Mavs Game

Lane got me tickets to see the Mavericks play for my birthday. The day finally arrived & here we are inside American Airlines Center. We never got a picture with us in it, so this will have to do.

San Antonio

Day 2 of our road trip was to San Antonio. Once again we did a lot of walking (my legs aren't used to that)! We saw a lot of cool things and ate at this great Italian place on the River Walk. My favorite part was the river boat tour. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with our guide. She was so boring! But it was still a pretty ride.

Although this picture is blurry, I still think it's pretty. I took it on the boat. If you squint, you can tell it's the river.


We were in a park with different sculptures & decided to play on them.

When you see a big nose, how can you not pick it???

Here's Lane at the Tower of the Americas. I had to lay on the ground to get this angle!

There were lots of cool waterfall areas in this park.

Fredericksburg

Day 1 of our road trip, was to Fredericksburg Texas. We pretty much walked up & down 1 street and shopped in all the little shops. Everything is old timey looking. We also went to see the house Lane & his dad built. I have to say, I was pretty impressed. This is me playing Santa in their town square.

New Family Beginnings

Since this is our 1st Christmas as a married couple, I decided to start a tradition. Every year, we'll buy each other pajamas to open on Christmas Eve & then we'll sleep in them & open presents in them on Christmas day! I thought it was a pretty brilliant idea and it's something we'd be able to carry on when we decide to have little ones. So here's the 1st official picture of the Blankenship Family Christmas Tradition!

Tradition

This will be the 4th year that my family has been doing this tradition. We started it when it was just me left at home & now Lane has become a part of it too. Every Christmas Eve, we go to the cemetery to visit Jenai on her birthday & then afterwards, we go to El Rancho Grande. My favorite part about this is the story I make my dad tell from his school days. Every year, he pretends he doesn't remember it, but with a little coaxing, he starts dishing this hilarious tale. I think the reason I like it so much is because of the name of the main character. You'll understand in a moment. I'll do my best to retell: He & his friend Rex were on a double date at some diner when they hear this kid named WooWoo(yes, this is the one) talking very rudely to his waitress. Rex says something to him & they have some words. Well just as WooWoo is about to let Rex have it my dad blocks his punch & throws him on the ground. WooWoo's friends clear their tables & now they're all in on the fight. Long story short, my dad bloodies up WooWoo & ends up throwing him through a window. The waitress lets my dad & Rex out the back door before the cops came. This story just cracks me up because it's so unbelievable. And based on my dad's description, this is the picture I have of WooWoo in my head.

PS, this is the saddest movie you will EVER see!

This morning Lane & I decided to go see a movie to kill some time before the family shananagans began. He was sweet & let me pick one of the chick flicks I've been dying to see: PS, I Love You. Let me just tell you, do NOT go to this movie unless you have a full box of tissue! I'm serious. I cried the entire 2 hours! It was so bad my eyes were starting to swell shut. The whole movie is about a woman whose husband dies & sends her letters afterwards, to help her move on. I know it doesn't sound like much of a story line, & it isn't, however, I still liked this movie. In fact, I'll probably buy it for one of those rainy days when I feel like a good cry. It will definitely do the trick.

Cowboys What What!

We did it again despite Jessica Simpson being at the game. And just for the record, I am totally opposed to her relationship with Romo...at least while we're still in football season!

I can be your Guitar Hero

I'll admit at first I was very skeptical of this game & a little embarrassed that my friends played it at their age. However, I have been fully converted! This game is so much fun :)

Relaxin'

Regi & I went to get a pedicure yesterday thinking that we'd be able to relax, but it didn't really go that way. We had to wait 40 minutes for service & when they finally came, they spent like 5 minutes. I was very disappointed! But we did manage to get one picture before we were too ticked off.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

We had pictures with Santa at school, so I thought, why not get in on the action?

