Christmas and the beginning of our time in Lubbock

Gregg and I had a wonderful Christmas and are so thankful that we were able to spend our holiday with so many wonderful friends and family members again this year!

Gregg spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the station working so that we could take the next 5 days off to go to Lubbock. I went up to the station on Christmas Day to enjoy a Family Lunch. Almost all of the guys had their wives and kids their to celebrate with them! We had a good lunch with all the traditional foods plus lots of great desserts that all the wives had brought (I made Sopapilla Cheesecake this year). After lunch I went home to finish packing our bags so that we could head to Lubbock Friday morning.

Friday morning I got up early to pick Gregg up from the station and then we headed to the airport to fly to Lubbock. We had a great flight and when we got to Lubbock my parents were there to see us- making me very happy! (I have to admit that this Christmas was a little hard for me not being at home with my family) I got to hug my Mom and Dad and spend just a few minutes with them before Gregg and I headed to Hale Center with Gregg's sister and brother-in-law.

From Hale Center we all went to Canyon to celebrate with Gregg's Aunt and Uncle and their side of the family. We enjoyed good home made Mexican food and GREAT Margaritas (Thanks Toby!)

The boys making Margaritas

Gregg being quite over dramatic about his brain freeze!

After supper we went into the living room for our "Chinese Christmas Gift Exchange"! Gregg and I ended up with a $25 gift card to Rosa's, a $10 gift card to Bath and Body Works, and a really cool new lunch box that I traded Gregg's Mom a Sonic Gift Card for! The exchange was a lot of fun and I think that everyone liked what they ended up with and had a lot of fun "stealing" gifts from each other! We then sat around and talked and Gregg's family told a lot of stories about Wendi, Gregg and Misti growing up. It was great for me to hear these stories since all but 1 of Gregg's grandparents passed away before Gregg and I started dating. I got quite a laugh out of a couple of the stories that embarrassed Gregg!

Gregg and I taking pictures of ourselves!

Misti (Gregg's younger sister) and her husband Cody with Wendi (Gregg's older sister) and her boyfriend Sid

Merry Christmas!

Hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas Day!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Parkland Christmas Party

My work Christmas party was yesterday evening at the UTSW Faculty Club. We had some good food and played some fun and silly games! We also had a white elephant gift card exchange where I picked up a Home Depot gift card that I will give to Gregg! I love my new job in Nursing Education and all of the wonderful people that I work with! I can truly say that we have the best boss who makes coming to work enjoyable for all of us. This year for Christmas we are all getting to move out of our little cubicles into new offices with awesome new furniture!!! (Hopefully the computer cables got pulled to our office today/ tonight so we will get to move soon later this week.)

After the party we were all to go out for a drink together before heading home but when we got out to our cars it was sleeting and the top of the garage was all iced over so we quickly changed out mind and everyone headed home. It took me close to 2 hours to make it to the house but I finally made it their safely. (I got to drive Gregg's truck yesterday and today so that made me feel a little safer on the roads!)

I had my camera at the party but never took any real pictures so hopefully I will get pictures from one of the other girls soon and be able to post a few others!

me and Jennifer (my partner at work)

FRUSTRATED!!!

Last Sunday morning Gregg had to work and so I decided to head to Southlake for Sunday School and church all alone. I got in my car and backed out of the garage making it as far as the street when my car died. I tried to re-start it but it never started again. I went inside to change clothes and then back out to see if I could push the car off to the side of the street and get it out of the way. One of my neighbors came out to help and she and I got it pushed over a little. Then I went to get my other neighbor to see if he could help. When he and I got back to my car I had locked the doors to the car and locked the key inside! (When it rains it pours around here!!!) I have a friend who lives a couple of doors down and she has a spare key to my car but she was at work that morning also so, one of my neighbors took me to Baylor Garland to meet my friend and get her garage door opener to get my spare key from her house. We finally made it back to my house and got my car pushed over to the side of the street in front of my house. Monday morning after Gregg got off work he came over and took me to the hospital and then went back to my house to work on my car. $300 and a new battery later Gregg had my car running like new! (He got my alignment fixed, changed the fuel filter, filled it up with gas, and even had it washed- sweet boy!!!)

Everything with the car has been fantastic all week- no problems at all until yesterday. Yesterday afternoon I got in my car to head to meet the lady who is doing alterations on my wedding dress and my car wouldn't start again! I called Gregg who was at the station (he has told me before that anytime I will ever need him he will always be on duty and so far that is proving to be true!) Luckily, my friend and neighbor Sherri was at home and she let me borrow her car to take my dress to the lady for alterations! Gregg looked into my car on-line and figured out that the fuel delivery module on my car has been recalled. This morning he came over after work (once again we were unable to go to church because of my car) and spent some more time working on the car. Luckily he was able to get it running again- I have no clue how- and so tomorrow he is going to drive my car to the station and hopefully get to take it to the dealership sometime to get it looked at. Hopefully the recalled fuel pump will fix my car and everything will be back to normal and not cost us an arm and leg!

