (no lie) in the area where they had stayed and had sighted the bears. No luck. Sad day. So we headed back to the cabin and soaked in the hot tub to soothe our tired muscles. We all cooked a fabulously delicious meal and then hit the hay.


More soon,

Back to Square One

Rob and I had the wonderful opportunity to see our sweet friends, Sarah and Matthew tie the knot a few weeks ago. Ironically, they got married at Vista West Ranch, where Rob and I said "I do." It was such a fun experience to go back and get to experience VW as a visitor. I got to take in so many of the details and reasons why we chose VW in the first place. The day of our wedding was such an incredible experience, but it was also a blur. Sitting in the same chairs that we had in our ceremony and dancing on the same dance floor was such a fun experience and I truly understood why we felt such at peace choosing that venue for the place where Rob and I all began :)

Rob and I saying "I do" a year and some change ago. "I thought I loved you then..."

At Sarah and Matthew's wedding. (So much older and wiser...ha)

Love all of the touches this venue provides.

So happy!

I couldn't recommend a better venue to someone looking for a peaceful and beautiful Hill Country setting. Some of my fondest memories were made at this venue. 

Congrats, Sarah and Matthew! We are so happy for the two of you to begin this journey and are excited we get to share your first year on marriage with you in Houston :)

More soon,

We Love Our Aggies

Well, I know that our Texas A&M football team hasn't been at its peak lately. Sadly, watching them has been slightly depressing as of late. However, Rob and I love any excuse to go to Aggieland and spend time at Kyle Field. We have gotten to go several times this fall and we can't get enough. We talk often about season tickets, so it might be in our near future, especially with our transfer to the SEC.

Love this view...

Rob and I at the Idaho game. Whoop for wind-blown hair :)

Rob and Roye at the Arkansas game. Sadly, a loss. At least we won in the first half. :)

My favorite Aggie.

And, at the Mizzou game. Another loss in OT. A nailbiter, for sure.

Despite our track record this season, we are still loving our Ags. We are hoping to attend the game on Thanksgiving this year. Hopefully we can pull that one out. Lord knows we need a good W. :)

More soon,

New Orleans, Round Two

In September, Rob and I got the opportunity to attend the wedding of a dear friend, Hattie Collins Moll. I was excited to see her and her sweet family. Hattie married a great guy, Corey, and we were happy to get to celebrate their day with them. Their fun wedding was in New Orleans, so it was a great excuse to experience more of that great city.

Rob and I headed out from Houston on Friday afternoon and arrived in NOLA pretty late. We had every intention of heading out to the French Quarter once we got there to try and enjoy our time there as much as we could, but we couldn't make it. We were pooped. I know, we're lame. We were actually super disappointed in ourselves the next morning, but oh well.

So Saturday we woke up nice and early and headed for an early brunch in the FQ. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was a great weekend for walking around and sight seeing. We had been there for Spring Break this year already, but we just love that area so it was so much fun to be back. Last time we had really wanted to eat at Brennan's on Royal Street but ran out of time. So we headed there to grab some brunch. Rob tried his first legit Bloody Mary. His face says it all. He...loved it.

The experience was fun at Brennan's, and to be honest, our food was just fine. I can't say that we will frequent Brennan's when we go back to NOLA, but we are glad we got to go.

After Brennan's we met up with Sarah and her sweet parents for just a little bit while they ate down at the market and agreed to meet up with them later. We window shopped, walked around taking in the sights and sounds of the FQ, and then headed to the seafood festival. They had all sorts of yummy treats (for Rob) and my mouth watered the whole time. Looking back, going to a seafood festival with a severe shellfish allergy was probably not the smartest idea, but hey, it was all about the experience. :)

My mouth literally waters when I look at this shrimp BLT. Rob was in heaven. :)

A view of the festival. It was packed. I loved walking around and looking at the art work there. 

After the festival, we headed back to the hotel to catch some Saturday football (of course) and then showered up for the wedding.

Their ceremony and reception were both stunning. We enjoyed being there, Hatt! Thanks for including us :)

Some Kerrville ladies. Glad we were all there together!

My handsome date. 

Sar and I with the beautiful bride. :)

Sar, Rob, and I went out after the wedding and had a bang up time. It's always fun with those two. :)

The next morning, Rob and I decided to try something new that we had signed up for the day before: Segways. And I cannot say enough about the fun we had on these things. I think that makes us nerdy, lame, and needing to find new lives, but we did. We were pretty "fearless" (as fearless as you can be on Segways) and it was fun. In fact, the drive by attempts to knock each other off were too many to count. And I'm pretty sure that even though neither one of us fell of, I won. At whatever I was trying to win at. We really weren't ready to get off of them.

About to ride! I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. #nerdalert

It's all fun and games until...

I think this is my favorite nerdy segway pic :)

Anyway, after our segway extravaganza, we headed back to the hotel and packed up. We shopped a little bit more on Magazine Street, grabbed lunch at Central Market, and grabbed some yogurt before we hit the road. 

It was a great trip and I'm so thankful for more fun experiences with each other. He makes everything just loads better. 

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather and weekend!

More soon,