I actually like this Christmas picture better, except for the fact Lane is wearing a t-shirt & I'm dressed up! I guess I'll cut him a break, since he was sick that day throwing up & I made him get up for a picture:)

Holiday Picture

Light the Heights

We all went to the Heights side of town to see a bunch of houses lit up. It was really weird because every year this neighborhood closes down 2 streets & all the houses put up lights. Then hundreds of people walk up & down the streets carrying coolers. It's kind of like a mini mardi gras. The highlights were a bell choir & this polka band as seen in this last picture.

'Tis the Season!

This past Friday, we got our Christmas tree & decorated it. I've been waiting for this moment probably since we moved in. I turned on Christmas music and sang along as I set things up. I just put up the tree picture. However, there's more of other things I've set up if you click on the "More Pictures" button underneath "Albums" on the right side of the blog. Check it out.

Sunbeams!

Today at church I took a picture of our little Sunbeam class. We have 7 & they are the cutest kids ever! I'm so sad to think that we only have a month left with them :(

Family Outing

We went to the Dallas temple with my family today. It was nice to be together & be back in Dallas. I haven't been to that temple in 6 months! Nice to visit the place Lane & I got married :)

25 & Lovin It!

So I finally got the picture from my birthday...3 weeks later. We decided to go to Arlington because who better to spend your birthday with than your friends & family? We went to dinner with Regina, Mike, Amy & Andrew & ended up back at Amy's house to play Guitar Hero. (1 day, I'll get that picture). I had such a good time just hanging out with everyone. It's too bad we don't live closer! Good thing the holidays are coming up. We'll be making lots of trips back:)

Picnic in the Park

Today we got to have a little picnic at Sam Houston Park by our house. It was so nice outside & we had the perfect spot...right by the water. We enjoyed cheese & crackers as we took in the beautiful nature around us. We decided to make this a monthly activity!

Happy Halloween!

We decided to celebrate Halloween by carving a pumpkin & watching "The Great Pumpkin".

I tried taking a stab at it. We went for the old school design...triangles.

Dosie Doe

Last night at the ward party, we had a square dance. I have to say it was my favorite activity yet. There was a real caller named Stu Ringer & he was fantastic. Before you knew it, he had everyone out on the dance floor swinging their partners. It was a blast!

UT Med video

A girl from Lane's school made this video because she was running for president. It's a bit goofy, yet entertaining. Lane has a brief cameo in it twice. Check it out if you have a free 3 minutes. You really get a feel for what his school & classmates are like...haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG52bHmMyX4

Kemah

This past Friday, we went to the Kemah Boardwalk. Lane had heard that they just finished building a new wooden rollercoaster. So we decided to head down there to check it out. It was a great night (no humidity) to be outside. We walked around for a while, road the Silver Bullet & the swings & grabbed an ice cream before heading home.

Marriage Questionaire

1. Who is your man? Lane
2. How long have you been together? married 7.5 months
3. How long did you date? 5.5 months
4. How old is your man? 28
5. Who eats more? I CAN eat more, but he DOES eat more since he needs the "energy".
6. Who said "I love you" first? He did. Girls shouldn't say it 1st!
7. Who is taller? Lane by a foot
8. Who sings better? la la la la...me :)
9. Who is smarter? Definitely Lane. The kid skipped HS. Who does that?....smart people that's who
10. Whose temper is worse? haha! Mine! That was actually an issue for a while. I've since simmered down.
11. Who does the laundry? Lane. Our apartment doesn't have a washer/dryer unit & he said it was no big deal to use the community ones. So I made that his chore.
12. Who does the dishes? We both do, but I probably do them a little more because I'm anal about it.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Depends if you're looking at it standing in front of the bed...that would be Lane.
14. Who pays the bills? Lane. He's into investments, so I let him deal with that. Plus, I don't want to be reminded of how poor we are.
15. Who is better at the computer? Lane is Mr. Fix it.
16. Who mows the lawn? Don't need to. We live in an apartment.
17. Who cooks dinner? It's about 80/20 Lane. I'm getting better at it :)
18. Who drives when you are together? He does, but I help!
19. Who pays when you go out? He's the one who pulls out the card. I don't want our waiter thinking he's not a gentleman!
20. Who is more stubborn? ME
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Lane just said he's never heard me admit I'm wrong...liar
22. Whose parents do you see most? Mine & his Dad & Brenda. They live down the street from each other.
23. Who kissed who first? After a MONTH of dating, he kissed me. It was my fault he waited so long. I could never relax!
24. Who asked who out? He asked me out. We were friends before he moved to Boston, so when he came back & I saw him at church, we caught up & he asked me out. However, I was under the impression it was a date & he was just filling his time- How rude!
25. Who proposed? He did-made a nice little speech about "firsts"
26. Who is more sensitive? LANE by far!
27. Who has more friends? Well I probably have more close friends, but he makes friends with everybody easily. Me, not so much. I'm good with the ones I got.
28. Who has more siblings? Lane-11 in all
29. Who wears the pants in your family? I think we each wear a leg

