albert and codie

Change

2010-08-03T18:37:00.004-05:00

Change is hard. So hard. But exciting! I've been working for the same advertising/technology company for four years. And, I've been working from home for that company for the past two and a half years. It was the first job I landed after I graduated from college --- my first "real world" experience, my first clients, my first team. I was just beginning to feel successful in that position when I decided ... why not try a career change?! Last summer, I began the process of taking tests and filling out applications to become a teacher. Most people are very excited to hear that I'm going to be a teacher - normally, their first comment is: "Oh, that's wonderful! What will you be teaching?" I go on to say, "7th grade math," which, in turn, is answered with an, "Ohhhhhhh. Wellllll, uhhhh, good luck with that."

I've been up at the school this week for a few trainings, and I've started putting together my classroom. Needless to say, my yoga-pants-wearing, work-from-the-comfort-of-my-home world is being turned upside down!! I'm excited ... and scared ... and nervous ... but, here I go!

National Lampoon's Cuban Vacation

2010-07-18T21:31:00.005-05:00

This week, we headed to south Texas to visit the Cuban side of our family. We got to see everyone, ate LOTS of great food (doing way too much of that lately), and had a really wonderful time. Everything moves a little more slowly down there, so it was really nice to slow down and get away from our day-to-day routine. Albert's parents were perfect hosts and stocked the whole house with goodies and surprises -- including THREE dozen red roses for our anniversary!

Sandra's kids, Logan & Ava -- little models!

The Big Four

2010-07-13T14:09:00.009-05:00

Since we're going to be on the road to south Texas on our four-year anniversary, Albert took me downtown last weekend for sushi and celebration.

Happy anniversary, Albert! I love you. I love you so much. You make me laugh. You entertain me with your movie lines, singing, and incredibly accurate impersonations. You protect me and keep me safe. You love life and make me love life. You are a good listener and are so patient with me. Thank you for being a great husband.

The TV Star

2010-07-02T17:46:00.002-05:00

Our son is a star again ... hehe. OK, maybe not. But it's fun to see him on TV!

West Side

2010-06-29T09:56:00.004-05:00

We made a trip to the west side of the state this weekend. Had a great time, got to see everyone, ate LOTS of good food. Albert was relieved to find that that he can still wake board. Click here to take a peek.

Happy Birthday, Hubs!

2010-06-21T18:37:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Albert's birthday this year with a week of movies, shopping, pool time, Mumford & Sons, and dinner with friends. And, yes, that's a guy wearing a homemade sleeveless polo in the front ... apparently, it's an inside joke. Hmmm ...

Albert was very appreciative of everyone's gifts, including the cards, cash, iTunes, purple balloon, dinner at Joe Momma's, Apples to Apples ... and, of course, the sleeveless polo.

Mumford & Sons

2010-06-17T13:33:00.003-05:00

So, our journey to the Mumford & Sons concert went a little like this ... We were making good time on our way to Kansas City until we drove into the most ridiculous rain storm/hurricane. While driving through the storm, our conversations inside the car were as eventful as the tsunami going on outside the car -- one minute we were both frustrated with each other, the next we were teasing each other and cracking up. When we arrived to KC, we were really short on time -- we had to find the venue, pick up our tickets (which were being held by an old toothless tattooed hippie who Albert spoke to on the phone on numerous occasions and trusted for some reason), find our hotel, check into the hotel, drop off our beloved child, and find something to eat. All of this in the pouring down rain.

Finding the venue and the hotel went fairly well. But, there happened to be three other big events going on in the area, so there was no parking in the hotel lots. "PR Albert" must have kicked in because he talked one of the hotel workers into giving up her spot so that we could squeeze in and stay for the night. After going through all this trouble to get the spot, we hated to drive over to the venue. Our hotel was just close enough to the venue where we thought we could walk ............but far enough so that it was quite a journey with the pouring down rain! In the middle of the journey, we figured, hey, we're already wet -- let's walk through the Sonic drive-through. So, there we were ... soaking wet, eating tator tots, and waiting in line for the concert.

While in line, we sparked up a conversation with the guy standing in front of us. He and Albert talked music -- which songs they hoped the band would play, which songs they thought they would sing for their encore, etc., etc....dorky stuff. Come to find out, the guy was a Cuban from Miami! (We'll call him RC for Random Cuban.) RC ended up being a really nice guy. He teaches at a high school in Miami and was actually in town for a debate tournament. Once the doors opened and we got in, we realized the venue was extremely small. We then saw a tiny gap in the front row where no one was standing yet. RC happened to be in that gap. Long story short, it was the best concert either of us have ever been to. Because of the size of the venue, it was a very intimate show. We know these guys are going to get big, so we feel very lucky to get to see them up close now while they're just getting started.

Back in our hotel room, after a very long day, I told Albert all I wanted was a nice cold glass of ice water. He believes that all hotel tap water is connected to a contaminated, poisonous sewer line, so he headed out to hunt down a vending machine. Much to my dismay, he came back with rasberry-flavored Aquafina FlavorSplash. Maybe it's just me, but when I'm craving an ice cold gulp of fresh water, nothing sounds more disgusting than what the bottle claims is a "naturally flavored water beverage." I took a sip and almost threw up all over the place ... I guess I was not prepared for the flavor splash.

In the end, we had an awesome time and Albert enjoyed his birthday present. Here are a few pictures ...

