Update Post (in bullet format, no less)

I can't even come up with a title... if that tells you how much has been going on! I mean, it's not like I am so busy, I can't come up with 15 minutes to blog. But it's more like, when I do come up with the free time, Jake tells me he would much rather go and play at the park or take a walk on the green belt.

He also wants to be sure I put up this pic of him and his best friend/neighbor, Chloe. Isn't she precious?

Okay, so it's been 2 months since I've blogged. Things have happened. So, to catch you up, I present to you... The Events of Late in bullet-format...(sit down and relax, this will take a while).

- We went to Knoxville/Nashville in early October for a brief, fast and furious visit. We saw the Vols play (and dominate Georgia), went to see the Preds play (Nashville hockey team), and spent a day with our families out at the Fray house. It was a great weekend... See documentation below.



Us playing outside with the kiddos...



Just too cute not to put up...

-Halloween. We dressed up as H1N1. I think it went over pretty well.

-My birthday! Rob pulled a huge prank on me and made me believe he bought US a new TV for MY birthday. But then he gave me gorgeous new cowboy boots, and took me to a wonderful dinner.

-We have made a small group of couple friends who we hang out with most weekends. They are all from Tennessee and we have so much fun watching the games together. It has been fun to have fun folks to show us the city of Austin. And they have dogs, so Jake has new friends, too!

- Rob's brother Dan and his wife, Jessie, came to San Antonio for the weekend last weekend. We drove down to stay with them in their huge, awesome hotel suite. The boys played golf, and Jessie and I got massages and went shopping. It was so great, and so relaxing. We enjoyed spending adult time with them, and can't wait for them to come back and see Austin next time :).

- Rob went to Houston to see the Titans play the Texans... I stayed home to work! Work is going well, by the way. I was ready for the whole orientation process to be over, and I am happy to be working on my own now. Things are very different here, but it is a great place to work. It has been an adjustment working 5 days a week, but there are benefits to it too. My coworkers are nice, and I'm feeling more and more at home here. I have much to be thankful for!

- Jake has been in major obedience classes. He has a "special collar" he wears and has been doing very well at learning his commands. He is very smart, and brings us lots of laughs every day.

- And now... Thanksgiving! Mom and Dad and Jim and Nanci all flew down in my dad's plane on Wednesday evening for a 4 day stay here in Austin. The flight went well, and I think that they even had in-flight appetizers and cocktails (not the pilot, of course). Nanci has her own stories, and I'm thinking she should start her own blog. In order to have better rest and avoid 6 people using 1 bathroom, they all stayed at a hotel downtown. (I so look forward to having more space in our next home... ) Anywho, we were just so excited to have family here for Thanksgiving, and I totally planned on having a small, humble little meal. And then before I knew it, I had over-doen it a little bit. Thankfully, I had two moms here to help me pull it all together. In true Texas style, we had smoked turkey and brisket. My true accomplishment was an apple pie! I decided I wanted to try at least one new, traditional thing, and it turned out so delicious. I really am on my way to being a domestic goddess, ya'll. (joke) Our friends here in Austin, Jeff and Erin, came to eat with us, and we had a fun day of eating, relaxing, and playing games. 8 adults crammed into a little 800 square foot apartment.... So much fun!



This is me with the spread. Please note the pie. I'm sure your mouth is watering right now at that crumbly, caramel-ish topping.
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- Oh, and just to spice up Thanksgiving a little bit, Jake got into a little scuffle of some sort the night before. He had to go in to the emergency vet and be put to sleep and get some big cuts stitched up. We're not exactly sure how it all happened as he was off leash and running around. However, all I know is it was so pitiful. We picked him up from the vet at 10:30 on Wednesday night with a giant white cone around his head. The Cone of Shame. Bless his poor little heart. He was so freaked out by that cone (and the crazy medicine they gave him), he kept us up almost all night. He wouldn't sleep, and kept running into walls, and just generally acting crazy. And the second we took that cone off (and Grandpa Jerry came over), everything was back to normal. He got spoiled all weekend, and even slept on the couch with Grandpa Jerry. He wears his muzzle at night and when we leave to keep him from messing with his stitches, but he is healing up just fine. Good old Jake... a little bit crazy, but just so funny and sweet. We love him more every day and I honestly can't imagine our lives without that dog!

This is Rob showing you Jakey's boo-boos. And his new bed, because when he was high on his pain medication, he went potty on his old one. Gross. And somehow, my life has reached a new point where that is the kind of thing I blog about. Eek.

- We put up our Christmas tree last night, and Rob was so great and helped with the lights. I did the ornaments :). I am having my book club over on Friday night, so I wanted to get it all decorated for that.

If this doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will.

Okay, phew. That was a lot. But, it was in bullet format, as promised, so it was hopefully easy to digest.

We are happy and so thankful for this sweet time of life together. Thankful for each other and our dog. Thankful for our families and friends, and how well we're loved. Thankful for the upcoming holidays, and looking forward to being in Nashville.

Lots of Love.