Pumpkin Patch

This past weekend, we went to a pumpkin patch. I was envisioning this huge field with pumpkins everywhere still on the vine. However, when we got there, it was the front yard of a person's yard. Not what we had in mind. However we made the best of it & got a picture!

Tagged by Christina

5 Things I was Doing 10 Years Ago: I think I was 15 & a freshman.

1. I was singing in the choir & showchoir in HS.

2. I cheered for the Trojans.

3. I was very involved in my church group.

4. Regina & I were definitely doing something that we would consider embarrassing right now.

5. Studying...that year I was a bookworm.

5 Things On My To-Do List To Day:

1. Well it's the end of the day, so pretty much finish this.

2. I probably should do some school work, but won't.

3. Go to sleep.

4. Sleep

5. Sleep.

5 Things I Would Do If I Had A Million Dollars:

1. Invest it.

2. Buy a house.

3. Buy a car.

4. Set up college funds for any kids I decide to have.

5. Take care of my family.

5 Things I Will Never Wear Again:

1. High waisted jeans.

2. Clunky shoes.

3. Immodest clothes.

4. Platform flip flops.

5. Maroon lipstick

5 Favorite Toys:

1. IPOD.

2. My camera. It's a dinosaur, but I use it all the time.

3. Our tv...Is that considered a toy?

4. I guess this computer.

5. My phone...I really don't consider any of these toys, but necessities.

5 People I Am Tagging:
Regina, Alys, Marianne

Cowboys Rock My Socks Off!

Did anyone else witness the miracle that happened last night?! Cowboys 25 Bills 24. GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!! 5-0 Record!

Here's to You Mouth-Watering Smore!

Ever since our camping trip fiasco, I've been addicted to smores! I thought it needed a toast! Since we have no fireplace & aren't allowed to have bonfires, I've resorted to making them at home. For those interested, here's the recipe: 1 graham cracker, 1 fun size Hershey's bar, 1 jet puffed marshmallow. Step 1-split the graham cracker into 2. Step 2-place the Hershey's bar on 1 half of the graham cracker. Step 3-place the marshmallow on top of the Hershey's bar. Step 4-microwave for 15 seconds. Step 5-place other half of graham cracker on top. Step 6-press down until marshmallow oozes out. Step 6-ENJOY!

Camping

We had been looking forward to a fun weekend of camping for a while now. Well, yesterday we headed to Huntsville State Park right after work. It was supposed to be an hour trip, but turned into 3 hours after all the traffic. We got there after dark & set up the tent in 85 degree humid weather. Then we tried to start a fire which ended up being a tough thing to do. We thought we had made it easy on ourselves by buying the open air firelogs. All you had to do was light it & you had an instant fire. However, it wasn't that easy. It was too humid outside for it to catch fire. Eventually, we got a tiny fire going long enough for me to make 2 smores. Then we were off to bed, so we thought. Like I said before, it was so hot & humid, you could feel the sweat pools forming on you. Then, in the middle of the night, it started to pour & didn't let up until morning. I was just waiting for our tarp to fly off our tent, but luckily, it stayed. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep & as soon as 7 'o clock hit, we were packing up & heading out. We decide that next time, we would go when it's cold!

