Shadow 2006-2019

 Shadow- you came to us as a tiny puppy from the shelter in July 2006- Nathan's dog. Nathan kept his promise to train you, take you outside to potty, and clean up your accidents.

 You loved following us around everywhere- your name fit you so well! You learned to love the lake and loved swimming with us.

 You learned how to "be a dog" from your big brother Cody. You were so lucky to have a great mentor like him. As he aged, he passed off important jobs to you- like barking at the UPS man.

 Your favorite place was by Nathan's side, or in his bed... your goofiness showed in everything you did! You made us laugh all the time.

 You were an awesome family dog, making friends with Milo the kitty (on his terms) and also Honey, who became your best buddy. When she died you were so sad, missing your friend.

You loved taking trips with us, car rides, trips to the lake, camping, the park-- anywhere we went, you were happy to be.

You loved and protected us with a fierceness, especially Nathan, but you so loved every one of us, always waiting at the door for us to get home.

 

When Nathan went to college, you missed him greatly, but then became my buddy.

We will never forget you, sweet Shadow. Run and play and chase those squirrels, we'll see you again one day!!

Happy 30th Anniversary!

30 years ago we snuck away and got married in Las Vegas. We bypassed the whole long engagement, big wedding, disappointing many of our friends and family. But the bottom line was we just wanted to be married. I'm sure there were many who wondered how long this "impulsive" marriage would last, well-- it's been 30 years sofar! We celebrated with a 7 day cruise out of Galveston visiting Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica!

We can now say we've been to Hell and back! This picture taken in Hell, Grand Cayman.

We first lived in a little apartment in Fullerton, CA then we bought a small condo. We had Kelsey, then got pregnant with Nathan. We moved out of the small condo and rented a larger condo in the same complex, renting out our 1 bedroom unit. AJ was working in Real Estate, I was staying at home with Kelsey at that time and began my journey into Childbirth Education. As the real estate market plummeted, we had to make a decision- get a "real" job in California, or take the jump and move to Texas to be with our families? We decided to take the leap. Within 30 days we were in Texas! My parents allowed us to stay with them for 6 weeks while AJ job searched and we house hunted. We settled in Round Rock hoping AJ would get work at Dell. He got a temp job, we found a house. My parents helped us with a down payment and we moved in! Nathan turned 1 the very next week.
It was the best life decision we've made. We've raised our kids in a wonderful neighborhood. They went to great schools, we had access to beautiful parks, lakes, pools. We started a Camp Fire club and took our kids (and everyone else's) on adventures, day trips and weekend camping trips. We bought a boat and enjoyed 10 summers of water play. We threw parties for many occasions-- celebrating life! Our professional careers grew, our kids grew. Both have done college nearby- Kelsey at St Edwards and Nathan at UT San Antonio and ACC.
A lot has changed-- 30 years have passed. But I'm still hanging out with my best friend, learning new things, taking chances, living our life. I look forward to the next 30!

2018 The Year in Review

It's always fun to me to look back at our year and see the changes we've all made, the adventures we've taken, and the memories we've made. Here's 2018 at a glance:

Our biggest "lifestyle change" was our Clark purchase! We took 14 trips total in Clark in our first 9 months! In addition to the trips listed in a previous post, we visited Lake Bastrop South Shore and Lake Belton in October, Pedernales State Park for Thanksgiving in November, a Camp Fire Reunion weekend at Cedar Breaks early December, Pace Bend Park mid December, and finally Huntsville State Park for New Years.

A chilly New Years Eve in Huntsville State Park

AJ cooking bacon 

Camp Fire Reunion weekend

Pedernales State Park with Madlers

Lake Belton

AJ still works for Mitel and was promoted to a Security Manager position at the end of the year. He's excited to have 2 employees on his team and they fight the "Hacker Bad Guys".

Shelley still teaching Childbirth Classes and helping families survive postpartum! I decided to retire from attending births about 18 months ago, which has freed up our lives dramatically.

Kelsey moved out with her special guy Darren this year and they are creating their own memories in South Austin for now.... who knows where the wind will take them!

Nathan is back in school full time at ACC and has decided to work on his Game Design certification. I expect him to be in school another year or so while he completes that. He's still at home and we are enjoying our "roommate" time with him while we can.

Shadow is hanging in there- he's 12 1/2 years old now! He had a 16 lb lipoma removed from his abdomen in June and he's like a brand new dog now! Chasing squirrels, de-squeaking toys, sunbathing, and enjoying his naps and walks.

Seeing White Christmas at the Palace in Georgetown

My mom had a hip replacement surgery in Sept so I spent a few days there taking care of her- it was some much needed quality time with she and Al. November we celebrated my grandmother's (GG) 97th birthday! And the holidays were full of fun family time at my parents, seeing White Christmas with Kelsey and Darren, and enjoying gifts and delicious food together.

 Feeling grateful for every moment I've had with family, friends, and even my special moments with clients. For 2019 we hope to continue our travel adventures (I'm super excited about Galveston State Park for my birthday!) keep working on being physically and emotionally healthy, growing, learning and expanding. Wishing the same for all of you reading this!