I am so frustrated right now because I really haven't ever had any big problems with my car and I just don't understand why right now when we are trying to save $$$ for Christmas and the wedding things have to start going wrong! Why couldn't this have happened in February??? So, Gregg and I's Christmas presents to each other this year will be getting my car running again! I do have to say the one blessing in this whole mess is that God is taking care of me and making sure that the only time my car won't run is when it is in front of my house instead of me getting stranded somewhere crazy! I have to pray now that we can get this all taken care of soon and not have to spend too much more money!

Thanksgiving in Lubbock

Gregg had to work on Thanksgiving this year and so we flew to Lubbock Friday morning to have a late Thanksgiving celebration with our families! We had lunch at The Grove's house Friday afternoon and it was yummy!!! Gregg's family fixed all the traditional foods plus a few non-traditional things such as shoe-horn salad. It was so great for me to spend this holiday with Gregg's family and I look forward to eating many more holiday meals with them! I have truly been blessed this year in the most amazing ways!

On Saturday we went and met my parents and some other friends for lunch before going to watch the Tech vs. Baylor football game! I have to say that my Red Raiders did give me a little bit of a scare during the first half but they did prevail to win the game and become Big 12 South Co-Champions!!! I am so proud of this football team and what a great season they have have! Look out other Big 12 teams the Red Raiders are here and we aren't going away!

The football team taking the field after halftime ready to turn the game around!

WE WIN! I love this scoreboard.

After the game was over Gregg and I went to my grandparents house to have dinner with them. My grandmother made roast and all the fixings that go with that, along with homemade biscuits and my favorite chocolate cake!!! We watched more football out at their house and then worked on our Wedding invitations. I am so glad that we got to go spend some quality time at Gramps and Grammy's house!

Sunday morning we had breakfast with Gregg's parents and then worked on the invitations some more. We also went thru pictures at Gregg's parents house and my parents house of Gregg and I growing up to use in our slide show. I brought home some really cute pictures of Gregg to use. Can't wait for Christmas when we will get to go home again!!!

Meeting Margaux

I am going to try and catch up this afternoon on what has been going on around here since my last post and then I promise to try and stay more on top of my posts!

One of my close friends from middle school, Kelly, had a baby on October 8 of this year. Kelly and her husband Walt live in Washington DC and so we have never met their precious baby girl. Kelly and Walt got to come to Texas for Thanksgiving to visit their families and so we all finally got to meet Miss Margaux!!!

Me, Staci, Susan, Mama Kelly, and Brynn

I pray that when I have a daughter someday she will have lifelong friends like this

Getting some cuddle time in

I am so glad that Kelly and Walt got to come to town so that we could all finally meet Margaux! Can't wait to watch this little girl grow up!

A sad ending to our fun weekend in Norman

We went to Norman, Oklahoma this weekend for the Tech vs. OU Football game. Gregg and I went up there on Friday to meet my parents and the other people that we always tailgate with in Lubbock. They brought 2 Motorcoaches and then my parents RV and I had reserved us 3 spots at RV Tailgating area in Norman. Gregg and I rented a hotel to stay in so that everyone we were with would have somewhere to come shower Saturday before the game. Our hotel was a little seedy (we actually debated on whether we should shower at the hotel or just be dirty all weekend- we did decide to shower) and I have now lost my hotel reserving privileges! We had so much fun all weekend and everyone that we were around was really great!

Setting up the tailgate

The GREAT State of Texas flag and our Tech Flag

Our Pirate Flag!

Gregg and I Saturday morning


Britton and John

Brent, Britton, and Big Al Brown

MMMMM Food!

We decided to have Chili cook-off on Saturday before the game since it was so cold. So, everyone brought their own Chili recipe and ingredients to make their Chili. We had 5 different pots of Chili that were cooked and enjoyed by everyone around us. Gregg made Chili, along with Brent, John, my Dad and even us Girls had our own Chili recipe!

Our "Stormin' Norman Chili Cook-Off" trophies

1st Place- Brent, 2nd Place- John, 3rd Place- Gregg

Saturday was the best and worst day for all of us! Gregg and I ended up without tickets to the game (a friend of his had said she would sell us hers but then when Tech was undefeated going into the game she decided she wanted to go to the game) which I have to say that I am thankful for now! So we watched the game from our tailgate area and a 6 ft by 6 ft projection screen.

I don't really think that there are words to describe the game. I am so sad for the Red Raiders. I did believe that this was our year- and I still do. I don't think that we will be playing in the National Championship game but I do believe that Tech will end up ranked in the Top 10 bringing a recognition to Texas Tech and Lubbock, Texas that we have never had before. I refuse to take the credit away from OU for the game that was played last night. The fact is that OU played an amazing game and Tech was outplayed and out coached. We still have a lot to learn and room to grow. My challenge for the Red Raiders and for all Tech fans is to hold your head up high and don't make excuses for this game. Do not be discouraged- we have had an absolutely amazing season so far and we should be proud of our team and what they have accomplished! While last nights game didn't end up the way we would have hoped I am still proud to say that Gregg and I graduated from Texas Tech University. RAIDER POWER!