What We've Been Up To

2010-06-10T17:28:00.008-05:00

loving each other
missing our families
grilling out with friends
walking Tuff every day
sweating
mowing/lots of yard work
listening to music in our bathroom
counting down the days until we go to Rockport, TX
counting down the days until the Mumford & Sons concert
watching "Friends"
drinking coffee
wondering why Pitt and Clooney aren't scrubbing pelicans on the shores of the Gulf
eating healthy ... or attempting to
re-doing our master bath
looking forward to the World Cup
skeet shooting
swimming
lounging on the love seat
eating Cheez-Its

Isla Mujeres

2010-05-08T21:13:00.006-05:00

This last week, we went on a little vacation to take a break from the real world and celebrate an early fourth anniversary. We spent the week on a seven-mile island called Isla Mujeres. This gem was found years ago by Albert's parents, and their stories/memories do not even do it justice. The place is gorgeous and was absolutely perfect for our get-away. Here are a few pics ...

On Tuesday, we took a golf cart to the other side of the island ... and stumbled upon a pool of sharks!! We found ourselves staring at this pool of sharks -- me, Albert, and a random Mexican. The conversation went something like this:

Albert: "I think I'm going to get in there."
Random Mexican: "I don't know about that, Ese."
Albert: "No, I think I am. They look like babies."
Random Mexican: "I don't think you should do that, Amigo."
Albert: "C'mon, they look friendly enough. Come with me."
Random Mexican: "Ese, you are loco."

And so goes the story -- he hopped right in, held the shark proudly, and even rubbed its belly. I'm thinking he had some keen Cuban insight and knew that these particular sharks weren't dangerous??! Cuban insight or not, it was unbelievable! (And made for some pretty great pics.)

Worst Blogger Award ... & Arnold

2010-04-13T20:31:00.002-05:00

OK ... the post you have all been waiting for ... after a month and a half, here it is. This is how exciting we are. Don't worry -- someday, we will have a child, and this blog will be bombarded with pictures of him or her. For now, all we have is pictures of our yard and a chocolate lab ... and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Happy Spring!

Radio + Bathroom = Love

2010-03-06T12:49:00.002-06:00

We purchased a radio for the bathroom and have been using the tar out of it. Any time either one of us is in there, we have to have it on. For a while there, we found ourselves not listening to music all that much, which was something we used to do all the time. Now, we plug our iPod in and jam while we get ready for work, to go out, shower............. While I'm typing this, I have just realized we spend a lot of time in the bathroom.

While we're on the subject of bathrooms and radios....... The bathroom used to be the only place we'd get into a disagreement or bicker at each other, which we thought was odd but true. Well, the radio has changed that. The bathroom is now our own little recording studio. Lots of singing in the shower or into our toothbrushes and a ton of cheesy dancing. I don't know if it's the radio, the music, or what, but we've been extremely happy in the bathroom - just as happy as we are in the living room, kitchen, back porch, dining room, etc.

I do realize that this is the most random blog post ever, but sometimes it's good to shed light on the little things. Here are some tunes that we've been jamming to lately, but while you listen, I want you to picture Codie singing into her toothbrush as if she's in the top twelve of American Idol and Simon has been on her case lately about not leaving it all out on stage.

Valentine's Day & Birthday

2010-02-22T16:20:00.004-06:00

It seems like we've been on the go a lot --- a little exhausting, but I'm feeling very blessed and thankful these days. Last weekend, Albert surprised me with flowers, ice skating, and dinner for Valentine's Day. And, this weekend, he surprised with a shopping spree and dinner with a table full of friends for my birthday.

During the week between Valentine's weekend and my birthday weekend, Albert's sister and her family stayed with us while they attended a conference here in Tulsa. We had a lot of fun and got to spend some good time with their two kids, Logan and Ava. But, silly me, I didn't take one single picture while they were here! Maybe next time ...

Behind the Scenes

2010-02-14T11:44:00.008-06:00

Last night, a friend of ours who works for ESPN was working at the TU vs. Memphis game here in Tulsa and invited us out to see all the hard work they do behind the scenes. We stayed in the truck with him most of the time, but he also gave us media passes to get into the game, so we enjoyed sitting right on the sidelines for part of the night, too. It was really neat to see all the details that go into creating what we see on TV -- a two-hour game that appears so simple to us is broken down second by second with tasks and details for them.

The Sequel

2010-02-01T08:15:00.008-06:00

Since our first home tour video was a record-breaking box office hit, per Aunt Julia, we decided to make a sequel. Enjoy ...

The Dog Whisperer

2010-01-06T17:52:00.003-06:00

The Dad ...

The Mom ...

The Dog Whisperer ...

Christmas with the Carrillos

2009-12-27T19:35:00.004-06:00

We just pulled back into town from Rockport, TX, where we celebrated the Christmas holiday with the Carrillos. It was so great to be with them and to have a few days off from work. Lots of gifts and Cuban food, babies and toddlers, a filet mignon, and a scavenger hunt later, here we are back in Oklahoma.

While we were out of town, Tulsa received about 8-10 inches of snow, so we left our yard a big sheet of green and came back to a big sheet of white! But, we made if safely home, and we are so blessed this Christmas season to have wonderful family, good health, a warm fireplace to come home to, and lots of new dreams and goals and changes to look forward to in the year to come. Hope you all had a blessed holiday season as well.

Route 66 Marathon

2009-11-23T21:45:00.009-06:00

This weekend, my mom came up to Tulsa to run the Route 66 Marathon with me. We had a lot of fun doing it together (made the miles go by a lot more quickly), and we fit in some shopping and an OSU game, too.

I am so excited for the holiday season this year - to enjoy time off and to be with friends and family. So much to be thankful for.