Biking

So it's been a while since we've been biking & today we finally got around to taking a ride. It felt really good now that it's starting to cool off in the evenings. Hopefully we'll get back into it. Over the summer we were hard core bikers (haha). That's why we bought the gloves & helmets. I guess now all we need are the elbow & knee pads. Yikes! Hopefully it'll never come to that.

Cowboy Fanatics!

The highlight of our week is without question, the Cowboys Games. We thought it was only appropriate to have a picture showing our support for our team. Luckily this year we are 3-0...knock on wood! Hopefully this is the year we go all the way!

Labor Day Weekend

We headed down to Lake Whitney for Labor Day. Lane's mom & Rich have a house out there & rented a couple of condos for everyone to stay in. It was great to get together with the family, since we're all spread out. Saturday we hung out by the pool, ate bbq & spent the day catching up. Matt, Hunter & Jim were kind enough to collect a couple of spiders for my class. That was entertaining to watch:) This is one of my favorite pictures I took of the boys pushing Rich into the pool. I think I captured the best shot!

This is the way we ROLL

So we finally got rid of our old car & switched to one that actually works! After putting up with things falling apart, or only working sometimes, we decided it was a good idea to look at other options. We picked out a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was owned 8 months by the 1st owner & only had 15,000 miles on it. Needless to say we love it. No more blind spots, our windows work & a smoother ride!

Tag Your It...grrr...Marianne!

4 Jobs I've had:
1. Front Desk girl at a gym for 5 years! My all time favorite! I met so many people & loved making people's day with a warm smile & greeting....at least I felt like I made them happy.
2. Nanny of 2. One was an adorable & demanding, spoiled 5 yr old. And the other was a computer addicted, depressed 12 yr old. Can you guess why I quit???
3. Secretary at a law firm. With all my coworkers over twice my age, I still loved working there & with them. They were awesome!
4. 2nd grade teacher. Already looking towards retirement, I'm in my 2nd year of teaching. I'm hoping this one is better than last & is also my last! I guess I'll keep wishing:)

4 Movies I could watch over and over:
1. My Best Friend's Wedding
2. The Notebook-what girl doesn't enjoy watching that & having a good cry
3. The Holiday-I've totally related to that movie at one point in time!
4. I can't think of any more movies, but am obsessed & awaiting the new season of Grey's Anatomy!!!!!!

4 Places I've lived:
1. Ha ha! Arlington, TX--my entire life!
2. Houston, TX--resident of 3 months
3. I need to get out more!
4. Seriously!

4 Guilty Pleasures:
1. Cotton Candy-I stock up on it at the Dollar Store! I need to start weaning myself of it.
2. Pilsbury break apart chocolate chip cookies--I have to get them every time I'm at the store!
3. Marble Slab Amaretto ice cream w/ reeses butter cups mixed in, on a butterfinger cone
4. Since I've only listed food, I'll throw something else in here--shopping!

4 Places I've been on Vacation:
1. Mexico on our Honeymoon.-I've never enjoyed intentionally being burned in my life!
2. New York-Although I was miserable there, I can still check it off the list of places I've been.
3. Utah-Snow boarding--so much fun
4. Vegas-So much to see! I'm trying to convince Lane to go with me this time!

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Haha! See Guilty Pleasures above;)
2. I love me some Mexican...food that is
3. Cheesecake Factory's Buffalo Blasts. I recommend everyone trying them...Heavenly
4. Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at supper time. When pizzas on the table, we can eat pizza anytime! Do yall remember that song? I think I substituted pizza in there.

