Photoshop

When Ryan goes back to school this Fall I know I'm going to have a lot of free time which is why I've announced one my goals to train for the Houston half-marathon and my other goal/hobby is to learn how to use photoshop. Ryan and I have wanted photoshop for some time and now that he is going back to school we were able to get a great deal on photoshop with his student ID. I've really taken an interest in photography this past year and I'm looking forward to being able to edit pictures and hopefully learn how to design invitations, announcements, etc. We ordered Photoshop CS4 this past week and should have it in a couple of days and I can't wait! While I'm a little nervous as I've heard how overwhelming it can be I'm looking forward to the challenge. Yesterday, we purchased the photoshop Classroom in a Book in an attempt to learn the basics so we'll see how that goes. I'll keep you posted!

In other news, Ryan and I have been enjoying our summer by hanging out with friends, laying by the pool and trying to get a few runs in without passing out from the heat. Last night we went to dinner with some friends and then went out at one of our new favorite hang outs. Here's a few pictures...

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Staying Cool

It's officially summer here and the temps have been in the 100's. It's hard to be outside more than 15 minutes without breaking a sweat and the only way bearable is to be in the water. Ryan and I have been fortunate enough to crash our friends pool the last couple of weekends but Bennett on the other hand doesn't have that option. Instead, he chooses to cool down by playing in the sprinklers :)

Bennett recently discovered the sprinklers when we were out front one evening and they turned on. Bennett has always loved to be around water so I'm not surprised when he started frolicking through the front yard trying to eat the water, jump over it and just stand right in front of the sprinkler head with his tongue hanging out. Since then we've set out the hose in the backyard in an attempt to keep our grass alive and Benny is in pure heaven.

Hope you're staying cool this summer!

Announcement

I have exciting news (at least I think so) and no, just because I have an announcement doesn't mean I'm pregnant :)

The announcement I want to make is a goal of mine and something I'm looking forward to accomplishing. As most of you know (at least family and friends) Ryan will be starting his MBA this August so he'll be working full time as well as going to school on weeknights and even a few weekends. So....I will have a lot of free time.

And I am planning on spending most of my free time training for the Houston Half-Marathon in January. There, I said it. No turning back now.

This may not be a big deal to some but if you know me I've never been much of a runner. I've always considered myself somewhat athletic but definitely not a runner. I have now watched Ryan run 3 marathons and now it's my turn. This is something that I want to do for myself and I believe this will be a great way to stay busy during the Fall as well as stay in shape. I'm also posting this announcement today as one month from now, July 17th, I will officially register for the half and then exactly 7 months from today, January 17th, I will foolishly be running 13.1 miles.

I know it won't be easy but I'm planning on taking on this journey with two of my best friends. I won't mention names yet, just in case they chicken out :), but I know that between the three of us we will be able to motivate each other to keep it up and cross the finish line in a few short months.

I plan on posting my running journey on this blog so stay tuned for updates. Oh, and please check back with me on July 17th to make sure I really do register:)

Benny and the Shoe

What seemed as a lazy Sunday morning proved to be quite entertaining (at least for me). I'm in the back room browsing the internet and the next thing I know Ryan is yelling and running out into the backyard. I immediately think what has Benny gotten into this time and sure enough he has discovered Ryan's shoes.

Of course, I think this is hilarious and immediately grab my camera. However, Ryan is not so amused :)

I can't stop giggling now as Bennett is running around the backyard determined not to let Ryan have his shoe back.

We eventually get Bennett to stop and discovered that there was actually a tennis ball in the shoe. We're not sure how that ended up in there but Bennett was more concerned about getting the ball out than actually chewing the shoe.

Thankfully the shoe was OK or Benny might of been in a little more trouble :)

Happy Sunday!

TGIF!

Today is our Friday off and I couldn't be more excited. We have a relaxing yet fun weekend ahead and today I'm planning on going to lunch and spending the afternoon with my Mom. We haven't spent much time together and I'm looking forward to catching up and hopefully getting some shopping in. As for tonight, we're meeting Ryan's sister and her husband for dinner and then we're going to see the Hangover. We've heard so many great reviews about this movie and we're looking forward to a good laugh.