Tuff & Dez

2009-11-02T11:40:00.005-06:00

This weekend, we did some "puppy-sitting" for our friends. They just got a little chocolate lab named Dez. Tuff and Dez quickly became friends, and when they weren't chasing or sniffing (or using the bathroom on) each other, they were pretty sweet together.

Sanctuary

2009-10-27T10:46:00.005-05:00

We're very happy that we found a church home. We've been attending Sanctuary for a little bit now and love it. For a while, we found ourselves "church shopping" but quickly realized that we needed to stop being consumers. We found a place where we can get spiritually fed as well as have a role. Maybe JFK had it right after all? "Ask not what your church can do for you but what you can do for your church." Wait ... I think I have that wrong ... oh well. The point is that we found a home and are really excited about it ... especially since they moved their service times back. (I know that sounds bad, but it's an added bonus ... and it makes us happy.)

Homecoming

2009-10-25T13:35:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, we headed to Stillwater for OSU homecoming. It was really good to see how the town and the campus have changed and to see old friends. It will always be a special place for us ... not only our alma mater but also where we met and where we got married. Awwwww ... OK, enough cheese for today.

Heat vs. Thunder

2009-10-15T21:00:00.003-05:00

Last night, we went to our first event at the new BOK Center - Miami Heat vs. OKC Thunder. It was fun to see Albert's hometown team play and to see some of the Big 12 players we had watched in college. All in all, it was a fun night - the only downside being that we still have stupid jock jams in our head today. "I say boom boom boom, now let me hear you say wayoh (wayoh) ... "

Haircut

2009-10-08T22:46:00.003-05:00

We are both very exhausted from a long week of work. Albert can barely hold his head up. Hopefully, next week will slow down a bit. I really need a haircut.

Modern Family

2009-10-02T18:45:00.001-05:00

Realizations

2009-09-27T12:44:00.006-05:00

I've realized several things this week: 1) I'm a musician, 2) my husband shows love in unique ways, and 3) apparently I need to start dressing him before he leaves for work. See video and pics below (in order).

This weekend, we took my mom to a little cafe here in Tulsa that features dueling pianos every Friday night. They played a lot of songs she knew (oldies), and we had a good time celebrating her birthday. I got to help out with one of the songs ...........

Friday morning, I woke up to a little note on my bathroom countertop. When we moved into our house, I had found a lot of the cards and "love letters" Albert wrote me when we first starting dating. I was being selfish and kind of thinking to myself that I missed those times. But, when I saw the work of art made out of Q-tips, I had to appreciate the sweet ways my husband shows his love. Sometimes, I use the phrase "no finesse" to describe him, but he never fails to surprise me.
This is the image I saw when Albert came home from work on Friday ... after a long, full day of running around to Tulsa doctors' offices. He had walked around all day with his pant leg stuck in his sock! How embarassing. I'm sure no one noticed, but he and I got a kick out of it.

All Clean

2009-09-04T22:11:00.004-05:00

Is it scary that we'll have kids one day??

X-treme

2009-08-31T16:31:00.003-05:00

Well, we found out this weekend that extreme sports are not my husband's calling in life. As athletic as he may be, I keep telling him that his old age is starting to catch up with him. He was only going 70 mph straight down a steep hill; no biggie.

Our TV Star

2009-08-10T19:44:00.008-05:00

Since most of our friends are having babies these days, I guess I'll share a proud "mom" moment. Tuff appeared this morning on 2 News Works for You's segment called Dog Days of Summer. I tried to video his little spot, but the audio didn't turn out very well at all. Only we would submit a picture of Tuff in the SNOW for Dog Days of SUMMER! But they made a cute comment about how he was remembering the good ol' days of winter, so I guess it turned out OK. Anyway, here he is ... Tuff, the TV star.

A fun night watching the dueling pianos ...

Lake Arcadia

2009-07-25T21:56:00.002-05:00

Just returned home from a short camping trip to Lake Arcadia ... although, it didn't feel short. We fit as much fun, sun, and wakeboarding into a 24-hour period as possible. Albert made it look easy, as usual. And Tuff enjoyed watching him and making a big deal out of it every time he went down; I think Tuff missed his calling to be a rescue dog.

Free Pass

2009-06-30T22:14:00.005-05:00

Well, we are officially the most terrible bloggers on the block. Seems like we've really started slacking since we moved back to Tulsa. Been staying busy ... selling a house, buying a house, trip back to Texas (great time with the fam) ... enjoying the summer, hauling Tuff around everywhere (he's loving it) ... it has been HOT! Baseball games, concerts ... found an awesome home church and pastor. Living in boxes for another 42 days ... not counting. Not only slacking on the blog, but also slacking with taking pictures. Here are a few for now. Putting together a "to do" list to start after moving in to the house: 1) blog, 2) take pictures ........... I'll try to do better ... but since we don't have cute kids to blog about, I guess we get a free pass.

MayFest '09

2009-05-18T17:14:00.009-05:00

"Diversity"

2009-04-07T19:15:00.005-05:00

We decided to take a nice little trip to Eureka Springs this past weekend. We love that place. Had a great time ... BUT we had no idea that it was their official Diversity Weekend. In this instance, "diversity" is also known as "homosexual pride." Even so, it didn't affect our time there; it was a great, relaxing weekend.

Puerto Vallarta

2009-03-25T20:10:00.006-05:00

Last week, we took a nice, relaxing trip to Puerto Vallarta. We went snorkeling, saw whales, danced, played tennis & beach volleyball, went shopping, and hung out with sea lions, iguanas, peacocks, & parrots. (We felt like Ace Ventura Pet Detectives: Puerto Vallarta.)