4 Websites I Visit:
1. This one of course! I always want to see who's updated. That's why I'm doing this thing!
2. Yahoo! email
3. Myspace-I just put the Cowboys logo as my picture & the NFL song. Check it out
4. Facebook-yes I know I'm too old for it, but I just want to see what everyone else is doing!

4 Places I'd rather be right now:
1. Anywhere tropical
2. At a spa getting a massage
3. On a raft in a pool...since I know I'll never be at #1
4. In a bed with lots of fluffy blankets & pillows

4 Books I love:
1. The Christmas Box-I read it every December
2. Quick reads with inspirational messages & short stories
3. US Weekly-I know it's not a book, but still entertaining!
4. Shape-Once again, I know it's not a book, but I get motivated by looking at all the skinny people...and a little annoyed

4 Things I would like to know how to do:
1. Not eat unhealthy food
2. Knit--It looks like fun
3. Be more crafty
4. Speak Spanish. Lane got me CDs for my b-day last year(haha for those of you who know the story) I really do want to be fluent in it though

4 Neglected body parts:
1. My feet-I need to quit trying to do my own pedicures
2. My nails-I just did them the other day & I already have chips:(
3. My lips...they're so chapped!
4. I'm sure there's plenty more

4 Things I worry about:
1. Will the Cowboys do good this season?? YES!
2. Will I be able to make it through this year of teaching?
3. Will we ever be rich? Probably not!
4. I try not to worry about things

4 Happiest Moments:
1. Getting married
2. Getting engaged
3. Getting a job
4. Watching my sports teams win

4 Things I want to do this year or in the future:
1. Get a new car!
2. Lose 10lbs!
3. Go to Spain
4. Never have to work again!

4 People I am tagging:
1. Regina
2. Laura
3. I don't have any other people on this thing to choose from!

Back to School

Today was Lane's 1st day of medical school. I woke up early to make him breakfast since it was a special occasion. This morning we just stocked his backpack with all the food he eats throughout the day. All in all it was a successful day for him. He sat through 4 lectures & 1 lab, where he was able to observe his cadaver...which he described as an old, fat, naked, hairless woman. YIKES! He said he wanted to barf the whole time. In fact, he's telling me he can't talk about it right now or else he'll have a gag reflex. Haha! And to top it all off, someone dropped the tray that the cadaver was on causing it to splash down into the big tank of fermaldehyde that it's kept in & got on him. I guess he'll get used to it.

Aquarium

Jan & Rich took us to the Downtown Aquarium to eat dinner in honor of Lane. We actually got to sit right in front of this HUGE tank with all sorts of fish inside. There were sting rays, sharks, eels, tuna, etc. My favorite one was the saw shark. It looked just like a saw on its nose..hence its name. We all just sat in amazement. It was pretty cool.

White Coat Ceremony

Lane's family came down for his White Coat Ceremony. It was like a graduation ceremony, but before you get started. He walked across the stage and had a professor put his white doctor's coat on him. They all had to take the Hippocratic oath. We all watched proudly as Lane was able to participate in this momentous occasion.

NASA

You can't live in Houston & not visit NASA at least once! Mike & Regina came down to visit & we went to the Houston Space Center. We took a tour of the actual training center & were able to see a REAL rocket that never launched.

Astros

We went to an Astros game with our friends Scott & Laura. We were up 4 to 1 in the 8th & all of a sudden lost 5 to 4...go figure. Reminds me of the Rangers.

Gone to Pot

We wanted to explore our artistic side, so we went to this place called "The Mad Potter". Lane & I tried our hand at pottery painting. After 30 minutes of looking around, we couldn't make a decision, so we ended up painting 3 butterflies. We were using the colors in our room, however, we decided against putting them up in the end.

Arkansas

The whole family got together & took a trip to Arkansas. We spent most of the time fishing.