I also wanted to say congrats to my good friend Nicole at Brown Eyed Girl and her Beau. She had a job interview yesterday and she already received an offer! Way to go Nicky T....I can't wait to celebrate!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

NYC Recap - Part III

OK, if you're still with me I have one last recap from our NYC trip. Enjoy!

We woke up Saturday morning to blue skies and decided to do brunch in Greenwich Village. We had another recommendation from Milltini and once again, she did not disappoint! We ate at Blue Ribbon Bakery and I think they had some of the best french toast that I've ever had. Of course, we arrived a little early hence the picture of me posing outside the restaurant.

Outside Blue Ribbon Bakery

After brunch we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge as we wanted to take in the views of the city from that angle. Of course, everyone else had the same idea so we only made it half way and then turned around. However, the views were great and I was able to take a couple of cool pictures.

This is one of my favorites from the bridge and if you look closely you can even see Ryan's head at the bottom :)

Since it was a beautiful day outside we decided we would spend our last afternoon in NYC at Central Park. We ended up staying here a few hours and honestly we could of spent more time there. I couldn't believe how many people were out in the park either riding their bikes, jogging, playing softball or just lounging. I love that in such a big city you can go to such a beautiful area to get away from the buildings and bright lights. I definitely think this was one of my favorites areas of New York.

After the park we came back to our hotel, relaxed, and then got ready to head out for dinner. We ate at The Modern which is associated with the Museum of Modern Art and it was absolutely amazing. My Dad's friend had recommended this restaurant and even made the reservations for us. It was a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary and a perfect way to end our trip :)

Two Years

Two years ago....

I was getting ready...

You were getting dressed...

My dad was walking me down the aisle...

We were saying our vows...

and exchanging rings...

celebrating with our friends and family...

spending a few minutes alone...


having the best time...

dancing our first dance as husband and wife...


and starting our lives together.


Two years ago we were married.
Happy Anniversary Ryan, I can't wait to see what the next year brings us!


(all pictures are courtesy of Vanessa)

NYC Recap - Part II

Here's day two recap of our New York trip. Scroll down (or click here) to see yesterday's post on our arrival to the big city....

After a long day on Thursday we slept in on Friday and headed out mid morning. The weather forecast had predicted rain but luckily it was only cloudy. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a small cafe and walked through Times Square before getting on our first subway of the day.

This picture is actually pretty calm of Times Square. We must of caught the time after the early morning hustle and before lunch hour.

Our first stop of the day was the Financial District. Here's Ryan walking down Wall Street. I think he could fit in, don't you??

The New York Stock Exchange

We're actually in front of Ground Zero trying to find our way to the closest station. I had to get a shot of Ryan on the iPhone because honestly this little guy was a life saver! We pulled out the iPhone at every corner and all we had to do was plug in what neighborhood we wanted to go to next and the GPS told us exactly what streets to turn on and what subway to catch. I don't know what we would of done without it!

A glimpse of what you see on almost every street corner. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try out one of the hot dogs but maybe next time.

Now we're in Soho and we absolutely loved this area! There were so many great shops and restaurants here that we walked around for quite some time. We ended up stopping for lunch at Soho Park and ate outside. Oh, and did you know that no one wears color in NYC?? I'm pretty sure I stood out all weekend with my bright colors. Oh well...

After lunch we headed to the Upper East Side and walked around that neighborhood before venturing into Central Park. We stumbled upon the Central Park Boathouse and we stopped for a drink on their patio before heading to the Great Lawn.

Ryan and I at Rockefellar Plaza. Apparently when you're on vacation you don't have to shave. Haha J/K. We had a wait to go up to the Top of the Rock so we decided to stop here and take a break from walking. Oh, and we might of had another drink :)

One of my favorite pictures from the weekend. The views from up there were spectacular and it seemed that the city never ended. You can also get a good idea of how big Central Park actually is.

Ryan taking in the views.

After that we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We took another subway out to East Village and went to a small Italian restaurant called Max. After that we headed back to Greenwich (yes, we took the subway again) and found another bar with live music. Overall, another great day in the city!

I plan on posting pictures from the last day of our trip either tomorrow or Thursday. We're actually celebrating our 2nd anniversary tomorrow so we'll see if I can get another post in or not. Have a good rest of the day!