OysterFest 2009

2009-03-09T20:32:00.003-05:00

This weekend, we attended our first OysterFest. Every year, Rockport hosts the event, and the town grows from 7,000 to more than 35,000. People gather from all over to enjoy good food, music, arts & crafts, carnival rides, and of course, RAW OYSTERS. This year, the winner of the oyster-eating competition ate 178 in a 5-minute period. Albert & I both agreed that this sounded deadly, but I guess the guy is still living to tell the story. Albert ate 9, so he is claiming 169 more couldn't be that bad ... he's got 363 days to train for OysterFest 2010.

V-Day

2009-02-15T15:18:00.006-06:00

Nothing says I love you like a Valentine's dinner at the local dive. This was our first Valentine's Day surrounded by palm trees, and it was really nice. Even more nice than dinner though was the day together ... it was a little different from ones we've had in the past when we had a few more resources and restaurants to choose from ... we lounged, watched movies, and played Monopoly. Just being together, alone with no distractions or noises, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, holding each other ever so gently as we reminisced about all of the great memories we have had together so far. <--This last sentence sounded like something out of a Nora Roberts novel, but for the most part, it's true. There is a saying, "less is more," and that was true for this years V-Day. It was a great day ... probably the best.

And here's a video of our dog shaking hands.

Pillow Talk

2009-02-12T10:40:00.004-06:00

We have been reading this devotional (that Codie's cousin gave to us) every night before we go to bed. It's a great book, and each study comes with discussion questions at the end that we have found very helpful in starting some meaningful conversations between us. The devotionals touch on just about every aspect of married life, and they focus on situations from a man's perspective as well as a woman's. Sometimes it's good to have meaningful conversations with your spouse rather than talking about who you like or dislike on American Idol (which can be good convo, but not very meaningful). It really is a great book that we recommend to every married couple.

Doppleganger

2009-02-11T10:06:00.001-06:00

That's What She Said

2009-02-06T10:29:00.005-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVl2nqjLVeA

According to The Speaker of The House, "500 million Americans lose their job every single month we don't have an economic stimulus package."...In the words of Michael Scott, "That's what she said." If I'm remembering correctly, the entire U.S. workforce is about 140 million people. So, we're talking about in one month from now, there will be negative 360 million workers in America. I'm not a historian, but that's much worse than the Great Depression. To put this into perspective, this would mean if every person in the world were employed right now, they will be unemployed by the end of the year. Still don't get it? According to Nancy, 11,000 people per second will lose their job, 660,000 per minute, etc., until we pass this stimulus package. OK, so she obviously meant to say 500,000 rather than 500 million, but still, it seems as if they are in a bit of a rush for some reason.

A lot of people wonder where this money comes from. Well, it comes out of the general budget, but there wasn’t any extra money in the budget, so they’re going to have to borrow money. They do that by selling Treasury bills, notes, and bonds. Essentially, the whole country is taking out a loan and passing it out to us individuals to get us through what they hope is a short rough patch. Our children will be paying for it. In the end, this money will just be tacked on to the national debt, which is a shame because that debt will come back to bite us some day.

All we can do is have faith and know that it is all in God's hands.

Pittsburgh who?

2009-01-30T12:01:00.007-06:00

In order to have Codie watch sports with me, I always have to prepare a presentation for her before a big game or event because she likes to know a little bit about the players/teams. Everyone has a nerdy side to them and my nerdy side is sports, so I never have a problem doing that for her. It's something I've always loved and have known a lot about. So on my Friday afternoon off from work, I've decided to be nerdy and post something about the Super Bowl on our blog (in hopes that maybe ESPN will read and hire me as a contributing writer) and so that Codie and the rest of our family can root for the right team and know someone out on the field at the same time. I'm only going to talk about one person on one team because he has a good story and because he plays for the team I'm rooting for.

A little bit about Kurt Warner: After completing his college career, he attended the Green Bay Packers training camp in 1994 but was released before the regular season began. After he was cut from the Packers' training camp, he got a job working the night shift as a stock boy at a local Hy-Vee grocery store. Warner was still hoping to get an NFL tryout, but with that possibility appearing dim and the long hours at the Hy-Vee for minimum wage taking their toll, Warner began his Arena League career.

After doing extremely well in the Arena League, he was picked up in 1998 by the St. Louis Rams to be a backup quarterback . After an injury to their #1 guy, Kurt was named the starter. He then ended up completing one of the top seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. Fast forward to 2007: After his highs and lows and the fact that age was starting to kick in, he was reduced to a backup for the young, "talented" up-and-comer Matt Leinart at Arizona. After injuries and poor performances by Leinart, they put the "old man" back in and he has since been their star.

More facts: He and his wife are born-again Christians and do a lot of volunteer work with the developmentally disabled. He loves the game, and he loves his teammates. All of this to say - you should love Kurt and the rest of the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday ... I'm just saying.

Alarm Clocks & Elbows

2009-01-27T21:08:00.004-06:00

This weekend, my mom flew down to spend some time with us and to see our new home. She was our first visitor from Oklahoma, so we had fun taking her to our beaches & favorite restaurants and showing her the birds & the views of Rockport. When she arrived on Friday, she was greeted with a beautiful sunny day, but of course, Saturday and Sunday (when we were planning to take her kayaking) were cloudy and windy. Our solution: Cook good food all weekend! We made homemade stacked pizza, 3 gallons of salsa, cheesecake brownies, frozen fruit cups, a delicious new cucumber salad, and fruit pizza.

Not only did my mom break in my new kitchen, but she also created a new alarm clock for Albert (ask her for details) and threw her elbow out playing tennis on the Wii. Needless to say, it was a fun weekend!

Cookies

2009-01-26T17:20:00.002-06:00

Have you ever heard or seen a funny video or movie that becomes an inside joke between you and your spouse? Well, Codie and I joke about this video quite frequently because this is, to me, the perfect picture of Codie during a business meeting at work.

Curb Appeal

2009-01-20T11:30:00.003-06:00

There are a lot of things that go into getting the best possible price for your home, but the very first thing your home needs is curb appeal. When a prospective buyer or realtor pulls up in front of your home, they immediately form an opinion about your house. Fair or not, that's what people do. You can have the most beautiful home in the city, but if prospective buyers don't get a super positive feeling about your house the minute they lay eyes on it, they are going to enter and view the rest of your house with a negative impression.

We were able to get a great deal at the local nursery, and this is what we created. Albert has great pride in his work, as you can see him here with his hoe.

Great Idea!

2009-01-14T12:15:00.009-06:00

It's good to know there are options out there ...

Living, Laughing, Learning, Loving ... and Laxatives

2009-01-07T18:58:00.013-06:00

This year's holiday season was a little unconventional. We started on Christmas Eve here in Texas and just returned home yesterday, Jan. 6, from Oklahoma. We figured ... hey, drag it out as long as possible; after all, the holidays only come around once a year.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we stuffed ourselves with Cuban food and Cuban laughs. Throughout the past 4 years, I've slowly (and discreetly) brought my American ways of game-playing and dessert-eating into the family. Before I came along, I guess there was no game-playing. Albert says all they used to do is sit around and make fun of him. And for dessert, they ate vanilla ice cream and frozen peach cobbler (which took 3 hours to defrost and bake). By the time it was finally ready, I think they had all already forgotten about it ... or it had sat in the oven so long it was no longer edible. Anyway, I think I've influenced the family to incorporate at least a few good things into their holiday routine.

The day after Christmas, the Carrillo family loaded up our bikes and skateboards and took a trip to the Rockport beach. We had a day full of exercise, sun, and birds ... there seem to be a lot of those around here.

On our way to Oklahoma to spend Christmas with my side of the family, we stopped to celebrate New Year's Eve in Denton, a small little college town north of Dallas. According to an intoxicated group of ladies wearing zebra and leopard jackets and walking along the sidewalk in downtown Denton: "Oh my Gosh, you have to go to Dusty's! They have the best burgers everrrrrrrr!" So, we checked it out for ourselves, and surprisingly, they were right. Great burgers, good music, and a whole restaurant full of good ol' small town people.

On New Year's Day, we headed to western Oklahoma and celebrated Christmas with my family. Ate good food, opened presents, and of course, played games. According to Albert, my mom cooked his "dream meal," featuring steaks & shrimp, and she even ordered a bottle of his favorite Argentinian steak sauce - Chimichurri. He stuffed himself for 5 days straight, but my poor husband still hasn't been able to digest all of it ... he made a trip to Walgreen's today for a bottle of Miralax, which he says is highly recommended by many of the top gastroenterologists in the Midwest.
Oh, and here's a picture of a kid with a gigantic fro in Weatherford, OK.

A Little Piece of Oklahoma

2008-12-21T15:58:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday, we were excited to have a little piece of Oklahoma right here in Texas! My mom bought us tickets to the OSU vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi game, and we had the best time watching our cowboys whoop up on the islanders.
We've stayed super busy the past few weeks with work, settling into our new home, and shopping and preparing for the Christmas holiday. I've even had Albert in the kitchen helping me make desserts and candy ... he's finally getting used to the fact that it takes ingredients that may not be so pretty (i.e. oil, butter, eggs) to create an end product ... as some of you may know, he's not too hip on raw meat or any ingredient that doesn't look edible out of the package. He'll get there. =)

We're still getting used to the fact that it's 75 degrees in December. I guess when we visit Oklahoma in January, we'll have to switch out of flip-flop mode! Hoping you all have a very blessed Christmas ... we're thinking of each of you during this special time of year.

No Longer Homeless

2008-11-27T20:10:00.004-06:00

Here is a little video tour of our house. We (Albert) forgot to video the guest bedroom and a few other things, but most of it is here, so you can get a general idea. We are so excited and thankful, and it worked out perfectly that we now have a home for the holidays! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. This is a horrible tour, so if you would like a more professional one check out http://www.visualtour.com/show.asp?T=1754379&prt=10003

A Few Pictures

2008-11-08T21:54:00.005-06:00

A lot of people have been asking to see pictures of our house, so we thought we'd post a few. We're getting closer! If all goes as planned, we are set to move in when we return from our trip to Oklahoma, week after next.

George Strait & Dolphins

2008-11-03T19:44:00.006-06:00

Well, the kayak has introduced us to a completely new side of Rockport. It takes us places we could never go on foot, and it's really giving us an appreciation for this place and its beauty.

On Friday, we kayaked from the beach on the south side of Key Allegro to our favorite little restaurant on the north side of Key Allegro. On our trip, we paddled right by George Strait's kitchen window and by his massive yacht, which he named himself "Day Money." We also saw two perfectly in-synch dolphins swimming right beside us. We were pretty amazed, so we went back to the same place on Sunday, hoping to see the dolphins again, and we did! This time, they got right next to our kayak and then swam directly underneath us. For a minute, we weren't sure where they had gone. We were looking ........ and looking ......... and looking ......... and suddenly, I feel Albert's foot in my back! The dolphins had popped back up right next to him and scared him! (Albert, I know you weren't scared ... just "surprised.") We followed them for as long as we could ... it was pretty amazing.

The Red Door & "Birthmas"

2008-10-28T10:30:00.006-05:00

Last week, my mom surprised Albert with an early "Birthmas" present (as she likes to call it), and he was able to get his dream boat, Pete the kayak... (note - Pete is "Pokes" orange, thus the name) ...and we have gone kayaking 3 out of the 4 past days! It has become our new favorite hobby - beautiful weather, awesome scenery, and a pretty good workout. The thing we've enjoyed most about it is that we can drop it anywhere - at the bay around our house, at the bay in Rockport, or even at the beach.

I also included a picture of our new red door. The design is still in the works, but I wanted to show the color, along with our terrace railings, which were put in a few weeks ago.

Congratulations

2008-10-24T21:40:00.006-05:00

We would like to say congratulations to our talented friends from Stillwater for making it big. One of their new songs, Black Tables, was featured during the first episode of this season's Grey's Anatomy, and they have just been signed by TBD Records, a record label that has worked with bands such as Radiohead and Underworld. Check them out - formerly known as Kunek, they are now Other Lives.

"Out-of-the-Ordinary"

2008-10-20T20:52:00.011-05:00

These days, I must say our life is a little "out-of-the-ordinary." But it seems to me that with all of the curveballs and the unorthodox living arrangements, we have learned, grown, and laughed more than ever. Each day, you teach me something new about myself or about life or about the world. Each day, you inspire me to think outside of the box or to dream a new dream or to taste a food I've refused to taste.

I've always wondered...and continue to wonder...about this thing they call the "seven-year itch." But after two years (and a few months) of marriage, I still come running to the door when you get home from work, I cannot wait for the moment when you wrap your leg around me at night, and I still get butterflies when you imitate me with that stupid voice that sounds nothing like me.

I want you to know how much I appreciate your patience ... your affection ... your honesty ... your respect ... your protection ... your loyalty ... your strong will ... your excitement for life ... and these days more than ever, your humor. Thank you for making me laugh. For making me crack up. I have had the best time just laughing outloud with you during the past few months.

Love ya.

2008-10-14T12:53:00.001-05:00

Birds

2008-10-07T08:47:00.007-05:00

This morning is very dreary and cloudy, and our backyard is full of birds who are loving the rainy weather. This is our friend Peter (below). He is a Roseate Spoonbill. He likes to visit us on a daily basis, usually in the early mornings. I think if he could talk, Peter would ask us for food because he's always got his mouth in the water, searching for good eats.

Peter and his friends, on a very rainy day.

Gabinetes...

2008-09-25T17:06:00.006-05:00

...Spanish for "cabinets."
Not only is our blog fun, but it is also very educational.

Above, this is some of the cabinetry in the master bathroom. Below, this is our hanging cabinet and hanging linen closet in our guest bathroom. This is probably only fun for us, but since we don't yet have a child or anything else to write about, we write about cabinets! If you'd like to learn more about cabinet-making, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_making.

Austin/Fort Worth

2008-09-14T15:40:00.005-05:00

This week, Albert and I ventured to Austin. I was at the fH office for training, and Albert went to Fort Worth for two days for a marketing conference. We felt like everything worked out perfectly because we were both able to attend our meetings, we were safe from the storm, and we were also able to see Mogwai in concert on Friday night. Mogwai was on Albert's list of top three concerts he HAS to go to in his lifetime, so we took lots of pictures and had an awesome time!

A big thanks to all of you who were thinking of us and who said prayers for us this week. Because of our business trip, we didn't even feel a drop of rain. All of your calls and e-mails mean so much.

Rises & Sets

2008-09-04T20:45:00.002-05:00

Someone recently mentioned to me that I hadn't been posting very many pictures of our scenery and surroundings, and I realized how much I've been taking it for granted every morning and every night when I look out the window and see the sun as it rises and sets. So, I've tried to catch some nice moments over the past few days and thought I'd share them with you.

Weekends Aren't Long Enough!

2008-08-17T21:11:00.006-05:00

This weekend, we had a little family party at Gigi & Pa's house. This seems to be happening frequently now that everyone has finally moved down here. It's been a lot of fun being with family & friends and helping everyone get settled in.

Sorry *PETA, we had to do it.

Glamour Shots called - they want their picture back.

The house is coming along ... the interior paint is almost finished and the cabinetry is going in, so it's starting to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel.

**People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Exhausted

2008-08-10T17:37:00.002-05:00

We were both very exhausted from a long week of work. Albert could barely hold his head up. Hopefully, next week will slow down a bit ... maybe we can even find time to fix our hair.

The Big Two

2008-07-22T18:36:00.005-05:00

Albert took me to a beautiful dinner for our second anniversary...which was surprising after the choices he had given me throughout the day - Subway, Quizno's, or McDonald's.
We really like our new address, but I guess Tuff feels differently.

This is one of the blue crabs that Albert and his buddy, Brian, caught when they went fishing a few days ago!

A Few Weeks Behind

2008-07-07T13:40:00.007-05:00

Two weekends ago, we headed to western Oklahoma for Clay's wedding. While we were there, we spent some really great time with the folks. It was the first time in a long time that we had been able to take several days off and just enjoy our time there.
I think Albert was a little sore after the weekend was over ... he took my dad one-on-one in ping pong and pool, my mom and I whooped him in tennis (OK, it was close!), and then he was able to get some good wakeboarding in! I have to admit, I was very impressed.
Me & Mom...at the personal lingerie shower we threw for Clay's wife.

Me & Brett ... also at the shower. Love you, Brett!

At the lake ... eating a cucumber. :)

At the lake ... Albert eating a cucumber. :)

Now, how many men can say that they go wakeboarding with their mother-in-law! Look at that Ginger go. :)

At the rehearsal dinner with my cousins - Emily, Rusty, & Chandra.

Albert & the boys ... aren't they cute? :)

Just couldn't leave this one off. He's a stud...that's all there is to say.

A Few Songs for You

2008-06-22T13:18:00.020-05:00

A SHORT STORY: "Albert Catches a Fish"

Albert: "Codie, oh my gosh. I caught a fish, and it's got a lot of teeth, and it looks like a shark!"
Random Mexican: "Hey, ese, that is a shark."
Albert (as he drops the fishing pole): "Oh my gosh."

Albert regains his composure, picks up the shark, takes pictures and is very proud of the big catch on his birthday.

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-20T08:44:00.004-05:00

Happy birthday, Albert! We all love you very much. Oh and by the way, "You were born at 3:10." What you do when you don't have cable and it's REALLY hot outside...watch every episode of The Office: Season Four online. After, of course, watching seasons one, two , and three on DVD.

Happy Father's Day , etc.

2008-06-11T15:28:00.009-05:00

With all we've had going on, we should have more pictures to post, but I've been a bad photographer lately. Congratulations to Gisela for selling her house and a big happy Father's Day to our dear daddies!

Our beachy boy...showing off in the water. We try to take him at least once a week or so. He loves it!

Both pictures I have of our dads are very lovely. =)

Memorial Day Weekend: Branson & The uHaul

2008-05-28T08:15:00.006-05:00

We had a very busy Memorial Day weekend, but it was a lot of fun! We spent Friday-Sunday at the Roush reunion in Branson. Lots of good food and fellowship! Here's the whole clan...

We spent a lot of time outside - playing tennis, playing basketball, and tubing. Here we are waiting to get on the boat...

Albert standing up on the tube!

Waiting for the Chinese Acrobat Show ...

Just the four of us ... currently the smallest link in the Roush family ... but Clay will make it bigger soon. =)

The uHaul! Monday morning, we rolled out of Branson at 5:00 AM, picked up the uHaul we had packed on Friday in Tulsa, and 15 hours later, we arrived in Rockport with all of our belongings ... and most importantly, our Tuff! We have missed him so much and love having him back with us.

He had no idea how long he was going to be in that truck!
House Update: shingles, siding, plumbing, electrical, and one tub.

OK...It's starting to get hot!

2008-05-20T18:11:00.010-05:00

Another beautiful Rockport night...Albert and some random guys at Starbucks!

The Logan & The Tuff

2008-05-14T08:05:00.007-05:00

This past weekend, we road tripped to Kenedy to hang out with Sandra, Jared, and Logan and to celebrate Mother's Day. Even though we weren't able to be with our moms, we had an awesome time, and it was really great to be with family. We are so excited to be with family again the next two weekends!

The siding is starting to go up...One of the really cool historical sites in Rockport-The Fulton Mansion.

The Tuff! We're counting the days until we see him weekend after next and bring him back to Rockport! We miss him so much.

To Moms & Grandmas and to Graduate Alexis!

2008-05-08T09:38:00.011-05:00

Want to wish a very happy Mother's Day to Mom Ginger & Mom Gigi and to Grandma Faye & Abuela. Also want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to Alexis - we are so proud of you! Wish we could be with each of you on these special days - we love you all very much...

Texas Treasure

2008-05-08T09:20:00.004-05:00

Last night, we ventured out on the Texas Treasure cruise for some good food and entertainment! We had a great time but stayed out way too late on a work night! Oh well...Friday will be here soon. =)

Last Friday, I was able to tag along with Albert to Corpus, and we had an awesome time exploring the city. It's such a beautiful place, and it's great to know we're so close to hospitals, restaurants, and of course, the mall!

A random picture of wind surfers in Rockport...they kept us entertained one night for about an hour! Looks tiring to me. =)

Taking Shape

2008-04-29T09:35:00.004-05:00

We go to the house each day to see the progress. It's so crazy to see it take shape from lines on a paper we've looked at for so long!

Again, from a distance...

And I couldn't help but post the tiny tomato I've told everyone about. =)

Our New Town

2008-04-16T19:19:00.006-05:00

We're finally here, and we're having so much fun exploring Rockport! There are so many things to do and places to go. The weather has been beautiful, so we've enjoyed being outside - fishing, biking, and running. I am loving working from home, and Albert is very excited about his new job. We're meeting a lot of wonderful (old) people around town... Everything is good. =)

We like to go to the local Starbucks because it has an awesome view of the water!

Albert's new favorite pastime is fishing on the pier right below our cottage. We've made a little friend who we call Alfred (below). He's there morning, noon, and night.

We've found this awesome bait shop, where we can get a bucket of live shrimp for $3.

And this is Alfred's cousin, Hector.

Framing

2008-04-16T18:56:00.007-05:00

It's going up! Here are a few pictures of the house. We went out tonight, and they are starting on the second floor. We even have a few windows!

From a distance...

Our Slideshow

2008-03-12T12:04:00.002-05:00

Weekend in Stillwater

2008-03-10T13:59:00.010-05:00

Albert and I took a trip to Stillwater last weekend to be with family for my belated birthday celebration! We were also able to go to an OSU basketball game, celebrate my cousin Emily's birthday, and visit Rusty & Chandra's new baby girl, Lillian. You can see the little beauty at http://www.sweetlittlelillian.blogspot.com/.

Mom, Albert, and I arrived at the game early and decided to take some fun pictures! It had been a long time since we had been to OSU, so it was great to be back and see all the renovations and changes that had taken place on campus and in Stillwater in only two years!

Em & Cod - we've always shared a birthday celebration!

Rockport in February

2008-02-18T13:55:00.008-06:00

Our trip to Rockport was really great - nice weather, good time with family, and lots of exploring! I think we'll be discovering beaches and new places to go for year and years to come.

This is us standing on our empty lot,
where our home will soon be built! Pictures on the beach look so funny when you're wearing jackets!

Little did we know that one of our neighbors lives in Farah Fawcett's old house! Our land was actually owned by her, then bought by a doctor, then Pa, and now us!

Our color is in there somewhere... :)

Beautiful birds everywhere!

Happy Belated New Year!

2008-02-18T13:47:00.004-06:00

I know these are late, but I wanted to post them any way...

Happy 2008!

Fun Pics

2008-02-14T15:48:00.012-06:00

Albert found some fun, random pictures,

and we wanted to share them with you!

Albert & Tuff at the lake last year - one of my personal favorites. :)
Cute monkey! Future nursery??
Albert at the Cayman Islands - look at my hot hubby!

Me...also on our honeymoon.
Had to get a pic of the gringa at the cute Cuban shop!
Tommy & Linda...the fun couple we hung out with on our honeymoon! Two of a kind, right there.Me, Dad & Clay - hanging out in Stillwater a few years ago.

Grandma & Dad - on move in day...
Look at those ugly kitchen cabinets! Mom & me... yes, the worms are fake. :)

We love you all!

Looking Back

2008-02-12T15:40:00.000-06:00

Found some old pictures from our last trip to Rockport and wanted to post them before we go back this weekend and post our new ones soon! Also found a really nice picture of our "old" house at 91st and Memorial, which I am missing this week and wondering how it's looking now that it has a new owner!

Living Out of Boxes

2008-02-06T12:37:00.001-06:00

No new pictures this time… Just wanted to give everyone an update on all the things going on in our life! Tomorrow, we are closing on the sale of our home here in Tulsa (yay!) and also on the construction loan on our house that’s going to be built in Rockport. Last weekend, we moved out of the house at 91st and Memorial (thank you, Wes and Sonny!) and moved into the rental in Broken Arrow . Other than a few (OK, more than a few) minor leaks and water issues, we are doing just fine…living out of boxes kind of brings back memories of the college lifestyle. I’m not sure how Albert is doing without cable or Internet, but it’s only temporary, so he should be fine. :)

We are headed to Rockport the weekend of the 16th to help Pa and Mom Gigi move some of their things to Sandra’s house. Looking forward to seeing the Hills and being in Rockport for the day. More to come…

The Holiday Season

2007-12-27T22:16:00.001-06:00

This holiday season was very busy with parties, the ski trip and several family Christmases. As soon as one event ended, we were off to the next! We had a great time at the faithHighway party, then we were off to western Oklahoma for Christmases with Mom Ginger & Grandpa Harold, Dad (Razor Rickie), and Grandma Faye & the Fords. Albert's best gift was getting to feed the cows. :) We headed to snowy white Colorado after that, and when we got back, we were greeted with a little snow in Tulsa, too... Tuff didn't know quite what to think about that! We had a great Christmas with Gigi, Pa, & "Hialeah" on Christmas Day, and we're looking forward to hanging out with the Hills this weekend. It has been a wonderful holiday season - we are very blessed to have such loving, giving family and friends.

Wolf Creek

2007-12-27T21:40:00.000-06:00

Last week, Albert and I headed to Pagosa Springs, CO, with my brother, Clay, and his girlfriend, Baily. We skied at Wolf Creek for three days... On day one, we skied with snowflakes in our faces, but it was completely worth it when we skied the second and third days with fresh, fluffy powder and a base depth of 118 inches. Wolf Creek has the best snow in the United States right now, and we soaked it up! Albert and I headed down the toughest slope there - a double black diamond called Alberta's Face... we didn't look quite like the other people going down it, but we were proud of ourselves anyway!

Chris' Birthday

2007-11-04T15:49:00.000-06:00

Last night, we celebrated our friend Chris' birthday at Charleston's. Chris' wife, Shannon, surprised him with about 25 of his friends and family, and after dinner, we hung out at the BruHouse on Brookside. We didn't take very many pictures because I'm a little self-conscious about my hair right now... I'll be blonde again soon! We had a great time with friends, and it's always nice to have a weekend at home.

80s Halloween Party

2007-11-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

By 80s Halloween party, we mean gay 80s Halloween party! We hung out with our friends Kristen and Ethan, and the boys went a little too far with the whole "theme" thing. But we all know Albert has always been a little extreme... I guess some things never change.

Who knows what ridiculous themed parties Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New's Year could bring... well, besides the obvious crazy Cuban theme.

Logan's First Birthday

2007-10-22T21:15:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we made the 10-hour trip to Texas for our nephew's first birthday and to see Gigi & Pa's new house! We had a great time getting away from work and just hanging out with family. You know any road trip with the crazy Cubans is going to be a fun one. :)

Life

2007-10-16T22:13:00.000-05:00

July 15th marked our first anniversary of this thing we call marriage. It's been a year of fun and exciting changes with a new city, a new house, new jobs, new friends, and our own new little family - just the three of us. Albert, Codie, and Tuff. We are loving life, and we're so excited about the plans that are in store for our future. We're going to start posting frequent blogs and pictures to keep everyone updated on our life, and we want to hear from you guys, too!